Madam Wen stared at Gu Jinchao in astonishment upon hearing Gu Lan’s words. Seeing Jinchao also step forward with a deeply troubled expression, her lips pressed tightly together, Madam Wen finally understood: all those things Gu Lan said today were sheer nonsense.
That day, Gu Lan and Song Yiniang had played their parts to perfection—one coaxed while the other struck. Yet who could have known whether these mother and daughter had also slandered Jinchao as they had slandered her!
Meanwhile, Gu Jinrong’s face turned deathly pale. Every word Gu Lan uttered struck him like a blade carving into his heart.
So, behind his back, Gu Lan had truly spoken of Jinchao like this?
There were many matters he had no say in, but when it came to his studies, was it not he himself who had asked Father to let him go to Qifang Hutong? When had Jinchao ever forced him!
How could Gu Lan do this! No matter what, Jinchao was still her elder sister!
Gu Lan had always appeared so gentle and kind before him; who would have imagined she could be so venomous behind the scenes, turning right and wrong upside down!
Seeing the fury on Madam Li’s face after hearing Gu Lan’s accusations, Gu Jinrong couldn’t help but recall his own blind anger in the past, spurred on by Gu Lan’s words. He had once stormed off to confront Jinchao, hurling accusations at her, calling her a heartless viper, a malicious woman beyond redemption…
He could still remember pointing at her and shouting, “Second Sister treats you sincerely and with kindness. She often urges me to avoid conflict with you, fearing Mother would be upset. Time and again, for Mother’s sake and Second Sister’s sake, I have endured… Do you think everyone is as wicked as you?”
And he had also remembered the knee pads she had sewn for him herself—each stitch tight and painstakingly careful.
If a truly kind-hearted person were insulted by her own brother, wronged and slandered by her own sister, if she only ever wanted what was best for him but was instead scorned and accused of meddling—
If it had been himself, would he not have wished he were dead rather than endure such pain?
The more Gu Jinrong thought about it, the uglier his face became, his lips trembling faintly. His heart ached with a sour bitterness he could not describe. He even felt a strong urge to reach out, to tug at Jinchao’s sleeve, to offer an apology.
But he knew—it would not be enough.
It turned out his eldest sister had been right all along—he was rash, thoughtless, easily swayed. How could he have believed Gu Lan’s words without even considering whether they might be true? He had never spared a thought for Jinchao’s feelings.
“How could she ever hope to marry after such behavior!” Madam Li exclaimed, equally stunned. “I have never seen such a shameless young lady of the inner chambers!”
Gu Lan gave a helpless little sigh. “Married she must be, whether to a widower or a cripple. In the end, she must still obey Father’s arrangements, mustn’t she?”
Hearing this, Gu Jinrong’s chest heaved with anger. She dared to humiliate his sister thus—speaking of “widowers” and “cripples”! His sister, so good and kind, why should she suffer such indignities!
Unable to contain himself any longer, Gu Jinrong stepped out from behind the wall and said coldly, “Gu Lan, you’d better hold your tongue!”
Seeing him step forward, Jinchao’s heart sank. She had tried to catch his sleeve but failed. Ah, she sighed inwardly, why did he have to come out so soon? Who knows what else Gu Lan might have blurted out if we waited a little longer…
Gu Lan, hearing his voice, felt a chill run down her spine. At first, she thought she was hearing things—until she saw Madam Li’s face twist as though she had seen a ghost.
“Who are you… how did you come from there!”
“Sister, I am here as well,” said Madam Wen smoothly. Now that Gu Jinrong had already stepped forward, she adjusted her robes, took Jinchao’s hand, and together they walked out along the stone path into the flower hall. With a smiling face, she said, “Gu Lan, seeing me, should you not greet me properly?”
Cold sweat instantly beaded Gu Lan’s forehead.
Had they heard everything she said just now?
But why had they been hiding behind the wing room? Who would idly wander into the bamboo grove behind the house!
Her gaze involuntarily landed on Jinchao.
Jinchao was also looking at her, her expression heavy with disbelief, her voice sorrowful: “Laner, I have always treated you well… how could you say such things about me?”
For a moment, Gu Lan’s mind went blank. Was this really Jinchao? What on earth was she playing at?
A glance at Gu Jinrong and Madam Wen’s expressions made everything clear. At once, her heart sank deeper—she had spoken too recklessly earlier, leaving herself no room to retreat.
At this point, her only choice was to feign pitiful innocence.
She hurriedly stood up, her eyes brimming with tears as she stared at Jinchao, sobbing, “Eldest Sister… how are you here? Please do not misunderstand me. What I said earlier—I only repeated what I heard from the servants! I never truly believed it!”
Gu Jinrong stepped forward, shielding Jinchao behind him. He could no longer suppress his fury and said sharply, “Still trying to make excuses! Were those words something you merely heard from servants? You… I used to think you were gentle and kind, never one to harm others. Never did I expect you to slander Eldest Sister behind her back! Even if she had any faults, she is still your elder sister! Answer me—how do you know she forced me to study? Was it not I who asked Father’s permission? Eldest Sister only persuaded me out of goodwill. Do not twist the truth!”
