The reason Huo Xingchao suddenly brought Gu Zhi out was because he wanted to make it public directly.
He wanted everyone to know that Gu Zhi was Huo Sishao’s fiancée, so no one would dare to target her openly. At most, they could only resort to sneaky, underhanded tactics.
Lu Shuyuan was like one of those semi-blackened female leads in rebirth revenge novels. Her destructive power alone could rival the entire Huo family.
Why?
It wasn’t because her intelligence was exceptionally high, or her influence overwhelmingly strong, or that her methods were more thorough than those of inner court women.
It was because she seemed like someone playing with cheat codes.
She knew every detail of the entire story.
Huo Xingchao found it incredible. This girl had only watched a TV drama for leisure, yet after transmigrating, she could even remember the exact date Gu Zhi would give birth.
When he was injured and fell into a coma in Shanghai, the scene in the drama probably only showed a close-up of an alley. Yet she managed to find that alley in the vast city and rescue him.
She was truly a miraculous heroine.
Whoever she went after would suffer miserably, every scheme she made would succeed without mishap. Her acting was so smooth that just a bit of incitement from her would stir up a crowd instantly.
Her protagonist halo even outshone Huo Xingchao’s.
So, he felt that to protect Gu Zhi and the child in her belly, the first thing he had to do was avoid Lu Shuyuan, that miraculous flying heroine.
Only after that could he think about the internal strife of the Huo family.
To avoid Lu Shuyuan, he basically needed to do just two things.
First, keep Gu Zhi away from the cousin who had a deep grudge with Lu Shuyuan and had to take revenge.
Second, don’t let Lu Shuyuan fall in love with him.
Of course, the second point was a bit difficult. If he really couldn’t stop it, then he’d have no choice but to deal with any admirers himself.
…
After coming out of the cinema, Huo Xingchao planned to take Gu Zhi back to her family home for a meal.
Gu Zhi stared at him strangely for a while, “Huo Sishao, do you not care about your child’s life anymore?”
Huo Sishao gave her a side-eye, calm and indifferent, “Don’t talk nonsense.”
…Gu Zhi felt completely wronged.
When she had just gotten pregnant, Huo Xingchao, who usually didn’t talk much, had explained everything to her all night long. Why she had to stay hidden, why they had to keep it secret. He talked so much her ears nearly got calluses. He was still afraid she might overthink and get depressed.
He said he was worried about her and the child’s safety, told her how dangerous things were inside the Huo family, how his mother had died, and all the dark things he had witnessed growing up.
By the end of it, Gu Zhi even felt sorry for him. The next day, she wrote a little poem to comfort him.
Yet only about a month later, before she even had a chance to start showing, he went back on it all himself.
Wasn’t that strange?
The girl leaned against the car window and let out a faint sigh, “Fourth Young Master, you really have no heart.”
You really couldn’t deal with Gu Zhi in an ordinary way.
So Huo Xingchao glanced at her lazily, “Aren’t you right here?”
Gu Zhi was silent for a while, hugging her belly as she shrank into the corner, full of melancholy.
“I won’t ask anymore, really.”
“Just don’t scold me again.”
…
But no matter what method you used, one day you’d still be driven mad by her.
The car stopped at the entrance of the Gu family’s alley.
Huo Xingchao held Gu Zhi’s arm as they walked in together.
Back on the road, he had finally explained his reasoning to her. He didn’t mention Lu Shuyuan, he only said that he still felt it wasn’t good for her to be unmarried and pregnant.
So it was better to get married early while she still wasn’t visibly pregnant. That way, she wouldn’t have to deal with unnecessary gossip later.
Gu Zhi nodded hesitantly, still a bit worried, “What about the baby’s safety?”
“Don’t worry.”
Huo Xingchao comforted her, “The Huo family isn’t as scary as you think.”
…When did she ever think that?
You were the one who made the Huo family sound terrifying.
Now you’re the one saying it’s not that bad.
Gu Zhi sighed gloomily.
Sigh, you really make no sense.
…
Gu Zhi knocked on her front door.
She hadn’t returned here in nearly a month and a half. Seeing the familiar door now, she couldn’t help feeling a little emotional.
Mother Gu was feeding her son. Halfway through, she heard the knock and put down the bowl to open the door. “Who is it?”
“It’s me, A-Niang.”
A soft, sweet voice came from outside.
So familiar that Mother Gu was startled.
She opened the door and saw Gu Zhi and Huo Sishao standing there, quickly ushering them in.
“What are you two doing here? Did anyone see you on the way? Did something happen? Azhi, is the baby okay?”
A barrage of questions revealed just how panicked she was.
Mother Gu was truly scared.
She wasn’t afraid of anything else, only afraid that something would happen to the child. Huo Sishao had promised to marry Gu Zhi. If something happened to the baby, everything could change.
If Gu Zhi lost both her child and her reputation, and if Huo Sishao ended up abandoning her, her life would really be ruined.
Gu Zhi smiled, “No, A-Niang, don’t worry. We just came back for a meal.”
“Oh my, why pick this moment to come back for a meal? Azhi, are you being willful again? Fourth Young Master, Azhi is still immature, please don’t indulge her…”
“Auntie, please don’t be nervous.”
