SGEIRS -Chapter 284 A Budding Sense of Regret

After prescribing a medicinal bath for Meng Jinyao, Imperial Physician Wen took his leave.

From Weirui Pavilion to the front gate of the Marquis’s residence was quite a distance. As Gu Jingxi escorted Physician Wen out, he also planned to ask whether this quack’s medicine was actually effective.

However, before he could speak, just after leaving Weirui Pavilion, Physician Wen asked meaningfully, “My Lord Marquis, have you tried that ‘miracle medicine’ yet?”

Gu Jingxi paused, shot him a look, and said nothing.

Physician Wen couldn’t tell whether he had tried it or not. Seeing how serious and upright Lord Gu was, he assumed he probably hadn’t. After some hesitation, he asked, “My Lord… you haven’t tried it yet, have you?”

Gu Jingxi narrowed his eyes and slowly uttered two words: “I have.”

Hearing this, Physician Wen’s eyes lit up at once, mixed with a bit of surprise. Smiling broadly, he asked, “Then was the ‘miracle medicine’ effective?”

Gu Jingxi kept a straight face. “What do you think?”

Looking at him and seeing the expression of someone who seemed to be owed a hundred thousand taels of silver, Physician Wen knew there hadn’t been much effect. He hurried to comfort him. “My Lord, it’s normal if it didn’t work the first time. After all, it’s not an elixir of immortality. Why don’t you try harder and give it a few more attempts?”

Gu Jingxi felt more and more that he truly resembled an unreliable quack.

Afraid he might lose confidence, Physician Wen added, “My Lord, I’ve improved the prescription. I’m ninety percent confident about curing your condition. As long as you follow the instructions and don’t give up halfway this time, it can definitely be cured.”

Only then did Gu Jingxi respond indifferently with an “Mm.”

Physician Wen: “…”

So… did he believe in his medical skills or not?

After seeing Physician Wen off at the gate, Gu Jingxi returned to Weirui Pavilion. He saw his young wife looking dispirited, hugging a warming pot and sitting there sighing. He felt both distressed and amused, and comforted her, “At least soaking in medicinal baths is better than drinking medicine.”

Meng Jinyao shot him a look. “Didn’t you hear Physician Wen say that I still have to take the medicine? After drinking it for so long, people can smell it on you. If I also soak in medicinal baths, I’ll be soaked through with the smell. People could smell me from far away. How am I supposed to go to banquets then?”

“Is it really that exaggerated?” Gu Jingxi patted her head. “At home, no one will say anything. When you go out, if you can’t stand it, just wash up and bathe first. Then there won’t be any smell.”

Meng Jinyao: “…”

What else could she say? At only sixteen, she was already living like a sixty-year-old granny, drinking medicine every day.

Because of this, her resentment toward her natal family deepened even more. Having such a weak body was largely thanks to them.

After a while, she waved her hand to signal the maids to withdraw, then asked, “By the way, his biological parents have been urging him to take a proper wife. Has he made any moves lately?”

Gu Jingxi replied, “He has made some moves, but there hasn’t been any substantial progress.”

She asked again, “What do you mean by ‘no substantial progress’?”

Gu Jingxi said calmly, “The girls who are well-matched in status and background keep their distance from him. The ones he doesn’t like—those from low-status families who want to climb higher—are the ones trying to get close.”

Hearing this, Meng Jinyao was only slightly stunned and not surprised.

A man who could run away from his wedding and dote on a concubine to the heavens would very likely favor concubines and neglect his wife in the future. Girls raised in prestigious families were mostly clear-headed. With their family background, why would they rush to marry someone like Gu Xiuming?

Only girls from humble families who wanted to change their fate through marriage would overlook his behavior. They were targeting the fact that Gu Xiuming’s reputation was ruined and that well-matched girls looked down on him. They wanted to seize the chance to become the heir’s wife, not because they cared about Gu Xiuming himself.

Those who married for status would only need to bear a legitimate son. After that, Gu Xiuming would be useless. It wouldn’t matter whom he doted on.

That night, in Qingyu Pavilion.

Gu Xiuming lay awake in bed, unable to sleep, troubled by the matter of taking a proper wife. In order to find a suitable main wife, he had recently attended several poetry gatherings. There were young ladies there—some invited for their talent, others who came along with male relatives to gain experience.

Besides poetry gatherings, he also attended flower-viewing banquets. These events naturally had both scholars and young ladies, composing poems on certain flowers and appreciating each other’s work.

Yet all these gatherings were useless.

Before, he had been engaged, so it was normal for the girls to avoid him. But now that he was no longer engaged, they still kept their distance. They were even afraid to talk to him for more than a few sentences, as if they feared being involved in rumors.

Could it be because of Wan’er?

Gu Xiuming glanced at the girl beside him. She was delicate and graceful, gentle and kind—his beloved. Yet now, looking at her, he felt somewhat irritated. A trace of regret arose in his heart. If he hadn’t run away from the wedding back then, he probably wouldn’t be worrying so much now.

But when the girl beside him softly called, “Brother Xiuming,” that faint regret instantly dissipated. He had no desire to marry a woman like Meng Jinyao anyway.

Li Wan’er called again, “Brother Xiuming?”

“What is it?” he asked.

She looked puzzled. “What are you thinking about? You’ve been staring at me in a daze.”

“Nothing,” he replied. “Just thinking about some things. It’s a bit troubling.”

She said considerately, “If you have something troubling you, you can tell me. Maybe I can help you think of a solution.”

He looked at her for a long while. Thinking that as a girl, she might know how to get close to other girls, he said, “I have a schoolmate, he…” Halfway through, he worried that she might overthink it, so he changed his words. “Forget it. It’s someone else’s business. Better not talk about it, or he might blame me for being loose-lipped.”

Since he said so, Li Wan’er didn’t press further. She only said, “Brother Xiuming, we can’t manage other people’s affairs. Don’t trouble yourself over them. It’s already very late. Let’s sleep.”

“Mm. Let’s sleep.”

Li Wan’er shyly snuggled into his arms, wrapping her hands around him. Her meaning was obvious—she was seeking intimacy.

Gu Xiuming stiffened slightly. Ever since he had said he wanted a child quickly to stabilize his position, Wan’er had become much more proactive. She also took fertility medicine every day without fail. But now, he didn’t want to have a child with her so soon. At the very least, he wanted to wait until a proper wife entered the household and bore him a legitimate son first.

On this matter, his parents were right. If he had an eldest illegitimate son before his main wife entered, well-matched families would be even more unwilling to marry their daughters to him.

Then how would he secure his position as heir? How would he win over his grandmother and get her to help him stop Gu Jingxi from adopting the fourth brother and letting him compete for the heirship?

Looking at Wan’er’s sweet smile and feeling her soft body pressed against him, he felt tempted. But reason prevailed. He hardened his heart and pulled her hands away. Doing this too often could easily lead to pregnancy.

Seeing her confusion, he said gently, “Wan’er, don’t make trouble. Go to sleep.”

Though disappointed, Li Wan’er didn’t dare insist. In recent days, Brother Xiuming had refused her several times. She wondered if he was too tired from studying and wasn’t very capable in this area anymore—having the desire but not the strength.

But if he was already weak at such a young age, wouldn’t it get worse later?

She would have to get someone to stew some nourishing, aphrodisiac soups for him. Otherwise, who knew how long it would take before they had a child?