Chapter 31: Dowry

“Gu Sui, I want to marry you and take you home.” …

Gu Sui’s objections were ineffective. The next day, as promised, he waited at home for the betrothal gifts from the Regent’s mansion.

It took half a day to move the one hundred and twenty-eight loads of items into the courtyard. The entire Gu household was bustling with excitement, while Sui Yu and Yun Mu were so busy their feet barely touched the ground.

In the Green Eaves Pavilion, two young men sat with their chins resting on their hands, watching the people coming and going. Their expressions were melancholic as they sighed heavily for a long time.

Gu Sui: Why is Mu Jiulu moving so fast?!

Li Fuyu: How can Sui gege become Ninth Aunt’s husband so soon?!

“Sui gege, are you unsatisfied with this marriage? You should tell Madam Gu, she will surely stand up for you!”

Li Fuyu said indignantly. Gu Sui opened his mouth but didn’t know how to respond.

“It’s not that I’m unsatisfied, it’s just…”

He wanted to take a wife, not become someone’s husband, but circumstances wouldn’t allow it!

“Wuwuwu, I don’t want Sui gege to become Ninth Aunt’s husband.”

Li Fuyu pouted, his eyes brimming with tears as he tugged at Gu Sui’s sleeve, looking like a pitiful little thing about to be abandoned.

Gu Sui let out another heavy sigh: “I don’t want to either. I still want to make her your sister-in-law!”

Li Fuyu was stunned.

This was an answer he had never anticipated.

“…Sui gege, you’re so daring to think that.”

“But I can’t beat her. Ah, why didn’t I just get the marriage certificate when I passed by the civil affairs bureau two years ago!”

Gu Sui looked up to the sky and lamented with great regret. He had many opportunities to marry her before, but he didn’t seize them.

Li Fuyu, standing beside him, couldn’t quite understand but still offered words of comfort.

In the end, on this joyous day, the two once again sat with their chins in their hands, sighing heavily in unison.

“Young Master Gu, so you were here. And the young master is here too. It took this old servant quite some effort to find you!”

“Oh my, listen to my mouth. Why am I still calling you Young Master Gu? In less than two months, you’ll be our mansion’s Lord. Would the Lord like to take a look at this gift list?”

Ever since Jiang Fu received the news yesterday, she couldn’t stop smiling. The betrothal gifts she had been preparing for over two months could finally be put to use!

Faced with the enthusiastic and respectful mansion steward, Gu Sui’s expression was hard to describe.

He stared at the elaborate gift list, his gaze complex. It took him a long while before he reached out to accept it.

As he moved, his wide sleeves slid down slightly, revealing a black jade bracelet on his slender wrist.

Under the sunlight, it showed a hint of green, intertwining with its original black color to create a clear dark green, adding a touch of nobility and elegance to the young man.

Jiang Fu’s eyes lit up, her smile becoming even more radiant.

Gu Sui felt her smile was strange and couldn’t help but shiver. Then his gaze followed hers to his own wrist.

He pondered for a moment, took off the bracelet, and brought it close to his eyes for a careful look.

“This bracelet, what about it?”

Why was she so excited?

“Oh my, Lord, please be careful. Don’t bump or knock it. This was the most beloved ornament of the late Lord Consort. He said it was to be passed down to his future son-in-law, which is you, Lord.”

Gu Sui’s hand holding the bracelet stopped in mid-air, his eyes somewhat dazed.

“Lord… Consort?”

Jiang Fu: “It’s the biological father of our Lord. What’s wrong? Didn’t our Lord tell you about this when she gave you the bracelet?”

Gu Sui: “……”

He vaguely remembered that this was given to him by the Empress Dowager.

“You talk too much.”

A voice like floating jade came from not far away. Gu Sui looked towards the source of the sound, and in an instant, a flash of obvious amazement appeared in his peach blossom eyes.

Today, Mu Jiulu had changed into a maple-red round-collar robe. The collar was folded back, revealing the cloud and crane embroidery on the edge of the inner garment.

She wore a white palace cord around her waist, woven into complex auspicious patterns. Below the waistline was all legs, and she wore a pair of black gold-embroidered boots.

