Chapter 37

Chapter 37

“I want you to write the divorce settlement now, sign and seal it. If you go back on your word a year from now, I’ll take the divorce settlement and leave.”

This was Jiang Heng’s condition.

Gu Yu remained silent. He had thought her condition would again involve Yan Hui.

Though Yan Hui wasn’t mentioned this time, she was clearly very wary of him—so afraid that he would break his promise after a year? So certain that a year later, she would still be scheming to divorce as she was today?

“You don’t agree?” Jiang Heng’s eyes told him she would not yield on this condition.

“Fine,” Gu Yu replied indifferently. “But if you break the agreement midway, that divorce document becomes void.”

His expression turned serious, making him appear cold and severe, his words carrying a warning tone. “If you dare sneak away and break the agreement again like this time, no matter where you go, I will find you. From then on, you will never have another chance to divorce. I will not go easy on you again.”

His gaze was icy, tinged with ruthlessness. Jiang Heng pressed her lips together, unable to suppress a shiver. Lowering her eyes, she said, “Write the divorce settlement.”

Gu Yu said, “I still have official business to attend to. I’ll write it for you in a few days.”

Jiang Heng did not want to delay. Pressing down on the nearly finished divorce settlement, she said, “I’ve almost finished writing it. You only need to sign and seal it. It won’t take much of your time.”

Gu Yu pretended to consider for a moment, then reached out: “Let me see.”

The young woman handed him the divorce settlement.

Gu Yu feigned reading it for the first time, examining it carefully. Finally, he frowned and said, “Another day. I’ll draft a new one.”

This meant he was dissatisfied.

Jiang Heng wanted it signed today and asked, “What part seems inappropriate? I can revise it. It won’t take long and won’t delay you much.”

“Every part is inappropriate.” Gu Yu had no intention of signing today and prepared to leave. “I have official business.”

Though dissatisfied, Jiang Heng was not the type to make a fuss. She could only watch helplessly as Gu Yu strode away.

Shortly after Gu Yu left, Cheng Ping arrived carrying a small box.

“Madam, the Master said these are your belongings. Please check if anything is missing.”

What Cheng Ping brought was the small box she had left in the inner chamber for Gu Yu, which Gu Yu claimed had been stolen by a thief.

“How was it recovered?” Jiang Heng asked deliberately.

“The Master said the thief was found and dealt with. He asked you not to worry anymore.”

Gu Yu had only said this much. Though Cheng Ping found it vague and unconvincing, she could only relay it to Jiang Heng.

Jiang Heng also sensed the holes in the story but saw no point in pressing further, not wanting to put Cheng Ping in a difficult position. She fell silent, gesturing for Cheng Ping to set down the box. As she prepared to open it, she noticed a new lock on the box.

Cheng Ping handed her the key, explaining, “The Master said the original lock was broken by the thief, so he replaced it with a new one.”

Jiang Heng murmured “Oh” and opened the box. The silver ingots were all there, untouched, but several envelopes were missing. The archived travel itinerary had likely been taken directly by Gu Yu, and that divorce settlement… probably taken by him as well.

“That thief was quite honest—didn’t take a single silver ingot,” Jiang Heng remarked.

Cheng Ping was Gu Yu’s close attendant. If Gu Yu had indeed caught and interrogated a thief, especially a household thief, she would surely know something about it.

She knew the theft was fabricated, and likely Jiang Heng knew it too, deliberately bringing it up in jest.

Cheng Ping responded in kind, “Guard day and night, yet household thieves are hardest to guard against. Fortunately, Madam encountered an honest household thief—only took worthless items and left the valuable ones for you.”

Jiang Heng smiled but said nothing more.

Cheng Ping continued, “Madam, the Master’s intention is that the household doesn’t need your personal funds. This amount of silver is not small. Perhaps you could return it to where it was withdrawn. In the future, please avoid withdrawing from your dowry funds to prevent rumors about misusing funds.”

Jiang Heng thought for a moment and nodded. It had been many days since she last visited the Incense Shop, so she took Chun Jin with her to make a trip.

