Chapter 8

Yanzhi hurriedly prepared the charcoal basin without choosing her path.

The charcoal given to Twilight Snow Studio was all low-grade stove charcoal. As soon as it was lit, the entire room filled with choking smoke. "Cough cough cough! Young lady, drink more water, be careful not to choke. Eldest Young Master is too cruel. After all, young lady is the legitimate daughter. How could he treat Twilight Snow Studio like this? If old master was still here, he would have raised his spear and seen who dared bully us. "

"Yanzhi, put it out, I'm not afraid of the cold."

Gu Ying sat under the lamplight with a light expression. The dim candlelight outlined her slender and delicate eyebrows and eyes, as exquisite and beautiful as an ink painting.

She unfolded the paper ball and saw Jiang Yin's handwriting on it. Recalling the years when she was full of feelings for him, her eyes inevitably turned sour.

That's right, she had also loved him wholeheartedly.

She read the books he had read, wrote the words he had written, learned embroidery for him, made clothes and embroidered purses for him, every stitch and every thread was her silly fantasy about him.

But now, every word and every sentence was satire!

Her heart twisted like a knife. Her fingers slowly tightened, tearing the note to shreds, still uneasy, she threw it into the brazier and burned it to ashes!

"Young lady, what should we do now? I don't know how Young Master Jiang got in either. In the dark night and heavy snow, he is still in Young Master Ning's courtyard. If others find out, I'm afraid we can't explain it clearly!"

The corner of Gu Ying's lips twitched. She hadn't acted this scene in her previous life, and it caught her a little off guard.

However, she was not the foolish herself from the previous life. Naturally, she had a way to deal with him.

Gu Ying stood up and wrapped her cloak tightly around herself. "It doesn't matter, Yanzhi. Who gave you the letter?"

Yanzhi shook her head. "The letter was tucked in the door of our yard. I don't know who did it."

Gu Ying paused for a moment, wiped her hair dry, and had Yanzhi tie her hair in a bun, then walked out. "Yanzhi, remember, from now on in this Marquis's residence, the only person you can trust is me. No one else, whether it's the master or servant, you just tell them one third of the story, only listen to one third of what others say, never bare your heart to anyone. About tonight's letter, if asked, just say you don't know, you didn't see it, and would rather die than admit it."

Yanzhi followed her young lady with tense steps. "I understand, young lady. Are you really going to see Young Master Jiang?"

Gu Ying smiled coldly. "Of course I'm going." "But this--" Meeting privately, and in her own residence! If caught, all her efforts today in front of the Imperial Concubine would go to waste!

Yanzhi's heart thumped wildly, while Gu Ying's mind was clear.

In their previous life, Jiang Yin was able to rise from a low-ranking official to Chief Minister, supporting the new emperor's accession. He must have had exceptional talents.

He was well-read and cautious, good at enduring hardships and socializing. He was very familiar with the residences of all the powerful families in Bianjing.

Let's not talk about how he did it first. Just based on him being able to avoid the masters and come and go from the Marquis's residence at night, one could deduce a lot about him.

He was not a simple man. He had already begun cultivating his own dark influences.

It was a pity that in this life, she was determined to let him wallow in the mud for a lifetime, never able to climb out!

In just the time it took to burn some incense, the mistress and maid arrived at Twilight Snow Studio's door.

From inside the room came the sound of a teenage boy crying and making a fuss.

"I don't want to drink medicine! I don't want to drink medicine!"

Hearing Gu Ning's weak and heart-wrenching cries, Gu Ying's heart tightened. She hurried in and called out, "Ah Ning!"

As her voice fell, a delicate ten-year-old boy instantly revealed a panicked and frightened look. He shrank back onto the thick canopy bed, not daring to cry out anymore. Like a thin, pitiful sick kitten, he hid away and didn't dare show his face.

Gu Ying sighed with heartache. She also froze in place.

