Chapter 789: Runaway Bride

Tong Huaqiong thought that Miss Lin, who was about to get married, and Gu Dashu would never cross paths in their lives.

How quickly that proved wrong.

Two days before Miss Lin’s wedding, it snowed again in Shengjing.

The snowfall was heavy, even the local magistrate organized merchants to clear the snow.

Gu Dashu ran a fur shop in Shengjing, specializing in selling top-quality carpets, wool, and felt from Mo Bei...

A few days ago, a nearby silk shop caught fire, burning down half of it; if it weren’t for the snow, half the street would have burned down.

Gu Dashu was cautious, worried that his own shop might face the same fate.

Since his shop was full of flammable items, if it did catch fire, in the dead of winter, even calling for help would take too long, not to mention where to find water in the freezing cold.

The clerks took turns keeping watch day and night, but Gu Dashu remained uneasy.

He decided to stay inside the shop, guarding it personally.

In such snowy weather, with slippery roads and the cold, there weren’t many customers in a day. Once night fell, Gu Dashu ordered the clerks to close the shop.

Haunted by the shadow of the neighboring shop’s fire, Gu Dashu dared not sleep too soundly, even inside the shop.

At night, Gu Dashu was woken up by a slight noise.

He sat up straight immediately.

Though the sound was faint and quickly vanished, Gu Dashu still heard it.

Thanks to the two years he spent as a spy in Mo Bei, he had developed sharp hearing.

Gu Dashu got out of bed, draped a coat over himself, and quietly picked up an iron rod, moving silently toward the source of the noise.

He didn’t light a lamp.

If it were a thief, he would capture them alive.

If it were a mouse, he would kill it.

Gu Dashu reached the storage room where the carpets were kept, and the corner of the carpet rustled again.

"Who’s there?" Gu Dashu, holding the iron rod in one hand, lifted the carpet with the other.

Without a lamp, it was too dark to see clearly what was inside.

"Please, Shopkeeper Gu, spare me."

It was an unfamiliar female voice.

Gu Dashu lit the lamp, revealing a delicate young girl curled up under the carpet.

The girl was dressed thinly, trembling despite being wrapped in the carpet, unclear whether from cold or fear.

Pale tears streaked down her little face.

Having been a spy in Mo Bei, the girl’s frail appearance did not evoke any pity from Gu Dashu, instead making him very vigilant.

He seriously worried that she might be a beautiful assassin sent by the Fourth Prince of Mo Bei—or rather, now the Mo Bei King—to kill him.

Having been considered an insignificant merchant by the Mo Bei Prince, Gu Dashu had managed to outwit him, providing information that nearly led to Mo Bei’s downfall.

The Mo Bei Prince hated him to death.

Even when he came to Shengjing to seek peace, he still called him brother, but Gu Dashu knew the Mo Bei Prince wished him dead.

Gu Dashu asked coldly, "Who are you?"

This girl obviously knew him.

If she really was sent by the Mo Bei King, she couldn’t blame him for being ruthless.

Gu Dashu entertained thoughts of killing her.

Miss Lin had learned from a young age how to read people’s expressions, and Gu Dashu’s murderous intent did not escape her notice.

There was no intention to hide her identity; Miss Lin’s eyes filled with tears, and she choked as she said, "Shopkeeper Gu, I am from the Lin Family. I saw you at the Mo Bei Qixiang Palace banquet, so I recognize you."

Being from the Lin Family, attending a palace banquet meant she was either Miss Lin or a maid from the Lin Family.

Gu Dashu asked, "Are you a Lin Family’s young lady or a maid? Why did you come to my shop?"

Miss Lin’s tears were on the verge of falling, and with grief, she said, "I am a concubine’s daughter from the Lin Family. I had a quarrel with my legitimate sister a few days ago, and my cruel mother wants to marry me off to an old man as a second wife. This old man is a minor court official. The wedding is set for the day after tomorrow, and after marrying, I would have to move to the border with him. I didn’t want to marry the old man, so I ran away."

"I’ve always tried to please my stepmother, never talking back when beaten or scolded. Yet, because I am prettier than my legitimate sister, she always suspected I would ruin my sister’s good marriage. No matter how much I humbled myself, she never let me be."

"Boo hoo hoo..."

Miss Lin, already looking pitiful, seemed even more so due to her rushed escape from the Lin Mansion, wearing only thin clothes.

Gu Dashu wasn’t very familiar with the Lin Family.

In recent days, Mrs. Lin had visited the mansion and appeared to be a very kind person.

Since this issue of Miss Lin scheming against the Second Miss Lin was a scandal within the Lin Family, and only a few knew about it, the Lin Family kept the news tightly under wraps.

Tong Huaqiong wouldn’t gossip about it with her son, which is why Gu Dashu was unaware of the complexities between Miss Lin and the Second Miss Lin.

Seeing Miss Lin so pitiful, he didn’t believe her at first, as he was unsure if the person in front of him was indeed Miss Lin.

At that moment, a clerk who stayed behind heard the commotion and came to the storage room, holding a lamp. With the two lamps now lit, the room instantly brightened up.

The clerk saw the girl sitting among the carpets and exclaimed, "Isn’t this Miss Lin?"

This clerk had been transferred from the Jufu Supermarket, and Miss Lin was a valued guest there, so he naturally recognized her.

Miss Lin looked up at the clerk timidly, her tears falling instantly.

She knew Gu Dashu was questioning her identity; now it was confirmed.

Given Gu Dashu’s righteousness, he would surely help her.

"Why are you in my shop?" Gu Dashu asked.

Miss Lin, eyes brimming with tears, replied, "Princess Consort Ning is my cousin. I originally intended to seek help from my cousin at the Prince Ning Mansion. My stepmother kept a tight watch on me. I finally managed to escape, afraid of being captured by her people, and after dodging and hiding along the way, I ended up at your shop during the heavy snow. I was too cold to bear it, so I mingled with the guests and snuck in."

Miss Lin’s words contained some exaggeration.

She did intend to seek her cousin at the Prince Ning Mansion.

However, fearing discovery midway, she deliberately took a detour and hid in Gu Dashu’s shop.

Gu Dashu had a good reputation in Shengjing, known for his righteousness and for having rescued many border women and children captured by Mo Bei during his time as a spy there.

Miss Lin planned to evoke Gu Dashu’s sympathy by playing the pitiful card, hoping he would escort her to the Prince Ning Mansion.

Now, her cousin the Princess Consort was not living well at the mansion. She was embroiled in fierce contention with concubines and, despite being married for two years, had not gotten pregnant, while Ning Wang’s favorite concubine had given birth to a son last month.

Her cousin now needed support.

Miss Lin was confident she could persuade her cousin to have Prince Ning take her in.

She was prettier and smarter than her cousin, and with her father being a marquis, she was confident she could win Prince Ning’s favor.

Prince Ning’s affection for her would change her fortunes, and the Lin Family would support her in replacing her cousin as the legal wife. When Prince Ning ascended the throne, even her hateful stepmother’s family would be forced to back her as the Empress.

By then, who would remember the disgraceful incidents from her time at the Lin Mansion?

"Brother Gu, please help me." Miss Lin raised her pretty face, her eyes red from crying.

The designation she used for him changed accordingly.

She was already in such a predicament; surely, Gu Dashu would help her.