Upon entering, she saw Su Lanxun introducing various types of incense to a customer.

She wore an ordinary thin veil over her face, and her clothing was simple and plain, unlike before when she was well-dressed and glamorous. But her voice was warm and cheerful, energetic and vibrant, with none of the submissiveness and fearful anxiety she had shown back at Duke Wei’s residence.

“Madam, you’ve come,” Su Lanxun said upon seeing Jiang Heng, greeting her with a smile, with calm confidence.

Jiang Heng responded with a smile, “Please attend to your customer first.”

“Alright, let me finish preparing incense for this honored customer.” Su Lanxun was highly skilled in incense matters. She guided the customer through sampling various scents, then prepared several blended incenses based on different uses, placing them into boxes. To the customer, she explained, “This is Buddhist-offering incense, this for clothing-scenting, and this for calming the mind. The specific burning instructions are written and placed inside the box. If you have any questions, you can come find me again.”

After seeing the customer off, Su Lanxun came over to speak with Jiang Heng.

“Have you caught a chill?” Jiang Heng asked.

It was not uncommon for ladies to half-cover their faces for beauty’s sake, but the thin veil Su Lanxun used was very plain and did little to enhance her appearance. Instead, it concealed her rather lovely features. Jiang Heng assumed she wore it not for beauty but because she had caught a chill and could not bear the strong scents in the shop.

Su Lanxun shook her head. “I just… no longer want to rely on my looks to please others.”

With her temperament, she was not suited for the kind of smooth social maneuvering and flattery. She greatly enjoyed her current work blending incense—no need for scheming or forced smiles. Moreover, she was good at it, which made her feel content and at ease. However, occasionally some male customers would look her up and down, lingering in the shop for a long time, sampling this and that, only to leave without buying anything. She did not want to hurt the shop’s business because of this.

“If anyone bullies you, just let me know,” Jiang Heng said. For some reason, she felt particularly inclined to help Su Lanxun, seeing something of herself in her.

Just moments ago, watching her busy and cheerful, expertly blending incenses and courteously attending to customers, though her clothing was modest, she appeared more confident and radiant than ever before.

While happy for her, Jiang Heng felt an inexplicable envy.

She was no longer that Su Ji who had nothing but her beauty. Now she had her own work, and because she did it well, she had gained confidence.

Her confidence had nothing to do with anyone else—it came solely from her own ability.

To this day, Jiang Heng had never felt such confidence in anything she did.

Seeing Jiang Heng look at her with appreciation in her eyes, Su Lanxun felt joy in her heart and said, “Thanks to you, Madam, for giving me a place to stay, I am who I am today. Please don’t worry—there were indeed some men who pestered me before, but when the Master’s close attendant happened to see them, he scolded them sternly, and they haven’t dared to return since.”

Jiang Heng knew nothing of this. “What was Duke Wei’s close attendant doing here?”

“Buying incense. He said the Master prefers using agarwood to scent his clothes and sent him to purchase some.”

Since Xiao Luo Shi lost her authority, though Jiang Heng had helped review and check the accounts, she had hardly involved herself in the day-to-day management of the household. Matters like tailoring clothes or scenting them with incense were not under her purview, so she had no idea Gu Yu personally sent someone to buy the incense for scenting his clothes.

Jiang Heng asked no further questions. She handed the box of silver ingots to the shopkeeper to be recorded in the account books.

The shopkeeper said, “Madam, Miss Su mentioned that our shop’s variety of incense is somewhat limited. She believes we could purchase more types of incense products, and business would likely improve.”

The shopkeeper then glanced at Su Lanxun, signaling her to elaborate to Jiang Heng.

Su Lanxun then explained her idea.

Having served in households of nobility in the Southern Dynasties, she had witnessed the refinement and prevalence of incense use there. Incense was essential for scenting clothes, banquets, Buddhist ceremonies, sacrifices, and even funerals. The varieties and recipes were numerous—noblewomen might use a different scent each day for clothing, without repetition all year. By comparison, the incense at the Ba Jiu Incense Shop, both in variety and recipes, was much more limited.