Tears streamed down Gu Lan’s cheeks as she whispered, “Rong-ge’er… even you do not trust me? We have been siblings for over ten years… how could you wrong me so! I only repeated what you said—that Eldest Sister did not want you staying at home. I knew nothing else…”
Gu Jinrong trembled with rage. “You are unbelievable! Even if you heard it from me, did I say Eldest Sister forced me? Have you been spreading such lies about her all along? How vicious you are…”
Jinchao drew a slow breath and gently tugged at his sleeve, her voice soft: “Jinrong, after all, Lan’er is still your sister…”
Gu Jinrong huffed coldly: “You still treat her as a sister—I, for one, do not!”
“To speak of you so!”
Madam Wen, seeing that Gu Jinrong had failed to grasp the real issue, stood up and sneered, “Gu Lan, you claim to know nothing, yet you spoke such reckless words! If this is not slander, what is? And who is wronging you? Who are you shedding tears for now—hoping to win whose pity?”
Gu Lan’s face burned with humiliation, panic gripping her heart completely. She suddenly remembered Madam Wen’s promise to oversee her hairpin ceremony—and now, after today’s fiasco, that hope was utterly crushed.
Not only would Madam Wen not help her, she would likely despise her from now on!
She dared not offend Madam Wen!
Tears poured down Gu Lan’s face. She stumbled forward a few steps, crying pitifully, “Second Aunt… please don’t hold my words against me… I truly didn’t mean it…”
Madam Wen gave a cold snort. “Who are you calling ‘Second Aunt’? You are to address me as Madam Wen!”
Then she smiled even more brightly. “Not your true intention, was it? Then whose? Song Yiniang’s? Of course! If she hadn’t taught you to say such things, how could you have concocted these wicked schemes on your own?”
Gu Lan opened her mouth stiffly, wanting to argue, but not a single word came out.
Madam Li also rose to her feet. She did not quite understand the situation and attempted to persuade Madam Wen: “Elder Sister, surely this is all just a misunderstanding. Please, do not get too upset…”
“A misunderstanding?” Madam Wen sneered. “Song Miaoying, let me tell you clearly—I never once approached Song Yiniang to arrange Gu Lan’s hairpin ceremony. It was she and her daughter who came weeping to my door, begging for pity! They pleaded with me to arrange a marriage match for Gu Lan.
And as for speaking to Song Miaohua about you and Lord Li—nonsense! Use your head, will you? With the friendship between you and me, would I ever speak of your affairs to curry favor with someone like Song Miaohua? Open your eyes—don’t let yourself be used without even realizing it!”
Gu Lan felt her entire body go numb. It was as if she were trapped in a nightmare from which she could not awaken.
Every single word she had spoken just now—every single word!—had been overheard by those three!
Hearing Madam Wen’s words, Madam Li grew thoughtful and realized something was indeed amiss.
Earlier, she had been wholly inflamed by Gu Lan’s accusations, and had not stopped to consider whether they were true.
Gu Jinrong shot Gu Lan a furious glare. “Your skill at fabricating falsehoods has certainly improved! Sweet words to one’s face, venom behind their back—slandering others for things they have not done… How did you become such a person!”
Gu Lan now understood that weeping would no longer save her. No matter how clever she usually was, she was still just a fifteen-year-old girl; panic seized her heart. She instinctively reached out, wanting to grab Gu Jinrong’s sleeve—
If she lost Gu Jinrong’s favor, the consequences would be disastrous for her!
But Gu Jinrong struck her hand away with a harsh slap, glanced at the silently weeping Jinchao, and then turned and left the flower hall without a word.
Madam Wen also noticed Gu Jinchao’s silent sorrow. She thought to herself, This young lady truly has suffered greatly. Likely of a quiet nature, she must have endured countless slights from Gu Lan without ever voicing a complaint.
If it had been her, she would have torn Gu Lan’s mouth to shreds by now!
A girl’s reputation, once sullied, would never allow her to marry well. Her entire life would be ruined.
Gu Lan had gone far, far too far.
She gently took Jinchao’s hand and said softly, “Do not be disheartened.”
Turning to Gu Lan, she smiled coldly: “Laner, as for your coming-of-age ceremony, I must decline. My status is simply not high enough to be worthy of assisting you. Perhaps you might ask Madam Li, or find a Marchioness or a titled lady of the first or second rank to do the honors instead. Surely only such a noblewoman would be fit for someone of your lofty nature?”
For a moment, Gu Lan was unable to say anything at all.
“There are urgent matters awaiting me at home,” Madam Wen continued. “I shall not be attending your ceremony after all. I take my leave.”
Without even glancing at Gu Lan again, she took her two maids and left the flower hall.
“Second Sister, think well upon it,” Jinchao said softly, gazing at Gu Lan. “I am truly heartbroken. I have never wronged you. Why, then, have you repeatedly sought to harm me and drive a wedge between me and Jinrong?”
“When I first returned to the Gu family, you were but eight years old. We used to play cat’s cradle together. You would insist on sleeping in my room, refusing to leave.
I had once thought you truly cared for me…
Yet who could have foreseen that you would one day act like this?”
Gu Lan took a deep breath, finally forcing back her tears. At this point, she no longer cared whether Madam Li was present. Everything had already fallen apart—what did it matter anymore?
She looked at Gu Jinchao and let out a cold laugh. “Gu Jinchao, stop pretending! It was clearly you who brought them here! You wanted to humiliate me, to destroy me!
Let me tell you—I, Gu Lan, am not so easily trampled.
Whatever you have done to me, I will return in kind—sooner or later!
And don’t you dare speak to me of past affection—there is none between us!”
Juju’s Note:
Missed me? 😅Thank you for being patient! Translation nap is over! There’s an update about the translation schedule.