While eating at the banquet, Gu Jiu kept a careful eye on her surroundings.
Everything seemed normal.
The rest of the meal passed without incident.
That suspicious cup of wine earlier almost felt like nothing more than her imagination.
It seemed the one who tried to poison her was extremely cautious; once the attempt failed, they immediately pulled back without leaving a trace.
This only made Gu Jiu more wary. She feared that the person, unwilling to admit defeat, might strike again later.
Gu Zhen quietly asked, “Er meimei, is something on your mind?”
Gu Jiu shook her head lightly. “There are a lot of guests today.”
“Yes. Earlier, I walked around the garden with some of our younger sisters, and we ran into many people.”
“Was the garden pretty? I haven’t had a chance to go.”
“Beautiful. It truly deserves to be called a flower-viewing banquet. There must be a hundred varieties of blossoms there, dazzling to look at.”
Gu Jiu smiled. “It’s a wang fu. Naturally, their flower-viewing banquet is on another level.”
Gu Zhen nodded. “Er meimei, you’ll be marrying into such a wealthy fu soon. To be honest, I’m a little worried for you.”
Gu Jiu’s expression remained calm. “Thank you, da jiejie. I’ll learn to adapt.”
Gu Zhen hesitated, staring at her.
“If you have something to say, please say it directly.”
After a pause, Gu Zhen asked, “Have you met Gongzi Zhao?”
Gu Jiu nodded. “Once, at the palace.”
“What kind of person is he?”
“Only met him twice, hard to say. He seemed rather serious.”
Leaning close, Gu Zhen whispered, “I heard Gongzi Zhao doesn’t get along with his brother of the same mother. And that Xiao Qin’er is Shu fei’s grandniece; her family is very wealthy. When you marry in, you must be careful of her. She doesn’t look easy to deal with.”
Gu Jiu laughed softly, eyes warm and curved. “Thank you, da jiejie, I’ll watch out for Xiao Qin’er.”
“It won’t help.” The voice came from Gu Yue, who had clearly been eavesdropping.
Gu Jiu arched a brow. “And what do you think, san meimei?”
Gu Yue said, “Er jiejie, everyone knows you have forty thousand taels in your dowry. I’ll bet Xiao Qiner’s is even larger, at least sixty or seventy thousand.
“Her dowry is bigger, and she’ll enter the fu before you. On top of that, she has Shu fei niangniang backing her, while you have nothing and no one.
“To be honest, I don’t think much of your future. I fear the moment you walk through the gates, you’ll already be at a disadvantage.”
Her eyes gleamed with gloating amusement as she finished.
Gu Jiu pressed her lips into a smile. “How rare, for san meimei to say something so insightful.”
Gu Yue’s face immediately darkened. What did that mean? Was she implying that she’d been stupid before?
Gu Jiu smiled again. “Still, I’ll take your warning to heart. Once I marry into the wang fu, I won’t allow myself to be bullied.”
If she was wronged, she would hold Liu Zhao accountable.
If she had no peace, then he wouldn’t either. If she suffered, they would suffer together.
Gu Yue sneered. “Don’t talk big. This is a wang fu, not our home. What you say won’t matter here.”
Gu Jiu said with a half-smile, “Nor will what you say.”
Gu Yue’s face collapsed into silence.
At last, their table quieted down, and they could eat and drink in peace.
Throughout it all, Gu Shan, Gu Lin and Gu Jun had stayed silent.
Gu Zhen later whispered to Gu Jiu, “When we walked in the garden, san meimei and wu meimei both spoke, but neither said a word to si meimei.”
Gu Jiu raised a brow. Another quarrel between Gu Yue and Gu Shan?
But Gu Shan hadn’t done anything recently that could provoke her.
Gu Yue had been acting strange for days now. Who knew what nonsense was going through her head?
After the banquet, they all headed to the opera stage.
Gu Jiu went with her sisters. At first, the high-pitched singing grated on her ears, but after a while she found it oddly entertaining.
Halfway through her cup of tea, a servant girl came to refill it.
Her hand slipped, and tea splashed onto Gu Jiu’s skirt.
The apricot-coloured silk was instantly stained. It was impossible to pretend nothing had happened.
The little maid went pale and fell to her knees at once, knocking her head to the floor again and again. “Please forgive me, Gu guniang, please forgive me…”
Gu Jiu frowned slightly, displeased. Not because of the stain, but because the maid’s reaction was far too dramatic, such a commotion was bound to draw attention.
Indeed, many turned to look. A senior maid hurried over to their table.
Gu Jiu’s voice was cool: “Get up. There’s no need to kneel, I’m not angry.”
The girl lifted her head, tears still clinging to her lashes. She looked startled, almost disbelieving, before kowtowing again and again. “Thank you, Gu guniang, thank you…”
“What happened here?” The senior maid arrived, frowning at the stained dress. She lightly scolded the trembling girl. “How careless!”
The little maid looked ready to cry again.
Gu Jiu said gently, “It’s fine. Just an accident.”
The senior maid smiled. “Gu guniang is most generous. On this girl’s behalf, I thank you. But your dress is stained; it would be better to change in one of the side rooms.”
