Chapter 42 My Wife?
Upon hearing Gu Qingxu's explanation, the vendor narrowed his eyes slightly, his gaze revealing a hint of skepticism.
He looked Yi Mingyu up and down, noticing that the fabric Yi Mingyu was wearing was of excellent quality, something that ordinary people could not afford. After a moment's thought, the old man ultimately chose to believe Gu Qingxu's explanation.
The old man turned to look at Yi Mingyu, puzzled by his earlier stammering and out-of-control behavior.
"If you're looking for your wife's earrings, just say so. What's so hard about it?"
The old man shook his head inwardly. If he had said so earlier, he would have let him go, and things would have turned out like this.
My wife?
The old man's unintentional remark was like a pebble thrown into Yi Mingyu's heart, creating ripples on the surface.
His eyebrows suddenly widened in shock, his usually gentle and composed eyes suddenly widened, and his chest began to pound uncontrollably, as if it were about to burst out of his chest.
His face burned intensely, as if it had been scorched by fire, turning red from his ears all the way down to his neck. But for some reason, he felt a selfish urge to refute those words, as if he were immersed in a beautiful dream woven from a misunderstanding, unwilling to wake up.
Gu Qingxu blushed slightly at the old man's words, feeling extremely uncomfortable. Her eyes began to dart away, and her fingers unconsciously clenched tightly, the fingertips turning white from the force. Only when she felt the earring needle prick her fingertip, sending a slight stinging pain, did she snap back to reality and loosen her grip.
Yi Mingyu, with his sharp eyes, noticed the emerald green earring in Gu Qingsu's hand, and it felt as if a tender string in his heart had been gently plucked. That touch of emerald green, like a new bud in spring, ignited a strange emotion within him.
Ultimately, pulled by reason, Yi Mingyu knew that if the misunderstanding was allowed to spread, it might damage Gu Qingsu's reputation.
His face flushed slightly, and he said softly, "She's not my wife yet..."
However, the voice faded away with the dispersing crowd, as if no one had heard it. Only Yuan Heran, still in a daze, heard it clearly.
As the crowd gradually dispersed, Yuan Heran slowly walked towards Yi Mingyu.
With a perfectly timed smile, he asked casually, "Why isn't Yi Xueshi in class today? What brings you here?"
Yuan Heran asked, but he had some vague guesses in his heart.
Hearing this, Gu Qingxu remained silent, her eyes revealing a hint of curiosity and doubt. The question Yuan Heran had asked was exactly what she had been wanting to ask. Her gaze was fixed on Yi Mingyu, her eyes seemingly scrutinizing him, wondering how he would answer.
Feeling Gu Qingxu's gaze, Yi Mingyu reacted as if he had been burned, his eyes instantly darting away, unable to meet her gaze.
He lowered his head slightly, shifting his feet awkwardly, and after a long while, he managed to squeeze out a sentence: "Someone replaced me today, so I came out for a stroll."
Yi Mingyu said, hoping to use this excuse to get away with it.
Upon hearing this, Yuan Heran did not press the matter further, as being overly aggressive would inevitably make him appear harsh.
After a moment, he turned to look at Gu Qingxu and said softly, "Let's go, Miss Gu."
Having witnessed the excitement, Gu Qingxu naturally intended to continue on her journey with him.
"Mmm," Gu Qingxu responded softly, then turned around.
Seeing Gu Qingxu about to leave, Yi Mingyu subconsciously reached out his hand, as if trying to grab something, but after pausing in mid-air for a moment, he silently withdrew it. Watching the two figures walk away side by side, a dark look gradually rose in his eyes, and the complex emotions were self-evident.
Gu Qingxu took a few steps, then a thought suddenly struck her. She wanted to turn back and see if Yi Mingyu was still there.
However, Yuan Heran, who was walking beside her, seemed to have noticed something and quickly said, "Miss Gu seems to have something interesting over there. Let's go take a look."
After saying that, without waiting for Gu Qingxu's response, he pulled her and walked over there. Gu Qingxu didn't care whether Yi Mingyu was still there or not, and unconsciously followed Yuan Heran away.
Gu Qingxu was escorted back to the Gu residence by Yuan Heran. Anyone with discerning eyes could see that this was an attempt by the elders of both families to create opportunities for the two to spend time together and to bring them together.
Fortunately, Gu Qingxu and Yuan Heran had similar personalities and chatted happily along the way, so they weren't too reserved or uncomfortable with each other.
As soon as she stepped into the courtyard, Ruan Xingzhu heard the noise and hurried over. Without any delay, she said, "Fifth Sister, Young Master Yi came to the manor to see you today."
"What do you want with me?" Upon hearing that it was Yi Mingyu, Gu Qingxu couldn't help but feel a surge of suspicion. She frowned slightly, her eyes revealing a hint of doubt and confusion.
"I don't know, but I told him you went to Wancha Tea House for a matchmaking, and I don't know if he went to look for you or not?" Ruan Xingzhu recalled Yi Mingyu's anxious appearance during the day, and a hint of curiosity appeared on her face.
"Did you tell him I went to a matchmaker?" Gu Qingxu said, her voice trembling slightly without her even realizing it.
Upon hearing this, Ruan Xingzhu noticed Gu Qingsu's unusual behavior and hesitated, wondering if she had said or done something wrong.
She lowered her head slightly and replied softly, "Yes."
