Chapter 9: You’ll Eventually Accept the Idea of Divorce

Liu Yuru sat stunned in the bridal sedan chair. When she had lifted her veil earlier, she hadn’t truly expected Ye Shi’an to return. She had calculated the time; he should have just finished the provincial examination and rested for a few more days before coming back.

His sudden appearance had thrown her mind into disarray.

Why had he returned early?

Could it be… could it be…

A glimmer of an inconceivable thought flashed through her mind, but she quickly squashed it. She was typically calm and collected. This idea was too dangerous; she took a deep breath and forcefully pushed it down.

She lowered her eyes, put on her veil, and sat motionless as she arrived at the Gu residence amidst music and celebration. 

Forcing herself to empty her mind, she accepted the red silk from Gu Jiusi’s hand and followed him inside. The officiants chanted, firecrackers exploded, and well-wishers crowded the Gu residence’s entrance, clamoring for red envelopes. In this cacophony, she crossed the threshold and entered the ceremonial hall.

Then she and Gu Jiusi bowed to Heaven and Earth according to custom.

There was no shyness or nervousness, none of the emotions she had once anticipated. It was utterly different from the wedding she had dreamed of. Her heart was calm and hollow. She felt this was merely a ceremony, devoid of deeper meaning.

After the bows, she was escorted into the bridal chamber. She waited alone, veiled and motionless.

Only Yin Hong remained to attend to her. The silence of the chamber contrasted sharply against the boisterous celebration outside.

Yin Hong offered her mistress some snacks. “Miss, you haven’t eaten anything this morning. Would you like some food?”

“No need,” Liu Yuru replied. “The veil must remain until the groom lifts it. Removing it prematurely is inauspicious.”

Yin Hong was taken aback. She set down the plate and sighed. Having grown up with her mistress, she understood the sacrifice Liu Yuru had made. Hearing her resign herself to the marriage filled Yin Hong with sadness.

“I saw Young Master Ye outside today…” Yin Hong said hesitantly. “He was rushing on the road. Do you think he—”

“Be careful with your words,” Liu Yuru cautioned. 

Yet, Yin Hong’s words had struck at her heart, and Liu Yuru felt a surge of emotion.

But reason restrained her. She said calmly, “I am now a member of the Gu family. Consider the past no more. Don’t speak of them again. It would only cause us trouble if someone overhears.”

Yin Hong knew her mistress was right. She reluctantly agreed and fell silent.

The banquet continued into the night, but Gu Jiusi still had not returned. Footsteps sounded outside, and after a while, Liu Yuru heard the door open. Ye Yun’s voice rang out, addressing the others, “Madam Gu asked me to keep the bride company. You can all go.”

Liu Yuru was momentarily surprised upon hearing Ye Yun’s voice. However, her expression remained impassive.

After everyone else left, Ye Yun hesitated at the door before sitting beside Liu Yuru. She sighed and said, “There’s no one else here now. Why don’t you take off your veil? You can put it back on later.”

“The rules mustn’t be abandoned,” Liu Yuru replied respectfully. “It’s fine for us to talk like this.”

“You…” Ye Yun felt a bit helpless. She didn’t press the issue and simply said, “You always talk about rules, but your heart is wilder than anyone’s. You’ll only suffer in the future by being so inconsistent.”

Liu Yuru listened to Ye Yun speak and suddenly felt a few traces of sadness as she reminisced about the past with her. She didn’t know why, but she especially wanted to ask Ye Yun about Ye Shi’an. However, she knew it was inappropriate, so she instead asked, “Why did you come over?”

“Madam Gu came looking for me while I was eating and drinking at the banquet earlier,” Ye Yun explained. “She said that you’ve been waiting alone in the room for a long time now and figured you’d gotten bored, so she asked me to keep you company.”

Liu Yuru felt a bit of warmth in her heart. Jiang Rou was a good mother-in-law. She kept this kindness in mind. “Madam Gu is thoughtful.”

“Isn’t she?” Ye Yun cracked some melon seeds and sighed. “Sometimes I wonder if it’s good or bad for you to marry into the Gu family. Although my grandmother likes you, she can’t treat you as well as Madam Gu. Not to mention my mother. You’ll be lucky if she doesn’t cause you trouble. But you’ve always been proper, so she probably won’t find much to criticize.”

What Ye Yun said now was a bit inappropriate, but Liu Yuru didn’t stop her. She had always known Ye Yun’s temperament, so she let her speak.

Ye Yun casually remarked, “Oh, my eldest brother is back. You know, right?”

Liu Yuru was stunned. She was silent for a while before replying, “Wasn’t he supposed to return later? Why is he back now?”

“The news of your engagement to the Gu family reached him, so my eldest brother came back early.”

Ye Yun hesitated for a moment before finally saying, “Yuru, don’t blame my brother for this.”

Liu Yuru was momentarily at a loss for words.

