Chapter 26: The Narrow Escape

  That Ye asked, along with several other young masters, was still in a state of revelry and debauchery, so no one paid attention to him. Gu Zhaobei walked to the backyard, where the moon was bright and the stars were sparse, and the wind blew over, making people feel more sober.

  "Didn't she say anything else?" Gu Zhaobei asked, leaning against the pillar.

  The person behind Yun said with a lowered head: "No need to say more, Bao Shan is already angry enough."

  "It's really calm." Gu Zhaobei sighed: "Perhaps the fortune teller was right, she just didn't take me to heart."

  Chui Yun was slightly surprised. This was the first time she saw her master take these things to heart. Now, his tone actually sounded somewhat sour?

  It can't be helped.

  He couldn't help but look up and saw that Gu Zhaobei's face was smiling again: "It's also good, it saves some trouble. Let someone go back and watch her, try to stop her from going to the East Wing. After these seven days are over, we'll be back."

  "Yes." Chui Yun nodded in agreement.

  Glancing up at the moon in the sky, Gu Zhaobei pursed his lips, and suddenly felt a pang of longing for that person. It was indeed strange, having been married for only two days, with so many beauties by his side, he would think of her first.

  Shaking his head, taking a deep breath of the outside air, Gu Si Gongzi still turned around and plunged into that bustling place.

  It was late at night and the door of the east wing was still open. Gu Zhaodong had gone to the palace with Gu Chengxiang today and had not returned yet, so Shen Guiya waited in her room.

  "A person will be unconscious for a while, miss, don't worry." Yuzhen patted Shen Guiya's shoulder and said: "The slave has already arranged for someone to guard the door. When the young master returns, we'll catch them in the act."

  Shen Guiya hummed a laugh, fiddling with the new lip color she had applied. The intelligence of these ancient people was no match for hers. With just a simple trick, Shen Guiyan would be left with no way to turn things around.

  After getting rid of this thorn in the eye, the next step is to grasp Gu Zhaodong firmly and then find a few spare tires to live a happy life.

  She touched her belly and smiled: "Wait for now, don't rush."

  Yu Shu should have continued to massage her shoulders diligently.

  Under the cover of night, someone hastily made their way to the East Wing. Outside the Chancellor's residence, Chancellor Gu and Gu Zhaodong had just returned home and were getting out of their carriage.

  "Today you can gain the queen's appreciation, and the matter of the imperial examination will naturally become more smooth." Minister Gu said in a low voice: "All my hopes as your father are on you now."

  Gu Zhaodong lowered his head: "The son understands."

  "You, since you've married Ya'er, don't think about returning to Yan anymore." Gu Chengxiang said with a stern face: "It's not your good fortune, now you should focus on maintaining social norms and ethics."

  Gu Zhaodong furrowed his brow, his father had always held him in high esteem and had even arranged for him to marry Yan'er earlier. However, since Yan'er married his fourth brother, his father often reminded him not to overstep his bounds.

  If Ke Kou can win the championship, he can be his father's right-hand man. After achieving success and fame, why can't he do what he wants to do? Gu Zhaobei is a hopeless case, can't let Yan Er waste her whole life on him?

  Gu Zhaodong felt he couldn't do it, he deeply loved Yaner and had to bring her happiness.

  "It's getting late, let's go back and rest." Duke Gu waved his hand.

  Gu Zhaodong bowed and turned around, heading towards the East Wing.

  Walking through the corridor and entering the east wing, Gu Zhaodong took a glance at the main house. Shen Guiya was pregnant and couldn't share a room with him, so he still had to go rest in his own room.

  "He's back." Yu Shu stood at the door of the main house, looking out and reporting to Shen Guiya behind her in a low voice: "Young Master has already entered the house!"

  Shen Guiya got up and walked to the door, also peeking through the crack. Gu Chao Dong had indeed gone into that house, and the door was closed. After waiting for a while, there was no movement at all.

  She tiptoed out, Shen Guiya made a silencing gesture to Yu Chai and went over to listen at the corner of the wall.

  Not a single sound was made, Shen Guiya raised an eyebrow, this Gu Zhaodong's composure is really not bad, seeing Shen Guiyan suddenly appear on his bed, didn't he react at all?

  "Crash!" A sudden sound of a flower pot shattering came from the wall in the backyard, scaring Shen Guiya who hastily retreated several steps. Yu Chai returned to the main house with her skirt lifted, softly scolding: "What's wrong with that one? Who was clumsy and knocked over the flower pot?"

  The maids and servants in the courtyard were all guarding at the gate, listening to the sound before coming over, all with a bewildered face: "No one is in the backyard?"

  "Is it a human or a ghost?" Yu Shu scolded: "Don't you go and take a look quickly?"

  "Yes." Just as everyone was about to leave, Shen Guiya turned to Yu Shu and waved her hand, pointing at the door of Gu Zhaodong's house.

  Silly, how much is a flower pot worth? The things on this side are naturally more important!

  Jade Comb hastily summoned the house slaves and said: "It's possible that our East Wing has been burglarized, quickly go take a look around."

  "Yes."

  Shen Guiya took a deep breath in front of the door and pushed it open with a sudden force.

  "What's going on? Has a thief gotten in?" Gu Zhaodong was sitting on the edge of the bed, his hands somewhat flustered as he put away a poem slip.

  Shen Guiya furrowed her brow as she walked in, her eyes piercingly fixed on the bed: "You——"

  The quilt on the bed is flat and tidy, no one.

  The latter half of the sentence got stuck in her throat, Shen Guiya stared at Gu Zhaodong with a dumbfounded expression.

