Yun Shu immediately said to Yun Changfeng, "Father, I'll go see Zhi Ruo first."
Yun Changfeng's heart was clouded with worry, and he waved his hand, "Go!"
No, he had to find Old Master Qin and get a clear explanation!
...
After Yun Shu came out, she followed Wan Qing to the Gu family's residence.
By the time they arrived at the Gu family's house, it was already dark.
The Gu family's main gate was tightly shut, refusing visitors.
Seeing Wan Qing and Yun Shu arrive, members of the Qu family, who were waiting outside the gate, rushed over and blocked Wan Qing. "Has your young lady woken up? I am from the Qu family. Young Master sent me to ask. He is very worried about Miss Gu."
Wan Qing's face was a picture of gloom. "Miss hasn't woken up yet. Please go back and tell Young Master Qu that we will send someone to the Qu manor to inform you once Miss wakes up."
Upon hearing this, the visitor didn't suspect anything and quickly left.
Earlier, Wan Qing had told Yun Shu that Gu Zhi Ruo had woken up that morning. The master and madam then told Gu Zhi Ruo about the plot between Qu Shujie and Madam Qu, presenting evidence. Gu Zhi Ruo had shut herself in her room, refusing to eat or drink for a day and a night, and would not open the door for anyone.
Seeing that this was not working, Madam Gu and Lord Gu then thought to ask Wan Qing to find Yun Shu and see if she could help persuade Zhi Ruo.
Just as she was about to enter the manor, she suddenly felt a gaze fixed on her from behind.
She turned to look.
A carriage passed by from behind.
The carriage curtain swayed as it moved.
She raised an eyebrow.
"Second Miss Yun?" Wan Qing asked when she realized Yun Shu hadn't followed after walking a few steps.
Yun Shu caught up and said, "Let's go."
Not long after.
They arrived outside Gu Zhi Ruo's room.
Lord Gu and Madam Gu were both there. Upon seeing her, the haggard-looking Madam Gu stepped forward, "Second Miss Yun, I trouble you again."
Yun Shu smiled faintly and shook her head. "There's no need to be polite. I'll try. You two should go and rest."
Lord Gu and Madam Gu nodded and left.
Wan Qing stood guard not far away.
Seeing that there was no one around, Yun Shu gently knocked on the door twice. "Zhi Ruo, it's me."
There was no sound from inside the room.
Yun Shu did not rush to speak again.
Instead, she waited quietly outside the door.
The collapse of one's faith was enough to show the extent of the hurt. Gu Zhi Ruo had chosen to believe Qu Shujie again and had genuinely fallen for him. Women are inherently emotional, and once they invest their feelings, the pain of being deceived would be unimaginably piercing.
No one else could truly understand the depth of Gu Zhi Ruo's current pain.
It wasn't just Qu Shujie, but also Madam Qu. They had woven a vast net for Gu Zhi Ruo, a net filled with temptations.
Qu Shujie feigned deep affection, and Madam Qu played the role of a good mother-in-law.
With their combined efforts, it was difficult for anyone not to be deceived.
Just as Yun Shu was thinking about how wicked the Qu family was, the door opened.
Gu Zhi Ruo, standing at the door, had swollen eyes and a very pale complexion, devoid of color. This made her eyes appear even more red and swollen.
"Yun Shu, am I very foolish?" Gu Zhi Ruo chuckled self-mockingly, knowing all too well that her current smile was uglier than crying.
If she weren't foolish, how could she have believed someone who lied so glibly? Qu Shujie had merely pretended to be deeply in love, and she believed him? She had heard the whispers about Qu Shujie in the capital, but she had ignored them.
She had firmly believed that Qu Shujie had turned over a new leaf and could be completely trusted.
Yun Shu walked in, embraced Gu Zhi Ruo, and gently patted her back. "No, faced with their deception, no one could have emerged unscathed."
Gu Zhi Ruo froze, the ugly smile stiffening on her lips. "Why are they so insidious and cruel?"
"No, I should have realized sooner. They have always been this insidious and cruel. Among the prominent families in the capital, how many are truly benevolent? I had seen their methods before, heard about their methods, yet I was still deceived. Yun Shu, I am furious."
Yun Shu turned back and closed the door, helping Gu Zhi Ruo to sit down.
She saw a teapot on the table, still containing water.
She poured two cups of water.
Gu Zhi Ruo blinked, staring at the teacups before her. She picked one up and drank a few sips, only then realizing how dry her throat was. As the water slid down, her throat ached with dryness.
"It's fortunate that you were not officially engaged. Things are not yet at their worst. Zhi Ruo, you have always been strong. Qu Shujie can only hurt your heart, but he cannot break it." Yun Shu said softly.
Gu Zhi Ruo's heart ached, but upon hearing Yun Shu's words, she suddenly had a realization.
Yes.
She had only been heartbroken.
But her heart was not broken.
Things were not yet at their worst. She had been deceived, but not yet in that dire situation. If she had been, she might not have had the chance to feel such pain.
Nor would she have had the chance to retaliate.
She would have been at their mercy, letting the Qu family savor her foolishness and use her to achieve their goals.
The mere thought of such an outcome made her entire being tremble.
"Yun Shu, thank you." Gu Zhi Ruo grabbed Yun Shu's hand, and a flicker of determination and strength appeared in her red and swollen eyes.
She was in such pain now, and perhaps Qu Shujie was celebrating, and he and his mother had already begun to toast their success after her engagement.
So, what was the point of her suffering now?
She was also making her parents worry.
If she continued to wallow in pain, she would only be at the mercy of others!
Seeing this, Yun Shu's lips curved slightly, and she smiled faintly. "It's good that you've come to your senses. When I was on my way, I was thinking that even if I hadn't come today, you would have figured it out soon, and you would have thought of how to deal with the Qu family."
She wasn't saying this to flatter her; Gu Zhi Ruo had always been intelligent.
That was indeed the case.
Gu Zhi Ruo's face flushed. "Yun Shu, I used to think that if I encountered such things, I would be very calm and wouldn't suffer so much. But when I actually experienced it, I realized that imagining it and experiencing it are two different things."
Yun Shu poured Gu Zhi Ruo another cup of water.
Gu Zhi Ruo was truly thirsty and quickly drank the entire cup.
Yun Shu smiled and said, "If something like this happened to me, I would also suffer."
Hearing this, Gu Zhi Ruo suddenly thought of Yun Shu's experiences over the years, which were far more arduous and painful than hers.
And from years ago, when Yun Shu was targeted by Yun Yueyin and others, and the harsh treatment from Old Madam Yun and the others, which of these events was not more painful than hers?
Suddenly, Gu Zhi Ruo felt a bit overly sentimental.
She felt even more embarrassed.
Suddenly, Wan Qing's voice came from outside the door. "Miss, Madam Qu and Young Master Qu are here. They say they've come to visit Miss."
Upon hearing this, Gu Zhi Ruo shot to her feet. However, because she stood up too abruptly, combined with not having eaten all day and her profound sadness, her vision went dark, and she almost fainted.