Chapter 9: Coming in the middle of the night, either a thief or a flower picker

Gu Chaodong is gentle and refined, but his younger brother turned out to be so rude, his words could suffocate people. Shen Guiyan's face turned red with anger, while Gu Chaobei remained calm and composed, with a rogue-like appearance.

Shen's father felt helpless. If it were someone else, he would have kicked them out long ago, but it happened to be the fourth son of the Prime Minister's residence.

"Why is the fourth son of the Gu family so determined to marry the third miss?" Aunt Ding asked in a low voice, "There wasn't any previous connection, was there?"

Gu Chaobei raised his eyebrows, "I liked her at first sight, is that not allowed?"

Shen Guiyan glanced at him and couldn't help but sneer. She didn't believe that a marriage could be decided at first sight. It seemed that the fourth son of the Gu family had other intentions, but pretended to be a rascal wanting to forcefully marry her.

If she married into the Gu family, wouldn't she become Gu Chaodong's sister-in-law? This was no joke.

"Let's wait for Gu Gongzi to sober up and discuss this with the Prime Minister," Lady Shen smiled, "One person's words alone cannot be considered final."

Gu Chaobei raised his eyebrows, glanced at Shen Guiyan, and instead of insisting further, he released her hand and said with a smile, "Alright, tomorrow I will have my father come to propose."

If the Prime Minister came to propose, even if the Shen family was unwilling, she would have to marry.

Fengxiao, who was listening outside, changed his expression several times, and quickly pulled Bao Shan's sleeve, "Bao Shan, please persuade the third miss. I will immediately report to the young master. This matter must not be allowed to happen!"

Bao Shan glared at him, "Hasn't the young master already asked for the fifth miss? Why is he still thinking about my miss?"

"Younger sister, I'm begging you!" Fengxiao wiped the sweat from his forehead and looked at Gu Chaobei, who was about to leave. He hurriedly caught up before him, "If you help persuade her, there will be a generous reward next time!"

After speaking, he quickly ran out, mounted his horse, and returned to the Prime Minister's residence.

Gu Chaobei turned to leave, but he was swaying, obviously quite drunk. In the end, after taking a few steps, he almost fell to the ground. Seeing this, Shen's father helplessly said, "Someone, take Gu Gongzi to the guest room to rest first, and send him back to his residence tomorrow."

"Yes," the servant agreed and went forward to support Gu Chaobei out. Shen Guiyan stood aside, still frowning, and heard Aunt Ding beside her laugh, "The third miss is really lucky. She couldn't marry the elder brother, but the younger brother has taken a liking to her. Either way, it's the Prime Minister's residence, wealth and status are inevitable."

Shen Guiyan lowered her eyes, "Aunt Ding, you're overthinking."

"It's not a bad thing," Lady Shen chuckled, "If she really has to marry into the Gu family, she would become sisters-in-law with Ya'er, and they could support each other."

Support each other? Shen Guiyan smiled faintly. The person who snatched her marriage, now wanted her to support him? She had just lost her birth mother, and many things had not been carefully considered. After tonight's heavy rain passed, did they think she was still the same easy-going person?

In the past, it was because of Aunt Qin that she endured and yielded. Now that Aunt Qin was gone, why should she continue to endure?

But she didn't say anything. In this situation, speaking up wouldn't lead to anything good.

Seeing her silence, Shen's father sighed, "Let's all go back and rest first, and discuss this again tomorrow."

"Yes," the people from the various households dispersed, and Shen Guiyan also stepped out of the main hall. Bao Shan came with an umbrella to assist her back.

"Miss, about Gu Gongzi..." Although Bao Shan was also annoyed with Shen Guiya, the eldest young master Gu was still innocent. After so many years of affection between him and the miss, could it really end like this?

Shen Guiyan lowered her eyes and said, "Let me rest for a moment, don't ask about anything else."

Even when one is about to hang themselves, they need to catch their breath. She had been robbed of her wedding attire, lost her mother, and now a rascal was trying to forcefully marry her. Anyone would find it unbearable.

Bao Shan stopped talking and helped her back to freshen up. Seeing her mistress's troubled expression, she didn't want to disturb her and closed the door before leaving.

Aunt Qin's death was not so simple. Shen Guiyan lay on the bed, closed her eyes, and thought. No one would be foolish enough to ingest a large amount of arsenic without realizing it. The personal maid, Xiujuan, claimed to know nothing. Aunt Qin had eaten breakfast in the morning and was fine, but when she came to Shen Guiyan's chamber to send her off, she had become like this.

