Outside the main gate of the Gu family, Mrs. Jiang supported the old lady. It was freezing cold. She was still young and could endure it, but her mother - in - law had always been in poor health. She had been standing in the cold wind for almost two hours.
She comforted her, "Mother - in - law, why don't I wait here? I'll send someone to fetch you as soon as there's any news."
Mrs. Jiang had been saying this all morning, but the old lady didn't listen to a single word.
The old lady coughed twice and stared eagerly outside. Shaking her head, she said, "My granddaughter is about to come back. I want to see her."
Gu Liyue and Yunniang were sitting in the carriage, both in a flurry of nerves. She had agreed to return in a daze. It wasn't that she was longing for this unfamiliar home. She just thought that if she could come back, maybe Lu Jinchen wouldn't have to wander the world with her.
Even though they had shared a kiss, Gu Liyue always felt that their relationship wasn't real. If she really let Lu Jinchen follow her away without a second thought, she was worried that he might regret it in the future.
Now that they were in the capital and the carriage was moving forward, she felt uneasy again. She was back in the capital, this cannibalistic place. What was waiting for her?
The Gu family members all seemed amiable, but didn't the Feng and Jiang families seem the same at first? If the Gu family really missed her, why hadn't they looked for her or her father all these years? Gu Chengzhi had been so harsh to her before. If all the Gu family members were like him, what would happen to her in the future...
However, Lord Gu from the Supreme Court of Judicature, although serious, didn't seem difficult to get along with.
The carriage stopped. Gu Chengzhi's voice came, "Sister, we're home. Grandmother is waiting at the gate. Hurry and get out."
Gu Liyue tried hard to suppress her panic. She lifted the curtain and looked out. The carriage had stopped at the main gate. It was different from before. In the past, no matter where she went, the carriage always stopped at the side gate or far away. She had to walk for a while to reach the main gate.
There was an old woman standing outside the main gate, along with two middle - aged women. Around them were a circle of maids and nannies. They all looked kind - faced.
But Gu Liyue felt even more uneasy. She had seen Mrs. Jiang, who also looked kind - faced. Most of the ladies in the capital were like this, but they had too many hidden motives. Such motives made her want to escape.
The old lady of the Gu family quickly stepped forward and reached out her hand to help Gu Liyue out.
Gu Chengzhi naturally wouldn't let his elderly grandmother do it. He quickly helped Gu Liyue out of the carriage and said, "Sister, this is grandmother, this is aunt, and this is my mother, your second aunt."
Gu Liyue had learned the proper etiquette. She lowered her eyebrows and greeted them one by one. Seeing Yunniang lagging behind, she quickly grabbed her hand. No matter where she was, she was determined not to be separated from Yunniang.
The old lady of the Gu family was overjoyed. She reached out to touch Gu Liyue's hand, but Gu Liyue dodged. She wasn't angry. Then she looked at Yunniang and asked, "Are you the one who raised Liyue?"
Yunniang quickly gestured, "Liyue is the young mistress. It's my duty to serve her."
Gu Liyue quickly grabbed her and said, "Yunniang is my aunt. She's not a servant and has never sold herself into servitude."
Yunniang had sold herself voluntarily, but there was no contract of indenture. Strictly speaking, she wasn't a servant.
The old lady of the Gu family lowered her eyebrows and bowed to Yunniang. All the people in the Gu family quickly bowed to Yunniang too.
Yunniang was startled and waved her hands repeatedly, "This is not appropriate. This is not appropriate."
Seeing their uneasiness, Mrs. Jiang said with a smile, "Mother - in - law, Liyue has finally come back. She doesn't look well. Let's go inside and talk."
The old lady of the Gu family nodded repeatedly, "That's right, that's right. Come on, Liyue, follow grandmother. Let's go inside."
Mrs. Jiang and Mrs. Qin stepped back two steps to let Gu Liyue support the old lady. But Gu Liyue still refused to be separated from Yunniang. She tightly grabbed Yunniang's hand with her other hand.
