roccoschili Chapter 409 The Playboy's Divorced Woman 5
Chapter 409 The Playboy's Divorced Woman 5
Upon hearing this, Gu Shenbai glanced at Xie Qingyu again, and then looked at the First Madam.
"I'm a bit tired too. You go with Qingyu and have her get you some milk. I'll rest first." The First Madam's words were clearly a way of telling people to leave.
So the two of them came out.
Xie Qingyu treated Gu Shenbai in a completely proper manner.
They bowed to him respectfully and gave him money in a proper manner, without even asking him what he needed the money for.
"Didn't your steward even ask me what I needed the money for?" Gu Shenbai couldn't help but ask, looking at the note in his hand.
"I'm just acting as the steward right now, as you know. I'll be leaving soon. Everything in this mansion originally belonged to your family, and I have no say in what you do with it. Whether you use it for drinking or for those brothels, it's none of my business."
"I have important business to attend to this time," Gu Shenbai immediately explained upon hearing this. He couldn't possibly take money from his wife to go out and have fun.
"Do as you please." Xie Qingyu's intention to see the guest out was quite clear after she finished speaking.
The more she acted this way, the more Gu Shenbai wanted to explain.
"This is meant to be used to save lives," Gu Shenbai said.
"Was it a woman you saved?" Xie Qingyu asked.
Gu Shenbai nodded.
Then Xie Qingyu fell silent.
Gu Shenbai, who was waiting for Xie Qingyu to continue asking questions, was getting a little anxious. Why did she only ask such a simple question, and it seemed to have an even more unclear meaning?
He initially thought it was nothing, but after answering that question, it seemed like something had suddenly become significant.
"I saved..."
"If you don't go and collect your money soon, the accounting department will shut down the accounts," Xie Qingyu warned.
Gu Shenbai ultimately prioritized the money and got up to leave.
Xie Qingyu picked up the tea on the table and took a sip. It was completely different from the tea at the First Madam's place. A smile appeared on her lips.
Xie Qingyu knew perfectly well who Gu Shenbai was trying to save; normally speaking, it was the original female lead.
However, Xie Qingyu doesn't need to intervene yet.
"The young master's first visit to the young lady's courtyard was actually for money." Tao Hong brought in a freshly brewed cup of tea, her tone slightly indignant.
The maids around Xie Qingyu are usually very tactful and rarely say anything inappropriate.
However, since Tao Hong and Qi Li were her maids who had been by her side since childhood, they were more daring in their speech in front of her.
"It seems you'd like him to come over more often," Xie Qingyu teased.
Tao Hong immediately became anxious, "Miss, you know that's not what I meant."
Tao Hong was eager to prove her innocence.
Although it's generally assumed that the maids who accompany the bride will share the burden with their mistresses later, it's not something that can be brought up now.
Moreover, the Gu residence was originally the princess's residence, but it was renamed the Gu residence because of the good relationship between the princess and Lord Gu.
Lord Gu and his wife have a good relationship and neither of them has any concubines, so they all hope that their young mistress can live such a life.
Who knew that this son-in-law was completely different from Lord Gu?
Before they got married, they had heard some rumors about their son-in-law, but they thought that things would probably be fine after they got married.
Who knew that after the wedding, she never saw her son-in-law again; he ran away right after the ceremony.
Tao Hong and Qi Li are now filled with resentment towards Gu Shenbai.
"Just kidding. Don't worry about him. See, I'm doing just fine here in this manor without him," Xie Qingyu said.
That's true. Even if the first wife is a princess, no other family would give a new bride the power to manage the household just two months after she married in.
With the First Madam delegating power to Xie Qingyu, Xie Qingyu's position in the mansion is secure, and no one dares to underestimate her.
Even if Gu Shenbai doesn't enter Xie Qingyu's courtyard, Xie Qingyu's words still carry the most weight.
“That seems quite good. The First Madam likes Miss, so the power to manage the household will be directly given to you. Whether the son-in-law comes or not is not important.” Tao Hong quickly grasped the idea.
That's what they say, but the First Madam doesn't think that way at all.
Whether it was the meeting between Gu Shenbai and Xie Qingyu that gave her a glimmer of hope or something else, she started trying to bring the two together again.
They also gave Gu Shenbai a task: to take Xie Qingyu back to her parents' home.
This trip back to her parents' home wasn't for any other random reasons, but rather because Xie Qingyu's grandmother was celebrating her birthday, and as her granddaughter, Xie Qingyu naturally had to go back.
