SGEIRS -Chapter 425 He’s Showing Off

Gu Jingxi read that poem over and over again, the smile on his face never fading.

His A-Yao missed him too. She had even reminded him to add more clothes. If he wasn’t mistaken, the parcel sent along with the letter must contain clothes she had made for him herself.

After a while, Gu Jingxi carefully folded the letter and put it back into the envelope, then opened the bundle. Sure enough, inside was a new set of clothes A-Yao had made for him.

Looking at the exquisitely embroidered patterns, he could picture her sitting on the soft couch by the window, head slightly lowered, her expression gentle and focused, fingers holding the needle and thread, moving smoothly like flowing clouds as she embroidered back and forth on the fabric.

That night, Gu Jingxi slept exceptionally well.

The next morning, he woke up feeling refreshed and energetic, and his attitude toward Yu Chuan and the others was especially gentle.

When Yu Chuan and the others saw the long-lost sincere smile on their master’s face, they knew that the letter from Madam yesterday had cheered him up. And seeing that he was wearing a brand-new autumn robe, they were certain it had been made by Madam herself.

Yu Chuan clicked his tongue inwardly. Yesterday, he had seen that his master had autumn clothes but refused to wear them, insisting on wearing summer clothes instead. Considering that it had been rainy and chilly lately, he had reminded him out of concern:

“Marquis, autumn is getting colder, especially in the mornings. Don’t dress too lightly, or you might catch a cold.”

And what happened?

His master had looked at him with a complicated, indescribable gaze and replied: “Yu Chuan, aren’t you not even eighteen yet? How can you be so weak at such a young age? With this kind of weather, you’re not some frail scholar—how could you catch a cold?”

Now look at him today—wearing autumn clothes, and brand-new ones at that. Truly: a virtuous wife’s stitches, worn on her husband’s body.

Yu Chuan couldn’t help teasing him: “Marquis, didn’t you say yesterday that this weather wouldn’t make you cold? Why are you wearing autumn clothes today? Could it be that you suddenly feel chilly?”

Gu Jingxi gave him a calm glance and replied unhurriedly: “I don’t feel cold. But my wife is always worried I’ll catch a chill. She even reminded me in her letter to dress warmer, and personally sewed these clothes and sent them over. How could I disappoint her kindness? Let alone in autumn—even in the height of summer, I’d still wear them.”

He paused, glanced at the four of them, and added: “You’re all still unmarried, so you probably don’t understand. When you have wives in the future, you’ll understand naturally.”

Yu Chuan: “……”

Zhou Yun: “……”

Fang Xuan: “……”

Fang Ce: “……”

They all felt that their master was clearly showing off—showing off to a group of men without wives. He used to be steady and low-key, but now he’d become high-profile, as if he wanted the whole world to know that his wife had made him new clothes.

It was only short of him telling everyone: “Look, my wife made this for me—every stitch by hand.”

Seeing that the four of them were silent, Gu Jingxi didn’t mind. He said lightly: “Alright, get back to work. I have things to do as well.”

With that, he walked away briskly.

The four men watched his retreating figure, then looked at each other.

Yu Chuan muttered, “The Marquis is really going backward as he gets older—less and less steady.”

Zhou Yun glared at him. “You single loner, what do you know?”

Yu Chuan glared back. “You’re single too. What do you know?”

Zhou Yun said calmly, “If I had such a gentle and considerate wife, I’d show off too.”

Yu Chuan: “……”

After a moment, Yu Chuan looked at the twin brothers beside him and said gloomily: “Look at him. He hasn’t even married yet and he’s already fantasizing about married life.”

Fang Ce patted his shoulder and smiled meaningfully.

“What’s wrong with imagining? Don’t tell me you’ve never thought about it, hmm?”

Yu Chuan’s expression changed slightly. He immediately hooked an arm around Fang Ce’s shoulder, pulled him aside a few steps, and asked in a low voice: “Do you know something?”

Fang Ce pointed at his eyes. “I’m not blind. I have eyes.”

Yu Chuan: “……”

Was he really that obvious?

The Marquis had noticed it. Fang Ce had noticed it. But why hadn’t Chan’er noticed?

Fang Ce glanced at him and said quietly: “Relax. I’m already twenty-two and haven’t been anxious about marriage. Why are you in such a hurry? If it doesn’t work out, there are plenty of fish in the sea. Why hang yourself on one tree?”

Yu Chuan looked at him for a long time and said: “You don’t have someone you like. You wouldn’t understand.”

Fang Ce: “……”

He really shouldn’t have spoken. He should’ve just let this kid be depressed on his own. Now, after saying all that, he ended up feeling depressed himself.

Capital City, Changxing Marquis Residence

Since becoming pregnant, Meng Jinyao had hardly gone out. The doctor said that during the first three months, the fetus was unstable, and even small bumps could lead to miscarriage. So she stayed at home to rest and went nowhere.

But staying indoors all day became dull over time.

There was a big age gap between her and her two sisters-in-law, so they didn’t have much in common. Her mother-in-law was easy to get along with, but she preferred quiet and didn’t like being disturbed. Jiang Shi, the wife of Xiuyuan, was about her age, but as a junior, she treated her with great respect, making their interactions rather reserved.

Most of the time, Meng Jinyao listened to her maids gossip about other households, did needlework, or went to the study to read. Sometimes, when she sat there daydreaming, she would feel regretful that she knew nothing about playing the zither or painting. Her husband had tried to teach her, but she never managed to learn. Otherwise, she could’ve had more ways to pass the time.

Seeing her sitting blankly for a while, Qingqiu asked: “Madam, what book would you like to read? I’ll fetch it for you.”

Meng Jinyao thought for a moment and said: “Go check the shelves for any strange-tales storybooks. I’ve been wanting to read stories about immortals and ghosts lately.”

Qingqiu responded and went to look.

Meng Jinyao didn’t sit idle either. She casually opened a drawer to see what was inside and found some letters. Since she had no habit of peeking at others’ correspondence, she ignored them.

Suddenly, she noticed a blue-covered book at the very back of the drawer. Curious, she took it out. There was no title on it, which she found strange, so she flipped through it casually.

When she saw the blush-inducing content inside, her expression instantly became subtle.

It was actually a secret erotic picture book, and the illustrations were extremely bold. What was more, they felt oddly familiar.

In a flash, a memory crossed her mind. Her expression grew even more complicated.

The things in this book… her husband had done them to her before…

She had once wondered how someone who used to be so indifferent to women could know so many tricks. So that was it—he had learned them from this improper book and then found ways to use them on her.

At this moment, Qingqiu came over with a book from the shelf. Seeing Meng Jinyao’s flushed face, she asked: “Madam, why is your face so red?”

As soon as she finished speaking, Meng Jinyao was startled. Like a guilty thief, she snapped the improper book shut with a “啪,” stuffed it back into the drawer at top speed, and pretended nothing had happened.

“It’s nothing. The study is probably a bit warm. I’ll go out for some air later.”

Qingqiu glanced at the open window. The autumn breeze was blowing in, and the room felt cool. How was it warm?

Still, she didn’t dwell on it. Whatever her mistress said must be right.