Chapter 113 Cultivation Awakening

Gu Xiuming only heard half of it and felt stuck, like he was being torn apart. He frowned and asked, "Why? Wan'er, please speak freely. Is there anything between us that we can't say?"

Li Wan'er hesitated slightly, glanced at his face, then closed the study door, moved to his side, and said hesitantly, "Because you were punished by the Marquis several times, which displeased him, they all felt that you were no longer valued by the Marquis, which is why they did this."

After she finished speaking, the tears she had just stopped streaming down her face again. She sobbed softly, blaming herself: "Brother Xiuming, it's all my fault. If it weren't for me, you wouldn't have been punished by the Marquis."

Upon hearing this, Gu Xiuming was startled, suddenly remembering what his father had told him before.

At that time, he begged his father to give him another chance to reform. His father neither refused nor agreed. Perhaps he was about to agree, which is why he didn't immediately refuse him.

But now, he has been punished by his father again for fighting with Gu Xiuwen and Meng Chengzhang. Does that mean he has used up this opportunity?

But this time, his father only punished him by confining him to his quarters for a month and making him copy the Classic of Filial Piety fifty times. He did not petition the emperor to strip him of his title as heir apparent and establish another heir, which proves that his father has not given up on him.

However, he, as the son, was unable to enter Lingshan Academy with his father's help, while his fourth brother, as the nephew, received his father's help. Moreover, this matter was decided when he was confined to the ancestral hall. Does that mean that his fourth brother will be a candidate for the position of heir?

If he cannot satisfy his father, will his father then appoint his fourth brother as the heir apparent? Or will his father simply adopt his fourth brother as his youngest son, making it more legitimate for him to be appointed as the heir apparent?

Thinking of this, Gu Xiuming felt a thin layer of cold sweat on his back, and an unprecedented sense of crisis washed over him.

Before he arrived at the Marquis of Changxing’s residence, his mother told him that he had been adopted so that he could become the heir apparent and inherit the title of Marquis. He had worked so hard for so many years, how could he fail at the last moment?

Seeing that he remained silent and his expression changed several times, Li Wan'er was unsure of what he was thinking. She was also very uneasy, afraid that he would shift all the blame onto her and then abandon her. In that case, there would be no one to protect her in this vast Changxing Marquis's mansion.

Li Wan'er's tears fell even harder as she choked out, "Brother Xiuming, I'm sorry, it's all my fault. If I had known that being with you would lead to so many things and that you would be punished, I would definitely have rejected you back then."

Gu Xiuming snapped out of his daze and looked at the girl who was crying her eyes out. He reached out and pulled her to sit on his lap, coaxing her softly, "Wan'er, this is not your fault. Don't worry, this is the last time I will be punished."

Li Wan'er was slightly stunned, staring blankly at him.

Gu Xiuming raised his hand to wipe away her tears, his movements gentle. When his fingers touched the slap mark on her face, he moved even more gently, afraid of hurting her. He then said, "Wan'er, those who bullied you will be made to pay double in the future. You are the girl I cherish most. I can't bear to bully you even a little bit, so they can't bully you either."

His tone was gentle, but his face was gloomy and creepy. Li Wan'er was a little scared, so she nestled into his arms and said softly, "Brother Xiuming, let bygones be bygones. Let bygones be bygones. Let's just be good to each other from now on."

Gu Xiuming gently patted her back: "Wan'er, we will be alright."

Li Wan'er nodded gently, then suddenly remembered something else. She looked up at Gu Xiuming and said softly, "Brother Xiuming, I've almost finished learning the rules. How about we let that Chunliu girl go back to Weirui Pavilion?"

Gu Xiuming frowned: "Did she bully you?"

“No, not at all.” Li Wan’er shook her head and mumbled, “But I also feel uncomfortable. I know she looks down on me, a concubine. She was originally the head maid in the Marquis’s courtyard and was very popular in the mansion. Now she stays by my side to teach me manners. It’s really unfair to her.”

Gu Xiuming was slightly taken aback. He was also somewhat dissatisfied with Chunliu, but she was, after all, the head maid in his father's courtyard, and not someone he could deal with. So he said, "Since Wan'er feels uncomfortable, I will tell her later that you have learned the rules and she can go back to Weirui Pavilion."

Upon hearing this, Li Wan'er immediately beamed, wrapped her arms around his neck, and planted a kiss on his cheek, saying sweetly, "Brother Xiuming, you're so good."

Gu Xiuming was very pleased. Looking at her radiant smile, the gloom in his heart dissipated. He cupped the back of her head and lowered his head to kiss her.

-

Wei Rui Xuan.

With nothing to do, Meng Jinyao suddenly became interested in the things in Gu Jingxi's storeroom. So she took the booklet and key that Gu Jingxi had given her earlier, opened the storeroom to take a look at the things inside, and also to see if there was anything suitable as a birthday gift, since it would be Old Madam Song's birthday soon.

Madam Song was the mother of Song, the Chancellor of the Imperial Academy, and the grandmother of Song Xinning, her close friend. She had always been kind to her.

The storeroom was filled with treasures, antiques, and calligraphy and paintings, a dazzling sight.

Knowing that Madam Song liked to collect exquisite and interesting ornaments and also loved jade, she finally chose a jade carving of a child celebrating a birthday. The carving depicted a child presenting a peach to an elderly person. The carving was exquisite and lifelike, with the child being cute and lively and the elderly person being kind and gentle. Madam Song would surely like it.

Suddenly, Meng Jinyao noticed a dusty wooden box in an inconspicuous corner. The box was covered with a thick layer of dust, and it looked like something that had been forgotten in the corner. She instructed, "Qingqiu, go and see what's in that box. There's a lot of dust, so wipe it off with a damp cloth first, otherwise the dust will spread everywhere."

Qingqiu responded and left the storeroom. Soon after, she brought over a basin of clean water and a rag. She used the damp rag to wipe away the dust, and after cleaning it, she found a mahogany box. She picked up the box and walked over to Meng Jinyao.

Meng Jinyao instructed, "Open the box, let me see what's inside."

When Qingqiu opened the box, a set of head ornaments made of mutton fat white jade came into view. The plum blossom-shaped head ornaments were elegant and gentle in style, with warm and lustrous white jade and exquisite workmanship, which made people feel happy.

Qingqiu glanced at it and exclaimed, "Madam, this set of jewelry is truly beautiful. It's such a pity that such a beautiful set of jewelry is left to gather dust in a corner."

Meng Jinyao nodded: "It is a pity, but I seem to remember that the book doesn't record a complete set of mutton fat jade headdresses. Where did this thing come from?"

Qingqiu replied, "The items in the storeroom are all recorded in the register. Perhaps you have made a mistake. Please check the register again."