Chapter 75 The Wedding
As the wedding approached, Yi Mingyu visited Gu Qingxu less and less frequently.
"According to etiquette, I can no longer come to see you. Please take this."
Yi Mingyu handed the chestnuts he had queued up to buy early in the morning to Gu Qingsu, but there was a hint of reluctance in his words.
Whether they see each other or not doesn't really matter. After all, they've seen each other almost every day in the past few days. But when it's time to stop seeing each other, a faint sense of reluctance still wells up in their hearts.
Gu Qingxu gently accepted the chestnuts. When she looked up, she saw Yi Mingyu still standing there, looking like he wanted to say something but hesitated. She thought he had something important to say and was about to ask when she heard Yi Mingyu stammer out his words.
“Then I can…” Yi Mingyu’s brows furrowed, his face showing difficulty. The composure he usually possessed as a scholar had vanished without a trace.
"What can it be?" Gu Qingxu smelled the sweet aroma emanating from the chestnuts, a hint of suspicion rising in her heart. She looked at Yi Mingyu with a slightly questioning gaze.
Yi Mingyu felt as if his body was tightly bound, every muscle tense. But the thought of not being able to look for her for the next few days made him feel as if a million ants were crawling on his heart, an unbearable itch.
A flicker of hesitation crossed his eyes. He mustered his courage and whispered, "Could I... hug Miss Gu?"
He spoke extremely fast, and even his usually clear and articulate speech became slurred and unclear.
A look of confusion flashed across Gu Qingxu's face. She didn't understand his words for a moment and subconsciously uttered a soft "Hmm?"
Seeing that Gu Qingxu had not made a statement for a long time, Yi Mingyu's already uneasy heart sank even further.
Just when he thought she was going to refuse, he heard her give a soft "hmm".
Though the sound was soft, it was like a thunderclap in Yi Mingyu's ears, and his tense thoughts subconsciously assumed that she had agreed.
His face flushed instantly, and his body involuntarily leaned forward slightly. He stretched out his long arm and gently pulled her into his embrace.
Suddenly, Gu Qingxu was hugged so tightly that her hand holding the chestnut tightened involuntarily, and a look of surprise flashed in her eyes.
It took her a while to realize what Yi Mingyu had asked. The usually straightforward woman now had a hint of shyness in her eyes.
She couldn't help but secretly scold him for being so rule-abiding. He should have just hugged her if he wanted to, instead of asking a girl like that, leaving her at a loss for words.
The two embraced tightly, and Gu Qingxu felt awkward, unsure of what to do with her hands.
Suddenly, she felt a warm breath near her ear, which made her earlobe turn slightly red.
"Miss Gu, wait for me to come and marry you." Yi Mingyu felt her soft body.
At this moment, his ears flushed red, and his voice was slightly hoarse, yet he spoke these deeply affectionate words with unwavering determination.
Gu Qingxu's face instantly flushed red. She didn't know where Yi Mingyu, who was always serious, had learned such an intimate gesture from, speaking in her ear, which made her feel very uncomfortable.
Yi Mingyu reluctantly released her, only then noticing the blush on Gu Qingxu's face, and was slightly taken aback.
It turns out that Gu Qingxu can be shy too. This is the first time he has seen her so shy on the surface. He couldn't help but swallow his saliva and stare at her intently.
Feeling increasingly uncomfortable under his direct gaze, Gu Qingxu asked in a slightly annoyed tone, "What...what are you looking at?"
"It's nothing." Yi Mingyu couldn't help but smile at her adorable appearance.
Feeling awkward at being laughed at, Gu Qingxu blamed herself for being so easily embarrassed. With a hint of annoyance, she turned around and prepared to return to her residence.
But the more she thought about it, the more she felt like she had lost a round. With a determined heart, she quickly turned around and jogged back to Yi Mingyu.
Seeing Yi Mingyu's bewildered expression, Gu Qingxu reached out and gently cupped his cheeks.
The next moment, her rosy lips gently kissed his cheek. Before Yi Mingyu could react, she quickly let go of him and ran into the mansion.
Yi Mingyu's eyes widened for a moment, as if her scent still lingered on his face, a scent as sweet as orchids and as fragrant as musk, which intoxicated him.
He couldn't help but slowly raise his hand and gently touch his cheek, as if he didn't want the scent to dissipate, his eyes filled with uncontrollable joy.
Gu Qingxu had just returned to the courtyard with chestnuts in her arms when she bumped into Ruan Xingzhu.
Seeing Gu Qingxu's slightly flushed cheeks and the shy demeanor of a young girl, while she was tightly hugging Chestnut, Ruan Xingzhu couldn't help but smile knowingly: "Why is Fifth Sister's face so red? Did she go to find Young Master Yi?"
Feeling embarrassed after having her thoughts exposed, Gu Qingxu thought to herself, "No matter what, I'm the older sister. How can I let my thoughts be so easily read?"
She pretended to put on a stern face and said seriously, "Well, so you dare to tease your fifth sister?"
As he spoke, he put down the chestnuts in his hand and reached out to tickle Ruan Xingzhu's waist.
While laughing uncontrollably, Ruan Xingzhu hurriedly begged for forgiveness, saying, "No, no, I won't do it again."
