SGEIRS -Chapter 378 Mutual Torment

Wei Mansion.

The night was deep and quiet, and most of the household had already gone to bed.

A stunningly beautiful woman sat at her dressing table, her expression blank. She held a jade comb in her hand and slowly combed her hair—though it was not messy.

It was as if she was not combing her hair at all, but trying to untangle the chaos in her heart.

Before long, a man in his thirties entered. Seeing her sitting there expressionless, like a marionette without a soul, his brows furrowed. Displeasure and a trace of malice flashed across his eyes as he stepped forward. Standing behind her, he appeared in the mirror—but she did not notice.

These two were none other than Lord Wei, the magistrate of Huzhou, and his wife, Mei Qingyun.

Seeing that she had not noticed his arrival, Wei felt even angrier, imagining she might be thinking of someone else. He sneered and said, “After more than ten years, you finally see the one who has been on your mind all these years. But he is already married, with a beautiful wife by his side. Madam Gu is young and lovely, and they are loving. I wonder, what do you feel in your heart?”

Hearing this, Mei Qingyun came back to herself. She suddenly saw another person in the mirror and jumped in surprise, slightly dazed. She had been lost in thought, not realizing when her husband had arrived, let alone what he had just said.

Wei, seeing that she seemed not to have heard him, felt annoyed but didn’t want to miss the chance to provoke her. He repeated his words.

Mei Qingyun’s face changed sharply. “Wei Heng, what nonsense are you talking about?”

Seeing her expression shift, Wei curled a malicious smile and continued, “Mei Qingyun, no matter how well you hide it in front of others, you can never fool me. Don’t think I didn’t notice. That scene of him helping Madam Gu into the carriage—you stared for a long time, and after turning away, your handkerchief was nearly torn to shreds. Now, do you regret breaking off the engagement?”

Mei Qingyun looked at her husband in the mirror. His body was fuller, his face rounder. He had once been a refined and gentle gentleman, but that was no longer the case. Everything had changed—so much so that she felt disgusted just looking at him. Even she herself was no longer the woman she had once been.

Now, being together was mutual torment. They each poked at the other’s pain, neither wanting the other to feel at ease. Yet, absurdly, in public, they still played the part of a loving couple, and outsiders believed it.

Occasionally, she recalled the young man she had once admired—radiant, talented—but the sight of her husband made her want to stop remembering. Over a decade had passed; things had changed. The handsome youth of her memories had likely turned into this middle-aged, soft-bodied man, no longer the beauty he had been.

Yet today, she saw the youth from her memories—he hadn’t turned out as she had imagined. He was mature and composed, yet still handsome, and even more charming for the passage of time.

Even though Gu Jingxi had a hidden condition and was not a normal man, young girls still looked at him with shyness and admiration. Wei Heng, a perfectly normal man, could never receive such attention.

Mei Qingyun scoffed. “Yes, I regret breaking off the engagement. But I regret marrying you even more. Even with a hidden condition, Gu Jingxi is more of a man than you are. You’re just a good-for-nothing, and I despise you!”

“Regret?”

Wei Heng’s expression changed. He reached out and grabbed her chin, pressing it toward him. “Mei Qingyun, you are the last person with the right to talk about regret. You despised him for his condition and had your parents break off the engagement. You abandoned him first. Even marrying me was your own choice. The one you have longed for, who refused to marry for over ten years, eventually married someone else and cared deeply for her. You will never have him.”

Mei Qingyun’s heart clenched painfully. She had truly liked Gu Jingxi. He had been brilliant and handsome, the envy of all, and she had been fortunate to have such a fiancé. But when he fell ill, he was no different from a eunuch, and even if she had loved him, she couldn’t have spent her life living as a widow.

After breaking off the engagement, she married Wei Heng, who promised a life together. Yet that marriage turned out to be punishment for abandoning Gu Jingxi. Wei Heng broke his promises, taking a concubine less than two years into the marriage, bearing children with her, claiming she could not conceive, forbidding her from stopping others from bearing his children.

She had suffered, cried late into the night, resented him, envied others, even letting her hands be stained with blood.

Her former fiancé never married after she broke off the engagement. With the status of the Changxing Marquisate, even if she married there, she could have lived as a widow comfortably. Yet Gu Jingxi did not marry—many said it was because of her.

Whether that was true, she did not know. But she truly regretted it. Had she known she couldn’t bear children, marrying Gu Jingxi would have been fine. They could have adopted a child, avoiding the current situation where a trusted maid bore a child that was claimed in her name, yet her husband would never belong solely to her.

But regret was useless. Everything was gone. The man she had loved had married someone else. She could see that Gu Jingxi truly liked Meng Jinyao, showing her tenderness and care. It could have all been hers—but she had lost it.

Seeing her eyes glisten with unshed tears, Wei released her chin and smiled maliciously. “Mei Qingyun, let’s spend our lives like this, then!”

Mei Qingyun looked at the man before her, hatred and resentment in her eyes, and scoffed, “I killed your favorite concubine and her child. You hate me, right? Then divorce me if you can!”

Gritting his teeth, Wei Heng growled, “You poisoner. Divorceing you and letting you free would be too easy on you. Let’s torment each other for the rest of our lives.”

Saying this, he roughly pulled Mei Qingyun from the chair. She stumbled but he caught her without hesitation, ignoring her struggles, and carried her toward the bed, forcing himself on her.

Mei Qingyun detested him and did not want this contact. She resisted at first, but when her clothes were torn and she realized resistance was futile, she lay there numbly, allowing him to do as he pleased.

Seeing this, Wei lost interest momentarily and slapped her across the face. The sharp crack echoed in the room as he said, “What now? Even now, you’re still thinking of Gu Jingxi?”

Before she could respond, he continued, “Even if there were no other women around him, his condition makes him no different from a eunuch. He could never give you this kind of pleasure!”

Mei Qingyun, not new to his slaps, replied indifferently, “Wei Heng, seeing you like this makes me pity you.”

Hearing this, Wei entered roughly, attempting to torment her further.

Mei Qingyun furrowed her brows and, with fierce resolve, clung to him and bit his shoulder hard.

Feeling the pain, Wei cursed, “Madwoman,” but did not push her away. Instead, he continued his rough torment.

After a moment, she tasted blood and released her bite.

And then, it was over.

Mei Qingyun looked at the bloodied mark on his shoulder and smiled mockingly, her teeth stained with blood. The smile was eerie, almost mad.

She sneered, “Wei Heng, you may not be a eunuch, but you’re not much better. Useless wretch!”

Wei Heng had once been capable, but later he spent much time indulging in his concubines, weakening himself. Age had caught up, and he was no longer the man he had been.