Chapter 24: Marry a Chicken and Follow the Chicken

  Shen Guiyan was somewhat impatient, with emotions suppressed in her heart, and nothing felt relaxed. Gu Zhaodong was not polite, but she couldn't be impolite either. Now he was her brother-in-law as well as her elder brother, and it would be inappropriate to say anything alone.

  "Big brother just give the order." Shen Guiyan took a step back and lowered her eyes: "Guiyan will naturally obey."

  Gu Zhaodong's eyes were filled with sorrow, his voice was hoarse: "I didn't order you to do anything, I just wanted to ask...do you still have me in your heart now?"

  The corner of her mouth twitched slightly, Shen Guiyan looked at him with some incredulity: "Didn't I make it clear to Big Brother before I got married? That pot of tea didn't wake Big Brother up? Guiyan is already married to Chao Bei, and as for Big Brother... there's no longer..."

  "You're lying." Gu Zhaodong took a step forward, looking at her deeply: "There's nothing between Fourth Brother and you, not even on your wedding night did the red fall. If it's really like that with me, then since you've already gotten married, why haven't you consummated the marriage?"

  Shen Guiyan's face turned red, and then her brow furrowed: "How did big brother know that I didn't have anything to do with Chao Bei?"

  Gu Zhaodong was taken aback and pursed his lips, saying: "That's not important, what's important is that you keep saying we're done with each other, but in your heart, you still have me. Yan'er..."

  Bao Shan stepped forward and stopped him, saying: "Young Master, please restrain yourself. You have already married a new wife, and now you shouldn't come to bother Miss again. The matters between Miss and the Fourth Young Master are also not for you to worry about."

  Gu Zhaodong looked at Bao Shan and said in a low voice, "Others may not know my feelings for Yan'er, but you, Bao Shan, can't you tell? All these years, who else has been playing the Green Bird role with Fengxiao besides you? Why are you stopping me now?"

  Bao Shan was taken aback, her outstretched hand slowly relaxing, unsure of what to say.

  If it weren't for the Fifth Miss, Miss and Master Gu would indeed be a match made in heaven. They had once sworn an oath of love, and countless love letters had been exchanged from her hand, each word and sentence making her heart flutter.

  Who would have thought that two people would end up in this situation?

  Gu Zhaodong saw that she had relaxed, so he crossed over her and continued to say to Shen Guiyan: "Yan'er, fourth brother is an unlearned and unskilled person. After this year's imperial examination, I will surely achieve success and fame. Believe me, I will definitely win the top honors."

  The paper adopted by Gu Zhaodong in this capital is said to be second to none, and no one dares to challenge it.

  Shen Guiyan smiled lightly and took a step back, saying: "Congratulations in advance to big brother, but what does this mean for Guiyan? Guiyan is already married, and big brother is also married."

  "...Wait for me." Gu Zhaodong said in a low voice: "Don't agree to marry Fourth Brother, wait for me until I achieve success and fame, then divorce Fourth Brother, and afterwards I'll come to welcome you as my bride..."

  Shen Guiyan sneered: "Welcome me as a concubine?"

  Gu Zhaodong paused for a moment, then furrowed his brow and looked at her deeply: "Yan'er, do you care about your reputation?"

  "Why don't you care?" Shen Guiyan was furious and laughed back: "Then what should I care about?"

  How come I didn't realize that Gu Zhaodong was such a selfish and hypocritical person? Didn't he used to be carefree and sing with wine, saying "The most unforgivable thing is not being true to one's heart, it's not because of the red makeup that can't be painted"? How come now he's blaming her for caring about social status?

  For a moment, Shen Guiyan regretted that she had learned piano, chess, calligraphy and painting in her childhood, not sword, gun or stick. Otherwise, she would have definitely learned to be as arrogant as Gu Zhaobei for once, and kicked this rascal flying away with one foot.

  "I am waiting for you with all my heart." Gu Zhaodong said painfully: "It's not what I wanted to become like this now. Yan'er, I really don't want to see you and Fourth Brother together..."

  Not willing to see her with others, then oneself first has dealings with others, can't it just be said that one is forced into it?

  She smiled lightly, Shen Guiyan looked at this person, only to feel both angry and furious, coldly saying: "My marrying Chao Bei is also an inevitable matter, big brother must not forget his own identity, nor treat me as if I were someone else."

  "Our identities are different, and it's impossible for me to have any alliance or oath with my elder brother. This life is married to the north, no matter what happens in the future, I will follow him. The glory and wealth of my elder brother should only be shared with Gui Ya, and has nothing to do with me, Gui Yan."

  She bowed and Shen Guiyan pulled over a sedan chair, saying: "Take another road."

  Bao Shan was being led away by Shen Guiyan, and she couldn't help but glance back at the young master who was still standing there in a daze. She said softly, "Miss, he's not chasing after us, why are you running so quickly?"

  "Hurry up and go to Yuan Fang." Shen Guiyan said expressionlessly.

  Bao Shan: "......"

  With each step, Shen Guiyan's anger grew. Her good upbringing since childhood made her unable to find many words to describe Gu Zhaodong's shamelessness, so she could only be angry herself.

  Not only is he angry at his shamelessness, but also at his own misdirected emotions.

  I used to think I knew Gu Zhaodong well enough, but now I realize that what I've seen is only the good side of him. I've never seen his true self when he's exhausted, nor have I seen him cry and sob. What kind of understanding is this? It doesn't even count as familiarity, just mere acquaintance.

  At noon, Shen Guiyan didn't want to eat either, so she curled up in her blanket and fell asleep, sleeping for the entire afternoon.

