Destined

Gu Jiusi was completely dumbfounded. He sat there in a daze, covering his face, unable to snap out of it for a long time. Liu Yu Ru threw herself onto the bed, no longer able to restrain herself, and burst into heart-wrenching sobs.

How could she have ended up married to such a person...

How could she have married someone like this!

It would be one thing if he were just a spoiled, frivolous young man with no sense of responsibility. If he had even a shred of affection for her, as Ye Yun had suggested, it might have been bearable. But he felt nothing for her—absolutely nothing! Not only did he feel nothing, but he also assumed she had married into the Gu Family for their wealth and was scheming for it. All he could think about was giving her money and divorcing her.

His talk of unorthodox methods sounded appealing, but if they were actually put into practice, the moment he divorced her, she would be drowned in public scorn and ridicule!

She couldn't understand how Gu Jiusi had come up with such absurd ideas. After much thought, she concluded that it was probably because he resented being forced to marry her and was deliberately humiliating her.

She didn't even have the energy to explain herself. Even if Gu Jiusi knew she had been forced into this marriage, what difference would it make? As he had said, who would sacrifice their own happiness for someone else's? If Gu Jiusi truly intended to divorce her, he would eventually cast her aside. Even if he didn't, he would never let her live a good life. Without a husband's affection, even as the legitimate wife, how could she not know what kind of life awaited her?

Her mother, Su Wan, was a cautionary tale. The reason Liu Xuan had never divorced Su Wan was partly because she endured humiliation silently, and partly because Zhang Yue'er was not fit to be the legitimate wife, while Su Wan was a genuine lady of noble birth. But what about Liu Yu Ru? To the Gu Family, the Liu family was not even a consideration, and she had no brothers to elevate the Liu family's status. If Gu Jiusi ever met a woman he truly loved, he would have no reason not to divorce her for the sake of the Liu family!

The more Liu Yu Ru thought about it, the more despairing she became. The thought that she had come so close to marrying Ye Shi'an, the man she had meticulously planned for years to marry, made her feel as though all hope was lost. Completely losing control, she lay on the bed, weeping uncontrollably. Gu Jiusi was bewildered by her crying. After a long while, he slowly came to his senses, still covering his face, and muttered, "Wasn't I the one who got hit?"

His words were met with even louder sobs.

Gu Jiusi felt as though his head was about to split open from her crying. He quickly said, "Stop crying, stop crying. I won't say anything more. Your crying is giving me a headache. Ah, forget it. Have you eaten anything?"

Liu Yu Ru didn't respond and continued to cry. Gu Jiusi's stomach growled loudly. Since morning, he had been beaten by his father, forced to go out and get married, and then dragged around to drink. He hadn't eaten much but had consumed plenty of alcohol. He stood up, walked over to the table, picked up a piece of pastry, poured himself a cup of tea, and began eating while observing Liu Yu Ru.

Liu Yu Ru kept crying, and Gu Jiusi couldn't understand how anyone could cry like that.

He brought the pastry over to her, sighed, and said, "Stop crying. Have something to eat. Eating will make you feel much better."

"Get away from me!" Liu Yu Ru snapped back.

Gu Jiusi's temper flared. Watching her tears, he said irritably, "What is wrong with you? Are you mistaking kindness for malice? I was just discussing our future plans with you. Don't you like Ye Shi'an? Why are you crying nonstop when I'm pointing out a clear path for you?"Gu Jiusi leaned lazily against a nearby pillar as he spoke, nibbling on pastries with an air of nonchalance. Between mouthfuls, he mumbled indistinctly, "I'm telling you, stop crying now. A little weeping is enough—my temper isn't exactly the best."

Yet Liu Yuru remained unmoved, her sobs continuing unabated. Finally, Gu Jiusi couldn't take it anymore and burst out, "What on earth are you crying about?!"

He set down the plate, his demeanor turning fierce. "Is it just because I mentioned possibly divorcing you in the future? What's the big deal? I’ll definitely arrange a proper path for you when the time comes, so what are you afraid of? Isn’t it Ye…" He abruptly cut himself off, as if suddenly realizing something. His eyes widened in astonishment as he stared at Liu Yuru. "You’re not... in love with me, are you?!"

At these words, Liu Yuru truly lost control and burst into loud sobs.

In love with him? How could she possibly love someone like him!

But Gu Jiusi seemed to have uncovered the core of the matter. Shocked and somewhat fearful, he gazed at Liu Yuru on the bed, momentarily at a loss for what to do.

For so many years, this was the first time someone had fallen for him, and he felt a faint... slight embarrassment and awkwardness.

However, he quickly regained his composure. Softening his voice and adopting a much gentler tone, he cleared his throat and said, "Well, I understand your feelings. But the truth is, I can’t reciprocate. You’re not my type, so don’t set your heart on me. If it’s money you want, that’s a small matter—our Gu Family has plenty. But if you want my heart... that’s just too difficult."

He sighed, a trace of pity in his eyes.

Previously, he had assumed Liu Yuru had schemed tirelessly to marry into their family for wealth, and that thought had filled him with anger and annoyance. Now, realizing she had actually done it out of affection for him, he couldn’t help but feel a pang of sorrow for her.

She wasn’t his type.

The woman he loved ought to be naturally charming, radiantly brilliant—utterly different from the rest of the world, the kind who captivated at first glance.

But Liu Yuru was ordinary, far too ordinary; proper, far too proper.

The thought of this unrequited love, coupled with the sacrifices Liu Yuru had made, stirred a sense of guilt in Gu Jiusi. He stopped speaking to her harshly, lowering his voice to coax her gently.

"Don’t cry anymore. There’s still a long road ahead, and you have time to think things through. Even though I don’t love you, since you’ve married into this family, my mother will treat you well. Both my parents are kind people, so don’t worry."

As if she had married his parents!

Liu Yuru nearly choked on her fury. She ignored him, pouring out her grievances and sorrows in relentless sobs. Meanwhile, Gu Jiusi humbly persisted in comforting her: "No more crying, no more crying. Let me tell you a joke. Here, have something to eat—it’s not good to starve yourself. Miss Liu, love hurts the soul. Don’t fixate on me; you should focus on money instead. Cold, hard cash—that’s what truly matters. Someone as clever as you should see the logic in that."

"Come now, calm down and get some proper rest. Once you’ve rested, tomorrow I’ll take you out spending. When you’re showering silver left and right, you’ll realize: if there’s any pain in this world that can’t be healed, it’s only because you don’t have enough money.""Here," said Gu Jiusi, pulling a silver note from his chest. This was his final resort—in the past, presenting a silver note had always earned him smiles, but he wasn't sure if it would work this time. He placed the note in Liu Yuru's arms and said earnestly, "You've cried yourself tired. Hold this silver note and sleep well."

Liu Yuru didn't respond. She truly was exhausted from crying. Gu Jiusi helped her to the bed, removed her Phoenix Crown, took off her shoes, and carefully tucked her in. Curled up, clutching the silver note, she lay on the bed, still sobbing softly.

Gu Jiusi sat on the floor, leaning against the bed. Hearing Liu Yuru's crying finally subside and the steady breathing of sleep from behind him, he let out a sigh.

His heart felt weary, utterly drained.

Why should a pampered young man like him face such complicated and heavy emotional ties?

Lost in thought, he patted his pocket and reaffirmed one thing: one must always carry plenty of money. When one silver note doesn't solve the problem, you can always pull out another.