Chapter 59

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Chapter 59: Title

This time, Gu Hengbo truly admitted defeat. She pulled hard on the person hanging onto her, but after a long struggle, she couldn’t budge her.

Lian Rong glanced at them and said to the man in fine clothes in front of her, "I’ll wait for you to return. Don’t go too far." After speaking, she turned and left.

The man in fine clothes stood outside the door with a cold expression. He scanned Gu Hengbo and the little girl in her arms for a while before finally speaking, "You’re very noisy."

Gu Hengbo felt uncomfortable under his cold gaze and forced a smile. "I’m sorry! We will be quieter."

The man nodded expressionlessly and even helped them close the door as he left.

After taking a few steps, he suddenly turned back and stared at the door for a while, feeling that something was off. Why did he think that man in white looked familiar? It reminded him of someone. He pushed open the next door and walked in. "Lian Rong, why does that girl look so much like Gu’s second daughter?" The speaker was Liu Yu, the Minister of Justice, who had slipped away after morning court to join Lian Rong.

Lian Rong stirred the tea leaves in her cup, looked down and blew gently, taking a small sip. "She does look quite similar."

Liu Yu sat back in his chair, stroking his chin. "Isn’t that your crown princess? I thought she looked familiar. I saw her at the court banquet last time. She’s a pretty girl, right?"

Lian Rong set down her teacup. "What about it?"

Liu Yu gave Lian Rong a knowing glance. "Did you see the person she was holding just now?"

"Do you think this king is blind?"

Liu Yu tapped the table, looking amazed. "I must say, you both are quite extraordinary." Although Lian Rong didn’t often come to places like this, she occasionally stopped by for tea. This young crown princess, without a hint of hesitation, was flirting with someone younger than her; he hadn’t noticed that before. She looked like a well-behaved child.

"Gu Meisheng is indeed something else," Lian Rong finally admitted after a while.

"Why not pull her out and use family punishment to handle her? Aren’t you the best at that?" Liu Yu asked.

Lian Rong chuckled lightly. "There’s no need to use family punishment on her."

Liu Yu frowned. "You should be serious. You don’t want to scare her too much." In his eyes, Lian Rong was not a normal person at all.

Lian Rong shot him a glance. "If you don’t return, your fierce wife might bite someone."

Liu Yu leaned back, responding, "She wouldn’t dare! If it weren’t for our years of marriage, I would have divorced her long ago."

"Are you really planning to marry that little fling?" Lian Rong asked.

At that moment, she actually felt a bit sorry for Liu Yu. Thank goodness she married someone who only meows and doesn’t bite; otherwise, it would be a headache for her.

Liu Yu shook his head. "It’s just for fun. But that girl really suits my taste. Marrying her is definitely out of the question, unlike you, who fights like a bandit to steal a wife from your own nephew."

Lian Rong smacked him lightly with a small fan on his arm. "My extraordinary charm becomes a bandit when it reaches you? That girl willingly wants to marry me; I didn’t force her at all!" If anyone was forcing, it was Gu Meisheng who was forcing her; she hadn’t even said anything yet. (Hey, you still dare to say that? You sneaky, crafty woman.)

Meanwhile, little Gu couldn’t muster any strength, finally managing to push the person off her. The little girl indeed had drunk too much and was now curled up in a blanket, her watery eyes glued to the person who abandoned her.

Gu Hengbo couldn’t take it any longer. She patted the girl’s cheek. "I don’t even know your name! This little side benefit is fine, but we’re both women. What you have, I have too. I didn’t mean to touch you; besides, you aren’t even as big as my sister. I can let you touch me back. Well, enough said! I have to go now, or I’ll be in trouble!"

Gu Hengbo closed the door, glanced next door, and tiptoed down the stairs.

"Where have you been, aunt?"

Gu Hengbo straightened her back instantly and laughed awkwardly, "I wasn’t going anywhere, just to the restroom, yes, to the restroom."

Lian Chen twitched his lips, "Mingyue has been looking for you all day, by the way, aunt."