Because in their previous life, she had always tried to please Eldest Young Master, neglecting her own sibling, her younger brother.

Sometimes when she saw him sickly and frail, she felt irritated that he was not strong or sunny enough, not lovable enough. Although she had never abused him, every impatient tone and hurtful word must have already damaged his young heart.

He was only ten years old now, without his parents' company, only her as his older sister.

But his sister didn't love him. He was so young yet sensible, dragging his frail sick body. He only swallowed his last breath on the day of her wedding.

Thinking of this, Gu Ying's insides twisted into knots. She hadn't meant to cry, but seeing the weak figure on the bed, the tears swirled unstoppably in her eyes.

"Second Young Lady Gu, you did come after all."

Just as she was about to walk to the bedside, she was stopped by a gloomy male voice.

Gu Ying closed her eyes. Tears rolled down her long lashes. Even if she turned to ashes, she would recognize this voice! Hatred began to spread again. Her fists clenched tighter and tighter. She couldn't restrain the chill spreading out.

"Young Master Jiang?"

She turned around and wiped the tears from her eyes, deliberately revealing an innocent and confused look. "So late, how did Young Master Jiang appear in the Marquis's residence? Could it be that you came looking for my elder sister?"

Jiang Yin wore a short coat and coarse hemp clothes of an apprentice doctor, but it didn't diminish his gentle and refined scholarly aura at all.

Beside him was Dr. Liu, a well-known doctor in Bianjing who specialized in treating the young masters of prominent households.

Gu Ning was the only son of the second branch. Frail since birth, his health was poor.

As he grew older, his muscles deteriorated further until his legs were almost half-paralyzed. Most of the time he could only lie in bed.

It was said that Madam Liu had spent a fortune to invite the famous doctor into the residence to treat her younger brother.

Because of the instability of the young master's illness, he would frequently have attacks. Therefore, the Marquis's residence provided a separate annex room in Twilight Snow Studio for Dr. Liu. Not only could he come and go freely from the residence, he could also stay overnight.

Seeing the two talking, Dr. Liu was very tactful and exited the main room, closing the door behind him.

The moment the door closed.

The suspicions Gu Ying had always harbored suddenly opened a gap.

In their previous life, during the days she kowtowed in the ancestral hall, she was dizzy and faint, on the verge of death.

One day, Jiang Yin brought medicine to see her. He held her in his arms and was caught on the spot by Grandmother and the rest. Grandmother scolded her for being shameless and vulgar, saying her damaged body was unworthy of the young marquis.

From then on, the marriage between her and Jiang Yin was conclusively called off.

And she was also moved by Jiang Yin's risk in secretly bringing her medicine, making her love him even more.

But now it seemed that Dr. Liu was clearly Jiang Yin's man!

His coming to see her was the trap he had deliberately set up!

Gu Ying's eyes turned cold. She quickly raised her head, "You--"

Jiang Yin saw her expression slightly chaotic, her big red eyes wet, like a lost lamb. For some reason, it made him feel relieved instead. "Gu Ying, I don't believe a single word of what you said today in front of the Imperial Concubine."

As he spoke, he paced towards her until he backed her against the wall. His fingers lifted her chin, forcing her to look at him. "How could you possibly not like me? Have you forgotten that just last month, you wrote me a letter saying you wanted to marry me?"

Gu Ying's long lashes trembled slightly. Her back leaned against the cold wall. The corner of her lips revealed a mocking smile. "Gu Ying never thought Young Master Jiang was so self-conceited. Does Young Master Jiang think that letter was really written by me? Don't forget, I don't even know how to write Young Master Jiang's name, let alone say I want to marry Young Master Jiang."

Speaking to this point, she smiled again, her eyes curving beautifully like a fairy who had fallen into the mortal realm. "What's more, I am the legitimate young lady of the Marquis of Dongping. My fiancé is the young marquis of the prestigious Marquis of Yong'an. In status, position, in rank and humility, Young Master Jiang, are you worthy of me?"