With the approval of Old Madam Gu, Dong Ningxin immediately packed her belongings and left the Gu family residence.
She was accompanied by the young maid who usually served her.
The maid had a good disposition. Although she had been beaten and scolded by Dong Ningxin many times, she still remembered the kindness Dong Ningxin had shown her when she wasn't being abusive.
As for where she was going, Old Madam Gu did not ask.
She only told Dong Ningxin that if she ever faced any difficulties in the future, she could seek her out.
Afterward, Old Madam Gu arranged for the Gu family's original servants, providing them with their deeds of sale and severance pay.
Except for the housekeeper, everyone else left.
Old Madam Gu gave a few instructions before leaving the residence.
Gu Sinian helped her into the carriage without asking any further questions.
He had seen everything when people dispersed earlier.
"I only hope that when he comes out, he can live a peaceful life," Old Madam Gu sighed.
Gu Sinian remained silent.
He no longer held any hope for Gu Changwei.
As he had said before, if he found himself struggling to eat or drink in the future, he would not let him starve to death.
He would provide for his food, clothing, and shelter, considering it his filial duty.
Old Madam Gu fell ill that very night.
She developed a high fever, which arrived with great intensity.
Gu Sinian summoned an imperial physician. After a night of effort, the fever still did not subside.
The next day, as soon as the palace gates opened, Gu Sinian entered the palace to seek a decree.
Emperor Chongwen dispatched an imperial physician skilled in treating such ailments to diagnose Old Madam Gu.
Consort An, worried about her mother, sent her most trusted senior maid to accompany her.
Old Madam Gu was advanced in age and had already been through the ordeal with Gu Changwei. It wasn't until the evening of the second day that her fever finally broke.
The imperial physician stated that as long as the high fever did not return during the night, there would be no major issues.
This entire ordeal meant that neither Gu Sinian nor Qi Zhenzhen could attend the wedding banquet.
Fortunately, neither Xie Chen nor Qin Tingxue were ones to complain.
In fact, Qin Tingxue came over the day after her wedding.
Old Madam Gu was now awake. Upon seeing Qin Tingxue, her face was filled with guilt. "If only my body weren't so frail... Alas, Tingxue, I have failed you."
"What are you saying, Madam? It is only right that they attend to you when you are unwell. If not for... I should have been here to serve you as well," Qin Tingxue replied.
The sudden and fierce high fever Old Madam Gu experienced had even alarmed the palace; she was aware of this.
Old Madam Gu's body had been weakened by a previous injury, and her constitution was already poor. The danger this time was not an exaggeration.
Even now, though she was awake, she appeared to have lost all her vigor and spirit.
Qin Tingxue stayed for a short while before rising to take her leave.
It wasn't that she truly wanted to leave, but rather to allow Old Madam Gu to rest properly.
Recently, Xie Chen and Qin Tingxue had presented a meeting gift to Gu Sinian's family of three.
Of course, it was mainly Xie Chen who insisted on coming, claiming it was a matter of etiquette and custom.
In reality, he simply wanted to assert his elder status in front of Gu Sinian.
In the past, his interactions with Gu Sinian always felt like dealing with someone of his own generation. Now, he inexplicably felt a sense of triumph and vindication.
Gu Sinian showed great respect in front of Qin Tingxue. He, along with Qi Zhenzhen, served him tea, addressed him as Uncle Xie, and calmly accepted the meeting gift from Xie Chen.
Xie Chen was thoroughly satisfied.
His gaze towards Gu Sinian was filled with paternal affection.
Gu Sinian endured it, holding back, but ultimately did not act out in front of Qin Tingxue.
Xie Chen, being perceptive, realized that Gu Sinian was at the brink of his patience. Seeing this, he decided to make a graceful exit. With a hearty laugh, he announced that he needed to take Qin Tingxue to meet some elder relatives of the Xie family and quickly made his escape.
Qin Tingxue was quite exasperated. "You should be more composed."
"I consider myself to be seventeen or eighteen years old. What's the need for composure in a young man?" Xie Chen retorted righteously. Qin Tingxue blushed. He had said the same thing last night, claiming that he should have married at seventeen or eighteen but had been delayed all these years.
Indeed, last night, he had behaved like a seventeen or eighteen-year-old, charging forward recklessly.