Madam Ye's tone made Gu Jiangyue feel uncomfortable. But out of respect for the old matriarch, she still curtsied politely. "Yes."
Madam Ye snorted, seemingly dissatisfied with Gu Jiangyue's cold and aloof demeanor.
"I wonder what our Ran'er sees in you. He insisted on marrying you. Well, let's set the wedding date."
She held her head high, sizing up Gu Jiangyue with a disdainful look in her eyes.
"You've got a good look, and judging from your figure, you should be fertile."
Gu Jiangyue didn't say a word. She just stared at Madam Ye calmly, trying to come up with a countermeasure. She never expected this woman to be so tough.
Seeing that Gu Jiangyue remained silent, Madam Ye grew impatient. Frowning, she spoke again.
"What are you hesitating about? It's a great honor for your Gu family to marry into our Lin family. Don't be ungrateful. Who are you showing that face to?"
Her voice was not loud, but the old matriarch and Gu Jiangyue heard every word clearly.
Gu Jiangyue was about to retort when the old matriarch interrupted her.
Although the Gu family was not as powerful as the Lin family, it didn't mean they could be insulted at will.
If Madam Ye treated her like this before the wedding, Gu Jiangyue couldn't imagine what would happen if she really married into the Lin family.
"Madam Ye, I think we should take our time with this. We need to plan carefully."
The old matriarch's tone turned cold instantly.
Although the old matriarch rarely left the Gu mansion, she had people keep her informed of what was going on in the capital. She knew what kind of person Lin Yeran was.
She had initially thought that if Lin Yeran treated Gu Jiangyue sincerely, it wouldn't be a bad idea for her to marry into the Lin family. But after seeing Madam Ye's overbearing and unreasonable attitude, she suddenly changed her mind. Gu Jiangyue was more valuable staying in the Gu mansion.
If Gu Jiangyue married into the Lin family, Lin Yeran would soon get tired of her. That would be a great disgrace to the Gu family.
Hearing the old matriarch's words, Gu Jiangyue heaved a sigh of relief. Only the third branch of the Gu family knew about her engagement to Xie Chengrui.
It was probably the third branch that had been keeping this a secret from the rest of the Gu family. If this got out, Gu Zhengwan would no longer be the most favored one.
Even in her previous life, Gu Jiangyue had almost been kept in the dark. She had been deceived by her so - called good sister Gu Zhengwan and had helped her keep the secret from the old matriarch for a long time.
Gu Jiangyue hated false pretense the most. After being reborn, she had finally seen Xie Chengrui for who he really was. She would never marry him.
It was ridiculous that under the influence of the third branch, she had been so happy when she learned about her engagement to Xie Chengrui. In the end, she had just been a pawn.
Gu Jiangyue didn't plan to tell the old matriarch about this for now. If the old matriarch found out, it would be extremely difficult for her to break off the engagement.
Although Xie Chengrui was not highly regarded by the emperor, he was very good at putting on a show. So he had a good reputation among the common people.
But Gu Jiangyue was not going to be deceived by him. She not only wanted to break off the engagement but also find a way to give it to her dear sister. Didn't Gu Zhengwan have a crush on Xie Chengrui? She was even willing to be a despised mistress.
Well, Gu Jiangyue might as well be a good person and let this loving couple be together. She also wanted Gu Zhengwan to taste the bitterness of having her plans fall through and being used until the end.
Madam Ye had been chatting with the old matriarch nicely before, but now she was going back on her word. A flash of hatred crossed Madam Ye's eyes. With the power of the Lin family, it was already a great honor for them to come to the Gu family to propose marriage in person. But these people from the Gu family were so ungrateful.
Gu Jiangyue showed no extra expression on her face. She still stood respectfully to one side, watching Madam Ye's heavily - made - up face change expressions. Gu Jiangyue was constantly thinking of a countermeasure. Suddenly, she thought of someone.
Gu Zhuying.
Gu Zhuying was not a legitimate daughter. She was a concubine's daughter. The old matriarch valued status the most, so she didn't have much affection for Gu Zhuying. Why not take advantage of this and let the Lin family marry Gu Zhuying?
It didn't matter if she became a concubine. In this way, the Gu family could establish a relationship with the Lin family by sacrificing a concubine's daughter, maximizing their interests. The old matriarch would surely be satisfied.
But first, she had to get rid of Madam Ye so that she could make a good plan.
"The matter of marriage can't be rushed. Madam Ye, could you give me a few days to think it over?"
Seeing that Gu Jiangyue's attitude was still respectful, Madam Ye's anger subsided a little.
But she still rolled her eyes.
"What's there to think about? You won't be mistreated if you marry into our Lin family."
She stayed in the Gu mansion for a while longer, trying to use her status and power to pressure Gu Jiangyue into marrying Lin Yeran directly. But she found that this young woman always had a cold and calm expression, and her attitude was very firm. She didn't seem to be persuaded at all.
Madam Ye was too lazy to waste any more words. She stood up, flung her silk handkerchief angrily, and turned to leave.
She thought it was unlikely that they would be able to marry Gu Jiangyue. Although her proposal today had a bit of a coercive tone, in the eyes of others, she was still negotiating. If people found out that the Lin family was forcing a marriage, it wouldn't do them any good.
She had to go back and talk to Lin Yeran. Gu Jiangyue was calm and composed in the face of difficulties. She didn't seem to be an easy person to deal with. Madam Ye might not be able to outwit her in the future. It would be better for Lin Yeran to choose someone else.
Watching Madam Ye's swaying figure leave, the old matriarch on the main seat let out a long sigh. A look of anxiety appeared on her wrinkled face.
"Jiangyue, I feel sorry for you."
With the current power of the Lin mansion, the Gu family really didn't stand a chance.
But so what? As long as there was a chance, Gu Jiangyue would give it a try. She had been reborn, and this time she had to take control of her own destiny. She would fight back.
"Grandmother, don't be too worried. What if Young Master Lin loses interest in me?"
Gu Jiangyue showed no expression on her face, and her tone was cold.
Gu Jiangyue's calm demeanor caught the old matriarch's attention. But the old matriarch still shook her head gently. There was no other way. She could only comfort herself like this.
When the old matriarch wasn't looking, a faint smile appeared on Gu Jiangyue's lips. She had already come up with a countermeasure. But after the initial excitement, she frowned slightly.
Because she didn't know if Xie Jiuan would help her, or what the price would be.