Chapter Twenty-One: You're Shameless
These words stirred up a storm in Chunliu's heart. She had a bad feeling and was immediately filled with regret. She should have known better than to tell the mistress this in order to please her.
Chunliu stammered, "Madam, are you... are you really going to see the young master now?"
Meng Jinyao nodded, adopting the demeanor of a loving mother, and said softly, "Yes, the child is back, and as his mother, I have to go and see him, don't I?"
Chunliu choked up, thinking to herself: You are two months younger than the young master. According to age, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that you are the younger sister. Are you sure you didn't go to see the young master just to get revenge?
Meng Jinyao smiled and said, "Let's go, you should come with me to take a look too."
When Chunliu saw the smile on her lips, she felt a chill run down her spine. She knew that the madam was using her seniority to cause trouble for the young master. However, she dared not refuse, as she knew what had happened to the two maids yesterday. She quickly nodded and replied, "Yes, madam."
In reality, Meng Jinyao went there to make others unhappy, and also to watch the show. She wanted to see how her ex-fiancé would react when his fiancée became a mother, and whether he would be frightened.
Encountering such an irresponsible man who could elope with someone on his wedding day, she also felt sorry for the girl who eloped with Gu Xiuming. If betrothed, she would be a wife; if eloped, she would be a concubine, unworthy to be worshipped as a servant.
If Gu Xiuming were truly a good man, he should have broken off the engagement and married his beloved, instead of running away on the wedding day, making his fiancée a laughingstock, and ensuring that his beloved could never be his legal wife. A family like the Gu family would never allow a girl who eloped to be their legal wife. No matter how much Gu Xiuming liked this girl, he could only take her as a concubine.
For the heir of a noble family to act so recklessly, one wonders if he's been spoiled, or if he feels entitled to act willfully because he's now the heir and will inherit the title. Or perhaps it's because the marriage was arranged by the late Marquis, causing him to hesitate and hesitate to break off the engagement, only to regret it at the last minute and impulsively elope with someone else.
In fact, the old Marquis didn't specify who was going to marry her, so he didn't dare to break off the engagement. He could have just found another groom, and there was no need to make things like this.
Meng Jinyao and her maid arrived at the study in the front courtyard, only to find the door tightly closed and a servant guarding it.
The servant was quite surprised to see her and hurriedly stepped forward to bow, saying, "This humble servant greets Madam."
Meng Jinyao nodded slightly and instructed, "Open the door."
The servant was taken aback and hesitated for a moment, but finally obeyed her and opened the study door. Yesterday, two second-class maids from the Marquis's courtyard had been sent to the estate. He didn't want to work on the estate. Serving the Marquis with his writing materials in the manor was a respectable job.
Inside the study.
Gu Xiuming was captured by the men his father sent out. They didn't say a word to him, but tied them up and gagged them. His heart sank. This proved that his father was very angry. Since he was adopted into the Marquis's mansion, he had been the center of attention and had never been treated like this before.
The girl beside him was filled with fear. The moment she heard the door open, her face turned pale, her heart jumped into her throat, and she subconsciously moved closer to Gu Xiuming, trying to seek protection.
Gu Xiuming felt heartbroken at her subtle actions and wanted to comfort her, but he was silenced by her gag.
When Meng Jinyao entered the study, she looked up and saw Gu Xiuming and a girl sitting on the floor. The two were tied up and their mouths were gagged with coarse cloth. The man looked tense, while the woman's eyes were filled with tears as she leaned timidly against Gu Xiuming.
She was slightly stunned, clearly not expecting to see such a scene, that a dignified young master would be treated like this.
Gu Xiuming looked up and was greeted by Meng Jinyao's beautiful face. He was especially shocked to see that Meng Jinyao had her hair styled in a married woman's bun. He was astonished and his eyes widened. He never expected that even though he had run away from the wedding, Meng Jinyao would still shamelessly marry him and become his wife, taking the place that should have been Wan'er's.
Soon, disgust appeared in his eyes, as if he had seen something filthy.
Meng Jinyao noticed the change in his expression, but didn't seem to care much. She smiled faintly and instructed the servant, "Unlock their mouths."
The servants responded respectfully and stepped forward to remove the coarse cloths that were stuffed into the mouths of the two men.
After holding it in for a long time, he finally managed to speak, only to encounter someone he despised. Gu Xiuming glanced coldly at Meng Jinyao and spoke first: "Miss Meng, as you can see, my heart belongs only to Wan'er. I cannot live without Wan'er in this life. If Miss Meng is willing to divorce, I am willing to recognize Miss Meng as my sworn sister. If Miss Meng encounters any difficulties in the future, I will do my duty without hesitation." This cannot be blamed on his heartlessness. He had tried to accept his fate and marry Meng Jinyao as his wife and take Wan'er as his concubine, but in the end, he still couldn't bear to wrong Wan'er.
With tears in her eyes, Li Wan'er looked at Gu Xiuming in surprise. She had thought that things had come to this point and there was no possibility between her and Gu Xiuming. She was deeply moved that Gu Xiuming was willing to divorce his wife for her sake.
Meng Jinyao was stunned upon hearing this. She had thought that Gu Xiuming already knew about the situation at home, but it turned out that he knew nothing at all. She couldn't help but find it amusing. Looking down at the ill-fated couple sitting on the ground, she gave a meaningful smile: "Son, I'm afraid you can't make the decision about my divorce."
Gu Xiuming didn't notice the first two words she said, assuming she was unwilling and wanted to use her father to block him, so he said, "I think Miss Meng doesn't want to waste her life as a husband and wife in name only."
Meng Jinyao said in a gentle tone, but with a meaningful tone, "I think you've misunderstood. Whether you can't live without someone is none of my business, and whether I get a divorce or not is even less of your business. Also, since I've already married your father, you should call me Mother, not Miss Meng."
Mother?
These two words struck Gu Xiuming like a thunderbolt, making his head buzz. He looked at the smiling girl in front of him and said with a stern face, "Miss Meng, I know you resent my running away on our wedding day. You can take your anger out on me, but please watch your words and don't ruin my father's reputation."
Meng Jinyao watched his changing expressions, from shock to rage, still unable to believe the truth. She said calmly, "Didn't they tell you that I had already married your father after they brought you back? The eldest daughter of the Meng family is engaged to the Gu family, but it is not explicitly stated which young master of the Gu family she will marry. Besides you, there are three other men in the Gu family who are not married and have no engagement. I chose your father."
Upon hearing this, Gu Xiuming was incredulous. He turned to look at the servant beside him, who was serving his father with writing materials in his study.
The servant noticed his gaze, glanced quickly at Meng Jinyao, and seeing Meng Jinyao nod slightly, immediately echoed Meng Jinyao's meaning: "Young Master, Madam did not lie to you. The person Madam married the day before yesterday was indeed the Marquis."
My fiancée became a mother?
Gu Xiuming was dumbfounded, unable to process the news, and even more unable to accept the outcome. His fiancée, whom he had always recognized, was marrying his father on their wedding day and becoming his mother. It was utterly absurd and filled him with an indescribable sense of shame.
After a long pause, he became enraged and sneered, "Meng Jinyao, have you no shame? You didn't become my bride, but you want to be my mother?"
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