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Gu Jiao turned her head, and saw a graceful, delicate figure emerging from the gates of a mansion diagonally opposite.

She was wearing a pale lavender translucent veil, her exquisite features faintly visible beneath it, beauty so striking that it seemed almost otherworldly.

——It was none other than Gu Jinyu, whom she had not seen in a long time.

As Gu Jinyu descended the steps, a carriage stopped at the gate; the coachman, seeing her come out, quickly reached out to lift the curtain for her.

She gestured at the coachman, who lowered his hand and let the curtain fall. She then came toward Gu Jiao, her face lighting up with surprise as she said, “Elder sister, what brings you here? I heard that after you accompanied Yan’er to Youzhou to seek out a divine physician for his heart ailment, you returned to the countryside to visit relatives. Have you been well?”

The story about going to Youzhou was something Grandaunt and Granduncle had fabricated, and it was the same tale told even to Marquis Gu.

“Quite well.” Gu Jiao replied.

She did not ask whether Gu Jinyu had been well.

They were not close.

Small talk was a waste of energy.

Gu Jiao was about to leave.

Gu Jinyu then said, “Elder sister… you… mustn’t be too sad…”

Gu Jiao gave her a strange look.

Gu Jinyu let out a soft sigh. “I don’t know if Mother and younger brother have told you… but it turns out that brother-in-law is none other than the Little Marquis of Zhao who was thought to have died in a great fire six years ago. He did not die, and during the time you were away in Youzhou, he reunited with his family… now, he is no longer Xiao Liulang; he has regained his identity as the Little Marquis. His restoration was decreed personally by His Majesty. If you don’t believe me, you can enter the palace and verify it with His Majesty and the Empress Dowager.”

Her face was full of sorrow as she continued, “When I first heard this news, I was truly happy for you. The husband you picked up in the countryside turned out to be the fallen Little Marquis. What a stroke of fortune that was! From then on, you would be the wife of the Little Marquis, the future Madame of Marquis Xuanping Estate.”

“But I never could have imagined that just a few months ago, the palace would announce news of the Little Marquis’s political marriage with the State of Yan.”

At this point, the look Gu Jinyu gave Gu Jiao was full of pity and regret.

But Gu Jiao could clearly see a trace of satisfaction in it.

——I, with my ruined reputation, had thought I would never be able to marry in this lifetime, yet who would have imagined that I would catch the eye of the legitimate son of Marquis Changping; while you, elder sister, who had always stood with your foot pressed upon my head, have ended up as the discarded wife of the Little Marquis!

It had been a year since they last met, and Gu Jinyu had changed a great deal.

It seemed she had spent this period basking in the favor and indulgence beneath Old Madame Gu’s knee.

Marquis Changping was a marquis with real power, stationed to guard the eastern border of the State of Zhao along with Marquis Xuanping’s half-brother, General Weiyuan.

He adored his youngest son, who was third in the birth order, above all others; it was no wonder that Old Madame Gu had gone completely against her former manner and begun to lavish affection upon Gu Jinyu.

Gu Jinyu’s eyes glistened faintly. “I heard that back in the countryside, elder sister had scrimped and saved, enduring all manner of hardship just to support the Little Marquis in his studies, and I had thought that your bitter days would finally give way to sweetness. Who could have expected that you would be sent away in disgrace…”

Gu Jiao said, “You sound as though you truly care about me.”

“Of course I care for elder sister.” Gu Jinyu replied, her voice catching with emotion. “Elder sister, you don’t know. Little Marquis’s fiancee is the cherished daughter of the Duke An Estate of the State of Yan… behind her stands the State of Yan’s ruler herself and the entire Xuanyuan Family… with such a background, not to mention our Marquis Ding’an Estate, even His Majesty and the Empress Dowager would hardly dare to speak out for you.”

She lifted her hand and pointed toward the dozens of guards hauling trunks and chests across the street. “Elder sister, do you see? That residence belongs to Duke An, purchased for his daughter’s marriage. It is even larger than the Marquis Ding’an Estate. Just last night, I saw them bring in hundreds of loads of dowry, and today, they have actually gone out to buy so much more.”

As she spoke, she leaned closer to Gu Jiao and murmured softly by her ear in a tone of mockery, “Elder sister, do you envy her?”

Gu Jiao did not respond to Gu Jinyu’s words, but instead turned her gaze toward the long line of men carrying crates outside the estate gates, and with a soft hum as if acknowledging her own thoughts, she said slowly, “Isn’t that so? You also think the display is too ostentatious, don’t you?”

