SGEIRS -Chapter 376 How Could She Take a Fancy to Him

The birthday banquet ended, and the guests felt right at home.

Lord Wei and Madam Wei escorted their guests out together.

Before leaving, Meng Jinyao cast a glance at Lord Wei from the corner of her eye. He was truly different from what she had imagined. She had heard before that the Mei family women were both talented and beautiful, but before seeing Madam Wei, encountering Lord Wei alone had left her with no particular impression.

However, after seeing the gentle, graceful, and beautiful Madam Wei, the strong contrast between the couple standing together made her wonder: back then, with someone like Gu Jingxi being so perfect, how could Madam Wei have taken a fancy to Lord Wei and agreed to marry him?

Madam Wei was stunning—a kind of beauty that naturally inspired affection. Lord Wei, on the other hand, was not very tall, only about half a head taller than his wife. He appeared to be in his thirties, with a beard, a round, fair face marked by traces of age at the corners of his eyes, especially noticeable when he smiled. His figure was plump, with a belly resembling a woman four or five months pregnant.

Judging by appearances alone, Lord Wei did not seem as spirited as her older brother-in-law, Lord Han. Lord Han also had a beard and showed signs of age, but he was not overweight; his tall, slender figure exuded the silent authority accumulated from years in high office, which naturally commanded respect. His blue robe added an air of refinement, making him appear much gentler.

Why didn’t Madam Wei choose a handsome young talent? Did Lord Wei possess some qualities no one else could match?

Gu Jingxi, unaware of his young wife pondering these questions, exchanged a few polite words with Lord Wei and then left with his wife, attentively helping her into the carriage.

On the way home, he noticed her lost in thought. Concerned, he asked, “Jinyao, what’s the matter? Did something unpleasant happen?”

Meng Jinyao shook her head. “No, it’s just that something struck me as odd.”

“What’s odd?” Gu Jingxi pressed.

She looked at him carefully and said, “Madam Wei is truly beautiful—gentle, graceful, and virtuous. Even I, as a woman, can’t help but admire her. Her former fiancé was so outstanding, handsome and talented… so how could she have taken a fancy to Lord Wei?”

The Mei family was also a prominent household. Before Madam Wei married, her father was still alive, and the family was even more powerful than now. With her background, she could have married a young man both handsome and accomplished.

Hearing this, Gu Jingxi couldn’t help but smile. He hadn’t expected her to be mulling over this. “A decade or more has passed, and things have changed. Lord Wei wasn’t always like this. Back then, he was a handsome, dashing gentleman. Now, he’s aged, and time has left its marks, and he’s grown a bit plump.”

“Really? He used to be good-looking?” Meng Jinyao asked in surprise.

Gu Jingxi nodded gently. “Otherwise, how could Madam Wei have taken a fancy to him? He wasn’t just good-looking—he was talented as well. Add to that, her father held a third-rank official position, and Lord Wei’s elder brother was promising. It was a good match. Later, her father passed away, his brother died young, but Lord Han, her brother-in-law, could still serve as a reliable support.”

Meng Jinyao reflected on Lord Wei’s features. Even with the traces of age, if he were slimmer, he would likely possess the dignified aura of an older man, much like Lord Han.

After a moment, she said, “Husband, he seems older than my father, probably thirty-seven or thirty-eight, while Madam Wei looks around twenty-five. Lord Wei married rather late, it seems.”

Gu Jingxi shook his head with a smile. “He isn’t much older than Madam Wei. Lord Wei is only two or three years older than me. As for Madam Wei, if I recall correctly, she’s about a year younger than me. You probably perceive such a big age gap because Madam Wei maintains her youthful appearance, while Lord Wei has many responsibilities, which make him look older.”

Meng Jinyao was astonished. She had assumed Lord and Madam Wei, like her and her husband, had a significant age difference, but in reality, Lord Wei was at most thirty-three, and Madam Wei was twenty-nine—they were only four years apart.

To avoid any misunderstanding, Gu Jingxi drew her close and explained, “Don’t get the wrong idea. Your husband simply has a good memory, which is why I remember Madam Wei’s age. As for Lord Wei, I knew him before he married her.”

Meng Jinyao shot him a playful look. “I’m not misunderstanding. You said a few days ago that there was no romantic involvement with her, not even before the broken engagement. I believe you completely.”

Gu Jingxi smiled warmly. “Good, then there’s no misunderstanding.”

Meng Jinyao reached up to stroke his face, feeling the smoothness of his skin, and asked skeptically, “Husband, you’re thirty now, but you look more than ten years younger than Lord Wei. Did you really not do anything special to maintain your youth? I heard from other ladies that Imperial Physician Wen also specializes in beauty and skincare, providing creams even the empresses request.”

Gu Jingxi laughed wryly. “Why would a man need such things? If you mean maintenance remedies, I do have one. Would you like to hear it?”

Meng Jinyao’s eyes brightened. As a woman, she was naturally curious. “What remedy?”

Gu Jingxi’s tone softened. “Relax, frown less, get angry less. Approach many things with a mindset of ‘unnecessary,’ ‘it doesn’t matter,’ or ‘it’s not worth it.’ A calm, cheerful heart naturally slows aging.”

Meng Jinyao was stunned, but it made sense—someone with a cheerful, calm mindset naturally exudes energy, which in turn keeps them looking youthful.

After a moment, she asked, “By the way, is there any connection between the Gu and Han families? Lord Han is a generation above you.”

Gu Jingxi replied, “The current Duke of Zhen’guo is Lord Han’s nephew. The late duke was friends with my father, and his father was friends with my grandfather. After the passing of the previous generation, my three brothers and the current Duke of Zhen’guo are mere acquaintances. By past standards, I’d call Lord Han my ‘junior uncle Han.’”

Meng Jinyao understood and then asked, “So you’re not familiar with him?”

Gu Jingxi shook his head. “No. When I first entered government service, Lord Han wasn’t in the capital but serving elsewhere. When he was in the capital, we were over ten years apart in age, so we had little in common.”

“I see,” she said.

Gu Jingxi asked, “Jinyao, did you have any issues at the banquet today?”

“Not really. Madam Han was quite attentive to me,” Meng Jinyao said, pausing. She recalled a certain distance between Madam Han and Madam Wei and continued, “Husband, I felt Madam Han treated me more warmly than Madam Wei. I sensed that Madam Han was polite but distant toward Madam Wei, while Madam Wei remained kind toward her.”

Gu Jingxi asked gently, “Jinyao, which of the two do you think is better?”

Based on her first impressions, Meng Jinyao gave an objective evaluation: “I think both are good. Madam Wei is gentle and approachable; speaking with her is like a breath of spring, making one want to get close. Madam Han is also amiable, a kind elder.”

Gu Jingxi smiled. “You still have room to improve your judgment of people, Jinyao.”