Chapter 11

Rong Shu replied softly with a "Very well," without a hint of irritation in her tone. She then turned slightly and lowered her gaze, her dense eyelashes hanging motionless like a fan.

Gu Changjin glanced at her again, nodded slightly, and quickly walked past her, through the corridor, heading for the main gate.

The moment the three individuals left, the corridor instantly became deserted.

Ying Que stepped forward to adjust Rong Shu's cloak and said, "Miss is always so composed. If it were me, I would have spoken up to Mister."

Ying Que and Yingyue had always seen how much their Miss adored Mister.

At first, the Marquis was completely against Miss marrying into the Gu family. It was Lady who advocated fiercely, insisting that Miss should marry someone she truly loved. The Marquis could not persuade Lady otherwise, thus the marriage was smoothly arranged.

Ying Que had initially imagined that with Miss's beauty, gentle nature, and noble status as a lady from the Marquis household, when Mister Gu Changjin, the distinguished scholar, saw her, he would surely be moved and fond of her.

But after two days since the wedding, they had come to realize that Mister didn't hold Miss in his heart at all. Even for a visit back to her parents' home, he expected Miss to initiate the conversation.

Hearing Gu Changjin's confirmation, Rong Shu felt a heavy burden lifted from her heart.

Gu Changjin was the future Crown Prince; she couldn't offend him, but neither did she wish to continue entanglements with him. Eventually, she would leave this place sooner or later.

It was not yet the right time to divorce him.

As the legitimate eldest daughter of the Cheng'an Marquis Estate, divorcing immediately after marriage would turn the entire estate into the laughingstock of the capital.

Rong Wan was set to marry into the Jiang family next spring. The Rong family was currently hoping to establish ties with the Jiangs through her marriage. If her divorce caused any issues in Rong Wan's engagement, Grandmother, with her temperament, would surely create chaos within the household.

Then, Mother's days in the marquis estate would become even more difficult.

Moreover, Gu Changjin still had no idea that his beloved had been sent to Su Prefecture.

Once she saw Mother tomorrow and learned the whereabouts of the girl, she would bring her back unharmed and return her safely to Gu Changjin's side.

Afterward, she would personally apologize to Gu Changjin and request a divorce. This way, it would be like closing the stable door after the horse has bolted, and he likely wouldn't hold such deep resentment against her or the Rong family in the future.

These matters would take at least half a year to resolve, so she decided to wait. In any case, Gu Changjin wouldn't be returning to live in the Songsi Courtyard.

"Miss, aren't you angry?" Ying Que asked, puffing out her cheeks as she noticed Rong Shu's silence.

Rong Shu chuckled. "What's there to be angry about? Quickly go check if my osmanthus cake is done in the small kitchen."

Ying Que, with her lively nature, indeed shifted her focus at the mention of the steamed buns. "Oh," she exclaimed, "they should be ready by now. I'll go check immediately. Miss, please return to the room and avoid the draft." With that, she hurried off to the small kitchen, disappearing from sight in no time.

Yingyue shook her head and sighed. "Miss always spoils Ying Que. This girl is becoming more and more restless."

Rong Shu smiled but didn't respond.

In her previous life, Gu Changjin had accompanied her on the visit back to her family's home. He had chosen the time and arranged the carriage. This time, Rong Shu wanted to make the arrangements herself, which was why she had come to ask specifically.

Once she expressed her wish, Gu Changjin would let her take charge.

He usually disliked being bothered by such trivial matters.

After finishing her breakfast, Rong Shu went to the Liu Mo Hall to pay respects to Madam Xu. She spent some time chatting with her over a cup of tea before bidding farewell. As she was leaving, Madam Xu again mentioned the matter of Rong Shu not needing to come for morning greetings.

"My chamber is filled with the smell of medicine, and I prefer peace and quiet. You don't need to come so early in the morning to greet me. I'd like to rest a bit longer on my couch and regain my strength."

Madam Xu truly enjoyed tranquility, and her health was indeed fragile.

In the three years Rong Shu had been married to Gu Changjin, she had never seen Madam Xu leave the Liu Mo Hall. Most of her days were spent lying on the couch, and only occasionally, on sunny days, would she sit under the parasol tree in the courtyard.

In her previous life, Madam Xu had also mentioned a few times that Rong Shu was excused from the daily morning and evening greetings. Initially, out of respect for her mother-in-law, Rong Shu still visited the Liu Mo Hall with great formality every day.

It wasn't until Madam Xu fell seriously ill and coldly asked her not to come again while lying in bed that Rong Shu realized Madam Xu genuinely disliked her presence in the Liu Mo Hall.

Since Gu Changjin's biological mother was Empress Wei in the palace, Rong Shu still couldn't determine whether Madam Xu was his adoptive mother or another close relative.

After the incident at the Cheng'an Marquis Estate, she never saw Madam Xu again and had no idea where she went later on.

During those three years, Gu Changjin had always shown respect and concern towards Madam Xu. Presumably, after he became the crown prince, he would arrange a suitable place for her.

But Rong Shu didn't care much about anything related to Gu Changjin anymore. Once they divorced in the future, each would return to their respective paths like dust to dust and earth to earth.

By then, he and Madam Xu would both be strangers to her.

Given her current display of propriety, since Madam Xu had brought it up, Rong Shu naturally agreed respectfully to her request.

Nanny An personally accompanied Rong Shu out of the Liu Mo Hall, smiling kindly as they walked. "Madam says she enjoys tranquility and doesn't want you to waste your youth in the Liu Mo Hall. In truth, she just doesn't wish for a young and vibrant miss like you to accompany her. For your visit home tomorrow, Madam has long instructed this old servant to prepare your gifts, reminding me no less than four or five times. I'll have someone send the gift list to the Songsi Courtyard for Missus to review."

Her words were beautifully spoken, revealing Madam Xu's affection for Rong Shu between the lines.

How could Rong Shu possibly believe that?

"Thank you for your trouble, Auntie," she said with a smile, then asked An Auntie to stay put. "I can manage on my own. Mother's residence will need people around, so Auntie should hurry back to take care of her."

An Auntie responded with an "Aye," took two more steps forward, then stopped, watching Rong Shu and the others leave with a gradually fading warm and friendly smile on her face.

Back at Rong Shu's quarters, due to the anticipation of seeing her mother the following day, her mood was exceptionally pleasant throughout the entire day. In the evening, she asked Yingyue to extinguish the lights early.

Yingyue had put out most of the lamps in the room, leaving only two small bedside candles burning, which she hesitated to blow out.