A warning bell went off in Gu Jiu’s mind.
She cast a deep glance at the senior maid, suddenly changing her mind, and readily agreed, “Alright!”
The senior maid smiled. “This way, Gu guniang.”
Then she harshly scolded the little maid, “Why are you standing there in a daze? Hurry up and clean this mess!”
The little maid quickly crouched down to tidy up.
Gu Jiu rose and followed the senior maid away.
Qing Mei and Qing Zhu went with her.
On the second floor of the opera house, Pei shi noticed the commotion below and asked the maid at her side, “What’s going on? The very first play isn’t even halfway through, and she’s already leaving? So impatient?”
The maid quickly explained, “It seems Gu guniang’s dress was stained by tea, so she’s going to change into a clean one.”
Pei shi sneered coldly, “Her dress got dirty? Or perhaps someone did it on purpose.”
The maid’s heart skipped. “Shall I follow and take a look?”
Pei shi waved her hand. “No need. Let them make a fuss if they want.”
Another person who noticed Gu Jiu’s departure was Zhou Yi.
Her brows flickered, and using the excuse of a stomachache, she claimed she needed the privy and rose to leave, following after Gu Jiu.
Halfway along, she was suddenly tripped and fell hard to the ground, scraping her knees.
Furious, Zhou Yi was about to curse loudly, but when she looked up, there wasn’t a soul in sight.
“What’s going on?”
She stared in disbelief. Clearly, someone had just been there, tripping her on purpose.
Her maid trembled. “Guniang, let’s just go back. This place feels… eerie.”
Zhou Yi ground her teeth, unwilling to accept it. “Don’t talk nonsense! Eerie? What’s eerie about it?”
She stood, forcing herself to continue forward.
But just as she took a step, pain shot through her knee again.
With a thud, she dropped to her knees.
Tears welled up from the sharp sting.
Grinding her teeth, Zhou Yi was certain, this bizarre business had to be someone’s trick.
“Guniang, are you alright?”
Her maid looked utterly frightened, as if she’d seen a ghost.
Seething, Zhou Yi glared around. “Who’s there? Sneaking about, too cowardly to show yourself?”
No answer came. Only the wind, the birds, and her own breath.
The maid began sobbing softly in fear, but dared not cry out loud. The suppressed sound only made the heavy silence feel more suffocating.
“Shut up!” Zhou Yi snapped, face livid with rage.
The maid quickly stifled her crying.
Zhou Yi took a moment, then tried to lift her foot for another step.
She raised it, but could not set it down.
The maid gaped blankly at Zhou Yi, wondering whether the “golden rooster stance” was really so comfortable that her mistress refused to lower her foot.
Zhou Yi grew weary.
The one-legged posture was exhausting.
Should she press forward, or retreat? It felt like an impossible choice.
She was unwilling to slink back in defeat. She wanted to catch up and see if Gu Jiu was plotting something.
But the throbbing pain in her knee warned her: if she dared take another step, whoever was lurking in the shadows would make her suffer even worse.
At last, Zhou Yi yielded.
She lowered her foot and took a step back.
Her face was ugly with humiliation, anger boiling inside, at herself, at Gu Jiu and at Ning wang fu.
Her expression dark, she ordered the maid, “We’re going back.”
The maid let out a breath of relief. At least her mistress had come to her senses. After all, this was someone else’s domain; it wasn’t a place to act recklessly.
Meanwhile, Gu Jiu followed the senior maid to a private chamber, where she changed into fresh clothes.
The maid brought her tea and some pastries.
“Why not rest here for a while, Gu guniang, and ease your fatigue? Don’t worry, it’s quiet here, no one will disturb you.”
Gu Jiu nodded. “Alright. I happen to be tired.”
She sat by the window, eating pastries and sipping tea, quietly waiting.
She knew Liu Zhao would come, and she knew that the maid was sent by him.
So she remained calm, drinking her tea, even feeling drowsy.
Her eyelids slowly lowered as she listened to the birds outside the window. On such a day, with a light breeze, it was perfect for a nap. She could almost sleep till dusk.
Then footsteps sounded outside the door, deliberately heavy.
She heard Qing Mei and Qing Zhu murmuring, but their voices were so soft she couldn’t catch the words.
The footsteps resumed, drawing closer, heading straight toward her.
Gu Jiu did not open her eyes. She savoured this quiet moment and didn’t wish it spoiled by anyone.
Liu Zhao entered and stood beside her, staring at her for a while. Seeing that she ignored him, he simply sat down next to her and very naturally took her hand.
Instinctively, Gu Jiu tried to pull free, but halfway through the motion, she stopped. She opened her eyes and looked at him, her gaze full of disdain.
Liu Zhao was unbothered. “So you finally opened your eyes to look at me. I thought you meant to avoid me the whole day.”
Gu Jiu gave a soft laugh. “Indeed, I didn’t want to see you.”
“Because of Zhou Yi?” Liu Zhao asked.
“Yes, and no.”
Gu Jiu clearly did not wish to elaborate.
From the day she was betrothed to Liu Zhao, Gu Jiu knew her life would never again be peaceful.
