flstandardbreds Chapter 411 The Playboy's Divorced Woman 7
Chapter 411 The Playboy's Divorced Woman 7
“The girls in our family all have good reputations, so I’m relieved. Before, when we were talking about Qingyu, I was worried that the third son-in-law wouldn’t be satisfied and would send her back.” The stepmother patted her chest and said, “If that happened, what would happen to my youngest daughter when she gets married in a couple of years?”
She always speaks like that, which makes people feel uncomfortable.
Seeing that Grandma Xie was looking at her, she knew that what she said was not very good.
"I just meant that I hope to see Qingyu and her husband doing well, that's all, Mother, please don't misunderstand," she quickly explained.
"Don't say things like that again. The girls are all here. Is this something you, as a mother, should say?" Old Mrs. Xie admonished.
“Mother is right.” The stepmother nodded repeatedly.
Xie Qingyu knew that her stepmother was just someone who spoke without thinking; although she had her own little schemes, she didn't mean any harm.
She meant what she said sincerely, since the girls above all married good husbands thanks to the reputation that Old Mrs. Xie had cultivated.
Of the remaining girls waiting to be married, only her daughter and two illegitimate daughters remained. She wasn't worried about the illegitimate daughters' marriages, but she wouldn't be happy if they affected her daughter's marriage.
So she was also someone who hoped that Qingyu and Gu Shenbai would get together.
"If he's willing to give you face in public, then you can turn a blind eye to other things. As the legal wife, you have enough power to manage the household. As long as there are no children before you, you don't need to care."
At this moment, Grandma Xie gave Xie Qingyu the most important instructions.
Grandma Xie always taught her daughters according to the standards of a legal wife.
Families like theirs inevitably have multiple wives and concubines. They treat those concubines as mere objects, not worth paying attention to.
This is an idea that Mrs. Xie has always held.
"Granddaughter knows." Xie Qingyu wasn't here to be lectured; she just needed to agree politely to whatever they said.
After the relatives chatted for a while, other relatives from the clan came to wish the old lady a happy birthday.
The old lady then moved to the waterside pavilion, where the space was open and it was convenient for her to greet people who came.
The First Madam and Xie Qingyu's stepmother are about to go and help entertain the guests.
As a married woman, Xie Qingyu naturally didn't need to go out and entertain guests. Instead, she simply found a place to sit down and waited for the banquet to begin.
However, while Xie Qingyu wanted peace and quiet, there were others who didn't want her to have any.
"Isn't this Mrs. Gu? Why are you sitting here alone? Didn't Mr. Gu come with you?"
Two people, one dressed in yellow and the other in white, walked towards Xie Qingyu. The one speaking was Liu Qingling, the girl in the yellow dress.
She and Xie Qingyu are the same age, so they can be considered mortal enemies.
The two entered the girls' school in the same year, and Xie Qingyu always outshone her. Over the course of three years, Liu Qingling secretly competed with Xie Qingyu, trying to win.
Unfortunately, by the end of the three-year term, she had never been able to beat Xie Qingyu even once, right up until the graduation exam.
So whenever she encountered Xie Qingyu afterward, she would make comparisons, both openly and subtly.
Coincidentally, the two got married almost one after the other.
She got married a month earlier than Xie Qingyu.
Having heard about Gu Shenbai's actions recently, she felt as if she had finally seen what she wanted to see, and was just waiting to come and see Xie Qingyu make a fool of herself today.
So once she arrived at the destination, she kept looking for Xie Qingyu.
"Liu Qingling, didn't you bring your sisters with you?" Xie Qingyu said sarcastically with a smile.
Although Liu Qingling married a man with a much better reputation than Gu Shenbai, he was also known for his deep affection.
The problem is that he wasn't deeply in love with Liu Qingling, nor was he deeply in love with any other woman.
Instead, he was deeply in love with several women.
He fell in love with every woman he met, and was so deeply in love that he already had three concubines before Liu Qingling entered the mansion.
"It seems that the courtesan isn't enough of a worry for you, otherwise why would you have time to concern yourself with other people's affairs? I thought you wouldn't even come this time, that you were too ashamed to leave the house," the woman in white sneered.
She was Liu Qingling's half-sister and had always been her lackey.
"You're an unmarried woman, yet you're so well-informed. You must have been gossiping behind people's backs." Gossiping is not a good reputation for a woman.
