Chapter Ninety-Eight: He's Shameless
The morning sunlight is gentle, perfect for a walk.
Gu Xiuwen was very hospitable and showed Meng Chengzhang around the mansion to familiarize him with the environment. He was called away midway through the tour and had to leave for a while, allowing Meng Chengzhang to explore the place first.
Meng Chengzhang was captivated by the unique scenery and lost his way as he walked. There were several roads, but he didn't know which one to take back.
When Gu Xiuwen returned and couldn't find anyone, he knew that Gu Xiuming was probably lost. He immediately went to look for him and encountered Gu Xiuming and Li Wan'er on the way. The two were strolling leisurely, chatting and laughing, their eyes filled with affection. They were a perfect match, a handsome man and a beautiful woman.
He stepped forward and greeted her: "Third Brother, Aunt Li."
Li Wan'er had recently learned etiquette and understood that she had to bow to every master in the mansion she saw. When she saw Gu Xiuwen approaching, she quickly curtsied and said, "Fourth Young Master."
Seeing his gaze darting around with a hint of anxiety on his face, Gu Xiuming asked, "Fourth Brother, you seem so anxious. What are you looking for?"
Gu Xiuwen nodded and said, "I'm looking for my second uncle. Did you see him just now, Third Brother?"
Gu Xiuming was taken aback. He remembered that his fourth brother only had one maternal uncle, who was his aunt's brother. Who was this second maternal uncle who suddenly appeared?
The next moment, when Meng Chengzhang's figure came into view, Gu Xiuming was slightly surprised. He recognized Meng Chengzhang, but he was puzzled by Meng Chengzhang's appearance at the Marquis of Changxing's residence: "Why is Second Young Master Meng here as well?"
Upon hearing this, Gu Xiuwen turned his head to look in the direction he was looking, and immediately breathed a sigh of relief: "Second Uncle, I've finally found you!"
The person who should have called him "Second Uncle" called him "Young Master Meng," but Gu Xiuwen from the next room called him "Second Uncle," which made Gu Xiuming seem impolite, and the atmosphere instantly became awkward.
Gu Xiuwen frowned slightly and glanced at his third brother disapprovingly. If his third brother hadn't run away from the arranged marriage and had married his third aunt instead, he could be calling her "Second Brother" now. But now he's not satisfied with her seniority and directly calls her "Second Young Master Meng".
Gu Xiuming also realized the problem, and his face froze.
Li Wan'er could roughly guess Meng Chengzhang's identity. The second young master of Meng was probably Meng Jinyao's younger brother. Perhaps because she had eloped with Gu Xiuming back then, she felt guilty seeing the Meng family members now. She subconsciously took a step back and nervously reached out to grab Gu Xiuming's sleeve.
Meng Chengzhang walked quickly toward them and said gently, "Fourth Brother, I'm so sorry to have worried you. I got lost and only found my way out thanks to the directions given to me by a maid."
Gu Xiuwen said, "It's alright. There are several roads here. It's normal for you to get lost if you're not familiar with them."
Seeing that the two seemed to have a good relationship, Gu Xiuming was surprised. He was unwilling to call Meng Chengzhang his second uncle, so he did not change his address and asked in a low voice, "Young Master Meng, is there something you need that came so early?"
Meng Chengzhang nodded slightly to him and replied in a gentle voice, "Si Lang and I will be setting off for Lingshan Academy the day after tomorrow, so I'm just staying for a couple of days to keep my elder sister company."
After he finished speaking, his gaze fell on the girl next to Gu Xiuming. If he was not mistaken, this was Aunt Li, who had eloped with Gu Xiuming. At first glance, she seemed quite gentle, but the way she timidly hid behind Gu Xiuming for protection was just like a weak and helpless dodder vine.
He couldn't help but frown. Gu Xiuming must be blind to abandon his elder sister for such a girl, and make such a fool of himself. Now the Changxing Marquis's Mansion has become a laughing stock among the aristocratic families of the capital.
However, Meng Chengzhang's gaze did not attract Gu Xiuming's attention, because Gu Xiuming's attention was completely occupied by the four words 'Lingshan Academy'. His fourth brother was able to go to Lingshan Academy with his father's help, but what about Meng Chengzhang?
The father dotes on Meng Jinyao so much, maybe it was Meng Jinyao who whispered in his ear, and the father took the opportunity to send Meng Chengzhang to Lingshan Academy as well.
He, as the son, couldn't even get into Lingshan Academy, but his father let others in, and even sent two of them. He was resentful, glanced at Meng Chengzhang from head to toe, and sneered, "Sure enough, when one person attains enlightenment, even their chickens and dogs rise to heaven. The older sister climbed a high branch, and the younger brother also benefited."
Although the words were not explicitly stated, the meaning was self-evident: it was a sarcastic remark that Meng Chengzhang relied on his sister's connections to get his brother-in-law into Lingshan Academy.
Meng Chengzhang's face darkened.
Gu Xiuwen's expression was also unpleasant. His third brother was unaware of the situation, but he knew it very well. Although his third aunt's younger brother was young, he was a truly talented person. His third brother hadn't even understood the situation properly, yet he had mistakenly assumed that the younger brother was a relative. With a stern face and an unhappy tone, he said, "Third brother, what nonsense are you talking about?"
Gu Xiuming said sarcastically, "Am I wrong? Isn't he just trying to climb the social ladder by following his sister?"
Seeing his once gentle and refined elder brother now become repulsive and unreasonable, Gu Xiuwen was also annoyed and warned, "Third brother, if you continue to disrespect your elders like this, I will tell Uncle."
Gu Xiuming scoffed, "I didn't know my fourth brother liked to tattle. What kind of elder is he? He's just a shameless sister who insisted on marrying my father."
Gu Xiuwen retorted, "I had no idea that Third Brother was such a disrespectful person. He's a disgrace to Third Uncle!"
"Young Master Gu, why did my elder sister marry my current brother-in-law? Isn't it all thanks to you?" Meng Chengzhang's face darkened with anger, his gaze sweeping over Gu Xiuming and Li Wan'er as he gave a mocking smile. "A man of questionable character, abandoning his fiancée on their wedding day to elope with a girl of equally questionable character, and then blaming the victim? How dare you utter such despicable and shameless words?"
Upon hearing this, Li Wan'er's face turned deathly pale, her eyes brimming with tears, yet she stubbornly bit her lip to hold back her sobs. Her slender, fair hands gripped Gu Xiuming's sleeve tightly, her frail body swaying precariously in the spring breeze, as if she would collapse at the slightest gust of wind.
In this matter, Gu Xiuming was in the wrong and couldn't refute it for a moment. He glared at Meng Chengzhang with a dark look in his eyes and thought to himself, "They really are siblings, equally annoying."
Gu Xiuwen was spoiled by his parents and was furious. He didn't care about anything else and stepped forward to block his brother's view. He chimed in, "That's right. You and Aunt Li are both immoral. Why are you blaming Third Aunt? If you two hadn't been so shameless as to elope, our Changxing Marquis's Mansion wouldn't be ridiculed every time we go out."
Gu Xiuming clenched his fists, furious and embarrassed: "Gu Xiuwen, say that again?"
Gu Xiuwen glared at him and said irritably, "I told you that you and Aunt Li are shameless, making the whole family lose face. Now when I go out, people ask me if I will favor my concubine over my wife in the future. They say that my brother took a concubine before he was married and even let the concubine live in the main room. Will I do the same in the future? My second brother and I are not engaged yet. Now that things are like this, which girl would dare to get engaged to us?"
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