Madam Qu's heart skipped a beat; disaster loomed!
"Zhiruo, let's talk this through calmly. Shujie did go to the pleasure house, but only to help someone investigate a matter. He absolutely did nothing to betray you!" Madam Qu tried to salvage the situation.
"My mother is right, I went to investigate. I didn't tell you because I feared you'd overthink it, and I didn't want to worry you unnecessarily about my safety. I never expected you to misunderstand! Zhiruo, let's get engaged today! I promise, I'll drop this investigation. I can offend others, but I can't let you be angry or misunderstand me!" Qu Shujie was practically ready to swear an oath.
Yun Shu, who was in the room, heard this and paused her tea-drinking.
Madam Qu was incredibly persuasive, capable of twisting black into white and white into black, making it easy for people to lose their judgment.
Madam Gu and Master Gu saw this and moved to intervene. They couldn't just stand by and watch Madam Qu and the others continue to deceive Zhiruo!
What if Zhiruo believed them?
"Yes, yes, an engagement! Zhiruo, let's get engaged now! Once we're engaged, no one will dare to speak nonsense and cause you to misunderstand!" Madam Qu urged, coaxing.
They were just one step away!
They had to secure this engagement, no matter what!
At this moment, Gu Zhiruo finally saw their true colors. Even after being exposed, they still treated her like a fool, continuing to deceive her with flowery words!
"Engaged?"
"Yes! Engaged! Once we're engaged, all your worries will disappear. Zhiruo, trust me, I'll never let Shujie bully you again!" Madam Qu continued to persuade.
Qu Shujie could only nod repeatedly, feigning deep affection and devotion.
"Madam Qu, I'm afraid I'll have to disappoint you. I will absolutely not get engaged to Qu Shujie," Gu Zhiruo said with a cold laugh.
"Is it because of those rumors? Zhiruo, aren't you afraid you'll regret it when you learn the truth later?" Madam Qu's face turned deathly pale, and she glared at Gu Zhiruo in anger.
Damn Gu Zhiruo!
"Of course, I won't regret it. Guards, see them out! I hope that from today onwards, no one from your Qu family will ever appear before me again! I don't want to see you anymore!" Gu Zhiruo's face was icy as she issued the dismissal.
She was sick of their ugly faces!
This was the last time.
Allowing them to speak so much in front of her only served to starkly illustrate how clumsy their lies were, and that she must never be deceived by sweet talk again!
Seeing this, Madam Gu and Master Gu's eyes welled up. What immense pain had Zhiruo endured to say these words with such an expressionless face?
Fortunately, Zhiruo wasn't fooled again!
They walked over.
Madam Qu was so shocked she couldn't immediately retort. Seeing Madam Gu and Master Gu approach, she quickly went to them, "Master Gu, Sister Gu, look at this! Zhiruo has believed some rumor and thinks our Shujie has wronged her. She's saying such angry things, asking us to leave and refusing the engagement! Isn't this ridiculous? The engagement between the two children was long decided. It should have happened yesterday, and now she's asking us to leave..."
Before she could finish.
Madam Gu said with a somber face, "Zhiruo's wishes are our wishes. We truly do not wish for Zhiruo to marry young master Qu anymore. Furthermore, I believe our two families should cease all contact from now on."
This left Madam Qu utterly dumbfounded.
She had never imagined Madam Gu would turn her back so completely!
She immediately realized her efforts were in vain.
"This! What exactly happened? Who has been slandering us? We can't be framed!" Madam Qu panicked.
Master Gu shielded Madam Gu behind him and looked at Madam Qu with a blank expression, "There's no impenetrable wall in the world. Madam Qu, after all your careful scheming, did you truly think we would be fooled forever?"
Upon hearing this, Madam Qu stumbled back several steps.
In her anger, her gaze turned furious, "Your Gu family actually disrespects our Qu family to this extent! You go back on your word about something that was already agreed upon!"
"Indeed! You are too unscrupulous! And Zhiruo, have you fallen for someone else? Have you been intimate with someone else? I haven't even called off the engagement yet, and you're doing it yourself. What do you take me, Qu Shujie, for?!" Qu Shujie's eyes were ferocious, and he gritted his teeth so hard they audibly creaked.
An unspeakable rage filled him, making him want to rush forward and strangle Gu Zhiruo!
She had ruined his grand plan!
Yun Shu, sensing Qu Shujie had activated his internal energy, immediately rose from her room.
Just as she was about to open the door.
Master Gu's powerful voice boomed, "Qu Shujie, what do you think you're doing?!"
Even in his presence, Qu Shujie dared to be so vicious towards Zhiruo.
It was clear that Qu Shujie was even more despicable than rumored!
Qu Shujie, enraged, shouted, "You will regret this! You will absolutely regret making an enemy of my Qu family!"
"Your Qu family isn't so powerful in the capital that you can control everything. Heaven sees all, and karma has its cycles. Qu Shujie, if you do too many bad deeds, you'll be visited by demons. Be careful," Gu Zhiruo said, clenching her fists tightly, her face ashen.
This was their true face!
Such a disgusting true face!
Madam Qu felt dizzy. It was over, everything was over. Shujie's reputation was ruined!
Damn Gu Zhiruo! She had ruined their plans!
Master Gu ordered the servants nearby to escort Madam Qu and Qu Shujie away.
The two left reluctantly, their incessant chatter fading as they were taken away.
Yun Shu, seeing that the commotion outside had subsided and the angry curses of Madam Qu and Qu Shujie had also drifted away, finally emerged.
She saw Madam Gu holding Gu Zhiruo in her arms.
Gu Zhiruo only looked a little pale, but Madam Gu was weeping uncontrollably.
"So this was their true face! How shameless! The Qu family is truly too shameless!"
Gu Zhiruo gently comforted Madam Gu, "Mother, I'm fine. Those who do evil will eventually face retribution."
As she spoke, Gu Zhiruo looked at Yun Shu and managed a smile, as if summoning considerable effort.
Yun Shu nodded slightly at Gu Zhiruo and also smiled.
...
After nightfall, Yun Shu left through the back gate of the Gu residence.
Qu Shujie, unwilling to give up, had been lingering near the gates of the Gu mansion.
The Gu family's gatekeeper reported that Qu Shujie was making all sorts of inquiries, trying to find out who had slandered him.
The gatekeeper knew nothing and could tell him nothing.
Therefore, under Madam Qu's instructions, Qu Shujie kept watch at the Gu residence, all the while putting on a show of his devotion for anyone who might see.
He had truly planned everything meticulously.
As Yun Shu left the Gu residence, she ran into Ruan Xi.
"Yun Shu, I've been waiting for you. I have something to ask of you, can you help me?" Ruan Xi asked with a cheerful grin.