Yet when trouble truly came knocking, Gu Jiu could not remain entirely rational.
She would be angry, she would rage, she would bear grudges, even curse Liu Zhao.
Such reactions were only human.
But she would never lay bare those emotions in front of him.
They were not that close. Even if they were, it was better to keep a few secrets from one another.
Liu Zhao said solemnly, “I’ll deal with Zhou Yi. From now on, she won’t have the time to trouble you again. Are you satisfied?”
Gu Jiu: Heh!
She let out a mocking laugh. “And what if I’m not?”
“If you’re not, then bengongzi will keep working until you are.”
The words were pleasant enough.
If not for having lived two lives, Gu Jiu might well have been swayed.
Keeping her tone calm, she said, “That’s your responsibility. Don’t expect me to thank you.”
Liu Zhao smiled faintly. “I know. I never expected thanks from you.”
This woman was becoming more and more blunt with him. And yet, he liked it that way.
Gu Jiu smiled without a word.
Liu Zhao reached out and brushed a loose strand of hair from beside her ear.
Gu Jiu looked at him with obvious distaste, turned her head, and tried to dodge his hand.
“Don’t move!”
His face was stern. “Your hair is a mess. Let me fix it.”
Gu Jiu shook her head. “No need. I’ll do it myself.”
But Liu Zhao ignored her, insisting on doing things his own way.
Gu Jiu snorted, her dislike of him growing.
Feeling dejected, Liu Zhao said with a straight face, “Ever since our engagement, you’ve done nothing but look down on me. Is bengongzi really so unbearable?”
Gu Jiu arched a brow, smiling. “You don’t know whether you’re unbearable or not?”
“Bengongzi only knows that no one could possibly be more outstanding than me.”
Gu Jiu was speechless. So arrogant! Who would have thought beneath his austere face hid such a shamelessly smug heart.
She said coldly, “Ever since our engagement, my life has been completely disrupted, no longer peaceful as before. How do you plan to settle this debt?”
Liu Zhao replied in all seriousness, “Once we’re married, bengongzi will hand all my businesses over to you to manage. Will that satisfy you?”
Gu Jiu was surprised. “You have businesses?”
He leaned close to her ear, and Gu Jiu quickly drew back.
Talking was one thing, but why get so close? Didn’t he know how sensitive she was?
The warmth of his breath on her ear made her earlobes flush red. Embarrassing beyond belief.
Liu Zhao secretly smiled.
The more Gu Jiu avoided him, the more delighted he became. Truly, she was no ordinary woman.
Lowering his voice, he said, “Bengongzi secretly bought up some properties outside. The profits are decent. So you needn’t worry about bengongzi being poor, or about having to use your dowry to support the household.”
Gu Jiu was astonished. “You actually set up private businesses?”
Keeping his face serious, Liu Zhao said, “Bengongzi has just laid bare my greatest secret. Are you satisfied now?”
Gu Jiu lifted her chin proudly. “Your businesses don’t interest me in the slightest.”
Liu Zhao suppressed a smile. “Truly not interested? Bengongzi was thinking of leaving them to the servants, but I worry that they lack the ability to manage them properly. Ah well, as long as they make a little profit, it’s better than nothing.”
Gu Jiu raised a brow. “How much profit could a few small businesses even make? You spend so extravagantly, are those profits enough for your expenses? In the end, I might still have to support the family out of my own pocket.”
Liu Zhao suddenly leaned close to her ear and murmured, “Support our family.”
Gu Jiu shoved him away.
In this heat, why sit so close? Wasn’t he hot? She was already sweltering.
Moments ago, there had been a breeze, but now it had died, and the room felt suffocating. Sweat pricked at her skin.
She said sharply, “Sit farther away. Don’t crowd me.”
But Liu Zhao, perfectly self-assured, said, “Bengongzi likes sitting right here.”
“Then I’ll change seats.”
She made to rise, but Liu Zhao caught her hand and refused to let go.
He pulled, and she stumbled against him.
He caught her with ease, an arm wrapped firmly around her waist.
Gu Jiu’s cheeks flushed faintly, a fine sheen of sweat forming on her brow.
In two lifetimes, this was her first time being held so closely by a man. She was uneasy, almost helpless.
Forcing her face into a mask of severity, she snapped, “Let me go.”
Expression grave, Liu Zhao asked, “Are you sure you can stand on your own?”
Gu Jiu sneered coldly. “Let me go first. Or don’t blame me if I turn hostile.”
Holding back laughter, Liu Zhao released her, though he did not let go of her hand.
Gu Jiu had no choice but to sit back down beside him.
Looking at him, she raised a brow and smiled. “If I’m the one supporting the family, then you’ll have to listen to me in all things.”
Liu Zhao frowned. “And why is that? A man should handle affairs outside, while the woman manages the household. I’m relieved of handing over the wang fu’s inner court’s affairs to you. As for matters of court, women have no business interfering.”
Gu Jiu rolled her eyes secretly. “I won’t meddle in politics, of course. But everything inside the wang fu, you’ll have to listen to me.”
Liu Zhao fixed his eyes on her, waiting for her to continue.
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