Chapter 784: Ten years have passed, and people's hearts are changing. At first, I still didn't believe it...
A month later, the snow in the capital had long melted, new houses had been built on the ruins in the south of the city, and smoke from cooking fires could be seen everywhere.
The turmoil that almost swept the entire city ended with the silence of the Eastern Palace and the growing reputation of the Duke of Zhenguo's Mansion.
The crown prince was confined to the Eastern Palace, and the imperial decree granting the marriage was never mentioned again, as if it had never existed.
The main hall of the Duke of Zhenguo's Mansion.
Gu Junze sat aside, holding a teacup in his hand, but with an irrepressible smile on his lips.
"My daughter did a great job! She has the integrity of a family like me!"
He put down the teacup and looked at Gu Qingchen with eyes full of approval.
"His Majesty will not trouble you again. As for the Crown Prince, he suffered a serious setback this time and will not provoke you again in the short term."
Gu Qingchen nodded, his expression calm.
"My daughter understands."
"I'm glad you understand." Chu Ruohan tidied up her hair and said, "Don't be so impulsive when encountering problems in the future. In everything, we have our parents here..."
"Mom, I'm not impulsive." Gu Qingchen looked at his mother, "I just feel that some things have to be done by someone."
Chu Ruohan looked at the determination in her daughter's eyes, which was different from usual, sighed, and said nothing more.
Gu Qingchen stood up.
"Dad, Mom, I have guests in the courtyard, so I'll go back first."
"Go ahead."
The plum blossoms in Gu Qingchen's courtyard are in full bloom.
Lin Jiayou was standing under the plum tree, wearing a brand new brocade robe. He looked thinner, but his eyes were filled with an eagerness to please.
There was a person sitting in the stone pavilion not far away.
Gu Lanxin.
Her face was a little pale, her hands were tucked into her sleeves, her head was lowered, and she didn't dare look at anyone.
Gu Qingchen walked over, sat down on the other side of the stone table, and poured himself a cup of tea.
Lin Jiayou immediately followed with a smile on his face.
"Qingchen, listen to my explanation. Everything that happened before was just a misunderstanding."
Gu Qingchen didn't look at him, but just gently skimmed off the foam with the cup lid.
"I'm truly unaware of what's happening in Chengnan. If I knew His Royal Highness the Crown Prince had such plans, I would never..."
"Are you done?" Gu Qingchen finally raised his eyes and interrupted him.
Lin Jiayou's words got stuck in his throat.
"Qingchen, I... you are the only one in my heart. We grew up together, and our love..."
"Lin Jiayou." Gu Qingchen put down the teacup and said softly, "I didn't invite you here to listen to these things."
Her gaze fell on Gu Lanxin, who was fidgeting.
When Gu Lanxin saw her, her body froze.
Lin Jiayou followed her gaze and his expression changed, but he still held on.
"You...you know everything?" Lin Jiayou's voice was dry and trembling.
Gu Qingchen slowly stood up and walked in front of him.
She was shorter than him, but at that moment, he felt like he was being looked down upon.
"No, there's a lot I don't know."
"For example, is the baby in Sister Lan's belly also yours?"
With a loud "clang".
The teacup in Gu Lanxin's hand fell to the ground and shattered into pieces.
Her face lost all color in an instant.
Lin Jiayou opened his mouth, but no sound came out. He just stared at Gu Qingchen.
Gu Qingchen smiled, but the smile did not reach his eyes when he saw his appearance.
She turned around and stopped looking at the two people, leaving them with only her back.
"GunGun said, it's been ten years, people's hearts are changing."
"At first, I didn't believe it."
The atmosphere in the main hall was even colder than ice in winter.
Chu Ruohan sat in the main seat, her hand holding the teacup trembling slightly. A few drops of tea splashed out and burned the back of her hand, but she didn't notice it at all.
Her eyes were fixed on Gu Lanxin who was kneeling in the hall, and her voice was filled with uncontrollable anger and disappointment.
"You helped him to plot against Qingchen?"
She originally thought that Lin Jiayou had evil ambitions and was angry because he failed to harm his own daughter.
But she never imagined that Gu Lanxin was also involved.
Gu Junze said nothing, his face ashen, and tapped his fingers on the armrest. Each tap was like a heavy hammer hitting Gu Lanxin's heart.
Gu Lanxin fell to the ground, her thin shoulders shaking violently, and she cried inconsolably.
"No... no, Auntie..."
She raised her head suddenly, and her tear-stained face was pale.
"It's not about Sister Qingchen...it's...it's me..."
Her throat was choked with sobs and she could hardly utter the following words.
Chu Ruohan was so angry that her chest heaved and she slammed the teacup down on the table.
"Just tell me! What on earth are you and that Lin Jiayou hiding from us?"
"Aunt..." Gu Lanxin closed her eyes, as if she had used up all her strength. Her voice was as thin as a mosquito, but it was clearly heard throughout the main hall.
"I...I have his child."
In an instant, the room was filled with deathly silence.
Allen Chu froze, staring at her flat belly in disbelief, unable to utter a word.
Pregnant before marriage.
These four words were like a thunderbolt, making her dizzy.
Gu Junze stopped tapping the armrest, and the air pressure around him dropped to an alarmingly low level.
How dare he?
Gu Lanxin bent down and hit her forehead heavily on the cold ground.
"I beg uncle, aunt... to help me."
"Help me?" Chu Ruohan finally found her voice and laughed in anger, "What do you want me to do for you? To help you debase yourself and marry that kind of person?"
"He's not..." Gu Lanxin cried and defended herself, "He just...just had a very hard life since childhood. Sister Qingchen was the only light in his youth, he just...couldn't catch her."
"I know he's not a good person, but we already have a child...Aunt, my heart has long been with him."
She kowtowed repeatedly, and her forehead soon became red and swollen.
“Please…”
Just then, there was a sound of quiet footsteps at the door.
Gu Lu walked in.
He didn't look at his uncle and aunt sitting in the main seat, but walked straight to Gu Lanxin and helped up his sister who was crying and about to faint.
"Have you thought it through?" Gu Lu looked at her, his eyes calm without a trace of emotion.
Gu Lanxin grabbed her brother's sleeve as if she had grabbed the last straw and nodded vigorously.
"Well, brother, I want to take him back to Jinguan City."
She wanted to leave this troubled place and return to where they grew up, maybe everything could start over again.
Gu Lu looked at the humble hope in his sister's eyes and saw through it.
"Lin Jiayou may not want to go back."
They have been dependent on each other since childhood. He has protected her for so many years, but in the end, he cannot protect her forever.
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