Chapter 239: 5 Dissection

“`

Gu Changze was originally staring dumbfounded at Liu Qingqing wolfing down her food, but as soon as he saw Ye Xiao, he immediately remembered his identity as a rebellious young man.

“Mother! Is this how you treat Qingqing? Qingqing used to live a life of luxury, and now, you’re giving her this to eat! You’re magnanimous to strangers, so why, why are you so cruel to Qingqing! These buns are yellow and foul-smelling; even our servants wouldn’t eat them, yet you give them to Qingqing!” he roared.

Gu Changze seemed to be used to this roaring way of speaking; his voice was loud and resounding.

Ye Xiao silently took two steps back.

She could tolerate the loud voice.

Her main concern was to avoid being sprayed with his saliva.

After Gu Changze finished his tirade, Ye Xiao replied with a surprised look, “This kind of thing? Cruel? How come! Look, how happy your girl Qingqing is eating! Is there a possibility that she actually enjoys eating dirty and foul-smelling things?”

Ye Xiao’s face was one of sincerity.

How could anyone like to eat dirty and foul-smelling things!

Gu Changze instinctively wanted to argue back.

But…

Liu Qingqing was enjoying her food immensely; she ate so quickly, accompanied by loud chewing sounds.

These sounds were truly hard to ignore.

Gu Changze turned his head stiffly.

Liu Qingqing was enjoying her food so much! How could he argue against Ye Xiao!

Even Gu Changze had begun to doubt himself.

Maybe he didn’t understand Qingqing at all; maybe she actually liked these yellowed, moldy buns.

Seeing Gu Changze’s incredulous look, Liu Qingqing also felt like she was going insane.

Unable to control herself, she kept eating voraciously while shaking her head at Gu Changze, her eyes brimming with tears, “No… chomp, chomp… it’s not like that… chomp, chomp, chomp.”

“Qingqing, are you trying to say that you don’t want to eat it either?” Gu Changze couldn’t help but ask.

Liu Qingqing nodded with difficulty.

“Then you should stop eating.” Gu Changze said hurriedly.

While nodding, Liu Qingqing picked up another bun and stuffed it desperately into her mouth.

“Look, she seems to be saying one thing and doing another.” Ye Xiao said lightly, “Son, is it possible that you’ve never let her eat her fill? She looks so pitiful.”

Gu Changze’s face was rigid.

He stepped forward briskly, intending to take away the bun from Liu Qingqing.

However.

There was a whole basket of buns.

As Gu Changze tried to take one, Liu Qingqing instantly glared at him fiercely and snatched it back, continuing to stuff it into her mouth.

Gu Changze was too slow to dodge, and his hand was scratched by Liu Qingqing.

“Qingqing, stop eating, stop eating, please.” Gu Changze hesitated to approach again and could only shout loudly.

Listening to Gu Changze’s voice, Liu Qingqing knew she should stop.

But.

She couldn’t, she really couldn’t.

As a result, the scene became.

Liu Qingqing crazily stuffing buns, with Gu Changze roaring beside her daily.

The play was quite entertaining to watch.

Just standing around was getting tiresome, though.

So Ye Xiao had her guard bring over a chair.

She sat down herself and warmly invited An Yihua, “Come have a seat. Don’t tire yourself.”

An Yihua’s face was numb.

Her own husband, screaming and shouting for another woman; theoretically, shouldn’t she be devastated?

“`

But now.

She just sat down stiffly, then stiffly accepted another handful of sunflower seeds Ye Xiao passed to her, and began to crack them open with equal stiffness.

This basket of steamed buns contained a good ten-plus buns.

Liu Qingqing ate for a full hour before she finally finished.

Throughout this hour, Ye Xiao, along with An Yihua, had been cracking sunflower seeds and watching the spectacle unfold. An Yihua was initially somewhat restrained, but as time passed, she too seemed to find some amusement in the situation.

Hmm.

Eating seeds really was quite interesting, after all.

When she had finished the steamed buns, Liu Qingqing only felt her stomach churning as if a torrential river had overturned; the food almost reaching her throat.

She turned her head and began to vomit violently.

Ye Xiao quickly covered her nose and then pulled An Yihua up, “Retreat.”

The two of them hurried away.

The next moment, the cramped firewood storage room filled with the foul stench of vomit.

Gu Changze indeed was truly in love.

He didn’t run at first.

He remained by the side, roaring with apparent concern.

Only when Liu Qingqing’s vomit increased in volume did he finally relent, rushing out.

Seeing Ye Xiao, Gu Changze roared again, “Mother! What exactly did you do to Qingqing, how could she have become like this!”

Ye Xiao rolled her eyes dramatically, “What could I have done to her? After locking her up, I haven’t even glanced at her. Out of kindness, I sent her steamed buns, look how happily she ate them.”

Gu Changze was momentarily speechless, shaking his head in a daze, “No, Qingqing is not like this…”

Gu Changze felt as if his world view had crumbled.

The Liu Qingqing in his memories was always gentle, weak, and compassionate.

Where… where would she have this vulgar appearance! Jumping two meters high, easily toppling stone lions, and then gobbling a whole basket of steamed buns…

Gu Changze felt like he was about to not recognize his own intimate friend.

Ye Xiao said indifferently, “I’ve told you. There’s something off about this Liu Qingqing. She could very well be some sort of spy. Which normal person can eat so many steamed buns in one breath? Gu Changze, I will tell you one last time.”

“Now your father is still unconscious, and whether the glory of Marquis Valiant Residence can continue is all dependent on you! But what about you? What state are you in now! For a woman from the pleasure quarters, you’ve lost the face of the Marquis Residence, shamed your legitimate wife, and even disgraced the Minister Residence!”

“This woman might even be a spy from another country. If you continue to be obstinate, you will drag the entire Marquis Residence into the abyss. If it really comes to that, you don’t want to know what I will do.”

Ye Xiao’s expression was cold and detached.

Gu Changze’s body trembled, and he clenched his teeth, “The person I love has always been Qingqing. I never even thought about marrying the Minister’s daughter.”

With that, he looked disdainfully at An Yihua.

An Yihua looked on expressionlessly.

She was supposed to be heartbroken.

But now, more than being heartbroken, she was more curious about how her mother-in-law, who shocked and scandalized everyone, would handle the situation.

Ye Xiao let out a cold laugh, “Are you implying that you were forced? If that’s really the case, why didn’t you say anything before?! Why did you only suddenly show up with Liu Qingqing after all the ceremonies were completed and you were officially married!”

“Gu Changze, you keep proclaiming your true love for Liu Qingqing, but you also know that you can’t marry her as the mistress of the Marquis Residence. Thus, you allowed the two families to arrange a marriage, thinking that once you had a wife, as long as she agreed, you could legitimately bring your Liu Qingqing into the household! You’ve also inquired before, the Minister’s legitimate daughter has a gentle disposition, definitely unable to resist. You calculated all this, wanting to coerce the Marquis Residence into granting Liu Qingqing a status.”

“And now, you feel you’re the victim?”

Ye Xiao’s expression was contemptuous.

An Yihua felt a bit dazed upon hearing this.

She had once suspected whether her existence was preventing this pair of true lovers from being together.

But then.

Ye Xiao plainly dissected Gu Changze’s little schemes.

An Yihua looked at Gu Changze’s flushed face and couldn’t help but let out a bitter laugh.