novelhk Chapter 125 Mother Gu's Visit
Chapter 125 Mother Gu's Visit
On a weekend morning, sunlight streamed softly and warmly into the room through the gaps in the curtains. Su Yuning, like a lazy kitten, curled up in the soft blankets, savoring this rare moment of tranquility. However, this peace didn't last long; a gentle knock on the door broke the silence.
"Miss Su, it's time to get up!" A maid's clear and melodious voice, like a nightingale's song, called from outside the door. The sound was like a lightning bolt piercing the morning's tranquility, going straight into Su Yuning's ears.
At this moment, Su Yuning was immersed in a sweet dream. Startled by the sudden call, she groggily turned over, instinctively grabbed the blanket beside her, and covered her head tightly. She mumbled incoherently, "Oh dear, it's the weekend today, can't I sleep a little longer..." Her lazy tone, coupled with her deep sleepiness, made it seem as if she could return to her sweet dream at any moment.
However, the maid outside the door seemed unwilling to give up, and continued to call out relentlessly, "Miss Su, someone is looking for you. They've been waiting in the hall for quite some time." Seeing no response from inside, the maid raised her voice even higher, as if afraid the person on the bed wouldn't hear her.
Finally, under the persistent urging of her maid, Su Yuning reluctantly opened her eyes. Her eyes were heavy with sleep, her eyelids feeling as if weighed down by a thousand pounds. She blinked several times before she could barely make out what was in front of her. Yawning, she asked weakly, "Who is it? Did they give their name?"
Upon hearing Su Yuning's question, the maidservant hurriedly and respectfully replied, "Miss Su, the visitor claims to be Gu Wanfeng's mother."
Upon hearing that Gu Wanfeng's mother had arrived, Su Yuning instantly snapped out of her daze, feeling a mix of nervousness and joy. She quickly sat up in bed, dressing rapidly as she said to the maid, "Oh, it's Auntie! Quickly prepare some snacks and tea; we can't neglect our guest. I'll be right there!"
The maidservant responded and hurriedly withdrew to prepare. Su Yuning didn't dare to delay either, quickly tidying her appearance before happily heading towards the main hall. Along the way, she kept thinking about how to communicate with Madam Gu and leave a good impression.
A moment later, Su Yuning arrived at the entrance of the hall. She took a deep breath, composed herself, and a bright smile bloomed on her face as she walked in with light steps.
"Hello, Aunt Gu! It's so nice to see you here!" Su Yuning greeted Madam Gu warmly, her eyes sparkling with excitement.
Looking at Su Yuning before her, Madam Gu couldn't help but smile at her lively, adorable, and innocent appearance. She nodded slightly and replied in an extremely gentle tone, "Hello, Miss Su! Meeting you today, you are indeed as clever and charming as the rumors say."
Su Yuning blinked her bright eyes and asked with a face full of curiosity, "Madam, is there something important you want to tell me today?"
Hearing this, Madam Gu sighed softly, the smile on her face gradually fading, replaced by a worried expression. She slowly said, "Indeed, Miss Su. Ever since that evening when you met Wanfeng, my daughter Chestnut has been depressed and listless, losing her appetite. What's worse, even her grandmother came to visit us specifically about this matter, bluntly proposing to annul the engagement. This is truly troubling me greatly." As she spoke, Madam Gu frowned, revealing a sorrowful expression.
Upon hearing this, Su Yuning felt a surge of guilt. She quickly lowered her head and said softly, "Auntie, I'm so sorry, it's all my fault. If I had known it would cause such trouble, I definitely wouldn't have dined with Young Master Gu. I'm truly sorry, please forgive me."
Seeing Su Yuning's sincere apology and repentance, Madam Gu quickly waved her hand and said softly, "Miss Su, please don't blame yourself. This matter is not entirely your fault. It's just that the situation is already set in stone, and I really had no other choice but to come to you. I wonder if Miss Su would be willing to do me a favor?"
Su Yuning raised her head, looked at Madam Gu with a firm gaze, and answered without hesitation, "Madam, please give your orders. As long as it is within my power, I will do my best to help you!"
"I'd like you to help persuade Miss Chestnut to get back together with my son. After all, it's not easy to find a gentle and virtuous girl like her," Mrs. Gu replied softly.
"How can I, an outsider, advise on matters of the heart?" Su Yuning replied with a troubled expression. "Although Gu Wanfeng confessed to me, I have already clearly rejected him. I can agree to stay away from Mr. Gu. As for reconciliation, you should find someone else!"
Madam Gu smiled broadly and said softly, "Miss Su, as the saying goes, 'A gentleman helps others achieve their goals,' so please, do us this small favor! I beg you!" However, faced with Madam Gu's pleading, Su Yuning shook her head without hesitation and replied decisively, "I'm so sorry, Madam, I really can't help you..."
Seeing this, Madam Gu couldn't help but feel a little suspicious. She tentatively asked, "Miss Su, you wouldn't still be thinking about my son, Wanfeng, would you? If you really have those thoughts, just give me a nod, and I'll do my best to make things happen between you two." Hearing this, Su Yuning gave a bitter smile and shook her head vigorously again, explaining, "That's not it, Madam. You've misunderstood. A few days ago, Chestnut's grandmother came to the factory specifically to find me. She not only verbally abused me and cursed me, but she even slapped me hard in public! Under such circumstances, if I were to help, I would have nowhere to complain about the grievances I've suffered. Therefore, please forgive me for being unable to comply."
