HCB Chapter 775 Do you know who she loves?
Chapter 775 Do you know who she loves?
Gu Qingchen felt extremely uncomfortable, as if she were sitting on pins and needles.
Her hands stopped peeling chestnuts, and the sweet aroma emanating from the stove now seemed somewhat suffocating.
She was just thinking of an excuse to slip away when she heard Chu Ruohan sigh softly and change the subject.
"Speaking of which, Qingchen's affairs are worrying, and Lan'er is no less troublesome."
The topic suddenly shifted to Gu Lanxin, and Gu Qingchen's tense nerves relaxed slightly.
Upon hearing this, Song Ruyan immediately became interested. She had watched Gu Lanxin grow up and even taught her kung fu for several years, so she was nominally half a master.
"What's wrong with Lan'er? That child is calm and sensible, what could possibly be causing you, her aunt, any worry?"
Chu Ruohan glanced at Gu Qingchen, her eyes filled with a hint of helplessness.
"It's not about her marriage yet. Lan'er is already a grown woman in the capital, and we can't just keep delaying her like this."
Upon hearing this, Song Ruyan nodded in deep agreement: "Yes, my disciple is first-rate in both appearance and temperament. She is skilled in music, chess, calligraphy, painting, needlework, and martial arts. She is outstanding in every aspect. Many fine young men in the capital are eyeing her. We should make plans for her soon."
As Gu Qingchen listened to their conversation about Gu Lanxin's marriage, he felt increasingly awkward.
It seems that for all the girls in the world, the only ultimate destination is marriage.
She had just climbed out of one pit herself, and now listening to others discuss another one only made her feel more and more agitated.
Chu Ruohan continued, "You don't know yet, do you? Just a few months ago, her grandfather carefully selected a marriage partner for her. The man was of excellent character and talent, and his family was of good character. We all thought it was a perfect match, but who knew that Lan'er would refuse no matter what."
"Oh? Is that so?" Song Ruyan was somewhat surprised. "For you to choose one, and even have the Third Master personally go to inspect the family, it must be an excellent one. Lan'er is usually so obedient, why is she so stubborn?"
“Who says otherwise?” Chu Ruohan said with a worried look. “I asked her several times, and she only said that she didn’t want to get married. When I asked her why, she wouldn’t say. A perfectly good thing just fell apart like that. Gu Lu was also very angry and punished her by making her copy Buddhist scriptures for more than half a month.”
Gu Qingchen had been listening silently, but when he heard this, he suddenly blurted out a comment as if possessed.
"Perhaps, she already has someone she loves."
She was stunned for a moment as soon as she said it.
The warm room fell silent instantly.
Chu Ruohan and Song Ruyan's gazes both fell on her.
Chu Ruohan's eyes held a hint of inquiry: "Lan Jie'er mentioned it to me privately, only saying... that it was unavoidable."
"Qingchen, you two sisters are usually very close, do you know who she loves?"
Gu Qingchen felt a little uneasy under her gaze; how could she know what was on Gu Lanxin's mind?
As she listened to their discussion of arranged marriage, she subconsciously felt that the only possibility for a normally docile girl to muster such courage to resist a seemingly perfect marriage was that she already had someone else in her heart.
"How would I know?" Gu Qingchen denied it outright, her tone somewhat stiff. "She's the kind of person who keeps everything to herself and never tells me these things."
She didn't want to get involved in any more topics about marriage and love; she just wanted to escape as quickly as possible.
Seeing her impatient expression, Chu Ruohan assumed she was still troubled by what had just happened, so she didn't press the matter further.
Song Ruyan seemed to have grasped some clue. She stroked her chin and narrowed her eyes thoughtfully.
"A sweetheart...that's possible. Lan'er may seem gentle, but she's actually very opinionated. That's how she is when she's practicing martial arts; once she sets her mind on a move, she won't give up until she's mastered it. If she really falls for someone, I'm afraid not even nine oxen could pull her back."
She suddenly looked at Chu Ruohan and lowered her voice: "Do you think it could be someone we know?"
