Changyue and Wanyue knew Chu Yu was joking. Before she was married, she had always been this playful by nature.
But Chu Yu genuinely felt she needed to calm her nerves.
Gu Chusheng calling her name? Impossible. Absolutely impossible.
If there was one person Gu Chusheng despised the most in their past life, Chu Yu was certain it had to be her. After all, he could be courteous to everyone else, yet with her, he was always harsh. He could weigh gains and losses rationally with anyone else, but his loathing for her simply overrode his reason.
Him calling her name? Absolutely impossible.
Yet, upon second thought, Chu Yu wasn’t so sure anymore.
Truthfully, before she ran away in the dead of night to find Gu Chusheng, she hadn’t known him well. Back then, in her heart, Gu Chusheng had been the image of a perfect older brother. But what had his feelings for her been at that time?
She didn’t know.
A narcissistic thought suddenly struck her—could it be that Gu Chusheng had liked her at first? Only for some later events, or perhaps her elopement, to reverse his feelings?
Surely, he couldn’t have been reborn too, could he?
The moment this idea crossed her mind, Chu Yu dismissed it immediately.
The twelve years she and Gu Chusheng had been entangled, their relationship had deteriorated step by step until they could barely stand the sight of each other. In the early days of their marriage, things hadn’t been so bad. Occasionally, Gu Chusheng would still treat her kindly, especially when he wasn’t fully conscious. For instance, back when they lived in the humble Magistrate's Residence, drafts would seep in at night. Sometimes, half-asleep, he would instinctively pull her closer and murmur, "Are you cold?"
But later?
Later, their relationship worsened with every passing day. She couldn’t stand the underhanded schemes he engaged in, and he despised her reckless, unladylike behavior. By the time they returned to Hua Jing and Chu Jin appeared—when he insisted on bringing Chu Jin into the household—their arguments reached new heights.
She was consumed by jealousy, and he lost all composure in his disgust.
By the twelfth year of this relationship—or rather, her one-sided affection—all that remained was devastation.
If Gu Chusheng had been reborn, the sight of her now would surely fill him with nothing but revulsion. He would flee as far as possible without a second’s hesitation.
As she reflected on her past life, those ridiculous thoughts gradually faded. She didn’t particularly care why Gu Chusheng had called her name. In this life, after all, he had nothing to do with her.
She glanced back at Gu Chusheng on the bed and instructed Wei Qiu, "Take good care of him. I’m going to rest."
With that, she returned to her own room.
The days of travel had exhausted her. Though her current body was much healthier than when she had fallen ill in her past life, she still couldn’t afford to push herself too hard.
This time, she would take good care of herself, cherish her life, and never again do something foolish for someone unworthy.
She slept soundly. When she awoke, Changyue and Wanyue helped her dress. Gu Chusheng was still unconscious, so Chu Yu took the two maids out to stroll the streets. They found a roast duck, ate their fill, and brought some back for Wei Qiu.
By the time they returned, Gu Chusheng had finally woken. Chu Yu stepped into the room to check on him.Upon entering, Gu Chusheng was in the midst of eating porridge, surrounded by seven or eight Wei family guards who were also having their meal. The moment Chu Yu stepped in with the roast duck, the aroma filled the room. Gu Chusheng looked up at her, his eyes instantly lighting up. Pretending not to notice his expression, Chu Yu distributed the packed roast duck to the guards before approaching Gu Chusheng.
His gaze lingered on the roast duck, unmoving. Thinking he was craving it, Chu Yu said, "You should finish your porridge first. It's not suitable for you to eat that right now."
At her words, Gu Chusheng felt a slight tremor in his heart.
It had been a long time since he last received any concern from Chu Yu.
In the twenty years after her death, countless people had expressed their care for him, yet not a single one made him feel that their concern was genuine and heartfelt. Even Chu Jin, who had spent the latter half of her life fussing over him for two decades, never gave him a moment of true peace.
Holding the bowl of porridge, waves of bitterness and sorrow surged within him.
He wanted to pull her close and tell her about those twenty years, to let her know how difficult life had been without her. But the words stuck in his throat, and only hot tears welled up, spilling over the moment Chu Yu said, "Hurry up and finish your porridge..."
