After a night of indulgence, Gu Fu simply stayed at the Imperial Preceptor’s residence. It wasn’t until the next morning, at the hour of Yin (3:00 – 5:00 am) , that she finally stirred, remembering she had to attend court. Forcing her eyes open, the first thing she saw was Fu Yan lying beside her, propped up on one arm, his face a mask of indecision, as if someone had put a blade to his throat and forced him to make a life-or-death choice.
Seeing him like this, Gu Fu couldn’t help but feel a surge of happiness. With a lazy smirk, her voice still husky from sleep, she asked, “Why aren’t you sleeping?”
Fu Yan’s white hair was slightly disheveled, and he was only wearing a loose night robe, untied, revealing his broad chest, dotted with red marks. These marks, scattered across his skin, were all Gu Fu’s doing, trailing from his neck down in such a number that it looked like he’d been ravaged.
Gu Fu wasn’t untouched either, bearing her own share of marks left by Fu Yan. But Fu Yan, unlike her, had been more discreet, placing the evidence where others wouldn’t easily notice.
“I’m debating whether or not to wake you up,” Fu Yan said, clearly torn. He knew she had court, but he also worried that after their rowdy night, she’d be too exhausted to want to get out of bed. He had even thought through how to request a leave for her without raising the emperor’s suspicion, lest they get scolded for being out of line.
Gu Fu sat up and teasingly bit his lip. “Just wake me. What’s there to be conflicted about?”
Even though Gu Fu still appeared as sharp and energetic as ever, Fu Yan couldn’t help but feel slightly vexed. He knew her strength far surpassed that of ordinary people, but a part of him felt like he hadn’t tried hard enough to fully satisfy her. However, when he saw her slight awkwardness in movement as she got out of bed, his irritation disappeared, leaving only regret. He shouldn’t have let her push herself so far last night; he should’ve exercised more restraint.
Yi Hua entered quietly, bringing hot water and Gu Fu’s court attire, then just as quietly left—knowing full well that lingering would only be a hindrance.
Gu Fu washed and dressed, her years in the military making it easy to conceal any signs of fatigue, even after a short night’s rest. But when she noticed Fu Yan diligently straightening her robes and tying her hair, she couldn’t help but relax, allowing herself to sit at the vanity and close her eyes for a brief rest.
Once Fu Yan finished arranging her hair, he glanced down and saw Gu Fu, eyes closed, looking completely obedient and serene. Gu Fu had a skin type that didn’t tan easily—too much sun only caused redness and peeling—so even after all these years, her complexion remained fair. Wearing the bright red round-collared court robe, she appeared even more radiant.
Perhaps sensing his gaze, Gu Fu’s long lashes fluttered slightly. On a whim, Fu Yan picked up the rouge box and applied a vivid red to her lips.
The striking color didn’t seem out of place on Gu Fu in her court attire; instead, it made her all the more alluring.
Before Fu Yan could stop himself, he had already leaned in and captured her lips with his own.
Gu Fu opened her eyes, just about to lean in and kiss him, but Fu Yan immediately pulled back. He raised his hand and pressed it against her forehead, saying seriously, “No.”
He looked exactly like an adult forbidding a child from eating more candy.
Gu Fu clicked her tongue, and the obedient look she had while her eyes were closed was gone in an instant.
To avoid anyone knowing she had spent the night at the Imperial Preceptor’s residence, Gu Fu had to go back home from Xuanyang Street, which was very close to the imperial palace, and then leave from there again—an extremely troublesome process.
Once they were married, she wouldn’t have to sneak around like this anymore.
Gu Fu found herself more eager for the wedding to come sooner.
…
On the 27th of March, during the Grain Rain season, the day of the wedding between Marquis Zhongshun and the Imperial Preceptor finally arrived.
Although the identities of these two were somewhat complicated, the wedding proceeded as close to the traditional process as possible.
Gu Fu woke up early to do her hair, dress up, and change into her wedding attire. At noon, she had the farewell family banquet with her relatives. At first, the atmosphere was quite emotional, and her grandmother was on the verge of tears, saying how she had raised her beloved granddaughter, only to see her suddenly getting married.
But Gu Fu simply said, “Grandmother, if you can’t bear to part with me, I’ll bring Wangxi home often to stay with you.”
Her words instantly made her grandmother laugh through her tears.
Gu Qizheng was fuming, glaring at her because he knew Gu Fu would really do such a thing. Yet, given Gu Fu’s status, no one would dare say anything even if she did, so all he could do was glare at her without scolding.
In the afternoon, she redid her hair and makeup and changed into her wedding dress, waiting for Fu Yan to come and escort her to the ceremony.
During this time, Madam Li, Gu Fu’s sister-in-law, and Mu Qingyao all came to visit. Gu Xiaowu was running in and out with Lu Zhu, excitedly reporting to Gu Fu what was happening outside.
Gu Fu had initially worried that Mu Qingyao and her sister-in-law might clash, but she noticed that her sister-in-law no longer seemed suspicious of Mu Qingyao like before. In fact, they even exchanged a few friendly words, which surprised her a bit.
After Madam Li and her sister-in-law left the room, Gu Fu turned to Mu Qingyao.
Mu Qingyao, who had known Gu Fu for years, could guess what she was about to ask and explained, “After my brother and sister-in-law returned to the capital, they sent me a lot of gifts through intermediaries. They were careful not to openly apologize to avoid misunderstandings, but privately, they did express their regret and apologized.”
Gu Fu raised an eyebrow, “That’s it?”
Is going out for a walk really that effective?
