Chapter 96 Why Did You Come Back?
A cool breeze, like a silent visitor, gently and soothingly brushed against Gu Yun'an's face.
A faint glimmer of relief seemed to flash in the depths of his dark eyes.
Before this sense of relief could spread, a sudden sound, like an arrow piercing the silent night sky, abruptly came along with hurried footsteps.
"Who said he's like you?"
Along with this question, a pale blue figure, still covered in a little mist, hurriedly floated over.
Ruan Xingzhu suddenly appeared, looked directly at Cheng Shi, and said again, word by word, with a firm and resounding tone: "He is not like you."
Her appearance surprised Gu Yun'an. Wasn't she eager to leave?
Cheng stared wide-eyed at Ruan Xingzhu, who had returned, in disbelief.
To get Ruan Xingzhu away from Gu Yun'an, she spared no expense, giving her enough valuables to ensure her a life of wealth and comfort, all to deliver the final blow to Gu Yun'an.
But the reality was that she had actually returned, without hesitation, to Gu Yun'an, whom she saw as a madman.
"Why did you come back?" Cheng asked, somewhat conflicted.
She had investigated what Ruan Xingzhu had done to escape Gu Yun'an, which is why she lured her into the trap and sent her away.
Ruan Xingzhu coldly swept her gaze over Cheng Shi, then quickly walked to Gu Yun'an's side and took his slightly cold hand without hesitation.
His tone was firm, “Because he needs me.”
Gu Yun'an's pupils contracted slightly, a complex emotion flashing in his eyes. But when that warm little hand took his hand, Gu Yun'an felt a warm current flow up his arm and straight to his heart, and his eyes widened in surprise.
He subconsciously wanted to say something, but as his thin lips moved slightly, he swallowed those words.
Cheng smiled, but then her expression turned cold, her eyes gradually becoming shrouded in a deathly stillness as she watched the two figures walk away hand in hand.
In a daze, Cheng seemed to see Gu Qingming from many years ago.
At that time, Gu Qingming was holding hands with a young man.
In the blink of an eye, Gu Qingming was sent to the palace and given the title of Cai Ren (a low-ranking concubine). From then on, there was one more imprisoned soul in the deep palace.
At this moment, the drizzle outside was as fine as cow's hair, falling softly and steadily.
Gu Yun'an slowly released Ruan Xingzhu's warm hand, and Ruan Xingzhu stared at him in a daze.
Whether it was the rain that had quietly soaked his eyes or the turmoil of his emotions, a few drops of water mist rose in his eyes, making him look more vulnerable and bewildered.
He tried hard to suppress the turmoil in his heart, but his tone was still somewhat cold, yet he could not hide the slight tremor in his voice.
"Why did you come back?" He asked, his voice tinged with stubbornness as he stared straight at her.
The large hand that had been enveloping her suddenly disappeared. Ruan Xingzhu tilted her head slightly, looking intently at him, a deep affection surging like a tide in her eyes.
She took a step closer to him without hesitation, but Gu Yun'an silently took a step back.
Seeing him back away, Ruan Xingzhu was momentarily stunned, but then firmly replied, "Because you need me."
As she exhaled that soft breath, Gu Yun'an felt a mix of emotions upon hearing the words "need her."
He didn't know whether her "need" stemmed from his fear of losing face in front of the Cheng family, or from his own deep-seated, unseen feelings for her.
To him, Ruan Xingzhu was someone he picked up in the dead of winter to keep him company.
That winter night was so cold that no one was close to him, and some even despised him, so he took her, who was all alone, into his mansion.
Rather than saying she relied on him, it would be more accurate to say that he was the place of refuge for her vague and ethereal thoughts.
From the very first meeting, he told her without reservation who he was.
But instead of being afraid, she grabbed his clothes and threatened him.
He brought her back, and he could always be completely open with her because he knew she only had him.
But she never expected that she would have different thoughts, thoughts that she couldn't accept.
The light drizzle continued to drift lazily in the air. Gu Yun'an felt a chill run down his spine, and slowly turned around. His voice was as if covered by ice and snow, conveying endless coldness.
"You shouldn't have come back."
Since she couldn't accept her own feelings, she shouldn't have come back. Since she had already made up her mind to leave, she shouldn't have looked back.
His tall figure, now displaying a resolute determination that Ruan Xingzhu had never seen before, turned away resolutely.
Ruan Xingzhu stood there blankly, watching his receding figure, a sharp pain piercing her heart.
Suddenly, she called out, "Gu Yun'an."
This shout went straight into Gu Yun'an's ears.
The man froze. This was the first time she had called out his name so naturally and loudly without his deliberate seduction.
Before he could even turn around, a soft, beautiful figure was already clinging tightly to his shoulder and back.
Ruan Xingzhu's warm little hands, like two gentle vines, gently encircled his waist.
