Rebirth of the Excellent Daughter of the Marquis Household (REDMH) - Chapter 114

Gu Yu Qi’s heart felt like it had been thrown into a frying pan.

The man before her was like a jade mountain covered in snow, enveloped in the gentle morning light as if he belonged to the clouds. His loose robe hung solemnly on his slender figure, undisturbed like drifting clouds and snow, and his bright eyes gazed at her intently, leaving her with nowhere to hide.

“If I want Gu Huai Zhong to die, would Your Highness also help me?” Gu Yu Qi smiled coldly, her voice slow and deliberate.

A trace of ruthlessness flashed through the girl’s eyes like a meteor, fleeting but keenly observed by Yun Ke.

He was not shocked, only slightly sad.

Even she had realised that it was Gu Huai Zhong who was behind it all. To be driven to such a point by her own biological father, her heart could not possibly be at ease.

All the evidence Yun Ke had found pointed to Gu Huai Zhong. This brought an unspeakable dull pain to Yun Ke’s heart.

It was said that the imperial family was ruthless, but even as he was living another life, he could sense his Father the Emperor’s helplessness and heartache in that position. If it was possible, how could he not want his sons to live in harmony, like brothers and friends?

It was because of Crown Prince Yun Xuan, Yun Yi, and Yun Qing, who were all blinded by the glory of that position, that they developed the intent to harm their brothers, and even to kill their own Father the Emperor. Regardless, even though he was the one who ultimately eliminated his brothers one by one in the end, he never harboured any killing intent towards his Father the Emperor. On the contrary, it was because he stood firmly by his Father the Emperor’s side that he had the last laugh.

Perhaps he had not realised it in his past life, but now that he was reliving it all again, he understood some things he had never understood before. That is, his Father the Emperor choosing him in the end was not accidental, but inevitable.

And yet, Gu Yu Qi’s biological father, for reasons unknown, wanted to quickly eliminate even his own wife and biological daughter.

The feeling of having loved ones die by your own hands was not a pleasant one.

Yun Ke deeply understood that. Even after many years, he kept telling himself that if he had not struck first, others would come after him. However, the profound pain in his heart during those midnight reflections, like maggots gnawing at his bones, did not fade with time. Instead, it grew stronger with the passing years, gradually turning into a nightmare flowing through his veins.

Yun Ke wanted to tell Gu Yu Qi that he had already lived a lifetime as a villain, so he did not care about adding a bit more infamy in this lifetime.

However, he restrained himself, his lips twitching slightly, “Haven’t we already formed an alliance?” he said lightly, “Since we’re in an alliance, this prince should lend you a helping hand with your affairs. Otherwise, how could you serve this prince with peace of mind?”

He did not want to scare Gu Yu Qi.

He had already experienced her stubbornness and extremism.

Gu Yu Qi looked at Yun Ke with some surprise, then knelt down before him, respectfully kowtowing. “Thank you, Your Highness Prince An,” she said.

Yun Ke felt extremely uncomfortable when Gu Yu Qi knelt down. Her gesture clearly indicated that she was keeping him at a distance, showing that there was nothing between them besides a cooperative relationship. In fact, he wanted to say that she could take and use any resources from his palace, and even if it was not available in his palace, he would go to whatever lengths to obtain it for her if she asked.

Yun Ke looked at the girl kneeling before him, her skirt spread out like a flower around her, emphasising her delicate and frail appearance. When he saw her in Jiangxia City, she was lively and spirited but now she seemed as lifeless as a dying pond.

“Miss,” came Bai Fu’s voice from outside the door, “This slave has brought some food.”

Gu Yu Qi did not want her to reveal Yun Ke’s presence here, so she did not dare to speak carelessly. Even seeing her master made her feel a bit guilty. She had brought enough food for two, but fortunately, no one noticed.

The thought of serving food to Yun Ke made her girlish heart flutter with excitement once again.

