All these were brought out by Du's extreme indulgence and lack of restraint.
How could a man, especially someone like Du with high status and power, allow a woman to step over his head and throw her weight around?
She had not slept all night last night, tossing and turning as she thought hard until she finally figured out sorrowfully what was in Du's mind.
It turned out that he had never gotten over her past betrayal of him.
After he returned to Bianjing from the frontier, everyone thought he would take revenge on her, but he did not and simply remained cold and heartless when facing her again.
For a time, she also thought he had forgotten her and no longer loved her...until later when she found out he was going to marry Gu Ying.
During the time he personally prepared for the grand wedding, she felt so sad and upset that she had sleepless nights whenever she heard of movements in Changfeng Pavilion.
After the marriage, he deliberately doted on his wife in such a high-profile way...it was simply like stabbing her heart.
She had wept countless times in silence.
Until last night, she finally realized that everything Du did was to get back at her, annoy her, make her jealous.
He wanted to make her regret her past choice, make her feel pain and sadness.
She gave a bitter laugh, having to admit that he succeeded - she now felt extreme heartache and endless regret.
Seeing Huo Qiyun sitting there silently with wetness gradually appearing in her eyes.
Gu Ying did not understand what was going on and felt somewhat embarrassed to pick up the thread of conversation, "Sister-in-law, is there anything else that brings you here today?"
Huo Qiyun regained her composure. She still had another task today. After considering for a while, she awkwardly smiled, "Ying, this matter should have been told to you by my mother-in-law herself, but since I went to greet her today, my mother-in-law took the chance to let me pass on a message."
Gu Ying said, "Oh? What's the message? Feel free to say it, sister-in-law."
Huo Qiyun said awkwardly, "My Huo family has a younger sister named Huo Qiyan, who is the daughter of Du's aunt. You should have seen her before, right?"
At this point, Gu Ying immediately understood that Cheng was deliberately making Huo Qiyun be the go-between.
She pursed her lips indifferently, "Seen her. What is it about?"
Huo Qiyun said gently, "Last time when my mother Zhao Rou also came to discuss with your mother-in-law, Ying was also there. After the palace banquet ended, my sister Qiyan will move into our Duke Manor to live for a period of time. Qiyan has been pampered since childhood. My mother-in-law thought about it and felt it would be best to have you help arrange a yard for my sister."
Gu Ying pondered briefly before replying lightly with half a smile, "This...I'm afraid it's not very good. I'm just a new bride, it's best if my mother handles such things."
Huo Qiyun smiled helplessly, "I said the same thing too, but my mother thinks otherwise. You know my situation, I can never have a say in front of my mother."
She just sighed again and again.
What Cheng was doing now was deliberately making things difficult for her and Gu Ying. She was quite happy to see the outcome, anyway if Gu Ying arranged things poorly, she would still be the one getting plotted against in the end since she was merely a messenger.
After listening, Gu Ying also clearly knew that Cheng was deliberately stirring up trouble in the back.
By asking her to arrange for Huo Qiyan, Cheng had already confirmed that Huo Qiyan would be moving in with no room for discussion.
Zhao Rou was the Duke's sister, it was reasonable for her daughter to stay at her uncle's place for a while.
If she really did not let Huo Qiyan move in, it would instead let the other madams and young ladies say she was petty. If she arranged the living quarters poorly, there would surely be new accusations. Wherever there were people, there would be trouble.
Right now she just wanted to live in Changfeng Pavilion with the Heir, having other people moving in always felt intrusive.
She lowered her long lashes, secretly weighing in her mind.
Seeing her silent, Huo Qiyun raised her eyes, "Ying, how do you think should be arranged?"
Gu Ying thought of the Heir's anger the last time because of Huo Qiyan. For several hours he tormented her terribly until he made her cry from pain before finally letting her go...
She later also figured out clearly that the Heir was not someone who liked living together with others. Changfeng Pavilion had the fewest servants in the entire Zhenguo Duke Manor, indicating the Heir's greatest disgust was crowds.
The Heir definitely did not like Huo Qiyan living too close to Changfeng Pavilion either. Huo Qiyan had high status, requiring no less than a dozen people to serve her, more lively than a palace princess.
She could not refuse letting Huo Qiyan move in, but also could not arrange her too close by?
"I thought about it. Fuhua Pavilion to the right of Baomo Hall is very nice, suitable for Miss Huo. Sister-in-law, what do you think?"
Huo Qiyun was surprised. "Fuhua Pavilion?"
Gu Ying smiled innocently and tenderly, "Fuhua Pavilion is closest to my mother's Baomo Hall, also not far from where you live. This way my mother and sister-in-law can both keep an eye on Miss Huo. Didn't Miss Huo say she wanted to keep her aunt company more when she moves in? I think this location just happens to be convenient for her to walk around my mother's yard. It's the best."
Huo Qiyun did not know if Gu Ying was really stupid or deliberately pretending to be stupid. She sneered inside but smiled on the surface, "But I see there are still several empty yards near Changfeng Pavilion."
"That won't work." Gu Ying rejected without even thinking, "The Heir likes quiet and doesn't want to be disturbed. If Miss Huo ends up annoying the Heir with her liveliness, the Heir won't be as easy to talk to as I am."
Huo Qiyun closed her mouth and did not speak.
Huo Qiyan's true intentions, she also did not personally wish for Huo Qiyan to move in. Just asking casually earlier was only to probe Gu Ying's feelings for Du.
Seeing how Gu Ying seemed to care quite a bit about Du, she also did not know...Du's feelings for her...
Seeing her spacing out again, and seeming to want to overstay her unwelcome visit in Changfeng Pavilion, Gu Ying politely said, "Sister-in-law, it's quite late now. I want to go check on my brother. If you have nothing else, I will take my leave first?"
Huo Qiyun's face flushed red in embarrassment as she hurriedly stood up to say goodbye, "I will let your mother know about your arrangements. Go busy yourself, Ying."
Gu Ying nodded before seeing her out, then supported her rouged hand to walk towards Wanli Pavilion.
"My lady, don't you feel this Eldest Madam has been frequently running over to our place recently?"
Gu Ying sighed. "Her heart still has the Heir in it. She probably hopes the Heir will change his mind."
With the bone-deep past they once had between them, who could compare?
The will to live that Huo Qiyun had given the Heir - no matter what, she was still considered his life-saving benefactor. Gu Ying definitely should not shortchange her.
Yanzhi had a simple personality and was also lively and cheerful. Adding to that, the generous rewards Gu Ying gave her, she got along quite openly in Zhenguo Duke Manor.
"My lady, recently there has been talk in the manor that the Heir dotes on you to get back at Eldest Madam. No one knows if it's true or false. Anyway, I feel unhappy hearing it and really want to argue with those people. But they all say the Heir was young when Eldest Madam took care of him, and the Heir once drew his sword to charge into the Huo manor for the sake of marrying Eldest Madam. Such deep affection cannot be compared to my lady's current method of serving him with your beauty..."
Gu Ying frowned. "Hmph, serve him with beauty?"
