Chapter 7

The moment Chen Xuanqing's gaze fell upon Aunt Song and Gu Lan, who were standing side by side with Gu Dezhao, his previously calm expression turned frosty as if swept by a sudden gust of cold wind.

The red-gold pomegranate hairpin inlaid with rubies that Song Yiniang wore at a slant in her hair was so dazzling that it made people dizzy, but Gu Lan's lowered eyelashes could not hide the faint admiration in her eyes.

He gripped the black jade double fish pendant tied to his waist tightly with his fingertips, stroking the cool patterns on the pendant with his fingertips, before suppressing the surging frustration in his heart.

What's wrong with Gu Dezhao? His wife is seriously ill in bed, yet his concubine dares to greet guests with a ruby ​​in her hair. It seems she doesn't respect the mistress of the house at all.

At this moment, Gu Dezhao walked forward with a smile. His royal blue brocade robe with floral patterns accentuated his dignified demeanor, but the smile did not reach his eyes, instead carrying a hint of deliberate warmth.

Chen Xuanqing suppressed his discomfort and, in accordance with the good upbringing of a young master from a noble family, turned to face Gu Dezhao and bowed with his hands clasped. His movements were standard but conveyed a sense of distance: "Lord Gu."

His voice was clear and cold, revealing little emotion, except for a slight pause at the end when he mentioned "Lord Gu".

Gu Dezhao quickly reached out to help him up, his tone excessively warm: "What are you saying, Seventh Young Master Chen! You specially escorted Jinzhao back to the manor, and the Gu family will remember this kindness. How can you leave so hastily? Why don't I prepare a banquet at the manor today to welcome Seventh Young Master Chen back and express the Gu family's goodwill?"

As he spoke, his gaze unconsciously swept over Chen Xuanqing's tense jaw, as if worried that he might refuse.

Chen Xuanqing sneered inwardly. Gu Dezhao's visit with his concubine and illegitimate daughter was probably for ulterior motives.

If you really want to keep him here, why not bring Jinzhao with you?

He had never wanted to engage in pretense with such hypocritical people, and was about to politely decline when he suddenly stopped.

If he stayed, wouldn't he be able to see more of Jinzhao's life in the Gu family? Perhaps he could find traces of her existence under a flower in the courtyard or in a book in the study? Once this thought arose, it quickly entwined his mind like vines.

He slowly loosened his grip on the jade pendant, the coolness on his fingertips dissipating slightly. The refusal that was on the tip of his tongue was subtly suppressed.

"In that case, I'll have to trouble Lord Gu." Chen Xuanqing raised his eyes, his face still devoid of a smile, but his tone softened slightly, which was a way of accepting the invitation. He knew that this banquet might be unbearable, but as long as he could get closer to Jin Chao, even if it was just touching a corner where she had once lived, the discomfort didn't seem so hard to endure.

Three sets of bowls and chopsticks were already set out beside the carved round table, and a silver wine pot was placed diagonally on the stove, the rising steam carrying the sweet fragrance of osmanthus wine.

As Gu Lan's skirt brushed against Chen Xuanqing's knees several times, his face turned as cold as ice, and the words "The Gu family has no rule about men and women not touching each other" were already on the tip of his tongue.

Just now, Gu Lan, under the pretense of serving the dishes, almost touched his arm with her elbow. The dappled light from the gold hairpin at her temple was more dazzling than the candlelight in the hall. But at that moment, a soft footstep came from outside the courtyard, accompanied by the low voice of a maid supporting her.

Chen Xuanqing suddenly looked up and met Gu Jinchao's reddened eyes.

She was dressed in a pale white ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress), the hem of which was stained with bits of grass from the courtyard, indicating that she had rushed here. What made his heart tighten even more was that the woman she was supporting had a sallow complexion and her hair was loosely plastered to her cheeks; it was none other than Jin Chao's mother, Madam Ji, who had been bedridden for a long time.

