She continued, “Chen’er and Nannan’s engagement was my doing back then. From the moment Nannan was born, I treated her like my own, adored her to bits. Gu Yanzhong and Lin Wanqiu were so fond of little Chen’er too, so I suggested betrothing the kids, letting them marry once they grew up.”
“Some warned me it was a new, open era, that arranging marriages like this was outdated feudal nonsense, but I stuck to it. I’ve always believed that some good things, some good opportunities, need parents to step in and secure for their kids.”
At that, An Chengqi let out a soft sigh, “Back then, Changying and I had already crossed paths with the Qing Breaking Society, uncovering many of their secrets. My biggest fear wasn’t that they’d come after us one day, but that they’d plant scholars around Chen’er in the future.”
At the mention of scholars, Sister Sun’s expression tightened.
She knew how dangerous they were.
These scholars, groomed by the Qing Breaking Society from childhood, existed solely to captivate a target’s attention.
The society spared no expense on them, crafting all sorts of exceptional types to lurk around their mark. The target might meet a string of perfect romantic prospects, unaware that most were tailor-made for them.
Who could resist someone moulded from birth to be their ideal match?
So An Chengqi harboured the same worry for Ye Chen.
If the Qing Breaking Society kept planting scholars around him, even if she could spot some, she couldn’t unmask every single one.
If her son ended up marrying one, it’d be a catastrophe for him and the entire Ye family.
In that case, she had to ensure Ye Chen married someone she knew inside and out, eliminating the scholar threat entirely.
And few fit that bill better than Gu Yanzhong and Lin Wanqiu’s daughter.
As long as Ye Chen wed Gu Qiuyi, no matter how many scholars the society slipped in, they’d never succeed.
Plus, ever since Gu Qiuyi’s birth, An Chengqi had adored her, seeing her beauty, intelligence, and kindness even as a child.
She was the perfect wife for Ye Chen.
But the Gu family never knew about this scholar layer of her reasoning.
Back then, An Chengqi’s plan was to keep Ye Chen close, guide and nurture him, while fostering his bond with Gu Qiuyi. Once they came of age, she’d see them married.
No one could’ve foreseen that their feud with the Qing Breaking Society would escalate so fast over the Nine Mysterious Heavenly Scripture.
Wu Feiyan was hellbent on wiping out Ye Changying’s family of three. In the end, with no choice, Ye Changying sacrificed himself to save his son, orchestrating a golden cicada escape for An Chengqi to slip away.
For years after, An Chengqi didn’t dare show herself or reunite with Ye Chen.
Recalling the past, she gave a bitter smile, “Fate’s a funny thing. I feared Chen’er would fall to a scholar, but after everything went down, Changying’s plan stripped him of the Ye family heir aura, and by some fluke, it also spared him the scholar threat entirely.”
Thinking of her two siblings ruined by scholars, An Chengqi’s voice turned icy, “Zhaonan and Youyou thought they were the luckiest people alive, finding soulmates who understood them, loved them, fit them perfectly. They never suspected it was all Wu Feiyan’s scholars. That venomous woman will pay for her sins sooner or later!”
