Lord Gu was both amused and annoyed. He waved his hand and said, "Go away. Look at you, so pathetic. You get hungry just because you hear there's braised beef in the kitchen, huh?"
Gu Shiba smiled sheepishly.
Qin Yuan said, "Then hurry up and go to the kitchen to get another bowl of beef noodles. It's quick to cook and will keep you full."
Gu Shiba responded and walked out.
Lord Gu said, "You don't need to worry about him. He'll find something to eat in the kitchen himself. If there's braised beef, he can eat eighteen steamed buns."
Hongye burst out laughing again.
Lord Gu glanced at her and said, "You're laughing again now. You're just like a three-year-old's face, changing in an instant. Why are you hiding somewhere crying instead of coming to your master for something like this? I always thought you were a bold and outspoken person, and I was worried that I would be bullied by you after the sixteenth day. I never expected that the one who can stand firm the most is Cuiming."
Hongye sighed, "My lord, please don't say that. I'm afraid Gu Shiliu and I are destined to be apart. You don't need to worry about Gu Shiliu being mistreated by me. Someone else will take care of it, and Gu Shiliu will probably enjoy it. He won't even think about me anymore."
Lord Gu glanced at Qin Yuan, only to meet her gaze directly at him, clearly blaming him for all the trouble he had caused.
Lord Gu immediately said, "Alright, alright, don't say such discouraging things. Gu Shiliu and you are destined to be together, and no one can take you away from us."
Hongye cried again, "Even if he comes looking for me, I will not pay any attention to him. What has he done? What has he taken me for? I will never forgive him again."
Lord Gu was having a terrible headache.
Neither left nor right is suitable.
What's going on with the Gu family? Why are they arranging a marriage for Gu Shiliu out of the blue?
“Absurd, utterly absurd,” said Lord Gu. “Even Gu Shiliu himself probably doesn’t know about this. How can you blame him?”
Tears streamed down Hongye's face as she choked out, "My lord, please don't bother comforting me anymore. He's been avoiding me these past few days; he clearly has other thoughts on his mind. Besides, Hongmian asked for leave early today to go home, saying she was going to visit someone, but he hasn't been in the manor at all. What else could he be doing? Even if he didn't know anything at first, he must have found out when he saw her. He's truly a heartless and ungrateful good man."
As he spoke, he hiccuped a few times.
At the very end, a large snot bubble suddenly popped out of the tip of my nose.
Extremely disheveled.
Hongye cried again.
Lord Gu: "..."
This is truly inexplicable; Gu Shiliu can only hope for the best.
Fortunately, someone came back from outside; the servant who went to investigate Gu Shiliu's family had returned.
Lord Gu shouted, "Why aren't you coming in and talking? What are you dawdling for?"
The servant immediately entered, not daring to raise his head.
"Reporting to the Marquis, I went to Gu Shiliu's house. His mother said that today is the day of his engagement with the Li family. She sent someone to deliver a message to Gu Shiliu to go back early this morning, but Gu Shiliu has not returned. His mother has already made the engagement herself."
"You've already made your own decision?"
Qin Yuan asked in surprise.
The servant bowed his head and said, "Yes, Madam. Gu Shiliu's mother said that she has arranged a marriage for Gu Shiliu first, and then she wants his younger brother and sister to get married. Otherwise, it will block their marriages, and we can't afford to delay any longer."
Hongye burst into tears.
I cried my heart out.
Lord Gu sighed, "And who is this Li family?"
The servant said in a low voice, "Your Excellency may not know this, but there are many families with the surname Li in our manor. His family used to go to the battlefield, but after retiring, they went back to their hometown to guard their ancestral home. Later, they were transferred back to be in charge of purchasing."
Lord Gu was indeed unaware, so he asked, "Does his daughter serve in the household?"
The servant glanced at Qin Yuan quickly and said, "It's the girl Hongmian who serves the lady in Wutong Garden."
Lord Gu said, "It really is a red cotton tree."
There was a hint of coldness in his voice.
The servant stood with his hands hanging down, not daring to speak again.
Qin Yuan said, "Hongmian took leave last night, saying she wanted to go back to look at potential partners. It seems she's looking at potential partners with the Gu family."
Lord Gu said irritably, "Does she know nothing about Hongye and Gu Shiliu's affair?"
Qin Yuan said, "I'm afraid they still know. After all, Gu Shiliu has been trained so well by the Marquis, I don't know who else in my Wutong Garden would take a fancy to him."
Hongye sobbed, "Miss, don't be angry with the Marquis. This is not the Marquis's fault. If anyone is to blame, it's me for not having the good fortune."
Qin Yuan said to Lord Gu, "Look. I feel more and more that Gu Shiliu is not good enough for my Hongye. Who else can be blamed if not Lord Gu for the people he has trained? If Hongye does something wrong, blame me first."
Lord Gu knew that Qin Yuan was venting her anger, but he could only endure it. What else could he do?
He was the one who said he would keep Gu Shiliu's absence from the manor a secret, and now it's turned out like this...
Lord Gu then said, "It was my fault, Madam, please don't be angry. I must give you and Hongye an explanation for this matter."
"That would be best."
Qin Yuan said to Hongye, "You heard it too. The Marquis's word is his bond. He said he would give you an explanation for this matter, and he will. Don't cry anymore. If you're not satisfied, I'll deal with Gu Shiliu."
The guard standing nearby shuddered.
Hongye gradually stopped crying.
Qin Yuan continued, "Look, Gu Shiliu didn't know about this either, and he didn't go back to meet Hongmian. Don't blame him too much. The Marquis said he's arranged many things for him recently, and he's not intentionally avoiding you. Don't be too sad. If the Marquis says there's a way, then there's a way."
“Alright,” Hongye wiped away her tears, stood up, bowed to Qin Yuan and Lord Gu, and said, “This servant will take her leave now.”
Lord Gu frowned and waved his hand, saying, "Go."
The attendant stood aside watching Lord Gu.
Lord Gu said, "You may also leave."
The servant breathed a sigh of relief and hurriedly withdrew. Just then, Gu Shiba came out after eating and drinking his fill and said, "Our lady is really something. I think even the Marquis is afraid of her. I've never seen the Marquis apologize to someone so readily, and it's all for the sake of the lady's maid."
Gu Shiba pouted and said, "What do you know? Our Marquis isn't afraid of his wife, he respects and values her. Hongye is his wife's personal maid, how can she be compared to an ordinary maid? The Marquis must value her to some extent. Besides, Gu Shiliu was in the wrong, and the Marquis also feels ashamed."
The servant muttered, "Why do you say that too?"
Gu Shiba said, "If I don't say it like that, how can I say it? What do you know? You don't know how worried I am all day long, just hoping that my masters will be loving and affectionate."
The attendant shook his head: "...Sick..."
Gu Shiba immediately jumped up and shouted, "Who told you that you're sick?"
Startled, the servant hurriedly waved his hands and said, "Eighteenth Brother, I really didn't say you were sick. I just...yes...I just suddenly remembered that I...I still have a problem and haven't seen a doctor..."
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