Zhu Qingyu ran it through her mind several times. After weighing the pros and cons, she made a decision. She would give it a try and claim that Zhang Shen was her cousin, to see if she could add a layer of insurance to his life.
Of course, Vice Minister Gu might believe her, or he might not. But even if there was only a one in a ten thousand chance that he would, she had to try.
No, given Vice Minister Gu's currently rather infatuated attitude, the chances were probably quite high.
Zhu Qingyu lowered her head, brewing her emotions for a moment, and spoke with a hint of sorrow in her voice.
"Shouming, I am truly, truly grateful that you are willing to be so considerate of me. But now that something has just happened to my second cousin, if I were to bring my parents to the capital, I really wouldn't know how to face them. Previously, when my aunt and eldest cousin met with misfortune one after another, my mother was already heartbroken. If something happens to my second cousin too, I worry she won't be able to bear it. It's better not to let them know for now."
Gu Zhao didn't quite understand Zhu Qingyu's sudden speech, but he still caught the keywords.
"Don't worry. Who is your second cousin? What happened to him?"
Zhu Qingyu looked up, tears falling in strings.
"Shouming, Zhang Shen is my husband, and also my second cousin. Our two families are related; his mother is my biological aunt."
Looking at the beauty across from him suddenly weeping like rain on a pear blossom, her tears falling like strings of pearls, such a pitiful sight would surely move even the most cold-blooded person to compassion.
But Gu Zhao, a man with a heart of stone, put down his chopsticks, his tone turning cold, and said indifferently.
"Zhu Qingyu, if you dare to deceive me with this kind of nonsense for his sake again, if you dare do it one more time, I will take his life immediately."
It was really quite a feat for her to seize such a fleeting opportunity and concoct such a long string of lies in such a short time. He didn't believe a single word of her long speech about Zhang Shen being her second cousin and their families being related.
He even suspected that what she had just said about being from Shu and her parents and eldest brother making a living by practicing medicine might also be a lie.
To think he had been painstakingly considering her needs, elevating her status, and eagerly offering his sincere heart to plan for her future, only for her to use it as a stepping stone to save her husband.
The contrast in how she treated the two of them was so tragic that Gu Zhao felt burning with anger. He found this young woman across from him truly too detestable, so detestable that he wished he could take her right then and there.
How dare she! How dare she deceive him like this!
Zhu Qingyu was also prepared for the possibility that Gu Zhao might not believe her and even get angry.
A few empty words were indeed hard to make someone believe.
But as long as she didn't admit it, he couldn't prove that what she said was definitely a lie.
Zhu Qingyu wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes with her fingers and said.
"Every word I said is true. I am just an ordinary person, not a saint. When disaster strikes, I am also afraid and naturally want to flee. If he were not my blood relative, why would I insist on boarding this ship and getting myself involved? Shouming, what I fear is that I won't be able to explain this to my mother in the future. If you don't believe what I say, then just treat it as me talking nonsense. His life is in your hands anyway, whether you kill him or torture him, I actually have no way to stop you. I can only beg you, even if he has committed a grave mistake, give him a chance, show mercy, and let my cousin live. I will do my utmost to repay your kindness. Otherwise, in the future, I truly will have no face to see my mother."
He knew she had always been intelligent and quick-witted, but he didn't expect that today, all this intelligence and quick wit would be used to fool him.
He still didn't believe a word she said, but seeing her tears, he couldn't help but think: what if?
If there really was a what if, and Zhang Shen was truly her biological cousin, having the life of a blood relative standing between him and her would ultimately be a hidden danger.
He still held beautiful expectations for their future, hoping that they could eventually share mutual affection and live in perfect harmony. He didn't want things to end up with only forceful seizure and a deep-seated blood feud between them.
Zhu Qingyu seemed to be made of water; the more she wiped her tears, the more they fell, streaming down uncontrollably.
Forget it. Even knowing she was just putting on an act and deceiving him, he still couldn't bear to see her shed such tears.
The previously stone-hearted Vice Minister Gu finally softened his heart.
"Do your utmost to repay me? How will you repay me? Do you know what I want, Qingyu?"
The last time Vice Minister Gu came to the Zhang family to ask about the fake account book, he had also asked this question.
At that time, Zhu Qingyu didn't understand his meaning and wanted to repay him with century-old ginseng and Jiangning brocade, which Vice Minister Gu rejected.
Now, however, she wouldn't answer incorrectly. What Vice Minister Gu wanted was her.
Answering like this went against her values and made her feel deeply ashamed.
But having reached this point, she couldn't afford to play deaf and dumb.
Enduring her sense of shame, Zhu Qingyu answered softly.
"What you want is me. I will repay you with myself. Any way of repaying is fine, I will follow your lead in whatever way you wish to be repaid."
Finally getting her clear and unambiguous answer, Gu Zhao felt a profound sense of comfort throughout his entire body. His limbs and bones were filled with a sense of exhilaration, feeling even better than if he had consumed an immortal elixir. He took out a handkerchief, handed it to her, and said.
"You must remember what you said. If you dare to forget, I will make you remember every single word. But you had best not forget. There are certain methods I do not wish to use on you, so you had better firmly remember what you said today. Stop crying. Write down the address in Shu for me. We will know whether it is true or false once we ask."
Zhu Qingyu looked at the all-too-familiar handkerchief in his hand and froze slightly. If she wasn't mistaken, this light green handkerchief was hers. She didn't know when it had ended up in his possession.
Gu Zhao noticed her hesitation but didn't withdraw the handkerchief. Now that his true intentions were revealed, his feelings for her were already out in the open. If she recognized the handkerchief, so be it.
He had been scheming for her for a long time and was determined to have her. He had to get her. He wasn't afraid of her knowing; he was only afraid that she didn't know.
Seeing that she didn't take it, Gu Zhao stood up, personally wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes, and coaxed her.
"Let's eat. Eat first. After we eat, write down your parents' address for me."
It actually worked!
Zhu Qingyu knew when to stop while she was ahead. She meekly tilted her face up to let him wipe her tears. Although she didn't say a word, her eyes were sparkling and as tender as water.
As the meal came to an end, it became a moment where silence spoke louder than words.
Although a ship could not compare to being on land and lacked spaciousness, the official ship Gu Zhao was on had everything one could possibly need. Gu Zhao even had a study on the ship.
After eating, Gu Zhao took her to the study to write down the address in Shu.
At a glance, Zhu Qingyu saw the official documents piled high on his desk.
While laying out the paper and grinding the ink, although she tried hard to control her gaze from looking at his official documents, Zhu Qingyu couldn't help but think to herself.
"Could there be official documents related to Zhang Shen's case in there?"
She was still completely in the dark as to why Zhang Shen had been arrested. If she could find the official documents and follow the clues, wouldn't there be another layer of possibility to save him?
