Gu Chaodong was refined and elegant, but who would have thought his younger brother would be so discourteous, able to silence people with his words. Shen Guiyan’s face flushed red with anger, while Gu Chaobei still maintained his leisurely rogue appearance.

Master Shen felt somewhat helpless. If it were anyone else, he would have had them thrown out already, but this happened to be the Fourth Young Master from the Prime Minister’s residence.

“Why is Fourth Young Master Gu so insistent on marrying Third Miss?” Concubine Ding asked quietly from the side. “There hasn’t been any previous connection between you, has there?”

Gu Chaobei raised his eyebrows: “I liked her the moment I saw her. Is that not allowed?”

Shen Guiyan glanced at him sideways and couldn’t help but sneer coldly. She didn’t believe for a moment that a marriage could be decided at first sight. This Fourth Young Master Gu probably had other calculations in mind, yet pretended to be a scoundrel forcing her to marry him.

If she married over, wouldn’t she become Gu Chaodong’s sister-in-law? What a joke.

“In this matter, we should wait until Young Master Gu sobers up and discuss it together with the Prime Minister,” Madam Shen said with a smile. “Young Master speaking alone doesn’t count.”

Gu Chaobei raised his eyebrows, glanced at Shen Guiyan, but didn’t press further. Instead, he released her hand and said with a grin: “Fine, tomorrow I’ll have Father come to request the marriage.”

If the Prime Minister came to request it, no matter how unwilling the Shen family was, they would have to agree to the marriage.

Fengxiao stood outside listening, his expression changing several times. He hurriedly tugged at Baoshan’s sleeve: “Good Sister Baoshan, you must persuade Third Miss. I’ll return immediately to report to Eldest Young Master. This matter absolutely cannot succeed!”

Baoshan glared at him: “Eldest Young Master has already taken Fifth Miss. Why is he still thinking about my Miss?”

“Good sister, I’m begging you!” Fengxiao wiped the sweat from his forehead. Seeing that Gu Chaobei inside was about to leave, he hurried to depart before him: “Sister, help persuade her, and next time I come I’ll bring generous gifts!”

With that, he ran out quickly, mounted his horse and returned to the Prime Minister’s residence.

Gu Chaobei turned to leave but swayed unsteadily, clearly quite drunk. After not walking two steps, he was about to collapse to the ground. Seeing this, Master Shen said helplessly: “Someone, help Young Master Gu to the guest room to rest. Send him back to the residence tomorrow.”

“Yes.” The servants complied and carried Gu Chaobei out. Shen Guiyan stepped aside, her brows still furrowed, when she heard Concubine Ding beside her laugh: “Third Miss also has good fortune—unable to marry the elder brother, but caught the younger brother’s eye. Either way, it’s the Prime Minister’s residence, so wealth and prosperity won’t escape you.”

Shen Guiyan lowered her eyes: “Concubine Ding worries too much.”

“It’s not necessarily a bad thing,” Madam Shen said with a light laugh. “If you really do marry over, you’ll become sisters-in-law with Ya’er, which is even better for supporting each other.”

Support each other? Shen Guiyan smiled slightly. The person who stole her marriage—she was supposed to support her? Right now her birth mother had just died, and she didn’t have time to think carefully about many things. But once tonight’s heavy rain passed, did they think she could still be molded and shaped at will?

Before, she endured and yielded because of Concubine Qin. Now that she was gone, what was there left to endure?

However, she said nothing. In such a setting, speaking up would gain her nothing good.

Seeing her silence, Master Shen sighed: “Enough, everyone go back and rest. We’ll discuss this tomorrow.”

“Yes.” The various households all dispersed. Shen Guiyan also stepped out of the main hall. Baoshan brought an umbrella and supported her as they walked back.

“Miss, about Young Master Gu…” Though Baoshan was also angry with Shen Guiya, Eldest Young Master Gu was relatively innocent, having shared feelings with Miss for so many years. Could it just end like this?

Shen Guiyan lowered her eyes: “Let me rest for a moment. Don’t ask about other things.”

Even someone being hanged needs to catch their breath. First her wedding dress was stolen, then her mother died, then a scoundrel insisted on marrying her—anyone would be overwhelmed.

Baoshan fell silent and helped her return to wash and change clothes. Seeing her Miss so worried and distressed, it really wasn’t good to disturb her, so she closed the door and went downstairs.

Concubine Qin’s death wasn’t so simple. Lying on her bed with closed eyes, Shen Guiyan thought—no one would be foolish enough to consume large amounts of arsenic without knowing it. Xiujuan, the maid who personally attended her, claimed to know nothing, only that in the morning when Qin Shi went to Madam’s courtyard to pay respects, she ate breakfast, then came to her chamber to see her off as a bride and became like this.

That’s what was said, but there wasn’t a shred of evidence. Who would dare accuse the mistress of the household? As long as she remained in the Shen residence for a day, she would be controlled by Madam Shen for a day—food, drink, expenses, marriage prospects—everything was in her grasp.

