Chapter 23

Lin Wei Xi’s eyes unconsciously grew cold as she watched the person approaching her.

Who did she think it was?

“Miss Lin.” Gu Cheng Yao didn’t enter the pavilion but said to Lin Wei Xi through the window, “Father asked me to pick you up.”

Lin Wei Xi turned to look at the curtain of pattering rain. This time, the rain was heavy, and Xiyuan was itself riddled with lakes and rivers. The ashen sky seemed to meld into the lake, an overcast fog of grey as far as the eye could see.

“Miss Lin?”

“The rain is so heavy. Even if you have an umbrella, I’ll definitely get wet if I follow you out. Why don’t we wait here for a while. May showers don’t last very long.”

Gu Cheng Yao automatically frowned when he heard this suggestion. It was inappropriate for a man and woman to be alone together in the same room. Lin Wei Xi gave Gu Cheng Yao a sweeping glance, her tone impolite, “Of course, I’m saying this for myself. My body is weak and I get a headache from the slightest wind. If I get caught in the rain again, I’m afraid I won’t be going back today. If you don’t want to wait then hurry up and leave. Anyways, Shizi is in good health and doesn’t have to care about a little wind and rain.”

Gu Cheng Yao usually avoided finding trouble for himself. It was raining outside, so why wait in the rain if he had the choice not to? In any case, Lin Wei Xi couldn’t leave, so it should be alright for him to wait in the water pavilion a little longer.

Gu Cheng Yao had his servants keep his rain gear but stood under the eaves by the window, refusing to enter the room with Lin Wei Xi. If she were an ordinary woman, Gu Cheng Yao’s actions at that moment would’ve been very noble. But to Lin Wei Xi… she only felt indifferent and fed up with him.

In this manner, the two of them fell into a strange silence. Lin Wei Xi, someone who would say anything that came to mind under normal circumstances, was exceptionally quiet. Gu Cheng Yao paused for a moment and suddenly said, “Thank you for today.”

Lin Wei Xi froze before realizing that Gu Cheng Yao was talking to her. Normally, when people spoke to each other, not only would they be sitting across from each other, they’d also at least maintain eye contact. But the two of them did neither of those. He watched the vast curtain of rain that surrounded the pavilion while she merely rolled her eyes and said unhappily, “No need to thank me. I just can’t stand it when people blame Prince Yan. It’s not for the Prince Yan Residence and certainly not for you. Why on earth would you thank me?”

Gu Cheng Yao smiled softly and finally turned to look at Lin Wei Xi, “You seem to want nothing to do with me. Since the first time we met, you’ve deliberately kept your distance and your attitude has been unfriendly. We’re complete strangers. I never offended you before, right?”

“Shizi, you’re an extremely privileged person who grew up loved by your family. You’re too used to getting what you want and have never seen what the real world is like. Today I’ll show you just how much of a troublemaker a woman can be. I know nothing about liking someone, but as for hating someone, do I need a reason to?”

Lin Wei Xi thought that he’d get angry, but he didn’t. He merely shook his head and smiled, “you truly have a deeply-rooted prejudice against me.”

Gu Cheng Yao didn’t get angry, but gently and politely talked to her, a weak woman whose status and position were far inferior to him. She felt very disheartened. He could be so gentlemanly to a woman he didn’t know, but he didn’t even have the patience to finish listening to a single sentence from his first wife.

Perhaps it was because the mood was too calm, or perhaps it was because the pattering of the rain outside the pavilion felt like an illusion, but Lin Wei Xi suddenly brought up things from her past, back when she was still Gao Xi. She said things that she thought she wouldn’t say for the rest of her life, “Shizi, I’ve been so unreasonable to you, but you still maintain your elegant demeanour and patiently listen to me. Normally, you’d be the model of a noble son who’s had a proper education. But why is it that when it comes to the person you’re closest to, you seem to turn into a completely different person?”

“The person I’m closest to?” Gu Cheng Yao was puzzled, “I respect my father, always adhere to my duty as a son, and I’ve never acted bossy or arrogant to the servants of the Residence. And regarding Shizi Fei… “

Gu Cheng Yao paused, his eyes turning cold, and he didn’t conceal the scrutiny in his eyes, “What do you mean? How do you know?”

“It doesn’t mean anything. It’s just random gossip I heard from the servants of the residence.” Lin Wei Xi sat on the dark brown sandalwood chair. The water pavilion was dark under the rain, but with her clear skin and fine appearance, she seemed to glow in the dim light. She looked at Gu Cheng Yao, her exquisite features like those of a painting, and she said with a rarely seen single-mindedness, “Shizi should be an elegant gentleman, but you were exceptionally neglectful towards your first wife. I really want to know the reason why.”

Gu Cheng Yao looked straight into Lin Wei Xi’s eyes, but for some unknown reason, he suddenly broke eye contact and couldn’t look at her, “there’s no reason. She deceived me and intentionally destroyed my marriage with my fated partner. Why would I continue with that marriage?”

