Gu Ying was well aware of her thoughts and plans. Therefore, when she returned to Twilight Snow Studio and heard Yin Lan say that Mrs. Liu had sent Zhou Mama to ask for the key to her mother's private treasury, she calmly took a sip of hot tea and responded, "Hmm, I understand."
Yanzhi and Yin Lan came forward to serve her in bathing and changing clothes.
Yanzhi was infuriated and couldn't hold back her temper. "Miss, Madam used the excuse of inventorying Miss's dowry, but in reality, she just covets our lady's money. Why should our lady pay for her daughter's marriage? It's ridiculous! Who ever heard of the bride's family providing the dowry money? It's only because Master is not currently in the residence... but, doesn't Master fear losing face in the court?"
Yin Lan added, "Yanzhi is right. Mrs. Liu is too impatient. It was only today that the Old Madam entrusted her with the matter of managing the marriage, and she's already taking such actions. Isn't she afraid of the Old Madam's reprimand?"
Gu Ying sat in the bathtub, enjoying the warm water that covered her body. She leaned against the edge of the tub and pondered for a moment. "Grandmother will probably turn a blind eye to it."
Yin Lan was puzzled. "Does the Old Madam really favor Mrs. Liu?"
Gu Ying replied, "Mrs. Liu may be foolish, but she is an obedient and useful tool."
Over the years, every action Mrs. Liu took in the residence was with the Old Madam's consent.
Yanzhi pursed her lips and added, "Yin Lan, you're still new here and don't know the whole story. The Old Madam used to treat the eldest miss like her own granddaughter, showering her with all kinds of treasures. Our miss was treated as if she were a foundling. The Old Madam arranged for the Feng Zhenren to read the fortunes of the eldest miss and the young marquis, claiming that they were a match made in heaven. She always wanted the eldest miss to marry into the marquis's family! Fortunately, the Crown Prince's marriage prevented the Old Madam from making the final decision. Otherwise, according to the Old Madam's intent, the eldest miss would have been given away. Our miss is truly pitiable!"
Yin Lan's forehead twitched fiercely. She had seen favoritism before, but never to this extent.
There should be fairness in all things. If not equally, at least leave some benefit for the second household.
It was truly pitiful to see how their miss had grown up in such an environment.
Yanzhi became more and more aggrieved as she thought about it. "Miss, today we managed to find an excuse to refuse, but what about a few days later when Mrs. Liu wants to divert some of our second household's dowry?"
Yin Lan smiled and said, "Miss, I'm sure you have a plan in mind."
"Hmm," Gu Ying responded calmly, "I doubt she'll have the opportunity to do so."
Yanzhi's face lit up with joy. She knew that her miss had a plan.
Gu Ying closed her eyes and enjoyed soaking in the hot water for a while. In this lifetime, as long as her legs were healthy and she had no stomach pain, coupled with the martial arts skills left by her father, her body grew stronger day by day.
She wouldn't let herself suffer the same miserable fate as in her previous life. She would make sure that the people around her lived better and better.
The only thing that constantly troubled her was her younger brother's legs. Aunt Zhao had secretly consulted a renowned physician, and Dr. Liu's medicine was fine. There didn't seem to be any obvious reason for his legs, except that it was an old illness that needed medication to nurture.
It had been a long time, and her younger brother's legs were not improving despite all the care. She didn't know what the problem was.
The medicine residue had been examined several times, but there was nothing wrong with it.
No matter how many doctors they consulted, the result was always the same. She thought that they would need to consult Imperial Physician Wang, who specialized in orthopedics...
Yin Lan spoke softly, "Miss? Are you asleep?"
She had been bathing for a while.
Gu Ying, feeling mentally exhausted, unexpectedly dozed off at the edge of the bathtub.
She groggily opened her eyes and felt a chill on her back. Yin Lan had already thoughtfully brought her nightclothes and helped her put them on.
"Miss, you should go back to bed and be careful not to catch a cold."
Gu Ying watched Yin Lan attentively tending to her inner garments and grew more satisfied with her. "Alright, I'll do as you say."
Yin Lan smiled and said, "Yin Zhu still needs to go to Cangwu Pavilion tonight to continue scaring the young lady."
Gu Ying replied, "Yes, I noticed that Gu Jia's complexion has been getting worse. The darkening of her forehead indicates her current state."
"Who made her have a guilty conscience and plot against her own elder sister?" Yin Lan fastened her belt for her. "When are you planning to deal with the young lady?"
Gu Ying's gaze deepened. "Soon."
Yin Lan nodded approvingly.
The three of them returned to the main house.
Yanzhi prepared the bed and lit the charcoal fire before retreating with Yin Lan.
Gu Ying was not sleepy at the moment, so she put on a fox fur coat and sat in a daze at the writing desk.
After some thought, she decided that she should inform her father about her marriage to Zhao Changdu. Due to his military duties outside, her father rarely returned to Bianjing. But she knew that he loved her and her younger brother, so he should be happy to hear the news of his daughter's marriage, right?
Having made up her mind, she wrote a letter to her father on paper.
Just as she finished writing, she suddenly felt a chilling breeze behind her, and the window quickly opened and closed.
"Who's there!"
She turned around abruptly but saw no one. However, she felt the paper in her hand being snatched away.
In a panic, she stood up and turned around again, only to see Zhao Changdu standing tall in front of her writing desk, dressed in a black robe.
His features were exquisite, and his gaze fell on the letter in his hand.
"Prince, why have you come so late?" Gu Ying breathed a sigh of relief. A man in her chamber in the middle of the night could cause rumors...
Zhao Changdu lifted his eyelids and casually said, "Yesterday, I was on your embroidered bed in your chamber."
He spoke without a trace of shame.
Gu Ying's face turned red. "You..."
Zhao Changdu quickly glanced at the letter addressed to Gu Boqing and his heart was inexplicably delighted.
Seeing him smile, Gu Ying couldn't help but rush forward.
However, she was petite, and compared to his tall figure, she was like a delicate bird.
She practically threw herself into his arms, her small hand grabbing his sleeve, and with the other hand raised high, her sleeve slipped, revealing a smooth and delicate porcelain-like arm.
As Zhao Changdu noticed the absence of the Palace Sand on her snow-white arm, his gaze deepened. With just a slight raise of his large hand, she couldn't reach the letter even if she jumped.
Her tender body collided with his sturdy embrace, and an indescribable warmth permeated through the fabric of their clothes. He had a mysterious expression on his face, teasing her like... a mischievous cat, denying her.
"Give me the letter..."
Zhao Changdu handed her the letter, his lowered eyes fixed on the young girl before him. He grasped her waist with his big hand, pulling her into his embrace.
The scent of sinking incense wafted in the air, and Gu Ying held the crumpled letter in her hand. Her cheeks burned like fire, and her nose bumped into his firm chest, causing tears to well up in her eyes from the pain. She pressed her hands against his chest, struggling, "Prince, let go of me..."
Her voice was soft and tender, perhaps due to his overbearing behavior the previous day. She didn't dare to provoke him too much. After all, there was a great disparity in strength between men and women. If she accidentally angered him and he forced himself on her... she wouldn't be able to resist.
But they weren't married yet. Yesterday's incident could be considered an accident, but if it happened again tonight, it would be inappropriate.