“Manager, I’m only speaking from my own observations that our incense products seem a bit monotonous. However, I’m not familiar with the customs of the Divine Capital, and I don’t know if the people here have such a high demand for incense. It’s also possible that the residents of the Divine Capital aren’t particularly enthusiastic about burning incense. In that case, maintaining the status quo might be best.”

Jiang Heng pondered carefully.

Back when she had just returned to the capital, she didn't want her brother to live in hardship, but she couldn't ask her parents for money either. After much investigation, she settled on the incense shop business, counting on the flourishing Buddhist activities in the Divine Capital. Since incense offerings are the foremost of the four Buddhist offerings, this business seemed like a sure success.

Over the years, although it hadn't made her wealthy, it had accumulated some profits. As for the types and formulas of incense, most incense shops in the capital carried similar products, offering just a few varieties. If she were to introduce new products and formulas, she would be the first in the Divine Capital to do so—either leading to a significant increase in profits or suffering heavy losses.

“Let’s use two-thirds of our profits to give it a try. As for selecting the incense products, Miss Su, I’ll leave that to you,” Jiang Heng made her decision.

The shopkeeper agreed and then mentioned another issue to Jiang Heng.

“Yesterday, Jiang Xing sent someone over, saying he wanted to borrow some money. What should we do?”

Jiang Heng had only heard that her elder brother had visited when she was ill but hadn't seen him herself, nor had she heard about borrowing money. She asked, “Did he say what it was for?”

“I heard that Jiang Xing wants to organize famine relief but doesn't have enough grain or silk, so he needs to purchase more.”

Jiang Heng was surprised. Shouldn't organizing famine relief be voluntary and based on one's capacity? Why would her brother need to borrow money to buy grain and silk?

...

Jiang Heng went to the Jiang family to ask her elder brother about borrowing money for the relief efforts.

Jiang Xing said, “The counties around the capital have been hit by hailstorms, and the Luokou Granary was attacked and burned by bandits. Although it's been publicly stated that the losses aren't severe to maintain public calm, in reality, one-fifth of the grain in the granary city was destroyed. Fortunately, I proposed inviting the princes and noble families to open their granaries for relief, so the Emperor didn't punish us.”

“Princes and noble families?” Jiang Heng looked at her elder brother in disbelief. “Would those princes listen to you?”

The Jiang family was among the top-tier noble families in Qingzhou and might still have some influence among the nobility, but the princes of the court were mostly northern aristocratic families who only maintained superficial courtesy toward families like theirs. Who would actually listen to him if he asked them to contribute grain and silk?

“Big brother, did you again rush to claim merit and make a formal pledge?”

Jiang Xing waved his hand confidently. “Rest assured, the princes will be persuaded by Duke Wei. I only need to handle the noble families on our side.”

“You asked Gu Yu for help again?” Jiang Heng said discontentedly.

“This is a matter of the court. Shouldn't I ask for his help? Don't worry, with Prince Qin as his backer, this won't be difficult for him. But...”

Jiang Xing sighed and looked at Jiang Heng. “Our family has been declining over the years, yet the younger family members' lifestyle has become increasingly extravagant. Although we have some reserves of grain and silk, opening the granaries for relief would be quite a strain.”

Jiang Heng said, “Then you should do what you can afford...”

“Jiang Heng, you're thinking too simply,” Jiang Xing interrupted her. “This was my proposal, and the Jiang family is the leading family among the noble families. If I contribute too little, wouldn't I become a laughingstock? If other smaller families follow my example and contribute only a tiny amount, would it achieve the purpose of opening the granaries for relief? If the Emperor becomes dissatisfied, we will face consequences too.”

“Then you...”

Jiang Heng stopped herself, thinking her brother must have no other choice but to ask her for money. She asked, “How much do you need?”

“Fifteen hundred taels,” Jiang Xing said.

Jiang Heng took a slight breath.

