Chapter Thirty-Eight: Men Hold Grudges
Song Xinning's voice wasn't loud, but it wasn't quiet either. Not only Meng Jinyao heard it, but Gu Jingxi and Qi Yunwen, who were not far away, also heard it clearly.
At that moment, it was as if the air itself had frozen, and an awkward atmosphere enveloped the entire corridor.
Meng Jinyao's brow twitched, and she subconsciously took a step forward and looked to her right. Sure enough, she saw her husband, Gu Jingxi. The moment their eyes met, the man looked at her with a half-smile. Her face froze, and she felt very guilty. Suddenly, she had an urgent feeling of wanting to disappear into the ground.
What kind of situation is this?
Not long ago we were talking about him, and even a moment ago we called him an old man. Now we've run into him right in the act, and he heard me say "old man" very clearly.
She estimated that Gu Jingxi was in the doorway of the private room two rooms away from theirs, separated by another private room. Since they were separated by a private room, Gu Jingxi certainly wouldn't have heard their conversation inside, even if they were occasionally a little loud.
Thinking of this, Meng Jinyao secretly breathed a sigh of relief, her lips curled up, and she casually stepped forward to greet him: "Husband, what a coincidence, what are you doing here?"
A smile bloomed on the little girl's beautiful face, her smile radiant and reaching her eyes. Her beautiful eyes became even more lively, and when she tilted her head slightly to look at him, she exuded an indescribable charm and obedience.
However, there was a hint of ingratiation in her eyes, as if she was trying to get away with it and make him not to pursue what Miss Song had said earlier, and to pretend that she hadn't heard anything.
Gu Jingxi raised an eyebrow slightly, not intending to let her off the hook. This girl had recently told her close friend that he was a womanizer, and now he was being called an old man. He replied with a half-smile, "It is quite a coincidence. Have we disturbed Madam and Miss Song's conversation?"
Meng Jinyao's smile froze: "...No, I didn't disturb you."
Song Xinning knew she had said the wrong thing and wished she could turn back time, but what's done is done. She could only pretend she hadn't said it and try to gloss over it with a joke. She turned to her uncle, took a few steps forward, and smiled ingratiatingly, "Uncle, you're here too."
At this moment, Qi Yunwen found his usually cute and endearing niece increasingly displeasing. Seeing her reminded him of his friend's words: "You're a year older than me, and I'm an old geezer, so what are you? An old codger about to be buried?"
Therefore, he felt that his niece calling Yaoling an old man was equivalent to saying that he was an old codger. He was only thirty years old and was not an old codger at all.
He glared at his niece with a stern face and said irritably, "What are you saying? What old man? Your uncle is only thirty years old, still young, unlike your father, an old man who is almost forty."
Song Xinning was speechless, her smile suddenly freezing. She exchanged a glance with Meng Jinyao, whose smile was equally awkward. Their eyes seemed to say: Do men care so much about what others say about them being old?
"A-Ning, your uncle will take you to see a doctor and have your eyes treated." Qi Yunwen said, taking a step forward, grabbing his niece's arm, and preparing to walk towards the right stairwell. Before leaving, he nodded slightly to Meng Jinyao, "Sister-in-law, A-Ning's condition cannot be delayed. I'll take A-Ning ahead of you."
Song Xinning asked blankly, "Uncle, there's nothing wrong with my eyes, why do I need to see a doctor?"
"What kind of patient thinks they have a problem?" Qi Yunwen grabbed his niece and pulled her away without saying a word. He thought to himself that this silly girl was a bit dim-witted. If she were even a little smarter, she would know that he was helping her and taking her, the culprit, away from this awkward atmosphere.
As the uncle and nephew left, Song Xinning's maid followed closely behind them.
Soon, only Meng Jinyao and her husband, along with their two maids Qingqiu and Ningdong, remained in the corridor, their heads bowed and their eyes downcast.
The corridor was very quiet, and the atmosphere was a little awkward.
Meng Jinyao and Gu Jingxi exchanged a glance. She wanted to explain, but when she met Gu Jingxi's ambiguous smile, she hesitated and stopped, feeling so embarrassed that she could dig a hole in her own toes. She had heard A Ning's words clearly.
Finally, Gu Jingxi broke the silence: "Is there anything else, Madam?"
Meng Jinyao subconsciously shook her head: "No, is there anything else, husband?"
Gu Jingxi said, "Since there's nothing else, let's go back to the manor."
Upon hearing this, Meng Jinyao exclaimed "Ah?" Seeing that Gu Jingxi had already turned and headed towards the stairwell, she hesitated for a moment before taking steps to follow. A'ning had already left with Lord Qi, and she had nothing else to do, so it was best to return to the manor first.
The couple left Cha Ran Ju and immediately headed home.
Meng Jinyao originally thought she was returning to the manor by herself, but she didn't expect Gu Jingxi to go back with her, and even share a carriage with her, while her two maids went to his carriage.
The atmosphere inside the carriage was awkwardly quiet.
Meng Jinyao sat upright for a while, but then she couldn't sit still any longer. She couldn't help but look up at the man sitting opposite her. Gu Jingxi said something about returning to the manor and then didn't say anything more. His expression was indifferent, and it was impossible to tell whether he was angry because of what Aning had said.
Noticing her gaze, Gu Jingxi glanced at her indifferently and said, "Why is Madam staring at me?"
Meng Jinyao immediately forced a smile and replied, "My husband is handsome."
Upon hearing this, Gu Jingxi clicked his tongue dismissively and said indifferently, "What's so interesting about an old man?"
Hearing that self-deprecating tone, Meng Jinyao's lips twitched, thinking to herself: Are all men so vengeful? They're about to go home, and they still have to bring up old grudges.
But, who told her to be in the wrong first?
She quickly replied with a smile, "My husband is in his prime, in the prime of his life, and incomparably handsome. He looks only twenty-three or twenty-four years old, not twenty-nine. How is he old?"
"Is that so?" Gu Jingxi raised an eyebrow and replied in a low voice, "I thought Madam disliked me and regretted marrying an old man like me. Not only is the old man old, but he's also a lecher."
These words struck Meng Jinyao like a thunderbolt, leaving her completely stunned. She suddenly opened her eyes wide, looking at Gu Jingxi with surprise and astonishment. This gentle and refined gentleman did not seem like someone who would eavesdrop. But if he did not eavesdrop, how would he know that she had told A Ning that he was a womanizer?
She asked incredulously, "My husband was eavesdropping on our conversation?"
Gu Jingxi naturally wouldn't admit that he deliberately eavesdropped. He originally wanted to hear other people's conversation, but the information was wrong, and he accidentally overheard her conversation with her friend. So he said without changing his expression, "Judging from Madam's expression, so Madam really told someone that I am a lecherous man?"
Meng Jinyao's face froze: "???"
So, she's shooting herself in the foot? Gu Jingxi wasn't eavesdropping at all; she was just saying it casually, and she's inadvertently admitting it?
Seeing her expression change repeatedly, her lips slightly parted as if she were preparing a way to defend herself, Gu Jingxi smiled faintly and said, "Madam, don't you intend to explain yourself?"
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