Chapter 27

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“Rong’er!” Old Madam Gu looked at Gu Yun Rong with heartache, her voice choking slightly. She sighed inwardly, thinking about how this granddaughter, whom she had raised herself, was truly thoughtful and considerate.

In contrast, Gu Yuan seemed like an ungrateful wolf, one that couldn’t be tamed. Ever since his father, Gu Ce, had died in battle eight years ago, Gu Yuan had changed, growing distant from her as though a wall had formed between them.

Old Madam Gu occasionally wondered if Gu Yuan had always been resentful about the Second Branch inheriting the title, and that was why he held such bitterness toward the entire Marquis household. She had explained to him before that Gu Jian inheriting the title was by the decree of the late emperor.

Her muddled eyes swirled with complicated emotions as her thoughts raced.

“Yuan’er, you’re already grown, yet you still don’t understand things as well as Rong’er, who knows the bigger picture.” Whenever Gu Jian spoke of Gu Yun Rong, his words were full of praise. But when his gaze fell upon Gu Yan Fei, his expression turned to one of undisguised disgust. He pointed at her, saying harshly, “You… you are nothing but a curse! You brought misfortune upon your mother at birth, and now that you’ve returned, you’ve turned the entire Marquis residence upside down, leaving our household in constant turmoil.”

As Gu Jian’s harsh reprimands rang out, the other members of the Gu family turned their gaze toward Gu Yan Fei with complex expressions. Some agreed wholeheartedly, while others looked at her with contempt, indifference, or even pity.

The Marquis residence was now firmly controlled by Gu Jian and Old Madam Gu. With two elders expressing their disdain for her today, Gu Yan Fei knew that her future here was unlikely to be smooth. Unlike Gu Yuan, a man with opportunities to make a name for himself outside, her options were limited.

Gu Yuan’s pupils contracted sharply, a chilling and bloodthirsty glint flashing in his eyes as he reached for his sword.

“So that’s how it is,” Gu Yan Fei’s calm sigh echoed through the hall. Without drawing attention, she gently pressed down on Gu Yuan’s right arm, stopping him, and said coolly, “Since Gu Yun Rong is perfect in every way, why not let her be the Marquis’s daughter? That way, I won’t bring misfortune upon her with my ‘cursed’ fate.”

She vaguely remembered that in her previous life, the ancestral hall had been opened around this time as well. Back then, she had been too weak, allowing Old Madam Gu to manipulate her while her brother was away in the military. By the time he learned of her existence, everything had already been settled.

Her brother had fiercely opposed keeping Gu Yun Rong under their parents’ names and had argued with both Old Madam Gu and Gu Jian for a long time. But even by the time of her brother’s death in battle, they still hadn’t agreed to open the ancestral hall again.

Gu Yun Rong had a strong chance of becoming the future Kang Wang Fei, and perhaps even the empress. That temptation was far too great, and Gu Yan Fei knew they wouldn’t give up on it easily.

Her brother could continue fighting this battle, but it would never lead to a resolution.

Gu Yan Fei didn’t want to waste endless time on something so trivial. If she had any spare time, she would much rather spend it brushing her cat’s fur.

As long as she and her brother could draw a clear line between themselves and Gu Yun Rong, that was all that mattered. The First Branch was the First Branch, and the Marquis residence was the Marquis residence. Heart demons were heart demons…

Gu Yan Fei’s words left everyone stunned. Her proposal caught everyone by surprise.

After his initial anger subsided, Gu Jian gradually calmed down, a contemplative expression forming between his brows. He pondered it carefully, and it didn’t take long for him to realize that this idea might not be so bad after all.

The engagement with the Duke of Ying’s family was tied to the eldest daughter of the First Branch. If Gu Yun Rong were to be officially adopted into the Second Branch, she would become the legitimate daughter of that branch, thus severing any connection to the engagement. Kang Wang would then be free from the reputation of “stealing another man’s wife.”

If Kang Wang could rise even higher in the future, Gu Jian might very well become the emperor’s father-in-law! The thought made Gu Jian’s heart race with excitement, and his blood surged with anticipation.

“Big Brother,” Gu Yun Rong took a step closer to Gu Yuan and sighed, her voice solemn as she asked, “Is this what you want as well?” She stood gracefully, her head slightly bowed, her dark hair in soft clouds, her red lips like pomegranate seeds, an image of elegance and unparalleled beauty.

