Rebirth of the Excellent Daughter of the Marquis Household (REDMH) - Chapter 153

Once, she had envied those noble ladies who could marry with grand, dazzling style. She had thought that even if she could not marry Yun Ke with great fanfare, at least they would have something that could prove their marriage. So, she had commissioned a goldsmith to craft a pair of rings. The design was kept deliberately simple because Yun Ke disliked ornate things. To persuade him to wear the ring, she had used every gentle trick she could muster. She had slept with him crazily and after the chaos of their intimacy, she had lain naked against his broad chest, taken out the ring meant for him, and coaxed him coquettishly to wear it. Then she had shown him the matching ring on her own hand, grinning foolishly for a long time.

How happy she had been then, as carefree as a child.

Leaning close to his ear, she had whispered joyfully, “If you wear it, that means I have you for life,” and then laughed like a giddy fool.

She had not noticed the brief flash of disdain in Yun Ke’s eyes.

Her thoughts were pulled back to the present and Gu Yu Qi felt a heavy weight pressing on her chest. She slowly returned the box to Yun Ke and said quietly, “I do not need it anymore.”

A chill swept through Yun Ke’s body. His gaze darkened, and even the warmth in his palm seemed to vanish rapidly.

Yes, she was not the Gu Yu Qi of the previous life. Why, then, did he still approach her as though she were?

Some mistakes, once made, could never be undone. No matter how hard he tried to make amends, all he was doing was dredging up her most painful memories.

“Then this prince will hold onto it for now,” Yun Ke said simply. He quietly put the gold box away, but his hands were already trembling slightly under his sleeves.

“Actually, Your Highness does not need to use such things to bribe this concubine,” Gu Yu Qi said, raising her calm, liquid-like gaze and speaking slowly. “Since this concubine has entered Prince An’s manor, this concubine understands her duties.”

This concubine, haha. Gu Yu Qi felt a chill rising within her heart. She had used that form of address for over a decade in her previous life and now, here she was, using it again.

“This concubine will do my best to assist Your Highness in every way, but this concubine hopes Your Highness can grant some freedom,” Gu Yu Qi continued, “My mother is in need of medical attention from the Imperial Physicians. Please take care of her, Your Highness.”

Yun Ke was at a complete loss about what to say to Gu Yu Qi. He wanted to speak sweetly to her, but she only treated him with the same detachment as if they were handling business matters.

Bribe… She had actually used that word. In her eyes, did she truly believe that everything he had done was merely an attempt to bribe her?

He had gone to great lengths to give her a grand and perfect wedding, all in order to make up for the past. That boy in white was arranged and sent by him to Xia Shuang Cheng’s side. He had always been ruthless and merciless to others, never showing any leniency.

He could act decisively and without hesitation in all other matters, but when it came to this woman, he felt as though all his strength had nowhere to go. No matter how many strategies he might devise, what was the use? She would never forget everything he had done to her in the past.

Take it slowly. Yun Ke sighed inwardly. With enough time, he did not believe that he could not warm up this cold, unyielding stone that was Gu Yu Qi.

He did not know how to say sweet words. He had never said them in his previous life, and no one had ever said them to him in this life. True to his nature, when he treated someone well, he would use actions to do everything possible to achieve his goal. Why bother saying it aloud?

“Is there anything else you need, Your Highness?” Gu Yu Qi gazed at Yun Ke with calm, clear eyes. Even if Yun Ke had wanted to pull her into his arms, under such a steady gaze, he found that he could not reach out his hands.

“There must be many guests outside.” Seeing that Yun Ke remained silent and showed no signs of leaving, Gu Yu Qi continued, “And isn’t the primary consort to be welcomed today as well? If Your Highness lingers here, it might not be very good.”

Was she giving him a veiled order to leave? Having been rejected by her repeatedly, Yun Ke already felt deeply awkward. Now, hearing her say this, his pride should have prompted him to turn on his heels and leave immediately. Yet, he forced himself to endure it. Without a word, he sat down next to Gu Yu Qi.

Gu Yu Qi was alarmed. What was he intending to do? The moment she realised that the seat beneath them was the bridal bed, she could not help but jump up.

Surely, he was not planning to have her fulfil her duties as a secondary consort right now?

Gu Yu Qi genuinely wanted to flee. The moment she took a step, however, the hem of her ceremonial gown was grasped by someone. “Your Highness, it is still daytime,” Gu Yu Qi said anxiously, struggling to retrieve the corner of her gown, her voice stammering slightly.

Yun Ke did not let her have her way. He simply cast her a deep look and tied the hem of her gown tightly to the corner of his own robe.

Did she still not understand?

Gu Yu Qi truly did not understand. As someone who had transmigrated, someone who had been reborn, and someone who, in her previous life, had been carried into the residence in a bridal sedan chair only to go through the wedding rites without any further experiences, how could she possibly know the significance of such an action in the Qi dynasty?

This was the equivalent of a “hair-binding” ceremony where locks of hair were woven together. It was the most solemn vow from a man to a woman, symbolising his commitment to spending his life with her.

Yun Ke had no intention of leaving this bridal chamber. What did it matter if there were guests outside? What did it matter if there were none? He had lived two lifetimes, and such trivialities no longer held any importance to him. What mattered was that he was here, now, with Gu Yu Qi.

