Destined

Gu Jiusi rode his horse at breakneck speed, leaving even his household servants struggling to keep up, let alone Liu Yuru who was traveling in a carriage.

He galloped all the way to the tavern where Liu Yuru had earlier been conversing, grabbed a waiter by the collar, and demanded angrily, "Where is Wang Rong?"

The waiter trembled as he pointed toward a private room on the third floor. Gu Jiusi immediately bounded up the stairs two at a time, kicked the door open, and roared, "Where is Wang Rong?!"

Wang Rong, who had been drinking until he was muddle-headed, lifted his head and saw Gu Jiusi. His spirits rose as he slurred, "Oh, who do we have here?"

He staggered toward Gu Jiusi, holding his wine cup, and said, "So it's the esteemed Young Master Gu."

He looked Gu Jiusi up and down and chuckled, "Young Master Gu, aren't you always one for making a grand impression? Dressed so plainly today—what," Wang Rong leaned in closer, grinning, "are you in mourning clothes?"

No sooner had he finished speaking than, amid the startled cries of the onlookers, Gu Jiusi seized Wang Rong by the collar and hurled him out of the room!

Wang Rong tumbled down the stairs, shocking everyone in the tavern. Then, Gu Jiusi charged out, grabbed Wang Rong by the collar again, and snarled, "Still acting tough? Let's see who's the toughest bastard in Yangzhou! Come on, show me how tough you are now."

"Gu Jiusi, have you lost your mind?!" Wang Rong was now fully sober and furious. "My father will never let this slide!"

"Your father?" Gu Jiusi scoffed. "My uncle won't let your father off either! Wang Rong, you insulted my Gu Family first. It's only right that I teach you a lesson. What could your father possibly say?"

"That's nonsense!" Wang Rong protested quickly. "How did I insult your Gu Family?"

"The one you were harassing earlier is the young madam of the Gu Family, my wife. You dare say you weren't causing trouble for me?"

"Oh, that," Wang Rong put on an ingratiating smile. "Jiusi, it's all a misunderstanding. I had too much to drink, I didn't know..."

Before he could finish, Gu Jiusi slapped him across the face. "Do you know now?!"

Wang Rong's guards rushed over, hesitating as they watched the two. Wang Rong spat to the side, now equally enraged, and sneered, "Gu Jiusi, you can't blame me for not knowing. What respectable woman from a prominent family would show her face in public, walking and laughing with a man? I never thought your family had so little shame."

"Go to hell," Gu Jiusi retorted bluntly. "Just because the women in your family live like timid turtles, you can't stand my wife living her life? If she loves doing business, I let her. If she loves shopping, I let her. I dote on her and treat her well—who are you, you beast, to criticize? Let me make this clear today: next time you see her, stay three zhang away, make way, and get the hell out of her sight!"

"Gu Jiusi," Wang Rong laughed in anger, "don't you dare act tough with me, or you'll regret it later."

"Ha," Gu Jiusi laughed out loud. "Then I'll make you regret it right now!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Gu Jiusi threw a punch straight at Wang Rong. His fist was swift and fierce, causing Wang Rong to stumble backward in fear, shouting urgently, "Guards! Guards!"The guards swarmed forward, but Gu Jiusi moved with agile grace through the crowd, dodging left and right before seizing Wang Rong and hoisting him up. He pinned Wang Rong’s leg against the staircase and stomped down hard! A sharp crack echoed, followed immediately by Wang Rong’s piercing scream as tears of agony streamed uncontrollably down his face. Gu Jiusi gripped his hair, pressed a hand to his throat, and used him as a shield, roaring at the advancing crowd, “Who dares take another step?!”

No one dared move forward. Wang Rong sobbed and wailed in misery. By the time the Gu Family servants and Liu Yu Ru arrived from opposite directions, they were met with a scene of utter chaos.

A few strands of Gu Jiusi’s hair fell beside his cheeks, his handsome face etched with an uncharacteristic ferocity. Though facing over a dozen men alone, he showed no trace of fear. Instead, he patted Wang Rong’s cheek and sneered coldly, “I told you I’d make you cry. Didn’t lie, did I?”

Wang Rong, weeping, couldn’t form a response—the pain had robbed him of all coherent thought.

Gu Jiusi lifted his gaze, his expression stern as he addressed everyone present: “Let me make this clear. In the Gu Family, men are people, and women are even more so. The women of the Gu Family shall live freely and with integrity—whatever a man can do, they can do too. If I ever hear anyone spreading malicious gossip behind their backs again, if I don’t find out, that’s one thing. But if I do, whoever said it will have their dog legs broken!”

With that, he tugged Wang Rong’s hair and demanded, “Did you understand what I just said?”

“Understood, understood!” Wang Rong hurriedly replied. “Young Master, I was wrong. From now on, whenever I see the young madam, I’ll keep my distance by ten paces.”

“Still acting tough?”

“No, no more,” Wang Rong cried. “In Yangzhou, you’re the boss, the top dog.”

Satisfied, Gu Jiusi released him. Wang Rong’s guards rushed over to check on his condition. Gu Jiusi brushed off his hands and descended the stairs, only then noticing Liu Yu Ru. He paused slightly, then asked, “What are you doing here? I told you to go back.”

Liu Yu Ru’s expression was deeply conflicted. She glanced at the still-wailing Wang Rong, then at the young man before her who seemed utterly unperturbed. After a long silence, she sighed in resignation and finally said, “Let’s go back.”

What was done was done; all they could do now was consider the aftermath.

Gu Jiusi… had indeed broken Wang Rong’s leg.

And as for that dream, no matter how much she tried to comfort herself that it was just a dream, it felt increasingly unconvincing.

