The plum rain season in Jiangnan is always lingering and sorrowful. On the day the threshold of the Gu Family estate was worn down by visitors, water droplets still clung to the green stone slabs. Song Linzhou wore a brand-new dark brocade robe, the jade pendant at his waist swaying slightly with his steps, mirroring his churning emotions at that moment. Harboring the most sincere intentions, he came to propose marriage to the Gu Family, desiring none other than Gu Yi.
Gu Yi stood in the corridor, her fingertips gently brushing against the moss on the railing. She gazed at the magnolia tree in full bloom in the courtyard, yet her thoughts drifted deep into the imperial palace. The figure of Bai Zhiyao lingered persistently in her mind; his gentle, jade-like smile and the crabapple branch he had broken off for her in the Imperial Garden had become her most cherished memories. She knew full well that her heart already belonged to the reigning Crown Prince—how could she possibly marry Song Linzhou?
Gu Nian hid behind the folding screen, secretly peering at the commotion in the front hall. Watching Song Linzhou’s upright posture and listening to his resolute proposal, a trace of envy unexpectedly stirred within her. She knew her elder sister Gu Yi was exceptionally beautiful, remarkably talented, and the center of everyone's attention, while she herself was merely an unnoticed younger sister. Yet, she had never imagined that fate would take such a dramatic turn at this very mom…
Chapter 41