The incense shop had indeed accumulated considerable profits over the years, but she had been deeply disheartened before and hadn't restrained her spending. Almost all the money had been spent on supporting Buddhist activities, leaving the shop without much surplus now. Moreover, it wasn't yet the end of the year, and many of the shop's accounts hadn't been settled. Even if she included all her dowry, it wouldn't amount to that much.

“Big brother, I don't have that much money,” Jiang Heng said awkwardly.

Jiang Xing frowned slightly, clearly displeased with her evasiveness. “Don't forget, I was once a general and received rewards. I know that this amount is nothing more than a drop in the bucket for the Duke's household.”

He actually expected her to use the Gu family's money?

“No,” Jiang Heng refused outright.

Jiang Xing said, “It's not like I won't pay you back. Why are you so stingy?”

Jiang Heng remained silent, quietly calculating how much money she could gather at the moment. She said, “I can give you eight hundred taels at most. Take it or leave it.”

“Jiang Heng, what can eight hundred taels do?” Jiang Xing disagreed.

“Take it or leave it,” Jiang Heng said, absolutely unwilling to help him borrow money from the Gu family.

Jiang Xing said impatiently, “Fine, fine, eight hundred taels it is. I'll find a way for the rest.”

“Then write me an IOU,” Jiang Heng said.

Unexpectedly, upon hearing this, Jiang Xing slammed the table in anger. “You're asking me for an IOU? Have you forgotten who provided the money to start your incense shop? Did I ever ask you for a single coin? Now that the family is in trouble, you act like it's a pain to contribute money, bargaining as if it's a business deal, and even demand an IOU from me. Jiang Heng, has your conscience been eaten by dogs?”

Jiang Heng was stunned, staring blankly at her elder brother.

To be fair, her elder brother had always treated her well. He had never yelled at her like their father, nor had he ever accused her of being heartless until today.

It was true that she had borrowed money from her elder brother to buy the incense shop, spending one hundred forty-eight taels. She had repaid him two hundred taels in the second year the shop turned a profit. Even so, she was grateful for her brother's generosity. This time, it wasn't that she didn't want to lend him money—she simply didn't have more.

Wasn't it natural to ask for an IOU when lending money? She had written one when she borrowed money from her brother. Why was he so angry?

Had she really done something wrong?

“I just wanted a written note, I wasn't rushing you to repay...”

Jiang Heng wanted to argue, but her brother's disappointed and furious reaction made her feel guilty. She didn't know whether she should have asked for the IOU or not...

“Fine, fine, here's the IOU. Take it and leave!”

Jiang Xing hastily wrote an IOU, signed it, stamped it, and threw it in Jiang Heng's face.

Jiang Heng didn't pick up the IOU. Her eyes reddened, but she held back her tears, turned around, and left.

Returning to the Gu residence, Jiang Heng asked Chun Jin to tally her dowry and sent someone to the incense shop to inform the shopkeeper not to purchase new incense products for now. She gathered all the available money and sent it to her elder brother.

...

In the evening, Gu Yu came to the Ninghe Courtyard for dinner.

Since Xiao Luo Shi lost her position managing the household, the Gu family had never eaten together again. At first, Luo Shi and her two daughters-in-law claimed they were unwell and didn't want to eat, so Gu Yu had meals delivered to their respective courtyards. After a few days, they complained that the food wasn't to their taste, so Gu Yu set up kitchens in each of their courtyards—for his mother, eldest sister-in-law, and second sister-in-law. Silang and A Yue were sent to eat at their mother's courtyard. Jiang Heng and Gu Yu naturally ate in their own courtyard as well.

“I've spoken with Mother. From now on, we'll eat in our respective courtyards, only gathering for family meals during festivals and holidays.”

As he spoke, Gu Yu picked up a piece of fish and placed it in Jiang Heng’s bowl.

“Yes,” Jiang Heng responded softly and said nothing more.

“I heard you went back to the Jiang family today?” Gu Yu noticed she seemed somewhat unhappy, likely because of something related to her family.

