Chapter 72 Disappointment with Him
On that day, the morning light was bright.
Gu Jingxi was off work today, and unusually, he didn't go out early. However, he was used to getting up early, so he read for a while after getting up, waiting for Meng Jinyao to get ready before having breakfast together.
The couple ate their breakfast in silence, neither of them uttering a single word.
Gu Jingxi was the type of person who didn't talk much, and he only spoke his mind. Meng Jinyao didn't know what to say to him. Seeing that he had also put down his chopsticks, she instructed the maid serving her to remove the breakfast.
At this moment, Xia Zhu entered, breaking the silence between the couple, and respectfully reported, "Lord Marquis, Madam, the young master has come to pay his respects."
Meng Jinyao had been married into the family for so long, yet no junior had ever paid her respects. Hearing Xia Zhu's words, she was momentarily stunned and subconsciously asked, "Who did you say?"
Xia Zhu replied, "Yes, Madam, it is the young master who has arrived and is currently waiting outside."
Upon hearing this, Meng Jinyao belatedly realized that her adopted son's house arrest had ended yesterday and he was now free. Therefore, he had to come and pay his respects to his parents. Thinking that her ex-fiancé was coming to pay his respects to her, she suddenly perked up and said with a gentle smile, "Please let my son in quickly."
Gu Jingxi glanced at the little girl and saw how excited she looked. He knew that Xiu Ming was probably going to be in trouble later, and he sighed helplessly.
A moment later, Gu Xiuming came in. He looked up and saw his father, who had a calm expression, and Meng Jinyao, who had a gentle smile. His brows furrowed slightly, and a hint of disgust flashed in his eyes. But since his father was still there, he immediately stepped forward and bowed respectfully: "Your son greets Father and Mother. May Father and Mother be well."
Meng Jinyao didn't miss the look of disgust he showed when he saw her. When she heard him greet her and call her mother, her smile deepened. She thought to herself: My son has become clever. He knows how to act obedient in front of his father.
Knowing best how to rub salt in the wound, Meng Jinyao asked with a smile, "My dear, it's been so long. How are your injuries?"
Upon hearing this, Gu Xiuming recalled the humiliation of being punished in the ancestral hall that day, feeling like a stray dog. His face stiffened for a moment, but he remained calm and replied nonchalantly, "Thank you for your concern, Mother. I'm almost fully recovered."
Meng Jinyao nodded gently: "That's good. Your father told me a couple of days ago that he was worried about your injuries."
Gu Jingxi glanced at the little girl with a strange expression, thinking to himself, when did he ever tell her that he was worried about Xiu Ming's injuries? The little girl is quite good at finding excuses for herself.
However, Gu Xiuming believed it. After all, he felt that this woman would not dare to spread rumors about his father. His uneasy mood eased, and he bowed to Gu Jingxi, feeling extremely guilty: "Your son is unfilial and has made Father worry about me."
Gu Jingxi stared at him calmly for a long while, then asked in a low voice, "Xiu Ming, after a month of reflection, do you know your mistake?"
Gu Xiuming's expression tightened, and he nodded repeatedly, his attitude of admitting his mistake sincere: "Father, I know I was wrong. This is the only time, and there will never be a next time."
Gu Jingxi gave a soft "hmm" and then asked, "What about that Miss Li? What are your plans?"
Upon hearing this, Gu Xiuming's lips curled into a smile, and his eyes shone with joy. He could not hide the happiness of being able to spend his life with his beloved. His tone became much lighter: "Father, I am preparing to find a matchmaker to go to Wan'er's house and then set an auspicious day to bring Wan'er into the manor."
Meng Jinyao glanced at him, not surprised by his reaction. After all, a girl who could make him abandon his fiancée would surely be brought into the household as soon as her confinement period ended. However, his reply just now certainly did not satisfy Gu Jingxi.
Just now, although it was only a fleeting change, Meng Jinyao still caught it. She clearly saw that after Gu Xiuming said those words, a look of disappointment flashed across Gu Jingxi's face, and even his eyes turned cold.
It is evident that Gu Jingxi still held hope for Gu Xiuming over the past month, hoping that Gu Xiuming could come to his senses and understand that as the heir of a marquis's family, he needed a principal wife, a respectable principal wife who could handle social affairs, and a legitimate son to inherit the title in the future. However, Gu Xiuming still disappointed Gu Jingxi.
The sons of marquises and noble families, especially the heirs, are never free to act as they please and cannot be reckless or willful.
If it weren't for the elopement, and if this Miss Li were also exceptional, Gu Xiuming could have broken off the original engagement beforehand, then worked hard to gain the elders' consent to marry Miss Li. However, there are no "ifs" in life. Because of Gu Xiuming's willful and reckless behavior, both the Gu and Meng families lost face. Because Miss Li eloped with Gu Xiuming, she could only be a concubine, and would remain a concubine for the rest of her life.
As the heir apparent, one can have only a principal wife and no other women, but one cannot have only a concubine who is not respectable enough to be considered a mistress. Otherwise, one will be ridiculed by others. If the household affairs are managed by the concubine after the family is divided, and the concubine is also responsible for the social interactions between the families, which family would want to associate with the Gu family? It's not that people don't want to associate with the Gu family, but rather that they don't want to lower their status to associate with a concubine who is not respectable enough to be considered a mistress.
After Gu Xiuming finished speaking, he waited a long time without hearing his father's reply. He looked up slightly with trepidation and saw that his father's expression was indifferent, revealing neither joy nor anger. He continued, "Father, Wan'er is a gentle and kind girl, and she is also very filial to her elders. She will be filial to you together with her son in the future." After saying that, he quickly added, "And Mother, we will also be filial to Mother together."
Gu Jingxi's face darkened, and he said in an unpleasant tone, "A gentle and kind girl would elope with you on your wedding day? A kind girl would hurt an innocent girl and make her suffer humiliation on her wedding day?"
As soon as he finished speaking, Gu Xiuming felt a pang of anxiety and quickly took the blame upon himself: "Father, it's all my fault. It was my idea to elope with her, and she had no choice but to go with me."
Gu Jingxi stared at him intently for a long time before finally speaking, "So, after this past month, you still firmly believe that you only want Miss Li?"
Gu Xiuming knelt down with a thud: "Your son's mind is made up, I beg Father to grant my request."
Gu Jingxi calmly explained the pros and cons to him: "No noble family's son would dare to take a concubine before marrying a wife. If you take Miss Li as a concubine before your wife enters the family, no noble lady will marry you."
He was silent for a moment, then asked again, "Xiuming, I'll ask you one more time, are you really sure?"
Gu Xiuming remained resolute: "Father, I have thought it through. Of all the waters in the world, I only want this one."
Seeing this, Gu Jingxi didn't ask any more questions and nodded slightly: "Since you have thought it through, then please ask the matchmaker to go to the Li family and choose an auspicious day to bring Miss Li into the household. Once Miss Li enters the household, there will be no room for negotiation."
Gu Xiuming's face lit up with joy, almost overwhelmed by the happiness of winning the beauty's heart. He hurriedly said, "Son thanks Father for granting my wish."
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