Gu Ying quietly digested all the news, glaring at the big hand making trouble on her chest, "So, you bullied kids back then!"
Zhao Changdu tilted his head and kissed the girl's red ears, "Hmm? Was it me bullying you, or you bullying me?"
He chuckled lightly, "At such a young age, you dared to be so bold and kissed me."
Gu Ying was embarrassed by his words, "I didn't kiss you, I was trying to save you!"
Zhao Changdu didn't care about those things. Anyway, this girl was his now.
"Hmm, whatever the life-saving benefactor says."
"So I'm Changdu's life-saving benefactor."
"I fought for my life for Huo Qiyun and repaid her kindness. From now on, my life only belongs to Gu Ying."
Gu Ying's heart trembled. She looked at him deeply. Thousands of words were conveyed without speaking. She only felt her heart soften like spring water, wishing she could stay in his arms for the rest of her life.
Now that the two had opened up to each other, their state of mind also broadened.
Gu Ying simply clung to him and asked about his past days.
On the long night, Zhao Changdu hugged the girl and slowly talked about his dark past.
The more Gu Ying listened, the deeper her frown became. Cheng and Zhao Changxing were so vicious. The Duke was cold-hearted. The Crown Prince lost his mother when he was young... How did he get through all that?
No wonder he had always been cold and merciless without warmth in his eyes. He always looked aloof and detached.
A person who had never experienced parental love, how could you expect him to understand feelings?
"Luckily I have you now," Zhao Changdu rested his chin on the girl's shoulder and murmured in a low voice, "Don't leave me."
Please.
Gu Ying was stirred on the inside. She hugged the man back tightly, her small hands gripping his waist.
She didn't dare give him a definite answer. If one day he found out about her rebirth...
If he didn't mind, she would stay by his side for life.
If he harbored doubts... she would go far away.
Burying him deep in her heart as well...
...
The next day, a verdict was reached on Huo Qiyun's poisoning incident.
Under brutal interrogation, Lv Zhi soon confessed.
It was Zhao Changxing who tempted her with the position of wife to the Heir Apparent of the Duke's residence. He ordered her to poison Huo Qiyun.
She couldn't resist the temptation and harbored evil intentions against her mistress.
The news that Huo Qiyun was poisoned and the victim of murder spread overnight.
The Huo family soon found out about this. Not only the Huo family, even the Censorate submitted a memorial, delivering this matter to the Emperor's ears.
After hearing about it, His Majesty was furious.
Elder Marquis Huo was a minister who had served three reigns. His accomplishments spanned thousands of years. How could his granddaughter be so humiliated and murdered?
Zhao Changxing killing his wife was simply outrageous!
He immediately issued an imperial decree, ordering Zhao Changxing and Huo Qiyun to divorce swiftly.
Not only divorce, but also stripping him of his position and ordering the Ministry of Justice to investigate the case.
When Cheng saw the decree, it was like being hit on the head with a rod. Her vision went black and she fainted straight away.
Zhao Hui was even more angry. He personally tied up his eldest son and sent him to the Ministry of Justice.
Huo Qiyun woke up overnight and found the letter of divorce she had waited ten years for on the table in her room. Her family also came to pick her up that evening.
She looked at Gu Ying with a blank gaze, her fingers stiffly pinching the divorce paper, "What is going on?"
"Isn't this what you wanted?" Gu Ying smiled slightly, "This is the letter of divorce that Changdu promised to get for you. Now you have finally gotten your wish."
Huo Qiyun was still very confused. She had just taken a nap and was expecting Changdu to be sitting by her bedside caring about her when she woke up. But now...
"How could this be..."
"Zhao Changxing has been taken to the Ministry of Justice for poisoning his wife."
"What?" Huo Qiyun's eyes sharpened, "Wasn't it you who poisoned me?"
The corners of Gu Ying's mouth curved up coldly, "Sister-in-law, what joke are you telling?"
Huo Qiyun asked in panic, "Where is Lv Zhi?"
Today, Gu Ying came specially to send off Huo Qiyun. After this experience, she no longer had any good feelings towards Huo Qiyun.
The affection she had for the Crown Prince was gone completely due to Huo Qiyun's framing.
She sneered lightly, "Sent to the yamen in Bianjing Prefecture."
Huo Qiyun's face turned pale. She accused, "Gu Ying, how could you do this? She's just a child!"
Gu Ying's smile faded. "You also know she's just a child?"
Huo Qiyun choked on her words, as if choking on a mouthful of blood. She couldn't breathe for half a day. "I...I want to see Changdu..."
"The Crown Prince won't see you again. Everything today allows you to break free from misery and return home to your maiden family. This is already the Crown Prince's greatest benevolence and righteousness towards you."
Huo Qiyun cried out hysterically, "No! He will see me! Now that I have divorced Zhao Changxing, I can be with him again!"
"Do you think that's possible?"
"Why not! Gu Ying, stop monopolizing Changdu! He belongs to me! We grew up together since childhood, what are you counted as?!"
As soon as the vicious words came out, Huo Qiyun was also stunned. Tears of pain welled up in her eyes.
How could she become like this...
What had the past ten years done to her...
Gu Ying looked coldly at the deranged Huo Qiyun. The gentle and scholarly temperament she once had was long gone, leaving only the resentment of unrequited love.
Such a woman was truly frightening.
Her entire life's feelings were invested in love. Without it, she would become a paranoid lunatic who had nothing else left.
The previous Gu Ying was like that too.
But after rebirth, she had become smarter. She wouldn't be obsessed with love anymore and live for herself instead.
So today, she would not give in anymore and allow Huo Qiyun to meet the Crown Prince.
"Come, take her away."
"Gu Ying!" Huo Qiyun screamed desperately, "Let me go! I want to see Changdu! You poisonous woman! Don't you dare stop me!"
The old maid from the Huo family immediately covered the young mistress's mouth. She looked at Huo Qiyun distastefully and said apologetically to Gu Ying, "Madam, please don't laugh. It's our Huo family's lack of discipline. We'll bring her back and let Grandfather properly discipline her."
The ones who came were all old servants raised in the Huo family. They knew Huo Qiyun inside and out.
They also didn't expect the once gentle, virtuous, knowledgeable young mistress to become like this today. If you had to blame someone, you could only blame the Duke's residence for ruining her temperament these past ten years.
A few old maids carried Huo Qiyun and put her in the carriage.
Not long after, she disappeared from the gates of the Duke's residence.
Now, it could be considered the best arrangement for Huo Qiyun. As long as she behaved herself in the Huo family in the future, they would not mistreat her either.
Gu Ying sighed and turned to go back.
"Madam, do you still care about those rumors outside?" Yin Lan said unpleasantly, "Now there are still people spreading that you are the mastermind behind the poisoning. I don't know what they are thinking. Madam is the Crown Prince's principal consort. No matter what, you wouldn't calculate over such trivial matters like Sister Huo."