"Close your mouth," someone could no longer bear it, "Lian Chen, I ask you, are you not at all curious why your royal uncle married me? You always call me aunt; why don’t you just call me mother?"

Lian Chen: "……"

"I’m asking you!" Someone was showing signs of going crazy.

"Although you are both women, if you are in love, you can still be together. You must have your own reasons. If you don’t say, I won’t ask, after all, you are now the elder."

Gu Hengbo sneered, "You seem to think quite freely; come, call me mother, and I will let you, as your ‘aunt’, off the hook."

Lian Chen was surprised, "What is that?"

Gu Hengbo’s face was expressionless, "Are you going to call me or not?"

"Meisheng, what are you doing?"

Lian Chen sighed in relief; Gu Hengbo’s behavior was both strange and eerie, thankfully, "Gu Cheng, you’ve finally arrived."

"Lian Chen," she was very unhappy; why should she be the aunt of someone one year older than her? No, there were several people older than her in the palace, she didn’t want to be an aunt.

"Royal aunt," Lian Chen suddenly called out as he looked at the person behind Gu Hengbo.

"Don’t call me royal aunt, I don’t know you," someone shouted angrily. It was simply unforgivable to call her that.

"Then do you know me?" A voice came from behind, Gu Hengbo stiffened. Her lips moved, and she turned around to see Lian Rong leaning against the half-open door frame, smiling at her.

Gu Hengbo kneeled inside, how did she forget this person? She laughed awkwardly, "I was just too busy to greet you. Well, I’ll take my leave now, goodbye."

"Royal aunt, aren’t you walking with the royal uncle?" Lian Chen spoke suddenly.

Gu Cheng, because of earlier events, found it hard to speak; he had not expected Lian Rong to appear in such a place, leaving only awkwardness in the air.

Gu Hengbo didn’t even look at Lian Chen and turned to leave when suddenly, a door was pulled open from inside, revealing a hint of pink clothing. Gu Hengbo felt a flood of emotion.

"Where are you going? I haven’t even taken off my clothes yet!" The pink figure rushed over.

Gu Hengbo stumbled back several steps as she was bumped into, and several people looked at her in confusion. Just then, Mingyue and Qiao Ru, who was behind Gu Cheng, approached.

"Hey, young lady, don’t trick people like this; let go of me!" Gu Hengbo was genuinely alarmed this time.

"You are so mean to me!"

Gu Hengbo felt overwhelmed; she glanced at Lian Chen, "What are you frozen for? Come help me!"

Before Lian Chen could move, Mingyue stepped forward; she frowned and walked over, gently coaxing the little girl away from Gu Hengbo.

Gu Hengbo looked at her gratefully, "Thank you."

Mingyue smiled slightly, "Qingying doesn’t have a sharp mind, so if she offended you, please forgive her."

Gu Hengbo paused and turned to look at the girl, seeing the same gaze directed at her; she cautiously asked, "Did something happen?"

Mingyue nodded and whispered, "Six months ago, the nurse found her outside; they said she was… sigh."

Gu Hengbo felt her heart being pulled by something. She didn’t speak until Mingyue called her back to reality.

"Does she usually drink a lot?" she asked.

"Yes, it’s nice to have a little trouble sometimes, even if it lasts all day," Mingyue said with a tone full of pity.

Gu Hengbo nodded, turning to look at Lian Rong. "Are you coming or not?"

Lian Rong raised an eyebrow. "Do you want to spend the night here?"

Gu Hengbo wasn’t in the mood to joke. Without waiting for anyone to speak, she turned and went downstairs.

Lian Chen looked at Lian Rong. She didn’t move, and neither did he. It wasn’t proper to call the royal uncle in front of outsiders, so he just stood there, stunned.

Lian Rong glanced at the girl named Qu Ying. After Gu Hengbo left, she leaned over the railing and looked down. When she met Lian Chen’s questioning gaze, she nodded to him and went downstairs to follow.

As Gu Hengbo walked, she kicked the stones on the ground. Lian Rong caught up from behind, but she didn’t notice.

"The weather is nice today," Lian Rong said.

"…"

"Yanger will be leaving the city in a few days."

