or half a month and made to kneel in the ancestral hall for two hours.This is simply a disgrace!Among all the grandchildren of the family, only she and her third brother had been punished before their...Meng Jinyao, upon hearing this, glared at the man and gritted her teeth, softly snorting: "Do you think I'm your son Crying for attention is embarrassing!"

She could still remember how Gu Xiuming had cried out in pain and tears when he was beaten in the ancestral hall, completely forgetting his usual aloof demeanor of a noble son.

Gu Jingxi looked at those eyes veiled with a thin mist of tears. Though they were clearly in pain, she still put on a brave face. His smile deepened, and he said approvingly, "That's right, Madam is an elder, how can she be like the younger generation"

Meng Jinyo was speechless for a moment. She slowly sat up and looked at her own feet. She saw that pair of slender, bony hands. One hand held her foot firmly in its grasp, preventing her from moving, while the other hand kneaded her swollen ankle.

These hands, which once held a pen and a book, now serve her feet.

The warmth of his touch against her skin sent a shiver down her spine. The skin under his hand felt pleasantly hot, and she suddenly felt a blush creeping up her cheeks. She unconsciously wanted to pull her foot away.

Don't move, it will be alright in a little while.

Gu Jingxi clenched her foot, preventing her from moving, and poured some medicinal wine while continuing to massage the injured area.

Meng Jin Yao stuttered, "Husband, why don't you let Qing Qiu come How can such a lowly serving maid be done by you"

Gu Jingxi's movements faltered, and he looked up at her. Seeing her cheeks flushed and her gaze shyly fixed on her hand, he couldn't help but be taken aback. He lowered his eyes to look at his own hand, realizing that the young girl's foot was held in his palm.

The little girl's feet were as white as jade, small and delicate. They were slender yet full, with rounded and adorable pink toes. Holding them in your hand felt soft and squishy.

Just now, he was so focused on applying medicine to the little girl that he didn't pay much attention. Now that he looked again, he inexplicably felt a little uncomfortable, even though he didn't have any romantic thoughts.

That soft little foot lay in his palm, not wanting to let go but also unsure of keeping hold.

Seeing this, Qing Qiu's hesitant voice rang out: "Master Hou, shouldn't I do it instead"

Gu Jingxi hesitated for a moment, and then refused: "No need, it'll be alright in a while."

He felt he was upright and had nothing to fear, changing people midway would only make him seem guilty. He insisted on continuing to massage the swollen ankle of the little girl.

Meng Jinyao's lips moved, but she ultimately said nothing. She thought to herself: "Forget it, we're already sleeping together. What's the problem with helping her apply medicine"

After a moment, Gu Jingxi felt it was enough, so he let go of that jade foot and went aside to clean his hands.

Qing Qiu He Ning Dong glanced at Gu Jing Xi's clean basin, her eyes widened suddenly. They met each other's gaze for a moment, then she opened her mouth to speak but stopped herself.

Finally, Qingqiu shook her head slightly. Ning Dong endured the urge to speak. In fact, she wanted to say that the basin of water was used by Madam after wiping her body. She thought that since Madam had drunk wine and slept soundly, it would be inappropriate to bathe at this time, so she brought in a basin of water to wipe Madam's body and changed her clothes as well. It's just that she hadn't had time to pour it out yet, and now that she said it, it seemed like it would only add to the awkwardness.

Gu Jingxi said softly, "It's getting late now, you should all go to rest."

Qingqiu and Ningdong responded, hurriedly packing their things and retreating.

Gu Jingxi said, "My wife, go to sleep."

It was now the late hours, well into the second half of the night. After tossing and turning for so long, Meng Jiny Yao had woken up twice. Although she was now conscious, her head felt dizzy and cloudy, not feeling good at all. She mumbled a reply in a low voice, then buried her head back under the covers.

The next day.

Meng Jinyao didn't wake up until the sun was high in the sky. After drinking quite a bit of fruit wine last night and not sleeping well, she now had a slight headache. She propped herself up and called for her maid to come and attend to her.

