Chapter 25: It's Tiring to Hate Someone

  Bao Shan stomped her foot in dissatisfaction, looking at the determined expression of her own young mistress. She had no choice but to go to the dresser and retrieve Shen Guiyan's dowry silver, then find a reliable house slave and have them deliver the silver.

  "Miss, it's not that the servant is talking too much. With Fourth Master's temperament, are you really going to follow him like this?" Bao Shan turned her head and said: "You've been married over here every day, just staying in the courtyard like this, isn't life very boring?"

  Shen Guiyan nodded: "I've thought about it long ago, we can't go on like this."

  "Miss, is there a way to win back Fourth Master?"

  "No." Shen Guiyan shook her head: "I thought I could still do something else, and the days wouldn't be wasted."

  Bao Shan's face fell: "You've married into our family, apart from winning over the heart of Fourth Master, what else can you do?"

  Shen Guiyan's eyes sparkled as she looked at the remaining items in her makeup box, saying: "There are some things I've wanted to do for a long time, but didn't have the chance before. Now that I'm in the Prime Minister's residence, with status and money, of course I want to do them. Don't ask what it is for now, just go help me run an errand to the south of the city today and deliver a letter to Master Zhou."

  Zhou Fuzi was Shen Guiyan's teacher when she was young. After she turned fourteen, Master Zhou said that there was nothing more he could teach her and left.

  Bao Shan nodded dejectedly and watched as his own young mistress happily wrote her letter, but in his heart he couldn't help feeling unhappy.

  In this courtyard, one cannot keep their husband for themselves, and who knows how many idle words will be spoken behind their back, so Miss can't help but not care.

  Chengnan is a bit far from here, and Bao Shan won't be able to come back at night. Shen Guiyan also thinks it's okay, and she goes to the north wing to find some books to read by herself.

  "Fourth Young Mistress." Jade Comb smiled and came in, looking around as soon as she entered: "Bao Shan isn't here?"

  "Did you have something to ask her?"

  "Ah, no." Jade Comb smiled and said: "I heard that Fourth Master is staying out again tonight. My mistress is afraid that Fourth Mistress will be bored, so she specially set up a dinner in the East Wing, inviting Fourth Mistress to join her."

  Dinner? Shen Guiyan raised her head and looked outside, only to find that it was already dusk.

  "Is it a bit of trouble to go to Dongyuan for dinner?" Shen Guiyan stood up and said: "It's better..."

  "Fourth Young Master's wife, please don't decline." Jade Comb stepped forward and sincerely supported her arm, saying: "Since you entered the manor, you and the master have not had a chance to sit down and have a good talk. Today, Eldest Young Master is also not around, so the master has invited you over to chat about some personal matters."

  Is Gu Zhaodong not here? Shen Guiyan put down some of her mind. Yu Shu leaned on her arm with some force, and she didn't even bother to struggle, nodding "Then let it go."

  "Ah, you're coming with me." Yuzhi smiled very warmly and led her all the way to the East Wing, chatting along the way.

  "The master is also very distressed, the young master has been thinking of marrying you all along, and hasn't given the master a good face. There are many people in this mansion, it's hard to get by, the master has already secretly cried several times."

  "After all, you are close sisters. The master has been waiting for you to come. Those old things from the past were just because of young age and ignorance, only after getting married did I realize that only blood relatives can be relied on."

  Shen Guiyan listened quietly, not being swayed by her words at all. Shen Guiya was a person who had her own scale in her heart. Compared to others' words, she believed more in her own judgment.

  But Yu Shu didn't go to interrupt her either.

  Arrived at Dongyuan, the main house had indeed set up a banquet, but only Shen Guiya was sitting alone.

  "Third sister." Seeing her come in, Shen Guiya's eyes reddened slightly as she smiled and said: "It's good that you're willing to come."

  Shen Guiyan nodded and sat down, Shen Guiya warmly leaned against her side and said: "I've prepared a lot of dishes, I was afraid you wouldn't come, and I'd have to eat alone. Sister used to love vegetarian dishes the most, right? I especially instructed the kitchen to make all the fresh vegetarian dishes."

  There were seven or eight plates on the table, although there was little meat and vegetable dishes, but this arrangement was not what it should be in ordinary times.

  As expected, she was in charge of the kitchen and had given herself a lot of convenience. Shen Guiyan smiled faintly: "Sister-in-law, just say what you want to say."

  Shen Guiya was taken aback, then dryly laughed and said: "I just wanted to talk to my sister. If my sister still resents me, I'll apologize to her. If she doesn't resent me anymore, then let's have a drink together."

  Shen Guiyan smiled lightly and looked into her eyes without saying a word.

  Her back was chilled by her gaze, Shen Guiya pursed her lips and calmed down: "I know, I snatched your wedding, you can't forgive me easily, but days have to be spent, we can't keep hating each other forever, right?"

  "I never hated you." Shen Guiyan said: "Hating people is too exhausting."

  Shen Guiya raised an eyebrow, feeling somewhat disdainful in her heart. This hypocritical woman had been bullied by Shen Guiya since childhood and even had her marriage stolen from her when she grew up. How could she say she didn't hate her? It was truly insincere.

  "If you don't hate her, then why does sister always keep a distance from her younger sister?" Shen Guiya asked with a smile.

  "I don't hate you, but that doesn't mean I like you."

