The Whole Family is Reborn, But I Transmigrated into a Book - Chapter 6

Gu Qingyi seemed to have come merely to fulfill a mission; once he finished speaking, he left, leaving Gu Qingjia and Liu Qingyue staring at each other in bewilderment.

“Is your third brother… alright?”

“Is your cousin… alright?”

Gu Qingjia hadn’t expected Liu Qingyue to have the exact same reaction. Looking at the young woman before him, he couldn’t help but let out a laugh. “It seems we feel the same way.”

Hearing this, Liu Qingyue tilted her head and gave a cute smile. “I think he’s a bit strange, but he doesn’t seem to have any ill intentions.”

Gu Qingyi was unaware of their evaluation. After leaving the Prince Jing Estate, he headed straight for the “Flower Streets and Willow Lanes”—the entertainment district.

His public persona had always been that of a profligate and unrestrained prince. Although he hadn’t been granted his own estate outside the palace yet, he spent far more time living in the city than within the palace walls. Even if his mother, the Imperial Concubine, wanted to see him, she had to send servants to fetch him from the brothels.

“My Lord, you haven’t visited in ages!”

At the entrance of a tea house, a girl wearing heavy makeup and leaning lazily against the doorframe brightened up the moment she saw Gu Qingyi. She rushed forward to grab his arm and said coaxingly, “I’ve missed you to death. You never come to see me.”

“I’ve been a bit busy these past few days. I finally found some free time, so haven’t I come to see you now?” Gu Qingyi touched the faces of the women swarming around him, laughing wantonly.

“Yanhong, your skin isn’t as smooth as Chunxing’s anymore. You need to take better care of yourself. If you lose your beauty, I won’t come to see you.”

Gu Qingyi was famous for his love of beauties, especially young ones. Hearing this, Yanhong felt a surge of worry. Could she really be getting old?

“My Lord, you must be teasing me. Touch it again; I spend so much effort maintaining my skin just for fear that you’ll stop loving me one day.” Yanhong leaned her face toward Gu Qingyi’s hand, unwilling to lose his favor.

Gu Qingyi enjoyed being flattered by the girls of the house, and in an instant, he was caught up in their playful banter. “Good, good, you are all wonderful. I love you all.”

He lounged half-reclined on a daybed, making it easier for the girls to feed him wine. “You girls are my heart and soul. I can’t stay away from you for a single day.”

“If you can’t stay away, then come see us every day. We all worry about you,” Xinghong said, leaning against his side while maintaining a respectful distance of one fist’s width.

Though Gu Qingyi frequented these houses and often stayed overnight, he rarely actually slept with anyone. Xinghong and Yanhong had been with him the longest and understood his temperament.

“I worry about you too, but I’ve been tied down by business lately,” Gu Qingyi said with a smile, hooking Xinghong’s chin. “But I see you’ve been doing just fine without me. Look at this little face—fair with a rosy glow.”

Xinghong didn’t argue; she raised a wine cup to feed him again. Gu Qingyi didn’t stop her. He loved playing around like this and would even engage in drinking games when the mood struck.

Today he was in high spirits. Instead of a private room, he sat on the upper balcony to listen to music and watch the performances below. His seat was reserved for VIPs, where normally no one would disturb him.

But suddenly, an arrow streaked toward him…

Gu Qingyi reached out and caught the arrow mid-air. His narrow eyes instantly turned cold and sharp. Though he was addicted to pleasure, he was no useless waste. This very brothel was his own secret property; otherwise, he couldn’t possibly linger here every day.

“My Lord, we have failed in our duty!”

The girls beside him retreated as two men dressed as guards knelt before him.

“It’s not your fault,” Gu Qingyi waved them off. “The opponent came prepared, and clearly, they didn’t intend to take my life.”

He was always followed by secret guards, though they rarely showed themselves. Without secret protection, he wouldn’t be bold enough to spend all his time in such places.

Holding the arrow, Gu Qingyi wondered when he had been followed. Why choose to assassinate him so openly in a place like this?

He first ruled out his brothers. None of the princes currently in court seemed to have this capability. The Fourth Prince, who was intent on becoming a monk, and the Seventh Prince, who was perpetually bedridden, didn’t look like they were vying for the throne. The Fifth Prince was a famous waste, and the Sixth…

Gu Qingyi narrowed his eyes. He didn’t think the Sixth Prince had the guts. Though the Sixth was slightly better than the Fifth, his mother’s clan had no real power. Even if the Sixth had such ambitions, a man of his cleverness wouldn’t do something this stupid.

He gripped the arrow, his mood for pleasure gone. The shot was accurate, yet lacked killing intent. Gu Qingyi couldn’t be sure of the motive, so he handed the arrow to his subordinate.

“Investigate where this arrow came from and what their purpose is.”

Even if there was no killing intent, Gu Qingyi couldn’t treat it as if nothing had happened. Assassinating an Imperial Prince was a capital crime; this wasn’t just someone shooting an arrow for fun.

