The weather was cold, and Gu Liyue wasn't very keen on going out. But she also thought it was boring to stay at home all day, overthinking things, so she simply agreed.
When the weather cleared up, Qin Caiyin really came early to pick up Gu Liyue. The two of them went to a teahouse together and ordered to listen to the latest story.
Qin Caiyin propped her chin up and nibbled on snacks absent - mindedly. She didn't seem to be in a good mood.
Gu Liyue asked curiously, "Caiyin, what's wrong? You don't look happy at all today."
Qin Caiyin pouted and said, "You don't know. I was so angry before. It was on the day of my elder sister's wedding... After all, it's a family scandal. I've endured it for so many days without telling you."
Gu Liyue asked, "What happened?"
Qin Caiyin said, "It's all that thick - skinned Qin Jinyin. That day, your Gu family didn't invite the Jiang family to the mansion. But our family, since we're going to be in - laws with the Jiang family, invited them. Just recently, when Jiang Che went out, he asked a friend to bring back a fine inkstone. He knew that I usually like painting, so he wanted to give the inkstone to me."
Gu Liyue nodded. She thought it was a good thing. Jiang Che remembered Caiyin and tried to please her. Unlike Lu Jinchen, who only sent a basket of oranges, and not just for her.
"And then?"
Qin Caiyin continued, "But that day, I was accompanying my elder sister and saw her off. When Jiang Che came to look for me, I happened to be away. Only Qin Jinyin was there. Jiang Che didn't know that we didn't get along well, so he gave the inkstone to Qin Jinyin and asked her to pass it on to me."
Gu Liyue was stunned. "Didn't she pass it on to you?"
Qin Caiyin sneered. "Not only didn't she pass it on to me, but she secretly met Jiang Che the next day and returned the inkstone to him, saying that I had an affair with my maternal cousin."
Gu Liyue was shocked. "This... And then? Did Jiang Che believe it?"
Qin Caiyin gritted her teeth and stamped her feet. "That stupid guy actually believed it and was sad for a long time. Fortunately, he wasn't too stupid. He didn't fall for Qin Jinyin's seduction, and he didn't take the initiative to break off the engagement. Otherwise, I would have asked my elder brother to break his legs."
Gu Liyue was so anxious when she heard Qin Caiyin stop at the crucial moment. "Caiyin, you're not a storyteller. There's no such thing as 'to be continued'! Hurry up and tell me."
Qin Caiyin sighed. "I just don't know how to tell you. Jiang Che thought I had betrayed him and was in a bad mood. Then Qin Jinyin used the excuse of comforting him and often met him. Fortunately, Jiang Che wasn't that stupid. When Qin Jinyin looked for him, he ignored her. Later, Qin Jinyin deliberately spread the word that I was in love with my cousin and that they met secretly. She lured Jiang Che out, saying she would take him to see it."
"Coincidentally, that day, I really went out with my cousin. We happened to meet them on the street. Jiang Che was so angry that he questioned me on the spot, and that's how this whole thing came out. I was so angry. Now our family is in a complete mess because of this."
Gu Liyue blinked. "So, does Jiang Che know he was deceived?"
Qin Caiyin pouted. "Anyway, I haven't talked to him for more than ten days. He's not on duty now, and he comes to my house every day, bringing all kinds of things, begging for my forgiveness. I want to break off the engagement, but my parents think he's quite sincere. If I break off the engagement for no reason, my reputation will be even worse. But I'm still so angry."
Gu Liyue didn't know how to comfort her. She just shook her head and said, "You have to be prepared. Although I'm not very familiar with Jiang Che, I know him a little. His character is just okay. As the youngest or the eldest son in the family, he's the most favored, so he may not think things through before speaking or acting. If you really marry him, you may have a hard time in the future. You'll have to worry about him a lot."
"You also think he's no good?" Qin Caiyin asked, but she seemed dejected. Clearly, she was reluctant to let him go.
Gu Liyue shook her head again. "No, I think his simple - minded personality also has its advantages. At least his heart is clear at a glance. There are no so many twists and turns. There will be fewer troubles between husband and wife."
Qin Caiyin's eyes immediately lit up, and a shy blush appeared on her cheeks. "You think so too?"
Gu Liyue found it funny. She knew that Qin Caiyin wasn't really asking for her opinion. She just wanted to use her words to strengthen her own determination. Of course, she wouldn't say this out loud. She just smiled and said, "Yes, I think so too. Generally speaking, getting married is all the same. If you expect a man to be perfect and handle everything for you without you having to worry, then you'll have to take care of the inside affairs. If the two of you are not of one mind, you'll only have a harder time."
Qin Caiyin immediately nodded. "Yes, I think you're right. My elder sister also said that if Jiang Che were too sensible and considerate, with my personality, I wouldn't be able to handle him. If you can't handle a man, when he likes you, everything is good. But if he doesn't like you anymore, you'll become useless."
Gu Liyue paused. Yes, if you can't handle a man, when he likes you, everything is good. But if he doesn't? Even though she had the support of the Gu family, Lu Jinchen wasn't the kind of person who would compromise easily.
Where would she and Lu Jinchen end up in the future?
Qin Caiyin continued, "Anyway, now my mother is really angry. She wants to split the family. Actually, after my grandfather and grandmother passed away, the family should have been split up. But my second uncle's family has been relying on ours and refuses to leave. Isn't it because they're afraid that their lives will be worse off if they leave our family?"
This wasn't entirely true. Aristocratic families valued prosperity. After the elders passed away, some children would split up the family, while others wouldn't. The Qin family had been rising steadily in recent years. It was a time when they needed to be united and strive for progress together. If the direct - line descendants stayed together without splitting up, Lord Qin could better lead his sons and nephews to expand the Qin family.
But if they were constantly in turmoil, staying together would only add to the troubles.
Qin Caiyin whispered in her ear, "My cousin is quite knowledgeable. My father likes him very much. So, my mother has mentioned splitting up the family several times, but my father has been hesitant. After all, if the family splits up, it won't be as good for my cousin to enter officialdom. But now that Qin Jinyin and her mother have done such things and angered my father, after the New Year, the family should be split up."
Gu Liyue nodded. "In this way, your mother can have a more peaceful life."
Qin Caiyin looked quite proud. "Naturally. You don't know how submissive my aunt is at home now. She just wanted her daughter to marry into a high - ranking family, but she ended up losing everything. It's really not worth it."
Gu Liyue and Qin Caiyin chatted for a while. Gu Liyue felt that the fire in the teahouse was too strong, so she got up and opened the window near the corridor to get some fresh air.
As soon as she opened the window, she saw two people coming up the stairs. They were the most familiar faces.
The young man was Lu Jinchen, the one she missed day and night, and the young woman was Shu Mingzhu.