Chu Yu was startled by Gu Chusheng's tears, swallowing the rest of her sentence—"Don’t delay our journey." She had never seen Gu Chusheng cry in her life. Even during the hardest times, when his father was executed and he fell into hardship, at his most sorrowful, he would only hoarsely say to her, "Come here."
Then he would embrace her, bury his face in her arms, tremble, clench his teeth, and remain silent.
She knew how proud the young Gu Chusheng had been, so when he cried now, she cautiously asked, "Has... something major happened?"
The most painful time in Gu Chusheng's life had been when his father died, and even then, he hadn’t shed a tear. Why was he crying now? Could there be something even more heartbreaking than losing his father?
Or perhaps, in this lifetime without her by his side, Gu Chusheng’s temperament had drastically changed?
Gu Chusheng lifted the bowl of porridge with one hand and wiped his tears with the other, then looked up with a faint smile. "It’s nothing. It’s just been a long time since anyone treated me so kindly. I was momentarily moved."
This reason...
Chu Yu decided to believe it for now.
After all, she couldn’t think of any other explanation.
Watching the young man before her with reddened eyes, holding the porridge, she sighed and said, "Just finish your porridge and medicine and rest properly. Don’t overthink—it’s not good for your recovery. We still need to set off soon..."
"Then let’s set off now," Gu Chusheng said decisively. "I can still manage."
"No, no!" Chu Yu was alarmed by his relentless determination. The physician had just warned her the night before that this man was too harsh on himself—any more and he might push himself to death. She was here to take him back to bring a lawsuit to the Emperor, not to collect his corpse. Hastily, she added, "Don’t move around recklessly. Rest properly. It’s not urgent to that extent yet. You’ll have a battle to fight once we return, so save some strength for yourself."
After a moment of contemplation, Gu Chusheng finally nodded.
He lowered his head and finished the porridge, while Chu Yu sat nearby, chatting with the guards and eating roast duck.He watched quietly from the side. In the past, what he hated most about Chu Yu was her unrestrained nature—she had never paid much heed to propriety between men and women. In the military camp, she was the talkative one among the soldiers, and at home, aside from maintaining appearances, she bore no resemblance to a proper lady in private. Such a temperament was nothing unusual in a military family, but in the eyes of Gu Chusheng, who came from a scholarly background, it was a grave offense.
Yet twenty years had passed, and he had witnessed too much filth and depravity. Now, watching Chu Yu cracking melon seeds, he found it oddly endearing.
But after chatting for so long, even after he had finished his porridge, Chu Yu hadn’t spoken a word to him. He couldn’t help but feel a pang of sorrow. Though he understood that as the Wei family’s lady now, it was fine for her to converse with the Wei family’s guards, but being too friendly with an outsider was inappropriate. Still, he couldn’t suppress the bitterness in his heart.
Why couldn’t he have been reborn earlier...
Gu Chusheng closed his eyes, resentful of himself. If he had been reborn when he was still the eldest son of the Gu family, if he had been reborn before Chu Yu had married—no matter what, he would have fought for that marriage.
He took a deep breath, slowly opened his eyes, and finally decided to take the initiative. “Lady Wei,” he called out.
Hearing Gu Chusheng address her this way, Chu Yu felt quite pleased and turned to look at him. “What is it, Lord Gu?”
“There’s something I’d like to discuss with you, Lady Wei. Could you dismiss those around us?”
Chu Yu hadn’t expected Gu Chusheng to say this. She glanced at Wei Qiu and saw his expression was calm, showing no objection. After a moment’s hesitation, knowing Gu Chusheng never acted without reason, she assumed he must have something important to say if he wanted privacy. So she thought for a moment and raised her hand. “Then please lower the bed curtain, Lord Gu.”
Having Gu Chusheng lower the curtain, separating them as they spoke, was Chu Yu’s way of setting boundaries.
Gu Chusheng hadn’t anticipated this response. After a brief pause, he felt a deep ache in his heart.
They had been husband and wife for a lifetime, yet never had they spoken through a curtain.
But he could only maintain his composure. Raising his hand, he said, “Please lower the curtain.”
Wanyue and Changyue stepped forward to lower the bed curtain for Gu Chusheng. Chu Yu nodded at Wei Qiu, who then led everyone out of the room. Once the door closed, Chu Yu sat at the table and said calmly, “You may speak now, Lord Gu.”