  Shen Guiya listened to Yu Shang's news and raised an eyebrow: "Did the young master talk to Shen Guiyan for a long time in the garden?"

  Yu Shu said with a sly smile: "It's not long, but the faces of both people don't look good. I think, Young Master still has thoughts about Third Miss."

  She hummed softly and combed her hair, saying: "How can it be possible to lose interest immediately? Men, after all, remember the first one they liked. Did you hear what they said?"

  Yu Shu shook her head: "The slave servant was far away when she passed by, and only faintly heard something like 'separation' and 'wait for me'."

  Divorce? Shen Guiya raised an eyebrow. Was Gu Zhaodong going to divorce her because of Shen Guiyan, and abandon the child in her womb?

  Or is it waiting for her child to be born before divorcing her?

  Putting down the rouge box, Shen Guiya thought for a moment and said in a low voice: "In ancient times, wasn't morality the most important thing? If they dare to commit such a heinous crime, don't blame me for being impolite."

  "What does Miss want to do?" Yu Shu asked.

  "This pair of mandarin ducks was beaten by me, aren't they very resentful?" Shen Guiya smiled lightly and fiddled with her fingernails: "Then I'll fulfill them this time."

  Yu Shu didn't understand and looked confused, but Shen Guiya smiled elegantly and continued to primp in front of the mirror.

  West of the capital city, intoxicating flowers shade.

  Under the night sky, the Qinglou Songfang was the most prosperous. Gu Zhaobei raised his cup and said to Gu Zhaonan, "It's rare for Second Brother to have the interest to accompany me in a drink."

  Gu Zhaonan smiled warmly and looked at him, saying: "After a tiring day, I also wanted to come see what kind of place you usually hang out in. Today's visit is indeed extraordinary."

  The girls in the shade of the intoxicating flowers sat on one side, smiling and pouring wine and playing the zither, without any impropriety.

  "It's fine as long as Second Brother likes it." Gu Zhaobei hooked his lips into a smile: "Looking at Big Brother's smelly face every day, only being with Second Brother is the most comfortable."

  Gu Zhaonan took a sip of wine and said, "Your carefree days are numbered too. After marrying Fourth Brother's wife, you can't always be out here like this. I'm accompanying you today, but if Fourth Brother's wife finds out, she'll still blame me."

  "How could that be?" Gu Zhaobei hugged a girl and chuckled, "Yan'er's temper is the best, she knows I'm romantic, but she hasn't blamed me. I've been neglecting her for these days, didn't she have any reaction?"

  "Miss Shen San is such a good person, but the young master doesn't appreciate her." The waitress beside him smiled and said: "It's said that whoever marries Miss Shen San will be a dragon among men, but the young master is still so unappreciative."

  Gu Zhaonan nodded and looked at Gu Zhaobei: "Someone also said that the person who marries Shen San's daughter might just be..."

  "Second Brother, you're talking nonsense." Gu Zhaobei's smile faded a bit: "Looking at me, I don't seem to be that kind of person, so there's no need to speak ill of me."

  Everyone knows that Gu Jia's fourth son is infatuated with beauty and carefree, not seeking progress, only seeking to pass the days.

  Gu Zhaonan looked him up and down before smiling and saying: "Everyone has their own luck, you might end up living better than anyone else in the future."

  "Borrowing Second Brother's words." Gu Zhaobei stretched his waist and hugged another beauty, laughing brightly: "In the next few days, I will be staying in this Drunken Flower Shade. When Second Brother returns, please help me pass on a message that seven days later, I will return to accompany Yan'er back home."

  Ridiculous. Gu Zhaonan nodded in agreement on the surface, but shook his head inwardly. He had thought that since Father let Fourth Brother marry Shen Guiyan, there would be some special arrangements, but now it seemed that no matter what arrangements were made, this person was still a hopeless case. They had just gotten married and yet they already wanted to indulge in sensual pleasures.

  Perhaps a noble lady like Shen Guiyan is not suitable for Gu Zhaobei. The novelty of the new marriage will wear off after just one day, and then she'll become annoying.

  The lanterns were hung outside, and Gu Zhaonan got up and returned to the mansion. Gu Zhaobei still had his arm around the beauty, listening to the little tune, tapping out the rhythm without even lifting his head.

  She woke up from her sleep and found that she was still alone in the house. Shen Guiyan opened the door with some confusion: "Bao Shan?"

  "Miss." Bao Fan turned around and said: "Do you want to eat something?"

  Sleepy and dizzy, Shen Guiyan shook her head and said: "No need, where is Fourth Master?"

  The treasure fan is silent.

  "What's wrong?" Shen Guiyan looked at her: "Speak directly."

  "Fourth Master said he'll be back in seven days," Bao Shan muttered.

  Seven days? Shen Guiyan raised an eyebrow: "Going on a long trip?"

  "Miss Hui, wait for me in the intoxicating flower shade."

  Did Bao Ya Zi leave? Shen Gui Yan was startled. She had just gotten married, how could she have fallen out of favor already?

  Thinking of the place that Gu Zhaobei had taken her to before, Shen Guiyan couldn't help but ask: "Did he bring enough silver?"

  Bao Shan's expression was somewhat complex: "The Fourth Young Master shouldn't have any on him, but Chui Yun has some, only perhaps not enough."

  "Not enough? Shen Guiyan frowned: "Then send some over first.""

  "Miss!" Bao Shan stamped her foot: "Are you crazy? Let the Fourth Master's silver be insufficient, and it would be better for you to return yourself. Where is there still a need to send silver?"

  "He wouldn't come back even if he didn't have any money if he didn't want to."

  Don't bully those poor girls anymore.