Chapter 26 Serving Tea 2
Chen Yanyun's pupils suddenly contracted, his eyes filled with disbelief and shock, as if he had witnessed some enormous accident, and even his breathing seemed to stop for a beat.
It's her!
Chen Yanyun's mind exploded.
In that alley in Jiangnan, the woman he had saved time and time again, with her clear yet somewhat aloof eyes, and the stray hairs falling from her temples when she lowered her head, looked exactly like Gu Jinzhao in front of him!
He always believed that they were destined to be together.
After Chen Xuanqing gets married, he will definitely find the woman's whereabouts.
Unexpectedly, the Gu family girl that Xuanqing was going to marry was actually her!
Do you regret it?
Perhaps?
He regretted his self-confidence and arrogance.
The noise in the room seemed to disappear in an instant, and Chen Yanyun felt as if something had hit his chest, and a complex mix of emotions surged up.
There was surprise, realization, and a hint of bewilderment that even he himself was unaware of.
He watched as Gu Jinchao concernedly instructed the maid to help the child, and saw the tender and dependent look in her eyes as she turned to meet Xuan Qing's gaze. He suddenly recalled his thoughts when he was in Jiangnan.
If you meet her again, you must tell her your name and abandon all other desires to marry her.
But now, she has become his daughter-in-law, Xuan Qing's lawfully wedded wife.
Chen Xuanqing's fingertips, which were adjusting Gu Jinchao's red veil, paused slightly. The sight of his father's pupils suddenly shrinking and his expression of shock and disarray was like a needle piercing his heart.
It wasn't the usual surprise of an elder seeing their daughter-in-law's face; it was more like the shock of suddenly bumping into an old acquaintance, tinged with a sense of disbelief and disorientation.
A thought popped into my head uncontrollably: Could it be that my father has also been reborn?
This guess made his heart tighten, and he gripped Gu Jinchao's hand tightly. When she gently squeezed back, he barely managed to suppress his surging emotions, maintaining a calm smile on his face as if nothing had happened.
He helped Gu Jinchao stand up straight again, but his gaze secretly swept over Master Chen.
His father had already picked up his teacup, sipping the tea with his eyes downcast. The lines of his profile remained serious, but the momentary loss of composure just now was etched into Chen Xuanqing's mind like a brand.
If his father were also reborn, he probably wouldn't have stood by and watched him marry Gu Jinchao.
After all, when he discovered that he had feelings for Gu Jinchao, he told him to get lost.
He quietly took a deep breath, suppressing his suspicions.
Regardless of whether his father was reborn or not, today is his wedding day with Jinzhao. The die is cast, and even if his father had many other thoughts, he would never cause trouble at this time and ruin the Chen family's reputation. Moreover, from the annulment of the engagement to the betrothal ceremony, although his father did not openly support him, he also did not obstruct him. He even secretly helped him resolve the Yu family's affairs. If he was truly reborn, why would he need to do all this?
Chen Yanyun also came to his senses at this moment. He moved his fingertips slightly, brought the teacup to his lips, took a sip of tea, and found that the usually pure and mellow tea aroma was now somewhat astringent.
He suppressed the turmoil in his heart, his gaze falling on Gu Jinchao. His tone returned to its usual calm, but he couldn't hide a hint of complexity: "It's alright, children are bound to bump into each other while playing."
Madam Chen didn't notice anything unusual about Chen Yanyun, and just smiled and smoothed things over: "Children are lively, it's good that he didn't fall. Jinzhao, Xuanqing, the auspicious time is almost here, don't miss the wedding ceremony."
Gu Jinzhao responded softly and stood up straight again with Chen Xuanqing's help. However, the brief glimpse of his face just now had allowed her to clearly see what Third Master Chen looked like.
It turned out to be that benefactor from Jiangnan!
She knew this wasn't the time to express her gratitude, so she simply lowered her eyes and waited for the next part of the ceremony.
Chen Yanyun sat in the head seat, his gaze falling on the newlyweds holding hands in front of the hall. Xuanqing looked at Jinchao with eyes full of affection, and although Jinchao's face was covered by a veil, her posture revealed her dependence on Xuanqing.
He slowly put down his teacup, his fingertips tracing the rim, and the shock in his heart gradually subsided.
So this is fate.
A chance encounter in Jiangnan unexpectedly led to the marriage between her son and her, and he was merely a casual witness to this destiny.
So be it.
Chen Yanyun sighed softly to himself.
Xuanqing was able to get his wish and marry the girl he loved, and that was enough.
As for his own feelings, they were just an interlude in the misty rain of Jiangnan. From now on, he would simply treat her as Xuanqing's wife and the daughter-in-law of the Chen family, and treat her well.
Suddenly, a series of hurried footsteps came from outside the mansion. Chen Li lifted the hem of his robe and strode into the main hall, looking somewhat anxious. He whispered a few words in Third Master Chen's ear.
It turned out that an urgent imperial decree had been issued, requiring the Grand Secretary to enter the palace immediately to discuss an important matter in the court.
Master Chen's expression changed slightly. He stood up and cupped his hands to Madam Chen, saying, "Mother, there is an urgent summons from the palace. I need to go to the palace immediately. I will trouble you to preside over the rest of the ceremony."
Madam Chen nodded quickly, her tone tinged with concern: "The affairs of the court are of great importance. Go quickly, be careful on the road, and don't panic."
"I understand, son." Third Master Chen replied, then glanced at Chen Xuanqing and Gu Jinchao in the hall. His gaze lingered on their clasped hands for a moment before he said nothing more, only saying, "Treat your wife well," before turning and hurriedly leaving with Chen Li.
The hem of the dark robe swept across the threshold and quickly disappeared into the red silk of the courtyard.
As Chen Xuanqing watched his father's departing figure, his tense shoulders suddenly relaxed, and he unconsciously let out a sigh of relief.
His father's momentary loss of composure had left him with lingering doubts, fearing that his father might ask further questions or reveal more unusual behavior.
Now that his father was tied up with urgent matters at court and had to leave in a hurry, it seemed to give him some breathing room and allow him to temporarily put aside his worries.
He turned his head to look at Gu Jinchao beside him. Seeing that her figure, which was covered by a veil, had slightly stopped, he gently patted the back of her hand and whispered to comfort her: "Father left because of urgent matters in the court. Don't worry too much. The rest of the ceremony will be presided over by Grandmother. Everything is going smoothly."
Through the red veil, Gu Jinchao could clearly feel the warmth of his palm and the soothing tone in his voice, and nodded gently in response, "I know."
Seeing the two of them holding hands, Madam Chen's smile deepened. She quickly smoothed things over, saying, "Xuanqing is right. The affairs of the court are urgent, and your father has no choice but to do so. Let's continue with the ceremony and not miss the auspicious time."
As she spoke, she gestured for the emcee to continue, and the sound of gongs and drums in the main hall rang out again, gently bridging the brief interlude.
Chen Xuanqing took Gu Jinchao's hand and faced Old Madam Chang again. The doubts in his eyes had gradually faded, leaving only his appreciation for the person in front of him and his solemnity for the ceremony.
He knew that his father's departure was only temporary, and that he might face more speculation and testing about "rebirth" in the future. But at this moment, he only wanted to focus on completing the wedding and truly include the girl beside him in the rest of his life.
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