lcionline Chapter 766 What would she gain if she spoke now?
Chapter 766 What would she gain if she spoke now?
The western hills outside the city are overgrown with weeds.
A solitary grave, without a tombstone, just a small mound of earth, looked particularly desolate in the cold winter wind.
Gu Lanxin knelt before the brazier, adding paper money to it one by one. The flickering firelight illuminated her pale face, and her worn indigo jacket and skirt made her look even more pitiful.
Lin Jiayou stood beside her, dressed in a simple gray robe. He was tall and straight like a bamboo, with a gentle face, but his eyes were colder than a deep pool in winter.
The wind swirled the ashes of the paper, sending them flying into the distance.
"Alright," Lin Jiayou said calmly, his voice slightly distorted by the wind.
Gu Lanxin obediently stopped what she was doing. She stood up, dusted off her knees, and walked obediently behind Lin Jiayou, stopping in her tracks.
“Jiayou, your aunt... if she knew in the afterlife, she would be pleased to see you like this now.”
Lin Jiayou didn't turn around, but just looked at the lonely grave, a smile that no one could understand curving his lips.
"Relieved?" He repeated the word softly, his tone tinged with mockery. "If she were truly relieved, she wouldn't have left so easily in the first place."
Gu Lanxin didn't dare to reply and could only stand there in silence.
Lin Jiayou finally turned around, his gaze falling on her face. His scrutinizing look made her feel extremely uncomfortable.
"Have you heard about what happened in the manor last night?" he asked.
Gu Lanxin's heart tightened, and she quickly nodded, "I've heard about it."
"Give your opinion."
Gu Lanxin was taken aback; she hadn't expected Lin Jiayou to ask her that.
She twisted the hem of her clothes, carefully choosing her words: "Qingchen, she... she was probably just confused for a moment. Young Master Qian grew up with her, perhaps he was deceived by a villain, which is why... he did such an absurd thing."
“Absurd?” Lin Jiayou laughed, but the laughter didn’t reach his eyes. “I think she’s perfectly clear-headed.”
Gu Lanxin lowered her head, not daring to say another word.
A mountain breeze blew by, lifting her hair. She felt a little cold and instinctively pulled her coat tighter.
Looking at the incomparably handsome man before her, her humble love and immense fear intertwined, giving her the greatest courage of her life.
Her hand quietly touched her lower abdomen.
The movement was very light, carrying a sense of anticipation and reverence that she herself was unaware of.
She looked up to meet his gaze, her voice trembling slightly, "I... have something I want to tell you."
This was her last and only bargaining chip.
Lin Jiayou's gaze lingered on her face for a moment, then, as if he hadn't seen her meaningful gesture and look, he casually looked away.
"Was she punished by the Duke after she returned to the manor?"
Gu Lanxin's voice stopped abruptly.
Her hand, which was resting on her lower abdomen, froze instantly; her fingertips were icy cold.
The words that were already on the tip of her tongue were abruptly swallowed back, leaving her with a dull ache in her chest.
She stared blankly at Lin Jiayou, as if she hadn't heard what he had just said.
Lin Jiayou seemed unaware of her unusual behavior, or perhaps he simply didn't care.
He took two steps forward, his gaze fixed on the direction of the capital.
"How was she feeling today? Did she say anything? Who did she see?"
Every word he asked was related to Gu Qingchen.
Gu Lanxin stood there, the mountain wind making her slender body sway slightly. Slowly, very slowly, she lowered her stiff hand.
A bone-chilling coldness spread from the deepest part of my heart, instantly reaching every part of my body.
It is a thousand times, a hundred times colder than the cold wind in the Western Hills.
She felt like a huge joke.
Filled with her last hope and a desperate courage, she wanted to tell him that they were now bound together by the strongest bond.
But in his heart and in his eyes, there was only another woman from beginning to end.
A bitter smile appeared on Gu Lanxin's lips, a smile more unsightly than tears.
"I don't know." Her voice was soft and cold, like ashes scattered by a cold wind.
Lin Jiayou's brows furrowed almost imperceptibly. He turned his head and looked at her again: "What?"
“I said, I don’t know.” Gu Lanxin finally raised her head, looked directly into his unfathomable eyes, and repeated word by word, “I don’t know how Qingchen is feeling, I don’t know what she said, and I don’t know who she met.”
Lin Jiayou's gaze darkened: "Didn't you see her this morning?"
"I saw her." Gu Lanxin smiled, a smile tinged with self-mockery and resolve. "Young Master Lin, have you forgotten? I am but an orphan, living under someone else's roof, with no one to rely on. Qingchen is the legitimate daughter of the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion, a noble and precious young lady. How could I possibly concern myself with her affairs? How could I possibly be worthy of knowing?"
These words, sharp as thorns, made Lin Jiayou's heart skip a beat.
He looked at Gu Lanxin in front of him. She was no longer the docile and obedient woman who always looked at him with affection and love in her eyes.
At this moment, she was like a wild grass driven to the brink of despair in the cold wind, her whole body bristling with defensive thorns.
"Lanxin, what's wrong with you?" Lin Jiayou's voice softened instantly. He stepped forward, wanting to take her hand, his tone carrying just the right amount of confusion and heartache. "Why did you say such hurtful things to me?"
Gu Lanxin subconsciously took a step back, avoiding his touch.
This subtle movement caused a shadow to flash across Lin Jiayou's eyes, but his face revealed an even gentler expression.
"You've misunderstood me." He sighed, his voice full of helplessness and doting affection.
"Everything I've done is for our future. Lanxin, I just want to give you a legitimate identity as soon as possible, so you don't have to be at the mercy of anyone else. Don't you know that?"
Gu Lanxin's heart trembled at his words.
Looking at his handsome face and listening to his gentle and affectionate words, the ice she had just built seemed to show signs of cracking.
Was she wrong? Was she overthinking things and being too sensitive?
Seeing her expression soften, Lin Jiayou sneered inwardly, but his face showed even more guilt. He stepped forward again, and this time, without saying a word, he took her cold hand and pulled her into his arms.
"I'm sorry, it's my fault." He rested his chin on the top of her head, his voice deep and magnetic, with a fatal allure. "I only cared about our future and neglected your feelings, which made you suffer."
"I'm just... just so scared." Gu Lanxin leaned against his chest, feeling the unreal warmth, her voice trembling with tears, "Jiayou, I'm scared. I have nothing left, I only have you."
"Silly girl." Lin Jiayou gently patted her back, as if comforting a naive child. "With me here, you don't have to be afraid of anything. You have to trust me."
He paused, then asked casually, "Did you have something you wanted to say to me just now?"
Gu Lanxin froze.
The words that were already on the tip of her tongue, the secret that concerned her honor and disgrace and her future, were now as if weighed down by a boulder, and she could no longer utter them.
His coldness just now and his gentleness now are simply because she threw a tantrum, and he's afraid she'll get out of control.
What would she gain if she told him now?
Perhaps, it will only make him feel that he has another handle to use against him.
Gu Lanxin buried her face in his arms and slowly shook her head.
"It's nothing," she said in a muffled voice. "I just...didn't sleep well last night and was overthinking things."
"That's good." A triumphant smile curved Lin Jiayou's lips as he released her and gently wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes.
"Listen to me, go back to the manor first. Remember, especially in times like these, you must remain calm and not lose your composure."
His tone regained its former composed and strategic air.
"Keep a close eye on her for me."