Gu Shenbai was also coerced and bribed by the First Madam into agreeing to accompany Xie Qingyu on her return visit to her parents' home that day.
Xie Qingyu would not refuse such a thing.
If Gu Shenbai goes back with her, it will save a lot of trouble.
Her home was quite different from the Gu family's.
When the carriage departed from the Gu residence, Gu Shenbai and Xie Qingyu were sitting together in the carriage.
Seeing Xie Qingyu looking at him, Gu Shenbai said directly, "Riding a horse is too hot."
"When we get there... be a little nicer with your attitude," Xie Qingyu said hesitantly.
Gu Shenbai found it rather strange. He looked at Xie Qingyu intently for a long time before finally speaking, "Are you worried that I'm not polite?"
He knew, of course, that Xie Qingyu didn't mean that.
He just wanted to see Xie Qingyu's reaction.
As expected, Xie Qingyu was a little anxious and gave him a slightly reproachful look.
"I know, I won't let you lose face in front of others," Gu Shenbai said.
Xie Qingyu is the eldest daughter of the second wife.
She has older sisters from the main branch of the family and younger sisters born out of wedlock.
But her position was the highest because her father held the position of Minister of the Court of Judicial Review.
However, that high status was subtle and not something that could be openly discussed.
When they were in the manor, they were all sisters and were pampered in the same way.
However, her mother and father had higher expectations of her in private, and her grandmother also doted on her more.
When they were in the Xie family mansion, the only things they could compete with Xie Qingyu about were new jewelry and new clothes. But as they got older, the only thing they could compete with was their husbands.
This is Xie Qingyu's second time returning home since getting married. Gu Shenbai did not come with her on her last visit home.
So this can be considered his first time here.
However, he had a general understanding of the Xie family's situation.
The Xie family was originally a prominent and wealthy family that enjoyed a long period of prosperity. However, they later fell into decline due to a lack of heirs, until Xie Qingyu's father, Xie Songbai, demonstrated his talent, which brought them some relief.
Because of Xie Songbai's position, many people came to Madam Xie's birthday banquet today.
Of course, the ones who arrived earlier were the married women who had left their homes.
Xie Qingyu has three older sisters born to the eldest son of the main branch of the family, and a younger half-sister who is a few months younger than her and got married around the same time as her.
Xie Qingyu arrived relatively late. Gu Shenbai had taken some time to pack before they set off, and the princess's residence was quite far from here, so they were among the last to arrive.
The two didn't talk much in the car, and Gu Shenbai was even starting to fall asleep.
Upon arrival, Xie Qingyu disembarked from the carriage first.
But as soon as she came down, she heard a familiar voice.
"Third Sister, you've come back alone again?"
Xie Qingyu turned her head and saw Xie Huifang, the second sister of the eldest branch.
The two were only a year apart in age, and she openly and secretly competed with Xie Qingyu quite a bit.
Now she has returned with her husband and is standing at the door looking at Xie Qingyu.
Xie Qingyu could see that her carriage had just left, so it must have seen Xie Qingyu's carriage coming and waited here specifically.
"Second sister, second brother-in-law, you've arrived." Xie Qingyu nodded in greeting.
"Your second brother-in-law took a day off to come and keep me company today. But your husband... he doesn't hold any official position, so why didn't he come back with you? Doesn't he know it's Grandmother's birthday today, or does he just not want to come with you?"
"Isn't it said that the Xie family has the best rules? Why is this maid so gossipy?" The carriage curtain was lifted, and Gu Shenbai jumped down and stood next to Xie Qingyu.
"you......"
"My wife is so considerate. She didn't even want to wake me up when we arrived. I'm truly touched." Gu Shenbai didn't even glance at Xie Huifang.
"Why are you here?" Xie Huifang naturally recognized Gu Shenbai.
She was just thinking about the recent rumors in the capital, which all said that Gu Shenbai looked down on Xie Qingyu, so why did he come along today?
"This maid..."
“This is my second sister and her husband,” Xie Qingyu interrupted.
"Oh, it's Second Sister and Second Brother-in-law~" Gu Shenbai glanced at them, "Aren't you two going in?"
Xie Huifang was somewhat disappointed that her goal of mocking Xie Qingyu, which she had been waiting at the door to achieve, had not been fully realized. However, she could only suppress her dissatisfaction and walk inside. She deliberately walked in first and went in first.