Chapter 42: The Argument

The wedding date quickly arrived, and amidst all the blessings, Gu Qingci and Gu Jiali got married. During the ceremony, Gu Qingci remained very calm, neither sad nor happy. Seeing his attitude, Gu Jiali became upset and threw a tantrum, 

“What does it mean to have such a straight face? Are you unwilling to marry me?” 

“No, I’m just a bit tired.” 

Gu Jiali stomped her foot in anger and said defiantly, 

“Hmph! I see that you’re just not happy. You’re not as cheerful as I am. Do you think I want to marry you? In the capital, there are plenty of noble sons pursuing me, and any one of them is better than you. If it weren’t for your good looks, I wouldn’t be willing to marry you!” 

Gu Qingci’s face darkened as he mocked, 

“Then I truly feel sorry for you. Why not take advantage of the fact that the wedding isn’t over yet and cancel it?” 

“You…” Gu Jiali cried as she went to find her parents. Gu’s mother was somewhat displeased; it was the wedding day, and her daughter was crying. How could things go well after this? 

Gu’s mother smiled and stepped in to smooth things over, “Qingci, quickly apologize to Jiali. How can you be so bad at comforting a girl?” 

She then turned to Gu’s mother, “In-laws, my son has never been good at talking; don’t take it to heart.” 

Gu Qingci looked at his mother’s submissive demeanor, feeling a wave of frustration. “Mom, you…” 

Gu’s mother shot him a glare, full of threat, and Gu Qingci could only lower his head and apologize, 

“I’m sorry.” 

Only then did Gu Jiali become happy, proudly linking her arm with his, and the wedding ended in a farce. 

In the afternoon, after the wedding, Gu Qingci thought he could finally have a quiet moment to rest, but in the evening, Gu Jiali started up again, disdainfully surveying the Gu family home, 

“People are living in apartments now, fashionable, and quiet. This old house is so dusty everywhere; I won’t live here! I want to live in an apartment!” 

Gu Qingci scoffed, “This is an ancestral home, passed down from our ancestors. Its value cannot be compared to an apartment!” 

“I don’t care! I want you to buy an apartment right now, a high-rise one. Otherwise, I’ll get a divorce!” 

“Do as you please!” Gu Qingci said before slamming the door and leaving. He had hoped to live respectfully with her, but it seemed like he wouldn’t have peace in the future either. 

Seeing him leave, Gu Jiali was furious and started throwing things around the room, the loud crashing noises startling Gu’s mother in another bedroom. 

Gu’s mother hurriedly put on her shoes and rushed over. When Gu Jiali saw her, her anger flared up even more, 

“Look at the good son you raised! He dares to argue with me on our wedding night! I’m going home to complain to my parents!” 

Gu Jiali began packing her things to leave. Gu’s mother anxiously stopped her, 

“Jiali, Qingci has done some things wrong. I apologize to you. Don’t worry; I’ll go find him right now!” 

Gu’s mother walked out the front door, looking around, and spotted her son smoking in a pavilion. She hurried over, 

“When did you start smoking?” 

“Mom.” Gu Qingci, seeing his mother approach, hurriedly threw the cigarette to the ground and stomped it out with his foot, 

“Mom, what are you doing here?” 

Gu’s mother sighed and sat down beside him, saying, 

“Qingci, I know you don’t like Jiali, but she’s not a bad person. She’s just a bit spoiled from being pampered at home. You need to be more patient with her.” 

“Mom, she wants me to buy an apartment.” 

Gu’s mother asked him anxiously, “You’re living fine at home. Why do you need to buy an apartment? If you move into an apartment, will you leave me alone at home? That’s not acceptable!” 

T Gu’s mother held her son’s hand, “Son, your father passed away early, and I raised you and your sister by myself. Your sister has married and left; you can’t leave me too. If you both go, how am I supposed to live alone?” 

Gu Qingci reassured his mother, “Mom, don’t worry. I won’t leave you behind.” 

At this moment, Gu’s mother had already lost the joy of marrying off her son. She was feeling resentful toward her daughter-in-law for causing such a ruckus right after the wedding. 

When they returned home, they saw Gu Jiali standing in the corridor with her head held high, waiting for Gu Qingci to apologize. Gu’s mother said flatly, 

“Jiali, it’s late. You two should go to your room and sleep!” 

“I won’t! He hasn’t apologized to me yet!” Gu Jiali pointed her finger at Gu Qingci. 

Gu’s mother frowned disapprovingly at Gu Jiali, 

“Qingci is your husband; how can you point at him like that?” What a lack of upbringing! 

Gu Jiali was furious, “You two are ganging up on me! I want to go home!” 

This time, Gu’s mother didn’t stop her and let Gu Jiali leave. She turned to Gu Qingci, 

“Qingci, you’re tired. You should go rest in your room!” 

Gu Qingci, feeling irritated, pinched the bridge of his nose, “Mom, you go to bed first. I’ll go check on her. It’s not safe for a girl to be out alone this late!” He turned and left. 

“Qingci, Qingci…” 

Gu’s mother called out several times, but he didn’t respond, making her grip her hands tightly in anger. 

“Didn’t you say you didn’t like her? If you don’t like her, why are you so concerned about her? No, I can’t let my son care for her this much. Over time, Gu Jiali will encourage him to move out, and then I’ll be left all alone in this house!” 

In the late night, on the quiet street, Gu Jiali stomped ahead in anger while Gu Qingci walked briskly behind her. Since they were already married, he had a responsibility to her and couldn’t just let her walk home alone at night. 

Gu Jiali knew Gu Qingci was following her and raised her head proudly. He really did care about her, but she didn’t want to live with her mother-in-law; she still needed to figure out a way to move out. 

Gu Qingci caught up with her and quietly apologized, “Let’s go back. Stop making a scene.” 

“I want an apartment! Are you buying one or not?” Gu Jiali demanded. “I won’t live with your mom. We’ll move out and live alone!” 

Gu Qingci was exhausted and just wanted to go home and get some sleep. 

“Fine, I’ll buy it. Let’s go home first!” 

“Now that’s more like it!” Gu Jiali smiled as she linked her arm with his and walked back. 

When they got home, Gu’s mother was waiting for them in the yard. Seeing Gu Jiali with her son, smiling proudly, made her feel uneasy. She stood up and scolded them, 

“How can you be so thoughtless? Running out in the middle of the night! If something happened, your parents would blame my son!” 

Gu Jiali retorted, “What’s it to you? Qingci will protect me. With him around, what could happen to me?” 

“You…” Gu’s mother was too angry to speak. Gu Qingci shouted, 

“I’m begging you both, can you please stop this?!” 

“Son, I’m your mother! How can you yell at me?” 

“Mom, I’m really really tired. I’m begging you; let me go rest. Please stop this!” 

Gu Qingci helplessly let his shoulders droop as he walked toward the bedroom. Once inside, he collapsed onto the bed, feeling dizzy and heavy, his consciousness becoming increasingly blurred.