The question that Chen Xuanqing was about to ask was swallowed back instantly. He stood up almost instinctively, his dark robes drawing a clean arc in the air. His gaze first fell on Ji Shi's trembling shoulder, then shifted to Gu Jinchao's hand supporting his mother's wrist.

Those knuckles were white, clearly from holding on for a long time.

When Madam Ji approached, he bowed respectfully, his voice lower than usual, as if afraid of disturbing the frail woman: "Madam."

Madam Ji's lips twitched, as if she wanted to force a gentle smile, but just as she was about to speak, a sudden, violent cough welled up in her throat. She lurched forward, and Gu Jinchao quickly reached out to support her waist, gently patting her back with his other hand, his voice trembling with barely perceptible sobs: "Mother, please slow down..."

Chaos erupted instantly in the hall.

Just as Gu Dezhao was about to get up, Aunt Song rushed over with a water cup in her hand. When she brought the celadon cup to Madam Ji's lips, her movements were so fast that it almost touched Madam Ji's chin.

"The mistress is frail; how can she withstand such torment?"

Her tone was full of concern, but her eyes swept over Gu Jinchao with a hint of urging that was barely perceptible, "Hurry up and drink some water to calm down, or you should go back to your room to rest as soon as possible. Don't let the wind get in here and worsen your condition."

Chen Xuanqing stood to the side and witnessed the whole scene. When Aunt Song handed over the water cup, her fingertips deliberately avoided Ji's icy hands, as if afraid of getting them tainted.

The phrase "Don't let the wind blow over here" sounds more like a way of telling people to leave.

When Gu Lan got close earlier, she didn't mention "rules" at all. Now that Madam Ji has arrived, she's in a hurry to send her away, clearly because she finds Madam Ji and Gu Jinzhao an eyesore.

His gaze shifted to Gu Jinchao, noticing her lowered eyes, her long eyelashes concealing her emotions. He simply reached out and took the cup from Aunt Song's hand, carefully feeding Madam Ji two sips. As her cough subsided, Madam Ji, panting, suddenly grasped Gu Jinchao's wrist with her withered hand, her lips moving as if she wanted to say something.

But Aunt Song stepped forward and reached out to support Madam Ji's arm: "Madam, you see, you're already tired after sitting for only a short while. I'll have a maid take you home."

“No need.” Gu Jinchao suddenly spoke, her voice soft yet firm. She helped Madam Ji to sit down in the armchair beside her, and her eyes met Chen Xuanqing’s as she looked up.

Her eyes held a hint of grievance, panic, and a barely perceptible plea for help. Chen Xuanqing's heart sank. It seemed that Gu Jinchao's life in her earlier years was not as innocent and naive as she appeared.

He looked at Gu Dezhao, the patriarch of the Gu family, who was holding a wine glass, his eyes darting away, avoiding his gaze. Just now, Madam Ji had been coughing incessantly, and although he had intended to get up, his movements were slow, far less "enthusiastic" than Aunt Song.

As Gu Jinchao's father, he not only failed to provide his daughter with a stable life, but also indulged his concubines and illegitimate daughters, leaving his wife seriously ill and bedridden. Such incompetence and cold-heartedness filled Chen Xuanqing with anger.

Aunt Song stood in the corner, and although the resentment in her eyes flashed by, Chen Xuanqing saw it clearly.

Relying on Gu Dezhao's favor, she not only wore the ruby ​​hairpin that should have belonged to Gu Jinchao's mother, but also targeted Gu Jinchao and her mother at every turn. Now she is even in a hurry to send Ji away, obviously afraid that Ji will ruin her plans. Such an arrogant concubine can be so domineering in the Gu family, which shows how much Gu Dezhao has indulged her.

Gu Lan, who had been clinging to him just moments before, tried to smooth things over when she sensed the awkward atmosphere. However, she was deterred by his cold gaze. Her eyes always held a hint of hostility towards Gu Jinzhao, and her possessiveness towards Chen Xuanqing was almost overflowing.