Chapter 67 Still in the mood for drinking?
"Get out! All of you, get out!"
Gu Qingsu suddenly waved her hand, and the carefully prepared wedding jewelry set on the table fell to the ground like shooting stars, making a crisp yet piercing sound.
The hairpins tumbled and bounced on the ground, eventually scattering everywhere, their dazzling luster seemingly dimming at that moment.
The maidservant serving nearby rarely saw Gu Qingsu so angry, and was so frightened that she didn't dare to breathe or take a step forward.
When Ruan Xingzhu arrived and saw this scene, she was also a little frightened. Gu Qingxu was in a bad mood at the moment, so it was best not to disturb her.
The atmosphere, which had been joyous and festive in preparation for the wedding, instantly turned into a gloomy, overcast sky the moment the wedding was called off. It felt as if an invisible boulder was pressing down on everyone's hearts, making it hard to breathe and creating a suffocating atmosphere.
Gu Qingxu seemed to want to vent all her anger and resentment, so she smashed everything related to the wedding on the ground. The crashing sound was like her broken heart crying.
After venting her anger, she secluded herself in the room, refusing to let anyone near her.
After being cooped up for a few days, Gu Qingxu suddenly went out as if she had become a different person.
She wore a seemingly relaxed smile and, as usual, went out with Ruan Xingzhu.
Looking at her, Ruan Xingzhu couldn't help but feel a surge of joy, thinking that she had finally emerged from the shadow of the annulment of the engagement and was all better now.
Upon arriving at the tavern, Gu Qingsu ordered a considerable amount of wine without saying a word. She picked up her wine glass, tilted her head back, and drank it all in one gulp, her bold manner carrying a hint of resolute determination.
One glass after another, the wine flowed down her throat. Ruan Xingzhu watched from the side, her heart filled with turmoil.
She couldn't help but offer some advice, "Fifth Sister, drinking is bad for your health. If Madam finds out, you will be punished."
However, Gu Qingxu seemed to be lost in her own world at this moment, ignoring Ruan Xingzhu's advice.
She ordered more drinks, her eyes revealing a hint of dazedness and stubbornness. Ruan Xingzhu watched helplessly; since she couldn't dissuade her, she could only go and ask Gu Yun'an for help.
In any case, we must not let the Cheng family know about this beforehand, otherwise, I'm afraid it will cause a lot of trouble.
Gu Qingsu usually drinks fruit wine with low alcohol content, which has a sweet taste, like a gentle breeze in spring, lightly brushing against the taste buds.
But this time, she picked up a bottle of liquor with a certain alcohol content. As soon as the liquor went down her throat, a burning sensation spread from her throat to her whole body, as if a fire was burning inside her.
Despite the intense burning sensation in my mouth, the intense heat was ultimately no match for the bittersweet ache that welled up in my heart.
Gu Qingxu was filled with self-mockery. She had always prided herself on being carefree and not being troubled by emotions. She had always been able to take things in stride and let them go. But now, for the sake of a man, she had ended up in such a miserable state, losing her soul and spirit. It was utterly ridiculous.
Just as she was feeling that drinking from a glass was not enough to vent her anger and was about to grab the bottle and drink it all in one gulp, she suddenly heard a sound.
"Miss Gu, are you drinking alone?"
"Young Master Yuan?" Gu Qingxu, with his eyes half-closed and slightly drunk, looked toward the source of the voice, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes.
She remembered that Yuan Heran had rarely come to visit her since she got engaged, so why was he here today?
Yuan Heran seemed oblivious to Gu Qingxu's unusual behavior, and sat down opposite her with a seemingly casual question on his face.
"I haven't had a drink in a while, Miss Gu, would you mind if I had a drink with you?"
In the past, Gu Qingxu would have readily agreed and warmly welcomed the man, chatting and drinking with him.
But now, a gloom seemed to hang over her heart, and she lost interest in everything, only responding faintly, "Of course I don't mind."
As he spoke, Yuan Heran picked up the wine pot and poured himself a cup of wine, his movements practiced and natural. "Miss Gu, I'll drink this first."
After he finished speaking, he tilted his head back and drank it all in one gulp. The liquor flowed down his throat, accompanied by a soft swallowing sound.
Seeing Yuan Heran's appearance, Gu Qingxu suddenly realized something.
For some reason, she always felt that Yuan Heran seemed to be hiding something, and the sadness in his eyes was even more intense than her own.
Yuan Heran poured all the wine that Gu Qingsu had ordered into his stomach, one glass after another.
Looking at Gu Qingxu, he couldn't help but sigh. He realized that he had underestimated Gu Qingxu's deep affection for Yi Mingyu, and Yi Mingyu, who had begged him to come, had also underestimated the depth of Gu Qingxu's feelings for him.
Like Gu Qingxu, Yuan Heran downed another cup of wine, but his thoughts slowly drifted away.
He was supposed to be inspecting the shops today, and everything was proceeding smoothly as usual. But when he was halfway there, Yi Mingyu hurriedly stopped him.
Yi Mingyu looked flustered, his usual composure completely gone.
At that time, Yuan Heran thought that Yi Mingyu had come to him to show off his engagement to Gu Qingsu.
After all, Yi Mingyu's engagement to Gu Qingsu was a joyous occasion, and it was only natural for him to share in the happiness.
But when Yi Mingyu said that he had gone to the Gu family to break off the engagement, Yuan Heran was stunned, as if he had been struck by a bolt from the blue.
His eyes widened in disbelief, and he instinctively asked, "Why?"
However, before he could find out the reason, Yi Mingyu hurriedly said, "Miss Gu is drinking alone in the tavern. Please ask Young Master Yuan to go and check on her."