On the way back, they did not take the carriage. Liu Yu Ru carried a lantern, walking quietly ahead.

Gu Jiusi followed behind her, keenly aware of her low spirits. Not daring to say much, he trailed her for half the journey before finally murmuring softly, “I just couldn’t swallow my anger. I don’t think I did anything wrong.”

Liu Yu Ru remained silent. Gu Jiusi lowered his eyes and continued slowly, “Don’t worry about it. I can handle fights with them. His father is just a Yangzhou regional commander. With my uncle around, breaking one of his legs won’t cause any real trouble.”

Hearing this, Liu Yu Ru sighed and finally halted, turning to face him. “Gu Jiusi,” she said, her voice weary, “fortunes change. When one is at the peak of power, one ought to leave some room for retreat. The way you are…”

She held back her words, then simply shook her head and turned away, continuing forward.The night breeze carried a chill as Gu Jiusi took two steps forward, removed his outer robe, and draped it over her shoulders. Taking the lantern from her hand, he walked beside her and grumbled, "I understand what you mean. But I'm not just bullying anyone randomly—he provoked you first, and he provoked our Gu Family. If I didn't stand up for us, would I even be a man?"

Gu Jiusi spoke with unwavering conviction: "The servant following you is someone I often brought along before—he definitely recognized him. Pretending not to know and causing trouble for you was clearly a deliberate provocation. Would he stir up trouble for no reason? I refuse to believe it; he must have caught wind of something, like rumors about our family's decline. People like him won’t let us off even if we back down now—they’ll just see how far they can push us when we’re truly down. He’s testing the waters today; if we show weakness, he’ll only grow bolder step by step. By sending him back to bed injured, we’ll buy at least three months of peace."

Liu Yu Ru remained silent, her eyelashes fluttering slightly as she pondered Gu Jiusi’s words deeply.

Wang Rong wouldn’t trouble them without cause. He wasn’t the cleverest of young masters, his emotions plain on his face—Gu Jiusi was right, he must have learned something.

Wrapped in Gu Jiusi’s robe, Liu Yu Ru suddenly shivered. Noticing this, he frowned and asked, "Still cold?"

Liu Yu Ru was about to say she wasn’t when he abruptly reached out, wrapped an arm around her shoulders, and covered her back with his wide sleeve, half-embracing her as they walked.

Staring blankly at him, Liu Yu Ru saw a solicitous smile on Gu Jiusi’s face. Holding the lantern in one hand and her with the other, he cheerfully asked, "Warmer now, right?"

Lowering her gaze without a word, she felt her heartbeat quicken. Matching his steps, she listened as he continued, "Back when Yang Wenchang, Chen Xun, and I gambled all night, huddling together kept us warm. Don’t think I’m taking advantage—I see you as a good brother!"

Liu Yu Ru didn’t know whether to laugh or cry, replying along his line of thought, "Well, thank you for that."

"So, stop worrying all the time," he comforted her. "Look, when problems arise, we’ll find solutions. If you’re cold, I’ll give you my robe; if that’s not enough, we’ll huddle close. When challenges come, we’ll handle them. Don’t overthink it."

His tone then turned earnest: "Since we’re married, even if we might part ways someday, as long as you’re my wife, I’ll protect you properly. Don’t worry—I won’t let anything happen to you. If anyone bullies you…"

"You’ll break their legs," Liu Yu Ru finished with a laugh. Gu Jiusi nodded seriously, fully agreeing, "Exactly."

"Gu Jiusi," Liu Yu Ru murmured, staring at their overlapping shadows on the ground, her eyelids half-lowered to conceal her emotions. Too timid to look at him, she whispered, "Weren’t you annoyed with me before? Weren’t you angry when I married you? Didn’t you want to make trouble for me?"

Why then… was he so intent on helping and protecting her like this?Gu Jiusi chuckled at her words, "Hey, I'm not an ungrateful person. I know you genuinely care for me. Making me study, forcing me to quit gambling and improve myself—it's all because you're afraid I'll get into trouble in the future. Though part of it is for your own sake as an Imperial Order Lady," he glanced at her face with a half-smile, speaking slowly, "I still recognize your good intentions toward me."

"As for me, when someone treats me well, I won't treat them badly in return. Besides, you ended up marrying into my family because of my mistakes. If I were to blame anyone, it would be my parents or yours—never you. Not only should I not blame you, but I should also protect you and make sure you never regret marrying me. That's what I ought to do."

Liu Yuru remained silent, listening quietly. Suddenly, she felt a pang of sorrow.

Gu Jiusi was far too reasonable.

He had a clear sense of right and wrong, distinguishing good from evil as sharply as a mirror reflects light. In his heart, he already knew who was at fault and who deserved punishment.

Such fairness was something she had never experienced in all her years.

For the first time, someone had given it to her—so fervently sincere, so boldly unrestrained. He could openly declare in front of everyone, "I dote on her and treat her well."

Her heart softened with a bittersweet ache. She sniffled and finally spoke.

"Gu Jiusi."

"Hmm?"

"You're really good."

"Obviously," Gu Jiusi shot her a sidelong glance, preening with pride. "I told you long ago—I'm the absolute best in the world. Seriously, marrying me," his tone turned earnest, "you hit the jackpot."

Liu Yuru: "..."

He couldn't be praised.

This man truly couldn't handle compliments.

Even without praise, he was already climbing roofs to cause mischief; with praise, he'd practically try to pluck the moon from the sky. Living in such overwhelmingly inflated self-confidence, he remained invincible—

Author's Note: Jiusi is a man whose handsomeness grows by the day.

Gu Jiusi: "Don't fall for me—I'm the man you can never have."

Liu Yuru: "Keep showing off and you'll be locked in the study."

Instant surrender.