limmer of hope from despair, eagerly looking at Meng Jiny Yao, hoping she would change her mind.Meng Jiny Yao stared at Li Cheng for a moment, then shook her head lightly, nonchalantly saying: "Grandm..."Outrageous!"

Gu Jingxi let out a furious rebuke, his face darkening at an alarming rate. He had never expected the well-behaved, filial grandson he raised to have such a vicious side. To dare speak ill of an elder while he was still alive! What would happen to this young girl if he were to die

He was furious, his voice laced with anger: “If she were a poisonous woman, Miss Wan'er, with such frivolous behavior, would never have been allowed into the Gu family. No matter how much you like her, you can only keep her outside as a secret mistress. Your repeated disrespect for your elders shows no remorse; it seems the punishment was too lenient. Add five more lashes.”

If you add five more lashes, wouldn't that be twenty-five lashes

Gu Xiumin felt a surge of fear and disbelief, staring at his father with wide eyes. He couldn't believe that the father who had raised him for so many years would want to beat him to death over a woman. It seemed Meng Jin Yao was truly captivating; her beauty wasn't wasted on her.

And Li Wan'er's face turned pale. Her mind kept replaying the phrase "improper conduct." No girl could accept such an evaluation; it was a disgrace. Her neighbors were all commoners, but her father was a scholar. When she was young, she learned to read with her father and knew some characters. She considered herself superior to the other girls who couldn't read. If not for her father's early death, perhaps she could have passed the imperial examinations and become an official's daughter.

Meng Jin Yao wasn't upset. She just thought this former fiancé was naive, spoiled, and perhaps used to getting his way. Maybe he had never been refused anything by his elders or faced any setbacks before. Perhaps it was love that made him lose his sense of reason, actually believing that a girl from a humble background could marry him as his legitimate wife. Even if the girl hadn't eloped, she wouldn't meet the standards for a legitimate wife in a wealthy family, unless she was truly exceptional and could make the Gu family disregard their social standing. It was very clear that this Miss Wan Er wasn't that exceptional.

She looked at Gu Xiuming as if he were an idiot, and said slowly, "My son, you are the heir to the Marquis's estate. Don't you know the principle that 'a woman who elopes with another man is considered a concubine and is not worthy of being the mistress of the household' The honorable wife of the Marquis's heir will be the head of the household in the future, responsible for managing all affairs. How could she possibly allow a girl who ran away with someone else to take the position"

She saw Gu Shuming's face immediately stiffen, as if she just realized what was going on. She raised a gentle smile and said in the gentlest voice possible, the words that pierced his heart: "Son, mother knows you like Miss Wan'er, but she can only be a concubine. Rest assured, mother will choose another well-behaved and virtuous noblewoman to be your legal wife."

She shook her head and sighed, her voice laced with regret: "You can't blame us parents for being unreasonable. This is all your own doing because of your recklessness. You have to bear the consequences. If you had been honest and called off the engagement earlier, even though Miss Wan'er came from a humble background, if you had worked hard to get your father's permission and then married her properly with a grand procession, she could have become the esteemed Madam of the Prince."

After this conversation, Gu Xiuming calmed down and fell silent. He understood that Meng Jingyao's words were all true. If time could turn back, he would never let things go this far. However, there was no if. On the eve of his wedding, he regretted it. All he wanted was to spend his life with his beloved girl, so he went to find Wan’er, thinking about leaving the capital for a while and coming back when his father had calmed down.

Li Wan'er stared blankly at Meng Jin Yao. She hadn't expected that wealthy families had so many rules. Her neighbor's girl eloped with a man and was eventually found, her parents agreed to let them get married, while she lost her reputation. Not only did the Gu family not choose an auspicious day to marry her in, but they also took another wife, waiting until after the legal wife entered the house before taking her as a concubine. This was the first time she realized the difference between a wealthy family and an ordinary family.

