Chapter 294: Unraveling
Third Master Chen strode toward the western chamber. Xiuqu hurriedly called out, "Third Master..."
She wanted to stop him, but that would only arouse his suspicion further! She could only follow behind him, relieved to see the door to the western chamber was open.
Stepping inside, Third Master Chen smiled and asked, "Oh? Were you two in the middle of a conversation?"
The moment Gu Jinzhao saw him, she knew he was furious—seething, in fact. His eyes held no warmth, only a cold sharpness. Yet his smile remained as composed and refined as ever, his expression unchanged. He took a seat beside her, and Gu Jinzhao stiffened, her back breaking into a cold sweat. Third Master Chen poured himself a cup of tea, took a sip, and asked, "What were you discussing?"
Chen Xuanqing's lips were pale as he murmured, "Father." Then he added, "...Nothing important, just Xi Jie'er's piano practice."
"Hmm." He lowered his head with a faint smile and turned to Gu Jinzhao. "Is that so?"
Beneath her sleeves, Gu Jinzhao dug her nails into her palm to maintain her composure as she nodded.
"Then are you finished?" he said coolly. "If so, you may leave."
Chen Xuanqing met his father's gaze and felt a chill run through him. He bowed and retreated from the western chamber.
Caifu noticed Third Master Chen's teacup was empty and moved to refill it. But the moment she took a step forward, his icy voice cut through the air: "Get out!"
Her face drained of color as she hastily pulled Yuzhu out with her and shut the lattice window of the western chamber.
Third Master Chen poured himself more tea and drank in silence.
Not a sound could be heard in the room.
Gu Jinzhao sat frozen. She had never imagined Chen Xuanqing would... In the past, she had longed for his attention but never received it. Now that she wanted nothing to do with him, why had this happened? She had once schemed relentlessly to capture his notice, but in this life, she was certain she had done nothing of the sort.
No wonder Chen Xuanqing had been acting so strangely.
Third Master Chen must have known about her past with Chen Xuanqing for a long time.
She had sensed it, but it had only been a suspicion. No one had ever brought it into the open. She could feel his distrust and wariness. Whenever Chen Xuanqing was present, Third Master Chen always made sure to be there too. He had suddenly begun questioning her whereabouts, forbidding her from going to the outer courtyard...
He was an extremely suspicious man—a fact Gu Jinzhao had learned all too well in her past life.
What exactly was he suspecting? That she had married him with ulterior motives? That she was still involved with Chen Xuanqing?
But until now, it had only been suspicion, not certainty. Had today confirmed it for him...?
She looked up at him. Chen Yanyun continued drinking his tea in silence.
A cold dread settled over her.
Gu Jinzhao had never considered herself a decisive person. What had happened with Chen Xuanqing was in the past, and she saw no need to bring it up. Mentioning it out of the blue would only cause trouble. She just hadn’t expected Third Master Chen to find out like this—or that Chen Xuanqing would force her into this position. Knowing Third Master Chen’s habits, he had likely already investigated her. His silence meant the full picture wasn’t yet clear.
"Third Master," Gu Jinzhao said, her voice hoarse. "There is something I must tell you."
Trust was a difficult thing. It was only natural that Third Master Chen didn’t trust her—she understood that. She would lay everything out and let Chen Yanyun decide how to judge her.
She had done nothing wrong in this life, yet she still had to answer for the mistakes of her past.Gu Jinzhao quickly composed herself.
Third Master Chen looked up at her and asked calmly, "Is this something I would want to know?"
He had truly made up his mind!
Gu Jinzhao felt a lump forming in her throat. She had often been misunderstood before—by her father, her younger brother, even her mother. But she had never felt this miserable. She had long known what kind of person Gu Jinrong was, so when he misunderstood her, she only felt disappointment and indifference. But Third Master Chen was different... Perhaps it was because she had grown too dependent on him now and couldn't bear his sudden coldness toward her.
Gu Jinzhao took a deep breath. "Even if you don't want to know, I still have to say it."
Chen Yanyun stood up and slowly walked over to her, reaching out to grip her chin.
She looked both stubborn and pitiful, her eyes rimmed red.
Normally, he would have been filled with tenderness for her, but now all his energy was spent suppressing the fury in his heart, leaving no room for comfort.
Gu Jinzhao probably didn’t realize how difficult it was for him to speak right now.
"Perhaps I was too arrogant before," Chen Yanyun said with a hint of self-mockery before lowering his voice. "Gu Jinzhao, don’t provoke me right now. Don’t speak to me, no matter what it is..."
After saying this, he released her and turned to leave the western chamber.
Gu Jinzhao’s heart trembled at his words. She chased after him but couldn’t find Third Master Chen outside. After a moment’s thought, she decided to return. What could she even say if she caught up with him? It was better to let him think things through on his own.
She sat in silence for a while before finally regaining her composure. With a sigh, she called Caifu and the others in to speak.
Xiuqu recounted what had happened when Third Master Chen entered earlier, and Gu Jinzhao got the gist of it.
Xiuqu was visibly uneasy. "Madam, did I say something wrong?"
Gu Jinzhao shook her head. Third Master Chen was extremely perceptive—almost no one could lie to him without giving themselves away. She instructed them, "You are all my personal maids. We rise and fall together. What happened today, and the words spoken by the Seventh Young Master—not a single word of it is to be leaked." Then she turned to Xiuqu and asked, "When you were standing guard outside earlier, did any servants pass by and overhear?"
