Chapter 52

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Seeing that Gu Yan Fei remained silent, the maid Qing Shuang grew anxious, fearing that she might refuse. She called out softly again, “Second Miss?”

“Lead the way,” Gu Yan Fei said casually, brushing her sleeve lightly. She thought to herself, I might as well see what the Duchess of Ying wants, and figure out what the Fang family is plotting.

Relieved, Qing Shuang let out a small sigh and quickly gestured with her hand, “Second Miss, this way, please.”

Gu Yan Fei followed at an unhurried pace. The two passed through the Outer Ceremonial Gate and crossed a courtyard paved with smooth green stone bricks before arriving at the outer hall of the Marquis’s residence.

The five large doors of the hall were wide open, and several lanterns had been lit inside. Their warm, glowing light illuminated the entire room. Old Madam Gu, as the hostess, sat at the seat of honor. On the left side, two guests—a man and a woman—occupied a pair of purple sandalwood armchairs.

The female guest seated below was approximately thirty-five or thirty-six years old. She wore a jacket of golden yellow, embroidered with patterns of pine and cranes in a brocade technique. Her figure was slightly plump, her fair face adorned with sharp, arched brows and delicate, narrow eyes. Her demeanor exuded an air of refinement and authority, and the faint smile at the corner of her lips carried an unmistakable sense of aloofness.

This was none other than the Duchess of Ying.

Seated beside her was a young man of about seventeen, dressed in blue. He sat upright, his profile strikingly handsome.

Gu Yan Fei hadn’t expected Fang Ming Feng to be present. Her brow arched slightly in surprise.

The young maid standing under the corridor respectfully curtsied and said, “Second Miss.”

Those three words caught the attention of the three people in the hall, and they all turned to look at her, their expressions varied.

As Fang Ming Feng turned his head, the other side of his face came into view. The left half, previously injured by rose thorns, had healed but still bore scars where the skin had scabbed and peeled. The newly formed flesh was slightly red and uneven, starkly different from the surrounding skin, leaving a mottled, unsettling appearance.

Even the most handsome face could not be considered attractive under such circumstances.

At the sight of Gu Yan Fei, Fang Ming Feng couldn’t help but recall the events at Jing Wang Manor. The murderous intent he had suppressed for days flared up once more. If not for Gu Yan Fei, he and Gu Yun Rong would already be together!

Fang Ming Feng’s dark eyes burned with intense malice and murderous intent, as sharp as lightning striking directly at Gu Yan Fei.

Unperturbed, Gu Yan Fei’s steps remained steady. With poise, she lifted the hem of her skirt and stepped gracefully over the tall threshold of the hall.

The moment she entered, she sensed something was off. The atmosphere in the hall was tense. Old Madam Gu and the Duchess of Ying both wore cold, indifferent expressions, while the maids standing nearby kept their heads lowered, their postures stiff with fear.

The Duchess of Ying glanced at Gu Yan Fei with a look of disdain before lowering her gaze to sip her tea, making it clear she held no regard for her—just as in the past life.

Ignoring the strange tension in the room, Gu Yan Fei walked forward with calm composure. She stopped before Old Madam Gu and offered a casual curtsey. “Grandmother.”

Old Madam Gu, seated at the head of the table, kept her face cold and said nothing. Gu Yan Fei was unfazed. After paying her respects, she took a seat on her own.

Since Gu Yan Fei’s return to the Marquis’s residence, Old Madam Gu had never required her to attend morning or evening greetings. This deliberate neglect was a clear statement, signaling to the entire household her disfavor toward Gu Yan Fei.

Yet, throughout this time, Gu Yan Fei remained completely unshaken.

If Old Madam Gu refused to let her pay respects, Gu Yan Fei simply didn’t go. It was as simple as that.

And now, her indifference extended to the current moment. Old Madam Gu’s coldness and disregard didn’t trouble her in the slightest. Gu Yan Fei sat there with elegance, entirely at ease despite the tension in the air, showing not the faintest sign of discomfort.

Neither Old Madam Gu’s apathy, the Duchess of Ying’s disdain, nor Fang Ming Feng’s simmering resentment seemed to touch her. It was as if none of it had anything to do with her.

