Inside the carriage, the light was dim and the air was chilly.

"Yanfei, warm your hands." Gu Yunzhen handed a small and exquisite pumpkin-shaped hand warmer to Gu Yanfei.

The warm hand warmer was in Gu Yanfei's hand, ironing her heart through her skin.

In the Gu family, perhaps only the eldest sister would be so considerate and attentive to her.

As for Big Brother...

My brother is not afraid of the cold and never thought that a girl would need a hand warmer.

Gu Yanfei couldn't help but smile.

Gu Yanfei casually placed the hand warmer on his knees, poured tea for Gu Yunzhen himself, handed the cup to her, and said frankly without hiding anything: "Big sister, the Murong family is not a good place to go."

"This marriage is not good."

As the crisp sound rang out, a faint tea fragrance lingered in Gu Yunzhen's nose, clear and mellow, nourishing Gu Yunzhen's heart like spring rain.

Gu Yunzhen had become accustomed to Gu Yanfei's straightforward style. Far from being surprised, she felt that it was as she expected. Even the haze buried deep in her heart was somewhat dispelled.

She gently held Gu Yanfei's hand, his palm against hers, with a gentle look on her face.

Of course she knew that Gu Yanfei had come to Murong's house today specifically for herself, under the pretext of visiting old lady Murong, in order to help her see Murong Yong's character.

She also knew that what Gu Yanfei said was right.

but……

The scene in the warm pavilion just now flashed through his mind, and Gu Yunzhen couldn't help but pursed his lips, his chest rising and falling slightly, as if this was the only way to suppress the emotions surging in his heart.

However, she had to consider her mother and her second sister.

If my grandmother knew that my second sister had encouraged her to break off the engagement, she would be even more angry with her.

In recent years, the third house has been in an awkward situation in the Marquis' Mansion, and the eldest house is in the same situation.

The eldest uncle and aunt in the eldest house are no longer around, which means that the eldest brother's future and the second sister's marriage are all in the hands of my grandmother and second uncle.

My eldest brother didn't rely on his father's favor. He spent many years in the army and finally got promoted to the commander of the Shenjiying. He was the only one who knew the blood and sweat that went into it. If my eldest brother wanted to gain a firm foothold in the future, he would also need help from his family.

As she thought about it, a hint of powerlessness and struggle slowly emerged in her dark and deep eyes...

Soon, she suppressed the negative emotions in her heart, smiled gently, and gently stroked Gu Yanfei's head.

"Yan Fei, I will think about it carefully." She looked deeply into Gu Yan Fei's eyes, without avoiding, letting her clear gaze strike her heart, and said sincerely, "Even if it's just respectful to each other."

"In this world, many women have gone through this, and I am no different from them."

Her voice was very rational, very calm.

From the day her father died, she was no longer a delicate flower in the greenhouse. She had to protect herself as well as her mother.

"It's different." Gu Yanfei shook his head.

She casually lifted a corner of the curtain, and a knife-like cold wind blew in through the gap, ruffling the hair on Gu Yanfei's cheek.

Gu Yanfei's gaze was sharper than the cold wind outside, and he accurately directed it to the northwest, to the courtyard where Old Madam Murong was.

This prefecture is different.

There was a thick, inky aura of death and a smell of corruption lingering around Old Madam Murong.

Gu Yanfei could almost conclude that the person was dead.

besides……

Gu Yanfei looked around again. The high walls surrounding the mansion, the stone beasts squatting on the eaves, the dead old pine trees, the dried-up pond, and the talismans posted on the windows...

The entire mansion was filled with a suffocating atmosphere.

In Taoist medicine, there is indeed a concept called "rushing for happiness".

In the previous life, the Murong family did not observe mourning, which means that Old Madam Murong survived.

The reason why Madam Murong fell ill has nothing to do with external factors. She should have been sick at this moment in her past and present lives, so why did she survive in her previous life?

The reason is obvious.

In the previous life, the person who brought good luck to Madam Murong must have been someone else.

Gu Yanfei raised her hand and tucked a few strands of messy hair behind her ears. She leaned lazily against the wall, not hiding her displeasure. She snorted and said, "This mansion is really uncomfortable."

She was about to lower the curtains when she saw Madam Gu walking slowly towards her.

The eyes of the grandfather and grandson met in mid-air and they stared at each other for a moment.

Madam Gu's face flashed with a look of wanting to say something but stopping herself, she stroked the fur on her cuffs and continued walking towards the carriage without stopping.

After she finished talking with Madam Murong in the green gauze cabinet, she heard from the housekeeper of the Murong family what happened in the warm pavilion and that Gu Yunzhen and Gu Yanfei had gone to the ceremonial gate together.

Therefore, Mrs. Gu did not stay any longer and said goodbye directly.

The housekeeper wanted to redeem herself for her crime, so she was extremely attentive and polite. She sent Madam Gu to the black lacquered three-horse carriage in front and never left.

The two carriages of the Gu family drove out of the alley where the Murong family lived and started their journey home.

At noon, Gu Yanfei and Gu Yunzhen got off the carriage at the ceremonial gate of the Gu family.

