RPAGF Chapter 234 The straw that broke Gu Cheng'an's back was Du Ruoling's betrayal.
Chapter 234 The straw that broke Gu Cheng'an's back was Du Ruoling's betrayal.
Chu Ruohan watched Ying San's departing figure, then turned and walked to the window, gently pushing it open.
A gentle breeze stirred, ruffling her hair.
Gu Junze asked her to leave the Marquis's residence because he was afraid that the Marquis of Anyang would harm her, and he wanted to protect her in this way.
Chu Ruohan unconsciously gripped the windowsill and murmured softly, "Would leaving really solve everything?"
If Marquis Anyang really wants to harm her, she won't be truly safe no matter where she hides.
Besides, she has family...
"No." Chu Ruohan turned around abruptly, deciding to strike first.
"Yingqing, I want to see Minister Liu." Chu Ruohan's voice was firm and clear.
Yingqing was taken aback upon hearing this, but quickly nodded in acceptance, "Yes, young mistress. I will arrange for someone to keep an eye on Vice Minister Liu's movements."
Chu Ruohan nodded gently and sat down at the table.
She couldn't just be a bystander in this game, especially now that Gu Junze was far away in the military camp.
If Marquis Anyang dared to target Gu Junze this time, he might target the people around her next time.
As her thoughts raced, she picked up the teacup on the table, only to find that the tea had gone cold.
All night long, Chu Ruohan pondered a solution, and only when the first light of dawn appeared in the east did she realize that she hadn't slept a wink.
"Young Madam, you should rest now," Yu Ling said, seeing that she was still sitting by the window.
Chu Ruohan rubbed her temples. "I'm fine."
Just then, Aunt Zhao's voice came from outside the door, "Young Madam..."
Chu Ruohan quickly tidied herself up and changed her clothes.
Seeing Chu Ruohan's haggard face, Aunt Zhao frowned and asked, "What's wrong with you? Didn't you sleep well?"
"Why is Auntie here?"
Aunt Zhao looked excited. "Today is the opening day of the pastry shop, let's go!"
He reached out to pull Chu Ruohan, but she didn't budge.
Chu Ruohan then remembered this matter; she had indeed forgotten about the shop's opening.
At this moment, her mind was entirely focused on Gu Junze and the Marquis of Anyang, and she had no time to attend to the shop.
Aunt Zhao asked in confusion, "What's wrong? How come you, the behind-the-scenes boss, aren't going?"
"Auntie..."
Chu Ruohan was about to explain when she saw Ying Qing standing outside the door, looking troubled and hesitant to speak.
A thought struck her, and she immediately said, "Auntie, I'm not feeling well today, so I'll leave the shop to you."
Aunt Zhao stepped forward and touched Chu Ruohan's forehead, asking worriedly, "What happened? You weren't faking illness with the Lady of the Marquis, were you? And it's actually happening now!"
Chu Ruohan forced a smile and shook her head.
Seeing that she looked unwell, Aunt Zhao sighed, "Alright, I'll take care of things at the shop, don't worry about it, get some rest!"
"Have you seen a doctor...?"
After giving her some instructions, Aunt Zhao turned to Yuling and said, "Take good care of the young mistress!"
After Aunt Zhao left, Chu Ruohan immediately beckoned Yingqing to come in.
"We have news from Vice Minister Liu's side..."
Ying Qing hesitated for a moment, opened her mouth slightly, but swallowed the words back, looking embarrassed.
Chu Ruohan frowned slightly. "What's wrong?"
Yingqing said in a low voice, "Young Madam, why don't you come with me to take a look?"
Chu Ruohan immediately followed Yingqing out of the mansion.
It's Yuanlai Inn again...
Yingqing led Chu Ruohan around to the back door of the inn and hid in an inconspicuous corner.
“That’s him.” Yingqing pointed to the fat man who had just come out of the back door not far away.
Chu Ruohan looked in the direction Ying Qing pointed and saw a fat, middle-aged man coming out of the back door of the inn.
To her surprise, the man was accompanied by a woman named Du Ruoling.
No wonder Yingqing looked like she wanted to say something but hesitated.
Du Ruoling was seen linking arms with Vice Minister Liu, the two chatting and laughing intimately, completely oblivious to the stares of onlookers.
Du Ruoling deliberately rubbed against Minister Liu, lightly tapping his chest with her finger, and said coquettishly, "Since you say you love me, you can only have me in your heart from now on."
“I’m not one of those submissive women who can tolerate multiple wives and concubines. No matter how many women you had in the past, from now on, you have to cut them all off. What I want is one man for life.”
Liu, the Vice Minister, was completely infatuated with her and had no reason to respond to Du Ruoling's words.
He nodded hurriedly: "Of course, my darling, from now on you will be the only one in my heart."
Upon hearing this, Du Ruoling smiled smugly, but she was still not satisfied.
She wrapped her arms around Liu Shilang's neck and continued to whine, "It's not enough to just say it; you have to divorce the man at home right away."
"You know, I even abandoned the second young master of the Marquis's mansion for you, so you can't let me down."
Liu Shilang tightened his grip on her, his plump hands rubbing back and forth around Du Ruoling's waist.
With a smile plastered on his face, he repeatedly assured her, "It's definitely over, honey, don't worry, I'll find a chance to take care of it right away..."
Chu Ruohan raised an eyebrow. It turned out that the last straw that broke Gu Cheng'an's back was Du Ruoling's betrayal.
She couldn't help but laugh at herself, how could she have been branded a jinx by such a person in her previous life, suffering endless grievances and disdain, and even dragging down her parents and siblings...
She was too lazy to look anymore. Those two shameless bastards were disgusting; she was afraid she would throw up.
As she turned to leave, she saw Gu Cheng'an.
He was not far away, staring intently at the adulterous couple, his face expressionless, as if he had expected it all along.
Chu Ruohan hesitated for a moment, but still walked towards Gu Chengan.
"You saw it too," Chu Ruohan said softly.
Gu Cheng'an turned his head and saw Chu Ruohan. He was slightly taken aback, then smiled wryly, "Yes, I saw it all."
"Would you like to find a place to sit down?" Chu Ruohan asked.
Gu Cheng'an nodded, and the two went into a nearby teahouse and found a quiet spot to sit down.
"I didn't expect to meet you here." Gu Cheng'an poured a cup of tea for Chu Ruohan, his tone calm.
Chu Ruohan took the teacup and said calmly, "I didn't expect that either."
After a moment of silence, Gu Cheng'an suddenly spoke, "If I hadn't faked my death and had instead married you, would everything have been different?"
Chu Ruohan took a sip of tea. "There are no 'what ifs' in this world."
A hint of sadness flashed in Gu Cheng'an's eyes. "Yes, there are no 'what ifs'."
Looking at his dejected expression, Chu Ruohan couldn't help but think of Gu Cheng'an from her previous life.
Perhaps he also felt this same dejected and regretful back then...
But fortunately, fate gave her a second chance.
"What are your plans next?" Chu Ruohan asked softly.
Gu Cheng'an shook his head. "I don't know. Maybe I should leave the capital and find a place where no one knows me to start over."
"Do you have any plans to return to the Marquis's residence?" Chu Ruohan asked tentatively.
In his previous life, Gu Cheng'an was heartbroken and wanted to return to the Marquis's mansion, but he was killed by Gu Chengyan.
At that time, Gu Chengyan had just been named the heir apparent, so he naturally could not accept Gu Chengan as an unstable factor.
Gu Cheng'an chuckled self-deprecatingly, "How could I possibly have the face to go back?"