The next day, Shen Qingqiu sobered up.
After pinching his painful forehead, he immediately felt ashamed to face people after thinking about what happened yesterday. At this time, Gu Yanran pushed the door open with a basin of water, "Qingqiu, wash your face first."
Shen Qingqiu glanced at her, then lowered his head to wash his face.
"What happened yesterday..."
Gu Yanran smiled: "Everyone has bad moods. What happened yesterday is done. Besides, Princess Changping is arrogant, so it's okay for you to slap her in the face."
Shen Qingqiu certainly didn't think there was anything wrong with slapping Princess Changping's face. She just remembered that she forced Gu Yanran to do those things when she was drunk yesterday, and she was afraid that she would feel uncomfortable. But now that she saw that her expression was normal, she felt relieved.
"It's already this late, let's go back to the mansion."
Gu Yanran said, "The Ninth Princess just called the nanny and said she would go back to the Houhou Mansion after breakfast."
Shen Qingqiu nodded. It was already daybreak anyway, so it would be fine to have breakfast now.
After having breakfast at the Princess's Mansion, we were heading back. It was already getting late.
After returning home, Shen Qingqiu wanted to take a rest, but who knew that Liu called her over again.
"Mom, what's the matter with you calling me here?" Shen Qingqiu stepped into the threshold.
When Liu saw her daughter coming in, she first smelled the fishy smell of alcohol and blocked her nose. "You smell like alcohol. How much did you drink yesterday?"
Shen Qingqiu smiled but said nothing. Liu shook her head and told her to come over. "Come here."
Shen Qingqiu walked over and sat down next to Liu. Liu gently stroked her face, "Qiu'er, I'm your mother. If you have any unhappiness in your heart, you can tell me." Shen Qingqiu shook her head, "My daughter has nothing to be unhappy about."
Liu said, "I carried you in my womb for ten months before giving birth. How could I not know what you were thinking?"
Shen Qingqiu lowered her head. Liu held her hand and asked, "Is it because of the marriage with Dao Yue?"
Shen Qingqiu said: "Mother, did you figure it out?"
"I'm your mother, how could I not understand your thoughts." Liu sighed, "In fact, at that time, we just did it out of helplessness to avoid the emperor's marriage, and now that the prince has passed away, it doesn't matter whether the marriage is kept or not," Liu said, "it's just that there are more middlemen costs."
Shen Qingqiu said: "If the Marquis's Mansion cancels the engagement, mother, aren't you afraid that outsiders will say that I am making trouble and that you are spoiling me?"
Liu smiled, "Since we entered the capital, haven't we been scolded enough in these years? Mother is not afraid of anything for my daughter."
Shen Qingqiu smiled and buried his head in Liu's arms, "I don't know what I'm thinking... it's just that Dao Yue likes Yan Ran." Afraid that his mother would misunderstand Gu Yan Ran, Shen Qingqiu explained everything that happened that day in detail, and then said: "In fact, Yan Ran has changed a lot over the years, but she still doesn't like to go out and doesn't socialize much. I don't think it's a good idea to see her like this. Dao Yue is a sincere person. If he really likes her, it might be a good marriage."
In fact, Liu was also worried about Gu Yanran's marriage. After all, she was the legitimate daughter of the Marquis' Mansion, and it would not be a long time for her to stay in the Marquis' Mansion without going out.
"But Yanran's personality may not be so easily persuaded, not to mention that she still hasn't gotten over what happened back then." Liu shook her head, feeling that Shen Qingqiu's idea would not be so easy to succeed.
Shen Qingqiu just said: "Everything depends on human effort. I will go and persuade Gu Yanran."
Liu said, "Since you have this idea, just go for it. If you succeed, that would be great."
Shen Qingqiu nodded, "I'll go back to my room and take a shower first. I smell like alcohol."
Liu nodded and said, "Go ahead, go and rest first. I think you won't feel well after you sober up today."
After Shen Qingqiu left Liu's place, he returned to his room and slept for a long time. When he woke up, the sun had set and it was almost dark.
"What time is it?" Shen Qingqiu asked as he got up from the bed.
Jin Cai came in from outside, carrying a basin of water. "It's getting dark, and I was thinking that if the girl doesn't wake up, she will miss dinner."
Shen Qingqiu stood up and washed his face, "This water is really cold."
"It's late, and the kitchen servants have left," Jin Cai said, "I brought the cold water because it's been hot these days. If the girl feels cold, I'll ask someone to get some hot water."
Shen Qingqiu shook his head, "Forget it," and asked again, "What did the kitchen cook today?"
“Jiangnan cuisine.”
Shen Qingqiu frowned when she heard this. Old Madam Xu was old, so she couldn't eat a lot of spicy food. Jiangnan cuisine was soft, sticky and delicious, and the taste was naturally suitable for the elderly. If Shen Qingqiu was asked to eat it once or twice, she would be willing to do so. But her mother asked her not to eat spicy food every day to accommodate the elderly, which was too uncomfortable.
