Houhai.

Gu Feng and Zhong Li walked leisurely under the setting sun.

Zhong Li broke the silence and beauty of the moment.

She asked, "Did you take her to see Grandfather?" 𝘧𝘳𝘦ℯ𝓌𝘦𝒷𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝓁.𝒸𝘰𝓂

As long as Yu Gongfeng was still around, the Gu Family would remain under the elder’s rule.

As for the marriage of his grandchildren, Yu Gongfeng would inevitably have a say.

If it weren’t for the fact her father had told her, Zhong Li wouldn’t even dare to believe that Gu Feng had eventually taken that step with that woman.

Gu Feng nodded slightly.

"Then, did Sir Yu say anything?" Zhong Li’s steps, which had been in stride with his, noticeably faltered.

Gu Feng nodded, "He said as long as I like her, it’s fine."

Zhong Li grew anxious, "But do you like her?"

What she meant was, did Gu Feng still love her, Zhong Li?

Gu Feng fell into silence.

He felt that answering this question was somewhat childish.

He wasn’t a person who liked to talk about love and likes.

Zhong Li, afraid of getting an unwanted answer from him, hence said, "She’s not suitable for you!"

Gu Feng didn’t respond.

Zhong Li continued, "What you want, she can’t give."

"I don’t need her to give me anything," Gu Feng said indifferently.

"But the Gu Family does!" Zhong Li’s eyes were fierce, "Let’s be realistic, what will happen to the Gu Family if Sir Yu passes away?"

"So, you’ve always believed that you’re the only one for me?" Gu Feng laughed softly.

Zhong Li, "I just think that other women can’t help you."

Gu Feng looked straight into Zhong Li’s eyes, "Then can you sway your family?"

Zhong Li’s eyes softened, "Why aren’t you willing to wait?"

"I have waited," Gu Feng said with a bitter smile, "I waited for 3 years, yet you still don’t understand that what I actually want isn’t your family’s resources or your father’s vote, what I want is simply your willingness!"

Having said this, Gu Feng suddenly felt much more relieved, compelled to say, "From the beginning to the end, you have been wishfully thinking that our marriage and love were built on the interests of both families, but you’re wrong. If I truly desired those, why would I have fought so hard over those years? With my father and grandfather’s clout, even if I just smoothly gained the necessary experience and combined both our families, I could still stabilize everything in the Gu Family."

He looked at Zhong Li earnestly, sighing, "Sometimes I think, how great it would be if you were the first person to appear before me when I returned to the country to get a marriage certificate with me. I wouldn’t care if you were the Zhong Family’s heiress, just like Lin Yue truly isn’t a match for me in terms of social status, so what? The marriage I want is that simple!"

Having said that, Gu Feng clearly couldn’t continue walking anymore.

Because dusk was eventually arriving, and some things needed to settle.

He placed his hands in the pockets of his cloak, turned around to leave.

Zhong Li, with a mixture of desolate and unwilling gaze, asked, "If you don’t care about everything, why are you in such a hurry to prove yourself now? You obviously care, you obviously need me!"

With his back to her and the cool breeze of Houhai blowing, Gu Feng turned his head slightly, softly saying, "I just want to take back what belongs to me and to show you and your father that even without you, even without the Gu Family, what you consider important, I can fight for and win on my own!"

Zhong Li watched him leaving in a hurry, "My father said that what you showed at the sparring session isn’t enough!"

"Of course it’s not enough," Gu Feng paused, "because I haven’t even played my cards yet."

After finishing, he walked away without looking back.

His shadow, stretched out by the setting sun, grew farther and farther from Zhong Li, a few strands of hair brushing the corner of her eyes began to moisten.

Her pride was belittled by Gu Feng at this moment!

"I don’t believe you can get what you want on your own!" Zhong Li muttered, watching Gu Feng’s retreating figure.

——

In the kitchen.

As Lin Yue cooked, she glanced outside towards the courtyard gate now and then.

Auntie Yu Yue, holding a platter, saw through her thoughts and teased, "Why not go out and watch if you’re so concerned?"

Lin Yue, feeling a bit guilty, pretended to stir fry intensely.

Yu Yue, "It’ll be overcooked if you argue any longer!"

Startled, Lin Yue instinctively turned off the flame.

Only to realize she had been played by Yu Yue.

"Auntie!" Lin Yue glowered at her with feigned annoyance.

Yu Yue giggled, unable to resist teasing her, "If you’re not confident about your husband, you can simply forbid him from going out with other women. Acting magnanimous, but crying in the kitchen?"

Lin Yue was half crying, half laughing, "I’m not."

Yu Yue stopped teasing her, "Alright, it’s time to serve the dishes. Hurry up and plate them."

Lin Yue swiftly prepared the rest of the dishes and brought them one by one to the courtyard table.

Today, Father-in-law Gu Dadong was very happy and had invited the neighbors to join in, so there were quite a few people.

When Gu Feng returned, everyone was already eating.

Yu Ling and Yu Yue knew that their son had gone out with Zhong Li and intended to back their daughter-in-law Lin Yue, so they purposefully glared at him, "There aren’t enough bowls and chopsticks, you should eat outside."

Yu Yue hummed, "If it were my Old Ye (her husband), he wouldn’t even think about sitting at the table, let alone come home!"

Right after she finished speaking, Lin Yue walked from the kitchen to the front courtyard, holding a pair of bowls and chopsticks, placed them on the empty space next to Father-in-law Gu Dadong, and smiled at Gu Feng, "Come on, sit down and eat."