SGEIRS -Chapter 386 Endless Regret

Upon hearing this, Gu Jingxi immediately knew they had come to the main topic. He replied, “Yes. This trip back home is to pay respects to my ancestors. I haven’t been back in over ten years. When the anniversary of my ancestor’s death approached, he appeared to me in a dream, asking me to bring my wife back to visit his grave, so he could see her as well.”

As he spoke, his tone shifted slightly: “However, we’ll have to stay a few more days before returning to the capital. My wife’s maternal uncle is the magistrate of Deqing County. We haven’t seen each other in many years. Now that we’re already in Huzhou Prefecture, it would be proper to pay a visit to our elders.”

Lord Wei looked shocked. “Magistrate Du is Madam Gu’s maternal uncle?”

Meng Jinyao nodded lightly. “Exactly. From now on, we will trouble Lord Wei to look after him.”

Lord Wei hurriedly replied, “Not at all, not at all.”

His attention had been fully on Gu Jingxi and had never been on Magistrate Du, who had been demoted and sent to Deqing County. He had never expected that this Du was even remotely related to Madam Gu. So when Gu Jingxi and his wife went to Deqing County, it was ostensibly to visit an elder—but perhaps there was more to it?

Gu Jingxi noticed every subtle expression on Lord Wei’s face. It was normal for Lord Wei to be surprised.

The Yongchang Marquis Mansion had long fallen into decline. The Meng family’s contact with the Du family was only during the life of Madam Du. Out of concern for young Jinyao losing her mother early, Madam Du had occasionally visited the Meng household. But Madam Du had passed away early, and after that, there was little contact.

Madam Du had been a cousin of Gu Jingxi’s mother. While they were alive, others would naturally recognize a familial connection between the two families. But decades had passed since their deaths, and Gu Jingxi’s father had remarried twice. By now, few would remember that the families had any distant kinship.

At this moment, Mei Qingyun asked, “So, does this mean Madam Gu and the Marquis visited the elder and then returned to the capital?”

Meng Jinyao nodded. “Yes. The Marquis has many official duties and cannot stay longer. After paying our respects to the elder, we must return to the capital.”

Mei Qingyun expressed a hint of regret. “I get along so well with Madam Gu. I had been hoping you might stay a bit longer. In a few days, our household will hold a flower-viewing banquet, and I had been planning to invite Madam Gu to join us.”

Hearing this, Meng Jinyao also sighed softly. “In a few days? Alas, the timing is unfortunate. But there will be plenty of opportunities in the future.”

Before long, the attendants brought the dishes one by one, and the four of them ate while conversing.

While Lord Wei spoke with Gu Jingxi, he would occasionally try, subtly, to extract information. Yet Gu Jingxi answered every question honestly and directly, without giving away the slightest clue. Lord Wei found himself frustrated.

Despite speaking with Lord Wei, Gu Jingxi’s attention to his young wife never wavered.

Since the dishes were brought out, Meng Jinyao had not picked up a single dish herself; Gu Jingxi served her throughout the meal. Her small bowl was always full, leaving her free to eat and respond to Mei Qingyun as she pleased.

Mei Qingyun observed Gu Jingxi’s tender care toward his wife. She recalled the last time she saw him with Meng Jinyao—she had noticed his affection then—but she hadn’t expected him to be so considerate that even during a simple meal, Meng Jinyao didn’t have to serve herself, and he would even remove fish bones before placing the meat in her bowl.

A man of such stature—a Marquis, and Minister of the Court of Justice at the third rank—yet attentive to his wife as though caring for a treasured heir, was truly rare in this world.

Mei Qingyun cast a fleeting glance at her own husband, so different from Gu Jingxi, and a wave of endless regret welled up in her heart. What had she married? Gu Jingxi was gentle, attentive, and devoted—yet she had let him go. She had married Wei Heng instead, and now her life felt ruined. If she had not broken off the engagement, she would be the one being cared for by Gu Jingxi like this.

Having observed her subtle change in expression, Lord Wei, who had known Mei Qingyun for many years and understood her well, could tell she was regretting her past decision—regretting breaking off the engagement to marry him, and imagining how happy she could have been with Gu Jingxi.

He inwardly sneered but gave no outward sign, smiling instead. “The Marquis and Madam Gu have such a good relationship. Seeing them together makes one envious.”

Gu Jingxi smiled gently. “Lord Wei and Madam Wei’s relationship is also enviable. I hear that you two have maintained such love for over a decade, always devoted to each other.”

At this, Lord Wei and Mei Qingyun exchanged a knowing smile. To outsiders, they truly appeared to be as loving as ever and seemed to silently confirm the fact.

After lunch, the four of them chatted leisurely in the private room before parting ways and returning to their respective homes.

Meng Jinyao reflected on Mei Qingyun, who was gracious, gentle, and polite—truly hard to imagine her capable of plotting harm against her husband, his heirs, or his concubines. The contrast between her demeanor and her cruel, vicious side was staggering.

Gu Jingxi took her small hand in his, asking gently, “What are you thinking about, Jinyao?”

Meng Jinyao replied, “Thinking about Madam Wei.”

“What about her?”

Gu Jingxi’s brow twitched. He instinctively recalled the lunch earlier, but there had been nothing amiss. Jinyao likely hadn’t noticed the unpleasantness of the Wei couple.

Meng Jinyao considered her words carefully. “I always feel that Madam Wei appears very gentle, yet her actions behind the scenes are completely inconsistent with that image. Perhaps she wasn’t like this in the beginning.”

Hearing this, Gu Jingxi frowned slightly, worried that she might get entangled with that insane woman. He cautioned, “Jinyao, don’t judge people by appearances. You mustn’t have too much contact with people like her.”

Meng Jinyao nodded. “I understand. Even if she was truly gentle once, she isn’t anymore. You don’t need to worry, husband. I’m only reflecting on it. Soon, we’ll return to the capital, and we probably won’t meet her again.”

Gu Jingxi changed the topic. “There’s still time. Is there anywhere else you want to visit? Let’s take a walk before returning home.”

Meng Jinyao said, “Let’s stroll along the street. I don’t want to go back to the mansion just yet.”

The couple stepped down from the carriage. Gu Jingxi held an oil-paper umbrella to shield them from the sun as they walked side by side along the bustling streets, stopping to admire anything interesting.

Suddenly, Meng Jinyao noticed an elderly couple with graying hair and hunched figures, pulling at each other in the street. She instinctively paused to observe.

The old woman, like a child, was fussing and searching for her father, calling the old man a wicked kidnapper trying to abduct her.

The old man remained calm, speaking gently, coaxing her that they would go home to find her father, and promising to buy her sugar-coated hawthorn later. This only prompted the old woman to scold him more vehemently, claiming he was trying to deceive children with candy, and even asking bystanders to judge the matter.

Meng Jinyao was puzzled. The old woman seemed ill—so disoriented she no longer recognized people, unsure of the year or even her own age. She seemed to have regressed in age, believing herself to be a child.

At that moment, someone nearby said, “Ah, Old Li’s wife has been insane for a year. Her son and daughter-in-law despise her, but thankfully Old Li is still alive to take care of her. Otherwise, who knows what would have become of her.”