Gu Chang was Gu Xi’s elder brother.

The reason the Li family had schemed in every possible way to have Li Duan marry Gu Xi was because of Gu Chang.

He was naturally intelligent and became famous in his youth. His mother died early, and he took very good care of his only younger sister. In her previous life, the Li family had thus also received his protection and gained many benefits.

Yu Tang had once seen him from afar.

It was at the first birthday celebration banquet for Gu Xi’s eldest son.

Gu Chang seemed to have been in Huai’an on business and had quietly come to Lin’an to visit Gu Xi.

He was tall in stature with a handsome face and a reserved smile. He looked amiable and kind, but his eyes that held no smile concealed coldness and distance—he wasn’t the easy to approach or even easy to get along with person he appeared to be.

It was said that was his first time coming to Lin’an.

She hadn’t expected that in this life, Gu Chang would set foot in Lin’an City at this time.

However, why was he coming to visit Pei Yan?

In her previous life, he had come quietly and left quietly, staying at the Li family for only two hours. Apart from exchanging pleasantries with the Li family people for a few sentences, he had held Gu Xi’s eldest son the whole time while chatting with Gu Xi.

Yu Tang glanced at Pei Yan.

Pei Yan was an extremely perceptive person.

He instructed A’Ming, “Let me see the invitation.”

A’Ming quickly handed the calling card in his hand to Pei Yan.

Pei Yan looked at the calling card while saying, “Speak up, what do you want to say?”

Yu Tang blinked her eyes. After a while, she realized Pei Yan was talking to her.

She glanced at her father and eldest cousin.

Yu Wen was looking at her eagerly, while Yu Yuan winked at her.

Yu Tang’s mind was in chaos, not knowing for the moment what to say to Pei Yan.

Pei Yan didn’t rush her either. He closed the calling card and handed it to A’Ming, saying, “Go tell A’Man to prepare.”

A’Ming acknowledged and left.

Pei Yan’s gaze fell on Yu Tang.

Yu Tang smiled awkwardly, feeling rather uncomfortable as she said softly, “You, you know Young Master Gu?”

“Young Master Gu?” Pei Yan’s eyes showed confusion.

Yu Tang didn’t understand.

Pei Yan said, “Gu Zhaoyang is the legitimate eldest son of the second branch, ranking sixth in seniority. But he’s seven or eight years younger than even the youngest son of the main branch. He had literary fame from a young age, and the eldest master of the Gu family jokingly called him the ‘Young Master’ of the Gu family. But outside, others must respectfully address him as ‘Master Gu the Sixth.'” Reaching the end, he made an “oh” sound and said, “Gu Chang’s courtesy name is Zhaoyang. You should have heard of this, right?”

She hadn’t heard of it.

Which meant the title “Young Master” was unique to the Gu family.

Yu Tang was embarrassed, not knowing what to say.

Pei Yan snorted coldly with displeasure.

Yu Yuan suddenly stood up with an air of facing death unflinchingly. Yu Tang could tell at a glance this wasn’t good.

Her eldest cousin was sometimes too straightforward, which made him vulnerable in certain situations.

She quickly tugged at her eldest cousin’s sleeve and said before Yu Yuan could speak, “Third Master, this matter is my fault. I, I was angry that the Li family acted too viciously, so I told the Gu family what the Li family had done…”

Pei Yan was dumbstruck.

He couldn’t help but carefully examine Yu Tang again.

A pair of large almond eyes wide and round, black and white so distinct he could almost see his own reflection, looking as sincere as could be.

Yet behind the scenes, she went and tattled!

Having done such a thing, shouldn’t she feel guilty or panicked?

Instead, she was completely open and generous about it, as if afraid others wouldn’t know.

Then why apologize earlier?

Pei Yan couldn’t help but snort coldly again and said, “Do you really think you were wrong?”

Yu Tang fell silent.

She didn’t think she had done anything wrong.

The apology was just a habit formed from her previous life at the Li family. Whether right or wrong, apologize first to let the other party calm down, then depending on the situation, see whether to let the matter rest or argue on principle with the other party.

No one spoke, and the surroundings suddenly became quiet. The atmosphere grew increasingly heavy.

Yu Wen looked at Pei Yan, then at Yu Tang. Just as he was about to speak up to help his daughter, he heard Yu Yuan say roughly, “If their family can do it, are they afraid of others talking about it? Besides, we didn’t exaggerate or spread rumors—we just told the truth, that’s all.”

Pei Yan looked toward Yu Yuan.

Honestly, he had seen plenty of young men like Yu Yuan who only knew how to follow behind their fathers and elder brothers. In their several meetings, he hadn’t taken Yu Yuan seriously. He hadn’t expected Yu Yuan would speak up before Yu Wen, which showed that Yu Yuan as an elder brother still protected his younger sister Miss Yu quite well.

At least he dared to boldly talk back to him.

No wonder Miss Yu had such courage—it was completely spoiled into her by the family.

He asked Yu Tang again, “You don’t think what you did was wrong?”

Yu Tang finally figured it out—Pei Yan was deliberately finding fault with her.

Whether she was right or wrong, she had already apologized. Why was he still harping on it?

Yu Tang said, “I think what my elder brother said is right. If their family dares to do it, they shouldn’t fear others talking about it. I didn’t do anything wrong!”

Pei Yan said, “Then why did you apologize?”

Yu Tang really wanted to roll her eyes, but afraid her father would think her mother hadn’t taught her well, she didn’t dare.

“Wasn’t I afraid you’d be angry?” Fortunately, her mind turned quickly and she immediately thought of a reason. “You’ve helped me so much, yet instead of doing anything proper, I ran off to make trouble for the Li family…”

This was how she usually coaxed her father and mother. She didn’t notice anything improper about it. As for Pei Yan, people usually had to be extremely alert when speaking with him. Even words of dissuasion were said very tactfully and pleasantly. He also didn’t think there was anything wrong with these words.

