Gu Qingcheng knew Huo Yu had ill intentions from the moment she saw him on the island.
However, she hadn't expected that Huo Yu, freed from the suppression of King Xia and now holding military power, would become so unrestrained.
Absolute power bred absolute confidence.
Huo Yu did not discuss the "important" matter with Gu Qingcheng along the way. Instead, he led her directly to a secluded side room.
Seeing that the side room was elegantly and neatly decorated, resembling a woman's room, Gu Qingcheng asked doubtfully,
"General Huo, what are you bringing me here for?"
Gu Qingcheng still had her last trump card for survival, so even facing this perilous situation, she remained calm and unhurried.
The only reason she grudgingly suppressed her impatience with Huo Yu was because Du Lanyue was involved; otherwise, she would have found an opportunity to escape long ago.
"Miss Gu, I fell in love with you at first sight. Previously, your family rejected my proposal because I was already married, and I could only offer you the status of a co-wife.
Now, my wife has died in a natural disaster, and I am a widower. If you marry me, you will be my legal wife.
There is nothing preventing me from marrying you now."
Huo Yu, with the air of a man overly confident in his own charm, smugly believed that Gu Qingcheng would surely not refuse his proposal, especially since he held a hostage.
Gu Qingcheng hadn't anticipated that Huo Yu harbored such intentions.
But existence implied logic. Given Huo Yu's character, there was virtually no woman in this world he couldn't obtain; it was true before, and it was true now. Thus, it was not surprising that he considered Gu Qingcheng his possession.
Perhaps because he still held some affection for Gu Qingcheng, he didn't resort to force.
At this moment, he spoke to Gu Qingcheng in a tone of negotiation, showing her a semblance of politeness.
Gu Qingcheng felt neither anger nor joy, but simply said indifferently,
"General Huo, we are both adults. Is there any point in you trying to buy and sell me like this?
Don't you know that a happy marriage requires affection?
Oh, I was wrong. I shouldn't overestimate your emotional intelligence. Perhaps in your eyes, what is emotion?
Being husband and wife, the most important thing is to have as many children as possible in one bed!"
Gu Qingcheng spoke frankly, without a hint of shyness, which left Huo Yu stunned.
He never expected Gu Qingcheng to speak of marital matters so openly and generously, without the slightest trace of embarrassment on her face.
He couldn't help but exclaim, "Hmm," and instead of getting angry, he chuckled and said,
"Miss Gu, from my impression, you shouldn't be so ill-bred."
This isn't a matter of upbringing, General Huo, it's a difference in ideology. What we call upbringing is not the same."
Gu Qingcheng would never let him criticize her for being ill-bred. If she allowed him to criticize her, wouldn't it imply her parents hadn't raised her well?
In her upbringing, marriage should involve affection, not coercion. It wasn't about the man feeling superior and presumptuously trampling the woman underfoot.
Gu Qingcheng knew that their worldviews were different. No matter how much she explained, Huo Yu would not understand her meaning, and she was too lazy to elaborate.
Huo Yu, upon hearing this, became somewhat displeased and snorted,
"Regardless of your upbringing, I think we are quite well-matched."
With that, he didn't allow Gu Qingcheng to refute. In his upbringing, this was the extent of the respect he could offer a woman.
"Someone, prepare makeup for Miss Gu. Tonight is my wedding night with her."
Huo Yu turned to his subordinates and commanded.
Gu Qingcheng hadn't expected Huo Yu to be so shameless. His actions, if not outright rape, were close to it.
So, this was the trap he had set for her.
As expected, as soon as Huo Yu's voice fell, maids and matchmakers, who had been lurking in the shadows, emerged from the darkened corners of the side room.
They were all dressed in vibrant attire, in new brocade dresses of red, looking festive and smiling with forced cheerfulness to liven up the atmosphere.
Suddenly, the previously quiet side room became lively.
"Miss Gu, I have been preparing for a long time to marry you. From the moment you arrived at Chaoliaó Island, and I inadvertently learned of your whereabouts, I lost sleep and couldn't eat. Finally, I have brought you here.
Miss Gu, you value ceremony, don't you? You said you wanted a proper title. Then I will give you all the ceremony and title. Everything will be handled according to wedding procedures!"
After speaking, Huo Yu burst into laughter and ordered the maids and matchmakers to proceed.
Although these matchmakers and maids appeared to be delicate women, Huo Yu had stationed many hidden guards around the side room.
Gu Qingcheng knew that escaping by brute force alone was impossible. Moreover, if she were to escape, she would have to take Du Lanyue with her.
Clearly, the time was not yet right.
Therefore, Gu Qingcheng did not resist. Instead, she allowed the matchmakers to politely escort her to sit before the dressing table and to proceed with whatever they pleased with her makeup.
Seeing her cooperativeness, Huo Yu couldn't help but feel a secret sense of triumph. He thought that while Miss Gu's words were a bit sharp, she was still quite sensible.
He said with a smile, "Miss Gu, once you are married to me, you will know how blissful it is to be my wife!"
Gu Qingcheng secretly cursed him in her heart upon hearing this: Shameless!
After a pause, Huo Yu continued,
"Once you marry me and become mine, I will grant you freedom. But for now, do not make any rash moves or attempt to escape. If the hidden guards detect you trying to escape, they will, without question, chop you into mince."
Huo Yu, with the most intimate expression and the gentlest words, spoke the most vicious words in the world. Such a man was undeniably perverted.
Although Gu Qingcheng was not frightened, she was disgusted. She let out a faint hum and did not reply.
Huo Yu didn't care about her mood. With the smugness of a man who had captured his beloved, he left, presumably to oversee the wedding preparations.
Afterward, Gu Qingcheng vaguely heard the sound of gongs and drums outside, followed by a crowd of people cheering:
"Congratulations, General! Best wishes, General! May your union be auspicious, may you have many children soon, and may your love last a hundred years!"
After leaving, Huo Yu must have announced the happy news of his wedding to his subordinates, and his sycophantic followers were all cheering alongside him, bringing a semblance of life to this otherwise gloomy little island.
Gu Qingcheng's mind was racing, contemplating how to take Du Lanyue away.
For herself, escaping would be simple. The difficulty lay in successfully taking Du Lanyue with her.
Fortunately, when she had gone to see Du Lanyue earlier, she had memorized the path to his courtyard. The side rooms were not far apart.
But how could she escape?
Gu Qingcheng felt as if she was about to tear her hair out, unable to come up with a plan for the moment.
Meanwhile, the matchmakers were diligently applying makeup to her face. She had no idea what kind of monstrous appearance she had been transformed into, and could only endure it.
Then, a maid went to unpin her hair and style it into a maiden's coiffure.
Once the makeup was done, another matchmaker brought forth a beautifully embroidered wedding dress and asked her to change into it.