For some reason, when Gu Qingxu heard Ruan Xingzhu tell Yi Mingyu about her going to the matchmaker, she felt a strange sense of guilt, as if she had done something unforgivable and betrayed Yi Mingyu.
The image of Yi Mingyu kept appearing in my mind, and I couldn't help but wonder why I had this feeling.
She just didn't expect that the reason Yi Mingyu was sneaking around on the street was because he had been following her all along.
This discovery startled her slightly. What was he doing following her? Why didn't he just say so?
Or perhaps he wanted to tell her that their previous feigned friendship was over, that he had been moved by Feng Rongrong and was afraid of getting entangled with her.
Gu Qingxu felt increasingly agitated as she thought about it, her brows furrowing tightly. She couldn't come up with a solution even after a long time.
A gentle breeze brushed past, but it couldn't smooth away her furrowed brows.
Yi Mingyu returned to the Yi residence at some unknown time. At this moment, he looked utterly exhausted, and an aura of desolation seemed to emanate from his body.
His usually straight back was now slightly hunched, as if he were carrying a heavy burden. The maids rarely saw him in such an unusual state and couldn't help but whisper among themselves.
When Madam Yi saw him return, she quickly stepped forward and blocked Yi Mingyu, who was about to return to his study.
She looked her son up and down, her eyes filled with worry and doubt, and asked, "The Imperial Academy said you had Liang Yejing substitute for you today? You haven't been to the Imperial Academy all day, where have you been?"
When it comes to dedication, Yi Mingyu is known for his near-unmissable teaching at the Central Academy. Even when faced with the most urgent matters, he would find a way to postpone his classes and attend to his teaching duties first. His absence for a full day is highly unusual.
Recalling his disheveled state on the street today, almost being mistaken for a thief and taken to the yamen, Yi Mingyu lost all interest and became dejected, saying indifferently, "Nowhere."
His voice sounded weak and listless, as if he didn't even have the strength to speak.
Seeing her son's perfunctory answer, how could Madam Yi believe him? She couldn't help but frown, her face showing dissatisfaction, and said, "Where did you go? How could you make yourself look so disheveled?"
Yi Mingyu looked down at himself. On the pale blue hem of his clothes was the dust he had picked up when he fell to the ground and was pushed by the old man. He had been so focused on Gu Qingsu at the time that he hadn't noticed his appearance.
He pursed his lips and casually replied, "It was an accident."
"Did you bump into him by accident?" Madam Yi had been waiting for her son all day, filled with worry. Seeing his perfunctory attitude, she couldn't help but feel a little angry.
She raised her voice and demanded, "Where exactly have you been?"
Frustrated by Madam Yi's aggressive demeanor, Yi Mingyu's eyes began to show impatience.
He pursed his lips tightly, his face was terribly gloomy, and he said in a low and harsh voice, "Please don't ask anymore!"
"You..." Seeing her son's attitude, Madam Yi was stunned. She looked at Yi Mingyu in disbelief, a hint of confusion flashing in her eyes.
She took a deep breath, suppressing her anger, and said simply, "Fine, I won't ask then."
She paused for a moment, then seemed to remember something and continued, "But that girl from the Feng family is truly a good girl, why don't you..."
However, Madam Yi was interrupted abruptly by Yi Mingyu before she could finish speaking. His eyes were full of determination as he coldly said, "I said before that if Mother thinks it's good, then Mother can go and marry him herself. I have no objection."
Yi Mingyu's eyes were dark, and his words seemed to carry shards of ice, chillingly cold.
"I..." Madam Yi was somewhat taken aback by her son's sudden attitude. She stood there, blinking rapidly before slowly regaining her senses.
A flood of doubts washed over her, and she couldn't help but ask the question that had been puzzling her for so long: "Then why was Gu Qing Su able to do it before, but Feng Rongrong couldn't?"
She really couldn't understand why Yi Mingyu was willing to agree to meet Gu Qingsu, but so resolutely rejected the well-behaved and lovely Feng Rongrong, even though they were both girls she had arranged to meet.
Yi Mingyu's eyes widened in surprise. Upon hearing Gu Qingxu's name, her voice, appearance, and smile instantly flashed into his mind. In the end, he agreed to meet Gu Qingxu because Madam Yi had been too pushy. In addition, he had heard about Gu Qingxu's character and knew that a free-spirited woman like her would definitely look down on a scholar like him who spent his days writing and painting.
This way, he could appease his mother without harming the girl. But Feng Rongrong was different; he couldn't easily ruin the girl's life just because of his mother's pressure.
But hearing Madam Yi's question now, he couldn't help but feel a pang of emotion. Just as he had expected, Gu Qingxu hadn't taken a liking to him, yet he himself had unknowingly fallen for her and lost his soul. A bitter and helpless look appeared in his eyes, his heart filled with mixed feelings.
"Don't tell me you've fallen for Gu Qingxu?" Seeing that Yi Mingyu remained silent for a long time, Madam Yi asked uncertainly. Her eyes were fixed on Yi Mingyu, trying to find a flaw in his face.
Yes, he had fallen for her. But so what? How could someone as free-spirited and radiant as her possibly be interested in an ordinary, unremarkable scholar like him? Yi Mingyu smiled bitterly to himself.
After waiting a long time for Yi Mingyu's response, Madam Yi's eyes widened in surprise. If she remembered correctly, Gu Qingxu had previously either physically abused Yi Mingyu or shown him nothing but disdain. How could he possibly like her?
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