Have you seen A-Qiu recently?

Gu Yaoniang stayed at the Wang family's house for half a day.

Madam Wang was very pleased and talked to her at length, praising her excellent cooking skills.

After much persuasion, Wang Zhilan finally managed to get Gu Yaoniang out of Madam Wang's arms and bring her to her courtyard to talk.

No sooner had they sat down than Wang Zhilan hastily dismissed the others and turned to ask Gu Yaoniang.

Gu Yaoniang was taken aback.

She actually wanted to ask about Xie Danqiu's situation, since Gu Pingsheng said she looked much thinner and more haggard.

If a woman is properly cared for after giving birth, she will usually be more plump than before she gave birth. How could she suddenly become so thin that even a stranger could see it with his naked eye?

She was even a little worried and wanted to go to the Qin family. But ultimately, she had concerns in her heart and hesitated to set off.

Hearing Wang Zhilan's question, she couldn't help but feel worried: "No, has something happened?"

Wang Zhilan looked hesitant and spoke haltingly: "Do you know that Old Madam Qin is here?"

"I've heard her mention it."

Wang Zhilan wrung out her handkerchief and sighed softly, "She and the old lady don't get along very well."

She glanced at Gu Yaoniang's eyes and saw that she was just as worried as she was. Feeling a little relieved, she carefully spoke up: "I don't know what the old lady said, but I've seen my cousin several times, and she always looks preoccupied."

Gu Yaoniang paused, her hand still: "What did you say?"

Wang Zhilan shook her head: "I don't know."

Gu Yaoniang laughed: "You must know something, right? Is it related to me?"

No, no!

Wang Zhilan waved her hands repeatedly, hurriedly denying it, but then seemed deflated, her whole body losing its strength: "I really don't know. It's just that I went to the Qin family to visit my cousin, and the old lady in the Qin family mentioned you. My cousin's expression looked strange."

She quickly reached out and grasped Gu Yaoniang's hands: "Sister Yaoniang! I didn't mean anything by it!"

Gu Yaoniang patted her hand reassuringly: "It's alright! It's alright! Even if you didn't ask, I would have wanted to ask. My younger brother said he met A Qiu during his trip to take the imperial examination and saw that she looked very haggard. I also want to ask if you know what happened to her."

She hesitated for a moment, struggling with her inner turmoil, but still told Wang Zhilan everything about her past marriage with Qin Yuxiu and the reasons for breaking off the engagement.

Wang Zhilan listened with a mixture of indignation and sorrow, but in the end, she was both angry and puzzled: "Since you and the princess both knew, why didn't you tell my cousin? Perhaps she wouldn't have to marry Lord Qin!"

Gu Yaoniang remained silent for a long time before saying, "Perhaps we are mistaken. The princess once tried to ask the Emperor to rescind his decree of marriage, but the Emperor refused."

Since the marriage is already arranged, the princess and I both feel that Qin Yuxiu might be saved. If he sincerely wants to live with Aqiu, it would be a good thing if we didn't tell Aqiu and she never knew about it.

I just didn't expect that A Qiu would give birth so early, and that Aunt Qin would arrive in the capital so soon.

"But that's deceiving her! If Lord Qin could betray you to secure his marriage with my cousin, then he can betray my cousin for anything else!"

Wang Zhilan said angrily, "How could you and the princess do this!"

Gu Yaoniang smiled bitterly: "That's why I said, maybe we were wrong..."

Ah Han, you don't know, Qin Yuxiu has that pedantic, bookish air about him. Even though he schemed to break off our engagement, he still wanted to help me when he felt I was in trouble. Although I found his methods repulsive, and I didn't need his help, I know he genuinely wanted to help me at the time.

I always felt that perhaps he wasn't truly heartless and unfaithful; he just didn't like me, his thoughts were different from mine, and like most men, he didn't consider the consequences of breaking off the engagement for a woman. That's why he...

He thought that if he could live a good life with A-Qiu, A-Qiu, unaware of his true feelings, would be even happier.

Wang Zhilan's big eyes were filled with doubt: "How could such a thing be kept secret?"

Gu Yaoniang could only manage a bitter smile.

"So how is Ah Qiu now?"

"All I know is that the Qin family's old lady is extremely difficult to get along with. She always complains that my cousin is spoiled and doesn't know how to do housework; she also says that my cousin gave birth to a girl but couldn't give the Qin family a son, and she gives my cousin a hard time every day; when my cousin wanted to take the exam, the old lady didn't give her a good look either."

Wang Zhilan was deeply worried, while Gu Yaoniang, though feeling sorry for Xie Danqiu, was not surprised.

Aunt Qin was that kind of person.

Gu Yaoniang felt even more guilty and never mentioned the past to Xie Danqiu.

Yet, a secret sense of relief lingered in her heart—thankfully, she wasn't the one who married Qin Yuxiu. Otherwise, she feared she would never have been able to enjoy her carefree life of freedom.