The Whole Family is Reborn, But I Transmigrated into a Book - Chapter 32

Gu Qingjia had indeed intended to attend the wedding by any means necessary, but crossing paths with Father Li had been a stroke of pure luck. He hadn’t expected that while he was still searching for a valid excuse to crash the Eldest Brother’s big day, a “father-in-law” would fall from the sky to assist him.

Gu Qingjia felt it was fate. As the only “relative” the Eldest Brother had in this place, it was only right that he attended the ceremony.

“If Master Gu wishes to attend the feast, we shall naturally provide our best hospitality,” Jian Fan said coldly. “My only fear is that Master Gu is so accustomed to delicacies from land and sea that he won’t be able to stomach our humble country fare.”

Jian Fan looked at Gu Qingjia’s smiling face and found it an eyesore. It felt like a deliberate provocation. This Old Five has certainly stopped pretending ever since he left the capital, Jian Fan thought, his irritation rising.

“Now, now, don’t say that,” Gu Qingjia replied with a grin. “It’s precisely because I’m used to delicacies that I crave a taste of home-cooked dishes for a change. Besides, Master Li is so warm-hearted, and it happens to be such a joyous occasion. I simply must join the festivities.”

In short, even if the sky fell, Gu Qingjia was going to that wedding, and he was going to eat at that table.

Jian Fan found his smile intolerable, but what could he do? The man had helped his father-in-law.

“Then on our wedding day, Master Gu must be sure to eat his fill. Do not hold back,” Jian Fan said, realizing he couldn’t change the outcome and losing the energy to argue.

Gu Qingjia wasn’t bothered by the cold shoulder. He even snapped open his folding fan, looking every bit the elegant gentleman.

“Please rest assured, Master Jian. I shall eat and drink well; you needn’t worry about me. I’ll even prepare a grand gift for you.”

Hearing about the “grand gift” only made Jian Fan more uneasy. “A gift is unnecessary. You’ve already helped my family; we couldn’t possibly accept more.”

The two brothers went back and forth, their words sharp and loaded, leaving the Li family unable to get a word in. Li Qingge watched the exchange with curiosity. She had never seen her “Brother Jian” act this way.

Are Brother Jian and this Master Gu old acquaintances? she wondered. But they didn’t look like friends; they looked like enemies. Yet, if they were enemies, why would Master Gu help her father? And if they were friends, why was Brother Jian being so rude? She couldn’t wrap her head around it, but with a guest present, she couldn’t ask.

“Master Gu, Brother Jian has a bit of a temper, please don’t take offense,” Li Qingge finally intervened to smooth things over. She felt that if no one spoke up, the two might actually come to blows. “But he is right—you’ve already done us a great kindness. There’s no need for a gift. Just come for the feast.”

“The Lady of the house speaks much more reasonably,” Gu Qingjia said with a bow. “It is settled then. On the day of your wedding, I shall bring my wife to join the celebration. I’ll take my leave now.”

His goal was achieved. He knew Jian Fan would eventually seek him out again.

After Gu Qingjia left, Li Qingge suppressed her questions. She trusted her Brother Jian; if he wanted her to know something, he would tell her.

“Father, go inside and rest. Is it very serious? Should we call a doctor?” she asked, worried. As her mother said, the timing was terrible. A village wedding required the father of the bride to manage a hundred details.

“It’s no big deal,” Father Li waved her off. “It won’t delay your wedding. Master Gu set the bone for me; my arm just won’t be able to move for a while.”

Mother Li sighed in relief. “Thank goodness for Master Gu. We really should thank him properly. We didn’t even offer him a cup of tea; it was quite rude of us.”

Li Qingge agreed. She had intended to invite him in, but the sudden bickering between him and Jian Fan had made the offer fly out of her mind.

Jian Fan’s eyelid twitched every time he heard his future in-laws praise “Master Gu.” He didn’t know what his brother was playing at. He had hoped that after their first meeting, Gu Qingjia would just stay away until it was time to leave. He never imagined Old Five would charm his way into the family.

“Father, please just rest,” Jian Fan said. “I’ve finished the new house; there’s nothing left for you to worry about.”

After settling in, Jian Fan had used his own silver to build a separate house. He wanted a world of their own; in his past life, he and Qingge had far too little time alone.

Meanwhile, the “Master Gu” Li Qingge was thinking about was in a much better mood than her “Brother Jian.” Participating in his brother’s secret wedding was something he could gloat about for a lifetime.

Back at their residence, Liu Qingyue saw him returning with a spring in his step.

“My husband looks so happy after being out for so short a time,” she teased, leaning against the doorframe. “Don’t tell me you’ve found a pretty young widow somewhere?”

Gu Qingjia, in high spirits, played along. “No widows. However, I have found a beautiful lady, quite exquisite. Does my wife want to come inside and see a small portrait of her?”

“Oh?” Liu Qingyue’s eyes curved with amusement. “Since she earned such high praise, I simply must see how exquisite she is.”

She walked over, grabbed his collar, and led him into the room. Gu Qingjia followed her lead without resistance.

“Does my Lady truly wish to see?” he whispered, leaning close.

“Why? Is this beauty so dear to your heart that you can’t even let me see a sketch?” she joked. There was no real romance between them, but the banter felt natural.

“It’s not that I’m unwilling,” Gu Qingjia said slowly. “I’m just afraid you’ll be angry when you see it.”

“Am I really that petty?” She widened her eyes.

Gu Qingjia stared at her for a long moment until she felt a bit flustered. Just as she was about to take it back, he held up a copper mirror to her face.

“Look, my Lady. Is this young woman not exceptionally beautiful?”

Liu Qingyue realized he had turned her own joke back on her. Despite herself, the tips of her ears turned a bright shade of red.