Rebirth of the Excellent Daughter of the Marquis Household (REDMH) - Chapter 96

With a major task accomplished, Gu Yu Qi felt very happy.

She knew that after today, she and Liang Huai Yu would become frequent guests at the Garrison Commander’s residence. Having established a connection with the Garrison Commander’s wife, any future endeavours in Kuizhou City would be exceptionally smooth. They would not even need to mention the name of the Garrison Commander’s wife. The Liang residence in the southern part of the city had already become a prestigious name.

After returning home, Gu Yu Qi spoke a few words with Liang Huai Yu. It was likely that from today onwards, Liang Huai Yu would be busy. The Garrison Commander’s wife had already personally invited them over with a special token, so it was likely that invitations from other influential families in Kuizhou would follow suit. Starting tomorrow, invitations from various residences would steadily arrive.

It would be best to leave such social matters to Liang Huai Yu. The nominal head of the Liang residence was Liang Huai Yu, so people would not feel things were out of place if she stepped forward.

News that the madam of the Liang residence came from the prestigious Jiangnan Liang family spread like wildfire. When living in such a remote and secluded place like this, even if one held a notable position, they would not see anyone from a prestigious family throughout the year. It must be known that aristocratic families were all large families with hundreds of years of history. Any of them would have intricate internal relationships and nobody could afford to offend them.

Moreover, when a family flourished within its gates, its reputation would spread far and wide. Those from humble backgrounds and ordinary officials’ families often harboured both envy and jealousy once the topic of aristocratic families was mentioned. If there are children of aristocratic families present, many people will vie to befriend them. Furthermore, the stunning appearances of Gu Yu Qi and Liang Huai Yu at Ganquan Temple yesterday only solidified the legend of noble and beautiful women from esteemed families. In such a remote place, encounters with such figures were considered extraordinary.

As Gu Yu Qi had anticipated, the gatekeeper became busy the next day. Invitations and greetings from various households poured in, causing Zhang Lan to run until his legs practically broke and exhausting Liang Huai Yu’s eyes.

Having too many invitations and greeting cards was also a troublesome matter. Deciding whom to accept, whom to decline, which household to visit first, and which to visit later all required careful consideration. Despite Liang Huai Yu’s skill in handling such matters, the multitude of invitations left her feeling distressed. In her desperation, she could only bring the pile of cards to the study to find Gu Yu Qi.

Gu Yu Qi was immersed in writing and drawing. When she saw her mother enter, she quickly put down her brush and went to greet her.

“What are you doing?” She was exhausted from dealing with matters outside, but her daughter seemed to be at leisure. She seemed to be drawing. Liang Huai Yu asked this as she walked to the desk. On the large table lay a large sheet of white paper on which the city streets had been outlined. “Are you drawing Kuizhou City?”

Liang Huai Yu looked puzzled as she glanced at Gu Yu Qi. The drawing was very simple and did not seem like a copy, so it looked very strange.

“Yes. I’m drawing the layout of Kuizhou City,” Gu Yu Qi smiled.

“Layout?” Liang Huai Yu was momentarily surprised but then realised why it felt strange. It was a bird’s eye view. “It’s quite innovative,” she chuckled. What was going on in this child’s mind? Why did she always have these inexplicable thoughts?

“Mother came to find me not just to see my drawings, right?” Gu Yu Qi offered her mother a chair, then picked up one of the letters from the pile that had been placed on the desk.

“What do you think?” Liang Huai Yu jokingly complained, “Look at these letters, they’ve given Mother a headache. Hurry and help Mother decide, which household we should respond to first?”

“Why not just accept all of them,” Gu Yu Qi suggested after counting the numerous invitations, ranging from large to small, totaling more than a dozen.

“All of them?” Liang Huai Yu was taken aback. “You’re joking! Visiting over a dozen households in a day? You’re going to wear us out like tired oxen!” She gave Gu Yu Qi a deep lock.

“How would I dare tire you out?” Gu Yu Qi immediately smiled and grabbed Liang Huai Yu’s sleeve, then said coquettishly, “What I meant is, why not invite all of them back to our residence? Quite a lot of our lotus flowers have bloomed. We can host a lotus flower banquet. It will be elegant and we won’t offend anyone due to the order of visitation.”

Yes, why had she not thought of that?!

Now that they were in the summer season, the surface of the residence’s artificial lake was covered with lotus leaves. Many lotus buds had emerged, slim and graceful, while many more were already in full bloom, exuding a delightful fragrance whenever the wind blew.