Upon hearing this, Madam Gu was shocked and stared in disbelief, muttering to herself, "How...how could it have turned out like this? I only knew that she personally came to our mansion to request the annulment of the engagement, but I had no idea that such a fierce conflict and contradiction had arisen between you. Oh, Miss Su, I am so sorry. It is all my fault for being careless and unintentionally touching on your deepest pain."
Su Yuning smiled and waved her hand gently, saying softly, "It's really nothing. If it's convenient for you, why don't you stay and have breakfast with me?"
Madam Gu quickly declined, her tone very polite: "No need, thank you for your kindness. You should hurry up and have your meal. I won't bother you any longer. Farewell!" With that, she sighed softly and quickened her pace, hurriedly leaving the magnificent princess's residence.
Deep in the remote, towering mountains, Zhou Xi and Xiao Cui lived a leisurely and carefree life. Every morning, as the first rays of sunlight touched the earth, they would go hand in hand to the mountains to gather fresh wild fruits and vegetables, and occasionally, with their skillful hands, catch some mountain birds and animals to enjoy as delicacies. When night fell, the two would sit side by side on the rooftop, gazing at the vast, boundless starry sky and admiring the bright, jade-like moon hanging high in the heavens.
Days passed by, and one day, a strong feeling of homesickness suddenly welled up in Zhou Xi's heart. He turned to look at Xiao Cui, who was smiling beside him, and asked softly, "Sister-in-law, when will we be able to embark on our journey home? To be honest, I really miss my family and familiar surroundings."
Hearing this, Xiao Cui showed no sign of worry. Instead, she smiled brightly and replied, "Oh, sister, don't worry! Look at how beautiful the scenery is, surrounded by green mountains and clear waters. We can enjoy the scenery to our heart's content, appreciating the wonders of nature, and we can also savor the pure, unpolluted delicacies from time to time. This wonderful life is just like a vacation, so intoxicating that I almost don't want to leave!"
However, at that moment, Zhou Xi's previously relaxed eyebrows furrowed tightly, and she said softly with a worried expression, "Sigh, to be honest, I really miss home. When I was home, my brother-in-law would always wait until I urged him repeatedly before he would reluctantly eat breakfast. Now that I'm not home, I really don't know if he will still enjoy this essential daily meal on time!" Her words were full of deep concern and longing for her family.
Hearing this, Xiao Cui, the girl standing to the side, seemed quite carefree. She waved her hand casually and comforted him, "Oh, sister, don't worry! Your husband isn't a three-year-old child. He naturally knows how to take care of himself. You shouldn't spoil him like this all the time!" Although Xiao Cui spoke lightly, Zhou Xi's worries did not lessen in the slightest.
Then, as if remembering something, Zhou Xi continued, "And what's more, I've started to miss my mother-in-law too. She's always been so good to me, buying me beautiful clothes and teaching me how to do my makeup and coordinate outfits. Thinking about all this, my homesickness grows even stronger." At this moment, the genuine emotion on Zhou Xi's face was truly touching.
Faced with Zhou Xi's earnest plea, Xiao Cui initially didn't take it seriously, casually replying, "Alright, alright, I know! When that divine physician returns from gathering herbs, I'll definitely ask him if you can go home." However, from her slightly impatient tone, one could tell that Xiao Cui was, after all, young and playful, and being in this free and unrestrained environment, asking her to go home was rather difficult.
Back in the capital, Madam Gu tirelessly sought help everywhere, but all her efforts ended in failure. With nowhere else to turn, she had no choice but to bravely head alone to the rented room that Miss Chestnut had mentioned. When she finally arrived and was about to knock on the slightly worn door, she suddenly heard voices coming from inside.
One of them said, "Chestnut, you'd better dress up nicely today, as you'll be coming out to eat with me later."
Another clear voice rang out immediately afterward: "Grandmother, it's just going out for a meal, why do you need to dress up so specially?"
The man explained earnestly, “Today, when I went to the market to buy vegetables, I happened to meet a gentleman who looked quite wealthy. He said that his son was over twenty-eight years old but still unmarried, so he asked the vegetable vendor to help him find a suitable woman as his daughter-in-law. I had an idea at the time, thinking that my daughter Chestnut was also of marriageable age and still single, so I thought I would introduce you to this gentleman’s son.”
However, Chestnut seemed uninterested in the matter, responding with a hint of resistance, "I really don't want to go. Grandmother, can't you just let me stay here quietly by myself for a while?"
"Now that you've broken off your engagement with Gu Wanfeng, granddaughter, marriage is a serious matter that can't be delayed. You'll have to get married sooner or later anyway. There's a good opportunity right now. Grandmother has arranged a blind date for you. Let's go over there now! Maybe once you meet some new friends, you'll naturally forget about that blind jerk!" Grandmother earnestly advised.
"Sigh... Alright then, Grandmother, please wait a moment. I need to get ready; I can't go out looking like this, all disheveled." Chestnut nodded helplessly, turned around, and went back to her room to start dressing.
Meanwhile, upon learning that Miss Chestnut was about to go on a blind date, Madam Gu was filled with disappointment. She had originally hoped that her son could apologize to the woman and perhaps salvage the marriage, but now it seemed to be in vain. She could only sigh and return to the Gu residence with a face full of dejection.