Chapter 145 Disturbing a Peaceful Dream

Gu Jingxi was somewhat surprised and didn't want to make a fuss about such a small matter. But seeing the girl blushing and looking shy, he couldn't help but tease her as he said, "Madam is treating me like a maid."

Upon hearing this, Meng Jinyao suddenly looked at him. The man smiled and looked at her with a teasing gaze. She was instantly embarrassed and annoyed, and couldn't help but retort, "Didn't my husband want to be a maid? Am I just fulfilling my husband's wish?"

Gu Jingxi knew when to stop; it would be difficult to handle if he really made the girl cry. He smiled and replied, "Yes, my wife is right. It was my own choice. I have some things to do now, so please eat by yourself."

As he spoke, he placed the lychee peels and pits on the table, took out a blue handkerchief to wipe his hands, and prepared to leave.

Meng Jinyao glanced at the remaining lychees and asked, "Husband, won't you eat some while they're still fresh before you go about your work?"

Gu Jingxi shook his head: "Madam, please eat. I don't have a strong appetite." He paused and added, "However, Madam should eat it in two portions. Lychees can cause internal heat, and it's not good to eat too many at once. You still have dinner later."

Meng Jinyao replied, "Okay."

After he left, Chunliu's voice suddenly rang out behind Meng Jinyao: "Madam, the Marquis truly dotes on you. I have never seen the Marquis treat anyone so well, except for you, Madam."

Upon hearing this, Meng Jinyao suddenly turned around and found that only Ningdong had left the room after she had ordered her to fetch ice. The three maids, Chunliu, Xiazhu, and Qingqiu, were still there. Thinking that the maids had seen everything that had just happened, the heat that had just subsided on her face surged up again.

She suddenly wanted to disappear underground!

Seeing her blushing expression, Chunliu chuckled and said, "Madam, this is a good thing. It proves that the Marquis has you in his heart."

Meng Jinyao glared at Chunliu reproachfully, saying it wasn't what she thought at all.

Chunliu suppressed a laugh and said, "I'll peel some lychees for you. You can eat ten or eight more, and save the rest for tomorrow, otherwise you won't be able to eat dinner later."

Meng Jinyao nodded.

Before long, it was dinnertime, and Gu Jingxi returned from the study in the front yard on time to have dinner.

Seeing the man sitting upright at the dining table, his expression serious, Meng Jinyao's embarrassment finally dissipated.

Gu Jingxi was about to pick up his chopsticks when he noticed the little girl glancing at him a few times. He then asked with a smile, "Does watching your husband fill your stomach, since you're not eating?"

Meng Jinyao's face stiffened, and she retorted, "How do you know I'm looking at you if you're not looking at me?"

Gu Jingxi replied, "People who know martial arts have more acute senses than ordinary people and can sense it."

Meng Jinyao: "..."

Gu Jingxi added, "Let's eat first, and we can talk about it after we've eaten."

Meng Jinyao hummed in agreement and buried her head in her food. Most people lose their appetite when it's hot, but she has a good appetite. As long as the food is delicious, she won't lose her appetite.

Seeing that she was eating heartily, Gu Jingxi felt that the little girl was quite easy to feed; she would eat whatever was available and was not picky about food.

However, Gu Jingxi was overthinking it. He ate whatever was available because the chefs in the mansion were skilled and the dishes were delicious every day, with appealing colors, aromas, and tastes that made people's mouths water. That's why he wasn't picky about food.

Back in her youth, Meng Jinyao's meals were far worse than they are now. Madam Sun was kind on the outside but cruel on the inside, and because she was not favored, as the eldest legitimate daughter, she lived worse than children born out of wedlock. The servants also neglected her, and her food was just so-so.

With no one to protect her, even if a young girl wanted to rebel, she couldn't succeed. If her grandmother scolded her and found a reason to send her to the estate to be raised, what would happen to Chengzhang? Chengyu had already been murdered by Madam Sun, so she had to stay in the manor to keep an eye on Chengzhang.

Having tasted the bitterness of hardship, now that she lives a good life, eating and dressing well, what is there to complain about? She is very content with her current situation.

After dinner, Meng Jinyao took a walk in the courtyard to digest her food, then took a bath and changed her clothes before resting.

It is said that couples who have been together for a long time will become more and more open and less reserved than when they were newlyweds.

Gu Jingxi felt that this made sense, but the one who could let loose was not him, but the young girl. When they first got married, she was still reserved and slept very quietly, afraid of accidentally touching his body.

Perhaps because he hadn't done anything out of line these past few days, the girl was becoming more and more at ease with him.

Or perhaps, the girl didn't see him as a man.

For example, right now, he had just finished showering and returned to his bedroom when he saw the little girl lying on the bed, fast asleep. Because she wanted to stay cool, she didn't cover herself with a blanket and was only wearing a thin nightgown. The silk material was so light that you could even see her pink undergarments underneath.

Gu Jingxi stood in front of the bed and glanced at her, then looked away, got into bed, and silently pulled the thin blanket next to her over herself, covering her up the barely visible spring scenery.

However, after a short while, the little girl unconsciously kicked the blanket off with her feet again. He covered her with the blanket again, but it was kicked off again soon after. So he simply covered her upper body with the blanket so that her legs couldn't reach it.

It must have been really hot, because Meng Jinyao woke up from the heat. She opened her eyes groggily, threw off the covers, grabbed the palm-leaf fan from the bedside, and started fanning herself. She had been sleeping soundly when she was woken up by the heat, and she felt a little annoyed. The more annoyed she felt, the hotter she felt, and in the end, she was wide awake.

Gu Jingxi knew he had done something wrong and disturbed her sleep, so he opened his eyes and took the palm-leaf fan from her hand: "Madam, go to sleep. I'll fan you."

Seeing that he was awake, Meng Jinyao turned her head and looked at him with deep resentment, asking in an annoyed tone, "You're the one who covered me with the blanket?"

Gu Jingxi coughed twice and said awkwardly, "I'm afraid Madam will catch a cold."

Meng Jinyao was in a bad mood and her tone was not good: "In this hot weather, you think I'd catch a cold? No wonder I felt someone covering me with a blanket when I was half asleep, and I couldn't kick it off no matter what I did. So it was you who did this."

This was the first time Gu Jingxi had ever seen the young girl angry with him. He said gently, "Please don't be angry, Madam. It was my fault. Now, I will fan you to apologize, okay?"

Meng Jinyao took a deep breath, too lazy to argue with him: "Fan me, use some force, it's quite hot."

Gu Jingxi smiled and, going along with her wishes, continued to fan her.

Meng Jinyao couldn't sleep either, so she chatted with him casually. She noticed that he was fanning her but kept his eyes closed and wouldn't look at her, which seemed a bit strange. She looked down at herself and seemed to understand what was going on. No wonder he was covering her with a blanket.

However, the nightgown was a bit thin, and there was a small undergarment underneath, covering up things that shouldn't be seen.

Meng Jinyao asked in bewilderment, "We're husband and wife. Even if you really wanted to do something to me, I wouldn't refuse, let alone just take a look. I'm a young woman and I don't care, so why would you, a grown man, care?"

Upon hearing this, Gu Jingxi opened his eyes and looked at her: "What?"

Meng Jinyao gave him a strange look, then said something shocking: "Do you expect me to be all bundled up like it's winter in this sweltering heat? Since you're so concerned about maintaining your gentlemanly demeanor, why don't you put some effort into protecting yourself? Who knows what I might do to you?"