Leaning against the pillar, Gu Chaobei took a swig of wine and couldn’t help but laugh softly. His eldest brother, who had always been praised as an upright man, unexpectedly showed his despicable side when it came to women’s matters.

Second Brother’s Mengdie was already pregnant, and Concubine Liu’s household was currently riding high. Eldest Brother directly marrying this Fifth Miss Shen was undoubtedly because of the child in her belly—securing a bargaining chip to protect his position, then turning around to coax Third Miss Shen afterward.

He was rather curious—what if that Third Miss Shen wasn’t so easily deceived and didn’t forgive him? What would Gu Chaodong do then?

“These next few days, help me appease the Shen family’s side. Don’t let anyone wrong Yan’er,” Gu Chaodong instructed Fengxiao again. Hearing Fengxiao’s acknowledgment, he turned and walked toward the bridal chamber.

Fengxiao was clever and competent. Though the sky had darkened, he immediately prepared to saddle a horse and leave the residence. The Shen family was in the official quarters in the north of the city—just a few tea times’ journey on horseback from here.

After Fengxiao left, Gu Chaobei emerged from behind the pillar. After thinking for a moment, he casually tossed the wine flask into the flower bushes and followed Fengxiao out the door. One horse departed first; he spurred his horse and followed.

Shen Guiyan had arranged a mourning hall for Concubine Qin. Because she was only a concubine, even in death she couldn’t have a spirit altar set up in the main hall, nor could her body be displayed for worship. The corpse had already been sent to the mortuary early on. They could only hang white cloth in her courtyard and place a spirit tablet.

The rain continued falling. She didn’t know what kind of celebration was happening at the Gu residence. Shen Guiyan knelt properly upright, throwing paper money bit by bit into the fire. Her face was clean without tears, but her eyes were unbearably red.

“Wuu…” Baoshan stood under the eaves outside the door, covering her mouth as she sobbed, her skirt hem soaked by rainwater, not daring to go inside.

Fengxiao arrived hurriedly all the way in a straw raincoat. Entering the courtyard and seeing Baoshan in this state, he urgently asked, “What’s wrong with Miss? Where is Third Miss?”

Because Shen Guiyan and Gu Chaodong couldn’t meet often due to propriety, Fengxiao and Baoshan had become rather familiar with each other. Baoshan pulled him farther away and said quietly, “I want to cry badly, but Miss said not to cry—it would disturb the concubine’s soul. But I can’t help it, so I don’t dare go in… Miss is still inside.”

Fengxiao sighed softly, his eyes rolling as he looked at Baoshan: “All right, stop crying. Come with me to a place without people to talk. Having your Miss see me here will only make her sad again.”

Baoshan nodded and was pulled away by Fengxiao.

The maids and servants in the courtyard had been sent to guard the mortuary for the night. Tomorrow Concubine Qin would be placed in a coffin and buried. With Baoshan gone, only Shen Guiyan remained in the courtyard.

The drunk and disheveled Gu Chaobei boldly walked right into the courtyard. The mud on his body from climbing over the wall was washed into a mess by the rain, making him look quite wretched, but he didn’t mind at all. He slipped into the mourning hall and hid in a corner.

Well, he wasn’t trying to do anything bad—he’d just heard people praise this Third Miss Shen for many years and wanted to see what she looked like.

Shen Guiyan paid no attention to the movement around her. After burning the paper money and kowtowing, she quietly knelt on the prayer cushion in a daze.

Wind blew in from the doorway, nearly extinguishing the incense candles on the altar. Shen Guiyan came to her senses and stood up to close the door.

As a result, she turned around and bumped into Gu Chaobei, who was trying to sneak behind her to peek.

“Ah!”

This cry didn’t come from Shen Guiyan—it came from Gu Chaobei. Not only did he cry out, he also retreated three steps in fear and shouted toward the door: “Catch the thief!”

Shen Guiyan was somewhat stunned, staring blankly at him.

She was also too grief-stricken to react to anything. Under normal circumstances, if a disheveled man suddenly appeared behind her, Shen Guiyan would definitely scream even louder than Gu Chaobei.

After shouting, Gu Chaobei realized this didn’t seem to be the Prime Minister’s residence—it was the Shen residence. As a thief, he seemed to have shouted the wrong thing.

Laughing foolishly twice, Gu Chaobei felt he must have drunk too much today. He bowed to Shen Guiyan: “This humble one was merely passing by and has greatly offended. Please don’t take offense, Miss.”

After speaking and raising his head, he froze in place.

