SGEIRS -Chapter 366 She’s Problematic

As Meng Jinyao finished speaking, the young girl froze completely. She was stunned, and at the same time a little bewildered, as if she couldn’t understand how her act of serving as a slave or maid to repay a debt of gratitude could be seen as repaying kindness with enmity in this lady’s eyes.

The girl glanced at the elegant and otherworldly young nobleman beside her. Seeing his gaze fixed on the beautiful lady, she realized the lady’s importance in his heart. Nervously, she asked, “Madam, do you think I have failed in serving you? I can wash clothes and cook meals, chop firewood, carry water—all kinds of household chores I can do.”

Meng Jinyao shook her head slightly and said calmly, “It’s not that I think you’re bad. It’s just that I truly don’t lack maids around me. Young lady, what your aunt said isn’t entirely unreasonable. Why become a servant and sell yourself as a maid if you could live a good life as an ordinary citizen? If it was out of necessity, that’s understandable. But now I am giving you back your freedom—isn’t that enough?”

The girl hesitated for a moment before replying, “Just now, thanks to Madam’s rescue, I am willing to serve you with all my strength to repay your great kindness. I hope Madam will allow it.”

Her tone was sincere, her expression earnest.

However, Meng Jinyao remained unmoved. “You needn’t work yourself to exhaustion. I merely spoke a few words for you just now—it’s nothing worth mentioning. If you truly want to repay me, go back to the capital and live well, don’t let yourself be deceived again—that would be the greatest repayment.”

Gu Jingxi chimed in, “My wife is right. It was just a few words; there’s no need for the young lady to go to such lengths. By the way, where will your uncle and aunt disembark?”

The girl replied, “My uncle and aunt will get off at the second next dock.”

Gu Jingxi decisively said, leaving no room for refusal: “Then you will get off at the next dock and take a boat back to the capital. We will keep an eye on your uncle and aunt, so they won’t have the chance to follow you off the boat. This way, you won’t be taken back by them midway. Once back in the capital, with neighbors watching, they won’t dare act against you. At worst, you could still report it to the authorities.”

Seeing this, the girl no longer insisted. She knelt with a thud and kowtowed to them: “I am deeply grateful to the young master and Madam for your great kindness.”

Afterwards, Meng Jinyao arranged for the girl to stay in the adjacent guest room with Chan’er and Qingqiu, both for companionship and so Chan’er could keep an eye on her. When they reached the next dock, she would disembark and leave.

With everything arranged, Meng Jinyao returned to her room, sat beside Gu Jingxi, and took the teacup he handed her, sipping the tea.

Gu Jingxi spoke warmly, “A-Yao, I thought you might keep her.”

Meng Jinyao paused, then shook her head. “No. When I spoke up for her earlier, I consulted your opinion with my eyes. You didn’t object, so I helped her. But helping her doesn’t mean keeping her.”

Gu Jingxi asked, “Why not?”

Meng Jinyao explained, “You never know if someone of unknown background could cause trouble if they stayed. And this trip to Huzhou Prefecture isn’t just for ancestor worship—you have other matters to attend to. Who knows if she was sent deliberately to get close to us? Of course, if I overthink, helping her is still a good deed, a merit.”

Gu Jingxi was a little surprised. He hadn’t expected A-Yao to think so thoroughly. He had assumed the young girl’s kind and soft heart would make her sympathetic, leading her to take the girl in.

Seeing him silent, Meng Jinyao asked, “Husband, is there any problem with how I handled it?” She lowered her head, her mood briefly dipping. “Maybe my upbringing made me sensitive and suspicious, unable to easily trust someone. I tend to doubt people.”

Gu Jingxi shook his head slightly, pulled her into his arms, and stroked her head, praising her without reservation: “No problem. You did very well, A-Yao. Always act like this: never harbor ill intentions toward others, but always be cautious. Before understanding the details, never hand over your trust lightly. Stay alert around people whose backgrounds you don’t know.”

Hearing this, Meng Jinyao’s slightly tense expression softened. She leaned against him, looking up at him with bright eyes, and smiled as she asked, “Husband, if I hadn’t overthought it and kept her, what would you have done?”

Gu Jingxi smiled casually, “If you wanted to keep her, I would respect your decision and let her stay as a maid. Even if she has problems, it wouldn’t matter. If someone sent a spy, we wouldn’t accept them, but they might try again. In that case, it’s better to take her in and watch her ourselves.”

Meng Jinyao understood that he hadn’t considered the girl important—even if she were someone else’s spy, it wouldn’t matter. She asked again, curious, “Then, husband, do you think she has a problem?”

Gu Jingxi replied, “Right now, I can’t see any problems. But it doesn’t matter—whether she stays or not won’t affect us much.”

The next day, at the next dock, Meng Jinyao gave the girl enough money for the journey back to the capital, with enough left over for a few months of living expenses. She disembarked without hesitation, thanked her repeatedly, and left.

By evening, Yu Chuan came to see Gu Jingxi, bowed to both him and Meng Jinyao, and then said abruptly, “My lord, they do indeed have a problem.”

Gu Jingxi asked, “What problem?”

“I overheard that middle-aged man saying the girl is useless—and she still wasn’t kept by Madam,” Yu Chuan said. Then he asked, “My lord, should I bring them here for questioning, to see who sent them?”

Gu Jingxi considered briefly and said, “No need. Don’t alert them. Let’s act as if nothing happened. We just need to know that some people might be impatient. If they are, it proves something suspicious is going on.”

Yu Chuan nodded. “Your wisdom is unmatched, my lord.”

Gu Jingxi said indifferently, “This is no longer your concern. You may leave. That couple is still on the boat—keep an eye on them.”

Yu Chuan obeyed and left.

Hearing Yu Chuan’s words, Meng Jinyao imagined the girl and the middle-aged couple, her heart stirred, shocked. She hadn’t realized that those three had staged a performance before her and her husband.

Seeing his wife frown, Gu Jingxi reached out and touched her forehead, trying to smooth her furrowed brows, and gently asked, “A-Yao, are you scared?”

Meng Jinyao quickly shook her head, looking up at him: “No. I just didn’t expect that they really had a problem. The girl’s goal was to get close to us.”

Gu Jingxi said, “Their plan failed. Whoever is behind it probably won’t try the same trick again.”

Meng Jinyao thought for a moment, then asked curiously, “Husband, does the case you’re investigating relate to people in the capital? We’ve just departed, Huzhou Prefecture couldn’t have received news so quickly. Even if someone wanted to send a spy, it would have to be someone from the capital.”

Gu Jingxi replied, “There is a connection in terms of social networks. As for how directly they’re related to the case, we’ll only know once evidence is found. If someone tries to send a spy, it’s probably just to probe our purpose.”

Then he changed the subject. “A-Yao, it’s time for dinner. Are you hungry?”

Meng Jinyao, who hadn’t felt anything earlier, suddenly realized she was indeed hungry. She nodded. “A little. Let’s eat first.”