When they reached the main hall, the old lady of the Gu family asked Gu Liyue to sit beside her and asked Yunniang to sit next to Gu Liyue.
Yunniang didn't dare to sit. She hesitated and wanted to stand behind Gu Liyue.
The old lady of the Gu family quickly waved her hand and said, "You've taken care of Liyue until she's grown up. You're a benefactor of our Gu family. You should sit in the upper seat. But now, because of my seniority, I'm already very embarrassed to ask you to sit in the lower seat. How can I let you stand?"
Yunniang couldn't decline. She sat down with her body tilted, looking nervously at everyone in the room.
Mrs. Jiang had already asked someone to serve refreshments. She personally brought them to Gu Liyue and Yunniang and said, "It's cold outside. Drink some hot tea to warm up. Don't catch a cold."
The old lady of the Gu family stroked Gu Liyue's hand and said, "It's good that you're back. It's good that you're back. Liyue, you've suffered too much before. From now on, you have your grandparents and this big family of relatives. We'll make up for all your past grievances."
Seeing that Gu Liyue was quiet, she didn't urge her. Instead, she turned to Mrs. Jiang and asked, "Is Liyue's courtyard ready?"
Mrs. Jiang replied, "Don't worry, mother - in - law. Everything is ready. We originally planned to arrange her in the Changhe Pavilion in the East Courtyard. But the second sister - in - law said it wasn't quiet enough and not big enough. It would take time to renovate it, so we tidied up the Zhuyue Tower where she usually lives."
The old lady of the Gu family nodded reassuringly and said to Gu Liyue, "Your second aunt is not in good health. The Zhuyue Tower is a nice place. There's a hot spring there. We've built a small hot spring pool. You can take a hot spring bath from time to time to take care of your health in the future."
Gu Liyue hesitated and asked, "What about my second aunt then..."
Mrs. Qin smiled and said, "Liyue, don't worry. I have my own courtyard. Moreover, I'm much better now. You can just stay there at ease."
Mrs. Jiang added, "We've arranged the female doctors and maids properly. I thought you probably couldn't be separated from your aunt, so I didn't arrange a separate courtyard for her. If you need one in the future, just tell me, okay?"
Gu Liyue was grateful for Mrs. Jiang's thoughtfulness. She quickly thanked her again and again.
The old lady of the Gu family said, "Alright, Liyue must be tired. Didn't you rest well last night? Come on, grandmother will take you to see your courtyard. If there's anything you're not satisfied with, just tell your aunt. Your aunt and your eldest sister - in - law take care of all the affairs in the family. If you're too shy to say it, tell grandmother. It's the same, okay?"
Gu Liyue looked at everyone and found that they all looked the same. Even though they weren't overly enthusiastic, she could feel their excitement. They probably wanted to take good care of her warmly but were always afraid of scaring her.
She felt a warm feeling in her heart, but she just shook her head and said, "Grandmother, just based on a piece of jewelry, you're sure I'm a girl from the Gu family. What if we find out we're wrong in the future?"
The old lady of the Gu family said, "How could it be wrong? The moment I saw you, I knew you were my granddaughter."
The old master of the Gu family also laughed, "That's right. I was still a bit doubtful at first, but when I saw Liyue, I knew she was our family's girl. There's no way we could be wrong."
But Gu Liyue gently withdrew her hand and said cautiously, "But I think it's better to make it clear."
The old master of the Gu family was about to say something else when Lord Gu spoke up, "If Liyue is worried, then let's ask. Just say whatever you know or don't know. Since your aunt has taken care of you since childhood, she must know your parents. Can you let her tell us?"
Yunniang couldn't speak. Lord Gu just asked, "Liyue's biological father's name is Gu Shuxian. He changed his name to avoid suspicion and has been called Gu Xian ever since. Is that right?"
Yunniang's eyes lit up and she nodded desperately.