Chapter 7: Conversation with the Bandit

After finishing her grooming, Ziling looked at herself in the bronze mirror. Her three thousand strands of black hair were skillfully tied into a flowing cloud bun, resembling dark clouds. Her slender neck resembled a jade cicada, her teeth like gourd tusks, her delicate eyebrows lightly brushed, and her eyes shimmered with a radiant gaze.

Glancing left and right, Ziling smiled, revealing two shallow dimples. "A girl looks beautiful no matter how she dresses up."

Every time she groomed herself, the maidservant would always praise her. Ziling was used to it, and she was satisfied with her current appearance.

Setting down the jade hairpin she was playing with, Ziling stood up and noticed Gu Yunfeng's deep gaze fixed upon her. He asked, "Did you ask for a divorce last night just to save me?"

Ziling smiled faintly. "It was to save you, but also to ask for a divorce."

Gu Yunfeng furrowed his brows tightly.

Ziling took a few steps closer and said, "By now, you should believe that I can save you. A divorce in exchange for your life, it's a fair deal."

Qianqian stood dumbfounded on the side, her delicate face filled with confusion.

Why couldn't she understand the conversation between the master and the young miss?

The young miss wanted a divorce, but how did the master know when he was unconscious all night?

Something felt off to her. Shouldn't the master be angry when he woke up instead of marrying the young miss?

With doubts in her heart, Qianqian pulled Ziling to the side, facing away from Gu Yunfeng, and whispered, "Miss, can you really save the master, or did you deliberately force him to write the divorce letter?"

Ziling sighed. It seemed that this maid still didn't believe in her medical skills. "He's not that easy to deceive."

Qianqian became even more perplexed. "Since the young miss is confident in saving the master, why does she still want a divorce? Marquis and Madam both said that if it weren't for the master's illness, the young miss and him were a match made in heaven. He looks good, and the young miss said she felt good just by looking at him. Is the young miss really planning to benefit others?"

Ziling couldn't deny that Gu Yunfeng's face was indeed pleasing to the eye. She felt a bit unwilling to let someone else benefit, but she said, "Shouldn't I sacrifice my whole life just to avoid benefiting others?"

Then, Gu Yunfeng heard a conversation that sounded quite bandit-like:

"Sir, what's wrong with him? Let him change his ways. If he gets divorced like this, the Marquis and Madam won't agree."

"He's so fierce."

"But Miss, you're even fiercer."

"Hmm, what did you say?"

"Ah, I said the sir is fierce, let him be just like the Marquis and get 'henpecked'."

"In the future, he'll have three wives and four concubines, while I'll be left alone in an empty room, washing my face with tears every day, living in sorrow. What should I do then?"

"He's still causing trouble even when he's sick?"

Qianqian glanced back at Gu Yunfeng.

"He looks like that kind of person."

"Miss, could you be mistaken? The sir looks quite good. You're probably overthinking it. If that's the case, we can just poison him."

Ziling, "..."

Gu Yunfeng, "..."

Isn't this maidservant a bit too ruthless?

Ziling touched her nose, turned to look at Gu Yunfeng, and remained silent, but her expression said it all: If even my maidservant is this ruthless, what about me? If you're smart, you'll know how to choose.

Gu Yunfeng looked at Ziling, his gaze somewhat complicated and puzzled. "Since you don't want to marry and are confident in saving me, why didn't you go directly to the emperor in the palace?"

Without mentioning detoxifying him, just waking him up and having the emperor say a few soft words would have saved her from having to marry him in the first place.

If she really was Ziling, she would have done that. Wasn't she afraid that the Marquis of Dongling and the Tang family would find out she was a fake?

It's easy to deceive a little maidservant, but the Marquis of Dongling and the Tang family won't be so easily fooled. She couldn't afford to be careless.

But these words couldn't be spoken. Ziling said, "The Iron Guard of your Duke Zhenguo's residence has surrounded the Marquis's residence. My father can't leave, so how can I?"