Xiuqu shook her head. "...The central courtyard was empty today. The main kitchen distributed two packs of sponge cakes, so the maids all went to have tea."
Gu Jinzhao let out a relieved breath. If other maids had overheard, it would have been difficult to handle.
"Madam, what should we do now...?" Yuzhu asked softly.
Gu Jinzhao replied quietly, "Bring me another cup of tea. I’ll wait for Third Master to return."
People often said that fate played tricks on people, and she had never believed it. But now it seemed fate truly was toying with her. Back when she had loved Chen Xuanqing, he had cast her aside like worthless trash. Now, when all she wanted was a peaceful life, she was being dragged down by him again...
In the evening, a maid brought in a pot of stewed duck soup, but Gu Jinzhao only ate a little.
Caifu lit a candle and placed it on the heated bed table. Wrapped in an outer robe, Gu Jinzhao picked up a copy of Commentary on the Water Classic to read.
Her hand unconsciously rested on her abdomen, gently stroking.
Third Master Chen still hadn’t returned, and her heart remained unsettled.
Third Master Chen stood outside the door for a long while, watching her shadow cast against the window lattice, before finally stepping inside.
The maids quickly curtsied, and Third Master Chen motioned for them to leave.
Seeing her hand resting there, Chen Yanyun was silent for a moment before walking toward her.Gu Jinzhao set down her book upon hearing footsteps and smiled, "You're back so late."
Third Master Chen sat down opposite Gu Jinzhao and gave a soft hum in acknowledgment.
He had finally returned. Gu Jinzhao exhaled in relief—this was the perfect opportunity to clarify everything and prevent any misunderstandings between them.
"About Seventh Young Master... I won't hide it from you," Gu Jinzhao began. "I met him before when I was with the Ji family. Back then, I was young and foolish, and had some feelings for him. But after my mother fell ill, and with my strained relationship with my father and younger brother, I gradually matured and those feelings faded."
This aligned with what he had suspected. Third Master Chen cut straight to the point: "What did you say to him today in the western chamber?"
"It was a small favor Yu Wanxue asked of me—nothing significant. I agreed, but I didn't expect Seventh Young Master to suddenly act out... To avoid misunderstandings, Yuzhu closed the door. Xiuqu panicked outside because she didn't understand the situation."
Chen Yanyun's tone was cool. "You're skirting the issue. What did you say to him?"
Gu Jinzhao had initially intended to shield Chen Xuanqing.
She sighed. "I didn't say anything. It was Chen Xuanqing... I didn't expect him to suddenly say those things either."
Chen Yanyun pressed, "I'll ask one more time—no evasion. What did he say?"
Left with no choice, Gu Jinzhao gave a rough recount.
Only then did his expression soften.
Chen Yanyun beckoned her. "Come here."
Biting her lip uncertainly, Gu Jinzhao rose and approached him. He pulled her into his embrace, his lips brushing her ear as he murmured, "One last question—do you truly have no feelings for him left at all?"
Gu Jinzhao clenched her hands and turned to face him, her heart tightening again. "What do you think?"
She had devoted herself entirely to him—hearing such doubts naturally pained her.
Chen Yanyun sighed and kissed her forehead.
To Gu Jinzhao, he had always been a man of restraint and composure. But in truth, he had his vulnerabilities—especially when it came to her. Though she had explained everything, the turmoil and resentment within him remained.
Seeing the undisguised darkness in Third Master Chen's expression, Gu Jinzhao instinctively grasped his hand. "I really don't like him anymore."
"I know..." He fell silent for a moment.
Suddenly, he lifted her and carried her to the inner chamber, laying her down on the wormwood bed.
Before she could react, the world spun as searing kisses descended. When she tried to speak or push him away, he pinned her wrists with surprising force.
"Don't struggle—you'll hurt yourself," Chen Yanyun whispered. "I'm not in full control right now."
Gu Jinzhao understood he was still restraining his emotions. Earlier, he had left brimming with fury, yet returned calm enough to hear her out. Normally a master of self-discipline, this matter had clearly pushed him too far.
She stopped resisting, relaxing into his touch until she was soon lost in the moment.
...
Later, Chen Yanyun carried her to bathe. By the time they returned, exhaustion had claimed her.
He cradled her against his chest, resting his chin atop her head. She stirred slightly, as if uncomfortable, before nestling into the crook of his shoulder and drifting back to sleep.After tucking in Gu Jinzhao, who was snuggled against him, Chen Yanyun let her limbs entangle with his body. Gu Jinzhao quite liked sleeping like this, and Chen Yanyun didn’t find it unpleasant at all.
Gazing at the wall in contemplation, he thought to himself that Chen Xuanqing’s matter truly couldn’t be blamed on her.
Even when she could barely endure toward the end, she hadn’t made a sound. Fortunately, he had been paying attention and stopped when he noticed Jinzhao’s brows furrowing tightly. Perhaps she really did love him—it was just that Jinzhao wasn’t one to say it aloud, and neither was he…
Chen Yanyun finally pressed a kiss to her hair before closing his eyes.
P.S.: Posting this in one go to avoid keeping everyone in suspense. Didn’t expect this chapter to stump me for hours—it really wasn’t easy to handle.
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