Chapter 292 Taking in a Concubine
Gu Xiuming's face was terribly gloomy as he left the house, filled with rage.
The maid was quite surprised to see this. She could vaguely guess that the young master had quarreled with Concubine Li. But she was curious. Since Concubine Li entered the mansion, the young master had always doted on her like a precious jewel. Now that she was pregnant, shouldn't they be even more affectionate? It was really strange that they had quarreled.
Li Wan'er originally lived in the main room of Qingyuxuan, but only the principal wife was entitled to live in the main room. Gu Xiuming was reprimanded by Gu Jingxi before he allowed Li Wan'er to move to the side room.
After leaving Li Wan'er's room, Gu Xiuming returned to his original main room.
As soon as he entered the room, his maid, Yuan'er, diligently followed him in to serve him, lighting lamps and making his bed.
Yuan'er was a beautiful and ambitious maid who had long harbored the idea of becoming the young master's concubine. However, the young master was too serious at first, so she dared not act rashly. Later, she met Consort Li, and her heart and eyes were only on Consort Li. She could not see anyone else, so she had no chance.
But things are different now. She's heard that men who have tasted meat can't be kept at home. Concubine Li is pregnant and can't serve the young master. She just had a fight with Concubine Li. This is a rare opportunity for her. If she can gently and carefully appease the young master, she'll be one step closer to her goal.
"Young Master, let me help you undress."
Seeing that he did not refuse, Yuan'er boldly stepped forward to help him undress, her hands teasing his chest in a seemingly casual manner.
With such an obvious attempt to climb into his bed, Gu Xiuming wasn't stupid. He naturally understood what Yuan'er wanted to do. In the past, he would have refused if a maid had climbed into his bed, because he didn't want to touch anyone except Wan'er. But this time, he surprisingly didn't stop her and let her tease him in every way.
Perhaps he was simmering with anger with nowhere to vent, perhaps he was sexually frustrated and his desires were not being satisfied, or perhaps he was resentful that his sweetheart had made aphrodisiac soup, which he drank without his knowledge. In the end, he couldn't control himself and became a father-to-be after a night of passion.
Yuan'er was overjoyed that she was not rejected. She mustered her courage, reached out and hugged his waist, looked up at him shyly, and said in a sweet voice, "Young Master, it's cold at night."
Gu Xiuming pinched her chin and smiled playfully: "Since Yuan'er is so considerate, how about she warms me up for me tonight?"
Upon hearing this, Yuan'er was both surprised and delighted. Her heart was pounding, and she never expected to succeed so successfully. She couldn't help but smile and replied shyly, "It is my honor to be able to warm the young master."
The bed warmer delivered to his door was quite attractive, with a good figure. Gu Xiuming enjoyed it and planned to take her as a concubine afterward. He would also give her a bowl of contraceptive soup, so he wouldn't have to worry about her getting pregnant or having to suffer the pain of abstaining. What wealthy family's young master didn't have a concubine? Many people already had concubines by the age of fourteen or fifteen.
Gu Xiuming felt a surge of anger and resentment whenever he thought of Wan'er. He should have made Wan'er drink the contraceptive soup and made it clear that he needed to marry a wife for his own benefit.
He was filled with resentment and needed to vent. Tonight, he was neither gentle nor considerate of the fact that it was Yuan'er's first time.
Yuan'er had always harbored ambitions to become the young master's concubine. Even though she was uncomfortable, she tried her best to pretend to enjoy it and served him diligently until she found it amusing, at which point her discomfort was relieved.
Last night, Gu Xiuming and Yuan'er made such a big commotion that everyone in Qingyuxuan knew about it, including Aunt Li Wan'er.
After last night, Yuan'er became Gu Xiuming's woman as she wished. Although she was only a maidservant, Gu Xiuming said that she served well and that he would make her a concubine when a wife entered the household.