“You came here on Wei Yun’s orders, didn’t you?”
Gu Chusheng listened to Chu Yu’s voice from outside the curtain, his heart aching unbearably. Even now, with no one else in the room, she still maintained this attitude, clearly drawing a line between them.
But it shouldn’t be like this...
Gu Chusheng couldn’t understand. She had loved him so much, had been willing to elope with him, sacrificing all her reputation—how had it come to this?
Suppressing his emotions, he heard Chu Yu outside say, “Indeed, the young marquis sent me to rescue you, Lord Gu. Zhang Deng has already been saved by our Wei Manor. We are fully aware of your actions. Now that you are being pursued by Yao Yong, the young marquis was concerned for your safety and thus sent me to escort you back to the capital. Once there, we will report Yao Yong’s crimes to His Majesty and seek justice for you.”
Gu Chusheng remained silent. Hearing Chu Yu repeatedly say “our Wei Manor” felt like knives cutting into his heart.What does the Wei Manor have to do with her? Wei Jun is already dead—Wei Jun is clearly gone. They didn’t even consummate their marriage. She might not have even met that man, yet she’s expected to dedicate her entire life to him?!
Countless emotions surged within him, nearly shattering his usual rationality. Yet he still restrained himself, gazing calmly at the plum blossoms embroidered on the bed curtain as he spoke: "The next step for the young marquis is likely to have me bring a lawsuit to the Emperor, after which he’ll rally others to protect me. I wonder what else the young marquis has planned while I’m stalling His Majesty?"
Chu Yu listened to Gu Chusheng’s analysis. Gu Chusheng had always been resourceful, and she had always trusted his judgment. She replied, "What plans are you referring to, Lord Gu?"
"This petition of mine is merely planting a seed in His Majesty’s heart. I wonder if the young marquis has other preparations to water and nurture that seed, allowing it to take root and sprout?"
"That, of course, exists." To reassure Gu Chusheng—knowing he would never agree if he learned she intended to confront Yao Yong alone—Chu Yu could only pacify him: "Lord Gu need only focus on your own task. The rest will be arranged by the young marquis."
"Does Madam Wei know that in doing this, I am risking my life?"
Gu Chusheng watched the swaying plum blossoms, feeling as though he could no longer suppress himself.
She was right outside. If he lifted the curtain, he could see her. One more step, and he could embrace her.
Yet at this moment, he could do nothing—not even address her by anything other than "Madam Wei."
Hearing Gu Chusheng’s words, Chu Yu couldn’t help but laugh. She had always known Gu Chusheng had ulterior motives in doing this. Taking a sip of tea, she smiled faintly and said, "Lord Gu, rest assured. Once this matter is settled, the Wei family will not treat you unfairly. Whatever you desire, you may speak it openly."
She thought that at this moment, all Gu Chusheng wanted were the usual political benefits. Even if he didn’t say it, she would persuade Wei Yun to grant them. With Gu Chusheng’s abilities, remaining a mere county magistrate was truly a waste.
But the person inside remained silent for a long time.
Chu Yu grew puzzled and called out, "Lord Gu?"
"A Yu," the voice inside finally spoke again, laced with Gu Chusheng’s hoarse tone. "What if I want you?"
The moment those words were uttered, Chu Yu was completely stunned.
Gu Chusheng closed his eyes.
He shouldn’t have said it now—but he couldn’t hold back any longer. He couldn’t bear her detached indifference, nor could he stand his own pitiful concealment.
In the past, many had called him Gu Chusheng a wolf with ambitions—and they weren’t wrong.
He had always been a lone wolf. Once he set his sights on something, he would sink his teeth in and never let go.
"Before your wedding, you once sent me a letter, asking me to elope with you." Gu Chusheng slowly opened his eyes and lifted the curtain, revealing his jade-like features.
The young man’s gaze burned with ferocity and fervent determination as he stared at Chu Yu and spoke earnestly: "I agreed. Now I’ve come. Will you leave with me?"
Author’s Note: The second update will be at 6 PM. I recommend following me on Weibo: Jinjiang Mo Shubai. That way, if there are any schedule changes, you’ll see them there ><
[Bonus Scene]
Gu Chusheng: A Yu, what if I want you?
Wei Yun: Enemy forces will arrive in thirty seconds.
OpenNovel