Unless she married out.

But Gu Chaodong had already married Shen Guiya. Who would she marry? Marry over to be his concubine? Wouldn’t she then be living under Shen Guiya’s control again?

Gripping the bedsheet tightly, Shen Guiyan opened her eyes and gasped twice. Heaven never seals off all exits—she must have other options.

“I’ve been thinking for a long time about why you would refuse me.”

A man’s voice suddenly rang out in the middle of the room.

Shen Guiyan jumped in fright, nearly screaming out loud. She clutched the quilt and sat up, looking toward the outside of the bed curtains.

A lamp was lit on the table. Sitting beside it was a man in brocade sash and jade crown, murmuring to himself while facing the mirror on the table: “I thought it was because your taste was too unique, but when I went back and looked in the mirror, I discovered the problem was with myself.”

The person turned his head. With features like a painting, Shen Guiyan was momentarily stunned, instantly recalling an ancient text she had read a few days ago:

“A carefree and beautiful youth of the clan, raising his cup with upturned eyes gazing at the blue sky, bright as a jade tree standing before the wind.”

An extremely handsome man, yet his face carried an improper smile as he looked at her: “The rain and mud soiled my appearance, startling Miss. Now take a look—don’t you think marrying me isn’t so difficult after all?”

Shen Guiyan came to her senses and suddenly realized: “Fourth Young Master Gu?”

“I am Gu Chaobei,” he said. “Miss should remember well.”

Shen Guiyan’s hand had already touched the dagger she kept by her pillow year-round. She smiled at this person: “Young Master Gu visits late at night. What business brings you here?”

Actually, there was no need to ask much—in the dead of night, running into a woman’s chamber, if not a thief then only a flower thief.

Gu Chaobei stood up and walked to the bedside, stroking his chin: “After going back and looking in the mirror I felt unwilling, so I washed up and came to find you again. Third Miss Shen, compared to my eldest brother, am I really that much worse?”

Shen Guiyan very much wanted to nod, but clearly this wasn’t the time to provoke the other party, so she smiled: “Fourth Young Master Gu’s romantic reputation fills the capital. I hear even Princess Duanwen has quite favorable feelings toward you. How could you be much worse than Eldest Young Master Gu?”

“Is that so? Then why did you refuse me?” Gu Chaobei smiled without warmth.

Shen Guiyan retreated backward: “This young woman’s heart belongs to Eldest Young Master Gu. It’s difficult to change in a short time, so naturally I would refuse you.”

“Your heart belongs to Eldest Brother?” Gu Chaobei raised his eyebrows, then sneered: “You women just love hearing sweet talk, only looking at men’s appearances. What’s so good about that kind of man? Affectionate and doting to your face, but who knows how loving he is with other women behind your back, always pretending to be deeply devoted.”

Shen Guiyan nodded along perfunctorily, thinking—aren’t you the same?

“I’m different,” Gu Chaobei said seriously. “I’m a libertine but I don’t hide it. I’ve never deceived anyone. If they say I have over a dozen lovers outside, then it’s absolutely not one more or one less. If I’m shameless, at least I’m openly shameless.”

Shen Guiyan’s mouth twitched. Being openly shameless was something to be proud of?

“Young Master shouldn’t have come at midnight,” she said. “This isn’t what an upright gentleman should do.”

“Oh?” Gu Chaobei raised his eyebrows, glancing back at the window intentionally or unintentionally: “Are you sure?”

“I’m sure.” Shen Guiyan gripped the dagger tightly. Seeing him cross the bed’s edge, she forced a smile and reminded him: “One more step forward, and you’ll meet with a bloody disaster.”

Bloody disaster? From her? These sheltered young ladies probably had never even seen blood, right? Gu Chaobei sneered and fearlessly took another step forward.

The result was that Shen Guiyan swiftly pulled out the dagger and stabbed it hard into his shoulder.

A sheltered young lady who had never done such a thing naturally didn’t know restraint. Shen Guiyan only thought to preserve her reputation, so she struck heavily—stabbing the shoulder wouldn’t be fatal anyway.

Gu Chaobei hadn’t expected her to be serious. For a moment he didn’t react, and by the time he did, his shoulder was already in severe pain, with blood flowing freely.

“You…”

She actually could bring herself to do it!

Shen Guiyan withdrew the dagger and pulled the quilt back, looking at him with a serious expression: “Please leave quickly, Young Master. Otherwise if people are called, it won’t be good for you or me.”

Gu Chaobei covered his shoulder and sucked in two breaths of cold air, laughing helplessly: “You think that anyone who comes at midnight must be a bad person?”

“What else?” Shen Guiyan glared at him.

Gu Chaobei waved his hand, smiling as he pointed toward her window. Shen Guiyan was bewildered. After the room was quiet for a moment, someone actually knocked on the window.