"Go ask the fourth young lady if she has eaten?" Shen Qingqiu asked.
Jin Cai shook her head honestly, "We all know that the fourth girl has a poor appetite these days. She eats lunch and doesn't eat dinner anymore."
"Is that so?" Shen Qingqiu stood up and ordered: "Go and ask the kitchen to prepare the food, and we will go to find the fourth girl to eat hot pot." As for hot pot, it is naturally more lively when there are more people eating.
Gu Yanran was sitting alone in the room, looking at the round moon above her head. Feeling extremely lonely, the door was pushed open.
"Qingqiu, why are you here?"
Then Shen Qingqiu smiled at her and walked away. A group of people behind him put the meat and vegetables into the pot. Shen Qingqiu sat on a chair and said, "Although it is comfortable to eat roasted food in winter, it has a different flavor in summer." She was afraid of heat, so she asked someone to bring a few basins of ice cubes and put them aside.
Gu Yanran understood why at a glance, "You really know how to eat with your mouth."
If we have to eat winter food in summer, won’t it be hot?
But she would never accuse Shen Qingqiu of being extravagant and wasteful. After all, more than half of the wealth of the Marquis's Mansion, which was as rich as a country, came from Shen Qingqiu's textile factory.
Two people sat down to eat hot and spicy dishes. If they were in a bad mood and had no appetite, they would naturally not be able to eat light food. But if they ate these heavy-tasting dishes, their appetite would be whetted.
After eating several mouthfuls of spicy food, Shen Qingqiu hurriedly poured himself a cup of tea. After he felt the greasiness in his mouth had eased a little, he looked at Gu Yanran and said, "I see that you seem to be in a worse mood these days than before."
Before going out to the mountain, Gu Yanran would occasionally leave her room for a walk, but since coming back from there, she has been staying in this small room every day and never comes out again.
Gu Yanran lowered her head and said, "So it is." What's good or bad about it? Isn't this how life is?
Shen Qingqiu sighed, "If I had known it would be like this, I would not have taken you there that day."
Gu Yanran smiled, "How can I blame you? Who can predict what will happen in the future?"
Shen Qingqiu lowered her head. She couldn't tell Gu Yanran that all this was Gu Yanwei's plan, but the more she did so, the more guilty she felt towards her.
"Yanran, people should always look forward. With Gu Cheng's attitude, you just married a bad guy. Do you really have to remain a virgin for him?" Shen Qingqiu thought that Gu Yanran was unwilling to accept Dao Yue because of the ancient women's three obediences and four virtues.
Gu Yanran shook her head and smiled bitterly, "Qingqiu, you also know that I was blinded by greed at that time. I married Gu Cheng just because I wanted to do it. If I still had some feelings for him, they have long disappeared after meeting him a few times. How could it be because of him?"
Shen Qingqiu asked: "Is it because of me?"
"It's not Qingqiu," Gu Yanran quickly explained, knowing Shen Qingqiu's personality, "It has nothing to do with anyone else. It's me."
Shen Qingqiu asked, "You don't like Dao Yue?"
If that's the case then there is really no other way. Matters of the heart are the last thing that can be forced. Even if Dao Yue has a thousand good points, if Gu Yanran doesn't like him then it will be of no use no matter how good he is.
But at this moment, Gu Yanran was looking at the full moon in the sky, sighing with disappointment on her face, and it really didn't seem like she didn't like it.
"Master Dao is a rare talent. It is only right for him to despise me, not for me to despise him."
Shen Qingqiu didn't understand what he was saying. "Do you think you've been married? But if Dao Yue cared, he wouldn't have said these things to you. And to be honest, the threshold of the Dao family is low. If he gets engaged to me, many people will say that he wants to get close to our mansion. If you marry him, maybe there won't be so much gossip."
After all, those high-ranking officials in the capital are gossipy. If Gu Yanran really married into a wealthy family, people would talk about her.
Gu Yanran said, "I don't care about these rumors now..." She touched her cheek and said, "It's just that Qingqiu, look at my ugly face now. I don't know why Dao Yue likes me?"
Shen Qingqiu looked at Gu Yanran's face. Actually, she couldn't really be called ugly. Her originally pretty face was now covered with many scars, making her look even more pitiful.
However, today's aesthetic standard requires women to have a flawless face, and with these scars, Gu Yanran is an ugly woman.
"Dao Yue is not someone who values appearance. Yanran, you are well-educated, knowledgeable and talented, why do you underestimate yourself so much?" Shen Qingqiu said: "Have you forgotten how you looked when you first met me? How proud you were at that time?"
Gu Yanran smiled, "I was just arrogant and ignorant at that time. If I didn't have the status of a daughter of a marquis, all my knowledge and wisdom would be empty. Outsiders only see me as my face." She smiled bitterly, "I know he may not care about my face, but I can't help but care."
"If I get married, I won't be able to live peacefully in my own courtyard like I do now." After getting married, one has to deal with all kinds of affairs in the husband's family and the interactions in officialdom.
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