Mrs. Wang, the Marquis' wife, heard the news and arrived at this moment. She said with a smile on her face, "Mother, thank you for your hard work."

Wang came over briskly, supported Madam Gu's arm affectionately, and asked casually, "I wonder how the old lady of the Murong family is doing?"

Wang's ears rang with Gu Jian's reminder that this marriage would be beneficial to the Marquis's Mansion and must not go wrong.

Wang was asking Madam Gu, but Madam Gu looked at Gu Yanfei and called out in a gentle tone, "Yanfei, what do you think?"

Madam Gu cast a sharp gaze on Gu Yanfei's face.

"You can't live again after you die. Everything is predetermined by fate." Gu Yanfei said casually while rubbing the pumpkin-shaped hand warmer between his fingers.

Just a few words, but it seems profound and unfathomable.

There was silence for a moment.

Madam Gu's graceful face visibly sank and the corners of her eyes twitched.

This girl is being mysterious again!

Madam Gu had something on her mind and was too lazy to talk to Gu Yanfei, so she just said, "You can go back."

She turned to Gu Yunzhen and said, "Sister Zhen, follow me to Cihetang."

When Gu Yanfei turned around, she saw a yellow, white and black figure flash before her eyes. A calico cat jumped down from the roof of the carriage from nowhere and landed steadily on her shoulder. It meowed and asked her where she had gone to play with the cat.

Madam Gu also heard the cat's meowing later. Her heart skipped a beat and her brows furrowed.

Even when she sat down in Cihe Hall, her brows were still furrowed.

All the idlers in the east room were sent away. The grandfather and grandson sat side by side on the kang, with the marquis' wife Wang sitting at the lower end. Only Nanny Li was left in the room to serve them.

Mrs. Gu drank two sips of tea, and after she recovered, she perked up and started talking: "Zhen Jie'er, I heard about the garden."

She patted Gu Yunzhen's hand soothingly, her tone gentle and loving, "Madam Murong has already told me that this is my cousin. After the New Year, she will give her a dowry and marry her off."

Gu Yunzhen half-closed her eyelashes as she looked at Madam Gu's well-maintained hands.

Although she was old, her hands were still fair and delicate, with a string of red sandalwood Buddhist beads wrapped around her hands. When the beads touched the back of Gu Yunzhen's hands, the beads were actually a bit rough, leaving a small red mark on the girl's delicate skin.

Madam Gu patted Gu Yunzhen with her hand wrapped in the Buddhist beads, and advised earnestly: "You, don't always follow Gu Yanfei's crazy, she has no father and no mother, and her future is unpredictable. She has nothing to worry about, but you are different, you have a bright future. There is no point in being so stubborn and getting yourself into trouble!"

"Madam Murong thinks highly of you and she said a lot of good things about you in front of me today..."

“…”

Madam Gu talked incessantly, and every time she thought about the unrest in the mansion since Gu Yanfei returned, she felt very annoyed.

Gu Yunzhen sat on the kang, leaning against the lady's arm. Her posture was as graceful as an orchid, and she looked dignified and virtuous.

Although Wang Shi didn't know what happened in Murong Mansion, she could guess a lot from what the lady said. To put it bluntly, the things that happened between cousins ​​were not uncommon in other mansions.

Wang also advised Gu Yunzhen: "Sister Zhen, such a good marriage is hard to come by. Your grandmother will not harm you."

Gu Yunzhen didn't react at all. He just sat there motionless, with his eyes half-closed, his lips slightly pursed, and not saying a word.

Seeing Gu Yunzhen's sullen look, Madam Gu felt a little suffocated. The corners of her eyes twitched slightly, and she thought to herself: This girl's personality is just not as likable as her younger sister's.

The lady stroked the red sandalwood Buddhist beads in her hand and said in a condescending tone of an elder: "I have just promised Madam Murong that the marriage will be scheduled before the New Year."

"..."Gu Yunzhen finally reacted. He raised his eyelids and looked at Madam Gu.

Today is the 27th day of the twelfth lunar month, and there are less than four days left until the Chinese New Year.

Even Wang was shocked. This was too hasty. She was afraid that she wouldn't even have enough time to prepare the dowry.

However, Gu Yunzhen will get married sooner or later, it’s just a matter of a few days in advance.

"Zhen'er, grandma is doing this for your own good." There was a hint of impatience in Mrs. Gu's eyes, but her face was still kind, and the silver and jade earrings on her earlobes were shining.

"You married into the Murong family this time to save Ayong's grandmother, which is a favor to the Murong family. Regardless of whether the old lady can get better this time, the Murong family will never treat you unfairly in the future and will remember your kindness!"

She seemed to be trying to persuade, but in fact her words were full of strength and left no room for doubt.

Wang nodded repeatedly, and echoed the old lady, "The little grievances you are suffering now will also be your blessings in the future."

"There is no other young and promising man like Second Master Murong in the whole capital!"

Wang praised Murong Yong to the skies, but Gu Yunzhen remained calm. Even when he heard the wedding date, he just moved his eyelids, without any emotion in his eyes.

She has thought it through and made a decision.

(End of this chapter)