Chapter 38 Yi Mingyu was coerced
Was Yi Mingyu coerced?
Madam Yi was somewhat surprised, but then she remembered that her son had always been strict with himself and disciplined since childhood, so she probably thought this feigned innocence was indeed due to coercion. After all, she had repeatedly warned Yi Ming not to upset Gu Qing Su, so as not to implicate the Yi family.
Moreover, given Gu Qingxu's reputation, it does seem like something she would do.
Madam Yi sat on the carved sandalwood chair, her hand resting lightly on the armrest. She frowned slightly and pondered for a moment. A hint of doubt appeared on her well-maintained face, and she slowly raised her eyes, her gaze like a searchlight as she looked at Feng Rongrong sitting opposite her.
“What Miss Feng says makes some sense,” she said, then changed the subject, “but I wonder what brings you here, Miss Feng?”
Madam Yi appeared to be asking a question, but in her heart she had already vaguely guessed what was going on. However, saying it aloud would ultimately lack a certain meaning.
After all, Gu Qingsu's actions that day had thoroughly offended Feng Rongrong, and she had even publicly declared that Feng Rongrong liked Yi Mingyu.
However, the truth of this matter could never be verified, and Yi Mingyu had never mentioned Feng Rongrong in front of her. No one in the mansion had heard of any private contact between the two of them, so she was somewhat suspicious of the truth of this matter.
Feng Rongrong had been waiting for Madam Yi to ask this question. She was secretly pleased with herself. She didn't believe that if she could control Madam Yi, Yi Mingyu would still be able to refuse her.
She bowed slightly, a perfectly timed smile on her face, and said in a soft voice, "I came here specifically to visit you, Auntie. I've been wanting to come for a while, but I've been too busy to have the chance."
It wasn't that she had a lot to do, it was just that it was a bit inappropriate for a woman to visit so abruptly, but this time she couldn't care less about that.
Moreover, in the capital, people usually express their feelings in a subtle and tactful way, but Feng Rongrong's direct approach undoubtedly reveals her feelings for Yi Mingyu.
Madam Yi couldn't help but feel a little happy. After all, Feng Rongrong came from a scholarly family. Although she didn't have the same high prestige in the capital as the Gu family, Feng Rongrong looked gentle and charming, and was obviously much easier to get along with than the domineering Gu Qingsu.
Having made up her mind, Madam Yi instantly forgot the anger she had felt earlier because of Gu Qingsu, and her face was full of warm smiles as she hurriedly greeted, "Now that you're here, you must have a seat."
Being treated so warmly by Madam Yi made Feng Rongrong extremely happy. She couldn't help but feel a little smug. Now that Gu Qingxu had not only been exposed but also lost Madam Yi's support, she was determined to get Yi Mingyu.
The two were chatting away enthusiastically when Yi Mingyu hurriedly returned from outside because of a message from Madam Yi.
Yi Mingyu, still dressed in the scholar's robes of the Imperial Academy, hurried over. But the moment he stepped across the threshold and saw Feng Rongrong, his handsome brows furrowed slightly, and a barely perceptible hint of annoyance flashed in his eyes.
Upon seeing Yi Mingyu return, Feng Rongrong seemed to have a switch flipped. She lowered her head slightly, a blush quickly spreading across her cheeks, revealing a shy expression. Her hands unconsciously twisted the handkerchief in her hands.
Madam Yi saw all this and became even happier. She quickly got up, grabbed Yi Mingyu's arm, and pulled him to Feng Rongrong's side. She said with a smile, "Mingyu, you've come at the right time. It's rare for Miss Feng to come to our house. You can keep her company and have a good chat."
The atmosphere in the Yi residence was harmonious, completely unaware that a pair of eyes were watching them.
Gu Qingqing finally managed to climb over the wall, but what she saw was not the scene of Yi Mingyu being punished, but the smiling figure of Feng Rongrong, accompanied by bursts of cheerful laughter.
For a moment, Gu Qingxu's pupils dilated slightly, and he was somewhat shocked. How could Feng Rongrong be here?
After leaving the Gu residence, she didn't hesitate at all and hurried towards the Yi residence.
But when she reached the gates of the Yi residence, she suddenly stopped, a hint of hesitation on her face. Looking at the vermilion gate, she was conflicted, unsure whether she should enter through the main entrance.
After much hesitation, her gaze fell once again on the wall she had climbed over before. Then, gritting her teeth, without the slightest hesitation, she used the trees as cover to grip the wall with both hands and laboriously climbed over.
She never expected that after all the effort she had to make to get up here, she would find Feng Rongrong there.
At this moment, she couldn't see Yi Mingyu's expression clearly, only that he was very close to Feng Rongrong, who was looking at him with a shy expression. For some reason, this scene felt like a thorn, piercing Gu Qingxu's heart and making her wonder.
Could it be that Yi Mingyu told Feng Rongrong about their pretense of deceiving everyone? Otherwise, why would Feng Rongrong have come to talk to him today and then appeared at the Yi residence with a shy expression?
Thinking of this, Gu Qingxu felt a sudden pang of sadness, and her eyes reddened slightly. She blinked hard, trying to hold back the tears that were about to spill. Her heart felt like it was being blocked by a large stone, and she felt extremely uncomfortable.
