Gu Rou was also quite anxious. Neither of them had expected Shi Xiu to come today. Logically, she should be avoiding the Gu family like they were the plague! If she hadn't come, they would naturally have taken the opportunity to spin the situation however they wanted.
The public doesn't care about the truth; true and false are determined by the current mood and preferences of the audience. By the time Shi Xiu and her family caught on to their plans, Shi Xiu wouldn't be able to explain and defend herself against the rumors, and they could seize the chance to broker the marriage. However, they didn't expect Shi Xiu to come; the Shi family really didn't play by the rules. It messed up all their plans.