As she walked towards him step by step, it was as if she was treading on the tip of his heart.

The young man, who had been gloomy all day, was suddenly overwhelmed by her beauty and stood stunned for a moment.

He even lost control of the strength in his hand, inadvertently loosening his fingers, and the black jade bracelet slipped down with gravity.

“Ah!”

The overlapping screams of Jiang Fu and Li Fuyu startled Gu Sui back to his senses, and he suddenly panicked.

He quickly bent down, his hands hurriedly trying to grab the bracelet, but he grasped at empty air.

Gu Sui’s heart sank.

Oh no, if it breaks…

Suddenly, the young man’s wrist was gripped by a warm palm. The familiar touch made him tremble slightly.

He looked up and his eyes met clear ink-black eyes filled with helplessness.

Mu Jiulu crouched in front of him, silently sighing, and put the bracelet she had just caught back onto the young man’s slender wrist.

“How can you be so careless? Have you gone silly?”

Jiang Fu finally breathed a sigh of relief and quietly retreated a few steps. Li Fuyu also discreetly moved a few steps away from the frightening Ninth Aunt.

In the pavilion, Gu Sui swallowed, suppressing the restlessness in his heart, and pulled his hand away, wrinkling his nose at her.

“You scared me to death. It’s all your fault.”

Mu Jiulu stood up, raising an eyebrow slightly.

“You didn’t hold it securely yourself, and you blame me?”

“Who told you to look so good! It’s your fault, your fault, just your fault!”

Mu Jiulu: “……”

“Where do I look good?”

“Waist…”

The woman’s voice was coaxing, and Gu Sui didn’t react at first, still wanting to answer seriously, but then he realized something was wrong.

“Ah, pah, I won’t praise you. Now explain about this bracelet. Wasn’t it given to me by the Empress Dowager? How did it become your father’s?”

Gu Sui, now standing, raised his chin to question her. Mu Jiulu glanced at Jiang Fu beside her.

Jiang Fu quickly lowered her head, trying to joke her way out of the situation.

“The Empress Dowager is the sister-in-law of our Lord and the Lord Consort, not much different from a father. It’s reasonable for the Empress Dowager to give you this item.”

Gu Sui: “…You stop calling me Lord for now.”

It kept reminding him that he was about to become a poor little thing to be married off, so annoying!

“What she said isn’t wrong. If not Lord, what should we call you?”

Jiang Fu, having received approval from her Lord, nodded vigorously: “That’s right, Lord. You’ll soon be the male master of our mansion!”

Gu Sui: “……”

The young man turned his head, folded his arms, and sat down, looking as puffed up as a pufferfish. Mu Jiulu couldn’t help but curl her lips in a smile.

She took the gift list that Gu Sui had just put on the table, unfolded it, and handed it to him.

“See if there’s anything else you want that’s not on the list. I’ll add it for you.”

Although these words were domineering and flirtatious, Gu Sui just felt that something wasn’t right.

Shouldn’t he be the one saying this?

He glanced at Mu Jiulu, his eyes rolling a few times, and suddenly spoke with a serious face.

“There is.”

Mu Jiulu’s eyes were serious: “What is it? Tell me.”

Jiang Fu, standing nearby, somehow produced a pen from somewhere and began to record.

Gu Sui cleared his throat, his tone solemn: “Marrying you.”

Pata–

The pen in Jiang Fu’s hand slipped and fell to the ground. Her expression was frozen. Li Fuyu, behind Gu Sui, didn’t dare to move.

Mu Jiulu folded up the gift list and lightly tapped his head with it.

“Keep dreaming.”

Gu Sui bared his teeth at her, indignantly saying: “Then why did you ask me!”

Mu Jiulu handed the gift list to the still stunned Jiang Fu, then covered the top of his fluffy head with her hand, mercilessly messing it up.

“For fun.”

“Mu Jiulu!”

The young man roared angrily, his hair all messed up. Mu Jiulu’s lips curled into a low laugh as she pulled the sitting young man into her arms. Her deep gaze swept over the other two in the pavilion.

