Chapter 68 Very good

"I……"

Yuan Heran's heart tightened suddenly when Gu Qingsu looked at him with such sharp eyes.

Gu Qingxu's eyes seemed to be able to see into the secrets deep in people's hearts. At this moment, he appeared uneasy, and an impulse surged in his heart, wanting to reveal all the truth.

But reason acted like a rein, tightly holding back his inner impulse. If he revealed the truth, it would not only implicate Gu Qingxu, but might also indirectly harm her.

However, under Gu Qingxu's watchful gaze and relentless questioning, Yuan Heran ultimately failed to keep the secret.

He slowly began to speak, relaying everything Yi Mingyu had said to Gu Qingxu. With each word he uttered, his heart felt as if it were being struck by a heavy hammer, filled with helplessness and inner turmoil.

Watching Gu Qingxu resolutely leave, Yuan Heran felt a mix of emotions.

That figure receded into the distance, yet it seemed to weigh heavily on his heart. He worried that Gu Qingsu would recklessly rush into danger after learning the truth, yet he was also bitter for her deep affection for Yi Mingyu.

Along the way, Gu Qingxu walked hurriedly, both anxious and angry.

She was angry at herself for priding herself on her intelligence, yet failing to see through Yi Mingyu's elaborate disguise; she was even angrier at herself for being so resolute and ruthless in her anger that day, telling him to get out.

Having arrived at the Yi residence, Gu Qingxu was slightly out of breath, but without hesitation, she knocked on the door.

When Yi Mingyu saw her, a hint of surprise flashed uncontrollably in his eyes.

But soon, that surprise vanished like a shooting star, and a layer of cold frost quickly appeared in his eyes, and his tone became unusually indifferent.

"What brings Miss Gu here?"

If he remembered correctly, Gu Qingxu had vowed never to let him appear in front of her again, but now she had taken the initiative to come to his door.

Was he here to vent his anger, or had he heard some rumors...?

But he preferred to vent his anger.

Seeing that he was still as cold and distant as he had been on the day the engagement was called off, Gu Qingxu couldn't help but feel a hint of sneer in her heart.

But at this moment, she didn't want to waste time on these pointless emotions and asked directly, "Why didn't you tell me that something happened to the Yi family?"

Upon hearing this, Yi Mingyu's eyes widened in shock, and his body froze instantly, as if he had been frozen in place.

The fleeting hint of panic in his eyes was like a glimpse of a startled bird, yet Gu Qingxu still keenly caught it. However, he quickly forced himself to calm down, trying to make his tone sound calm and distant.

"Miss Gu is too kind. How could anything happen to my Yi family?"

Seeing his vehement denial and his attempt to distance himself from the matter, Gu Qingxu felt a pang of sadness in her eyes and said in a slightly trembling voice, "Yi Mingyu, even now you still want to hide it from me."

Seeing her so certain, Yi Mingyu tensed up a little, but he still insisted on speaking, "I don't know what rumors Miss Gu has believed. Miss Gu and I have no relationship anymore, so there's nothing to hide."

He tried to build a defensive line with cold words to keep Gu Qingxu out.

"Is that so?" Gu Qingxu nodded slightly, a bitter smile playing on his lips. He said firmly, word by word, "Then I won't call off this engagement. What are you going to do about it?"

"No!" Yi Mingyu blurted out in a moment of panic, his expression instantly becoming flustered.

At this moment, he had only one unwavering thought in his mind: he absolutely could not implicate Gu Qingxu, no matter what!

After a brief silence, as his thoughts gradually calmed, Yi Mingyu made a difficult decision. When he looked at Gu Qingxu again, the coldness in his eyes intensified.

"If Miss Gu wants to marry someone who doesn't love her, then it's up to you whether you want to back out or not."

As he spoke, Yi Mingyu tried hard to control his slightly trembling lips, his hands clenched into fists, the veins on the back of his hands bulging out from the force, as if he were fighting fiercely against the pain and reluctance in his heart.

As if she knew he was deliberately provoking her, Gu Qingxu's heart still felt like it had been ripped open, and the pain spread throughout her body.

Her tone carried a hint of warning as she fiercely questioned, "Say another word that you have no regard for me!"

This was a sight Yi Mingyu had never seen before.

He had a vague feeling that if he truly confessed that he had no feelings for her, then no matter the reason, Gu Qingxu would never turn back. This premonition was like a sharp knife, piercing his heart.

His heartstrings felt as if one had snapped, causing him unbearable pain. He forced back the reluctance and pain in his eyes, his tone even more indifferent than before, as if every word had exhausted all his strength.

"You have never been in my heart."

His gaze was fixed on Gu Qingxu's eyes, not daring to look away even slightly, as if afraid that she would ask a second time, and even more afraid that if he looked away, he would expose the true feelings deep in his heart.

The taut string finally snapped, and Gu Qingxu's body swayed slightly, as if all her strength had been drained away by those words.

She sneered and said twice, "Fine, very well!"

Yi Mingyu looked at her swaying figure and instinctively wanted to reach out to support her, but he forcibly restrained himself in mid-air.

Just when he thought Gu Qingxu had finally given up, Gu Qingxu slowly raised her head, her eyes filled with determination, and her tone resolute.

"But I won't call off the engagement!"