Gu Jingxi saw that his young wife was actually younger than his own unfilial son, yet she carried herself with the airs of an elder, which felt rather strange. If one ignored her youthful face, she almost looked like a mother. He couldn't help but twitch the corner of his mouth subtly. Xiu Ming went up against this girl, and there was only a path to humiliation.

After a long silence, Gu Shuming bowed his head to Meng Jin yao for the first time and pleaded: “Father, Mother, my son wants to wait until the confinement period is over, then choose an auspicious day to bring Wan'er into the mansion. I hope Father and Mother will agree.” He still understood the principle of a man not taking advantage of the present moment. He and Wan'er had already become husband and wife in fact. If they were pregnant, but couldn't enter the door, the child would become an illegitimate child. There was even a possibility that due to the elders wanting to maintain the reputation of the Gu family, they would order a bowl of abortion medicine to be taken.

Gu Jingxi listened, his eyebrows furrowed tightly, and asked in a deep voice: "Where is there any reason for a legitimate wife to be taken in before entering the door It's something that no noble family would dare to do. Before marrying a legitimate wife, taking a concubine, which prestigious family daughter would marry you"

Gu Xiuming glanced at Wan'er, who was nestled in his arms. Her eyes were filled with tears, her eye rims red and swollen. She looked at him timidly and anxiously, too afraid even to cry out loud. Such a pure and fragile girl, if he had a legitimate wife, where would Wan'er have a place to live He hadn't experienced the schemes of a wealthy household firsthand, but he had heard stories. Being a concubine was already a hardship for Wan'er; how could he allow her to be bullied again

In that very moment, he made up his mind. His voice was resolute as he said, "Father, this son's heart belongs to only Wan'er. Besides Wan'er, this son doesn't desire any other woman. Though Wan'er is a concubine, this son will not marry a legitimate wife."

Upon hearing this, Li Wan'er was both surprised and stunned. She quickly regained her composure, and her uneasy heart was enveloped in sweetness. She was overwhelmed with joy and fought to suppress the upward curve of her lips. At this moment, she felt like the happiest girl in the world. Since Xiu Ming had no legal wife, what did it matter if she was a concubine With no legitimate wife above her, when she gave birth to a son, perhaps she could even rise to become his official wife.

Meng Jin Yao was also very surprised. In a wealthy family, this kind of deep love is rare, but it's also讓人感到不齒 because it's based on hurting innocent girls. It's fine for the son of a noble family to be deeply in love and devoted, but does that mean innocent girls deserve to become the laughing stock

But if Gu Xiuming had informed her in advance, she wouldn't have ended up like this. She could have either changed husbands before the wedding or broken the engagement. After all, she wasn't irretrievably devoted to him. She had the courage to elope but not the courage to break off the engagement. She had the bravery to only take a concubine and not marry a wife, yet she lacked the courage to first break off the engagement and then try her best to persuade her elders to accept her commoner sweetheart as their legitimate wife Now she puts on this affectionate act, trying to convince herself.

Gu Jingxi's face was unusually calm, showing no joy or anger. He glanced at Gu Xiuming for a long time with indifferent eyes and opened his lips: "Since you have made up your mind, father will not stop you any longer. Just follow your wishes, choose an auspicious day in a month to bring Miss Wan'er into the mansion. I only hope that you won't regret it later."

Gu Xiuming's face lit up with joy, a smile spreading across his brow. He hurriedly thanked him: "Son thanks father for making this happen."

Li Wan'er also followed suit and thanked, "Wan'er thanks Lord Hou for making this possible."

Meng Jin Yao glanced at the two people beaming with joy, then turned her eyes to the man beside her. She hadn't missed the fleeting look of disappointment that flashed across Gu Jing Xi's face just now. To be disappointed in someone definitely meant she had once placed high hopes on them. Being so composed after being disappointed, this wasn't a good sign.ied another fifty times as an expression of apology to my second uncle and my mother."He said, turning his eyes to Meng Jingyao, and kneeling down, he sincerely apologized: "Mother, son is unfilial. S...