She couldn't help but scoff inwardly. She had been worried all along that Yi Mingyu would be physically punished; it seemed she had been overthinking it.
Her body had become stiff from maintaining one position for so long, and her shoulders and arms, which were supporting her, were starting to ache. She forced herself to suppress her thoughts and silently looked away. She was extra careful as she went down, because if she fell this time, Yi Mingyu might not reach out to help her like before.
Feeling Madam Yi pulling him closer to Feng Rongrong, Yi Mingyu's face flashed with displeasure, but he quickly and imperceptibly took a half-step back. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed that the trees on the other side of the wall were moving slightly, and he was a little puzzled. The wind wasn't strong at all, so why were the trees moving? He had no time to pay attention to Feng Rongrong's reaction.
When Feng Rongrong saw Yi Mingyu suddenly take a half step back, her shy expression froze instantly, and her smile also froze on her face.
Madam Yi quickly sensed that the atmosphere was not right and hurriedly smiled to comfort Feng Rongrong: "Miss Feng, don't mind it. Mingyu is just a bit impatient."
"Well then, Miss Gu, you should go back first. I'll invite Miss Feng to visit us at our residence another time," Madam Yi said with a smile.
Feng Rongrong agreed softly, but as she left, she couldn't help but look back at Yi Mingyu, her eyes filled with reluctance.
After Feng Rongrong left, Madam Yi's face hardened, her eyes revealing displeasure. She looked at Yi Mingyu and said with a hint of reproach, "Look at you, what kind of attitude was that just now?"
"What brings you here, Mother?" Yi Mingyu asked. He had rushed back to the mansion after learning that Madam Yi had something important to discuss with him. He was a little impatient because she was still attending to guests.
"You have the nerve to ask? I'm asking you, were you and Gu Qingsu just pretending to fool us?" Madam Yi had almost forgotten about this matter, but Yi Mingyu's question brought it back to her mind, and her dissatisfaction became even more obvious.
Upon hearing the sound, Yi Mingyu froze, as if he had been frozen in place. A flicker of panic flashed in his eyes, but he quickly regained his composure.
How did the mother find out about this?
Since Mother already knows about this, will Madam Gu also find out? Will Gu Qingxu be punished?
Just as he was about to take all the blame upon himself, he saw Madam Yi suddenly change her expression and say somewhat listlessly, "Alright, let's not talk about your affair with Miss Gu anymore. Let's just pretend then."
Just as Yi Mingyu was wondering why Madam Yi had agreed so easily, he saw Madam Yi's face light up with joy, and she said, "But why didn't you tell me about your affair with Miss Feng sooner?"
"Miss Feng?" Yi Mingyu frowned deeply, his face full of confusion.
“Yes, if you had said earlier that she had feelings for you, would you have needed to deal with Gu Qingsu?” Madam Yi said, her heart filled with affection for Feng Rongrong, completely unaware that Yi Mingyu’s expression had changed.
"Let me tell you, this Miss Feng is much more docile than Gu Qingsu. I always thought Gu Qingsu was too domineering and that you wouldn't be able to handle her. Now that's settled, since your relationship is just a pretense, it's perfect for you and Miss Feng..."
"Mother!" Madam Yi was lost in her reverie when Yi Mingyu's shout startled her.
At this moment, Yi Mingyu's face was as cold as ice, and his words were not as humble and polite as usual: "Mother, there is no affection between me and Miss Feng. Please do not do this anymore."
Rebuked by Yi Mingyu's retort, Madam Yi's eyebrows furrowed, and a hint of anger flashed in her eyes: "What do you mean by having no feelings at all? If there were none, would Miss Feng have needed to come to visit in person?"
Hearing Madam Yi insist on linking him to Feng Rongrong, a dark look appeared in Yi Mingyu's eyes, and he said firmly, "That must be a misunderstanding. There is no affection between me and Miss Feng. Please give up the idea of matchmaking me with Miss Feng."
Yi Mingyu's sudden tough attitude made Madam Yi feel a little uncomfortable. She stared at Yi Mingyu with wide eyes, unable to believe her eyes.
"What do you mean? This Miss Feng is not only gentle, but also exceptionally beautiful. Why are you unwilling? Besides, Gu Qingxu is quite domineering, and his reputation is not as good as Miss Feng's. Why don't you..."
It's unclear what words touched a nerve with Yi Mingyu, but his tone was resolute, devoid of his usual humility, and he almost blurted out: "If Mother likes her, then she should marry her herself. I have no feelings for her whatsoever."
He said such outrageous things that Madam Yi was so shocked she couldn't close her mouth. She never expected that Yi Mingyu would say such a thing.
Before she could even reprimand him, Yi Mingyu flicked his sleeves and strode away without looking back.
Madam Yi stood there, momentarily at a loss, her heart filled with a mixture of anger and confusion. If Yi Mingyu had no feelings for Feng Rongrong, then neither did he have feelings for Gu Qingsu.
Why could he agree to Gu Qingxu's request, but he resisted Feng Rongrong's so much?
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