And what could the primary consort do if she came?

He had yet to deal with the Xia family. His marriage had been going smoothly when that family had insisted on inserting themselves into it and interfering.

He was not the type to forget a grudge. The Xia family, the Virtuous Consort, he would deal with them in due time one by one.

But right now, all he wanted was to stay with Gu Yu Qi, even if they spent the entire night simply sitting together like this.

How long could he have her for? Ten years? Twenty? No, no, that was far from enough.

Now, he finally understood why in their past life, when she had cried out that she would rather never see him again in any lifetime, there had been that sharp stab of pain in his heart.

He also understood why in the decades that followed, though he had seen countless beautiful women, none of their faces ever stayed in his memory except for Gu Yu Qi’s.

And he now understood why, even after so many years, he had insisted on having the ashes of a long-deceased concubine placed beneath his own coffin.

In life, they could not share the same bed. But in death, he was determined to share the same grave with her.

And now here she was, standing right beside him, awkwardly tugging at the hem of her gown, her expression tangled in confusion. Yet, deep down, Yun Ke felt an inexplicable sense of peace.

With a casual wave of his large hand, he grabbed Gu Yu Qi’s rather delicate wrist and pulled her to his side, seating her next to him.

“This prince will not do anything. I’m just tired,” Yun Ke murmured in a low voice. “Keep an eye on things. I’m going to take a nap.”

Huh? What did that mean? Gu Yu Qi stared at Imperial Prince An in utter disbelief as he leaned back against the bedhead without any ceremony and closed his eyes.

What was going on?! Gu Yu Qi felt increasingly baffled by Yun Ke’s behaviour.

Watching Yun Ke settle down peacefully as though he had really fallen asleep, Gu Yu Qi hesitantly waved a hand in front of his face. He did not react in the slightest.

Gu Yu Qi then listened carefully. His breathing was deep and steady. It seemed he had truly fallen asleep.

Gu Yu Qi sighed softly in relief. She wanted to undo the tightly knotted hem of her gown. This was far too inconvenient. Any movement from her, and he would definitely notice.

However, just as her fingers touched the hem, she felt a sudden tug on her clothing. Yun Ke shifted slightly in his sleep, turning onto his side, and the knot ended up pressed firmly beneath his long, lean thigh.

Damn it! Gu Yu Qi cursed inwardly. Was he doing this on purpose, or was it unintentional?

With her gown trapped under his leg, Gu Yu Qi had no choice but to lean even closer. She was now pulled so near that she almost toppled onto him.

Gu Yu Qi’s body was twisted awkwardly and her waist was stiff. It was incredibly uncomfortable. She could not sit properly because if she did, she would be pressed against Yun Ke’s thigh, nor could she stand up as her gown was still pinned beneath him.

Gu Yu Qi decided that enough was enough. Gritting her teeth and steeling herself, she slowly and deliberately began to undo the outer layer of her wedding gown.

As she undid all the buttons and was just about to slip the sash free, she inadvertently glanced up and saw that Imperial Prince An, who had supposedly been asleep just now, was wide awake and staring at her intently with those deep, unblinking eyes.

This time, Gu Yu Qi was truly furious.

She swiftly pulled off her outer robe, stood up, and stepped back, fixing Yun Ke with a cold, piercing glare.

“Have you had enough, Your Highness Imperial Prince An?” she asked, her chest tightening as a surge of grievance rose within her.

So, all along, he had been treating her like a plaything, like a monkey performing for his amusement?

“Do you find this entertaining?” Her eyes reddened as she fought to hold back the tears threatening to spill. “Watching me like this, do you feel a sense of triumph? Look, this is the stupid woman who foolishly burned herself to death for you in the past life! In this life, after running around in circles, she still couldn’t escape the palm of your hand, right?! My existence is to prove that you, Your Highness Prince An, is charming beyond measure, to prove that there was once a woman so lowly, so pathetic, that she gave up the position of being Prince Fu’s primary consort and begged and cried, even blocking His Majesty’s path, just to be your concubine! I foolishly waited for you to return, foolishly watched you dote on other women, and foolishly believed that there was at least a tiny corner in your heart reserved for me. Yun Ke, I was stupid. I was foolish for an entire lifetime, and in the end, I died a fool’s death. Aren’t you satisfied yet? Do you really need to watch me make a fool of myself all over again, right in front of your eyes?”

The more Gu Yu Qi spoke, the more her heart stung. Like a possessed woman, she suddenly lunged at Yun Ke, biting down fiercely on his shoulder.

To hell with self-control, to hell with noble composure.

At this moment, Gu Yu Qi was determined to vent every ounce of the resentment and hatred that had been buried deep in her heart for so many years. Once she sank her teeth into Yun Ke’s flesh, she refused to let go.

Pain! Yun Ke frowned slightly as he watched the nearly frantic Gu Yu Qi. He instinctively raised his hand to push her away but stopped, letting out a long sigh instead. Then, he gently pulled her into his arms.

If she needed to vent, so be it.

The pain in his shoulder was nothing compared to the agony she had endured to perish in the blazing flames in their past life.