“Yes, your subordinate will investigate immediately.” The man took the arrow and vanished. Gu Qingyi waved his hand, dismissing the rest. “My mood has been ruined. I’m heading back. I’ll come see you all another day.”

Naturally, no one dared to stop him. After leaving the house, he didn’t plan to return to the palace immediately. If someone truly intended to kill him, there would be a second move. Yet this “assassination” felt mindless; he wandered outside all day without another incident.

Gu Qingjia and Liu Qingyue stayed at home until the third day after the wedding—the day of the “Return to the Bride’s Home.”

“Your Highness, you’ve heard a bit about my family situation. Can we just come back as soon as we finish lunch?”

Liu Qingyue didn’t care what Gu Qingjia thought, but she didn’t want to suffer. The rules in the Liu family were too stifling; she already felt uncomfortable before they even arrived. If she had to stay there all day, she would go crazy.

“If that is what the Princess Consort wishes, I naturally agree. But since it’s rare for you to go home, are you sure you don’t want to spend time with your father and mother?” Gu Qingjia looked at her, finding the Liu family increasingly interesting.

Liu Qingyue waved her hand and gave a fake smile. “There’s no need. I don’t think my parents need me at home. They’d rather I fulfill my duties as a wife and serve Your Highness well.”

She knew exactly what lectures were waiting for her, which was why she didn’t want to linger. Although Gu Qingjia had been engaged to her for a long time, he truly hadn’t had much contact with the Liu family. Hearing her say this felt strange, but he didn’t overthink it.

“If you feel uncomfortable at the Liu residence, just tell me. I’ll take you back to our estate.”

With those words from Gu Qingjia, Liu Qingyue felt much better. However, upon arriving at the Liu residence, she reflexively became much more reserved and disciplined.

Gu Qingjia saw her put on her mask of a “gentle and elegant lady” again. He found it quite amusing but knew it was her outward disguise, so he didn’t expose her.

“We welcome Your Highness and the Princess Consort.”

Liu Jibai led his family members to stand before the gates to greet them, following every bit of proper etiquette. Gu Qingjia raised his hand slightly. “Minister Liu, please rise. You are my father-in-law, after all.”

“Thank you, Your Highness.”

Liu Jibai rose and led them inside. After exchanging several polite pleasantries, Liu Qingyue was called away by Madam Liu. Knowing what her mother wanted to say, Liu Qingyue felt annoyed but followed obediently.

“Yue’er, how have you been these past few days at the Prince’s estate?” Madam Liu put on a show of maternal concern, as if she were truly afraid her daughter was being mistreated.

Liu Qingyue, her hand held by Madam Liu, could only act the part of the obedient daughter. “Mother, I am doing well. His Highness treats me very well.”

As she spoke, a hint of bashfulness appeared on her face. She thought her mother would be happy to hear this, but Madam Liu’s expression darkened.

“Yue’er, have you forgotten what I told you?” Madam Liu’s voice became stern. She was clearly dissatisfied.

Liu Qingyue panicked, a look of fear crossing her face. “Mother, I…”

“I warned you many times: you must not fall in love with Prince Jing. Marrying him was only a matter of necessity. Looking at you now—are you trying to go against your father’s and my wishes?” Madam Liu asked sharply.

Liu Qingyue lowered her head, her eyes reddening. “Mother, I haven’t. I always remember your teachings. It’s just that Prince Jing…”

Hearing this, Madam Liu’s tone softened slightly. “Yue’er, I know you feel wronged. But you must remember, Prince Jing is not your destined match. If it weren’t for your aunt’s need to consolidate her position, we would never have agreed to this marriage. You must remember your identity. You are a daughter of the Liu family, born to contribute to the clan. You must keep track of Prince Jing’s movements and report them to your father.”

This was what Madam Liu had told her since childhood: You are a Liu daughter; you carry the responsibility of the Liu name.

“Prince Jing has left the palace and established his own estate; he is just a prince now. But your cousin is different. You must remember that we and your cousin are one family. No matter what Prince Jing plans to do, you must find a way to tell your father so we have a better chance of winning.”

“But Mother…”

Before she could finish, Madam Liu cut her off. “There are no ‘buts.’ You must realize you and Prince Jing are in different camps. You cannot love him. If he knew the actions of our Liu family, he wouldn’t love you either.”

Madam Liu wasn’t lying. Since the Liu family had already picked a side, they were enemies of the other princes—even a prince with no power like Gu Qingjia.

“You were born as enemies. Who told you to have a prince for a cousin? I told you from the start not to take this fiancé to heart. You were so obedient then; why have you become so indecisive now that you’re married? Has Prince Jing cast some sort of spell on you?”

Madam Liu looked at her daughter with dissatisfaction, then suddenly asked another question:

“Since you married into the estate, Cuihe hasn’t sent back a single piece of useful information. Are you helping Prince Jing?”