Chapter 1: The Woman Who Blocked the Marriage

  Shen Guiyan's heart skipped a beat as she subconsciously looked at Gu Zhaobei. Gu Zhaobei was already leaning against the bed, grinning from ear to ear, and preparing to examine his wound.

  "What are you doing?" Shen Guiyan lowered her voice and hastily pressed his hand.

  Gu Zhou's lips turned white as she looked at her and pointed to her own wound.

  The red had seeped out and wet a piece of good snow brocade. He undid his clothes to take a look, but the wound was not healing well!

  Shen Guiyan shook her head. It was already bad enough that there was a man in her room at midnight, but if he wasn't even properly dressed, she would jump into the Yellow River and still not be able to wash herself clean.

  The window was knocked again. Shen Guiyan hastily got up and put on her cloak, went over and asked softly: "Who?"

  No need to ask, Gu Zhaodong was like this last time too. But how is it that tonight of all nights, his wedding night, he's ended up here?

  "Yan er." The voice outside was still panting, seemingly having rushed over without stopping to catch his breath. Shen Guiyan's nose began to ache upon hearing his voice, and she turned her head to glance at Gu Zhaobei, who had already discreetly hidden himself from view.

  He stretched out his hand to open the window, and Gu Chao's figure appeared outside, stepping on the first floor's eaves, sweating profusely as he looked at her: "Yan'er, I didn't know that today I would be marrying..."

  Shen Guiya was discovered, wasn't she? Shen Guiyan smiled softly and looked at him, saying: "You've entered the bridal chamber?"

  Gu Chao Dong's throat tightened, his eyes filled with deep emotions as he looked at her and said: "Yan Er, I had no choice, in that situation, we couldn't let both families lose face, so I could only marry Ya Er..."

  "I'm asking, have you two already consummated your marriage?" Shen Guiyan took a step back and glanced at the hourglass in the room, it was already the third watch, shouldn't they be done by now?

  Gu Zhaodong hesitated for a moment, then lowered his eyes and said, "No, I heard that my fourth brother came to your place to make trouble, so I hurried over."

  Shen Guiyan let out a soft sigh and said, "Since there's no consummation of the marriage, then it doesn't count as being married. If you truly still have feelings for me in your heart, go tell Father clearly to send Ya'er back and take me with him."

  "This... " Gu Chao Dong was somewhat flustered, looking at the usually gentle and understanding Shen Gui Yan, pursing his lips to say: "The marriage has already been settled, if we send Ya Er back now, how can she live with herself? Moreover, she's already pregnant with my child..."

  Marry Shen Guiya as his legitimate wife, and that child would be a legitimate heir, more honorable than the children of Gu Zhaonan's household.

  Shen Guiyan's eyes widened slightly as she looked at Gu Zhaodong with some shock, re-examining him: "Since you've already decided to keep the fifth sister, what are you doing here?"

  Delusions of universal prosperity?

  Gu Zhaodong felt a bit awkward, he didn't expect Shen Guiyan to say that, and thought she would be eager to rely on him after experiencing a series of misfortunes, and then coax her into agreeing to his request, after all, he loved her the most.

  Women aren't all supposed to be like this, are they? Why has Yanyar become so troublesome?

  "Swallow, we've known each other for many years. Can it be that because of this misunderstanding, you don't want to grow old with me?" Gu Zhaodong took a deep breath and said painfully: "Who wrote 'You should be like a rock, I should be like a reed' on the poem note?"

  "Sir, if you haven't changed, I won't change either. But since your heart has already changed, why would you still want my heart to remain the same?"

  Gu Zhaodong was taken aback, wanting to say more, but Shen Guiyan had already closed the window: "Young Master Gu should head back now, it'll be dawn soon and you won't make it in time for the first cup of filial tea."

  "Yan'er!" Gu Chao Dong's voice was slightly louder, but Shen Gui Yan directly locked the window. Returning to bed, a pair of eyes had already turned red.

  She kept thinking, would Gu Zhaodong come, to tell her that this marriage was invalid, he only wanted to marry her. Then maybe he could help her investigate the truth about Qin Niang's death and take her away from Shen Fu.

  He came, but it was after he had already married Shen Guiya.

  Shen Guiyan is not a fool either. If he really had her in his heart, would he still marry Shen Guiya without considering her feelings?

  She fell onto the bed with a thud, but then heard a muffled groan, as if she had landed on someone.

  Gu Zhāo Běi lifted up the quilt, his face still with a strange expression, covering his shoulders and staring at her.

  His eyes were very deep, and someone once said that those who have a heart that holds all things, their eyes hold the universe. Shen Guiyan was stunned for a moment before coming back to her senses, standing up and making way.

