w in them."Upon hearing this, Gu Jingxi turned her head and glanced at him, replying, "When he was young, he practiced writing using my calligraphy."Meng Jinyao nodded knowingly: "No wonder, I said ho...Chá Rán Jū.

When Meng Jin Yao arrived at Cha Ran Ju, Du Si Ze had already been waiting for her in the private room.

Qing Qiu stepped forward and knocked on the door. A warm male voice came from inside: "Cousin, please come in."

Then, Qingqiu pushed open the door to the study. Meng Jin yao stepped forward two steps and entered the study. Raising her eyes, she saw the young man inside.

The man wore a light blue robe, about eighteen or nineteen years old. He was handsome and had an air of scholarly refinement. At first glance, he seemed like a kind and gentle scholar.

This man is her cousin, Du Sizhe.

The moment Du Si Ze saw her, he fixed his gaze on her, unconsciously sizing her up. He felt that in over a year, his cousin had changed a lot.

My cousin used to seem cheerful, but there was a hint of melancholy in her eyes. When she sat quietly without speaking, it seemed as if thousands of worries weighed heavily on her heart. Furthermore, the dark colors of her clothing made her appear older than her peers, lacking the vivacity one would expect from a young girl.

My cousin just walked in and immediately caught my eye. She looked radiant and full of life.

Du Sizhe was taken aback, staring at the woman before him. She wore a golden hairpin and a crimson silk dress embroidered with peonies, her face radiant with a smile. She exuded an air of elegance and grace, her appearance and demeanor completely different from before, almost like a stranger.

Meng Jinyao had the maidservant close the door and nodded slightly to him: "Cousin, have you been waiting long"

Du Sizhe shook his head: "I just arrived not long ago. My cousin, please have a seat and let's talk." As he spoke, he poured tea for her and explained, "I originally wanted to pay a visit in person, but I wasn't sure if it would be convenient for you, so I didn't go to your door. I just invited my cousin out to meet for a while."

Meng Jin Yao said in a gentle voice, "It's convenient. The Marquis said the other day that he would invite your brother to his residence sometime."

Du Sizhe was surprised: "Lord Gu also knows"

Meng Jinyu nodded: "Your Lordship doesn't know that I still have a cousin like Sizhe, so I told him about it the day before yesterday."

Du Si-ze listened, thoughtfully.

Meng Jinyao asked with concern, "Cousin, it's been over a year since we last saw each other. Are you doing well"

“I'm doing well. Studying abroad with the teacher broadened my horizons and gave me a deep understanding of the saying 'reading ten thousand books is not as good as traveling ten thousand miles,'” Du Sizhe said, then looked at her, his eyes filled with concern. “It's you who has suffered, sister. I heard about everything that happened over the past year these past two days.”

Meng Jin Yao was taken aback for a moment, then laughed, "Actually, I didn't suffer much. Over the past year or so, I've been doing pretty well. Brother, you don't have to worry about me."

Upon hearing this, Du Si ze felt even more distressed. He looked at her for a long time before letting out a soft sigh and saying, "My cousin is still the same as she used to be.

Just like before, report good news but not bad news.

Just like before, even though she was deeply wronged, when she brought it up, she only lightly said that it wasn't a big deal.

When the groom ran away on their wedding day, the one most affected would be his cousin. If she wasn't strong enough mentally, she might have just accepted it and taken her place as the bride, marrying Gu Xiuming in place of the rooster, ending up miserable and enduring all sorts of injustices.

Her cousin's former stepmother was a cruel woman with a kind face. The eldest son of the Meng family was harmed by Sun, and even her aunt was implicated by Sun. So many things happened, but her cousin kept them all hidden in her heart and didn't tell anyone else.

This year, I almost got framed by Gu Xiuming again, and my reputation was almost ruined.

Every single thing, is a big deal. If it were any other girl, she wouldn't have been able to handle it. Like my cousin, turning the tide around takes immense courage, and also faces tremendous public pressure. Over this year or so, my cousin hasn't had an easy time.

Meng Jinyao said: "Cousin, it's true that I was wronged, but the Marquis treated me very well too. All in all, I could be said to have gained from misfortune."

Du Si ze looked at Meng Jin yao, gently nodding his head: “I can tell that my cousin is living much better in the Gu family than in the Meng family. I could tell at first glance. I’ve heard that Lord Gu is a man of great character, and he is many years older than you. To him, you are just like a child, so he certainly wouldn't make things difficult for you.”

He said, then suddenly changed the subject: “Just as your cousin, do you really want to live like this for the rest of your life”

Meng Jin Yao's smile faltered, her beautiful eyebrows slightly furrowed in confusion as she asked, "I don't quite understand what you mean, Cousin. Isn't this fine now"

Du SiZe said earnestly: "Cousin, with Lord Gu's age, he could be your elder. And... and Lord Gu is unwell. Even if he wouldn't make things difficult for you normally, the two of you living together won't lead to happiness."

Meng Jinyao, upon hearing this, said nonchalantly: "I know you're only saying this because you're worried about me. But since I married the Marquis, we've been very happy. And I think whether a couple is happy or not has nothing to do with age difference or health issues. Do you remember that noodle shop we used to go to with Ayan That old lady was born blind in both eyes, but she and her husband have been together for decades now and they have a house full of children and grandchildren."

Du Sizhe advised: "Cousin, that old man is different. He's a son-in-law raised by the wife's family, an in-law who moved in with his wife's family. But you are different. You are not a bride brought up from childhood. You have better options, you can…"

Before he could finish his words, Meng Jiny Yao interrupted him: "Cousin, I think the Marquis is the best."

She smiled softly and continued, “Speaking of that old gentleman being raised by the wife, actually, the grandmother's parents had passed away. The grandfather could have abandoned the grandmother completely, but he didn't. He spent decades with her as a couple, proving that he truly loved her.”

Du SiZe said again earnestly: "Cousin, your grandfather and grandmother have many children and grandchildren. However, the Marquis of Gu cannot. You are young now and immature, thinking he is good in every way, but when you reach a certain age, you will definitely regret it. Your marriage to him is no different from that of a palace maid and an eunuch eating together. He is a marquis, ranking among the nine qings, yet for many years, no one has given their daughter to him. Cousin, have you ever thought about why That's because parents are reluctant to marry their daughters to such a man."

Upon hearing this, Meng Jin Yao's brows furrowed even tighter, her tone tinged with displeasure: "If my cousin invited me out today just to persuade me to break off the engagement, then we clearly have different opinions and I will take my leave now."

She finished speaking, then stood up and prepared to leave.

Du Si ze seeing this, hurriedly said: “Alright alright, since my cousin thinks that Lord Gu is the best, then I won't persuade you any further. As long as you feel happy with your life now.”

Meng Jinyáo sat back down, her face softening. Her tone was serious as she said, "I also know that cousin is speaking for my own good, but I'm doing fine. Cousin doesn't need to worry about me. It's just that I don't want to hear things like this again."

Du SiZe nodded: "Good"ctually, as long as we are together, it’s great wherever we are. Whether we go far away or not doesn’t matter. If there’s an opportunity to go, it’s fate. If there isn’t, it’s okay.”Gu Jingxi said: "L...