  "What's wrong with me?" Gu Zhaodong frowned: "It's already this late, what else do you want to say to me?"

  Glancing around, there was no place to hide a person. Shen Guiyan's body had been drugged, so it was impossible for her to leave on her own. Where did that person go? She had clearly seen the person being carried in!

  "You should get some rest." Shen Guiya swallowed hard and forced a smile: "I'll head back to my room too."

  "Hmm." Gu Zhaodong gave her a strange look and also took the opportunity to scan his own room again.

  Nothing's wrong. Shen Guiya is acting strange again in the middle of the night, maybe she's having another episode.

  Nan-in

  A dark haze loomed before her eyes, and Shen Guiyan knew she was having a nightmare. However, no matter how hard she struggled, she couldn't wake up. Her forehead was covered in cold sweat, and her eyebrows remained furrowed. If she continued to sleep like this, everything might be over by the time she woke up.

  The embroidered green bamboo lotus bag hadn't been given to Gu Zhaobei yet, she had only been married for two days and didn't expect to end up in a situation like being thrown into a pig cage. She wondered if that scoundrel Gu Zhaobei would be heartbroken when he returned. She also wanted to be a good wife, but it seemed there was no chance now.

  "Use silver needles..." someone whispered.

  "What was your sister's purpose in saving her?" The man's voice was unusually puzzled: "Your child is gone, doesn't she also have suspicions?"

  "You don't understand now, but you will later."

  A sharp pain in his head, the acupoints on his hands were also aching sharply. The darkness before his eyes slowly opened up, and his consciousness gradually returned. Shen Guiyan opened his eyes, and the first thing he saw was a man's face.

  "Ah!" The nightmare hadn't cleared yet, and she suddenly sat up, bumping the man in front of her away. Shen Guiyan took big breaths, tensely looking around.

  "Fourth Young Mistress." Xu Mengdie's voice was gentle: "You're awake."

  Dazed, Shen Guiyan turned her head upwards, covering her eyes with her hand and rubbing her forehead: "What's going on..."

  "Headache?" Xu Mengdie handed over the medicine: "It'll be fine after taking the medicine."

  "Does her head hurt?" Xuzhuang Zhou covered his own face, indignantly saying: "I risked my life to rescue you from the East Wing, and the first thing you do when you wake up is hit people."

  Shen Guiyan was taken aback, took over the medicine bowl and turned her head to look at Xu Zhuangzhou: "Dongyuan?"

  She remembered that she wasn't under Shen Guiya's spell and had fainted in the East Wing, so how did she end up at Xu Mengdie's place again?

  "Fourth Young Master's wife, please forgive him. My younger brother is still young and doesn't understand things, he speaks impulsively." Xu Mengdie smiled at her: "However, tonight we also have to thank him, otherwise Mengdie would still be in the small courtyard, and wouldn't have been able to rescue you out."

  Shen Guiyan fell silent for a moment, didn't drink the medicine, and asked in a low voice: "Can you tell me what's going on?"

  Xu Mengdie pursed her lips: "Today, I heard that the young master's wife is hosting a banquet and inviting the fourth young master's wife. I felt something was off, so I had someone keep an eye on things. The fourth young master's wife indeed got drunk, and the young master's wife wants to put you in the young master's room. If this gets out, the fourth young master's wife will be ruined, even if she jumps into the Yellow River to wash herself clean."

  "It just so happens that my younger brother Zhuang Zhou is a martial artist in the mansion, so I asked for his help to rescue the Fourth Young Mistress."

  Shen Guiya wants to harm her, Shen Guiyan can understand after some thought. What's surprising is that Xu Mengdie actually knew in advance and even saved her at the critical moment.

  Why go to such great lengths to save her?

  "Thank you." With a gentle nod, Shen Guiyan didn't ask any questions. If there was something she wanted, Xu Mengdie would speak up first.

  "Meng Die once said that she would definitely come to rescue the lady if she knew the lady was in trouble. Xun Meng Die coughed lightly and bowed her head, saying: "The young master's wife has a heart that Meng Die has experienced before, and I don't want the fourth young master's wife to suffer from her schemes again. Now that it's getting late, since the fourth young master's wife is already awake, I'll have someone send you back."

  Shen Guiyan glanced at her, and Xu Mengdie's eyes were filled with sincerity. Without asking what she wanted or needed, he really let Shuang'er take her back.

  "I'll come thank you tomorrow when the sky brightens up." Shen Guiyan nodded slightly towards her, and without lingering any further, followed Shuang'er and left.

  Xu Mengdie dragged her body to watch her leave, then lay back on the bed.

  "Sister, is she the third Miss Shen of the Shen family?" Xuzhuang Zhou asked, rubbing his sore face.

  Xu Mengdie nodded: "Yes, it's her, Shen Guiyan, who is destined for great wealth and nobility."

  "Everyone outside says she's a born beauty, but isn't she being toyed with by her own sister?" Xu Zhuangzhou said disapprovingly: "A predetermined good fate doesn't necessarily mean it's that great."

  "You'd better read more books." Xu Mengdie shook her head and said, "Accumulating thickly and bursting forth thinly, astonishing people with one cry, you probably don't understand."

  Xu Zhuang Zhou rubbed his head, this brain of his was better off being a warrior, reading books was a life-threatening thing.

  The Gu manor was vast, and Shen Guiyan was still walking on the road without returning to the courtyard. The servants in the north wing had already rushed out to deliver the message to Gu Zhaobei.

  "Fourth Young Master's wife went to the East Wing and it's already midnight but she hasn't returned yet!"