SGEIRS -Chapter 87 Just Killed Someone

In the evening, Meng Jinyao had dinner at a restaurant with Song Xinning. After finishing their meal, they strolled through the night market together. Around the fourth quarter of the hour of Xu, they finally parted ways and returned to their respective residences.

Back at Weirui Pavilion, Meng Jinyao washed up and had her maid leave. Just as she was about to rest, she suddenly heard a movement at the window on her right. She snapped her head to look and saw a figure jumping in.

That figure… was a man?

The realization sent a chill through her body. Her face went pale, and she pressed her hand over her mouth, trying not to make a sound.

In that brief moment, Meng Jinyao ran through countless possibilities in her mind. Instinctively, she thought someone was trying to frame her. Her husband had a hidden illness, and he wasn’t home. If a man suddenly appeared in her room, and the news got out, she would be ruined—certainly repudiated, her reputation destroyed.

At that moment, the man had already closed the window. Turning around, a face like a gentle breeze under a bright moon came into view.

It was Gu Jingxi.

Meng Jinyao was both shocked and relieved. Her racing heart finally began to settle. She looked at the window, then at him, still trembling, and asked, “Husband… what… what are you doing?”

Seeing her pale face and eyes clouded with fear, Gu Jingxi was momentarily stunned. Then he remembered his earlier actions and immediately understood why she was scared. Stepping toward her, he asked gently, “Wife, did I frighten you?”

Meng Jinyao nodded obediently, then asked in puzzlement, “Husband, why didn’t you come in through the front door? You just jumped through the window—I thought someone had broken in!”

Gu Jingxi replied, “It wasn’t convenient to use the front door.”

Not convenient?

Even a proper husband and wife shouldn’t have to sneak in like they were having an affair.

Meng Jinyao felt a surge of annoyance. But in the next moment, she caught a whiff of blood. Her instincts immediately told her something was wrong. She then noticed blood stains on Gu Jingxi’s clothes—on his collar, sleeves, and hem. His left arm sleeve was even torn. He looked rather disheveled.

The clothes were blue, which made the blood very conspicuous. At first glance, it looked alarming, as if he had been seriously injured.

Meng Jinyao stared at the blood-stained chest area, her face pale, and awkwardly asked, “Husband, you’ve lost so much blood… you won’t die young, will you?”

Gu Jingxi’s expression flickered, then he let out a light snort, half annoyed and half amused. “Wife, don’t worry. I won’t let you become a young widow.”

Meng Jinyao finally exhaled. “Then I’ll send for the household doctor.” With that, she started toward the door.

Gu Jingxi stopped her with a voice: “I’m fine. Don’t make a fuss—otherwise we might alarm the elders. Have the maid prepare water; I need to bathe.”

Meng Jinyao froze and looked at his bloodied clothes again, hesitating. “But you’ve lost so much blood… shouldn’t you see a doctor? If you’re worried about Mother, I can just say I had a stomach upset and needed the doctor.”

Gu Jingxi shook his head lightly. “I’m not hurt. The blood is someone else’s.”

Meng Jinyao was stunned. She stepped closer to inspect him carefully. She saw that the blood had come from outside onto the fabric, not from his body. Even the tear on his sleeve hadn’t injured his arm.

So he really wasn’t hurt—but his clothes were stained with blood. This must have been someone else’s serious injury. She remembered that morning, Zhou Yun mentioned an urgent matter, and he left in a rush. Now he returned with blood on him, sneaking through the window instead of the front door. Something definitely felt off.

Meng Jinyao looked at him, half-serious, half-teasing: “Husband, you didn’t… kill someone, did you?”

Gu Jingxi froze. “How did you know?”

For a moment, Meng Jinyao doubted her ears and asked for confirmation: “You really… killed someone?”

Gu Jingxi asked back: “Yes. What’s the problem?”

His tone was calm, as if killing someone was nothing unusual.

Meng Jinyao’s face stiffened. A chill ran through her. Words so cold and ruthless shouldn’t come from Gu Jingxi. She instinctively stepped back, reminding him, “Killing someone carries a death penalty. You’re the Minister of Justice—this isn’t breaking the law?”

Gu Jingxi paused, then laughed. Seeing the fear in her eyes, he realized she misunderstood. If he didn’t explain tonight, she might have nightmares even while he slept beside her. He said, “When capturing fugitives, they often have many henchmen. I had no choice. If I had been lenient, you might have ended up a young widow.”

Meng Jinyao froze. This was a realm she had never been involved in. She had thought the Minister of Justice was just a civil official who only investigated cases, not someone who fought and killed. But apparently, that wasn’t so.

On second thought, it made sense. Criminals wouldn’t go quietly to officials. Just as the government suppresses bandits, there’s bound to be a fight.

A purely scholarly man would send officers to arrest, but someone like Gu Jingxi, skilled in both civil and martial matters, personally handling it was normal. Still, the gentle and refined man she knew could actually kill… this was beyond her expectation.

After a moment, she timidly asked, “Was the fugitive caught?”

Gu Jingxi nodded: “Already captured and returned to the authorities.”

“That’s good,” Meng Jinyao nodded and didn’t ask further. “I’ll go instruct the maid to prepare water.”

She left the room to tell the night-duty maid to prepare water. Upon returning, she saw Gu Jingxi taking off his blood-stained outer robe. The other party must have been severely wounded, as the blood had soaked through his outer robe onto his inner clothes. A strong metallic smell filled the air.

Meng Jinyao wrinkled her nose uncomfortably. After a moment’s hesitation, she dutifully found him a clean set of clothes.

Night had fallen.

The man lay down beside her. After a long while, Meng Jinyao glanced at him. He was lying flat, eyes closed, clearly asleep. Thinking about her husband having killed someone today yet sleeping so calmly, she murmured: He killed someone… not just a chicken… how can he be so calm?

Before she finished murmuring, the man beside her replied: “After you’ve killed enough, it becomes calming.”

Meng Jinyao blinked, caught off guard.

Gu Jingxi turned his head slightly to her and said softly: “Wife, next time, you don’t need to speak aloud whatever comes to mind.”

Meng Jinyao froze, then awkwardly smiled: “Husband… you’re not asleep yet?”

Gu Jingxi raised an eyebrow: “If I were asleep, how could I answer my wife’s questions?”

She laughed awkwardly, stayed silent for a while, then curiously asked: “Have you killed many people?”

Gu Jingxi replied: “Not too many. In the process of fighting, there are always casualties.”

Hearing this, Meng Jinyao thought it seemed improper to kill directly. At least, there should have been a proper trial according to the law. She asked, “Then… couldn’t you have captured them alive for trial?”

“The fanatics who could be captured alive were taken alive and interrogated. Those who couldn’t… were killed.” Gu Jingxi answered lightly, glancing at her. Then he said gently: “The official world is dark, with many unknown sides. It’s better if you don’t pry too much.”

Meng Jinyao softly replied: “Alright. Husband, take care of yourself.”

Gu Jingxi smiled lightly, teasing: “Don’t worry, I won’t let you become a young widow.”

Hearing this, Meng Jinyao remembered asking not long ago if he would die young. She blushed, feeling awkward, and turned her face away from him.