As Gu Qingxu spoke, she stared straight at him, as if trying to etch his image into her heart.

Regardless of whether Yi Mingyu had feelings for her, since he had provoked her, she had to endure it even if he didn't want to, until she stopped caring about it all.

Yi Mingyu froze, realizing that his words had been like stones sinking into the sea, not only was it all for nothing, but it had also made Gu Qingxu's attitude towards him seem somewhat crazy.

Gu Qingxu hurriedly returned to the Gu residence and went directly to find Madam Cheng, her heart filled with anxiety.

“Mother, Yi Mingyu only came to break off the engagement because of the trouble that happened to the Yi family. He didn’t lie to me.”

As soon as she entered the door, she spoke eagerly, fearing that if she was a moment late, Cheng would hold a deep grudge against Yi Mingyu and thus take actions detrimental to the Yi family.

Seeing her rushing around to talk about this matter, Madam Cheng frowned, a hint of impatience flashing in her eyes. She responded indifferently, as if she didn't care about the matter at all.

"Mother, that's why we have to help the Yi family."

Gu Qingxu was preoccupied with how to help the Yi family and did not pay much attention to the impatience in Cheng's eyes. She continued to speak urgently, her tone full of pleading.

As if she had heard something that touched a nerve, Madam Cheng scoffed and then said coldly, "I have already agreed to annul the engagement."

"Mother, didn't I tell you? Yi Mingyu didn't lie to me. He did it because he was afraid of implicating me..."

She had only spoken halfway when Gu Qingxu abruptly stopped, her eyes suddenly fixed on Cheng Shi's calm and composed face, as if trying to discern some clue from it.

Her lips trembled slightly as she asked incredulously, "Mother...you know?"

Gu Qingxu frowned, then suddenly understood. No wonder the Cheng family didn't suppress the Yi family because of Yi Mingyu's annulment of the engagement, no wonder she never said a bad word about the Yi family from beginning to end, it turned out that she knew the truth about the Yi family's troubles all along.

Cheng didn't want to argue about this matter with her any further. She pinched her tired brow and said listlessly, "Alright, I should rest too."

Seeing that Madam Cheng was about to leave, Gu Qingxu was unwilling to give up so easily and hurriedly said, "Mother, what if I insist on marrying Yi Mingyu?"

In Cheng's heart, Yi Mingyu was indeed a smart and reliable person, but all of this was based on the premise that he was worthy of the Gu family's reputation. She would absolutely not allow anything to drag down the Gu family or ruin everything she had painstakingly built up.

"Guards, take Gu Qingxu back to the courtyard and keep her under control. She is not allowed to go out without my permission."

Cheng's face darkened, and with a command, the servants quickly and skillfully stepped forward and reached out to help Gu Qingsu up.

Gu Qingxu struggled free and couldn't help but question coldly, her eyes filled with anger and disappointment: "Mother, are you so cold-hearted? Will you just sit idly by and do nothing if someone has no use to you?"

"Don't care about doing things? Why should I damage my connections to help someone who has nothing to do with us?"

Cheng responded coldly, his tone unwavering.

"I think you've been bewitched. You should go to the ancestral hall and reflect on how you got everything you have."

Cheng let out a heavy sigh. In her heart, nothing could affect the reputation of the Gu family that she had worked so hard to build. This was her bottom line.

The door to the ancestral hall slammed shut with a heavy thud, as if striking Gu Qingxu's heart as well.

Cheng's words were like a wake-up call, jolting her out of her reverie. The Gu family's prestige was indeed high, but she herself had never contributed a single brick to it, nor had she earned any credit.

Must she just stand by and watch the entire Yi family be framed and ultimately suffer the tragic fate of being wiped out? Gu Qingxu struggled painfully with this thought.

Although she knew a few reliable people, Cheng had already given a death order and would not give her any chance to leave the mansion.

The door was quietly opened, and Ruan Xingzhu, upon hearing that she had been punished, rushed over anxiously, asking with concern, "Fifth Sister, are you alright?"

Hearing Ruan Xingzhu's voice, Gu Qingxu slowly pulled himself out of his thoughts, as if he had suddenly remembered something, and a glimmer of hope flashed in his eyes.

She suddenly grabbed Ruan Xingzhu's hand and held it tightly, as if she had grasped the last straw.

"Xingzhu, please go and beg Fourth Brother. Please beg Fourth Brother to help the Yi family, okay?" Gu Qingxu's eyes were full of pleading, and her voice trembled slightly.

Ruan Xingzhu's fingers paused, and she froze. In the past, she would have agreed without hesitation. But her current ambiguous relationship with Gu Yun'an was truly troubling her. She was deeply conflicted and didn't know what to do.

"Xingzhu, Xingzhu." Seeing her standing there blankly, seemingly lost in thought, Gu Qingxu couldn't help but call out anxiously.

Seeing Gu Qingsu's anxious and helpless appearance, Ruan Xingzhu felt a pang of pity. Gu Qingsu was the person who took the best care of her, besides Gu Yun'an.

After much hesitation, Ruan Xingzhu finally gritted her teeth and agreed: "Okay."

Gu Qingsu's lifeless eyes lit up at her agreement. Regardless of the outcome, it was still a glimmer of hope, especially since the person in question was Gu Yun'an.