That's what she said, but there was no evidence. Who dared to accuse the mistress of the house? She had been under the control of Lady Shen since the day she arrived at the Shen residence, in terms of food, drink, and expenses. Unless she got married.

But Gu Chaodong had already married Shen Guiya. Who could she marry? Marry and become a concubine to him? Then she would be living under Shen Guiya's control again.

She gripped the bedsheet tightly, took a deep breath, and gasped twice. There must be another way.

"I've thought for a long time, why did you refuse me."

Suddenly, a man's voice sounded in the room.

Shen Guiyan was startled, almost screaming, and clutched the blanket as she sat up to look at the curtain.

There was a lamp on the table, and a man in a crown and brocade was sitting at the table, muttering to himself in front of the mirror, "I thought it was because of your unique taste, but when I looked in the mirror, I realized it was my own problem."

The man turned his head, his features were picturesque, and Shen Guiyan was slightly surprised, recalling a passage from a scroll she had read a few days ago:

A handsome young man, raising his cup and looking up at the sky, as bright as a jade tree in the wind.

He looked at her and said with a smile, "I got soaked in the rain, which must have startled you. Now, do you think it's not so difficult to marry me?"

Shen Guiyan came to her senses and suddenly realized, "The Fourth Young Master Gu from the Gu family?"

"I am Gu Chaobei," he said. "Remember it well, Miss."

Shen Guiyan's hand had already reached the dagger that was always placed by the pillow. She smiled at the man and asked, "What brings the Fourth Young Master Gu to visit so late at night?"

Actually, there was no need to ask. Sneaking into a woman's chamber in the middle of the night, apart from a thief, could only be a womanizer.

Gu Chaobei stood up and walked to the bedside, stroking his chin. "I looked in the mirror and felt unsatisfied, so I freshened up and came to see you again. Miss Shen, am I far inferior to my elder brother?"

Shen Guiyan wanted to nod, but it was obviously not the right time to provoke him, so she smiled and said, "The Fourth Young Master Gu is well-known for his charm in the capital. I heard that even Princess Duanwen has a fondness for you. How could you be far inferior to the eldest Young Master Gu?"

"I see. Then why did you refuse me?" Gu Chaobei smirked.

Shen Guiyan stepped back and said, "My heart belongs to the eldest Young Master Gu, and it is difficult to change at the moment, so naturally I had to refuse you."

"Belongs to my brother?" Gu Chaobei raised an eyebrow and then sneered, "You women just like to hear sweet words and only judge a man by his appearance. What's so good about a man like him? He may be affectionate and doting to your face, but who knows how he behaves with other women behind your back, always pretending to be affectionate."

Shen Guiyan nodded and thought to herself, "Aren't you the same?"

"I'm different," Gu Chaobei said seriously. "I may be a womanizer, but I don't hide it. I've never lied to anyone. If I say I have a dozen lovers, then I have exactly that many. If I'm shameless, at least I'm shameless in the open."

Shen Guiyan's mouth twitched. Shamelessly proud of being shameless in the open?

"You shouldn't have come here at midnight," she said. "That's not something a gentleman should do."

"Oh?" Gu Chaobei raised an eyebrow and glanced at the window. "Are you sure?"

"I'm sure," Shen Guiyan said, tightening her grip on the dagger. She saw him step over the edge of the bed and reluctantly reminded him, "If you come any closer, there will be bloodshed."

Bloodshed? Just her? These chambermaid ladies probably haven't even seen blood. Gu Chaobei sneered and, unafraid of death, continued to advance.

As a result, Shen Guiyan quickly pulled out the dagger and fiercely stabbed it into his shoulder.

Women in the inner chambers had never done such a thing, so naturally, they didn't know the limits. Shen Guiyan only wanted to protect her reputation, so she was a bit heavy-handed. Stabbing the shoulder was not fatal.

Gu Chaobei was surprised that she actually did it. He didn't react in time, and by the time he did, his shoulder was in excruciating pain, accompanied by flowing blood.

"You..."

You actually went through with it!

Shen Guiyan withdrew the dagger and pulled the blanket over herself, looking at him sternly. "Please leave quickly, Young Master, otherwise it won't be good for either of us if someone comes."

Gu Chaobei covered his shoulder and took a deep breath, then smiled helplessly. "Do you think that someone who comes in the middle of the night must be a bad person?"

"Then who else?" Shen Guiyan glared at him.

Gu Chaobei waved his hand, pointed to the window on her side, and Shen Guiyan looked puzzled. After a moment of silence in the room, someone actually knocked on the window.