The whole family died tragically? The eldest daughter is the most powerful in the capital after her

The wife of the Duke of Zhenguo's eyebrows moved slightly, without any anger on her face, but her tone was a little cold: "Family members don't care, but some words can't be said casually. I hope Yuxi can learn to be sensible in the future and think more before doing things."

"Yes, yes." Madam Lin nodded repeatedly, and then scolded in a low voice: "Yuxi, why don't you apologize to your aunt and the prince!"

Lin Yuxi bit her lip and her face flushed. Unwillingness flashed in her eyes. However, under the strong pressure from Mrs. Lin, she did not dare to resist and could only bow and salute: "Aunt, cousin, sister-in-law... It's Yuxi who is ignorant, please don't blame me."

This time, she called out "sister-in-law" almost with gritted teeth, but without the sharpness she had just now.

Lin Ruoxuan glanced at her calmly and said lightly: "You are young and act rashly, I won't take it to heart. But I hope that in the future, you will speak and act in a way that is worthy of your family tradition and upbringing."

Lin Yuxi was choked by these words and was speechless. Her eyes turned red and she could only grit her teeth to hold back her tears.

Seeing that the atmosphere had eased a little, Gu Nanyuan finally spoke: "I heard that the Lin family came to Beijing to celebrate Old Madam Lin's birthday. Unfortunately, the Gu family has been busy with affairs recently and it is difficult to take care of everything. In order to avoid neglecting the distinguished guests, I think it would be better to arrange for you to leave the house as soon as possible. It may be more comfortable to live outside."

These words were said with measured words, and revealed an obvious intention to drive the guest away.

Madam Lin nodded repeatedly in agreement: "Your Highness is right. We were presumptuous. The Gu family is very busy, and our family really shouldn't bother them for too long. I will make arrangements tomorrow and will move out of the Gu family as soon as possible."

After Lin Yuxi and her daughter left, Gu Nanyuan stood up with a sullen face and walked towards the outer courtyard.

Lin Ruoxuan looked at his back, her heart flustered. After a moment's hesitation, she quickly chased after him.

As she jogged, her skirt was blown up by the wind and a few strands of her hair fell apart, but she didn't care at all.

"Nanyuan!" she called out, but he didn't turn around, nor did he slow down his pace, and even looked a little indifferent.

Only after crossing the path and entering their yard did Gu Nanyuan stop and turn to look at her. His eyes were heavy, as if he was suppressing some emotion: "Why are you following me?"

His tone was cold and his eyes lacked the warmth of the past.

Lin Ruoxuan lowered her head, clenched her sleeves with her fingers, and tried to slow down her tone: "I have something to tell you..."

"Let's talk about it after we enter the palace. Don't waste time." Gu Nanyuan waved his hand, not wanting to communicate any more. He walked straight to the desk, picked up an unprocessed file and started flipping through it. He looked focused and was completely unaware of her.

Lin Ruoxuan stood there, biting her lower lip lightly, feeling a little sour in her heart.

The words that she wanted to explain came to her lips, but with his attitude, she felt powerless.

Soon, a summons came from the palace, and the couple rode in the same car to the celebration banquet.

Inside the carriage, the curtains were lightly drawn, isolating the noise from outside.

Lin Ruoxuan gently adjusted her sleeves and glanced at Gu Nanyuan who was resting with his eyes closed across from her.

There was still a chill between his brows, and he was as silent as a towering mountain.

The silence made her chest feel stuffy. Finally, she spoke softly, "Nanyuan, I want to explain."

The person opposite did not move, but slowly opened his eyes. There was a barely perceptible fluctuation in his dark pupils, but he remained silent.

Lin Ruoxuan took a deep breath and lowered her eyes: "I know about the contraceptive medicine. It makes you very angry, but I didn't mean to hide it..."

She looked up at him with some hesitation in her eyes, "I'm just... scared."

"Afraid?" Gu Nanyuan raised his eyebrows and said mockingly, "What are you afraid of? Are you afraid that I will force you to have a child, or are you afraid that the Gu family will not tolerate you?"

"No, it's not like that." Lin Ruoxuan quickly shook her head, her fingertips gently pulling at the curtain, as if looking for some comfort, "Nanyuan, it's not that I don't want a child, nor do I distrust the Gu family. I just..."

She paused, her voice trembling slightly, "I'm just afraid that I'll become the second Wang Yanqing."

This sentence made Gu Nanyuan stunned for a moment, and the coldness in his eyes weakened a little, replaced by a barely perceptible complexity.

"Second sister?" His tone slowed down a bit, "That's someone else's business, why are you bringing it upon yourself?"

Lin Ruoxuan lowered her eyes: "I saw with my own eyes the pain she went through when she gave birth. I saw her being tortured like that, but she couldn't even keep a bit of dignity. I'm not her, but I'm also afraid that one day I will be like her... A child may be the starting point of happiness, or it may be the beginning of destruction. I'm afraid that one day, you will be like other men and think that your wife is just a tool for giving birth."

Gu Nanyuan frowned even deeper. He had not expected that she had such a heavy shadow in her heart.

He looked at her for a long while, then spoke slowly, his tone complicated: "So, you would rather drink the medicine secretly than tell me your thoughts? Do you think I would be the kind of person who is unfaithful and ungrateful?"

"I..." Lin Ruoxuan was speechless, and there was more struggle in her eyes when she looked up at him.

She wanted to argue, but she couldn't deny it.

Gu Nanyuan leaned against the side of the carriage, his eyes slightly lowered, his voice low but full of self-mockery: "Your behavior shows a great lack of trust in me. You are afraid of the Gu family, afraid of the children, and in the final analysis, you are also afraid of me. Do you think that I am not worthy of your trust?"

These words were like a knife, piercing straight into her heart.

Lin Ruoxuan's face was pale, her fingertips trembled slightly, and her lips moved, but she couldn't utter a word.

The facts were before her and she had no way of denying it.

The carriage fell into silence.

At the banquet, Gu Nanyuan raised his glass to socialize with a calm demeanor and no trace of strangeness between his brows, as if the argument just now had never happened.

Lin Ruoxuan stood beside him, her eyes calm as water and a decent smile on her face.

The wife of the Duke of Zhenguo looked over with a wine cup in hand, her eyes moved between the two of them, and then she looked away with satisfaction.

She raised the corners of her lips slightly and whispered to the lady beside her: "Looking at this, it seems that the children have solved the problem."

However, the Gu family after the banquet.

Lin Ruoxuan returned to the yard, anxiously waiting for Gu Nanyuan's return, hoping to find another opportunity to communicate with him.

But when the man pushed the door open, his expression was still cold. He only gave her a quick glance when he walked past her, as if all the warmth of the day was an illusion.

The atmosphere in the room became heavier due to his silence.

Gu Nanyuan didn't say much, but just took out a quilt and spread it neatly on the bed by the window.

Lin Ruoxuan stood aside, clutching her sleeves with both hands, and said hesitantly: "Nanyuan...what are you doing?"

"Sleep in separate beds." Gu Nanyuan's tone was low, but without any emotion. "If you don't want a child, I won't force you. Since you are so resistant and took the medicine without telling me, I don't have to let you worry about anything from now on."