After the Cold and Aloof Husband's Mask Falls - Chapter 9

Gu Qingyun never imagined that the person who would fish him out of his prison cell would be Gu Wanlan.

Convinced that she must have made some grave mistake for which the family held leverage, he immediately assumed the air of an arrogant elder the moment he saw her. “Gu Wanlan,” he sneered, “the Cui and Wang families are not people a country girl like you can hope to cling to.”

Having successfully approached Cui Jue and “accidentally” dropped her handkerchief before him, Gu Wanlan was in a fine mood. She chose to treat Gu Qingyun’s words as nothing more than a dog’s barking.

She walked straight past him and offered a smile to the nearby bailiff. “Officer, thank you for your trouble. My business is concluded, and I’m taking my Second Uncle home. Please convey my gratitude to Lord Zhao.”

“Lady Gu is too kind,” the bailiff replied politely. “Lord Zhao mentioned that when you have the time, he would very much like to host a dinner for Lord Xiao.”

Old fox, Gu Wanlan cursed inwardly.

While Zhao Tianfeng was wary of the Embroidered Uniform Guards and had granted her many conveniences, he was not the type to give something for nothing. Had she not offered a definitive answer today, he likely wouldn’t have released her uncle so easily.

“Of course, of course. We have troubled Lord Zhao greatly. Once Lord Xiao has finished his current duties, he will certainly invite Lord Zhao for a drink.”

Using Xiao Chen’s name again brought Gu Wanlan zero psychological pressure.

“Excellent. With Lady Gu’s word, I am at ease. Safe travels on your way back,” the bailiff said. Having secured a promise he could report back to the Prefect, he handed over the prisoner and departed.

Gu Qingyun, who had overheard the entire exchange, was utterly bewildered. First the Cui family, and now a “Lord Xiao” whom even the Prefect of the capital was eager to flatter?

Just how did Gu Wanlan know all these powerful figures?

Suspecting the worst, Gu Qingyun lowered his voice and hissed, “Gu Wanlan! This is Xijing, not your dilapidated countryside! You had better behave yourself! Do not act licentiously and ruin the reputation of the Gu family name!”

“The Gu family name?” Gu Wanlan caught sight of Autumn Cassia rushing toward them from a carriage in the distance. A smirk played on her lips. “You mean the ‘upright’ reputation of an Old Matron who sacrifices her own son to save the family by sending him to a dungeon?”

Gu Qingyun’s face darkened, the veins in his forehead bulging. He grabbed Gu Wanlan by the collar, his expression twisted with rage. “Gu Wanlan! If you hadn’t been meddling behind the scenes, my mother would never have—”

“Quite right. If I hadn’t been unable to stand the Old Matron slandering an innocent man and come here today to confess, you would still be rotting in that cell, Second Uncle.” Gu Wanlan shook her head with feigned pity. “It’s a shame, though. Although I tried my best to clear your name today, the fact remains that you were taken to the Prefecture. Your reputation is tarnished; I fear your future political career is quite over.”

Gu Qingyun’s face turned a violent shade of red, the flesh on his cheeks quivering. “What did you say?! You came here of your own accord? Where are the others from the house?!”

Gu Wanlan nodded toward Autumn Cassia behind him. “Look, Uncle. Your ‘family’ has arrived. If you don’t believe me, ask her.”

Autumn Cassia had been rushing the entire way, but the moment she saw the Second Master, she knew she was too late. She had been prepared to follow the Matron’s orders: to take the Second Master to the Prefecture and counter-sue Gu Wanlan.

Before the maid could even speak, Gu Qingyun interrogated her like a man possessed. “Autumn Cassia! This ‘dear niece’ of mine claims today’s events were her own doing and had nothing to do with the manor. Is that true?!”

Autumn Cassia waved her hands frantically, desperate to distance the Matron from the girl’s actions. “Of course! Of course! Eldest Young Lady left the manor privately without permission! The Old Matron knew nothing of it! Had she known, she would have stopped her!”

“Perfect! Simply perfect! Hahaha!” Gu Qingyun burst into a wild laugh.

Autumn Cassia suddenly realized her mistake. The Second Master already felt betrayed by the Matron’s previous actions; her explanation only made the rift deeper. She opened her mouth to explain Gu Wanlan’s cunning intentions, but when she met the girl’s beaming, mocking eyes, the words died in her throat.

“Second Master… let us return to the manor first,” the maid whispered. “The Old Matron is waiting for you.”

“Fine! We return to the manor!! I want to see if that old woman still remembers she has a son!”

Sensing the explosive rage simmering beneath his words, Autumn Cassia didn’t dare advise him further, let alone mention the Matron’s original plan. She submissively held the carriage curtain open for him.

Once Gu Qingyun was safely inside, Autumn Cassia finally let out a breath. Her legs gave way, and she nearly slipped from the carriage, only to be caught by a steady hand.

“Now that Second Uncle is going home, the manor is going to get quite busy. You should be careful, Nanny,” Gu Wanlan said with a meaningful smile.

