So, Zhao Changdu's concern for her made her mind absent for a moment. She suddenly felt homesick and didn't know what to say or do. She just stared blankly at his smooth and firm jawline in his arms.
The two returned to Changfeng Pavilion in almost complete silence.
Gu Ying struggled out of his arms, her cheeks already flushed red, awkwardly standing in place.
Zhao Changdu looked at her quietly, his eyes deep, not knowing what he was thinking.
Gu Ying licked her dry lips and had to awkwardly change the subject, "I'll go pick up A Ning."
"Huai An will bring him back."
"Then I—"
"You don't have to do anything."
Zhao Changdu took her small hand. Only then did he notice that there was no so-called fear in the little girl's eyes at all.
An ordinary woman would have cried or at least shown panic when seeing this kind of scene, but except for her initial stunned reaction, she had been very calm so far.
Additionally, it had been seven or eight days since their wedding.
The little girl was in charge of all the big and small affairs of Changfeng Pavilion, whether it was assigning tasks, managing private finances, or taking care of his diet and daily life.
She had done everything in an orderly manner without any chaos.
She was only fifteen years old, but was far too mature and steady. Although she was still a child, she was already better at managing the inner court than most prestigious madams.
She didn't look like a little girl at all, but rather like an experienced woman who was already familiar with these matters.
She... what exactly had she experienced?
Zhao Changdu frowned, recalling that after Gu Shuang had pulled her to talk in Twilight Snow Studio on the day he returned home, Jiang Yin had come to find him.
At that time, Jiang Yin looked at him with an extremely complicated expression and said, "Your Highness, have you ever thought that your pillow companion might not be simple?"
How complicated could a little girl be?
At that time, he didn't think too much about it.
Women were already at a disadvantage in the inner court. Her knowing some schemes and tricks was harmless.
Since he had married her, he would treat her well for a lifetime. He wouldn't delve deeply into her past, and her future would be protected by him.
But he had never thought about what she had experienced that shaped her current steady temperament.
He suddenly couldn't quite see through Gu Ying.
"Master!"
Huai An's crisp voice broke the silence in the room.
"Young Master Su is here asking for a meeting."
"Let him go to the study."
"Yes!"
The man let go of her hand and said, "I'll go see Su He first. Be good and wait for me."
"Okay..."
As the man's aggressive eyes retracted, Gu Ying heaved a sigh of relief.
Few people could withstand the Prince Heir's extremely oppressive gaze. For a moment, she even felt that the Prince Heir's eyes could pierce through her shell and see her reborn soul.
At that moment, she was extremely afraid.
Her past was so disgraceful. Who would willingly accept such a downtrodden, miserable and dirty self?
The Prince Heir... was also a man. He would also loathe her filth and loathe her...
By then, he probably wouldn't hold her affectionately or treat her so well and dote on her anymore.
For a long time, she hadn't thought seriously about these things. Now that she did, her heart was filled with lingering fears.
Gu Ying felt inexplicable in her heart. She slumped into the chair covered in a layer of cold sweat.
For a good long while she just sat there in a daze.
"Mistress?"
Yin Lan's gentle voice sounded in her ear.
Gu Ying came to her senses and saw that all of Banzhi Yinzhun had returned. A Ning was right in front of her, yet she hadn't even heard such loud noises.
She smiled and blinked, silently ridiculing herself for making a mountain out of a molehill.
Regardless of whether the Prince Heir would know that she was a reborn person, even if he did find out, so what? By then, she might have already divorced him and taken her brother to the border to find her father.
What she had to do was to be a good wife to him during their marriage.
Although it was a misunderstanding in her childhood, he had also saved her life. Now that she was grown up, he had helped her many times. In any case, she still had to repay this favor.
She discarded those messy thoughts in her mind and got up to walk to Gu Ning's wheelchair.
Gu Ning cheered her up today. Previously, she always felt that her brother needed her protection. Now she realized that her brother was not stupid at all. He understood everything. It was just that he couldn't be bothered to contend with Grandmother Liu since he thought his crippled legs meant he didn't have long to live, so he lost the motivation to fight and seize.
Now that his legs were gradually improving, his spirit was visibly better as well.
"A Ning, how did you come up with that method?"
Gu Ning said lightly, "I made it up."
Gu Ying was taken aback. "You made it up?"
"Mm." Gu Ning still looked very indifferent. "Royal Physician Wang has an excellent reputation and superb medical skills. No one would doubt it if I said it was his method. Cui Ling can't read so she doesn't know if what I said was true or false, and Manager Wu is the same."
Gu Ying asked, "Then how did you determine that the two drops of blood would fuse together?"
Gu Ning looked up and suddenly smiled at his sister. "The blood of any two people will mix together when placed side by side. I only put Cui Ling and Manager Wu's blood together first. Overwhelmed by guilt and fear when they saw the fresh blood fuse together, they simply had no mind to seek verification from me, so the truth came to light."
Gu Ying and the others suddenly understood and laughed.
"Young Master is wise. This slave is impressed."
"When Young Master said he would personally resolve Cui Ling, this slave was worried. Now it seems I was overthinking. Young Master is amazing."
Yin Zhu didn't speak, she just secretly glanced at Gu Ning before lowering her eyelashes.
Gu Ying rubbed the little guy's head and curved her eyes. "My A Ning is indeed a clever little imp."
Gu Ning was pleased by the praise. Although his face was still indifferent, his eyes softened with some childlike tenderness.
...
Sandalwood smoke wafted gently in the study.
After sending away the dispirited Su Huanfeng, Su He specially came to pay Zhao Changdu a visit and see with his own eyes this famous cold-faced Prince Heir who had been soaking in the honey pot after getting married.
He wore a turquoise-colored straight-hem robe and took off his cloak after entering the room, lazily reclining on the soft cushion with burning earth dragon incense.
Zhao Changdu was sitting cross-legged on the floor across from Su He, with tea and water placed on the long table between them.
He raised his eyes to glance at Su He and asked about Su Huanfeng's situation.
Su He truthfully recounted everything. The Young Marquis' spirit had been very poor when he left. He had lain at home for several days before resigning himself to his fate and no longer throwing tantrums with the Old Marquis.
Su Huanfeng didn't attend Zhao Changdu's grand wedding.
He only stood on the second floor of Li Bie Building, watching the bridal sedan go through Changning Boulevard.
This was the first time he had sincerely liked someone. He originally wanted to fight for the woman he loved, but in the face of his clan's survival, a woman he fancied didn't amount to much. The Young Marquis understood this clearly.
The imperial decree of marriage with Princess Yueyan still hadn't come down.
"That one in the palace is also kicking up a fuss and refuses to marry."
"Mm."
