SGEIRS -Chapter 125 Ripples in the Heart

Weirui Pavilion

Gu Jingxi helped the little lady back. At first, he thought it would be too slow to walk this way and considered carrying her back to Weirui Pavilion, but the little lady refused, saying it wouldn’t be proper.

Dragging their feet along, they finally returned to Weirui Pavilion.

Meng Jinyao sat down on a chair and leaned back to rest. For the first time, she realized that Weirui Pavilion was quite far from Shou’an Hall. Walking this distance was exhausting—no wonder people with leg injuries were so envious of those who could move freely.

Gu Jingxi sat down beside her. Seeing her slump in the chair with a frown, he curved his lips into a small smile and then asked, “Why did you refuse, Madam?”

Hearing this, Meng Jinyao tilted her head and asked in return, “Refuse what? You mean taking charge of the household affairs?”

Gu Jingxi responded lightly with a “Hmm,” then analyzed objectively, “With your abilities, and with your two elder sisters-in-law helping, you could easily handle it. Why refuse?”

Meng Jinyao raised an eyebrow and giggled. “Naturally, it’s because I’m lazy. If someone else does the work for me, I’m more than happy.”

Gu Jingxi was a little surprised. “Many people like to stay busy, but you’re different.”

Meng Jinyao calmly replied, “I’m the marquise. The household affairs will eventually fall into my hands anyway. Taking them now or later doesn’t make much difference. When the family separates in the future, I can take over then. As long as my husband and mother treat me well, it won’t matter whether I manage the household or not—no one will neglect me.”

She paused, then looked at Gu Jingxi again. “You won’t treat me unfairly, right?”

“Treat you unfairly? I’ve even fattened you up a bit.”

Gu Jingxi’s gaze swept over the little lady’s face. Her features leaned toward the bright and delicate side. Being too thin made her lose her charm, but a bit of flesh made her look like a blooming peony, radiant and full of life.

The extra flesh had come from being cared for by him after their marriage.

The clothes she wore and the jewelry she had were all purchased with his money.

Looking at her, he subtly nodded to himself. Raising a son had never given him such satisfaction, but now seeing the little lady thrive brought a natural sense of accomplishment. No wonder his colleagues always said daughters were more endearing—soft, lovely, and delightful—while sons were mischievous and constantly causing trouble, making one frustrated.

Meng Jinyao felt a little awkward under his scrutinizing gaze and quietly reached up to touch her own face. There was indeed some flesh now; without a doubt, she had become rounder than before her wedding. She looked in the mirror every day, so the change wasn’t obvious to her, but A-Ning, who hadn’t seen her for a while, could easily notice the difference.

Seeing this, Gu Jingxi thought she was displeased about gaining weight and said with a smile, “It’s better for you to have a bit of flesh. It’s pleasing to look at. I don’t know why, but you children around ten or so always chase after that willow-thin waist, nearly starving yourselves.”

Meng Jinyao was momentarily speechless. Hearing him, she suddenly thought of her grandfather. When she was little, she was afraid of becoming a chubby little girl and refused to eat. Her grandfather coaxed her, saying a fair, plump little girl looked the best—like a little doll, charming and lovable.

Could it be that older people all think this way?

She looked at Gu Jingxi, her expression subtly shifting. Perhaps heaven, seeing she had no father’s love since birth, had given her a husband like a father to make up for it?

She forced a smile and shyly replied, “I think this is fine too, fa—” She realized she almost said “father” and immediately corrected herself, “Uh, my husband really hasn’t treated me unfairly.”

Gu Jingxi’s keen hearing picked up the subtle change, and his long, narrow eyes slightly narrowed. With an unreadable expression, his tone turned a little colder. “Fa… what?”

Meng Jinyao gave an innocent, obedient smile. “Husband, what’s wrong?”

Gu Jingxi clicked his tongue, half exasperated, half amused. “Have you mistaken me for your father? If only things were different, I would have truly been a father, but you still need to understand—you’re not my daughter-in-law. My unruly son ran away on his wedding day.”

Meng Jinyao quickly shook her head. “No, no. Husband is husband. How could he be a father? Besides, which daughter would sleep with her father every night?”

Gu Jingxi’s smile was ironic. “True.”

Meng Jinyao: “….”

How had she nearly slipped up with her words?

Gu Jingxi looked at her, his expression returning to normal. Returning to the main topic, he said, “It’s actually good that you’re not taking charge of the household affairs.”

Meng Jinyao was confused. “Hmm?”

Gu Jingxi spoke gently, “You’re still young. You should be enjoying life, not burdened with chores. Taking over household affairs would make you busy. Just listening to reports from the house steward and her assistant would give you a headache.”

Meng Jinyao was slightly taken aback. One reason she refused to take charge was that she didn’t want to be bothered by chores. The other was that she didn’t want to disrupt the existing balance.

Despite all her struggles with her family, she was actually someone who disliked hassle. Perhaps other daughters-in-law enjoyed such busy work, but not her. To her, being entangled in chores every day was no fun.

She preferred leisure. As a young lady, she never had the chance to relax; she had to be alert at all times, fearing that Madam Sun would trick her, while also keeping an eye on Chengzhang, worried he’d suffer like Chengyu. Now, as a married woman, no one bullied or schemed against her. She thought she should enjoy life and savor the leisurely, wealthy lifestyle.

Moreover, if she took over household affairs, it would disrupt the balance between her, her first sister-in-law, and second sister-in-law—especially with the first sister-in-law. She didn’t want to engage in open or hidden conflict. Having been frightened by fights as a young lady, she preferred to avoid them entirely, keeping her life peaceful.

Now, everything was convenient and worry-free. Others gladly handled the work, while she enjoyed a calm life—why not?

Seeing her expression change, Gu Jingxi couldn’t guess what she was thinking. He continued, “I won’t restrict you, as long as you don’t do what you did last time—drinking outside and not returning at night. It’s unsafe for a young lady to be out at night. You can meet with friends or invite them over to the mansion.”

The man’s tone was casual, filled with ordinary reminders.

Meng Jinyao listened, and her heart stirred. She stared at him for a moment before smiling and responding, “Alright.”

Although Gu Jingxi was speaking out of his responsibility as a husband, she felt genuinely warmed by it.

In this world, there was one more person who cared for her.

It felt nice. She didn’t reject it; she actually liked it.

She thought that if things could continue this way, spending her life with this “temporary” husband wouldn’t be so bad.