Therefore, he nodded with great satisfaction, feeling that Miss Yu still had some conscience and knew gratitude. He didn’t hold it against her and lectured, “Since you think you weren’t wrong, don’t apologize to people casually. You’re not someone’s servant or maid—why keep apologies on your lips!”

It was actually a tone of being angry at her for not living up to expectations.

Yu Tang was stunned, but couldn’t help grumbling inwardly. Easy for him to say—thinking you’re not wrong so not apologizing, but that also depends on who you’re dealing with. For him, naturally it was possible. But applied to her, it wouldn’t work. In her previous life, she had suffered plenty because of this.

But this thought flashed by, and she felt so bitter she couldn’t speak for quite a while.

So it turned out, in her previous life, she had been this wronged.

It had even changed her personality.

Made her become humble and timid, made her become submissive and hesitant.

Yu Tang’s eyes immediately moistened.

She lowered her head, not wanting others to see her weakness.

Yu Wen, however, clapped in approval and said to Yu Tang, “Daughter, the Third Master is right. You should be upright and straightforward, saying whatever you need to say.” After finishing, he said to Pei Yan with some emotion, “My daughter is good in everything, just a bit timid. It’s rare that she has affinity with you. In the future, if anything happens, please look after her a bit.”

Pei Yan had no objection to this point, but he also didn’t make any promises.

He speculated about Gu Chang’s purpose in coming, “When I was in the capital, I met him several times. We don’t usually interact, and he’s not the type who likes to wander about casually. Moreover, this time he left the capital on imperial orders. His superior isn’t even from the same school of learning, and now is exactly when he should be working hard. Suddenly coming to Lin’an City… thinking it over, only the Li family has some connection with him. Besides telling the Gu family what the Li family did, did you do anything else?”

Yu Tang shook her head like a rattle drum.

Pei Yan didn’t quite believe her.

This Miss Yu had plenty of clever schemes. She wouldn’t admit to anything unless caught red-handed. No—even if caught red-handed, she would probably still find a way to deny it.

Pei Yan said, “He couldn’t possibly be coming to ask me about Li Duan’s character, could he?”

As soon as he finished speaking, the three members of the Yu family looked at each other, immediately falling silent as chickens.

There really was this possibility!

Pei Yan laughed in exasperation. Staring at Yu Tang unblinkingly, he made a sound of acknowledgment and said faintly, “Miss Yu, you’re so concerned about the Li family. When they have any disturbances, you must hear some wind of it, right?”

Although Yu Tang felt a fiancé like Li Duan was better off discarded, she couldn’t resist that everyone believed in “better to demolish ten temples than break up one marriage”!

If Gu Chang was really coming to ask Pei Yan about Li Duan’s character, she couldn’t very well hide things and let Pei Yan suffer, could she?

Yu Tang cautiously glanced at Pei Yan and said in a low voice, “When my elder brother got married, I heard those scholars’ wives saying the Gu family wanted to break off the engagement. Madam Li personally went to the Gu family to plead. Later I had someone go inquire about news—the Li family closed their doors to visitors, and some people said Madam Li fell ill and went to Hangzhou City to see a doctor!”

Pei Yan was so angry his chest heaved up and down. It took quite a while before he calmed himself down.

When Yu Wen heard this, he realized this was serious.

He chuckled lowly a few times and smoothed things over, “Didn’t we just not think of it? Over such a small matter, how could the Gu family just break off the engagement like that?”

Pei Yan finally understood why Miss Yu dared to be so presumptuous.

Looking at Yu Yuan again, half his body was blocking in front of Yu Tang, as if afraid she would suffer some loss.

Pei Yan laughed in extreme anger and said, “If Gu Chang wants to investigate this matter, what do you plan to do?”

He shouldn’t, right?

After all, she had let the Gu family discover Li Duan’s true face early!

But it was hard to say for sure.

Some families could give up anything for the sake of face.

Yu Tang said hesitantly, “Didn’t you say Young Master Gu cares most about his younger sister?”

Was she using his words to attack him?

A vein throbbed on Pei Yan’s forehead, “Miss Gu’s father is still alive, you know?”

So what?

Yu Tang said, “If he doesn’t even have this much capability, what right does he have to say he’ll protect Miss Gu?”

In her previous life, Gu Chang had already demonstrated his capabilities.

But Pei Yan didn’t know Yu Tang had experiences from a previous life. He only felt Miss Yu’s ability to cause trouble was first-rate, while her ability to clean up the mess was zero.

He looked at Yu Tang’s face, which appeared somewhat willful and ignorant with her lips slightly pouting. His head felt as big as a bushel. He felt that even if he lectured her now with “if you don’t have the ability to deal with the aftermath, don’t cause trouble,” she probably wouldn’t listen, and her father and brother wouldn’t be alert either. So what would be the point of him lecturing her?

Pei Yan wearily waved his hand and said, “Let’s wait until I meet Gu Zhaoyang tomorrow.”

Yu Wen was naturally very embarrassed. Seeing this, he immediately stood up and said, “Then we’ll go back first. We’ll visit you again tomorrow.”

Pei Yan very much wanted to tell them not to come, but he really couldn’t predict what Gu Chang was coming for. Perhaps he really would need to ask Yu Tang. With great difficulty, he suppressed the irritation in his heart and said weakly, “Let’s talk about it tomorrow.”

Hearing this, Yu Wen pulled his daughter and nephew and fled in a flash.

After exiting the Pei manor’s main gate, he couldn’t help but wipe his sweat, “Look at what you two did—I could barely answer the Third Master just now!”