No one knew where Qi Xuan had taken Gu Liyue. The entire Qi family was at their wits' end. They had searched every corner of their estates but couldn't find them. Soon it was afternoon. If the young lady remained missing for much longer and wasn't found before nightfall, her reputation would be completely ruined.
Jiang was sitting in the main hall. She had ordered people to keep Liyue's disappearance a secret from her in - laws, but it couldn't last long.
Now she seemed numb. All she could do was pray in her heart, praying that none of the children would get into trouble, praying that her husband, her husband's second brother, and their sons would come back soon.
Gu Zhongxian returned quickly. He strode in and looked at Jiang and Qin in surprise. "Why are you two here?"
Qin rushed forward. "Husband, didn't you say you'd be back in four or five days? You left yesterday. Why are you back today?"
Gu Zhongxian sighed helplessly. "Xu Nian... escaped from prison."
Jiang's eyelids twitched heavily. "Escaped? What happened?"
Gu Zhongxian said, "We've reported it to the Queen and the Crown Prince. Not long after we escorted him out of the capital, we encountered a well - trained group of black - clothed men who hijacked Xu Nian away."
Jiang frowned. "Does Xu Nian have accomplices?"
Gu Zhongxian pondered for a moment before saying, "I suspect someone deliberately took Xu Nian away and pretended to be a prison hijacking."
Jiang turned pale instantly. "You mean someone deliberately hijacked the prisoner to frame you? Why would they do that? Who is the Gu family getting in the way of?"
Gu Zhongxian was puzzled. "Sister - in - law, why do you say that? I wasn't the only one escorting the important criminal. Those people weren't targeting me specifically."
But Jiang just shed tears. "There's a problem with your task, so you're naturally responsible. Everyone else is having problems one after another. Isn't someone deliberately trying to bring down our Gu family?"
Qin quickly told Gu Zhongxian everything about Gu Liyue's disappearance.
Gu Zhongxian was in a daze for a long time. When he came to his senses, he didn't even change his clothes before going out with his servants.
...
Gu Liyue slowly woke up. It was pitch - black all around. She couldn't tell which direction she was facing or whether it was day or night. She tried to move and found that her hands and feet were tied.
Just then, the door creaked open. The sunlight from outside shone in. Gu Liyue wasn't used to it and instinctively closed her eyes.
A girl who looked like a maid walked in and opened all the windows.
Only then did Gu Liyue realize that it was daytime. This room was in a courtyard. The spring scenery outside looked nice, but she didn't know exactly where she was.
The maid poured a bowl of water and fed it to Gu Liyue. Then she walked out silently.
Gu Liyue was sitting on a chair, with her hands, feet, and the chair all tied together. Her head could move freely, but her body couldn't. Where had Qi Xuan tied her up? Why was there no one around? What about Lu Yunxi and Cheng Yinyin? They should know to look for her family, right?
But then she thought that except for her frail grandfather, there were no other men in the family. Even if they told the family, they might not know how to rescue her.
Gu Liyue was a bit anxious. She had been on guard when going out, and the people guarding her were reliable and would never be replaced. But she never thought she would be kidnapped on the street.
After a while of random thoughts, the door opened again. This time, it was a familiar face, Qi Manyan.
So it was her. Thinking about it, she had no feud with the Qi family except with Qi Manyan.
Qi Manyan looked a bit haggard. She still had that aloof and beautiful appearance. She slowly walked up to Gu Liyue, raised her hand, and gently stroked Gu Liyue's face. Suddenly, she laughed. "You've only been in the capital for less than two years, but your face has become so delicate."
Gu Liyue didn't say a word.
Qi Manyan then raised her hand to touch her own face. "But I've had rough skin all my life. How could I improve it in just two years? Do you want to touch my face? Let you feel what skin that has been carefully nurtured since childhood is like?"
Gu Liyue said indifferently, "No need. I'm not interested in you."
Qi Manyan covered her mouth and giggled. "You're so interesting... No wonder he's so crazy about you. Gu Liyue, you're very happy, aren't you? You've even outshone me, the number - one beauty in the capital. You're so proud, aren't you?"
Gu Liyue lowered her eyes and still didn't say a word.
But Qi Manyan got angry. She forcefully pinched Gu Liyue's chin, and her long fingernails scratched Gu Liyue's face.
She laughed proudly. "Snow - white skin and bright red blood. Gu Liyue, many people said that you were born beautiful. If you were born in the capital, you should be the number - one beauty. They haven't seen you like this. If they did, they would know what real beauty is... the most extreme, broken beauty..."
Gu Liyue frowned. The pain on her cheek was unbearable, but she couldn't break free. She looked at Qi Manyan. Such a peerless beauty now had excitement in her eyes.
Qi Manyan was crazy.
"Is it really worth it for a man?"
Gu Liyue's casual words made Qi Manyan widen her eyes.
"What did you say? You said... don't you love him the most? How could you say such a thing?"
Gu Liyue sighed softly. "I don't understand. You're a noble lady from a prominent family. You've been pampered since childhood and are envied by everyone. You can have anyone you want. Why have you become like this for a man?"
Qi Manyan fell silent and loosened her hand. She walked to a chair on the other side and sat down. She seemed a bit dazed and also a bit sad.
"I remember you had a fiancé before."
Gu Liyue nodded. "Yes. It was you who spread that news everywhere back then, right?"
Qi Manyan forced a bitter smile. "Yes, it was me. I naively thought that after you were engaged and then brutally abandoned by another man, he would leave you. But he didn't. I helped the Liu family just to see you lose your reputation. But he saved you regardless. I... yes, I later spread the news about you. I didn't expect that after he found out, he didn't care about our childhood friendship at all. Hahaha, how ridiculous. How ridiculous men can be when they're heartless. You've experienced it too, haven't you?"
Gu Liyue frowned. "Really? I haven't experienced it. Feng Lanqing isn't worthy of making me feel ridiculous. On the contrary, you and Lu Jinchen weren't engaged and had no actual contact. It's not wrong for him to choose someone else."
Qi Manyan stood up angrily. "You know nothing. You don't know the little things between him and me. You don't even know how good he was to me - his adoptive father. You know him now. He took me to meet his adoptive father. What about you? You're engaged to him, but he's never taken you to meet him, right? That's his real family!"