Gu Yifeng was handso, with a tall and strong build from his martial background, dressed in a white robe that exuded the deanor of a noble family scion.
Even after so many years of marriage, Mrs. Dong would often be srized by the man before her. Though they treated each other with respect in public, she couldn’t suppress her affection for him.
The passage of ti had only made the man before her appear more composed and capable.
This was her man, Mrs. Dong thought, the Dingyuan Marquis, looked up to by others.
After listening to her, Gu Yifeng didn’t hastily respond. Instead, he gazed at her, and as ti ticked by, his brow furrowed. "I ntioned taking Sister Ning out in Shi’an Garden. If you’d like to join, you’re welco to co along."
Mrs. Dong heard the sound of her own heart shattering and forced a smile, "Sister Ning has a delicate constitution, and your care for her is sufficient. I will not further burden you."
Mrs. Dong instructed soone to set down the refreshnts, respectfully bowed, and left.
Gu Yifeng watched her retreating figure and couldn’t help feeling disappointed. Clearly no longer expecting much, why did he still care so much?
Over the years, Mrs. Dong had increasingly lacked the bearing of the household’s mistress. It was just a matter of going to Flower Street, and she could certainly accompany them.
Yet she barely hid her aversion to Sister Ning.
As for why Mrs. Dong felt this way, Gu Yifeng had an inkling, but in the end, he just shook his head with a bitter smile. He had always seen Sister Ning as a sister, yet Mrs. Dong bore so much jealousy; it left him at a loss for words.
Harmony between husband and wife, it was indeed his wishful thinking.
anwhile, at the Wu Mansion, Wu Xueqin glanced up as Yangtao entered and then lowered her head again, stitching her wedding dress absentmindedly.
Yangtao set down the tea, "Miss, seeing that you’ll soon enter the Marquis Mansion this autumn, perhaps you shouldn’t keep sewing this wedding dress."
Though joining the mansion as a concubine, it was still a lesser bride’s ceremony, and how could she wear a red wedding dress?
"You don’t understand, even if it’s impossible, one cannot give up their aspirations," Wu Xueqin set her things aside and stopped sewing. "Today is Qixi, and I wonder who from the Marquis Mansion will attend?"
Yangtao looked a bit anxious, "Miss, you are about to get married, so it’s better not to leave the mansion. Madam over there would not allow it either."
"Don’t worry, they’re too busy worrying about my older brother to mind ," Wu Xueqin wasn’t concerned, her tone laced with sarcasm, "Right now, they’d prefer not to see at all."
After Wu Chuhao and Feng Yufu’s affair was exposed, Wu Xueqin beca the villain, and she knew all too well what it was like to fall from heaven to hell. In her despair, she once rescued the Marquis during an escape and knew she no longer had to endure the Wu Family’s scrutiny.
Nowadays, they even hope to maintain ties with the Marquis Mansion through her. If she bore a legitimate son, wouldn’t they elevate her status?
Wu Xueqin understood this. Though she wasn’t fond of learning ancient customs, she had read many palace intrigue novels. How could she not understand what people were thinking?
Though she didn’t like being used, her identity as a concubine’s daughter still dragged her down. Despite being known as the Capital’s number-one talented woman, it hadn’t brought her much advantage.
However, thinking of the Dingyuan Marquis, a rare shyness appeared on Wu Xueqin’s face.
Such a man, with a sharp gaze, made you feel like you were facing an iceberg, emanating coldness.
How could such a man not stir a woman’s heart?
Such a man, if he fell for you, it would undoubtedly be earth-shattering.
Wu Xueqin suddenly anxiously awaited autumn, even if entering the mansion as a concubine, even if the Marquis Mansion’s illegitimate son was also getting married in autumn—it all didn’t matter.
She believed as a modern woman, surely she would catch the Marquis’s attention.
Yangtao, witnessing the engrossed thoughts of the young lady, did not speak further and quietly lowered her head.
In the evening, Lin Youning, heeding Mrs. Gu Sr.’s advice, left the house on foot with Gu Yifeng, along with Sister Hui and Sister Yue.
Sister Hui was completely dragged along by Sister Yue; after all, this was Qixi, when won don’t usually go out with their fathers.
Sister Yue, however, had a legitimate reason; Lin Youning was still her uncle’s sister.
Sister Hui genuinely wanted to go, so she only half-heartedly resisted before deciding to join them.
Gu Yifeng this ti instructed Li Si to bring additional guards, two by two, to stand by the sides of each lady. On Qixi, the streets were full of flowers, couples walking together, mostly lovers, so there weren’t many like Gu Yifeng’s group.
Lin Youning loved flowers, and upon entering Flower Street, her pace slowed. Worried that her sister-in-law might grow impatient waiting at Jade Leaf Teahouse, she sent Hailan to relay a ssage, telling them to et in two hours.
With Hailan gone, Lin Youning spent even more ti at each stall, and Sister Yue, though displeased, dared not show it in front of her uncle.
"You all can go wander around, let the guards follow, and et at Jade Leaf Teahouse in two hours," Gu Yifeng said, and Sister Yue quickly bowed and left with her maid.
Sister Hui also relaxed and, after bowing, slowly walked away with her group.
Sister Jian and Sister Ran were always reserved, especially Sister Jian, who had beco even more silent after an incident. After hearing their father, she and Sister Ran left.
Lin Youning wasn’t paying attention to them, instead noticing a figure hiding behind a cluster of flowers, peeking their way—it was Second Miss Wu from the Wu Mansion.
Today was Qixi, a day when many engaged couples would legitimately go out to the flower market together. That Second Miss Wu could co out and possibly encounter Gu Yifeng was indeed good fortune.
A peach-colored dress—had her actions not been so peculiar, she would be entirely unnoticeable amidst the multicolored flowers of the street market.
"What’s wrong?" Gu Yifeng followed her gaze and saw only a peach-colored figure, nothing particularly out of place.
Gu Yifeng also realized he was overthinking. Ever since discovering Xu Kuan visiting the Zhao Mansion at night, he had kept an eye on the Xu Mansion. Xu Kuan’s son and daughter-in-law were having marital disputes, and she returned to her mother’s house, while Xu Kuan remained in mansion, scolding his son.
"Nothing." Lin Youning saw that Second Miss Wu was deliberately avoiding them and didn’t bring it up.
Instead, she picked up a large bouquet of lotus flowers, and Gu Yifeng’s eyes glimred with amusent. He instructed Li Si to pay, and the two continued onward.
In the end, as they walked along, the guards behind Lin Youning were holding so many flowers. Lin Youning glanced at the figure beside her, thinking that experiencing it once in a lifeti was enough.
Secretly, Wu Xueqin had followed them all the way, seeing the Dingyuan Marquis patiently accompany Lin Youning as she bought flowers. Her pace slowed, and she didn’t follow further when she saw them walk off into the distance. Yangtao, beside her, heaved a sigh of relief.
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