After pretending to sip her tea with great decorum, the Duchess of Ying finally broke the silence. She placed the pastel teacup painted with Magu presenting longevity flowers back onto the table and spoke first. “Is the Madam truly considering annulling the engagement?”

The Duchess of Ying’s tone was restrained, but it couldn’t completely hide the aggressive undertone in her words.

“…” Old Madam Gu pressed her lips into a thin line.

She certainly didn’t want to annul the engagement. Doing so would mean severing ties with the Fang family completely, turning decades of friendship into enmity. Not only would their long-standing relationship be destroyed, but the two families would become bitter enemies. However, the idea of marrying Gu Yun Rong to Fang Ming Feng was even less acceptable to her.

Fang Ming Feng, while outstanding, could not compare to Kang Wang. Furthermore, offending Kang Wang would be far graver than offending the Fang family.

Initially, Old Madam Gu had planned to use Gu Yan Fei to placate the Fang family. However, with the Empress Dowager’s decree already issued, even if she wanted to push Gu Yan Fei into that role, it was no longer feasible.

As her thoughts churned, the corner of her eye drifted toward Gu Yan Fei, seated on the other side. A dull ache throbbed in her temple.

This wretched girl was nothing but a harbinger of doom!

From the moment she was born, she had brought misfortune. Her birth had cost her mother’s life, and fourteen years after her return to the Marquis’s residence, she had brought calamity upon the Gu family. Their affairs had gone awry, and worse, she had nearly ruined Yun Rong’s bright future!

Old Madam Gu’s gaze darkened as her fingers clenched tightly around the string of prayer beads in her hand. The thoughts that had plagued her for days finally coalesced into one conclusion—if these two girls hadn’t been secretly swapped all those years ago, the Marquis’s household would likely have been ruined long ago under Gu Yan Fei’s ill fortune.

Suppressing her growing irritation, Old Madam Gu set aside her pride and sighed heavily toward the Duchess of Ying. “Ah, it’s my granddaughter’s lack of good fortune…” She had intended to disparage Gu Yan Fei further, but one glance at her and even mentioning her name felt inauspicious. Her tongue pressed hard against her teeth, the tang of iron spreading through her mouth as she bit down on her frustration.

“This engagement… it’s better to annul it,” she finally said, though every word felt as though it was carved out of her bleeding heart.

That last sentence was excruciating to say. Old Madam Gu was well aware of what it meant to sever such a tie.

Normally, when a betrothal was annulled, both families—particularly the man’s—would avoid making a spectacle of it, even if the split was initiated by one side. For the sake of the woman’s reputation, the process was usually kept quiet and discreet, minimizing attention and preserving the dignity of both parties. But in this instance, Old Madam Gu knew there would be no easy way out.

Old Madam Gu’s stance was now clear: she was fully prepared to let the blame for the annulment fall entirely on the girl’s shoulders, claiming it was the bride’s lack of fortune. This not only absolved the Fang family but also served as a way for them to vent their grievances.

The Duchess of Ying’s expression grew stormy, her face clouded like a brewing tempest. Hidden within her sleeves, her delicate, red-tinted hands clenched tightly, her eyes flickering with a mixture of anger, humiliation, and indecision.

This was an unprecedented disgrace for the Fang family! The Duchess of Ying itched to storm out in protest but held herself back with great effort.

Gu Yan Fei, naturally, picked up on Old Madam Gu’s insinuations and also caught the flicker of indignation and hesitation in the Duchess of Ying’s eyes. A thoughtful glint emerged in her gaze.

Gu Yun Rong’s lineage is now “unclear,” yet with the Fang family’s lofty status, it’s unlikely the Duchess of Ying would begrudge losing her as a daughter-in-law. As for me… She smirked inwardly. From what I remember of my past life, the Duchess of Ying never thought highly of me to begin with.

So with things at this point, logically, the Duchess of Ying should have no qualms about ending the engagement. 

Then why is she hesitating? What is holding her back?

In my past life, I was truly blind—both in sight and in heart. I ignored all these irrationalities, shutting myself away in a narrow, self-contained world…