“I heard that reason when you refused to visit the Princess Royal Shou Kang Residence.” Lin Wei Xi’s gaze swept across Gu Cheng Yao and settled on the vast expanse of rain behind him, smiling despite herself, “do you remember why Prince Yan scolded you back then? That’s exactly what I want to tell you now. You take everything for granted. When you made that decision, did you talk about it openly with her? Do you actually have all the facts? Sooner or later, you will pay the price for your complacency.”

Gu Cheng Yao didn’t expect to hear this from her, “You… “

Without waiting for him to finish speaking, Lin Wei Xi sighed self-deprecatingly, “I wish I could see the day.”

Gu Cheng Yao looked at Lin Wei Xi’s side profile as a smile threatened to spread across his face. There was no need to continue what was said just now. He laughed as he said to her, “Then I hope Miss Lin’s wish comes true?”

Lin Wei Xi snorted softly. She looked at him out of the corner of her eye and felt disinclined to deign him with an answer. From this incident, Gu Cheng Yao felt that the distance between the both of them had closed somewhat, so he said what he was feeling, “Miss Lin, I didn’t really like you in the beginning. But now I realize that my first impression wasn’t entirely accurate. I thought that I didn’t like girls with your kind of personality, but after knowing you for some time, I realized that although you have a simple and frank character, you’re also cute in other aspects.” If Lin Wei Xi hadn’t marked him out like this, she’d be much more adorable.

Lin Wei Xi got angry when she heard this, “why would I need you to like me? I’m a famous, beautiful, wealthy young woman. If I wanted to, plenty of men would be fighting each other to marry me. I don’t need you to tell me that I’m cute even though I have a simple and frank character! Just go back to your beloved Shizi Fei.”

Gu Cheng Yao didn’t expect Lin Wei Xi to have such a huge reaction. He chuckled helplessly, “you’re really too hostile to Gao Ran.”

“Oh, do you think she isn’t hostile to me? Shall I help you recall what she’s said about me to you in private?”

Gu Cheng Yao clenched his fist and coughed softly when he heard this, “how can an unmarried girl like you say that?”

Lin Wei Xi stared blankly at his words. She immediately reacted, unable to contain her rage, “why are you blaming me when you’re the one with your head in the gutter?”

…

The conversation ended with Lin Wei Xi’s chaotic words. The rain stopped, and Gu Cheng Yao looked at Lin Wei Xi helpless before saying, “the rain has stopped, so we won’t get drenched. Can we go now?”

Lin Wei Xi humphed unhappily, rushed out of the pavilion and strode forward. Gu Cheng Yao was left behind, but he could only sigh and hasten his steps to chase after her.

Gao Ran received an inquiry from Prince Yan asking if she’d seen Gu Cheng Yao. She hadn’t, and when she looked into it, she learned that he’d gone to pick up Lin Wei Xi, and he still hadn’t returned.

Gao Ran felt her heart drop. When the rain subsided a little, she hurried to the water pavilion.

Halfway there, she saw Lin Wei Xi and Gu Cheng Yao rounding the corner. Gu Cheng Yao was handsome and tall, while Lin Wei Xi was delicate and beautiful. The two were shrouded by dense mist as they walked, more beautiful than the idol drama from her previous life.

Gao Ran was keenly aware that something had changed between the two of them. Chemistry between two people was a difficult thing to determine, but Gao Ran’s intuition told her that the two of them had become much closer.

Gu Cheng Yao saw Gao Ran and smiled as he walked towards her. Lin Wei Xi asked the servants behind her, “are we leaving the palace?” After getting a definitive answer, she nodded and without any hesitation, walked out without looking back. Gu Cheng Yao noticed that Gao Ran was looking directly at Lin Wei Xi’s retreating back. He lowered his head, baffled, and asked Gao Ran, “what’s the matter, you seem a little distracted?”

“It’s nothing.” Gao Ran forced herself to calm down. She followed the numerous attendants out of the palace and caught sight of Lin Wei Xi when she looked up. Lin Wei Xi was slim, but she had some curves on her figure, with slender waist, shoulders and neck. Anyone could see how outstanding she was from behind. Seeing this, Gao Ran’s thoughts became clearer.

Lin Wei Xi couldn’t continue to stay. At the very least, she couldn’t be allowed to continue living in the Prince Yan Residence.

Gao Ran suddenly remembered that the Qian family had discreetly made an inquiry that day. Empress Dowager Qian had finally become the Empress Dowager after much hardship. The Qian family’s fortunes were about to make a turn for the better and they were now the most honourable in-laws of the imperial family. A young master of the Qian family had taken a fancy to Lin Wei Xi. From every perspective, it was Lin Wei Xi’s good fortune. Even if the second son of the Qian family was a little licentious, it was better than playing around with prostitutes.

There was no reason to refuse. Even if Lin Wei Xi moved in with Princess Royal Shou Kang, Shou Kang was an old woman with half her foot in the grave. Would she dare to confront the Empress Dowager’s family?

Gao Ran told herself that she was doing this for Lin Wei Xi’s sake. She’d be marrying the Empress Dowager’s nephew as the main wife no less. As an orphan with nothing to her name, this was such a good marriage!