“The Lord is busy, this old servant will take her leave.”

Jiang Fu, being very sensible, left, taking Li Fuyu with her. Only the two of them were left in the pavilion.

“Ah ah ah, Mu Jiulu, let me go! I want to duel with you again! This time I won’t admit defeat!”

Mu Jiulu crouched down again, her red lips approaching his ear, her hot breath making the young man in her arms tremble slightly.

“Don’t move around.”

Gu Sui wasn’t one to obey so easily. Hearing this, he uncomfortably squirmed a bit.

Mu Jiulu immediately bit his earlobe, her tongue lightly exploring.

The electric-like sensation made Gu Sui freeze completely, grabbing her clothes into wrinkles.

“Everything of mine will be yours. Body, heart, wealth, power, you can have whatever you want.”

“You only need to do one thing: love me well and don’t leave.”

“Don’t be angry anymore, okay?”

The clear and low magnetic voice flowed into his ears, carrying a bewitching power that made Gu Sui’s mind go blank for a moment, echoing only with her voice.

“Gu Sui, I want to marry you and take you home.”

She held the back of his neck, looking into his eyes, and said word by word.

“Be my Lord Consort, okay?”

“…Okay.”

Gu Sui, drowning in the endless deep pool of her eyes, nodded and agreed as if bewitched. Immediately after, a low, gentle laugh sounded in his ear.

Mu Jiulu leaned in and lightly touched his lips, praising him.

“Good boy.”

Wrapped in tenderness, Gu Sui felt dizzy. He couldn’t help but lean forward, his arms tightly encircling her waist.

“Babe, babe, babe.”

The cloying voice sounded in her ear. Mu Jiulu’s eyes darkened, hiding a constantly rising flame deep within.

“Hmm?”

Gu Sui grinned foolishly: “I’m just calling you.”

Mu Jiulu smiled helplessly, pinching the back of his neck.

“Alright, someone’s coming soon.”

Mu Jiulu wanted to stand up, mainly because if this continued, she truly couldn’t suppress certain things within her body.

However, Gu Sui, immersed in this tender moment, was unwilling to let go.

“No, let’s hug a bit longer, babe.”

Mu Jiulu was most vulnerable to him in this state, wanting nothing more than to press him down and bully him thoroughly, but…

“Sui’er, Regent? What are you doing?”

Gu Tingsong’s voice suddenly rang out, startling Gu Sui into letting go of her and standing up in a flash, turning to look at his mother who was walking towards them.

“Mother, why did you suddenly come? You didn’t even give us a heads up. Oh my, we weren’t doing anything, just discussing some matters.”

Just now, separated by a pillar, Gu Tingsong had only vaguely seen two people in the pavilion and hadn’t clearly seen what they were doing. But now, Gu Sui’s panic made her frown slightly.

Gu Tingsong’s unfriendly gaze fell on Mu Jiulu, her voice slightly lowered.

“My son hasn’t yet married into the Regent’s mansion. The Regent should also show some restraint.”

By this time, Gu Sui had somewhat regained his senses. He couldn’t let his girlfriend take the blame for him, so he stepped forward.

“She didn’t do anything. We really were just discussing matters.”

Gu Tingsong looked at the two suspiciously and asked, “Oh? What matters were you discussing?”

“Regarding the betrothal gifts. I showed him the gift list and asked if there was anything else he wanted that wasn’t on it, so I could add it later.”

Mu Jiulu spoke calmly, with a faint smile in her eyes. Hearing this, Gu Tingsong’s expression softened a bit.

“I see.”

“Sui’er, if you have anything you want, just tell mother. Mother will prepare your dowry. You’re mother’s only son, even if we have to spend everything we have, we won’t let you be wronged.”

Gu Sui: “???”

Gu Sui: “……”

Well, betrothal gifts weren’t enough, he even had a dowry!

Now there was no changing the fact that he was going to be married off.

Realizing what had just happened in the pavilion, Gu Sui’s gloomy gaze fell on Mu Jiulu.

She had tricked him just now, hadn’t she!

Ah, the pitfalls of beauty!