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Seeing her dazed look, Jiang Shangheng pulled her onto a carriage and headed to the suburbs.
Gu Qingtong’s mind was in chaos until she realized Luo Guo was missing: “Young Master Jiang, where is my maid?”
“I have something to tell you privately, so I sent her back first.”
Gu Qingtong lifted the carriage curtain and found the scenery unfamiliar: “Where are you taking me? What words are so important that we must come out here to speak?”
Jiang Shangheng didn’t answer. When the carriage stopped, he carried her down.
Gu Qingtong quickly broke free: “I can get down by myself.”
Jiang Shangheng walked towards a manor with “Xin Yuan” written on it.
It was March, and the peach blossoms were in full bloom. The manor looked small and secluded.
“Jiang Shangheng, why did you bring me here?” Gu Qingtong stood in the peach blossom forest, unable to see outside or understand his intentions.
Jiang Shangheng smiled faintly: “It’s quiet here, no one to disturb us, good for talking.”
Gu Qingtong pouted in silence.
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He reached out to remove them, holding them in his palm.
“Don’t tell me you brought me here just to see peach blossoms.”
“You are not Gu Qingtong.” Jiang Shangheng didn’t even look up, continuing to brush petals from her shoulder.
Gu Qingtong was startled, wondering what he had discovered. She opened her mouth anxiously: “How am I not Gu Qingtong?”
“If you were Gu Qingtong, you wouldn’t be unfamiliar with this garden.”
Gu Qingtong raised an eyebrow, determined not to admit she was someone else: “What do you mean?”
“This garden belongs to your maternal grandfather’s family, a dowry property of your mother. After Lord Gu’s incident, all his properties were confiscated, except this manor. You used to come here once or twice a year. Today, you look at this garden like a stranger.”
Gu Qingtong had no idea about the garden’s history. The next moment, she covered her eyes and crouched down, beginning to sob softly: “Since you know, I won’t hide it. This manor was indeed left by my mother, but I can’t let others know I come here often. If they found out, they’d think I’m longing for past glory. I’m just a lowly qing’er…”
Jiang Shangheng heard her crying and wondered if his tone was too harsh. He crouched down and patted her back: “You’re not a lowly qing’er. You’re my fiancée.”
“I’ve already torn up the betrothal document.”
“Tearing it up doesn’t change this fact.”
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Gu Qingtong was crying, but hearing this, she chuckled: “You’re shameless.”
Seeing her laugh, Jiang Shangheng relaxed, looking at the sky: “The weather is so nice. Let’s not waste this good time.”
Before Gu Qingtong could respond, Jiang Shangheng pulled her up and walked deeper into the forest. The grass was wet from last night’s rain, and seeing mud on her embroidered shoes, he picked her up horizontally.
This time, Gu Qingtong didn’t dare struggle, afraid Jiang Shangheng might discover something. She quietly nestled in his arms, letting him carry her into another garden.
“This is my garden. When I’m free, I’ll come here. If you have something, you can find me here.”
Gu Qingtong looked around. It was next to Xin Garden but slightly smaller. She suddenly remembered that before falling into the water, Jiang Shangheng didn’t know her, so how did he know she often came to Xin Garden? She saw he had a constant smile at the corner of his mouth and guessed she was probably being played, but she couldn’t get angry right now. She shook her head: “Young Master Jiang, please take me back.”
“Why go back?”
“I’m from the Flower and Moon Pavilion, of course I must return.”
“Don’t go back.”
“Young Master Jiang, can you not be so shameless?” Gu Qingtong looked at his calm demeanor and felt frustrated.
Han Ruan had let them go first, and she was still worried about her adoptive father. Although she knew Han Ruan was powerful, she wondered what would happen to ordinary people against the Prince of Rui.
Gu Qingtong was completely helpless: “Young Master Jiang, besides a marriage contract, we have no relationship. Now, I have no interest in you, and the contract is torn. Can you let me go free?”
“Let you go free? Do you think any man would want you besides me?” Jiang Shangheng raised an eyebrow and looked at her sideways.
“What do you mean by that?” Gu Qingtong didn’t know why, but at this moment, Jiang Shangheng looked especially annoying. His raised eyebrows were attractive, but she wished she could crumple them up.
“Qingqing, I don’t know why you’re so resistant to marriage. But I’m definitely going to marry you, and truly, no man would dare to want you.”
“Why must you marry me?” Although Jiang Shangheng wasn’t bad to her, Gu Qingtong really had no romantic feelings for him. Yet Jiang Shangheng was like an obsessive maniac, fixated on her.
“Because no man wants you.”
Gu Qingtong felt Jiang Shangheng was more difficult to communicate with than Hua Jianwei, and more domineering than the Prince of Rui. She decided to go all out: “There are plenty of men who want me. Both Hua Jianwei and the Prince of Rui.”
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“You know yourself whether the Prince of Rui has those feelings for you; as for Hua Jianwei, would he dare to want you now?”
“You!”
“Qingqing, I will definitely keep our marriage contract. And before you enter my home, I haven’t even taken a concubine, just to avoid making you uncomfortable.”
“Are you still a virgin?” Gu Qingtong’s attention was successfully diverted.
Jiang Shangheng seemed to find the sunlight filtering through the tree leaves too dazzling, covering his eyes and turning his head away.
Gu Qingtong clearly saw his ears turning red and laughed softly: “What kind of person are you? Sometimes gentle as the wind, sometimes obsessive as a madman, sometimes humble and courteous, sometimes roguish and shameless.”
“You’ll understand after spending more time with me.”
“…” Gu Qingtong was momentarily speechless.
Jiang Shangheng looked directly into her eyes: “In this world, only I dare to want you, so just submit to me.”
“You…” Gu Qingtong hadn’t expected their conversation to circle back to this topic. “Jiang Shangheng, don’t go too far. Although I’m a trial bride, you’ve seen how Hua Jianwei is still infatuated with me. Other men just haven’t seen my charm. If they did, they’d all fall at my feet.”
“Pfft.” Jiang Shangheng was just enjoying teasing her and didn’t expect to truly anger her. He grabbed her hand, “Stop talking nonsense.”
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Gu Qingtong felt she was about to die of anger. “I’m going back to the Flower and Moon Pavilion.”
Jiang Shangheng saw she was truly angry and changed the subject: “I have newly roasted tea leaves that I brought back from the tea mountain recently. I’ll take you to taste it.”
“I said I’m going back!”
“Don’t waste a good time.” Jiang Shangheng saw her standing stiffly and pushed her towards the water pavilion, pressing her shoulders to sit down.
But you didn’t protect me today either. My bracelet and jade hairpin are now in the hands of the Rui Prince.” Gu Qingtong touched the white jade bracelet on her wrist. She originally had two bracelets, one from the Huahao Yueyuan Pavilion and one left by her mother, which used to make a crisp tinkling sound when they collided, but now they were gone.
Jiang Shangheng looked at her fair-skinned hand, with her wrist reddened from the confrontation with the Rui Prince. He reached out to massage it: “I came late today, but it won’t happen again.”