  What Shen Guiya has done so far is really enough to make people dislike her. However, it can only be disliked, and Shen Guiyan feels that hating someone is too tiring, always carrying a burden. Disliking is better, just feeling disgusted when seeing this person, usually not paying attention at all.

  Why always remember the bad people to punish yourself.

  Shen Guiya hummed softly, her expression turned gloomy for a moment, then restored her smile. Who wants to discuss with her here whether they hate or not? She hates this person thoroughly, extremely annoying, the sooner he's gone the better.

  "This cup of wine will be considered as a compensation from sister to sister."

  Shen Guiya handed the wine to Shen Guiyan: "Today, it just so happens that both Eldest Brother Chao Dong and Second Brother Chao Bei are not around. Let's sisters drink together and improve our relationship."

  Shen Guiyan looked at her and shook his head: "I don't drink."

  "Just drink a little bit." Shen Guiya pouted: "If you still want to get along well in the future, then drink some."

  Half-threatening and half-coquettish, Shen Guiyan felt that this was not even a bit like the former Shen Guiya.

  Taking over the wine cup, Shen Guiyan covered her sleeve and pretended to take a sip. She didn't dare drink it for real.

  Shen Guiya still smiled happily, adding dishes to her bowl: "Come on, eat more. In the past, I was wronged by you, now that I am half of this Chen Xiang's household, I will naturally make it up to you."

  Shen Guiyan lowered her eyelids, took a few bites of food, and her eyes became somewhat blurry.

  "I'm a bit tired, I should head back first." She stood up and said somewhat dizzily.

  Shen Guiya pulled her back and said, "What a great opportunity! It would be a pity to let you go like this. Sister, sit down and chat with your sister again, aren't you fond of Chao Dong?"

  Shen Guiyan was taken aback, furrowing her brow: "A married woman follows her husband; since I got married and came over, I haven't mentioned him even once. Chao Bei is my husband."

  "Tsk, tsk, still so faithful. Shen Guiya's face was smiling but her heart wasn't: "Really didn't expect it, what were you and he whispering about in the garden? Knowing that he's going to take the imperial exam soon and has a good chance of getting first place, are you trying to find a backup plan for yourself?"

  Shen Guiyan wanted to shake her head, but her eyelids grew heavier and heavier, closing them made it impossible to open them again. All she could hear was Shen Guiya's voice beside her ear saying: "Not liking the east, are you waiting for him? Come, I'll take you to wait for him."

  The door opened and Yu Chai seemed to have entered. Shen Guiyan felt herself being carried on someone's back, heading outside.

  She was careless and didn't drink, but still fell for it. Shen Guiya also learned to be clever, what kind of trick is this?

  Her body was placed on the bed, which was the one Gu Zhaodong used when he rested alone. Shen Guiyan wanted to wake up, but her last bit of consciousness was leaving her.

  If she fell asleep like this, what would happen when Gu Zhaodong came back? Shen Guiyan didn't even want to think about it, pinching her hand hard to try and regain some clarity, but still couldn't hold on, sinking into the darkness.

  Guo Zhaonan is drinking in the Huayin Pavilion, with Hua Niang playing and singing beside him. Countless people passing by the pavilion can see Guo Si Gongzi's elegant demeanor inside.

  "Master." Chui Yun came in, holding a cloth package in his hand, and said with a strange expression: "The young mistress has sent someone over."

  Hua Ji stopped her hand and smiled: "Look, even someone as knowledgeable and polite as you can get angry. You must be here to urge Fourth Master back."

  Gu Zhāo Běi smiled and said in a loud voice: "The things at home are not precious after seeing them for a day, no matter how she urges me, I won't go back."

  Chui Yun lowered his eyelids and said: "Master, the young madam didn't come to urge, but... someone sent silver here."

  Everyone in the house was stunned, and Gu Zhaobei also paused for a moment, raising an eyebrow and saying: "Silver?"

  "It's said that they were afraid that Slave didn't bring enough silver with him, so they ordered people to send more over." Chui Yun held the cloth bag, feeling rather tearfully amused.

  Gu Zhaobei's face didn't look too good, and he let out a light hum, saying: "This wife of yours is quite something, take a look, so generous and virtuous."

  "Virtue is true virtue." The young master sitting at the other end spoke up, "But it's also clear that Miss Shen doesn't take you seriously. A wife from an ordinary family, upon hearing that her husband is frequenting brothels, which one wouldn't be furious? Even those with good upbringing would at most turn a blind eye, yet I've never seen anyone who instead comes to offer silver."

  "Yes." Gu Zhaobei's childhood friend, Ye, asked with a smile: "I heard that Miss Shen San and your older brother were deeply in love, so she must still have feelings for him and that's why she's being so lenient with you."

  Not taking it to heart, so I won't hold it against you.

  Gu Zhaobei's face turned even uglier: "I invited you guys out for drinks to have some fun, can't you just not add to my troubles?"

  "Oh no, Gu Si is angry." Ye asked with a loud laugh, raising his cup and saying: "I apologize, I shouldn't have spoken the truth. Let's drink down what was just said along with this cup of wine."

  Gu Zhoubei let out a cold hum and raised his hand slightly, whereupon the flower maiden beside him continued to play her tune.

  The brothel has always been the place where news spreads the fastest, and as soon as this was said, it was rumored that Gu Si Gongzi and Shen San Miss were originally incompatible.

  "I'll be back in a moment." After half a round of drinks, Gu Zhaobei got up, drunk.