“Not bad, that’s a great idea!” Liang Huai Yu lightly tapped the table and smiled at Gu Yu Qi. “Your mind is quick.” After gaining this solution, Liang Huai Yu immediately stood up, “You go ahead and draw your layout plans. I’m going to make preparations. The invitations need to be responded to and other things need to be bought and arranged.”

“Mhmm,” Gu Yu Qi nodded with a smile. “Mother, remember, no need to save money for me. I have plenty!” She did not forget to remind her mother.

“Look at you being so proud! You don’t have the slightest bit of a young lady’s demeanour!” Liang Huai Yu, reaching the doorway, turned around and scolded her daughter playfully before walking out with a smile.

She naturally knew about her daughter’s current financial status. A few days ago, she had been bored and saw Qiu Yue and Run Ying settling accounts. She had taken a glance and what she saw had left her speechless for a good long while.

The three shops in the capital were making a good profit which needed no mentioning, as the amount earned by the Jishun Express in Jiangxia City alone was astounding. Gu Yu Qi had now essentially monopolised the entire freight transport in Jiangxia City, and what kind of place was Jiangxia City? It was a place with northern and southern docks, hosting countless merchants everyday. Even if only one in every ten people had to ship goods, it was enough to keep the shipping business busy for a long time.

The money really seemed to be flowing in as if it had grown wings.

She could see that her daughter would also make significant moves in Kuizhou. She was aware that she was not as smart as Gu Yu Qi, so she could only fully support her, helping and sharing some of the burdens. After leaving the room, Liang Huai Yu summoned Chun Xing and asked her to check if there were any good opera troupes in Kuizhou.

It was their first time hosting a banquet for the ladies of the local Kuizhou officials and dignitaries, so it was important not to let Gu Yu Qi’s facade be compromised. Since they had money now, they did not need to be overly cautious with their spending. She immediately told Dai Mei to choose some elegant tableware from the market. In the past, the Marquis’ residence had plenty of sets stored in the treasury, but now in Kuizhou, they had to prepare everything anew. Dai Mei visited all the shops in Kuizhou before selecting a set that would be good enough.

In the evening, the Liang residence was shrouded in the darkness of the night. After Gu Yu Qi took a bath, she made Yan Zhi go and rest. Then she sat alone barefoot on the cool floor in her room, looking at the layout plan she had drawn. She had already begun designing how Kuizhou City would look in the future.

Gu Yu Qi also felt a bit drunk when she thought about it. Before transmigrating, her family was involved in real estate development and she held the title of a manager in her father’s company. However, she had never participated in any actual business operations. Her daily task was simply to have fun!

She could not believe that in ancient times, she was now personally involved in designing industrial development. If her father from the modern world found out, he would probably wake up laughing from his sleep.

Thinking of this, a deep melancholy surged in Gu Yu Qi’s heart. Her sudden death in the modern world must have broken her parents’ hearts. Fortunately, they still had her older brother which could give them some comfort. Having travelled through one lifetime and a rebirth, Gu Yu Qi felt that what she most owed was to her parents on both sides. Now, she could no longer return to the modern world to fulfil her filial duties, so all she could do was stay here and protect Liang Huai Yu.

Suddenly, Gu Yu Qi felt a chill. She looked over and realised that the window behind her had been blown open by the wind. Even in the summer in Kuizhou City, the night wind was slightly cold. Gu Yu Qi simply stood up and walked to the window. She was about to close it when something flashed before her eyes and a dark figure appeared before her.

“Someone-” Gu Yu Qi was startled and instinctively began to shout. However, she also reacted quickly, raising her hand to strike at the figure in black.

A slightly cold hand covered her mouth, and her striking hand was caught midair.

“It’s me.” A deep voice sounded from above her, with a hoarseness that carried both weariness and the joy of seeing her.

Gu Yu Qi was momentarily stunned, staying frozen in place. Her hand, still raised, was caught by the person before her. She lifted her bright eyes to look at the silhouette standing on the other side of the window.

“It’s me.” A low voice came from above her head, hoarse and with an indescribable fatigue and joy at seeing her.

Gu Yu Qi was shocked and froze on the spot. Her hand was still raised high, caught by the figure. She raised her clear eyes and looked at the handsome figure standing in front of her across the window sill.

“It’s me.” The weariness that had covered him and the dust in his eyes vanished at the first sight of her.

