Hua Ying'an thought that after saying such harsh words, Gu Nanyan would no longer pay attention to her.
However, Hua Ying'an had underestimated Gu Nanyan's magnanimity.
Gu Nanyan didn't scold her, nor did she retort. Instead, she calmly asked, "Are you a child? Why do you like to say the opposite of what you mean? If you want someone's affection, if you want someone's care, just say it out loud. It's not embarrassing. Don't reject warmth because you're afraid of losing it."
Hearing this, Hua Ying'an suddenly looked up, her heart feeling as if it had been struck heavily.
She stared directly at Gu Nanyan with reddened eyes.
Gu Nanyan ignored Hua Ying'an and continued peeling crabs with her head down.
Although she wasn't very old, her experiences were vast. As the Princess of Zhenguo of Great Qi, what hadn't she seen?
Battlefields, death, country, the world... Those grand themes aside, when it came to understanding the human heart, no one could surpass her.
Hua Ying'an's vulnerability, hidden beneath layers of armor, was too easy to spot. She thought she had hidden it well, but for Gu Nanyan, a mere glance was enough to understand the situation.
For Gu Nanyan, she didn't care about Hua Ying'an's childish, contrary words.
According to birth dates, she was born more than a thousand years before this girl, making her something of an ancient ancestor.
After peeling crabs for a while, Gu Nanyan gave up.
She had never peeled crabs before and was making a mess of it. Back in Great Qi, she was always surrounded by servants, with a multitude of palace maids and eunuchs, never needing to do such things herself.
Gu Nanyan picked up a napkin to wipe her hands, then beckoned to Hua Ying'an, "Come here."
"What for?"
Hua Ying'an puffed out her cheeks, her expression somewhat awkward. She didn't like Gu Nanyan's tone, which sounded like calling a dog. Despite her displeasure, Hua Ying'an still approached.
Gu Nanyan pushed the crab in front of her towards Hua Ying'an, instructing her as if she were a younger family member, "Peel this for me."
Hua Ying'an was stunned!
Who did she think she was ordering around?
Zhan Yiran's eyes were about to pop out of her head. What was her sister-in-law doing? She... she actually asked Hua Ying'an to peel crabs for her?
They had just been arguing, and with Hua Ying'an's temper, she definitely wouldn't peel them. She might even flip the table.
To prevent the situation from spiraling out of control, Zhan Yiran stood up, intending to rush over and restrain Hua Ying'an.
However, as soon as she stood up, she saw Hua Ying'an reach for the crab and start peeling it meticulously.
She peeled quickly and skillfully, finishing one in no time.
"Not bad," Gu Nanyan nodded approvingly. It was almost as good as her personal palace maid's work.
"Continue," she said, handing Hua Ying'an two more crabs. Gu Nanyan then lowered her head to enjoy the meal, seeming to treat Hua Ying'an as a crab-peeling worker.
Zhan Yiran was dumbfounded.
Zhan's Mother was even more bewildered. She felt she no longer understood young people's thoughts. Could they really go from arguing one second to being affectionate the next?
Hua Ying'an hadn't expected Gu Nanyan to be so presumptuous. She had already peeled one crab, and now Gu Nanyan brought two more.
She really wanted to throw the crabs in her face.
But then, remembering how Gu Nanyan had discovered her allergy earlier, Hua Ying'an's heart softened again.
Fine, it's just peeling a few crabs. Consider it a thank you.
Thinking this way, Hua Ying'an patiently finished peeling the two crabs in her hands.
Gu Nanyan stopped after eating three crabs. Crabs were cooling to the body, and three were enough.
She waved her hand, gesturing for Hua Ying'an to go back to her seat, not to stand beside her and get in the way, blocking the light.
Hua Ying'an took a deep breath.
How could this woman, Gu Nanyan, be so inconsistent, nice one moment and awful the next? She had just thought she was a good person, and the next second she started transforming.