Chu Ruohan pondered for a moment, then gently shook her head: "It's hard to say. Lan-jie usually doesn't leave the house, and her only contacts are the family members and a few relatives she visits regularly."
"She's introverted, unlike Qingchen who's so... outgoing. I really can't imagine what kind of private relationship she could have with any young master."
As Gu Qingchen listened to their guesses, a certain figure inexplicably surfaced in his mind.
It's Lin Chia-yu.
She recalled how Gu Lanxin always looked at Lin Jiayou with an indescribable, enigmatic gaze. That gaze was cautious, tinged with admiration, yet concealing a deep-seated inferiority complex.
Is it...
The moment that thought popped into his head, Gu Qingchen abruptly cut it off.
impossible.
It is absolutely impossible.
How could someone as kind as Sister Lanxin fall for a hypocritical and treacherous guy like Lin Jiayou?
I must be overthinking it.
Frustrated, she grabbed a still-warm chestnut and forcefully broke it open, as if she wanted to crush all the turmoil in her heart along with it.
Song Ruyan was still analyzing with great interest: "Could it be a classmate from the academy? No, Lan-jie doesn't go to the academy. Then... was it someone I saw at a poetry gathering banquet?"
Chu Ruohan sighed, "I've thought about that too. But how can we ask her if she doesn't bring it up? If we guess wrong, wouldn't we hurt her feelings? And if we guess right, what if the other person is someone we can't trust?"
This is indeed a dilemma.
A daughter's reputation is more important than anything else.
Song Ruyan also fell silent. She picked up her teacup, took a sip, and frowned.
"This is indeed a tricky matter. However, we have to find a way to sound her out. Dragging it out like this isn't a solution. What if the person she's interested in... is irresponsible? Wouldn't that ruin her life?"
She looked at Chu Ruohan and said solemnly, "You have to take this seriously. When necessary, you have to be firm. It's better than watching her jump into a fire pit."
Chu Ruohan nodded, her worry deepening.
"I know. I'll have a proper talk with her in a few days."
Gu Qingchen listened from the side, feeling a mix of emotions.
She suddenly realized how similar Gu Lanxin and she were in some ways.
They were both troubled by an unwanted marriage and harbored secrets they could not tell outsiders.
However, she chose the most drastic way to resist, while Gu Lanxin chose the most silent way to refuse.
For some reason, she suddenly felt a sense of empathy and understanding for Gu Lanxin, as if they were in the same boat.
Perhaps she didn't hate her as much as she thought.
Perhaps, she was just a pitiful person being pushed along by fate.
The atmosphere in the warm room became somewhat heavy because of Gu Lanxin's topic.
The wind and snow outside the window showed no sign of stopping; on the contrary, they intensified, with the swirling snowflakes forming white vortices that seemed to devour the entire world.
The chestnuts on the stove were already charred black and crackling, but no one cared about them anymore.
Gu Qingchen finally found a reason to get up.
"Mother, Aunt Song, I'm a little tired and want to go back and rest first."
Looking at her daughter's pale face, Chu Ruohan knew that she was exhausted today, and nodded: "Go, have the maid brew you a bowl of calming medicine, drink it and then go to sleep."
"Hmm." Gu Qingchen responded, then curtsied to Song Ruyan before getting up and quickly leaving the warm pavilion.
The moment she pushed open the door, a gust of icy wind carrying snow rushed in, instantly clearing her muddled mind.
She pulled her cloak tighter and walked quickly down the corridor.
Snowflakes were blown in by the wind, wetting the hem of her skirt, and the cold touch spread along the fabric.
She suddenly stopped and looked back at the warm pavilion, which was still lit with warm lights.
There was her loving mother and Aunt Song who truly cared for her.
But all she wanted was to escape.
She didn't know what she was afraid of.
Was he afraid to face Song Ruyan's suggestion, or was he afraid to face his own inexplicable feelings for Qian Zhenyun?
Perhaps, both.
She turned around, looked at the dark courtyard shrouded in wind and snow, and took a deep breath of the cold air.
The road ahead is still long.
Whether she likes it or not, she has to keep going alone.