She stood in the brightly lit room with the candlelight flickering behind her, carving her elegant silhouette into his eyes. Her lips were covered by his own hand but her shocked and disbelieving gaze could not be hidden in her eyes. She seemed to have just finished bathing and her long hair cascaded down her back. The smooth strands danced in the wind, brushing against his hand as if tugging the strings of his heart.

He smiled at her. Despite the weariness etched all over his face, the colours bursting from his eyes were more brilliant than the stars in the sky.

“It’s me,” he softly repeated to her for the third time, “I’ve come to see you.”

In that instant, Gu Yu Qi was both touched and surprised. Overwhelmed, Gu Yu Qi felt her eyes welling up with warmth and turning slightly red. They had not seen each other for two months and the young man seemed to have grown a bit taller than when they first met in Jiangxia City. Clad in a black robe that accentuated his broad shoulders and narrow waist, his face bore a faint smile full of surprise and shyness, like the warm winter sun gently embracing the heart. His eyebrows had grown a bit longer, exuding a more masculine charm. If he was too feminine before, now he was handsome, elegant, and still retained a touch of masculinity.

“You’re okay, that’s really good,” he murmured to himself, as if speaking to both himself and Gu Yu Qi.

She would not know the immense happiness and joy he felt when he landed in front of her window, suddenly seeing her. It was like a towering wave in the sea, overwhelming him, soaking him through. At that moment, he forgot about all the sleepless nights as he ran here, he forgot about the wounds on his body he had not had time to treat. He forgot everything. In his eyes, in his heart, in the entire world, there was only her standing alive before him.

Indeed, even if she possessed the entire world, his world would still only contain her.

He did not know how much he had wanted to embrace her, to feel her warmth and her heartbeat, confirming that she was alive. This way, he could be reassured that nothing had happened to her. All the worries during his journey disappeared in an instant when he saw her. What remained was the joy of reunion, slowly seeping little by little into his eyes and heart.

He had many things he wanted to say to her but upon seeing her, he seemed to have become tongue-tied, only able to repeat it’s me, it’s me, it’s me.

I’m here, I came to see you, crossing thousands of rivers and mountains. Regardless of everything, if you’re safe and sound, then it’s a sunny day, it’s his sunny day!

You’re fine, that’s great!

“Miss?” A somewhat confused voice came from outside the courtyard, “Is there something wrong?”

Her voice instantly brought Gu Yu Qi back to her senses. She quickly pulled the handsome young man in front of her into her room and slammed the window shut. “It’s nothing, go to sleep. I just opened the window to let in some air.”

“But I thought I heard something.” There came the sound of the door opening from Yan Zhi’s side.

Gu Yu Qi pushed the young man onto her bed, quickly lowering the gauze curtain, then opened the door and walked out. Facing Yan Zhi, who was already walking towards her, she said, “Hurry and go back to sleep. It was just a stray cat passing by.”

“Oh,” Yan Zhi, seeing Gu Yu Qi leaning against the door, rubbed her drowsy eyes and returned to her room.

Gu Yu Qi leaned against the door for a while and waited, making sure Yan Zhi had gone, then sighed in relief. She patted her chest in shock. It would really have scared her to death if Yan Zhi had seen a grown man standing in her room. She was afraid the whole courtyard would become noisy and everyone would know.

After closing the door, Gu Yu Qi stared somewhat foolishly at the gauze curtain hanging down on her bed. The breeze from somewhere gently moved the light curtain, giving her a dreamlike illusion.

Gu Yu Qi was stunned for a long while before regaining her composure. She walked quickly to the bed, calmed herself, then abruptly lifted the gauze curtain.

A handsome and unmatched face appeared before her eyes. He was sitting awkwardly on her bed, not daring to move at all. His entire body’s muscles were tense, afraid of touching her belongings too much.

Seeing her lift the bed curtain, he immediately gave her a big smile.

“Why are you here?” Gu Yu Qi bit her lip and asked quickly and urgently with a bit of anxiety.

The smile froze suddenly on his face. He looked at Gu Yu Qi with a hint of fear. Why did her voice carry a trace of irritation? Did he do something wrong? Or… Did she simply not want to see him at all?

This realisation hit him like a hand seizing his heart, making it difficult for him to breathe. His throat felt dry as his lips parted, but he did not know what to say to her. A hint of unease appeared in his eyes.

He looked at Gu Yu Qi pitifully, like a startled little deer.