“Is there a thief in that courtyard?” Voices of household servants were already faintly coming from outside, and they were clearly heading this way. Gu Chaobei should run, but looking at the face before him, he inexplicably couldn’t look away.

As one of the capital’s four young libertines, Gu Chaobei could identify women by scent. He had once blindfolded recited the names of all the women at the capital’s Drunken Flower Shade without a single mistake. He had seen women who could fill at least a street, but had never seen one who amazed him like this.

Such a comfortable face to look at—pink lips and willow-leaf eyebrows, almond eyes and blushing cheeks, her gaze rarely clear as stream water, though regrettably somewhat vacant. Between her brows was a faint red mark, adding a touch of allure, but overall she still looked very dignified.

Looking again, there wasn’t anything too striking—she was just a little bit prettier than ordinary women. Why had a flash of light just blinded him? Gu Chaobei rubbed his eyes. Was it a drunken hallucination?

Household guards were already standing at the door. Shen Guiyan looked at the person before her without much reaction, only saying to the guards behind her: “Bind him and hand him over to the steward for handling.”

His shoulders were gripped, and Gu Chaobei finally came to his senses, frowning: “You’re treating me like a common thief?”

Hand him over to the steward for handling?

Shen Guiyan looked him up and down, then turned back to kneel on the prayer cushion: “Even if you were a notorious bandit, please don’t disturb my mother’s peace.”

Truly, the greatest sorrow is a dead heart. Such a handsome young master standing before her, yet she had no reaction—she must be overwhelmed with grief.

Gu Chaobei looked at her with great sympathy, then shook off the guards behind him and with a thud knelt beside Shen Guiyan.

“Aunt, is it? This humble one is Gu Chaobei. I wish to marry Third Miss Shen as my wife. Please bear witness.” Gu Chaobei half-opened his eyes with a drunken appearance, and without any ambiguity kowtowed three resounding times toward Concubine Qin’s spirit tablet above.

Shen Guiyan’s body stiffened, and the guards behind her were also somewhat dumbfounded.

Gu Chaobei? Wasn’t that the famously notorious Fourth Young Master Gu from the rumors?

Hearing the commotion, Baoshan and Fengxiao rushed back hurriedly, only to see a slovenly figure already pulling Shen Guiyan outside.

“Fourth Young Master?” Seeing the person’s appearance, Fengxiao’s face changed and his hands tightened: “Why are you here?”

Several guards were hesitating whether to go forward and pull them apart. Hearing Fengxiao’s shout, no one dared act rashly. Gu Chaobei stumbled along ignoring everyone, and Shen Guiyan was pulled by him all the way toward the main courtyard.

It was still raining. Their bodies were soaked in no time. Shen Guiyan frowned at this person: “Are you drunk?”

“Not drunk!” Gu Chaobei said with a grin: “Want to see me walk a straight line?”

Shen Guiyan: “…”

In the dead of night, the Shen family members who had been tired all day were all resting, but because of this ancestor’s arrival they were all awakened. Master Shen came out wearing his outer robe to see what was happening.

“I want to marry your Third Miss.” Gu Chaobei stood in the main courtyard, pulling Shen Guiyan’s hand toward Master Shen: “Give me your third daughter in marriage!”

Master Shen’s face went pale. Who didn’t know that this Fourth Young Master Gu was unmarriageable? Never mind that his rear courtyard was full of concubines—he had no accomplishments in his career either, just a wastrel who only knew eating, drinking, and merrymaking. Marrying Yan’er to him—could she have any good days?

Madam Shen, however, watched as if it were entertainment. Qin Shi was already dead, Guiya had also married out—her worries were all resolved. If Shen Guiyan married a wastrel, that could also give her some amusement.

“Young Master Gu, this…” Master Shen didn’t know what to say and hurriedly looked toward Shen Guiyan.

Shen Guiyan had been struggling all along. What did pulling and tugging in public look like? However, this person’s hand was scorching and powerful—she couldn’t break free at all.

“I won’t marry,” she said. “My birth mother just passed. I should observe mourning.”

Gu Chaobei smiled shamelessly, full of roguish energy: “How long can you mourn your birth mother? I’ll wait for you. Anyway, I’ve taken a fancy to you. Whether you want to marry happily or unhappily, you’re marrying either way.”

Shen Guiyan glared at him fiercely and couldn’t help but stomp hard on his foot. She had a belly full of grievances with nowhere to vent—why could any random person bully her?

Gu Chaobei’s face turned livid from the stomping. Gritting his teeth, he looked at her: “If you break my foot, your husband will be a cripple!”