Huo Xingchao politely cut in, “I came today mainly to discuss the wedding arrangements with you and Uncle.”
Mother Gu was stunned.
“Wedding?”
…
Normally, it wouldn’t be appropriate for Huo Xingchao to come and discuss such matters himself.
But the situation between him and Gu Zhi was complicated. On top of that, the gap between their families was significant. When facing him, Mother Gu didn’t have much confidence.
So things ended up muddled, and he just spoke directly.
The marriage contract, the dowry, the date, the banquet. He seemed to have considered everything, explaining each point clearly.
Hearing it all now, Father Gu actually felt a little dazed.
He paused for a moment and asked, “Have you discussed this with your family?”
“Not yet.”
Huo Xingchao was honest, “But Uncle, don’t worry. I’ll tell my father tonight. I just wanted to get your approval first. As long as you agree, my father won’t object.”
“Of course we’re happy about it. I’ve said it before, Azhi already has a child. No matter what, it’s better to settle it sooner than drag it out…”
“What are you talking about again!”
Father Gu frowned and glared at his wife, then turned back and looked at Huo Xingchao, his expression serious.
“Fourth Young Master, we know what happened between you and Gu Zhi. In the end, it’s me who failed her. Our Gu family may be small, but we can still raise our daughter. If you look down on her because of this, Azhi can raise the child here with us. We won’t mind.”
“I understand, Uncle.”
Huo Xingchao glanced at the girl feeding her younger brother in the courtyard, then nodded sincerely with a faint smile in his eyes.
“We were in love from the beginning. I promised to treat her well for life. Back then, I was just doing you a favor. You don’t need to take it to heart.”
…
When Gu Zhi saw that the conversation had ended, she didn’t ask anything. She led her little brother over and chatted with her father as if nothing had happened.
Her demeanor was calm, with a gentle smile on her lips and clear, bright eyes free of any gloom. Even her interaction with Huo Sishao felt completely natural.
So Old Madam Gu patted her son’s hand, signaling that he could relax.
Before leaving, Gu Zhi secretly slipped a pouch into her grandmother’s hand.
Old Madam Gu opened it and saw a small stack of silver notes and several silver coins.
At a glance, the amount wasn’t small.
She frowned, “What’s this for? You should keep the money Fourth Young Master gave you. You’ll need it later.”
“Grandmother, I still have more.”
The girl arched her brows, “He gave me a big box, and I’ve hidden it well. But this, this is money I earned myself, so I’m giving it to you.”
Old Madam Gu froze, then immediately grew anxious. “What are you doing? The family isn’t starving. You’re pregnant. Why are you running around like this? Where did you earn so much money?”
“No, Grandmother, it’s not that serious.”
Gu Zhi laughed, her soft southern-accented voice warm, “I write poems. You always scold me, but I’ve actually had quite a few published in the newspaper.”
“And I helped Qinglin grind ink, made him a pair of shoes, packed his luggage. I did a lot of things. He paid me for all of it.”
Old Madam Gu sighed, “You, ah.”
“Grandmother, listen to me. This winter is especially cold. The old quilts won’t be enough. Buy more cotton and make new ones. Dad has lost weight, my little brother is still so small, don’t save on food. And you, quickly make yourself a new coat. The holidays are coming. Stock up on festive goods. I’ll be back to freeload.”
“Grandmother knows, Azhi. Don’t worry about the family. Focus on yourself first.”
“Just rest assured. Think about it, even if Qinglin wanted to, he couldn’t starve the child in my belly.”
…
When Huo Xingchao left, he looked at Gu Zhi and felt her behavior at home today was different from how she was around him.
So he raised his brow, “Gu Zhi, I didn’t expect you to be so capable.”
Even though she hadn’t gone out in over a month.
She knew how much rice cost per pound, how much meat prices had risen, how expensive vegetables were in this season. She had a clear grasp of all the prices.
She even knew where to get the best cotton.
She didn’t look like some serene and delicate poetess at all.
Gu Zhi blinked.
“I’ve always been capable.”
“Then why do you always go around in circles when I ask you things?”
“I was teasing you.”
The girl smiled sweetly, “Otherwise, you’re always so serious. No one chats with you. Isn’t that boring?”
…Oh.
So that’s what it was.
For the first time in his life, Huo Sishao had been teased by a girl.
But just as Huo Xingchao put the wedding on the agenda and planned to bring Gu Zhi home to meet his father, the news that he suddenly had a fiancée was spread far and wide by Zhang Tingyuan.
When Lu Shuyuan heard the news, she was fiddling with a vase in her room.
As soon as she heard her sister and mother mention it, she was so startled that she almost dropped the vase.
What?
Why did Huo Xingchao suddenly go public?
That’s not how the plot goes!
Did something change? Did someone else transmigrate like her?
The more Lu Shuyuan thought about it, the more uneasy she felt. Her mind was filled with the sudden shift in plot all night. After tossing and turning, she suddenly sat up.
No, she had to go to Wancheng and figure out what was going on.
She hadn’t even done anything yet. No matter how big the butterfly’s wings were, they couldn’t have caused this much of a change!
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