His icy cold expression was a hundred times more frigid and desolate than when she first saw that stone-faced little boy all those years ago.
After so many years, even if there were thousands of words to say, there was no possibility of reconciliation between them.
Lv Zhi anxiously called out to her, "Mistress...the Prince has already walked far away."
Huo Qiyun took a deep breath. Her chest was filled with the chill of frost and snow, but the tears in her eyes were scalding hot.
"A Du, I did love you..."
But what good would loving him do?
In front of so many people, she had abandoned him, leaving him to be ridiculed for a lifetime...
The more Huo Qiyun thought about it, the more heartache she felt. It was like thousands of insects gnawing at her, painfully unbearable.
She crouched down, burying her head between her knees, and wept unrestrainedly for a time.
...
Zhao Changdu had not actually gone far. He was standing behind an artificial hill, listening to her muffled sobs.
Huai An felt complicated. Seeing Huo Qiyun's pitiful state, he also felt somewhat sympathetic. They had grown up together, and no matter how much resentment he held against her, he couldn't bear to see her suffer so.
"Master, should we secretly help the Madam?"
The servants in the household were accustomed to watching out for their masters.
When Huo Qiyun had first married in, things were fine, but now that she had no children by her side and her husband did not dote on her while her mother-in-law mistreated her, the maids and servants of each wing all treated Huo Qiyun very poorly.
It was said that Zhao Changxing had not visited her chambers for several years.
He had taken quite a few concubines into his inner chambers over the years, and Zhao Changxing had so many bedroom maids that one hand could not even count them all.
As a result, Huo Qiyun's position as the lady of the house grew ever weaker.
Aside from her personal maid Lv Zhi who had come with her dowry, the other maids all looked down on her. Usually, not only did Cheng mistreat her clothing, food, and monthly allowance, but in winter some even stinted on the coal for her chambers.
It was said that she had been ill these past few days and did not even have money for medicine.
Zhao Changdu did not speak. His deep, brooding phoenix eyes were even darker than the endless night. "Hmph. Her current fate is simply what she brought upon herself."
Back then, his only thought was to pull her out from the tigers' den that was the Huo family and make her his wife, giving her freedom.
Even if they just respected each other until old age, he could have protected her from bullying for a lifetime.
Yet she herself chose so-called glory and riches, abandoning him to fire and water.
Now that she belonged to Zhao Changxing, was it his place to extend a hand to protect her?
"Let's go."
Huai An also felt that the Prince was in the right. Now that he had Second Miss, the Prince should have long put Madam Huo aside.
He arrogantly agreed, "Yes!"
...
The night grew even colder.
Lying in bed, Gu Ying fell into a dazed sleep. Her whole body ached terribly, and she slept uneasily, burning hot all over.
One moment she dreamt of Jiang Yin who had tormented her to death, the next moment the uncaring Zhao Changdu.
After some time, she finally heard a sound at the door.
Yin Lan quietly pushed the door open and tiptoed in.
Gu Ying suddenly opened her eyes. The tears had long dried, leaving only tranquil peace.
She had accepted the fact that she was now Zhao Changdu's wife. Gritting through the soreness of her body, she sat up, leaning against the golden embroidery aloes pillow. When the movement pulled at her wounds, she still couldn't help a pained hiss.
That bastard, just what was he...
Thinking of those scenes, even Gu Ying who had died and lived again felt her earlobes flush crimson, the blush spreading faintly down her neck.
In the dim candlelight, the girl on the bed had an alluringly beautiful visage.
Yin Lan hurried forward to help support her, handing her the medicine bowl with a smile. "Miss, don't worry. No one will know this is contraceptive medicine. I've buried the dregs too."
Gu Ying gave a hoarse "Mm", smiling gratefully. She took the bowl of pitch-black medicine and drank it down in one go without another word.
Faint red still lingered on her cheeks.
Seeing this, Yin Lan regarded her as a child, feeling both distressed and shy. "Miss, slowly."
Gu Ying wiped the medicinal liquid from the corners of her mouth. The bitter taste spread through her mouth and she paused before handing the bowl back. "I'm fine."
Yin Lan went on, "After the Prince proposed to Miss, Old Madam was furious in the front hall this evening and fainted. The doctor has only just entered the manor and gone to the Everlasting Life Hall. Master, Mrs. Liu, Mrs. Wang, and Aunt Zhao are all at Old Madam's bedside."
"Hmph..." Gu Ying gave a self-mocking laugh. "Though we're of the same blood, Grandmother still cannot bear to see me well."
After today's events, Yin Lan also felt chilled. "Why does Old Madam dislike the second wife so?"
Gu Ying shook her head with a frown. "I don't know."
Even after living again, she still did not understand why Grandmother oppressed the second wife and loathed her mother and herself so.
Even her father, Grandmother's own son, had some inexplicable estrangement from her.
That was why over the years her father was almost always stationed at the border garrisons, seldom returning to Bianjing.
She had thought that after being reborn, letting Grandmother see the true faces of Gu Jia and the first wife would make Grandmother treat her a little better, but even after so long, Grandmother's favoritism towards Gu Jia and Mrs. Liu had not lessened one bit.
If not for Gu Jia having already lost her chastity to Jiang Yin, heh, Grandmother would likely try every means to marry Gu Jia into the Duke's manor.
Seeing Gu Ying lost in thought, Yin Lan smiled and changed the subject. "And Fourth Miss is the one who cares most for Second Miss. She said she wanted to see you after supper, but I didn't let her in thinking of Miss's state right now."
Gu Ying nodded. The corners of her lips curved up slightly. "With how sudden today's events were, no one could have expected this result. But looking at it now, this is already the best outcome."
"Yin Lan, you did right."
Compared to losing her chastity to Jiang Yin, to Zhao Changdu...she could accept it a little more.
They had both died once already. She did not cling to a woman's so-called chastity and purity as much... She only hoped that in the future, after marrying Zhao Changdu, they could maintain a cooperative, mutually respectful relationship...
Seeing Gu Ying lost in contemplation, Yin Lan tucked the blankets up to cover the marks on her chest. She sighed, "I don't know if I should say some things."
Gu Ying glanced up. "Speak."
Yin Lan smiled. "The Prince doesn't seem the doting sort. Miss will have to endure in the future. A man's thoughts are all the same - if Miss can be softer, take the initiative more, the Prince will also learn to cherish you."
She thought of how Gu Ying had no grandmother's love or mother's care at home, and that there were some things the girl needed teaching before marriage.
She sincerely regarded Gu Ying as a child, earnestly consoling, "This is perfectly normal between man and wife. But since the Prince seems cold and stern, Miss must be even more gentle... Men don't understand a woman's troubles, so sometimes Miss will need to take the initiative to tell the Prince...
"Then Miss may also come to feel the affections between husband and wife."
