Gu Qingtong pressed her waist and stood up, walking to the door. Soon, Yu Rong led a man and a woman in. Ji Chen looked the same as before, her eyes full of urgency, but she was supporting Shen Yuqing. Looking at Shen Yuqing, her gaze was blank, mumbling to herself, seemingly dazed.
“Tong’er,” Ji Chen walked closer and softly called her name, tears falling like rain.
Gu Qingtong turned sideways, letting them into the room and sitting at the table.
Ji Chen helped Shen Yuqing sit down, opening her mouth but not knowing where to begin.
“How did you find me here?” Although Gu Qingtong still had feelings for Ji Chen, she did not want to see Shen Yuqing. She suppressed her anger and spoke calmly.
Shen Yuqing’s hand rested on the table, playing with a jade hairpin, completely absorbed and unresponsive to their conversation.
Gu Qingtong quietly watched him for a while. Although she harbored resentment towards him, seeing him like this made her feel a complex mix of emotions. He was once magnificent and loved her desperately, but now, he was like a three-year-old child.
“Tong’er, I want to tell you a secret that might make you less angry at the Empress Dowager.”
Gu Qingtong instantly withdrew her gaze from Shen Yuqing’s hand. She still hated Guo Empress Dowager, and even Ji Chen’s defense couldn’t change that. However, she was curious about the secret: “Go ahead.”
“The Emperor is your biological brother.”
“He is my brother by the same mother,” Ji Chen’s words seemed nonsensical, and Gu Qingtong frowned.
“Tong’er, I mean the Emperor is the blood of Lord Gu. It’s actually for this reason that Ruan Niang didn’t cause trouble with her. When Guo Empress Dowager entered the palace, she was already pregnant. The Empress Dowager wasn’t noble enough to survive just for us two girls, but she couldn’t break Lord Gu’s lineage, so she endured. The Empress Dowager didn’t not love you, but the Emperor is Lord Gu’s son. So when facing a choice, she favored him.”
“I understand now.” Gu Qingtong nodded.
Even with her hatred, she had nowhere to direct it. She might as well take care of herself and her child, lowering her hand to touch her swollen belly.
