The next day, the sun shone brightly, adding a touch of warmth to the cold winter.
Gu Chengyan went to Tu's courtyard early in the morning and said to Tu, "The weather is nice today, Mother, take a rest. I'll take Yuebai to the street to play."
Tu Shi naturally had no objection. He was Gu Yuebai's biological father, and the child had become somewhat estranged after not seeing him for several months.
Gu Chengyan had Ping An drive the carriage, and Aunt Wang carried Gu Yuebai as they got into the carriage.
"Yuebai, guess where I'm taking you today?"
"Didn't we say we were going shopping? Bai Bai hasn't gone shopping in ages. Where is Uncle taking Bai Bai to play?"
"You'll know when you get there."
They first went to a pastry shop by carriage, where Gu Chengyan bought Gu Yuebai a lot of pastries. They also bought some new trinkets on the street. Gu Yuebai was overjoyed and hugged his neck tightly.
At 9:00 AM, the father and son went to Boyige. There was a VIP room on the second floor of Boyige, where Guan Yingying was already waiting for him.
Gu Chengyan pushed open the door to her private room and said with a smile, "Qianyue, look who's here?"
Guan Yingying suddenly looked at Gu Yuebai, who had not expected to see her mother.
The mother and son looked at each other, both somewhat stunned.
Overwhelmed with emotion, Aunt Wang choked out, "Madam."
Gu Yuebai looked at Guan Yingying, feeling that she was both familiar and unfamiliar. As her memories slowly returned, her eyes filled with tears.
It had been almost half a year since I last saw Gu Yuebai. She had grown taller and stronger, and her face had lost its former cleverness and intelligence, replaced by a hint of arrogance.
Gu Yuebai tentatively called out, her voice trembling with tears, "Mother?"
“Bai Bai…” Guan Yingying rushed over and hugged him, and the mother and son burst into tears.
Aunt Wang also cried, and Gu Chengyan's eyes were red as he reached out and hugged the mother and son.
"Mother, cousin, cousin!" Gu Yuebai cried out, sobbing.
Guan Yingying glared at Gu Chengyan, her cousin?
Gu Chengyan put one arm around Guan Yingying and patted Gu Yuebai's head with the other, saying with heartache, "Yuebai, you can call me Dad here!"
"Father."
"My good son!" Gu Chengyan called out affectionately and kissed Gu Yuebai on the cheek.
A loud "thump" came from the private room next door.
Xie Xiangxiang's teacup fell to the ground.
"Granny Wei, are they a family of three?" she asked blankly.
Granny Wei felt distressed and resentful. She wiped away her tears, lowered her eyes, and said, "Second Miss, shall we go over now?"
She wanted to tear that slut apart.
When Gu Chengyan got up in the morning, he reminded Xie Xiangxiang to keep warm, saying that the Crown Prince had asked him to help with something, and if he couldn't handle it, he wouldn't be coming back today.
Xie Xiangxiang didn't tell Gu Chengyan about the letter; she was afraid that what was written in the letter might be true.
She couldn't quite explain what she was thinking, but she vaguely felt reluctant to part with Gu Chengyan, reluctant to part with his tenderness and affection, and reluctant to part with the fleeting beauty before her eyes.
Watching Gu Chengyan leave reluctantly, she immediately ordered Wei Mama to keep an eye on him. She hoped that Gu Chengyan really went to the Crown Prince's residence, and not to the Boyi Pavilion to reunite with his family of three as the letter said.
However, Granny Wei said that Gu Chengyan left the mansion with Gu Yuebai.
Xie Xiangxiang's heart sank.
She went to Madam Tu's place to ask for leave, saying that it was almost New Year's and she wanted to go back to the Xie residence to visit her grandmother, and that she would return at noon.
Tu was relieved and agreed.
Xie Xiangxiang and Granny Wei went out and specifically asked the servants from her maternal family to drive them.
She pretended to want to choose a few hairpins for her younger sisters, so she asked her servant to drive her to Boyi Pavilion. Before going in, she instructed her servant to park the car a little further away and wait for her.
I booked a private room on the second floor, absentmindedly picked out a few beaded flowers, my eyes constantly fixed on the floor below.
She both wanted to catch Gu Chengyan and ask him why he lied to her, and she also hoped that the letter was fake, a lie, and a ploy to sow discord.
Until they saw Gu Chengyan carrying Gu Yuebai down from the carriage.
Standing by the window, watching Gu Chengyan holding Gu Yuebai, his eyes filled with such love for the child, it was not the affection of an uncle for his nephew at all, but the unmistakable love between a biological father and son.
At that time, Granny Wei still held a sliver of hope that Gu Chengyan had brought Gu Yuebai to see Xie Xiangxiang.
Hearing the crying from next door, Gu Yuebai's repeated calls of "Mother, Father" felt like falling into an ice cave.
She looked at Xie Xiangxiang with red eyes.
Xie Xiangxiang was struck dumb, her hands trembling for a long time. She didn't even dare to look Wei Mama in the eye. She tried her best to appear calm and said, "No rush!"
Boyige was doing very well, and the private rooms were reserved for distinguished guests. No one was allowed to linger for too long without a reason. Gu Chengyan said to the manager, "Bring up your latest jewelry."
Guan Yingying thought of the floral crown she saw on Xie Zhaozhao's head at the palace gate, wiped away her tears, and said, "I want a floral crown, the most prestigious kind."
The shopkeeper looked her up and down. He could tell she was an amateur, so he pretended not to know and went to fetch several sets of fine floral crowns and headdresses.
"This entire set of headdresses is the latest style from Boyige, designed by a master and unique."
"This is a jadeite double-sided alloy hairpin with a lobed design, and a jadeite seven-treasure exquisite hairpin..."
After he explained for a while, Guan Yingying asked, "How much is this set of jewelry?"
"I don't need much, just six thousand taels," the shopkeeper said. "You can't buy this anywhere else, and even if you could, it wouldn't be this exquisite."
"Can you make it cheaper?"
"Boyige does not negotiate prices."
Seeing her bargaining like this, Gu Chengyan knew she really liked it, and said, "If you like it, then I'll buy it."
Guan Yingying nodded: "I'll take this set, and all these flower crowns."
"A total of 15,600 taels of silver." After the shopkeeper finished speaking, he saw Gu Chengyan take out a silver note without hesitation.
"Wait!"
A cold voice rang out as the VIP room door was pushed open.
Xie Xiangxiang and Granny Wei stood in front of the door.
Gu Chengyan stood in front of Guan Yingying, holding the flower crown in both hands and trying it on for her.
The two were so close together, and the woman sat there as if it were the most natural thing in the world, letting Gu Chengyan put the flower crown on her head.
The woman was as black as charcoal, withered and thin, and Xie Xiangxiang thought of the legendary tree spirit.
Does Gu Chengyan like this?
Aunt Wang stood beside them, holding Gu Yuebai, as if it were all commonplace.
Xie Xiangxiang arrived suddenly, and Gu Chengyan's hand was suspended in mid-air as he turned to look at her.
That deep affection that couldn't be withdrawn in time, that smile that curled at the corners of her mouth, was like a sharp knife, stabbing fiercely into Xie Xiangxiang's heart.
"Husband, what are you doing?" Xie Xiangxiang's hands trembled in her sleeves, and her eyes were bloodshot.
Granny Wei was also furious, her expression one of intense hatred for catching adulterers in the act. She shouted, "Young Master, please answer Madam's questions!"
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