“Get up first,” Yun Ke said to Gu Yu Qi, “Let your maid bring things and then leave. The less people who know this prince is here, the better. Make sure she keeps her mouth shut.”

“Yes,” Gu Yu Qi replied as she got up from the ground. She opened the door and took the tray from Bai Fu’s hands, “You stay outside and tell others that I’m resting. No one is allowed near here. And make sure not to reveal that His Highness Prince An is here.”

“Yes,” Bai Fu replied, feeling a bit disappointed in her heart, but she quickly nodded.

As long as Prince An was here with Miss, she would not worry about not seeing him. Since Miss did not want the news of Prince An’s presence to leak out, she was the only one who could serve them. The thought of being close to Prince An made Bai Fu’s heart leap with joy, so she stood straight at the door, not daring to slack off.

Bai Fu had brought a pot of delicious mixed grain congee with four side dishes, and at the bottom of the food box were meat buns handmade by Dai Mei.

Yun Ke was actually hungry. He had travelled day and night. During his rushed journey, he had hardly had a proper meal. So when he saw Gu Yu Qi bringing in the food, he immediately felt his appetite stir.

He sat down at the table carelessly and waited for Gu Yu Qi to bring the food to him.

Gu Yu Qi actually wanted to leave, but seeing him behave as if it was natural for her to serve him, combined with him specially delivering medicine over a long distance, she could only endure it. She ladled a bowl of congee and placed it in front of him before stepping aside.

“Come and sit down,” Yun Ke said, glancing up at Gu Yu Qi instead of starting to eat.

“How can this civilian girl be qualified to sit with His Highness Prince An?” Gu Yu Qi refused.

“This prince is telling you to sit, so just sit down,” Yun Ke said helplessly in a deep voice. In the previous life, even if she begged, he was rarely willing to sit at the same table with her. This lifetime, he had eagerly come over, but she was the one refusing.

Gu Yu Qi could only sit down obediently, sitting upright as straight as a bamboo pole.

“Eat,” Yun Ke handed his bowl to Gu Yu Qi and then filled his own bowl.

Gu Yu Qi was stunned. What was going on?

Seeing Gu Yu Qi holding the bowl and staring blankly, Yun Ke felt a bit discouraged. Was he really that scary?

“What? Is it uncomfortable to eat with this prince?” Yun Ke asked, feeling slightly displeased.

“No,” Gu Yu Qi lowered her head, scooping a little congee with her spoon and putting it into her mouth. She was also tired and hungry. The soft and glutinous congee was so comforting from her mouth to her stomach. She could not help but eat a little more.

Besides, this person seemed determined to stay here anyway and Gu Yu Qi did not need to starve herself.

Yun Ke saw her start eating and was satisfied, so he ate a big mouthful of congee. He sat upright and kept glancing at Gu Yu Qi out of the corner of his eye. It turned out that she was so cute while eating.

She was like a little squirrel, holding a bowl. Her lips appeared more tempting with a hint of moisture from the congee. Her cheeks changed with the amount of food she ate. She seemed a bit reserved, trying her best to keep herself in a small space and conceal her movements, but Yun Ke could tell that Gu Yu Qi was really hungry.

A faint soft light flashed in his eyes as he saw the slight curving shadow cast by Gu Yu Qi’s eyelashes on her fair skin, tinged with a bit of green and black. She had likely not rested well for as long as Liang Huai Yu had been ill.

However… Yun Ke sensed a slightly chaotic aura coming from Gu Yu Qi’s side. He could not help but turn his head to look at Gu Yu Qi.

Her brows were suddenly furrowed and her hand holding the bowl was trembling slightly. Her previously straight posture now slouched like a shrimp in the chair.

“What’s wrong?” She looked like she was in great pain. Yun Ke’s first reaction was whether the food was poisoned. He quickly put down his bowl and reached out to support Gu Yu Qi, asking in alarm. He used his internal energy to check for any anomalies in her body, but he found nothing strange.

