Chapter 402 Solo Pass
After hearing what the maid said, Gu Shuyan and the old lady exchanged a glance before waving their hands to signal the maid to leave.
"You were right, that bastard hasn't changed at all over the years."
A hint of disappointment flashed across the old lady's face. She had thought that this time, Second Master Gu would have learned some lessons, but she hadn't expected him to still be the same.
"Yan girl, come help me up."
As she spoke, the old lady extended her hand to Gu Shuyan. She had hesitated when Gu Shuyan had told her about that matter yesterday.
But only now did the old lady finally make up her mind. Seeing the resolute look in the old lady's eyes, Gu Shuyan quickly helped her steady herself.
"Grandmother, why don't we let Father handle this?"
Gu Shuyan was worried about the old lady's health and couldn't help but offer a word of advice.
Upon hearing this, the old lady patted her hand and said, "Don't worry, Grandmother can handle it."
After the grandmother and granddaughter finished speaking, they pushed open the door and came out. The old lady was wearing a thick cloak because she was ill, but even so, she still looked rather thin from a distance.
As soon as the old lady came out, Second Master Gu kowtowed first, "Mother, what happened yesterday was all my fault. Now that my cousin has lost her chastity to me, I should naturally give her a proper status."
"That's why I said I'd hire her as a concubine in your household."
Before Master Gu could finish speaking, the old lady interrupted him with a cold face.
“Mother, my cousin is the legitimate daughter of an official family, and she is related to you. How can you bear to let her be reduced to a concubine?”
Judging from the fact that the old lady personally chose a husband for He Yin, it was clear that she valued He Yin. But why was it that when it came to him, she could only be a concubine?
"You've already agreed to marry me as your wife, or run away as my concubine. I've already forgiven all past grievances and am willing to offer you a betrothal gift to the He family. What more could you possibly want?"
The old lady's dark eyes fell on Second Master Gu. This son was someone she had raised single-handedly, but why had he been raised to be like this?
“Mother, I have already said that what happened that day was my fault, and I forced my cousin into it. How can you describe her like that? I have come here today to ask you to retract your decision and allow me to marry my cousin.”
As Master Gu spoke, he kowtowed to the old lady again. He Yin, who was watching from the side, quickly kowtowed as well, saying, "Aunt, I know that I have let you down before, but I really love my second cousin. Please grant me your blessing."
Even after the two kowtowed, the old lady showed no sign of relenting.
Looking at the old lady's expression, He Yin never expected that the old lady was so heartless, and immediately a tear rolled down her cheek.
"He Yin knows that her aunt is still angry with her, but her aunt is also a woman. Now that He Yin is already her second cousin's woman, she naturally can't marry someone else. And her second cousin is unmarried. Is her aunt really unwilling to let us be together?"
He Yin stared at the old lady with teary eyes, hoping she would soften her stance a little, but the old lady's expression remained unchanged from beginning to end.
“Mother, if you don’t agree, your son will have no choice but to kneel and die in front of your door.”
When Second Master Gu saw He Yin crying, he immediately spoke up and threatened the old lady in a threatening tone.
Hearing Gu Er Ye's words, Gu Shuyan, if she weren't preoccupied with more important matters, would have loved to slap him across the face. Could there be anything more despicable than a son threatening suicide in front of his mother?
Gu Shuyan looked at the old lady with concern. The old lady patted her hand imperceptibly and said to Gu Erye and his wife, "If I still don't agree, are you going to take her and run away again?"
The old lady's face showed little emotion, but Gu Shuyan, holding her hand, could clearly feel the old lady's excitement.
"Mother, your son is already this old, what's wrong with getting married? Aren't you afraid that after you pass away, you won't have the face to face your father on the road to the underworld?"
Second Master Gu naturally wouldn't run away again. He'd had enough of life outside, and now that he was living such a comfortable life in the Marquis's mansion, why would he want to leave? So, instead of answering the old lady's question, he directly brought up the old Marquis.
"Good, very good. He is indeed a good son I raised. He can talk to me so well now. It's really good."
The old lady was truly furious; she shouldn't have held any hope for this son at all.
Seeing that Second Master Gu was determined to go down a dark path, the old lady closed her eyes slightly, and when she opened them again, her eyes had returned to calm.
"In that case, in order to have the face to see your father, you may marry whomever you wish! However, after your marriage, you should move out and live on your own."
"No, I won't live alone."
Just as Master Gu was feeling pleased, he heard the old lady's words and immediately retorted without thinking.
They jokingly suggested he move out and live separately, but how could he possibly do that? Right now, his expenses alone are equivalent to those of his entire family. If he were to separate and live independently, he would quickly run out of money once the income stopped coming in.
He Yin naturally didn't want to separate from the Marquis's mansion and live separately. What she valued was the Marquis's mansion, not Second Master Gu himself. If they really had to live separately, she might as well agree to become Second Master Gu's concubine! At least that way, she would still be considered half a mistress of the Marquis's mansion.
"Nothing is acceptable, and you still expect me to cater to everything you want. Is this all you've learned over the years?"
The old lady glared at Second Master Gu, making him feel guilty for a moment, but only for a moment.
"The Marquis's mansion is not very large to begin with. There are only two brothers in our generation, my elder brother and I. If I move out, wouldn't this huge mansion seem deserted?"
Before speaking, Second Master Gu didn't even consider that he hadn't lived in the Marquis's mansion before, yet now he suddenly remembered how desolate the huge mansion was.
"I said we should separate the family, not that you should move out of the Marquis's mansion. Since you insist on getting married, then we should live separately. The eldest daughter-in-law of the eldest branch will manage her own affairs, and you two from the second branch will also manage your own affairs after you separate. As for your monthly living expenses, they will still come from the family coffers."
Before Master Gu could even process what the old lady had said, He Yin was already overjoyed.
Not moving out of the Marquis's mansion meant she would still be a member of the mansion, and she would be able to manage all the affairs of the household—a very tempting offer.
Seeing that Master Gu was still in a daze, He Yin quickly reached out and tugged at his sleeve. Only then did Master Gu belatedly realize what was happening and kowtowed to the old lady, saying, "Thank you, Mother. I will follow your arrangements."
Gu Shuyan took in their actions and expressions, and a cruel smile unconsciously crept onto her lips.
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