SGEIRS -Chapter 179 Subtle Changes

On the carriage.

Having barely slept through the night, Qingqiu and Ningdong sat leaning against each other, dozing off.

Meng Jinyao had only just recovered from her illness. Her head felt heavy and muddled, and she lacked energy altogether. She leaned against the carriage wall with her eyes closed, resting.

Suddenly, the carriage jolted, and the back of her head bumped against the wall. She hurriedly straightened up, afraid of hitting her head again.

Seeing the young lady frown and force herself to sit upright, Gu Jingxi hesitated for a moment before reaching out and pulling her into his arms, letting her lean against his chest. Meeting her startled gaze, he said gently, “If you’re tired, Madam, lean on me and sleep.”

Meng Jinyao felt weak all over and still dizzy. She didn’t stand on ceremony and naturally leaned against him.

Though Gu Jingxi didn’t look particularly burly, his chest was broad. Leaning against him felt warm and comfortable. Breathing in the faint orchid-like fragrance on him, she inexplicably felt at ease—yet she couldn’t fall asleep.

Perhaps she wasn’t used to being held like this.

Or perhaps it was the steady thumping of his heartbeat in her ears, drawing all her attention.

Gu Jingxi lowered his head and saw her small body nestled in his arms, completely still, as though she had fallen asleep again. It was clear she was utterly exhausted.

Qingqiu and Ningdong had woken up from the earlier jolt. They discreetly glanced at their two masters and saw Madam leaning against the Marquis’s chest, eyes closed, seemingly asleep.

They couldn’t tell if it was just their imagination, but after last night, it seemed that something between their Madam and the Marquis had subtly changed—yet at the same time, it seemed nothing had changed. That delicate, elusive feeling was hard to put into words.

Changxing Marquis’s Residence

As soon as they returned to the residence, Gu Jingxi instructed Ningdong to summon the household physician.

On the way back to Weirui Pavilion, Meng Jinyao ran into Madam Zhang and Madam Chen. The two were smiling as they exchanged words that secretly jabbed at each other’s sore spots. These sisters-in-law seemed naturally incompatible—whenever they met, a dispute was bound to arise.

Madam Zhang spotted them first and greeted them with a smile. “Third Brother, Third Sister-in-law.”

As soon as she spoke, Madam Chen turned her head and also saw the couple approaching side by side.

Gu Jingxi nodded lightly to his two sisters-in-law.

Meng Jinyao smiled and greeted them as well. “Eldest Sister-in-law, Second Sister-in-law.”

Noticing Meng Jinyao’s poor complexion, Madam Chen asked, “Third Sister-in-law, you don’t look too well. Are you feeling unwell?”

Meng Jinyao replied lightly, “Thank you for your concern, Second Sister-in-law. It’s nothing serious. I had a high fever last night, but it has subsided. I’m just a bit tired now.”

Madam Chen nodded. “That’s good. Even in summer, you shouldn’t be greedy for coolness. If cold enters the body, it can still cause fever.”

Madam Zhang echoed her words. “Exactly. Third Sister-in-law, take good care of yourself.”

Then she noticed the gauze wrapped around Meng Jinyao’s hands and exclaimed in surprise, “What happened to your hands? Are you injured? It looks quite serious.”

Meng Jinyao replied gently, “I accidentally fell last night and scraped the skin. It looks worse than it is.”

Hearing this, neither Madam Zhang nor Madam Chen thought much of it. They assumed that she had been unwell and careless due to the fever and reminded her to rest well and recuperate.

After returning to Weirui Pavilion, Meng Jinyao had barely sat down when Ningdong brought the household physician over.

On the way, Ningdong had already explained the situation, omitting some key details. She only said that Madam had suddenly developed a high fever last night, which had since subsided, but she still felt dizzy.

Meng Jinyao asked softly, “Doctor, how is it?”

The physician withdrew the three fingers from her wrist and replied, “Madam, you are suffering from emotional depression and excessive shock, which caused the sudden fever. A calming and spirit-soothing prescription will suffice.”

Meng Jinyao nodded. “Thank you for your trouble.”

“No trouble at all,” the physician said hurriedly. “However, Madam’s constitution is weak. While you’re still young, you should take good care of it.”

She wasn’t surprised by this. She had always known she was physically weak and prone to illness, especially in cooler weather. In the past, at her natal home, she hadn’t had the means to properly nourish herself. Now, in her husband’s household, she paid close attention to her diet and often drank nourishing soups. Lately, she felt much better, and her complexion had improved.

She said gently, “I do regulate my health regularly. Please just prescribe the calming medicine.”

The physician complied, wrote the prescription, and had a maid follow him to fetch and prepare the medicine.

After he left, Gu Jingxi frowned. “You have a weak constitution?”

Meng Jinyao nodded honestly. “I’m just more prone to illness than Qingqiu and Ningdong. It’s nothing serious. I’ve been drinking nourishing soups lately.”

Gu Jingxi recalled how she often drank soup. He had thought she simply liked it, never realizing the reason behind it.

“Then I’ll have the kitchen prepare more nourishing soups to build you up,” he said.

As he spoke, he examined her closely. Having just recovered, her face was pale and haggard. When she wasn’t ill, however, she looked quite normal. When she had first married in, she was somewhat frail, though not excessively thin. She only appeared delicate. Over the past few months, she had gained some weight, and her complexion had improved.

It seemed the Meng family had been stingy with her food—otherwise, she wouldn’t be so weak.

Meng Jinyao nodded again and added, “Husband, why don’t you rest for a while? Ningdong said you barely slept last night.”

“No rush. I still have something to ask you.” Gu Jingxi looked at her intently. “Why did you injure your hands yesterday? What exactly happened?”

Meng Jinyao paused. Recalling the truth she had learned the previous afternoon, a dark, hostile light flashed in her eyes.

“Nothing happened,” she replied. “I just learned something.”

Seeing the hatred in her eyes, Gu Jingxi guessed, “Is it related to the Meng family?”

She looked startled. “How did you know?”

“Other than the Meng family, I can’t think of anyone who could inspire such hatred in a sheltered young lady like you,” he said gently, coaxing her. “Tell your husband. What happened?”

Thinking of her mother, whom she had never met, Meng Jinyao’s eyes reddened. She choked as she spoke: “My mother didn’t die simply from difficult childbirth. Madam Sun had an affair with my father, and my mother discovered it. In her fury, Madam Sun pushed her, causing premature labor. In the end, my mother died from complications. My ‘good’ father knew the truth, yet he stood by coldly while my grandmother scolded me as a curse for over ten years.”

Gu Jingxi was deeply shaken. He hadn’t expected such hidden circumstances behind his mother-in-law’s death. No wonder she had been so emotionally distraught and even hurt herself.

He asked, “Then how did you learn about this?”