Mu Qingyao: “What else? I’m already married. Does she still fear I’ll abandon my husband and child to steal hers?”
Gu Fu: “True… Wait! Abandon husband and child?”
Where did the child come from?
Gu Fu suddenly turned her head toward Mu Qingyao’s belly, her expression incredulous: “You’re…”
Mu Qingyao held her belly, “I’m just pregnant, no need to look at me like that.”
Gu Fu was stunned.
Knowing someone is pregnant and finding out your own sister is pregnant are completely different feelings. She pulled Mu Qingyao closer and gently touched her belly, finding the whole thing fascinating.
Feeling uncomfortable from Gu Fu’s touch, Mu Qingyao unceremoniously slapped her hand away: “Wait until you have your own to touch.”
Gu Fu’s expression went blank: “If Wangxi and I had a child, what would it look like?”
Mu Qingyao imagined for a moment and sincerely said: “If it’s like you, I’d be worried she’d tear down the entire capital.”
Gu Fu eagerly mused: “If it’s like Wangxi, would it also have white hair?”
The two indulged in their wild imaginations until the wedding procession arrived, finally putting a stop to their chatter.
According to tradition, the groom must face some challenges from the bride’s brothers before entering.
However, since Fu Yan was the renowned Imperial Preceptor, he arrived on horseback accompanied by a large crowd of commoners. The sheer number of people surrounding the entrance made Gu Zhu the first to surrender. Gu Chen, on the other hand, stubbornly stuck to his plan, throwing a few prepared challenges at Fu Yan. These riddles, though not too difficult, were enough to keep up appearances, and Gu Chen didn’t have to worry about forgetting them.
But Fu Yan cheated, having gotten the answers in advance from the Secret Cabinet. So, he easily solved them all.
In the end, it was the heir of Prince An, Wen Qize, who helped stall Fu Yan for a while before he finally brought his people into the Gu residence, paid respects to his father-in-law, grandmother-in-law, uncles, and aunts, and after serving them tea, whisked away his beloved Marchioness of Zhongshun.
After the bridal sedan left, Gu Xiaowu made sure justice was served, scolding her two brothers with her hands on her hips for quite some time. She then rewarded her new brother-in-law, Wen Qize, with a package of lotus crisps and secretly told him what kind of books Mu Qingyao had been enjoying lately, for which Wen Qize thanked her profusely.
…
The banquet at the Imperial Preceptor’s residence was grand and lively. Not a single household that received an invitation dared to miss it. The only downside was that Fu Yan rarely socialized with the noble families of the capital, so people were too cautious to force him to drink, and there was an air of nervousness around him.
It wasn’t until Gu Fu appeared that the atmosphere finally became more lively. No one said that, as the bride, she should remain in the bridal chamber. In fact, some were even relieved that it was Gu Fu who married the Imperial Preceptor. Had it not been this bold woman, who dared to show her face at her own wedding, they couldn’t imagine how cold the event would have been.
Later, without anyone knowing who started it, the officials who had once quarreled with Gu Fu in court began lining up to challenge her to drinking contests. In the end, they were all left sprawled under the tables, defeated.
Throughout it all, Fu Yan stayed by Gu Fu’s side, worried that drinking so much would be bad for her health, occasionally placing food into her bowl.
Naturally, some whispered, wondering how such an unruly and unconventional woman could possibly be a match for the esteemed Imperial Preceptor.
Gu Fu had sharp senses, and even amidst the noisy, lively atmosphere at the table, she still heard the unpleasant remarks. At first, she didn’t take them to heart, but after a few more drinks, she began to feel a bit uneasy. As her eyes caught sight of Fu Yan picking up his chopsticks, she turned her head and looked at him.
Without saying a word, Gu Fu just gazed at Fu Yan. He froze for a moment, then offered the piece of fish he had just picked up to her lips. Gu Fu smiled, opened her mouth, and ate the fish.
This intimate gesture in front of everyone prompted the drunken guests to start shouting rowdily, urging Gu Fu and Fu Yan to drink a *jiaobei* (cross-cupped) toast together.
Before the sober guests could stop them, a cup of wine was already thrust into Fu Yan’s hand, and the wine bowl in Gu Fu’s hand was swapped for a small cup.
Now, not only the drunk guests, but even those who were still sober stretched their necks to watch the fun.
Gu Fu raised an eyebrow at Fu Yan, silently asking if he was willing.
If Fu Yan didn’t want to drink the jiaobei toast in front of so many people, she could easily deal with the instigator, Guo Jian, by giving him a punch and tossing him to Miss Qi, then taking Fu Yan back to the room to drink in private.
Fu Yan, having gathered his thoughts, slowly smiled—a faint, gentle smile that served as his answer to Gu Fu.
Gu Fu didn’t know how others felt, but to her, that smile of Fu Yan’s was so stunning that her heart began to race, and her hand holding the cup trembled slightly.
Their arms intertwined as they drank their cups of wine together. The spicy yet sweet aftertaste made Gu Fu feel like this small cup was even more intoxicating than the jars of Huangsha Tang wine she had been drinking earlier.
The raucous cheers around them were loud enough to almost lift the roof off the Imperial Preceptor’s residence.
After setting down the wine cups, Fu Yan held onto Gu Fu’s hand, their fingers interlocked. His softly spoken words cut through the noise and reached Gu Fu’s ears, as well as her heart.
He said to her—
“Mine.”
Gu Fu beamed brightly and tightened her grip on his hand—
“And you, you’re mine too.”
[The End]
T/N:
Stay tuned for extras, both about Gu Fu x Fu Yan and Mu Qingyao x Wen Qize~
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