Ye Yun slowly explained, “Before your coming-of-age ceremony, Grandmother had already sent a letter to my brother asking about his engagement to you. My brother said to listen to the family’s arrangement. Later, when the Gu family came to propose, my grandmother… let it be. After all, the Gu family isn’t easy to deal with, and you know my grandmother’s temperament…”

Ye Yun didn’t say it explicitly, but Liu Yuru understood.

For a prestigious family like the Ye family, which valued reputation so much, let alone the fact that the Gu family had already settled the engagement first, they definitely wouldn’t let their eldest son marry a woman who had been previously engaged. Even if they really wanted to fight with the Gu family, if they did fight, it definitely wouldn’t be for an ordinary Liu Yuru.

Liu Yuru was clear about this in her heart, so from the beginning, she had never placed her hopes on the Ye family.

Ye Yun seemed to be afraid that she would resent her eldest brother, so she continued to explain, “But my brother didn’t think that way. When he learned the news of your engagement to the Gu family, he sent a letter home saying that Gu Jiusi wasn’t a good match.

“Since he had already promised you early on, as a gentleman, he should keep his word. The Ye family should go to the Gu family and make things clear. Old Master Gu is a reasonable man and won’t bully others with his power. So he rushed back this time specifically…”

“But it was too late,” Liu Yuru said calmly.

Her voice held no fluctuations, but beneath her veil, tears fell uncontrollably.

She suddenly felt fortunate that she hadn’t removed her veil, sparing Ye Yun from seeing her in such a wretched state.

Although Ye Yun didn’t know Liu Yuru was crying, she knew that Liu Yuru was definitely not happy at this moment.

She sighed and offered comfort, “Now that things have come to this, marrying Gu Jiusi may not be a bad thing. At least Gu Jiusi likes you, which is more than can be said for my brother. My brother may seem good, but he’s actually cold-hearted and unfeeling, focused solely on his career. Being his wife would be exhausting.

“Gu Jiusi is good. Although he’s unruly, his family has power and influence. He can spend lavishly for a lifetime without consequence. Most importantly, he likes and cherishes you.

“You see, he was willing to buy an entire rouge shop’s worth of rouge just to give you a box. Everyone envies this. Yuru,” Ye Yun held Liu Yuru’s hand and said softly, “don’t hate my brother, and don’t be sad. You’ll live well in the future, okay?”

Liu Yuru remained silent. After a long time, when she finally suppressed her voice, she gently said, “Don’t worry, I understand.”

“That’s good.” Ye Yun felt relieved and hurriedly said, “You don’t know, these past few days, I’ve barely slept because of this matter. I was afraid you’d hate my family, my brother, and that you wouldn’t be happy, that you’d distance yourself from me. We grew up together, and you’re closer to me than my other sisters. Please don’t let this come between us.”

“I won’t,” Liu Yuru sighed. She said softly, “Yun, I’m a bit tired. Can you let me rest for a bit?”

“Okay, okay, okay,” Ye Yun said hurriedly. “You rest. I’ll go out first.”

Ye Yun said goodbye and left. Liu Yuru was alone in the room, and finally, she couldn’t hold back her quiet sobs.

If she had never gotten it, perhaps it wouldn’t matter. But it turned out that the person she wanted most had once been so close to being with her. It turned out that Young Master Ye had also wanted to marry her. How could she accept this?

She felt her heart rising and falling. She hated the Gu family for ruining half her life’s efforts and hated Gu Jiusi for his childishness and recklessness. Yet, faced with Jiang Rou’s kindness and Gu Jiusi’s occasional thoughtfulness, she couldn’t truly hate them. She didn’t know who to blame for her fate and could only weep under her veil.

She cried for a long time before finally stopping. Taking advantage of no one being around, she got up to touch up her makeup and sat back down on the bed. As the sounds outside quieted, she heard a clamor, then the door being kicked open with a bang, someone tumbling in, and the door slamming shut.

Immediately after, Gu Jiusi’s angry voice rang out, “Let me out! Gu Langhua, if you have the guts, let me out! You got me married, what else do you want? Do you have to force me, do you want to force me to death?!”

“Shut up!” Gu Langhua’s furious voice came from outside, “Lock the windows too. If he dares to leave the room today, break his legs!”

“Ptooey!” Gu Jiusi cursed at Gu Langhua, “You old liar, you said it would be over once I got married. What’s the meaning of locking me up? You don’t keep your word! Let me out! Otherwise, I won’t let you off!”

This time, Gu Langhua didn’t speak. He had people firmly lock the windows and doors and left guards in the courtyard before departing with everyone else.

Gu Jiusi sat by the door, cursing, while Liu Yuru sat by the bed, quietly listening with her veil on.