Gu Yunfeng laughed, the smile not reaching his eyes. "Just the Iron Guard? They can't stop you, let alone the Marquis of Dongling."

Ziling felt annoyed in her heart. Why is this person so annoying? It's like he can see through everything when he's around.

He wants to stay alive, and she wants a divorce.

It was supposed to be a joyous occasion, but she adamantly refused. She truly suspected that he wasn't just poisoned, but rather had a mental illness. It was something she couldn't beg him for, yet he still disagreed.

Taking a deep breath, Ziling looked at Gu Yunfeng. Her eyes shimmered, filled with a playful smile. She lightly drew circles on his chest, her voice as gentle as a breeze, "Just one night, and Young Master Gu, could it be that you've fallen for me?"

Before she finished speaking, a bout of coughing came from the other side.

Ziling quickly pulled her hand back and turned her head, only to see an old maid standing outside the bead curtain with two maidservants. Her cheeks flushed instantly. When did they enter the room? Couldn't they walk a bit more quietly? Couldn't they knock on the door before entering?

Through the bead curtain, Zhao Mama's eyes revealed a hint of disdain and contempt.

Her old eyes must be failing her. She actually saw the young mistress blushing and hastily retracting her hand, as if afraid of being seen by others. Wasn't she bold enough to snatch a man in broad daylight?

The young master is still unconscious, yet she can't wait to strip him naked and sleep in his embrace. She knows no shame!

Zhao Mama raised the curtain and approached with a respectful bow, "Greetings to Young Master and Young Mistress."

Gu Yunfeng's expression remained indifferent, "What is it?"

Zhao Mama straightened her body and said, "Although the young master has woken up, the Princess is still concerned. She has already sent someone to fetch the imperial physician, who will arrive shortly to examine the young master's pulse. I came to inform you that the young master just woke up, so there's no need to hurry and serve tea to the young mistress. You can go in half an hour. Also, let me tidy up the bed."

"Alright."

Zhao Mama walked towards the bed.

Ziling watched helplessly as the previously neat bed became even more disheveled under Zhao Mama's tidying up. She muttered, "Is this tidying up? It looks more like searching for something. What could be on the bed?"

Ziling sighed.

What else could she be searching for?

Evidence of their consummation.

Zhao Mama searched through it several times but didn't find what she was looking for. She looked at Ziling and her eyes lacked any trace of respect. She straightforwardly said, "Has the young mistress and young master consummated their marriage, or is the young mistress not a virgin at all?"

Ziling placed her hands on her hips. She found the maidservants in the Duke's Mansion increasingly detestable. How dare they question her lady's purity? She felt like hitting someone.

Shaking her head at the maidservants, Ziling looked at Zhao Mama and smiled slyly, "The Duke's Mansion was in a hurry to rush the wedding and obtain the emperor's decree. I have already entered the household. Is it not a bit too late to question whether I am a virgin or not?"

Zhao Mama choked on her words.

After a moment of silence, she said, "It seems they have consummated their marriage. I will report this truthfully to the Princess."

With a slight bow, Zhao Mama retreated.

Gu Yunfeng furrowed his eyebrows tightly, his beautiful eyes flickering with a burning flame. Qianqian looked at Ziling and asked, "Miss, why didn't you explain?"

Ziling sat down and poured herself some tea. "I stripped him naked last night, and the maid saw it. I told her there was no consummation, but she wouldn't believe it. Since she doesn't believe, there's no need to explain."

Casting a sidelong glance at Gu Yunfeng, Ziling calmly continued, "Even if I were not a virgin, even if I were pregnant, Young Master Gu still has to acknowledge it."

"You pushed me to this point. I'll make you suffer," Gu Yunfeng seethed with anger.

His eyes turning green with fury, he gritted his teeth and said, "Get out, and close the door behind you."