Gu Yuan nodded silently in response.

There could only be one legitimate daughter of the First Branch. Gu Yuan would not allow his sister’s identity to be clouded or ambiguous.

Gu Yun Rong’s long, thick eyelashes trembled slightly. She lifted her chin, the soft lines of her face touched with a hint of heartbreaking sorrow and quiet endurance. In a soft voice, she said, “Then I agree.”

She shifted her gaze to Gu Yan Fei and continued, “If this can make amends to Second Sister, and if it can remove the bitterness between her, Big Brother, and me, I am willing.”

After speaking, Gu Yun Rong turned and respectfully knelt before Old Madam Gu and Gu Jian, bowing deeply. “I ask Grandmother and Second Uncle to grant their permission,” she said solemnly.

Her movements were graceful, carrying an air of elegance and dignified restraint.

Old Madam Gu ran her fingers over the sandalwood prayer beads in her hand, closing her eyes. After a long silence, she finally spoke: “Second son, let it be done. Yun Rong will be adopted into your household.”

With these words, the matter was settled.

Gu Yan Fei smiled faintly, saying nothing. Half of her thoughts had already wandered off to her cat.

The clan patriarch and the elders exchanged relieved glances, clearly content with the resolution. The patriarch cleared his throat, placing his fist to his lips, and declared in a loud voice, “Let’s open the ancestral hall and update the family genealogy.”

After offering incense and bowing before the ancestral tablets, the clan patriarch personally retrieved the Gu family genealogy. He spread it out carefully on the large writing desk. The slightly yellowed record bore the names of more than ten generations of the Gu family, densely written. The Gu family had humble origins in the previous dynasty, mere commoners from the countryside. It was Gu Yuan’s great-grandfather, Gu Yao, who followed the founding emperor in his rebellion and became one of the empire’s founding generals, earning the title of Marquis of Dingyuan.

The rise of the Gu clan began there, lifting them out of the commoner class. As the patriarch and the others looked upon the genealogy, a sense of pride welled up in their hearts.

An attendant stood beside the patriarch, ready with ink and brush. As the patriarch dipped the brush into the ink, he asked Old Madam Gu, “What is Yuan’er’s sister’s name?”

Old Madam Gu froze, suddenly realizing that she had entirely forgotten this detail. Naturally, she couldn’t admit this oversight aloud. Her mind raced, and she quickly thought up a name, pretending as if nothing was amiss. “Let’s call her Yun…”

Before she could finish, Gu Yan Fei interrupted her clearly: “Gu Yan Fei.”

Her voice was calm and unwavering, clear yet gentle, like a breeze in spring. As Old Madam Gu’s displeased gaze met hers, Gu Yan Fei remained composed and met her eyes without hesitation.

She knew well that Old Madam Gu intended to name her “Gu Yun Hua.”

In her previous life, her adoptive parents had never bothered to give her a proper name. Since childhood, they called her things like “worthless girl” and “useless brat.” After she was taken back to the Marquis residence, it was Old Madam Gu who had bestowed upon her the name “Gu Yun Hua.”

But she didn’t like it.

“Gu Yun Hua” represented the weak and defeated version of herself from her past life, a person who had long since died.

Old Madam Gu’s eyes darkened, storm clouds gathering in her expression as her mood turned grim. Now, just the sight of this girl irritated Old Madam Gu. She felt that Gu Yan Fei, much like her cat, was filled with an unsettling aura, perhaps even a true bringer of misfortune. Her expression grew colder as she said indifferently, “Fine, call yourself whatever you like.”

The clan patriarch and the elders exchanged glances. The patriarch, in a kindly tone, offered a reminder to Gu Yan Fei: “Child, ‘Yun’ is the generational name for the daughters of the Gu family. Your eldest sister is called Yun Zhen, and your third sister is Yun Rong…” If her name didn’t follow this tradition, it could easily spark baseless rumors among outsiders.

Gu Yan Fei smiled politely at the patriarch and firmly repeated, “Patriarch, my name is Gu Yan Fei.”

This was the name her master had given her in the Yaoling Realm, a name that had accompanied her for two hundred years.

It represented her rebirth.

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