Chapter 10: The Grasshopper on the Rope

After paying respects and kowtowing, Gu Yunfeng led Ziling out of the ancestral hall.

The ancestral hall was secluded and quiet, but the sunlight felt unusually warm on their bodies.

Ziling was in a good mood as Gu Yunfeng held her hand and walked ahead. She noticed his eyes glancing over her face with a faint sparkle, like sunlight reflecting off the surface of water, shimmering with scattered golden fragments.

His unexplainable contentment made him smile. "Is there something you want to say?" he asked.

Ziling's voice was clear. "I have no doubt that your survival until today has been due to your intelligence. If it weren't for me getting involved, you would have no problem living for another year or so."

Surviving through intelligence?

Gu Yunfeng pondered over those words and chuckled. "You have a unique way of praising people."

First, she praised his acting skills, and now she praised his intelligence. It sounded refreshing and brought a sense of novelty.

"I'm telling the truth," Ziling smiled.

"I know," he replied.

"..."

He wasn't being modest.

Overconfidence was undesirable. It was better to be modest.

Clearing her throat, Ziling asked, "Tell me how you were poisoned, so I can help you detoxify."

For ordinary poisons, Ziling could discern them from the pulse, but Gu Yunfeng's poison was too complex. It was her first time treating someone without following her expectations. Although she couldn't get a promise for a vacation, she couldn't just watch him die either.

Gu Yunfeng looked slightly surprised. "I haven't agreed to give you a vacation yet. Are you sure you want to help me detoxify?"

At least he knew himself. Well, give me a vacation then. If you're not willing to give me a straightforward promise, even if I poison you to death someday, it won't make a difference." Ziling bared her teeth.

Gu Yunfeng "..."

He cleared his throat and coughed twice. Seeing Ziling looking at him, he said, "If you're any kinder, I might not be able to handle it."

Ziling gave him a stern look.

Meanwhile, a maidservant ran over from behind and said, "Young Master and Young Madam, Madam San wants you to go to Qihu Hall to pay respects."

Some people were always in a hurry to pay respects, indifferent to others. If you don't go, they send someone to invite you.

After Gu Yunfeng and Ziling paid respects to the ancestors of the Gu family, they didn't plan to return to Qihu Hall. Now that the maidservant had come to invite them, it meant that everyone had gathered. They walked back with Ziling.

The empty room from before was now filled with people.

Ziling took a cursory glance and concluded that everyone who should be here, except for the Duke and the Patriarch, had arrived.

The Old Madam sat on a mahogany couch, her gaze clear, her brows kind, and her hair neatly arranged. Perhaps due to seldom worrying, there were hardly any traces of white hair. When she caught sight of Gu Yunfeng leading Ziling into the room, a touch of solemnity flashed in her kind eyes, but it quickly returned to normal.

Ziling only had time to observe the old lady when voices came from the other side, "The servant girl said she saw Yunfeng holding the young lady and coming to Qihetang. I didn't believe it at first, but now seeing them so affectionate and intimate, I truly believe it. Sister-in-law, you can rest assured. Duke Guo and the eldest brother have returned to the capital. They won't blame you for taking the initiative to let Yunfeng marry a female bandit as his legitimate wife."

From her position, Ziling guessed that she should be the third madam of the Duke Guo Mansion. Listening to her words, especially the way she emphasized the three words "female bandit," not letting go of any chance to mock her, Ziling concluded that she was not a good person to associate with and should be kept at a distance.

The Princess Nanting sat to the right of the old lady, wearing a smile on her face as she spoke gently, "I heard that the wedding night trick worked, so I entered the palace to request the emperor for a marriage decree. Even if it failed and Duke Guo and my husband blamed me, I would have no regrets."

"We have all witnessed sister-in-law's care for Yunfeng," the third madam chuckled.

The second madam sat opposite Princess Nanting and glanced at Ziling, stunningly remarking, "The young lady has a remarkable appearance. Even the pampered young ladies of the capital can't match her."

Ziling blushed at the praise.

But then, the conversation took a turn, and the second madam laughed, "Speaking of the fate between our Duke Guo Mansion and your Feihu Stronghold, if it weren't for the chaos in Mobei, Duke Guo would have led his troops to crush your Feihu Stronghold. I suppose Duke Guo never dreamed that the mountain bandit he didn't have time to eliminate would transform into his daughter-in-law."