After cursing for a while, Gu Jiusi got tired. He got up from the floor and found some water to drink. Only after drinking did he notice that Liu Yuru was still sitting properly on the bed. He was so startled that he took a step back, then came to his senses and said with a bit of a stammer from the fright, “You… what are you doing sitting there with a veil on? You’re not asleep?”

“You didn’t return,” Liu Yuru made herself not think about anything and said respectfully and numbly, “with the veil unlifted, I didn’t dare to sleep.”

“Can’t you lift it yourself?” Gu Jiusi was a bit baffled, but he still walked over and pulled off Liu Yuru’s veil with one hand, then picked up his cup and walked back to the table.

Liu Yuru sat on the bed with a calm expression. Gu Jiusi glanced back at her and, seeing her not moving, frowned. “The veil is off, and you’re still sitting there like a corpse? Don’t scare people in the middle of the night. Hurry up and wash up and sleep.”

“The groom hasn’t drunk the wedding wine with me yet.”

Hearing this, Gu Jiusi’s hand trembled.

He turned his head to look and stared at Liu Yuru sitting on the bed. Liu Yuru’s expression was unreadable, like a stagnant pond, lifeless, without a trace of the spirit she had when they first met.

He quietly observed her for a moment. After a long time, he suddenly said, “Are you truly willing to marry me?”

Liu Yuru didn’t speak. She raised her eyes to look at him.

Gu Jiusi held his wine cup, a bit nervous, and stammered, “Actually, I also know that none of the young ladies from big families in Yangzhou City look up to me. Apart from having money and a handsome face, I have nothing. It’s normal for everyone to look down on me. I didn’t expect anyone to look up to me either.

“In this life, I just want to marry a girl who sincerely likes me, and whom I also sincerely like. I want to live harmoniously with her for a lifetime.”

“So?” Liu Yuru didn’t understand what he wanted to say. She watched as Gu Jiusi thought for a bit, then poured a cup of tea and ran over to sit on the chair in front of her, handing her the cup of tea.

Liu Yuru held the tea without saying a word. Then she heard Gu Jiusi say with a fawning expression, “Miss Liu, I know that you’re actually a very intelligent woman with a clear mind.”

Liu Yuru raised her eyes to look at him, signaling for him to continue.

Gu Jiusi chuckled and said, “So, I want to make a deal. We both know we’re not fond of each other. What if, in the future, I let you manage the household finances? You could even use my family’s money to invest and grow your own wealth. Once you’re financially independent, should either of us find someone else we prefer, we can divorce. How does that sound?”

Liu Yuru’s eyes widened in a mix of shock and horror.

Gu Jiusi, oblivious to her reaction, was immersed in his beautiful vision of the future. He earnestly planned, “I’ve thought about it. Women care about reputation to marry well, and marrying well is for a comfortable life. But if you create that comfort yourself, reputation becomes irrelevant.

“Life is short, Miss Liu. No one should suffer needlessly. You could become a successful businesswoman. Then, if you meet someone you truly love, he’ll marry you, and you’ll spend your life with someone you cherish. If not, you can live well on your own.

“As for me, I might find a woman I adore. If not, that’s fine too. I can enjoy my life with my hobbies. But should I find her, I want to give her a good life. Since I like her, I definitely can’t wrong her.

“Since we’ll part ways eventually, I can’t spend a lifetime with you at the expense of my own happiness. I know it’s hard to accept now, but consider it carefully. We have time. When you understand, you’ll see the wisdom in this plan.”

Liu Yuru was speechless and her body trembled. She couldn’t fathom why she’d ended up with such a person. Her teeth chattered, panic rising in her chest. “If… you don’t like me, why did you marry me?” she finally managed to say through gritted teeth.

“That’s what I should be asking you,” Gu Jiusi countered, genuinely perplexed. “Since you don’t like me, why did you marry me?”

“You agreed to this marriage, putting us both in a bind. If I don’t marry you, you’ll supposedly die. But if I do, my life is wasted. I refuse to accept that. Let’s be rational,” Gu Jiusi said earnestly. “I’m confident you’ll eventually accept the idea of divorce…”

Liu Yuru could bear it no longer. Before he could finish, she slapped him hard across the face.

Gu Jiusi was stunned. Then, Liu Yuru’s cries erupted.

“Get out! Get out!”

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Author’s Note:

Gu Jiusi: “What do you think of the idea of divorce?”

Liu Yuru: “No! I refuse!”

Many years later, Liu Yuru is extremely wealthy—

Liu Yuru: “What do you think of the idea of divorce?”

Gu Jiusi: “No!!! I absolutely refuse!!!!”

Liu Yuru: “But I’m rich and powerful now. If I divorce you, I can marry ten young gentlemen like you.”

Gu Jiusi: “No, you can’t.”

Liu Yuru: “Why?”

Gu Jiusi: “You won’t find a more handsome gentleman than me.”

Gu Jiusi: With my looks, I serve others. I’m proud, I’m honored.

Hahaha, it really is like that.