Gu Qingxu then stopped, but as if remembering something, she couldn't help but ask, "Now that I'm getting married, has Fourth Brother found a suitable husband for you?"
After all, Ruan Xingzhu had mentioned that she had contacted Gu Yun'an, so Gu Yun'an would likely keep an eye on this matter for her.
Ruan Xingzhu's smiling eyes froze slightly, a hint of unease flashing across them. The thought of her ambiguous relationship with Gu Yun'an made her face flush.
She hesitated, wondering whether she should take the opportunity to tell Gu Qingxu about this so that she could help her. After all, besides Gu Yun'an, Gu Qingxu was the only one she could confide in.
Seeing Gu Qingxu admiring her wedding dress with such satisfaction, immersed in the joy of her upcoming wedding, she silently kept the matter to herself.
Gu Qingxu is busy with her wedding preparations, so she shouldn't spoil her mood and cause her any trouble.
"Not yet, but I'm not really that keen on looking anymore." After a while, she finally found an excuse to brush it off.
Gu Qingxu didn't think much of it, but pulled her along to look at the betrothal gifts that Yi Mingyu had sent with great interest.
The sweltering heat quietly dissipated as summer drew to a close, replaced by a refreshing and pleasant coolness.
On their wedding day, the sun shone brightly and the sky was as blue as a jewel.
As the eldest sister, Gu Qingming left the palace for the first time dressed in gorgeous palace attire, taking on the role of officiant at Gu Qingsu's wedding.
Gu Qingxu wore a bright red wedding dress with gold thread, resembling a magnificent sunset, breathtakingly beautiful.
Her wedding dress was embroidered with exquisite golden phoenixes, as if they were about to take flight. She held a golden phoenix-tail fan to cover her face, and as the fan swayed gently, her beautiful face was faintly revealed, adding to her mysterious beauty.
Under Yi Mingyu's gentle guidance, she moved gracefully and stepped onto the bridal sedan chair.
As the youngest daughter of the Gu family, Gu Qingxu was showered with love and affection.
Above her was Consort Gu Qingming, the eldest sister, who held a high position and great power in the palace; below her was a powerful minister in the court, the fourth brother, who also held great power; not to mention the two older sisters in the middle who were also on the fringes.
The dowries were so lavish that they were astonishing. Carriages loaded with dowries lined the streets of the capital, resembling a winding, endless dragon.
After Gu Qingming finished his duties, he naturally wanted to return to the palace immediately.
The aunt carefully helped her into the carriage, and just as she was about to have the coachman set off, she saw Gu Qingming slowly lift the curtain and look intently toward the Gu residence.
His eyes held a look that seemed long-lost, along with a complex emotion that was hard to describe.
"Does Your Highness wish to see him?" the aunt asked softly as she stepped forward.
Gu Qingming watched quietly for a while, then finally turned her gaze to the clear blue sky. Her tone seemed somewhat stubborn as she finally exhaled.
"No, let's go."
The carriage slowly started moving, and as the wheels rolled, the carriage gradually disappeared in front of the mansion gate.
The Gu residence was decorated with lanterns and colorful streamers, and a festive atmosphere permeated the entire place.
However, in a corner of the courtyard, the majestic ancestral hall enshrines the ancestors of the Gu family. Cheng Shi stands quietly in the ancestral hall, slowly twirling her Buddhist prayer beads.
"Madam, the Imperial Concubine has already left," Liu Mama whispered as she entered the room.
Cheng Shi paused slightly in her hand as she strung the prayer beads, then slowly lifted her eyelids, her voice filled with melancholy: "She blames me..."
Cheng's eyes were clear. Although she had been forced by love back then, how could she not hate?
She didn't hate her for sending her to the palace at the tender age of sixteen; she just wanted her to become a concubine who had nothing left.
Now, that sixteen-year-old girl has become her protector, the most favored imperial concubine, but her daughter will never come back.
His eyes were calm, and the glow of the candlelight shone on Cheng Shi in circles.
The streets of Beijing remained bustling, with even more people crowding the roadsides than usual.
Sitting in the bridal sedan chair, Gu Qingxu listened to the festive drumming and gonging all the way, feeling both nervous and expectant.
Finally, the bridal sedan chair landed steadily, and she slowly stepped down with the help of the matchmaker.
After completing the elaborate and solemn rituals, Gu Qingxu was led to the bridal chamber to sit and wait quietly.
Just as she was sitting quietly, the door opened silently, and a small figure slipped in.
Gu Qingxu felt a little strange. At this time, Yi Mingyu was still busy entertaining guests outside and couldn't possibly be here.
Through the gap in the fan, Gu Qingxu saw a small figure come in, carrying something.
Then a clear voice rang out: "Sister-in-law!"
"Yi Mingze?" Gu Qingxu looked at his figure through the fan and asked uncertainly.
When Yi Mingze saw that Gu Qingsu recognized him, his eyes lit up and he quickly said, "It's me, sister-in-law."
Gu Qingxu was still a little unaccustomed to hearing Yi Mingze call her "sister-in-law" all the time.
She gently moved the fan aside a little, revealing a pair of bright eyes that looked over, and asked softly, "What brings you here?"
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