Jiang Heng nodded, without elaborating.

“Sister-in-law, what are you eating? It smells so good!” Gu Qingyue ran over.

Although she usually ate with her mother, she wasn't confined to the Yifang Hall and often ran around the various courtyards, following wherever the smell of good food led her.

“Wow, what a plump fish! I want some too.” Gu Qingyue sat down without being asked and immediately reached for the fish with her chopsticks.

Having eaten fish with Jiang Heng several times, she had acquired a taste for it and become quite skilled at selecting the choicest pieces. In no time, she had taken several mouthfuls, consuming half of the prime cuts.

Jiang Heng, however, seemed to have a poor appetite that day and barely touched any of the dishes.

Gu Yu glanced at her and, just as Gu Qingyue was about to take more fish, he scooped up the remaining choice morsels and placed them in Jiang Heng’s bowl.

“Third Brother, how stingy! Next time you come to my place, I won’t share any fish with you!” Gu Qingyue said with a pout.

“A Yue,” Jiang Heng suddenly spoke up, “if your third brother...” She paused, then corrected herself, “If your fourth brother asked to borrow money from you, would you ask him for an IOU?”

Gu Qingyue didn’t understand why Jiang Heng was asking but assumed it was just a casual question. Without hesitation, she waved her hand and said, “No, of course not. Between siblings, why bother with an IOU? If he wants to pay me back, fine; if not, that’s fine too.”

Jiang Heng was silent for a moment before replying with a quiet “Oh.”

So, had she been in the wrong? It wasn’t that she doubted her elder brother would repay her; asking for an IOU was simply a habit of hers. Besides, those eight hundred taels were her entire savings. She wasn’t so generous as to lend the money without caring whether it was repaid or not.

Perhaps she really had been too selfish and petty, which was why her elder brother had been so angry and accused her of having no conscience.

Jiang Heng fell silent again, eating quietly, her expression even gloomier than before.

But Gu Yu, from this seemingly casual exchange, had grasped the real issue.

It seemed Jiang Xing had borrowed money from Jiang Heng, and the siblings had quarreled over the IOU, leaving Jiang Heng feeling guilty.

“A Yue, lend me a hundred taels,” Gu Yu suddenly said to his sister.

Gu Qingyue was stunned. She glanced at the food on the table, quickly put down her chopsticks, and stopped eating.

“Third Brother, where would I get that kind of money? You’re the head of the household—borrowing from me...” She tapped her own cheek and said to Gu Yu, “How embarrassing is that?”

Gu Yu looked at his younger sister, then turned to Jiang Heng. “See? That’s how you should respond. Did you learn something?”

Jiang Heng remained silent.

Gu Yu then said to his sister, “What’s the difference? When your fourth brother borrows from you, you don’t ask for an IOU and don’t care if he repays. But when I borrow from you, it’s suddenly shameful?”

Gu Qingyue retorted, “How is that the same? Fourth Brother only ever borrows a couple strings of cash from me—hardly worth writing an IOU for. But you’re asking for a hundred taels! Even if I had that much now or in the future, even brothers should keep accounts clear. Do you want people to say the Gu family is selling off their daughter?”

Gu Yu didn’t continue arguing with his sister. Instead, he glanced at Jiang Heng and said, “If your sister-in-law had your way with words, she wouldn’t be bullied so easily.”

After the meal, though it was already evening, it was still early evening. Gu Yu had a horse prepared and said to Jiang Heng, “I’m going to the Jiang family. Will you come?”

“Why are you going to the Jiang family?” Jiang Heng wasn’t sure whether Gu Yu was going for official business or because of the minor issue she had mentioned during the meal.

Gu Yu replied, “To get your things back.”

Jiang Heng fell silent for a moment, then shook her head slightly. “This is between my elder brother and me. Please don’t interfere.”

She couldn’t simply ignore the matter—she had already sent the money to her elder brother. If Gu Yu went to demand it back, he might succeed, but in her father and brother’s eyes, she would become a completely unfilial daughter.