Yuan Heran and Gu Qingxu usually get along quite well. Perhaps in Yi Mingyu's mind, he felt that Yuan Heran could help Gu Qingxu forget this pain and rediscover her former happiness.
"What do you mean?"
Yuan Heran was somewhat puzzled, and a question arose in his mind: Did Yi Mingyu intend to give Gu Qingsu to him? What exactly was going on?
Under his repeated questioning, Yuan Heran finally learned that the Yi family had been framed and implicated in a corruption case. Now, the entire Yi family was in a state of panic, like ants on a hot plate. The verdict would be delivered in a few days, at which point the Yi family would face either exile or confiscation of their property.
"So please keep this a secret for me, Young Master Yuan, and don't let Miss Gu find out about this." Yi Mingyu's voice trembled slightly, and his eyes were full of pleading.
After all, given Gu Qingxu's personality, if she knew about this, she would probably not only refuse to break off the engagement, but would also fight to the bitter end.
Looking at Yi Mingyu's haggard and helpless appearance, Yuan Heran couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt. In the end, he agreed to Yi Mingyu's request and then hurriedly came to the tavern.
Seeing the pain and sorrow welling up in Gu Qingxu's heart, Yuan Heran felt a faint urge to tell her the truth, but reason told him he couldn't do so.
Given Gu Qingxu's character, if she knew about the Yi family's predicament, she would most likely not break off the engagement, but would want to help the Yi family at all costs. In that case, she might also be implicated.
"Drink up, why aren't you drinking anymore?" Seeing Yuan Heran suddenly stop what he was doing and stop drinking, Gu Qingxu narrowed his eyes, revealing a hint of displeasure under the influence of drunkenness.
A bitter smile spread across Yuan Heran's lips. He didn't speak, but silently poured himself another glass of wine, tilted his head back, and drank it all in one gulp, as if trying to numb the turmoil in his heart with the spicy liquor.
"Okay, drink it."
Whether it was because she had drunk too much and become numb, or for some other reason, the alcohol didn't seem so fiery anymore. Gu Qingxu had originally thought that she would become more and more confused as she drank, and thus become intoxicated in this world of alcohol, forgetting all her troubles.
Unexpectedly, the more she drank, the more sober she became, and her thoughts became clearer and clearer, as if they had been sorted out.
As the wine jug gradually stopped flowing, Gu Qingxu frowned in displeasure. Then, she raised her voice and called out, her voice echoing through the tavern: "Bring me wine!"
Hearing the shout, the waiter quickly ran to the shopkeeper's ear and whispered, "Still the non-alcoholic fruit wine?"
The shopkeeper glanced at Yuan Heran, who nodded slightly. The shopkeeper understood and instructed the waiter to fetch the wine.
After several rounds of drinks, Gu Qingxu was finally unable to drink anymore. However, her mind was remarkably clear, and even when she stood up, her steps were steady and she didn't sway or fall.
Whether it was her imagination or not, she actually saw Feng Rongrong's figure.
Seeing Gu Qingxu reeking of alcohol, Feng Rongrong couldn't help but feel sorry for Yi Mingyu, and sneered, "Miss Gu still has the mood to drink?"
Upon hearing this, Gu Qingxu couldn't help but scoff, feeling puzzled. "Are we even being told what to drink these days?"
A bitter smile crept across his lips as he spoke with a hint of sarcasm: "You're here to laugh at me?"
Watching the joke? She didn't have time for that. The Yi family was currently embroiled in a crisis, and she was extremely anxious. From the moment she learned that Yi Mingyu had come to break off the engagement, she knew that Yi Mingyu intended to avoid implicating Gu Qingsu.
But now, the only one who can help Yi Mingyu is Gu Qingxu.
"I don't have time for that. I just feel sorry for Young Master Yi." Feng Rongrong raised her voice deliberately, looking like she was sorry for Yi Mingyu. "He treated you so sincerely, but you were drinking and having fun here when the Yi family was in trouble."
Feng Rongrong spoke through gritted teeth, all to provoke Gu Qingsu's emotions.
Feng Rongrong's words, like a sharp blade in the wind, clearly reached Gu Qingxu's ears. Although she had drunk a lot, her mind was remarkably clear, but for the moment, she didn't quite understand the meaning behind Feng Rongrong's words.
"What did you say?" She frowned, a hint of doubt in her eyes.
Upon hearing this, Yuan Heran's pupils constricted sharply, and he inwardly cried out in alarm, regretting that he had switched Gu Qingsu's wine earlier.
Before Feng Rongrong could speak, he hurriedly said, trying to confuse Gu Qingsu, "Miss Feng seems to be a little out of her mind, what nonsense are you spouting?"
As he spoke, he looked at Gu Qingxu cautiously, his heart filled with worry, fearing that she might have actually taken Feng Rongrong's words to heart.
However, Gu Qingxu, who was still clueless, suddenly became very clear-headed, as if she had suddenly grasped some key clue, and said decisively: "She is not talking nonsense."
“Miss Gu…” Yuan Heran did not expect that just from Feng Rongrong’s words, Gu Qingsu could be so certain that there must be a hidden story.
The image of Yi Mingyu resolutely announcing the engagement that day seemed to be right before her eyes. Through her thoughts, Gu Qingxu seemed to see the helplessness and pain he was trying so hard to hide.
Her gaze suddenly shifted to Yuan Heran, staring directly at him with scrutiny and certainty in her eyes. "Do you know something?"
Her tone wasn't questioning, but affirmative, as if she was already convinced that Yuan Heran knew everything.
Why did Yuan Heran suddenly appear? Why did she subconsciously deny Feng Rongrong's words and say that she was talking nonsense?
All of this is too abnormal.
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