Zhu Qingyu's hand was held by Zhang Ruohua, and for a moment, she felt a mix of emotions.
The little girl who used to care only about eating, drinking, and looking pretty had truly grown up.
She hadn't explicitly said anything, yet Zhang Ruohua was so perceptive; she understood everything at once.
Zhu Qingyu took Zhang Ruohua's hand and led her toward the wardrobe, saying,
"Third Sister, the Emperor has issued a decree ordering your second brother to raise funds to build the Huiyi Temple. We cannot go back yet; returning before the funds are fully raised would be defying an imperial decree. Don't worry, I am just going out this once, and I won't go out anymore after this. It's good that you are here. Come help me with my hair. I'm really not good at these things; it gives me a headache."
Given that Gu Zhao had openly criticized her attire twice to her face, Zhu Qingyu felt that, as a proper subordinate in this transaction, she should at least dress up a bit. She would change into the cloud brocade he had specifically mentioned, paired with Zhang Ruohua's vibrant and glamorous styling, to show her sincerity. This would prevent her from showing up looking drab and angering him again.
The Emperor had tasked Zhang Shen with raising money for the Huiyi Temple, but the standard for how much money was considered "enough" was in the hands of the Ministry of Revenue, which was in charge of the matter—or rather, in Gu Zhao's hands.
Whether he tightened his grip or loosened it, he held the lifeline of the Zhang family.
Therefore, Zhu Qingyu still hoped that the two of them could have as peaceful and decent an ending as possible, which would be best for everyone.
Zhu Qingyu casually took a set of cloud brocade clothes from the wardrobe to change into, sat at the dressing table, and called out to Zhang Ruohua,
"Third Sister, come help me. Just do something simple; anything will do."
Doing this was originally Zhang Ruohua's daily routine. Her favorite thing to do, whether she was busy or not, was to stay in her room and match beautiful clothes with beautiful jewelry. She never tired of it and could play with them from morning to night.
Grabbing her beautiful sister-in-law to dress her up used to be one of her hobbies too. Every time she dressed Zhu Qingyu, the little girl would be so excited, chattering away endlessly around her.
But today, Zhang Ruohua didn't say a single word from beginning to end. She bit her lip, walked over, and silently combed her hair, picked out her jewelry, drew her eyebrows, and applied her makeup.
Zhang Ruohua's aesthetic favored a bright and glamorous style.
Under her skillful hands, Zhu Qingyu saw her reflection in the mirror, looking as if even her facial features had become more defined.
Zhu Qingyu was a little hesitant.
"Third Sister, did you make me look too pretty? Should we make it a bit more casual?"
She only wanted to show her sincerity; it was enough just to prove that she had dressed up for the appointment. There was no need to make it so exquisite.
Zhang Ruohua finally spoke.
"It's because you are naturally beautiful, Sister-in-law, not because of my makeup. I haven't even done much yet."
Alright then, perhaps Zhang Ruohua's skills had improved again. She would just leave it at that.
As the two were talking, Nanny Wang ran over to announce,
"First Madam, someone is at the door looking for you."
Zhu Qingyu stood up.
"Alright, I understand."
Before leaving, Zhu Qingyu went to check on Zhang Shen and touched his forehead.
The medicine he took at noon had taken effect, and his high fever had gone down a bit. If nothing unexpected happened, he would wake up tomorrow.
And if she returned early enough, perhaps even before Zhang Shen woke up, he wouldn't even know she had gone out unless he specifically asked.
Although he would find out sooner or later, the difference between hearing it from others and seeing it with his own eyes, as well as the emotional turmoil it would cause, was still vast.
Once she cut ties with Gu Zhao in the future, he wouldn't have the chance to witness anything anyway.
At the hour of Shen, while the master of the Zhang family was lying unconscious on his sickbed, the First Madam of the Zhang family walked out of the house.
An inconspicuous carriage was parked at the door. Unsurprisingly, the driver was Xiong Kun.
Xiong Kun jumped off the carriage, pulled open the curtain for her, and greeted,
"Lady Zhu, please."
At this hour, Gu Zhao should theoretically still be at the Grand Secretariat. Yet, as soon as Zhu Qingyu got into the carriage, she unexpectedly saw Gu Zhao sitting inside, still wearing his official robes.
Zhu Qingyu was a bit surprised.
"Lord Gu, you finished your duties so early today?"
Logically speaking, tomorrow was the day of rest, and he was supposed to be on duty today. Could it be that Lord Gu had left work early?
It was clearly a very simple question, as ordinary as asking if someone had eaten today. But for some reason, Gu Zhao just kept staring at her without saying a word for a long time.
Zhu Qingyu said hesitantly,
"Or perhaps Lord Gu still needs to return to work, and we need to reschedule..."
Before she could finish her sentence, Gu Zhao suddenly stood up. Relying on his height, long legs, and long arms, he reached out and grabbed Zhu Qingyu's hand that was resting on the curtain, dragging her inside like a wild beast pouncing on its prey.
The sound of hairpins hitting the floor rang in her ears. Zhu Qingyu only felt her vision darken as the world spun around her. Her head bumped against the wall of the carriage, and Gu Zhao had already bitten her lips, kissing her forcefully.
It was too sudden, leaving her completely unprepared. Gu Zhao kissed her so fiercely that Zhu Qingyu felt breathless for a moment. She pressed her hands against his chest, trying to push him away.
Gu Zhao pinned her down, refusing to let her move, and forcibly kissed her for a while longer. Only then did he ask by her ear, panting slightly,
"Zhu Qingyu, are you trying to break our agreement?"
Zhu Qingyu finally caught her breath.
"No, you..."
Gu Zhao did not give her a chance to speak at all. Having gotten a "no," he dragged her onto his lap, holding her firmly in place. Cupping her face, he pried open her teeth and plundered her mouth once again.
This time, Zhu Qingyu was prepared. In his arms, she parted her lips slightly, allowing him to take whatever he wanted, acting very docile.
Even so, Lord Gu was still unsatisfied.
"Zhu Qingyu, you said you would treat me like a husband this time. Don't go back on your word! Were you like this when you were with him? I was able to get him out, and I can send him right back in. Don't even think about brushing me off. I want you to respond to me. From now on, respond to me and call me your husband."
Zhu Qingyu didn't quite understand why Gu Zhao had to specifically mention Zhang Shen at a time like this.
But since he made a request, and all he wanted was for her to take the initiative—it wasn't an impossible demand like asking for a colorful black—she, as a qualified subordinate, could do it.
Zhu Qingyu wrapped her arms around Gu Zhao's neck, leaned in proactively, kissed the corner of his lips, and said,
"Husband."
With just this tiny bit of proactive touch and a low whisper, Gu Zhao instantly lost control and chased after her lips, kissing her again.
In the sealed, narrow space of the carriage, the ambiguous gasps of their intertwined lips and teeth lingered.
Outside the window, the sound of the galloping carriage masked everything.
The snow of the Beginning of Winter started falling again, growing heavier and heavier.
The night here was still very long.