Autumn Cassia shivered, now truly terrified of the young woman. She jerked her arm away and stammered, “Th-thank you for your concern, Eldest Young Lady.”

At the entrance of their alleyway, the Second Madam was waiting personally. When she saw the familiar carriage, she rushed forward. “Master? Is that you, back home?”

But when the curtain lifted and Gu Wanlan jumped down, the Second Madam recoiled three steps in shock. “Eldest… Eldest Young Lady?!”

Gu Wanlan landed with an arrogant tilt of her chin. “Of course it’s me. Who else could have hauled your husband out of jail?”

The Second Madam thought of the rumors she’d heard about Gu Wanlan performing a public apology at the Prefecture. She hesitated for a moment. “I heard… that you don’t have enough servants at your pavilion?”

“I am a bit short-handed. Why?”

“Tomorrow, I will have a labor broker bring some girls to the manor. You can come and pick whoever you find useful.”

“Wonderful. You’re doing me a great favor, Aunt,” Gu Wanlan smiled, cupping her hands. “In that case, I won’t disturb your reunion. Until next time.”

“Autumn Cassia, take the driver and go,” Gu Qingyun’s voice boomed from the carriage.

“Master? But the Old Matron is waiting…”

“Am I the master, or are you?!” Gu Qingyun roared. Autumn Cassia bowed her head, gritted her teeth, and hurried away with the driver, knowing she had to warn the Matron immediately.

Only the husband and wife remained at the alley entrance. “Get in the carriage,” Gu Qingyun said. “I have something to say to you.”

The Second Madam was anxious; her son was young, her daughter was away at her maternal home, and she had no one to talk to. She climbed in, hoping for a heart-to-heart, but the moment she entered, a powerful hand clamped around her throat!

Her eyes bulged as she clawed at his arm. “Gack! What… what are you doing?! Let go!”

Gu Qingyun remained unmoved, his eyes filled with resentment. “You slut! You’re just like that old woman—you don’t trust me, do you?! You both think I’m the one who harmed Gu Changfeng!”

The Second Madam felt a bitter sense of injustice. Did Gu Qingyun not know what a petty, vengeful man he was? He was the one who wished for Gu Changfeng’s death every day; of course people believed the girl’s accusations!

Seeing his near-manic expression, she stopped fighting and simply shook her head through her tears. “I didn’t! I didn’t! It was Mother! She was afraid that if you had actually done it and were caught, the whole Gu family would be ruined!”

“Truly?!” He tightened his grip.

Her face turned a sickly purple. “If… if I truly wanted you to suffer, why would I be grateful to Gu Wanlan for bringing you back?!”

“It had better be the truth.”

He sneered and let go. She collapsed to the floor of the carriage, coughing and weeping. Looking at Gu Qingyun, whose face was half-hidden in the shadows, she felt a sudden chill. “Qingyun, what is wrong with you? Did the Prefect torture you?”

“This trip simply allowed me to see things clearly.”

Recalling the madness in his eyes, she grabbed his hand and begged, “Qingyun, let’s just live our lives. Stop fighting Gu Wanlan, please. We can’t beat her… we really can’t!”

“I tried to take the title from her, and she bit me back. I lost; my skills were inferior,” Gu Qingyun sneered. Then his face darkened, and he punched the side of the carriage. “But what I cannot tolerate is the betrayal of those closest to me!”

“I know! I know! Ever since I was a child, I couldn’t compare to my Eldest Brother! I wasn’t as smart or as brave! The only time I could hold my head high was knowing that Mother loved me more than him!”

“Hehe… you don’t know how pitiful he was. When he was a boy and delirious with fever, he cried for Mother, but I only had to fake a tiny cough and she would abandon him for me. He was so pathetic! Later, just to get her love, he even started dressing like me! He always envied me! The great Protector Duke envied me! Do you understand?!”

He became more agitated, gripping his wife’s shoulders as tears of twisted excitement fell.

In the next breath, he wiped his eyes, his expression turning cold and venomous like a viper. “She made me an utter laughingstock in front of Gu Changfeng. I will not let her go… I will not…”

In the Hall of Pine and Crane, the Old Matron coughed up another spray of blood after hearing Autumn Cassia’s report.

“My son… he no longer believes in me,” she sobbed, lying in bed. “I plotted everything for his sake, yet he does not trust me!”

Autumn Cassia wiped her tears, trying to comfort her. “Once the Second Master returns, you can speak with him properly. There is no such thing as a grudge between mother and son that lasts overnight.”

The Old Matron only shook her head. “I know his temperament better than anyone. Don’t bother.”

She stared into the void for a long time before closing her eyes with a heavy sigh. “Fine. Gu Wanlan has had a hard time. Since she is back, it is only right that the people of Xijing recognize her face. Tell the Second Madam to spare no expense. Invite everyone who should be invited. We shall hold a grand banquet to officially welcome her into the family.”