Chapter 376 How Did He Fall for Him?
The birthday banquet concluded, and the guests felt right at home.
Lord Wei and his wife saw the guests off together.
Before leaving, Meng Jinyao glanced at Lord Wei out of the corner of her eye. Lord Wei was really different from what she had imagined. Although she had heard that the Mei family daughter was both talented and beautiful, she didn't have any special feelings about Lord Wei before seeing Madam Wei.
However, after seeing the gentle, graceful, and beautiful Madam Wei, and seeing the couple standing together in stark contrast, she couldn't help but wonder how Madam Wei could have fallen for Lord Wei and married him when Gu Jingxi was such a shining example.
Madam Wei was so beautiful, with a gentle beauty that made people feel good at first sight. In contrast, Lord Wei was not tall, only half a head taller than Madam Wei. He looked to be in his thirties, with a beard, a fair and round face, and the marks of time were already visible at the corners of his eyes, which were more noticeable when he smiled. He was also bloated, with a belly that looked like that of a woman who was four or five months pregnant.
Judging from his appearance, Lord Wei was not as energetic as his older brother-in-law, Lord Han. Lord Han also had a beard and his face showed the marks of time, but he was not fat and had a tall and slender figure. The official prestige he had accumulated from holding a high position for a long time formed an invisible pressure that made people dare not underestimate him. However, his blue robe added a touch of elegance to Lord Han, making him look much gentler.
Why didn't Madam Wei choose a handsome and talented young man in the first place? Does Lord Wei possess some superior qualities that others cannot match?
Gu Jingxi didn't notice that his wife was thinking about this. After exchanging a few pleasantries with Lord Wei, he left with his wife and considerately helped her into the carriage.
On the way back.
Seeing that she was lost in thought, Gu Jingxi asked with concern, "Ayao, what's wrong? Did something unpleasant happen?"
Meng Jinyao shook her head: "No, there's just one thing that I find strange."
Gu Jingxi pressed further, "Is there anything strange about it?"
Meng Jinyao glanced at him and said carefully, "Madam Wei is really beautiful, gentle, dignified and virtuous. Even I, a woman, can't help but feel fond of her. Her former fiancé was so outstanding and handsome. How could she have fallen for someone like Lord Wei?"
The Mei family was also a prominent family. Before Madam Wei got married, the patriarch of the Mei family was still alive, and the Mei family was much better off than it is now. Madam Wei's family background was good, and she could have easily found a handsome and talented young man.
Hearing this, Gu Jingxi couldn't help but chuckle. She hadn't expected her to be so concerned about this issue. She replied, "More than a decade has passed, and things have changed. Lord Wei wasn't like this back then. He was a handsome and dashing young man back then. Now that he's older, his charm has faded, and he's gained weight."
Meng Jinyao was surprised: "He used to be very handsome?"
Gu Jingxi nodded slightly: "Otherwise, how could Madam Wei have taken a liking to him? Back then, he was not only good-looking, but also quite talented. In addition, Old Master Wei was still alive, and he held the rank of third grade official. His elder brother was also promising. It was a good match. Later, Old Master Wei passed away, and his elder brother died young, but he still had Lord Han as his brother-in-law to rely on."
After hearing this, Meng Jinyao recalled Lord Wei's features. She thought that even if he lost weight and showed signs of aging, he would still have the same charm that Lord Han should have when he was older.
After a moment, Meng Jinyao said again, "Husband, he looks older than my father, probably around thirty-seven or thirty-eight years old. He also seems to be much older than Madam Wei, who looks to be around twenty-five years old. Lord Wei also married quite late."
Upon hearing this, Gu Jingxi smiled and shook his head: "He's not much older than Madam Wei. Lord Wei seems to be only two or three years older than me. As for Madam Wei, I vaguely remember that she seems to be a year younger than me. You can see that there is such a big age gap between them. I guess Madam Wei takes good care of herself and looks young, while Lord Wei has a lot of worries and looks older."
Upon hearing this, Meng Jinyao was surprised again. She had thought that Lord Wei and Madam Wei, like her and her husband, had a large age gap between them. She did not expect that Lord Wei was at most thirty-three years old, while Madam Wei was twenty-nine this year. The couple was at most four years apart.
Afraid that she would misunderstand, Gu Jingxi pulled her close and explained, "Don't misunderstand. Your husband simply has a good memory, which is why he can remember how old Madam Wei is. As for Lord Wei, I knew him before he married Madam Wei."
Meng Jinyao glared at him: "I didn't misunderstand. You said the day before yesterday that you had no romantic feelings for her, not even before the annulment of the engagement. I believe you and have no doubts about you."
Gu Jingxi smiled gently: "It's good that there's no misunderstanding."
Meng Jinyao reached out and touched Gu Jingxi's face, feeling its smooth and delicate texture. She questioned, "Husband, you are thirty years old this year. Judging from your appearance, you look more than ten years younger than Lord Wei. You really haven't done any special skincare? You went to see Imperial Physician Wen for treatment. I heard from other ladies that Imperial Physician Wen is quite knowledgeable in beauty and skincare. The ladies in the palace all ask Imperial Physician Wen for beauty and skincare creams."
Hearing this, Gu Jingxi chuckled helplessly: "What would a grown man like me need such a thing? If we're talking about beauty and skincare tips, maybe I do have some. Would you like to hear them, Ayao?"
Meng Jinyao's eyes lit up. As a woman, she was eager to hear what was going on, and quickly asked, "What prescription?"
Gu Jingxi said gently, "Take it easy, don't frown or get angry. Treat many things with an attitude of 'it's unnecessary, it doesn't matter, it's not a big deal.' A good attitude can help you maintain a happy mood and a peaceful state of mind, which can slow down aging."
Meng Jinyao was taken aback, but what he said did make sense. A good mindset and a happy mood make a person look younger.
After a while, Meng Jinyao asked again, "By the way, what connection do the Gu family and the Han family have? It turns out that Lord Han is a generation above you."
Gu Jingxi replied, "The current Duke of Zhenguo is Lord Han's nephew. The late Duke was a friend of my father, and the late Duke's father was also a friend of my grandfather. After the late Duke and my father passed away one after another, my three brothers and I only had nodding acquaintances with the current Duke of Zhenguo, and our relationship became distant. Speaking of the past relationship between our two families, I should call Lord Han 'Uncle Han'."
Meng Jinyao understood after hearing this, and then asked, "Husband, you're not familiar with Lord Han, are you?"
Gu Jingxi shook his head slightly: "We're not familiar with each other. When I first entered the court as an official, Lord Han was not in the capital, but serving as an official in another region. When he was in the capital, there was a difference of more than ten years between us, so we couldn't really talk to each other."
Meng Jinyao: "I see."
Gu Jingxi asked, "Ayao, did you encounter any problems at the banquet today?"
“There’s no problem at all. Madam Han has been quite considerate of me.” Meng Jinyao said, then paused, recalling the sense of distance between Madam Han and Madam Wei, and said, “Husband, I feel that Madam Han treats me more kindly than Madam Wei. I always feel that she is polite but distant towards Madam Wei, while Madam Wei is still kind to her.”
Gu Jingxi asked gently, "Ayao, which do you think is better, Madam Wei or Madam Han?"
Based on her initial impressions, Meng Jinyao objectively commented: "I feel they are all quite nice. Madam Wei is very gentle and approachable. Talking to her is like a gentle breeze, making people want to get close to her. Madam Han is also very easygoing and a kind elder."
After listening, Gu Jingxi said, "Ayao's ability to judge people still needs improvement."
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