Gu Yifeng watched as the delicate face in his arms slowly turned red. The expressionless face slightly softened, and a smile emerged in his eyes. Without waiting for Lin Youning to say more, he held Lin Youning in his arms with one hand, let the other hang by his side, and strode through the passage into Shi'an Garden. The servants standing by in the garden paid their respects upon seeing Gu Yifeng, while the maid at the main hall door announced their arrival inside.
For a moment, the courtyard was filled with the call of 'Marquis.'
Lin Youning wanted to get down, but before she could speak, Gu Yifeng had already moved. Being carried in mid-air, Lin Youning's body swayed with Gu Yifeng's steps. Instinctively, her small hands reached for the nearest thing to gain a sense of security, but all she could grab was Gu Yifeng's robe.
Just as Lin Youning was about to reach out, she remembered something. Gu Yifeng was strict about rules and etiquette. In the past, when Gu Yixuan planned an outing with friends, he happened to encounter Gu Yifeng returning from court at the main gate. Seeing the creases in Gu Yixuan's robe, Gu Yifeng reprimanded him so harshly that Gu Yixuan couldn't even leave the house that day.
If she were to grab Gu Yifeng's robe, it would naturally leave creases, and the consequences would displease Gu Yifeng. This time, Lin Youning wanted to win over Madam and Gu Yifeng's favor to agree to not become a child bride, so she couldn't risk displeasing Gu Yifeng and had to restrain herself.
Yet, Gu Yifeng's strides were long, appearing graceful yet swift like the wind. Lin Youning's body swayed back and forth in terror, and she could only throw her arms around Gu Yifeng's neck.
Lin Youning was so frightened she couldn't think straight. However, she didn't realize that her small action caused Gu Yifeng to stiffen for a moment before returning to his usual demeanor.
Once through the passage, everything in the main courtyard came into view.
The most eye-catching feature was the jujube tree in the southeast corner, with a trunk so thick it took two people to embrace it. South of the jujube tree was the corner gate connected to a covered corridor, corresponding to another covered corridor opposite and finally converging in the middle, joined by a Hanging Flower Gate, which directly faced the main door of An Garden's main house.
This rectangle courtyard was precisely where the Dingyuan Marquis Mansion's Madam resided. Beyond the Hanging Flower Gate, there was another small rectangular courtyard, where the wall to the northwest of the Hanging Flower Gate held a lotus pond. Facing the lotus pond at the southwest corner was the study, and the dining room was at the southeast corner of the courtyard, with a kitchen connected behind it.
Though the layout seemed simple, it exuded an elegant atmosphere.
A young maid with twin buns lifted the chrysanthemum-patterned satin door curtain. Gu Yifeng raised his silver Python Robe with one hand, stepped over the threshold, as the black boots with cloud patterns flashed by. Gu Yifeng's features were sharply defined and deep, with dark eyes harboring a noble family's son's grace while faintly emanating a wild untamed aura.
As they entered, Wenxin, dressed in plain clothes, greeted them with a smile, "This servant greets the Marquis, and the young lady. Just now, the old Madam was speaking of the young lady, and here comes the Marquis bringing her."
Wenxin was another senior maid by Madam's side, always sweet-talking and eloquent. After paying respects to Gu Yifeng, she retreated to the side, while Gu Yifeng didn't pause, striding past the screen to enter the inner room.
A faint scent of sandalwood wafted in. Ever since four members of the Gu Family were killed in battle years ago, Madam had turned to Buddhism, maintaining a vegetarian diet and chanting scriptures for many years. Behind the large garden of the Gu Mansion, there was also a significant Buddhist Hall.
Lin Youning initially thought of getting down from Gu Yifeng, but upon entering the main hall, memories from her past life surged back. When she was falsely accused of being involved in an illicit relationship with Gu Yifeng's illegitimate son, Madam's cold eyes were like a needle, continuously piercing at Lin Youning's heart.
It wasn't until Gu Yixuan revealed the truth before her death that she found relief; it turned out Madam also had her own difficulties and never truly disliked her. The aunt who loved her like a daughter from a young age had never been disappointed in her.
"My dear, why are you crying? Is something wrong with your body?" Madam's voice was hoarse as she instructed Suyi to call the doctor. After speaking, she couldn't help coughing twice but hurriedly stopped as she asked a maid to support her, "Quick, help me up."
Before the maid could respond, Gu Yifeng had already taken a few strides carrying Lin Youning to the bedside, "Mother, your body is still unwell, please lie down. If you worsen, little sister will also worry about you."
After speaking, Gu Yifeng asked the girl in his arms, "Isn't it true, little sister?"
With this lowered gaze, Gu Yifeng noticed the little girl in his arms had tears streaming down her face, her slender body trembling slightly, with unshed tears still on her eyelids. She was biting her lower lip, not daring to make a sound, her clear innocent eyes filled with sadness.
This sight made Gu Yifeng's heart, which hadn't wavered for years, tighten. It reminded him of when his grandfather, uncle, father, and cousin passed away, and no wonder his mother was heartbroken seeing this. Thinking back to when entering the room and feeling the body's slight stiffness, it wasn't an illusion.
Lin Youning looked at her aunt, whose hair was as silver as frosty night, and her tears were like a broken string of pearls, unstoppable. She raised her hand to wipe them away but couldn't finish.
Before Gu Yifeng could place the little girl on the bed, she had already lunged forward, "Aunt..."
The soft voice, slightly trembling, was pitiable and heart-wrenching.
"Oh dear, slow down, slow down, don't fall." Madam heartfully cried out as she reached to embrace the little one, and hearing the little one's sobs in her arms, her eyes turned red too.
At being embraced, the fragile little girl felt like she had found family and warmth while walking alone in a stormy night. Seeing her aunt confirmed to Lin Youning that she truly lived again and returned to being five years old.
This white-haired aunt, who eventually died in anguish, suffered all due to Kong Tianru's wrongdoings. Feeling the warmth of her aunt slowly transmitting to her,
Lin Youning clenched her teeth. Out of respect for her aunt, she could refrain from retaliating against the Gu Family and Gu Yixuan, but she couldn't spare Kong Tianru. If this life saw Kong Tianru trying to enter as a paragon of virtue and kindness, she would never allow it.