Gu Jinyu gave her a smile and cast her a sidelong glance, “A daughter of a noble family from the upper state marrying out naturally has to have such a grand spectacle; when you got married back in the countryside, elder sister, you probably didn’t even have a single load of dowry to your name, did you? No wonder you feel uncomfortable in your heart. If it were me, I too would find it hard to be at peace. After all, the husband you supported with your own hands has in the end become someone else’s man; truly a pity for all the effort you have poured into him over these years. Had you known it would come to this, you should have listened to Father back then and severed ties with Xiao Heng; at least then it would have been you rejecting him. If you had done so before word reached the capital, perhaps Father might still have been able to find you a decent match. But now the entire capital knows you are the cast-off wife of the Little Marquis, a woman he has discarded. Tell me, who would still dare to take you into their home as a proper wife?”

Over there, one of the large crates had gotten stuck on the carriage; no matter how the men pushed, it would not budge, and no matter how they pulled, it would not come down.

Gu Jiao walked over to lend a hand.

Gu Jinyu called out “Hey!” toward her, but this time she failed to stop her elder sister. After a moment of consideration, she lifted her skirts and hurried after her.

“Second young miss!” A servant girl came rushing after them, breathless as she called, “Where are you going? Didn’t you say you were going to the shop to fetch the jewelry? And while you were there, to stop by the embroidery house to have the wedding dress altered for size?”

Fixing her gaze on Gu Jiao’s retreating back, Gu Jinyu said lightly, “That can wait until later. My foolish elder sister is about to make a spectacle of herself; I really should stop her. Elder sister! Don’t act on impulse!”

She chased Gu Jiao all the way to the front of that carriage.

Inside, a coachman was bent over in the cramped space, struggling to unload the crate; he was pushing with all his might, but the box was wedged so tightly it would not budge. Worse still, his fingers had gotten caught fast.

Gu Jiao took a look, then drew a dagger from her waist and was just about to pry the box free when Gu Jinyu seized her wrist sharply. “Elder sister! What are you trying to do? No matter how upset you are, you can’t do something as outrageous as damaging someone’s dowry!”

People nearby turned their attention toward the two of them.

The men delivering the goods were shop assistants from a local capital establishment; they did not know who Gu Jiao was and naturally had no idea that she was in fact the young miss of this estate.

Gu Jinyu quickly addressed the onlookers, saying apologetically, “I’m sorry. This is my elder sister, and I am the second young miss of the Marquis Ding’an Estate. She just got carried away for a moment, but I believe she didn’t mean it. Please, do not hold it against her.”

The crowd didn’t really understand what “meant” or “didn’t mean” in this context, but when they saw the dagger in Gu Jiao’s hand and thought of Gu Jinyu’s words, they naturally concluded that she was here to cause trouble.

How strange. This household had only just moved in, and they were already making enemies?

Gu Jinyu spoke with grave earnestness, as though delivering heartfelt counsel, “Elder sister, don’t do something foolish. I know you resent the noble young lady from the State of Yan for stealing your husband, but no matter what, you cannot do something like this in broad daylight before so many people. If you do, where will that leave Grandfather’s dignity? Where will that leave Father’s face? And what of our brothers, and the reputation of the entire Marquis Ding’an Estate?”

This time, the onlookers understood.

So, the newly arrived wealthy household was none other than Duke An of the State of Yan and his daughter, and wasn’t Duke An’s precious daughter betrothed to the Little Marquis of Zhao?

Could it be that the Little Marquis had already had a first wife?

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Description:

In the suspenseful supernatural novel “Records of Mortals,” Jiang Baiyan, once a solitary and impoverished youth, finds refuge in the Shi family of Chang’an due to his extraordinary bloodline. With his clear and captivating peach blossom eyes, this seemingly innocent young man conceals a fanatical and malevolent lunatic within. Destined to succumb to darkness amidst hardship and degradation, he becomes a harbinger of chaos.

When Shi Dai suddenly transmigrates, she takes on the role of the Shi family’s young lady, the one who subjects him to countless trials, eventually leading to her demise.

The twist? She never got to finish reading the novel.

From what she knew of the plot, Jiang Baiyan was just a silent, timid, and often bullied pitiable character.

***

Jiang Baiyan had never encountered someone like Shi Dai.

After he had slaughtered all the evil creatures in the garden, the blood-stained young man, exuding a murderous aura, approached her step by step, his lips curling into a malicious smile, "Scared?"

Shi Dai responded, “You’re really amazing! I applaud you until I spin like a spiral and fly around the moon three hundred times! And also——you have dimples when you smile!"

Jiang Baiyan: ...?

—

After seeing her at a lantern festival with another man, Jiang Baiyan lowered his eyes, his fingers twirling her hair. He said in a mocking and sinister tone, "The mansion in the western suburbs...if I hide you there, no one will find you, right?"

Shi Dai replied, "Does it come with meals and lodging? Can I sleep in everyday? Oh, and your cooking is the best!"

Jiang Baiyan: ...?

—

Jiang Baiyan was supposed to dislike her, even hate her, but as their separation drew near, his eyes turned red and he grabbed her sleeve, pleading, "Don't abandon me, alri—”

Shi Dai responded, "Alright, alright, I’ll only have you. Mwah."

Jiang Baiyan: ...?

He hasn't finished his lines yet though…

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