The maids and servants in the courtyard also changed their attitude towards Yuan'er, becoming somewhat flattering. After all, the young master used to only have eyes for Concubine Li, but last night he actually took Yuan'er in his arms, which shows that Yuan'er also has something special in the young master's eyes.
However, this incident dealt a heavy blow to Li Wan'er. She never imagined that her brother Xiuming, after leaving in anger and unsatisfied last night, would seek out another woman, spend the entire night with her, and take that maid as his concubine. For a moment, she didn't know whether to be angry at the other party for betraying her or regret not agreeing last night, thus giving the maid an opportunity.
After washing up, Li Wan'er went to find Gu Xiuming.
Seeing her tearful face, Gu Xiuming felt a little guilty, as if he had betrayed his promise. But when he thought about how she had lied to him, tricking him into drinking the aphrodisiac soup as a brain tonic, and how it had resulted in a child, he was furious. His anger overwhelmed his guilt, and he straightened his back and became righteous.
Gu Xiuming said calmly, "You're pregnant, why are you crying? Last night you were afraid of hurting the baby if you were even a little intimate, and now you're crying and wailing, aren't you afraid of hurting the baby in your belly?"
Seeing his coldness, Li Wan'er's tears fell even harder, and she asked in a choked voice, "Brother Xiuming, why...why are you treating me like this?"
Gu Xiuming said matter-of-factly, "Since you are unwilling, there will naturally be others willing to do it for you. It's just taking in a maidservant, not a concubine. Her status will still be below yours, so you don't need to worry about it."
"You weren't like this before. You used to say you'd only have me as your woman. What's wrong with Yuan'er?"
Li Wan'er felt like the sky was about to fall. Just before last night, she was Xiu Ming's only woman, the one he cherished. Xiu Ming had even run away from his wedding for her, refusing to marry a daughter of the Earl's family who was prettier than her. Now, however, he had taken in a concubine. Was it because she refused that he was seeking out other women to vent his frustrations?
Seeing her face streaked with tears, Gu Xiuming felt inexplicably irritated. He used to feel heartache when he saw her cry, but now he couldn't feel any heartache. He said indifferently, "Wan'er, you weren't like this before. You used to put me first, but who do you put first now? A child who hasn't even been born yet."
Upon hearing this, Li Wan'er felt extremely aggrieved: "But...but the fetus isn't stable yet, and the physician said we can't have intercourse. Besides, didn't you say you wanted a child? Now that we're pregnant, shouldn't we protect the baby and ensure its safe delivery?"
Gu Xiuming's eyes flashed, and he suddenly had an idea. He pulled her into his arms and coaxed, "Wan'er, I don't want the child anymore. I only want you. Let's get rid of the child now, just like before, okay? As for Yuan'er, since you don't like her, I'll send her away."
Li Wan'er was shocked by his outrageous words and stared at him in disbelief, as if she never expected him to say such a thing. This was his own flesh and blood.
He was the one who desperately wanted a child, even suspecting there was something wrong with his body, secretly took him to see a doctor, and made him take fertility drugs. Now that he's finally pregnant, he's the one saying he doesn't want the child.
Since you're so greedy for that thing, and can't stand not getting it in one night, why won't you let her make aphrodisiac soup when she's clearly not good at it?
Li Wan'er shook her head repeatedly, looking utterly bewildered: "Brother Xiuming, do you know what you're saying?"
Gu Xiuming acted like a child throwing a tantrum, as if he were genuinely jealous of his child: "Now that you have a child, you've neglected me. In your heart, the child is more important than me. Now I'm asking you, if you had to choose between the two, would you choose me or the child?"
Li Wan'er subconsciously reached out and touched her abdomen. She looked at him without replying, but her meaning was clear: she wanted both the child and him, and didn't want to give up either of them.
Seeing this, Gu Xiuming scoffed and said with the utmost malice and sarcasm, "I knew you would choose the child. So I'm just a tool to give you a child. Once you have the child, you'll throw me aside. When you said you loved me, you were probably just deceiving me for wealth and glory, weren't you?"
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