  The wound on his shoulder wasn't bandaged, and the blood kept flowing, staining her bed. Shen Guiyan didn't have the heart to say more to him, and only whispered: "Wait for him to leave, then you can go too."

  Gu Zhoubei hummed softly and raised his foot, saying: "The excitement hasn't been enough yet, who was it that just said that those who come at midnight are all bad people? Why didn't you stab him?"

  Shen Guiyan couldn't help but roll her eyes: "Can he be compared to you?"

  Gu Zhaodong has known her for so many years, while Gu Zhaobei saw her for the first time today.

  He lowered his eyes and thought for a moment before nodding: "It's not quite the same, he's more of a beast than I am."

  She glared at him and pulled out her own quilt, "You get down."

  Gu Zhoubei grumbled and slowly sat up, covering his shoulder: "You've hurt me, can't you be gentler?"

  "It was you who offended first." Shen Guiyan glanced at his shoulder and couldn't bear it, turning to get him some iodine.

  "Swallow, who are you talking to?" Gu Zhaodong outside the window heard some movement and couldn't help but ask.

  You haven't left yet? Gu Zhaobei raised an eyebrow. It's not easy to hang outside on the second floor, after all.

  Shen Guiyan was startled and opened her mouth, unsure of how to respond. Before she knew it, the person on the bed had gotten up with a sudden movement and walked straight towards the window.

  "What are you going to do?" Shen Guiyan hastily blocked his way.

  He let out a soft "tsk" and pulled her hand over, opening the window to face his own brother's face. He gave him a slight smile, took a deep breath, and shouted out the window:

  "Ah-ha! Gotcha!"

  Gu Zhaodong looked at him coming out, his face had already changed, and after hearing this voice, he almost fell off the eaves: "Fourth brother?!"

  The rain outside had stopped, and Guo Zhaobei's voice carried far and wide, startling people from all directions. Bao Shan hastily threw on her clothes and came out to see what was happening, only to find that in the young mistress's boudoir, Guo Si was grasping someone who was half-hanging outside the window, refusing to let go, and shouting loudly: "Quickly come and catch the thief!"

  The person outside the window struggled hard, but didn't dare to use too much force, in case he lost his grip on Gu Zhaobei and fell from the second floor.

  The crowd, who had just fallen asleep for a short while, was woken up again and came to the Swallow Tower to see what was happening. As soon as Shen the housekeeper saw the person standing outside the window, he couldn't help but shout loudly: "Young Master Gu?"

  The young master of the Grand Chancellor's estate was destined to be incompatible with Miss Shen San, first it was Grand Master Gu, then Fourth Master Gu, and finally both came together.

  Mr. Shen also didn't sleep well and immediately brought Mrs. Shen over after getting dressed.

  Shen Guiyan knew she was doomed the moment Gu Chaobei shouted that one sentence. Two men, one inside the house and one outside the window, were now entangled in a situation where neither could escape. Who would be dragged down with him? Wasn't it her?

  Gu Zhaobei this rascal completely disregarded his daughter's reputation and dragged her into the muddy waters!

  Can Shen Guiyan just sit and wait for death? No. This time, if she lets them have their way again, she's likely to be killed.

  One doesn't do something halfway, Shen Guiyan resolutely messed up her own hair, tore open her nightgown, rolled onto the bed, and hugged the quilt as she sobbed.

  The two brothers were both stunned. Gu Zhaobei turned his head and looked at Shen Guiyan, unable to help but burst out laughing. Gu Zhaodong's face, however, was very unsightly: "Yan'er..."

  The Shen family's troops arrived in a hurry and as soon as they entered, they saw such chaos.

  "What's going on here?" Mr. Shen looked at Shen Guiyan on the bed and couldn't care who that man was anymore. In his own daughter's boudoir, in the middle of the night, how could he still put on a good face?

  Mrs. Shen's eyes were sharp and she saw the bloodstains on the bed, so she hurried over to ask: "Yan'er... who did this?"

  Gu Zhoubei undid Gu Zhaodong's collar, reached out to pull his cloak over and put it on himself, then looked up at the sky with an air of innocence.

  Shen Guiyan cried and trembled as she pointed at Gu Chaobei: "Gu Si Gongzi he..."

  Alright, no need to say more, this half sentence is enough. The eyes of the Shen family members instantly turned towards the window.

  Gu Zhaobei sighed and said, "Yan'er will eventually marry me, I'm just a bit impatient. But what about you, big brother? You didn't attend the wedding ceremony, so why did you come to my wife's chamber in the middle of the night?"