As for the IOU, if her elder brother felt it hurt their relationship, then she would let it go.

But Gu Yu insisted, taking her onto his horse and riding with her to the Jiang residence.

***

“Return what belongs to her,” Gu Yu said to Jiang Xing without any preliminaries.

Jiang Xing was taken aback, confused by Gu Yu’s demand. “What do you mean?”

“The money. However much she gave you, return it all,” Gu Yu said calmly, looking directly at Jiang Xing.

Jiang Xing was stunned for a moment, then turned to Jiang Heng, who stood silently with her head bowed. His eyebrows furrowed. “What, you didn’t take the IOU, so now you don’t dare lend the money?”

He pulled out the crumpled IOU and flung it dismissively toward Jiang Heng. “Here, take it. No need to show off with your husband in front of your elder brother! Don’t worry, I’ll repay your money!”

No sooner had he spoken than Jiang Xing felt a black boot came out of nowhere, followed by a sharp pain in his chest. He was sent flying backward, crashing onto the daybed in his own home.

“Duke Wei, don’t push it!” Jiang Xing hadn’t expected Gu Yu to dare attack him in the Jiang residence, especially in front of Jiang Heng. “At court, you’re Duke Wei, but here, I’m your brother-in-law!”

Jiang Xing shouted angrily.

Seeing her elder brother struck, Jiang Heng instinctively moved to help him, but Gu Yu stretched out an arm to block her way, preventing her from going forward.

“Is this how he treated you today?” Gu Yu asked Jiang Heng.

Jiang Heng remained silent, recalling her brother’s accusatory tone. She felt a pang of hurt, and her eyes reddened again.

“He treated you like this, and you still lent him the money?” Gu Yu said, exasperated at her softness. “Where’s the temper you used to have when you...”

Glancing at Jiang Xing, Gu Yu didn’t finish his sentence.

The commotion quickly drew the attention of the other Jiang family members. Even if Jiang Xing didn’t mention being kicked, the large boot print on his robe made the situation clear.

Jiang Zhiwang, seeing his eldest son assaulted, was furious. But instead of confronting Gu Yu, he turned to Jiang Heng. “You...”

“Father-in-law, it was an accident. I inadvertently kicked elder brother,” Gu Yu interjected, cutting him off.

“An accident? What a likely story!” Jiang Zhiwang slammed the table repeatedly in anger. “Why did you 'accidentally' kick my son?”

“He disrespected me,” Gu Yu said calmly, enunciating each word.

Jiang Xing, thinking Gu Yu was twisting the truth, retorted angrily, “Duke Wei, when did I ever disrespect you?”

“You yelled at my wife in front of me and threw this IOU in her face. Did you think I was dead?” Gu Yu’s eyes turned cold and sharp.

No one spoke. After a moment of silence, Jiang Zhiwang’s anger softened slightly, but he still didn’t believe his son was at fault. “They’re siblings. Siblings don’t hold grudges. Your elder brother has been stressed lately because of the grain relief affairs. He might have been unnecessarily harsh with A Heng, but he never meant to disrespect you.”

Gu Yu’s lips curled into an icy smile. “Is that so? If you hadn’t said so, Father-in-law, I would have thought my wife wasn’t a true Jiang family daughter, to be shouted at and scolded by her elder brother without anyone—not her father, mother, or siblings—speaking up for her.”

“What terrible offense did she make for you and elder brother to treat her like this?” Gu Yu asked, looking directly at Jiang Zhiwang.

Jiang Zhiwang had no response, and Jiang Xing remained silent as well. In their eyes, this was a trivial matter. Jiang Heng had been scolded countless times since childhood, and no one had ever suggested that their treatment of her was wrong. It was always Jiang Heng who was at fault.

The main reception hall fell into a tense silence.

“Jiang Heng, what do you want? Do you want your elder brother to kneel and apologize to you?” Madam Wang, Jiang Heng’s mother, spoke coldly, clearly blaming Jiang Heng for bringing her husband to cause a scene and disregarding family ties.

