lcionline Chapter 765 In the future, he will definitely be able to do even more for me.
Chapter 765 In the future, he will definitely be able to do even more for me.
The sound of firecrackers outside the window had become sparse, and the night was as thick as ink that could not be dissolved.
Lin Jiayou sat upright behind his desk, his fingertips tapping the surface intermittently, producing a dull thud. He was waiting for news.
A dark figure slipped in silently, knelt on one knee, and lowered his head.
"Speak," Lin Jiayou said, his voice devoid of any warmth.
"Something has happened in the palace." The person's voice was suppressed with panting. "At the New Year's Eve palace banquet, Princess Jiahe stumbled upon Miss Gu and Qian Zhenyun's secret rendezvous in the plum grove of the Imperial Garden."
Lin Jiayou's fingers, which were tapping the table, suddenly stopped.
He slowly raised his eyes, his gaze deep and unfathomable, as if covered by a thin layer of ice. "A secret rendezvous?"
"Yes." The visitor dared not raise his head. "Princess Jiahe shouted loudly on the spot, attracting His Majesty, the Empress, and His Highness the Crown Prince, as well as all the guests of the court. I heard that at that time, Miss Gu and Young Master Qian... were pulling and tugging at each other, behaving intimately."
The air in the study seemed to freeze instantly.
Lin Jiayou's expression gradually darkened, and a crack appeared on his gentle, jade-like mask.
Qian Zhenyun.
How could it be Qian Zhenyun?
That mere attendant who only followed the Crown Prince around, obsequiously and without any accomplishments?
"What did Gu Qingchen say?" Lin Jiayou asked, his voice hoarse.
"Miss Gu...Miss Gu publicly admitted that she and Mr. Qian were in love, and said that love between men and women is a natural thing, and it is not His Highness's place to comment."
"boom!"
Lin Jiayou snapped the wolf-hair brush in his hand. Ink splattered out, leaving several glaring stains on the back of his fair hand.
He stared intently at those few ink marks, as if trying to see through them.
Mutual affection?
He did so much to make her his possession, yet she turned around and fell in love with a man he looked down on.
Was everything he had done in vain?
"And then?" he practically spat out the words through clenched teeth.
"Later, the Duke of Zhenguo intervened and said that the Gu family daughter would only take in a son-in-law and not marry out. In the end, the Empress intervened and suppressed the matter, saying that it was just a quarrel between the younger generation and that Zhang Mama would take Miss Gu to the side hall to wash up."
The Empress suppressed it?
The rage in Lin Jiayou's eyes gradually faded, replaced by a sinister calculation.
This is unlike Gu Qingchen's usual style.
She was intelligent, but she never hesitated to act decisively. If she had truly fallen for Qian Zhenyun, given her personality, she would never have allowed the Empress to suppress the matter so easily.
Unless, this is acting.
A thought flashed through his mind like lightning.
break off an engagement.
This was a scheme set up by Gu Qingchen to annul the engagement.
But why Qian Zhenyun? Using a prince's trusted companion to perform this play is a recipe for disaster; the slightest misstep could lead to utter ruin.
Suddenly, Lin Jiayou recalled the words his mother had said to him on her deathbed, as she held his hand and spoke in her last breath.
A woman is capable of anything once she falls in love with you.
Could it be that this isn't acting?
Could it be that Gu Qingchen is really willing to take such a risk, sacrificing his reputation and the dignity of the entire Zhenguo Duke's Mansion, all for Qian Zhenyun?
This thought was even more unbearable for him than the feeling of betrayal he had just experienced.
He could accept Gu Qingchen's scheming, but he couldn't tolerate her giving her heart to such a mediocre man.
He slowly wiped the ink from the back of his hand with a silk handkerchief, his movements gentle, but his eyes grew increasingly deep.
He stood up, walked to the window, and opened it. A gust of cold wind, carrying the smell of gunpowder, rushed in, clearing his chaotic thoughts.
Whether it's acting or genuine emotion.
Gu Qingchen, you can only be mine. Anyone who dares to take you from me will die.
"Go check," he said calmly, gazing out at the night sky.
The figure behind him bowed and accepted the order: "What do you want to investigate?"
"Qian Zhenyun." Lin Jiayou's voice was exceptionally clear in the night wind. "I need to know everything about him, his likes and dislikes, his weaknesses, and his father, who is a highly skilled doctor..."
"Row."
The dark figure disappeared into the night.
Lin Jiayou closed the window again, shutting out the cold from outside. He returned to his desk, looking at the pen he had broken, a fierce glint in his eyes.
Qingchen, you've gone to such lengths for Qian Zhenyun.
In the future, they will surely be able to do even more for me.
On the first day of the new year, an eerie silence enveloped the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion. It seemed that the farce that had unfolded in the palace the previous night had already spread to every corner of the mansion.
Gu Qingchen put on a coat, pushed open the door, and wanted to go for a walk in the garden to get some fresh air and clear his head.
The morning air carried the chill of fresh snow, and inhaling it calmed her chaotic thoughts.
She walked slowly along the covered walkway, and just after passing a clump of green bamboo, she saw a familiar figure about to slip out through the side door in the distance.
Today, Gu Lanxin was wearing a slightly worn indigo-blue jacket and skirt, with only a silver hairpin in her hair. She dressed very modestly and was peeking around. When she saw that no one was around, she lifted her skirt and walked quickly toward the side door.
Did Mom make her several new outfits? Why is she wearing the old ones?
"Sister Lan," Gu Qingchen said calmly.
The sound wasn't loud, but it made Gu Lanxin's body stiffen abruptly, like a startled rabbit, her whole body tense up.
She turned around and saw Gu Qingchen. She forced a smile that looked more like a grimace, her eyes darting away, unable to meet her gaze.
"Qingchen, you, you're getting up."
Gu Qingchen walked slowly forward, looked her up and down, and asked, "So early, where are you going, sister?"
Gu Lanxin subconsciously hid the small bundle in her hand behind her back and hurriedly replied, "I...I'm going to Ganlu Temple outside the city to offer incense and pray for my uncle and aunt."
"Really?" Gu Qingchen's tone was unreadable. "Today is the first day of the Lunar New Year. The temples in the city are crowded with people. Why did you choose the one furthest outside the city, sister?"
"I..." Gu Lanxin was speechless when asked the question. Fine beads of cold sweat appeared on her forehead, and her eyes became even more flustered. "I... I just felt that Ganluo Temple was more... more effective. Yes, more effective."
As she spoke, she unconsciously took a step back, seemingly eager to escape Gu Qingchen's gaze.
Looking at her like this, Gu Qingchen was filled with doubts.
"In that case, sister, go quickly and be careful on the way." Gu Qingchen didn't ask any more questions, but simply stepped aside to make way for her.
Gu Lanxin felt as if she had been granted a pardon. She hurriedly replied, "I'm leaving," and then practically ran out through the side door, her back view looking as if she were fleeing some raging flood or ferocious beast.
Gu Qingchen stood there, watching the small door close in front of him, his gaze gradually turning cold.
Go to Ganlu Temple to pray for blessings?
She clearly saw that a corner of the bundle Gu Lanxin had hidden behind her back was showing...