Why was she like this? Her skin seemed even paler than before, with a slightly terrifying transparency.

“Your Highness,” Gu Yu Qi groaned inwardly. She forced herself to endure the stomach pain, took a breath, and tried to break free from Yun Ke’s grip, “Please let go of me.”

“You’re already like this, why are you still being awkward with me?” Yun Ke felt like he wanted to knock this disobedient woman unconscious right now. What was she doing? She looked so pale and in pain, she should be saving her energy. He said sternly, “Exactly what is going on?”

Gu Yu Qi instantly felt like she wanted to die.

Did this guy have to keep asking? Her period had arrived, alright?! Did she have to announce it to the whole world?

In her previous life, Gu Yu Qi’s period had always been regular and she had not had any cramps either. It was only after entering the palace and being drugged by Zhang Wan Yi several times that her period went from regular to extremely irregular. Eventually, due to a miscarriage and not taking care of herself properly, her period stopped altogether.

In this life, Gu Yu Qi’s period started half a year ago. It was still on schedule, but for some reason, it was extremely painful whenever it came. This month, due to fatigue, it was delayed and Gu Yu Qi never expected it to appear when Yun Ke was around.

A soreness spread from her lower abdomen, the pain making it hard for her to straighten her waist. This time, the pain was more severe than before. Usually, the pain would subside after resting for a while, but this time, Gu Yu Qi almost collapsed from the pain. It was likely due to her irregular rest after Liang Huai Yu’s incident.

A warmth flowed through her lower abdomen, staining her plain white robe. Gu Yu Qi felt even more embarrassed. Who told her to wear white?! As though set on fire, she tried to stand up immediately but the pain intensified with movement, making her stretch and curl up like a shrimp.

Heavens, please strike the person next to her, holding her and preventing her from moving.

“Your Highness, could you please step aside for a moment?” Gu Yu Qi weakly looked at Yun Ke.

“Step aside?” Yun Ke was startled, “Why does this prince need to step aside? What’s wrong with you? Wait, this prince will take you to see the physician!”

“Your Highness, Your Highness,” Gu Yu Qi panicked, seeing Yun Ke bending down to lift her. Disregarding her status, she covered Yun Ke’s lips with her hand, “Don’t!” She was already embarrassed enough. Did everyone in the residence have to know? Besides, Yun Ke’s presence here could not be exposed. If he really carried her out to find the physician like this, then fine, Gu Yu Qi would not even need to wait to see the physician. She might as well find a block of tofu and smash her head against it.

The moment Gu Yu Qi’s slightly cold hand touched Yun Ke’s lips, his whole body felt like it had been struck by lightning.

There were hints of vulnerability and anxiety in her eyes, etching themselves deeply into his heart. Her panic and helplessness, like a lost fawn, touched the softest part of his heart, causing it to collapse completely. In his eyes and in his heart, there was only her.

“At least tell this prince what’s wrong?” Yun Ke softened his voice, knowing that he had been a bit too impulsive.

He was normally calm and collected, but had momentarily lost all his senses earlier. All he could see and feel was her face that was white with pain and her trembling body.

“This civilian girl…” Gu Yu Qi bit her lip until it turned white. Then she whispered, “It’s…it’s this civilian girl’s time of the month. So please, can Your Highness step aside?” This was so embarrassing. Gu Yu Qi had considered every possible scenario of facing Yun Ke, but she never imagined it would be this embarrassing.

Eh… Yun Ke’s arms suddenly stiffened… Time of the month! After living two lifetimes, if he still did not know what that meant, he would truly be a failure as a man. A suspicious light blush tinted his pale face as he lowered his eyes slightly, “Oh.” He released Gu Yu Qi from his grip and stood up, walking to the window and facing away with his hands behind his back. “This prince will step aside here,” he whispered.

As he heard the rustling of clothes behind him, he could not help but say with concern, “Be careful.”

