Rebirth and Reversal of Fortune

Chapter 44 Gu Yu's Downfall

The once arrogant Gu Yu now walks alone on the streets of Beijing, looking haggard. His fine clothes have been replaced by tattered garments, his hair is disheveled, and his eyes are filled with confusion and helplessness.

Without Su Yue's advice and financial support, Gu Yu's unrealistic fantasies shattered instantly. He had once relied on his alliance with Su Yue to intimidate others in the capital, offending many. Now that Su Yue was in dire straits, those he had wronged would naturally not let him off the hook.

Gu Yu tried to find a new patron, but his reputation was so bad that no one wanted to associate with him. He visited his old drinking buddies, but was turned away at every turn.

"Gu Yu, in your current state, don't come and drag us down!" His former brother turned him away without hesitation.

Desperate, Gu Yu even sought work at a small shop on the street, only to be ridiculed by the shop owner.

"With your lazy and good-for-nothing attitude, what can you do? Get out of here!"

Gu Yu was starving and could only rummage through the garbage for food. At night, with nowhere to go, he could only huddle in a dilapidated temple, enduring the bites of mosquitoes.

Once, Gu Yu encountered a small vendor on the street whom he had bullied before. Seeing Gu Yu's current disheveled state, the vendor was overjoyed and led a group of people to surround him and give him a severe beating.

"You've finally met your match!" the vendor said smugly.

Gu Yu was beaten black and blue, but he was powerless to fight back.

He began to regret his past actions, but it was all too late.

During this difficult time, Gu Yu thought of Su Jinxiu.

"If I hadn't entangled with her back then, and hadn't colluded with Su Yue, perhaps I wouldn't have ended up like this." His heart was filled with regret.

But he knew that Su Jinxiu would never forgive him.

Gu Yu tried to return to his hometown, but the people there had all heard about his misdeeds in the capital, and no one was willing to accept him.

"You scoundrel, don't come back and defile our place!" The villagers' accusations made him feel ashamed.

Left with no other choice, Gu Yu could only continue to wander in the capital.

One day, Gu Yu saw a notice posted on the street saying that the palace was recruiting laborers. In order to survive, he decided to give it a try.

In the palace, Gu Yu did the dirtiest and most tiring work, and was often bullied and ostracized by other laborers.

"Look at you, acting like some kind of rich kid?"

Gu Yu silently endured all of this, his inner pain growing ever deeper.

However, fate did not seem to intend to let him go.

Once, Gu Yu accidentally fell while carrying heavy objects, damaging a precious item in the palace.

"You damned wretch, how dare you damage royal property!" The eunuch in charge was furious and locked him in the dungeon.

In the dark and damp cell, Gu Yu wept in despair.

"I was wrong, I was really wrong..."

But there's no going back in this world, and Gu Yu can only pay the price for his mistakes in this endless pain.

Meanwhile, Su Jinxiu was living a peaceful and fulfilling life in the Marquis's mansion. She would occasionally hear news about Gu Yu, but she would only smile lightly and would no longer be moved by his plight.

In the garden of the Marquis's mansion, Su Jinxiu strolled among the blooming flowers.

"It's all over now," she said softly, a confident and happy smile on her face.

However, the political landscape in the capital is constantly shifting. New crises and challenges are quietly approaching; how will Su Jinxiu cope?