Jiang Heng looked at her mother, wanting to defend herself, but her mother only gave her a cold glance before turning away angrily.

Jiang Heng compressed her lips, swallowing her retort. Lowering her eyes, she said to Gu Yu, “Let’s go.”

But Gu Yu’s eyes grew even colder. “I’ve heard that my wife was raised in the ancestral home since childhood. There were rumors in the capital that she wasn’t a true Jiang family daughter, but I didn’t believe them. After today, it seems the rumors were true. If that’s the case, from now on...”

“Duke Wei,” Jiang Wan, seeing the situation escalating out of control as Gu Yu was about to suggest cutting ties between A Heng and the Jiang family, immediately interrupted, saying soothingly, “How can those rumors be believed? With how similar A Heng and I look, how could she not be a daughter of the Jiang family?”

Knowing Gu Yu was dissatisfied with the attitudes of her parents and Elder Brother, she continued, “It's true that Father and Mother have shown favoritism and have been harsh on A Heng, and Elder Brother, being distressed, acted in anger towards A Heng—they were wrong. But, Duke Wei, tonight they were all speaking in anger and offended both you and A Heng. I hope you can forgive them. Another day, when Elder Brother comes to his senses, he will surely reflect, repent, and offer his apologies in person.”

All members of the Jiang family naturally sensed what Gu Yu was about to say and broke out in a cold sweat. Thus, they were quite satisfied with Jiang Wan's conciliatory and appeasing words. Even Jiang Zhiwang and Jiang Xing did not voice any opposition.

Gu Yu stood coldly, unmoved.

Jiang Wan went to hold Jiang Heng's arm, embracing her and whispered persuasively, “A Heng, don’t be angry anymore.”

Even more quietly, she added, “If Mother falls ill from anger again, I know you’ll blame yourself.”

Every word seemed to consider her, yet not once did she suggest Jiang Heng take Gu Yu back home.

Jiang Heng, however, understood her elder sister’s meaning. She walked to Gu Yu’s side, tugged at his sleeve, and said, “Let’s go back.”

Gu Yu instead grabbed the lady’s wrist and looked again at Jiang Xing: “I said, give back what's hers.”

Jiang Xing frowned, impatiently waving a hand to a servant, signaling him to fetch the items.

The servant presented the items to Jiang Heng, but she did not take them. Gu Yu took them for her and, looking at the IOU thrown on the ground, said to the servant, “Pick it up and tear it.”

The servant complied.

Gu Yu then looked back at Jiang Xing: “If you truly wish to be my elder brother-in-law, then learn proper conduct. These assets are her dowry—how could you possibly have the nerve to touch them? If you need money, adopt the right attitude and come to the Duke’s mansion openly to seek me.”

Leaving the Jiang residence, the two still rode back.

Jiang Heng remained silent the entire time.

Gu Yu, with one hand controlling the reins and the other arm wrapped around her, slowly spoke: “Perhaps I should look into your origins?”

Because Jiang Heng and Jiang Wan looked so alike, he had never believed the rumors before. Today, he actually started believing them.

The lady did not answer him. After a long while, he heard her sniffling.

He paused, wrapped both arms, encircling the lady as she leaned into him, lowered his head, and gently rested his chin on the top of her head.

He said nothing, simply holding her like that.

“I hate them!”

The lady finally spoke. He could feel her tears dripping onto the back of his hand, chilling.

“I detest them!”

She wasn’t weeping loudly; he could tell she was holding back her emotions.

“Did I do something wrong? I just wanted an IOU—was that wrong?”

She seemed to be talking to herself, or perhaps to Gu Yu.

Whatever it was, Gu Yu responded: “No, you weren’t wrong in the slightest.”

At these words, the lady fell silent again. After a long time, she finally broke into sobs.

She turned to embrace Gu Yu. “Brother, I don’t want them anymore. I don't need any parents; those who reject me, I don’t want them either...”

Gu Yu let the lady lean against his chest, one arm around her waist, the other cradling the back of her neck, and said, “Alright, whatever you decide.”