"…"

"Gu Meisheng."

"…"

"I’m talking to you. Could you at least say something?"

"Okay."

"…"

"Are you sulking?" When they returned to the house, Lian Rong noticed she still wasn’t speaking. She felt it was strange to be bothered by someone unrelated.

"I’m not."

"Liars are not good children."

Gu Hengbo looked up at the woman who was 16 years older than her—no, 8 years older. On the way back, she had asked question after question, which was quite annoying. "May I ask, are you going through menopause?"

Lian Rong smiled slightly. "Finally willing to talk to me?"

Gu Hengbo rolled her eyes at her. "You’re so old; can you stop acting like a child?"

"You are still a child. I’m just trying to coax you. Be good, don’t be mad," Lian Rong said, reaching to hug her, but Gu Hengbo blocked her.

"Knowing I’m a child but still holding onto me, Lian Rong, you’re like an old cow eating tender grass. Marrying you was such a loss for me," Gu Hengbo said crossly.

Lian Rong narrowed her eyes. "Do you think I’m old?"

Gu Hengbo made a dead fish eye expression at her. Finally, you noticed this issue? "Isn’t it true?" When she was unhappy, she often didn’t know where to draw the line.

Lian Rong stared at her for a while. "Is it that I’m not satisfying my wife in bed?"

"You are a woman, right?"

"Of course."

Gu Hengbo nodded, disregarding the looks from the servants. She hooked her arm around Lian Rong and rested her head on her shoulder. "Just call me Ah Heng from now on. It feels more affectionate. Saying ‘wife’ makes me want to hit you."

Lian Rong didn’t move, allowing her to do as she pleased. Being with someone like her required great emotional strength, which she had.

"Let’s go to the palace tomorrow and visit Concubine Wan. We should also see the queen. Men are easy to talk to, but with these women, we must show proper respect."

"Hey? Now the queen has turned into a woman in her mouth?" Gu Hengbo asked.

Lian Rong smiled and patted her head, "You haven’t met that aunt in the palace since you married in. Women can be petty, so she might hold a grudge against you later."

Gu Hengbo scoffed, "You talk as if you aren’t a woman yourself."

Lian Rong laughed at her, "Don’t you know whether I am a woman or not? Using your words, I am a narrow-minded, despicable person. That sin is much worse than being petty, are you satisfied now?"

"Crazy! Whatever, if I go, what should I call my aunt?"

Lian Rong teased her nose, "Just call her Concubine Wan. Also, when you enter the palace, as long as you meet someone older than me, just bend your leg a little, no need to bow down."

"The emperor and empress too?"

"I’m talking about them. Just don’t feel wronged."

Gu Hengbo was simply shocked, "Does the Princess of Prince Rong get such good treatment?"

Lian Rong laughed, "To be fair, I am also above thousands of people, your father has to respectfully call you Concubine Wan when he sees you."

Gu Hengbo hated seeing this person show off, but fine, considering she was clinging to her for support, she wouldn’t argue too much.

"Did you visit your mother today?"

"Yes, she’s mostly recovered, and I have to thank you for that," Gu Hengbo said sincerely for once.

Lian Rong saw her being honest and couldn’t help but lean over and kiss her cheek, "What are you thanking me for? If you can offer yourself, that’s great. But what about the money? Didn’t your mother mention anything today?" This was the first time the Prime Minister’s residence was robbed; a mother should share something like that with her daughter, right?

"I trust you to handle it. Even if my father investigates, he won’t find out about us," Gu Hengbo said, patting Lian Rong on the shoulder like old pals.

Lian Rong was happy with her words, "What if I said I purposely left clues for Prime Minister Gu to investigate me?"

Gu Hengbo shook her head helplessly, "I can’t keep up with your thinking. If he wants to investigate, let him be. The dowry originally belongs to me. Oh right, who was that man you were with today?" He looked quite handsome.

"Lord Liu from the Ministry of Justice," Lian Rong replied. "You know him!"

"Oh, then I’ll go to the palace tomorrow. Where are you going?"

"You guess."

Guess what? She wasn’t even interested to know her mysterious answer!