She was still recovering from her injury and shouldn't get out of bed. She sat on the edge of the bed, allowing a maidservant to attend to her washing and cleansing.

When Qing Qiu was helping her dress, she purposely looked at her left ankle and frowned slightly. “Madam, your ankle is still swollen, but it’s much better than last night. Let me apply medicine to you again. Last night, I saw the Master applying medicine to you, and I saw his technique clearly.”

Meng Jin Yao nodded repeatedly: "Good"

She didn't want to wait for Gu Jingxi to come back and apply medicine to her. She felt quite uncomfortable when Gu Jingxi applied medicine to her last night.

"Madam, I will first give you a warm cloak and clear the autumn air, then I will help her put on a warm cloak."

Meng Jinyao looked puzzled: "Why would I need to dress up"

Qing Qiu replied, "When you fell last night, you hit your arm and it's bruised."

Hearing this, Meng Jinyao's expression changed drastically, her voice suddenly rising: "Did the Marquis also apply medicine to my arm last night"

Hearing this tone, Qingqiu knew what she was concerned about. She hurriedly explained: "Last night it was I who applied the medicine to you. But your ankle...the Marquis saw and thought that I had only lightly rubbed medicine wine on it, so the swelling effect was not good, that's why he reapplied the medicine."

Meng Jin Yao let out a sigh of relief.

When Qing Qiu was applying medicine to her, she suddenly said: “Madam, actually the Marquis still cares about you. You returned home late last night and the Marquis was worried something might have happened to you. He sent people to look for you and waited at the door for a long time.”

Meng Jin Yao's face turned pale, recalling the events of last night. The calm lake in her heart rippled with waves. Her cheap husband was indeed very concerned about her, one of the few people who cared about her life and death.

"Seeing how the Lord treats you, Qing Qiu feels at ease. No matter if there's someone else in his heart, he won't mistreat you."

Meng Jinyao smiled. "This is thanks to my father-in-law and mother-in-law."

Qing Qiu was stunned and asked in bewilderment, “What does this have to do with the old Marquis and old Madam”

Meng Jin Yao replied: "The two elders have educated Gu Jing Xi very well. His knowledge, ability, and upbringing are beyond reproach. He also has a strong sense of responsibility. No wonder he was the dream husband for many noble ladies when he was young."

Qing Qiu smiled and said, "Lord Hou isn't old now. Although he is almost twenty-nine, his face looks young. If you told people he was twenty-three or four, they would believe it."

Hearing this, Meng Jin Yao's smile deepened: "Otherwise, I wouldn't have married you in the first place, right As expected of the number one handsome man in the capital, this face is truly ageless."

Looking back now, part of the reason she was able to make that leap of faith and marry Gu Jingxi to become Gu Xiuming's mother was undoubtedly his exceptionally handsome face.

If Guo Jingxi were a man with a face full of wrinkles and an old appearance, she would probably choose between Gu Xiuhong and Gu Xiwen. Gu Xiwen is a year younger than her, she dislikes her younger brother, so she would choose the older Gu Xiuhong, even if it meant losing some seniority over Gu Ximing.

Qing Qiu let out a giggle: "Madam, you mustn't let the Lord hear that, or he'll probably think you have taken a liking to him."

Meng Jinyáo waved her hand dismissively and said, "In such a situation, besides conditions, it's definitely about choosing someone who looks good. Otherwise, having to look at an unattractive face every day would be really irritating, wouldn't it If he has both the conditions and a good-looking face, he'd definitely be the priority choice.

Just then, Ning Dong walked in with light steps, a smile on her lips. When she saw Meng Jin Yao, she quickened her pace.

Meng Jinyao saw her face full of joy and asked softly, "Ningdong, what's so happy"

Ning Dong came before her, lowering his voice, his tone betraying an undeniable excitement: "Madam, news has come from that side, the fish has taken the bait."d another rival in the inner courtyard to keep me company."That confidant said, “Who could have thought that she died a son, and she herself followed A maidservant born, after all, is a lowly wretch....