Chapter 206 He felt sorry for her
Seeing that she was silent, Gu Jingxi didn't know whether she liked it or not, and felt a little uneasy for no reason. He sighed inwardly once again that raising a young girl was really not easy, and there were a lot of things to worry about.
He broke the silence, saying, "If Madam doesn't like it, then I'll buy pastries from another store next time?"
The man's voice was gentle and soft, with a hint of coaxing a child.
Meng Jinyao snapped out of her daze, glanced at the pastry in her hand, and then looked up at Gu Jingxi. The man still had that gentle and peaceful look. She stared straight into his eyes, but she didn't see the tender affection described in the storybooks, nor did she feel that kind of obsessive love.
She silently withdrew her gaze, feeling that she had been presumptuous and overthinking things, and felt inexplicably disappointed.
Seeing that her expression changed several times but she didn't respond to him, Gu Jingxi asked again, "Does Madam not like it?"
Meng Jinyao gently shook her head: "No, I quite like Yipinzhai's lotus flower pastry. Of all the pastry shops in the capital, I think their lotus flower pastry is the best."
Gu Jingxi asked again, "Then why are you still so sullen?"
Meng Jinyao made up a random excuse to brush it off: "It's nothing, I just remembered my grandfather. When he was still alive, he would occasionally buy me some pastries from Yipinzhai when he finished his shifts."
It was clearly just a flimsy excuse, but when she brought it up, her mind involuntarily drifted to her grandfather, to the scene of him buying her snacks and coming back to coax her to play as soon as he finished his shift.
She shamelessly teared up and her eyes became moist.
Seeing this, Gu Jingxi was slightly taken aback. He had little experience in coaxing people and didn't know what to do for a moment.
He was the only legitimate son in the family and grew up being pampered by his parents. In his youth, he was proud and dashing. However, there were still times when things didn't go well. The little girl lost her mother at birth and was only loved by her grandfather. But this didn't last long, as her grandfather also passed away when she was young. Without the protection of her elders, it's hard to imagine how many unpleasant things the little girl encountered during her growth.
Looking into those tearful eyes, his heart ached. He carefully chose his words and gently coaxed, "Don't cry, I'll buy it for you later, okay?"
Meng Jinyao sniffed and asked, her voice choked with emotion, "Why are you so good to me?"
Gu Jingxi smiled and said, "You are my wife, isn't it only natural for me to treat you well?"
Meng Jinyao glanced at him and stammered, "Is it merely out of a husband's responsibility to his wife?"
Gu Jingxi was slightly taken aback, not understanding what she meant by asking that question, but after thinking about it carefully, she replied, "Not entirely."
At first, he did it out of a sense of responsibility, but gradually he realized that the little girl had a tough time and her experiences were heartbreaking, so he subconsciously wanted to be kinder to this unfortunate child.
Of course, it's only natural for a husband to be good to his wife. He's much older than her, so he should take better care of her.
These five words made Meng Jinyao start to overthink again. It was mainly because Ning Dong had brought up the issue, and afterwards she couldn't help but combine it with Gu Jingxi's words and actions to think about whether it was true or not. She was probably too idle, which is why she was thinking about these random things.
But she couldn't ask directly unless the other party made a clear statement. Otherwise, with this ambiguous feeling, if she asked and found out that wasn't what they meant, she would be really presumptuous.
Gu Jingxi said gently, "Alright, stop crying. I'll buy them for you from now on. Whenever I have time, I'll buy them for you after I finish my workday, before the shop has sold out of pastries."
Hearing this, Meng Jinyao felt a warm current flow through her heart. She lowered her head slightly and replied softly, "Then there's no need to buy it every day. If I do, I'll get tired of it in less than a month. It's enough to buy it only once in a while."
Gu Jingxi replied gently, "Alright, as you wish, Madam." He paused for a moment, then added, "While it's still fresh, Madam, would you like to have some first?"
Meng Jinyao nodded in agreement.
Gu Jingxi summoned a maid and asked her to bring in a clean plate and place the snacks on it.
Meng Jinyao took a piece from the plate and tasted it. It was crisp, sweet and fragrant. Over the years, every time she ate it, it tasted just like she remembered. Yipinzhai, a small shop, has been able to stay open for so many years and still do well. This is inseparable from its consistent taste over the past ten years, which also proves that the pastry chefs have maintained an excellent level of skill.
Perhaps because she hadn't eaten in a long time, Meng Jinyao ate five or six pieces in a row.
Gu Jingxi said, "Madam, don't eat too much, or you won't be able to eat later."
Meng Jinyao had her hand halfway out when she heard this, so she withdrew it and picked up a damp cloth that the maid had prepared to wipe her hands.
Gu Jingxi added, "Come with me to Shou'an Hall later and have a meal with Mother."
Meng Jinyao readily agreed with a "okay," and then asked, "Are the rest of the family going?"
"I'm not going." Gu Jingxi glanced at her. "Xiu Ming isn't going either, it'll just be the two of us."
With no one in her way, Meng Jinyao's mood brightened again.
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Shou'an Hall.
This was the first time Meng Jinyao had dined with Old Madam Gu with Gu Jingxi in the months since she married into the Gu family. Old Madam Gu preferred quiet and did not like the younger generation to bother her, so she did not eat with them.
Not only was Madam Gu kind and gentle-looking, but she was also kind and loving. Meng Jinyao felt very comfortable around her, and their relationship was always harmonious.
Madam Gu glanced at her son, who was quietly eating, and felt a bit disappointed in him. Not only was he silent, but he didn't even know to serve his wife food. It seemed he was getting less talkative with age; wouldn't it be even worse in a few years? What young girl liked talking to a taciturn man?
She looked at her daughter-in-law and asked gently, "Ayao, Yaoling is quiet and doesn't know how to get along with girls. Do you find it tiring to be around him?"
Upon hearing this, Gu Jingxi subconsciously turned his head to look at the little girl sitting next to him.
Meng Jinyao paused in her chopsticks, then replied truthfully, "Mother, my husband also initiates conversations and talks quite a bit. I don't feel tired at all when I'm with him."
"Really?" Old Madam Gu was a little skeptical, then smiled. "It's good that you have something to say. I was worried that this taciturn man wouldn't know how to get along with a young lady and would make our A-Yao feel wronged."
Meng Jinyao felt a warmth in her heart: "Mother, don't worry, my husband treats me very well and has never wronged me." To prove to her mother-in-law that she really hadn't been wronged, she thought for a moment and added, "After finishing his shift today, my husband even bought me lotus flower pastries."
Madam Gu looked at her son in astonishment, somewhat incredulous, but quickly smiled with relief. She hadn't expected her son to understand this; it was truly remarkable.
After a moment, Madam Gu said gently, "I am relieved that you two get along well."
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