Huh? Gu Yu Qi simply felt like she might as well just die. Her stomach was in pain, that man was still in the room, and she could not move properly no matter how she tried. She could not even ask Bai Fu to come in and help now. Gu Yu Qi really wanted to die. Why did her cursed period have to come now, not earlier or later?

Shaking and trembling, she cleaned herself up, changed her clothes, and bundled up the soiled garments. Her stomach still ached occasionally and Gu Yu Qi wanted to find a place to rest, but Yun Ke was standing by the window. What should she do? He could not be seen right now.

Yun Ke, standing by the window, also had a lot on his mind. His senses were extremely sharp, capturing every sound and movement of the water and clothes from Gu Yu Qi’s side. It made his cheeks flush with heat.

He could not help but raise his hand to touch his cheek, feeling a strange sweetness rising in his heart.

If he and she had been just an ordinary couple in the previous life, without so many misunderstandings and without so many other people interfering, would their days have been very pleasant and comfortable? She was so lively and beautiful. She would have held his hand and whispered in his ear how much she loved him. She would not have to hide anything from him, and he would not have to be wary of her.

Yun Ke’s eyes gradually became a little moist. All this beauty had been presented before him, then faded away. He had extinguished all her goodness with his own hands, ultimately pushing her to that point of no return.

Yun Ke could not dare to imagine how much Gu Yu Qi must have hated him when she was engulfed in flames.

In truth, without that steadfast love, how could there be such strong hatred?

That hatred had eventually turned into indifference in the end and now, she regarded him as a stranger.

If it were not for their accidental encounter in this life, if it were not for his deliberate interference, she might have already spread her wings and flown away like a wild goose in the sky, disappearing without a trace.

Even Xiao Nan Lou held her in high regard, showing how wonderful she was.

Yet, he, who prided himself on being clever, had been such a fool. He clearly had a precious pearl right in front of him but had not cherished it. Instead, he mistook fish eyes for treasure.

As the rustling sounds of her clothes behind him gradually ceased, Yun Ke slowly turned around. She had changed into a black dress, the dark fabric setting off her fair skin like jade, clear and translucent.

“Are you feeling any better?” Yun Ke cleared his throat, trying to ease the awkwardness in the room. “What this prince means is, does it still hurt as much?”

In fact, Yun Ke knew he was just talking nonsense. He could tell by her expression. Her usual straight posture was now bent.

Yun Ke’s words left Gu Yu Qi unsure of how to respond.

Without waiting for her answer, Yun Ke strode over directly and lifted Gu Yu Qi horizontally into his arms.

Gu Yu Qi wanted to cry out, but fearing she might expose Yun Ke’s presence, she could only cover her lips with her hand, staring at Yun Ke in terror.

“Your Highness Prince An,” She had yet to finish asking yet when she found herself gently placed on the bed by Yun Ke.

She immediately tried to roll over and tried to get off the bed, but Yun Ke firmly pressed her down.

“Your Highness Prince An,” Gu Yu Qi’s voice carried a hint of anger, “What are you…”

Half of Yun Ke’s body was pressing down on hers, rendering her unable to move. She could only stare at him.

“Quiet,” Yun Ke made a gesture for silence, “Don’t overthink. You need to rest right now.”

“Let go of me…” Gu Yu Qi felt both embarrassed and anxious, wanting to break free from his restraint. They were so close and Gu Yu Qi was really unused to it.

Yun Ke’s presence enveloped her completely. In the past life, she would have been ecstatic with joy but now her heart was filled only with disgust and fear.

Yes, she still feared him from the bottom of her heart. When passion was extinguished, when all her efforts became reasons for his disdain, when she had struggled feebly to survive for ten years in the cold palace, all of this turned into resentment in her heart and she chose self-destruction.

Being engulfed in flames was truly painful, extremely painful. Those who had never experienced it could never imagine how excruciating it was.