Hua Ying'an let out a huff and turned to return to her seat.
Zhan Yiran quietly approached Gu Nanyan and asked in a very low voice, "Sister-in-law, why did you ask Hua Ying'an to peel crabs for you?"
Zhan Yiran was truly puzzled. There were so many servants here, and even if she didn't want to use servants, Zhan Yiran herself was available. Why specifically ask Hua Ying'an to peel crabs?
Could it be because Hua Ying'an had spoken harshly earlier and her apology wasn't sincere, so her sister-in-law was deliberately punishing her?
Hua Ying'an also secretly perked up her ears, eavesdropping on the conversation. She wanted to know the reason too.
Could it be that Gu Nanyan knew of her inner remorse and was deliberately giving her a chance to make amends? Gu Nanyan was indeed the kind of person who was understanding and truly considerate of others.
However, in the next second, they heard Gu Nanyan's answer: "She's the best at peeling crabs here, and since she's allergic and can't eat them, it would be a shame to waste the crab-peeling skills she's honed for over a decade or two."
Zhan Yiran: "..."
Hua Ying'an: "..."
Zhan's Mother couldn't help but burst into laughter, slapping the table. "That's right, that's right, it would be too much of a waste. Ying'an's crab-peeling skills are well-known. Come on, peel a couple for me and Yiran too. Don't let your talent go to waste."
Hua Ying'an blushed, "Auntie."
Zhan's Mother called for the servants to bring the crabs to Hua Ying'an for peeling.
Zhan's Mother was shrewd, unlike the younger Zhan Yiran who was still confused. She could see that Hua Ying'an had some emotional knots. Due to her family background, she only knew how to please others in relationships, always sacrificing herself.
She believed this was the only way to gain genuine affection.
Gu Nanyan had pointed this out directly, making Hua Ying'an feel both touched and embarrassed, quite conflicted inside.
At a time like this, soft words wouldn't help. It was better to put her to work. This girl, Hua Ying'an, was happiest when being useful.
Hua Ying'an's seafood allergy was indeed surprising, but Zhan's Mother was more shocked by Gu Nanyan.
She had seen through Hua Ying'an's emotional knot at a glance and had effortlessly resolved it with just a few casual words.
This level of insight and ability was truly astounding.
Zhan's Mother had always known Gu Nanyan was clever, able to read lips and easily win over Zhan Yiran and Rui Rui.
But Yiran and Rui Rui were just children with simple thoughts.
Hua Ying'an was different. She was now the head of the Hua family, the most capable of the younger generation, handpicked by the Hua family patriarch as the heir. Her depth and tactics were far beyond ordinary people.
Even Zhan's Mother herself, who had known Hua Ying'an for over twenty years, didn't know about her seafood allergy or her emotional knots.
Yet Gu Nanyan had discovered it at a glance.
This level of insight was truly formidable.
Zhan's Mother remembered that before the wedding, the detective's report stated that Gu Nanyan was just an ordinary country girl with a bit of cleverness. However, she was nothing compared to the dazzling woman standing before her now.
Feeling something was amiss, Zhan's Mother raised her eyes to scrutinize Gu Nanyan more closely. But the moment her gaze fell upon her, Gu Nanyan suddenly looked up, staring directly in her direction.
She had instantly noticed the scrutiny.
Zhan's Mother smiled awkwardly, wanting to explain, but before she could open her mouth, she heard Gu Nanyan's gentle voice: "Mother-in-law, isn't it time for Rui Rui to take his medicine?"
"Oh, yes, yes! Rui Rui needs to take his medicine."
Zhan's Mother slapped her forehead, her train of thought immediately diverted, all her attention now focused on Rui Rui.
Rui Rui dreaded taking medicine the most. Every time was a struggle, and the servants couldn't help much. She had to oversee it personally.
Zhan's Mother stood up and addressed everyone: "You all continue eating. I'll go upstairs to check on Rui Rui."