Ziling smiled awkwardly yet politely.

Life is truly full of wonders, inexplicably marvelous, and it made her want to punch someone.

Without responding, Ziling, with an uncomfortable smile, remained silent. The second madam then looked at Gu Yunfeng and said, "You haven't paid respects to the old lady yet. How can you go to the ancestral hall to pay respects to your mother first?"

The Princess Nanting's face darkened slightly.

Gu Yunfeng looked at Second Madam with indifference and said, "I pay my respects to our ancestral lineage. If it weren't for the blessings of our ancestors, I might not have survived. These past few days, I've been in a daze, dreaming of them. They advised me to treat the newly-wedded eldest mistress well. I brought her here to serve tea, but none of you were present, so I took her to the ancestral hall first to offer tea to our ancestors."

Ziling was shocked.

The man standing beside her was not only exceptionally handsome but also incredibly intelligent.

Despite being publicly humiliated and having lost face, he treated her with kindness and warmth. In the eyes of others, he might appear mentally ill, and even those who criticized him would hesitate to do so. If the ancestral lineage of the Gu family acknowledged her and instructed him to treat her well, his obedience to the words of his ancestors would be seen as the epitome of filial piety. Who would dare to raise objections? Who would dare to accuse the ancestors of the Gu family of being blind?

By invoking the ancestors, not only did Gu Yunfeng have to treat her well, but everyone in the room had to obey.

Second Master and Third Master exchanged glances, their brows furrowing in doubt at Gu Yunfeng's words. However, they couldn't question him. If it weren't for the protection of the ancestors, a person who had been entrusted by the imperial physicians to prepare for the aftermath wouldn't be standing here speaking to them.

But they couldn't believe that the ancestors had approved of this female bandit.

"Let's offer the tea first," the Old Madam spoke up.

A maid brought two cushions and placed them in front of the Old Madam.

Ziling and Gu Yunfeng knelt down together, and the maid brought the tea. Ziling reached out to take it, but as soon as her fingertips touched it, she felt a scorching heat and instinctively let go.

With a loud clatter, the teacup fell to the ground, the sound echoing through the quiet room.

Soon after, mocking laughter followed, "They say mountain bandits don't know manners. Can't even serve tea properly?"

Her fingertips tingling from the burn, Ziling's heart was filled with anger. They were using such a despicable method to belittle her. They really underestimated her.

They criticized her for lacking manners, so the next step would be to teach this female bandit a lesson in etiquette, right?

She couldn't wait to show her dominance, and there was no reason for her not to proceed.

Ziling didn't argue back; she simply picked up the tea tray that had fallen to the ground with a handkerchief and stood up.

She walked over to the maid who had served her the tea, grabbed her hand, placed the tea tray back in her grip, and squeezed it tightly, regardless of the maid's struggles.

The maid's face turned pale, but she endured silently, refraining from making a sound.

She wouldn't let go unless Ziling called out.

In the end, the maid couldn't bear it and cried out, "Hot, hot..."

Only then did Ziling release her hand.

With a loud crash, the tea tray fell to the ground, shattering into pieces.

That sound was like a giant rock hitting the lake of hearts, causing ripples and sending shivers down their spines.

Truly worthy of a female bandit!

So fierce and ruthless!

Gu Yunfeng grabbed Ziling's hand and saw her fingertips were red. He felt distressed and asked, "Are you okay?"

Ziling replied, "It hurts a little, but luckily I have thin skin. If I had carried it to the old lady, she would have been scalded."

Dongling Marquis and the Tang family had warned her not to provoke the old lady, but she was the first one to do so.

Seeing everyone looking at her fearfully, Ziling raised her nose and asked, "Darling, was I too fierce just now?"

"...A little bit," Gu Yunfeng replied.

Ziling lowered her gaze and said, "My parents taught me to be open-minded and not to hold grudges. If I have any grudges, I should settle them on the spot to avoid keeping them in my heart and affecting my mood."

Gu Yunfeng "..."

"Darling, I have a bad temper. You won't dislike me, will you?" Ziling asked with a hopeful expression.

Gu Yunfeng looked indulgent and said, "I won't."

"Darling is so good."

"..."

Gu Yunfeng's ears turned slightly red.

This woman!

They were already like grasshoppers tied together with a string, tightly bound. Was he really so unworthy of trust that they needed to tie another knot?