Because of her thin clothing, he could even clearly feel her warm breath, which gently brushed against his slightly chilly shoulders and back like feathers. It was ticklish, yet it seemed to carry an invisible force that quietly melted his heart, which he had wanted to freeze.
Ruan Xingzhu hugged him tightly, her fluffy head resting on his shoulder, her voice soft yet incredibly firm.
"Gu Yun'an, I need you too."
You will not be alone.
Gu Yun'an's frozen body tensed instantly, as if he had been frozen in place. The complex emotions that had been surging like an undercurrent in his eyes were now completely replaced by a ray of light like the morning sun.
His Adam's apple bobbed involuntarily, and for a moment, he was too stunned to move by her words.
The drizzle continued its tireless drift, gently falling on the two of them, forming a thin mist around them. From a distance, it seemed as if the two had turned white-haired in the misty rain.
A ray of sunlight pierced through the thick layers of clouds. Amidst the gentle drizzle, the sunlight shone with iridescent colors.
When Gu Qingxu learned of this, Cheng Shi had already gone to the estate, which did not surprise her.
The Gu family mansion is the spoils of Cheng's life's work, the culmination of her life's efforts.
Now that she has lost this struggle, how could Cheng Shi, with her proud nature, be willing to lower herself to those she once looked down upon?
In the dim candlelight, Cheng sat quietly in the darkness, slowly turning the prayer beads in her hand one by one, making a soft and monotonous sound.
A soft footstep entered the room. Madam Cheng kept her eyes closed, thinking that Granny Liu had returned. "Granny Liu?"
“Mother, it’s me.” Gu Qingxu’s calm voice rang out in the room.
Cheng opened her tightly closed brows slightly and saw Gu Qingxu standing quietly behind her.
Among her children, Gu Qingxu was an exception. Unlike her other sisters, she was not married off to a higher social class and became a sacrifice for the family's interests, nor was she used to achieve any purpose. Instead, she was a girl who was pampered and spoiled by her mother as she grew up.
At this moment, Cheng has shed her usual elaborate makeup and gorgeous clothes, and looks quite like a kind mother.
Gu Qingxu pursed her lips and then said, "Mother, may I go to the Yi residence with you?"
She didn't ask her if she wanted to go, she just asked her to come along.
Upon hearing this, Cheng's fingertips paused abruptly, but she quickly recovered and closed her eyes again.
When Gu Qingxu left the manor, the sun was shining brightly outside, and the sunlight poured down without reservation, but she did not feel warm in her heart because of it.
Cheng rejected her offer without giving any reason, and simply sat quietly in the darkness, as if isolated from the bright world outside.
In the vast estate, it was so quiet that even the sound of a falling leaf could be heard clearly, as if all life had fallen silent along with Cheng's heart.
She knew that the Cheng family was waiting for Gu Qingming...
Cheng had wronged Gu Qingming, her second and third sisters, and Gu Yun'an, but she had never wronged her.
After Gu Qingxu went down the mountain, he would only visit her occasionally.
The flowers in the courtyard wither and bloom again, bloom and wither again, over and over again.
Spring has come again, and on the day of the wedding, the sun shone exceptionally brightly, and the long-standing clouds in the sky were finally cleared.
Ruan Xingzhu got up very early that day. Before dawn, she began to dress and do her makeup with the help of her maids.
The intricate procedures proceeded in an orderly manner. Looking at her powdered face in the bronze mirror, Ruan Xingzhu felt a little dazed. The last time she saw this scene was when Gu Qingsu got married.
She was extremely envious at the time. A few rays of sunlight fell on the pearl on her forehead, which immediately sparkled and reflected the smile on Ruan Xingzhu's face.
Finally, Ruan Xingzhu covered her head with the bright red and gold veil.
A large hand appeared before her eyes, and Ruan Xingzhu gently placed her hand on it.
Walking along the pebble path covered with flower petals, petals blown by the wind fell down Gu Yun'an's shoulders and then landed on her shoulders.
Ruan Xingzhu's small hands were tightly wrapped in Gu Yun'an's arms. She lowered her eyes and could only see the red shoes of the two walking side by side.
Neither of them had any elders; they simply paid their respects at the ancestral hall of the Gu family.
The Gu residence was unusually noisy that day, with red silk hanging in every corner.
Looking at the festive scene throughout the Gu residence, Gu Qingxu couldn't help but feel a little dazed.
The little girl he once doted on like a younger sister is now wearing a wedding dress and marrying Gu Yun'an.
After the ceremony, Ruan Xingzhu was led to Huaiju's room. She was familiar with the room, but the change of identity made her feel a little nervous.
As night fell, the bustling Gu residence gradually quieted down.
Inside the new house, red candles flickered, casting shadows that danced on the walls.
Gu Yun'an slowly walked to Ruan Xingzhu's side and gently lifted her veil.
When the veil was lifted, Ruan Xingzhu felt a little unreal. Gu Yun'an's words, "If I said I would marry you," finally became a reality at this moment.
—The End—
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