“Mrs. Gu is quite eloquent in front of us.” Liu Qingling glanced to the side, then sat down opposite Xie Qingyu.
“Gu Shenbai doesn’t even come into your courtyard. What’s the use of you being ahead in the girls’ school?” Liu Qingling asked, seemingly venting her anger.
"Have you forgotten what women's schools teach? Did they teach how to please their husbands?" Xie Qingyu retorted.
Seeing Xie Qingyu like this, Liu Qingling got a little angry. Noticing that her maid was not around and that she was in a corner with branches blocking her view, so that no one would notice her, she approached Xie Qingyu and said, "It must be hard to be alone in an empty room, right?"
Xie Qingyu just smiled, then suddenly said, "You mean you know that Gu Shenbai hasn't entered my courtyard since his marriage?"
Liu Qingling nodded subconsciously, and even her half-sister beside her nodded in agreement.
"How did you know?" Xie Qingyu asked again.
Liu Qingling was taken aback.
Isn't this something everyone in the capital knows? Why do we even need to ask?
However, she also felt that something was amiss at this point, wondering why the entire capital city knew about this.
But before she could figure it out, Xie Qingyu suddenly said, "Whether my husband enters my courtyard or not is our business. Please, Miss Liu, don't gossip."
"Who's spreading rumors?" Liu Qingling retorted instinctively.
"So you came to me today just to mock me, to mock me for not pleasing my husband?" Xie Qingyu's voice was almost choked with sobs.
Liu Qingling panicked instinctively. Although she didn't know what she was thinking, she couldn't possibly say such a thing out loud.
The next instant, a clear male voice rang out, "Who's spreading rumors?"
Gu Shenbai's face appeared from behind the tree branches. He strode over, his gaze fixed on Liu Qingling, while Tao Hong followed behind him.
"Young Master Gu," the two men quickly bowed.
Gu Shenbai's face is very recognizable; I don't know how many times I've seen him on the polo field. Just looking at his face, I can tell that he's the type that many girls like when they first fall in love.
Liu Qingling naturally recognized him as well.
But the appearance of this face here at this moment makes one feel that something is amiss.
Gu Shenbai stepped forward and looked at Xie Qingyu. He saw a hint of grievance in her eyes, but she was still suppressing it. Her neck was straight, like a tall pine tree, refusing to bow her head.
He had heard most of what Liu Qingling said.
He really didn't expect that someone would use such a thing to mock Xie Qingyu.
His backyard was very simple; there were only his grandmother and mother in the house, and no disputes in the inner quarters.
He had no sisters, so he didn't even know that matters concerning the inner quarters could be used as a weapon.
"Whose wife are you to say such things? Putting aside the relationship between my husband and me, it doesn't seem like you have any good intentions to say such things in front of my wife."
Gu Shenbai spoke while sizing up Liu Qingling.
From the moment Gu Shenbai came out, she dared not speak.
"This is the first time I've accompanied my wife to an event like this, and I never expected to encounter something like this. I hope it won't happen again, otherwise I'll have to ask what kind of family could raise such a gossipy woman." Gu Shenbai spoke sharply and sternly, looking rather intimidating.
Liu Qingling bowed and then hurried away.
Although Gu Shenbai did not hold an official position, he was, after all, the son of the eldest princess.
Most importantly, the current emperor has no heir.
Gu Shenbai was also the emperor's favorite.
Nobody wanted to offend him.
After they walked away, Gu Shenbai looked at Xie Qingyu again.
"You're smart; you even know to send your maid to me when something happens."
"I originally wanted you to come over and present the gift together later, but I didn't expect you to witness something like this." Xie Qingyu said, lowering her head as if she was ashamed to be seen like this.
Gu Shenbai looked at the top of her head and suddenly remembered the look in her eyes just now.
Resolute and composed, yet for some reason, she evokes a sense of pity.
He suddenly felt a little irritated and said, "If I didn't see you, would I just have to put up with it? If they say something about you, wouldn't you talk back?"
“They’re telling the truth.” Xie Qingyu still didn’t look up.
Gu Shenbai felt extremely angry.
The Xie family's strict upbringing has indeed produced rigid children; they've lost all the cleverness they showed when they bit his fingers before.
"So you don't know how to refute it?"
"It's unreasonable." Xie Qingyu meant that she couldn't refute it.
"Alright, you wait and see. Tonight I'll make sure you're not in the wrong!" Gu Shenbai said.