My Dearest Sister-In-Law, I've Been Waiting For You To Get A Divorce For A Long Time - Chapter 23

Chapter 23

◎ Childhood affection, is that so? ◎

Mo Shuqing watched the Marquis leave, her expression indifferent.

Seeing that she was in low spirits, Liu Mama said softly, “My lady, you’ve known the Marquis is this kind of person. Don’t be sad.”

She tried to cheer Mo Shuqing up. “There’s only a little over a month until the autumn imperial exams. The consummation is just postponed. Besides, the Young Marquis can’t possibly not come home once during this time. You’ll still have a chance.”

Mo Shuqing was confused.

She looked at Liu Mama with a puzzled expression. “A chance for what?”

Liu Mama was taken aback by the question. “Why, a chance to consummate your marriage, of course.”

Mo Shuqing was speechless.

Liu Mama seemed to hold back for a moment before she couldn’t help but grumble. “The Marquis is really something. What difference does one or two more days of studying make for someone with the Young Marquis’s shallow knowledge? Why is he in such a hurry for tonight or tomorrow night? By all accounts, the Young Marquis has recovered now and should be moving back to the Other Gentleman Courtyard tonight.”

Liu Mama continued, “If you think about it carefully, it’s been a month since the new bride came through the door, and the number of times you’ve seen your husband is few and far between. The Marquis and the First Lady don’t care at all. On the surface, they seem to be lenient and not pressuring you to consummate your marriage and have a child. But to put it bluntly, they don’t care about you at all.”

Of the two of them, Madam Yu spoiled her son endlessly and was always obedient to Gu Shufeng. As for the Marquis, he only cared about the title of the Marquis. Neither of them ever truly considered Mo Shuqing’s well-being.

Liu Mama’s voice was resentful, but she didn’t dare to say too much. She only said, “They don’t care about you as much as Miss Yao does. I regret ever thinking that Miss Yao was difficult to deal with.”

Mo Shuqing smiled when she heard her mention Gu Wenyao. “In just one month, Mama, you’ve changed your opinion of Ayao quite a bit.”

Liu Mama let out a sound of exasperation. “It’s all because of the comparison!”

“That’s not right,” Mo Shuqing shook her head. “Ayao’s kindness towards me can be seen even without a comparison.”

Liu Mama saw that Mo Shuqing’s expression had softened a lot. She said with a smile, “That’s natural. You and Miss Yao have a childhood affection, so you’re naturally closer than others.”

Childhood affection, is that so?

Mo Shuqing lowered her eyes and pursed her lips as she smoothed out her sleeves.

Liu Mama was urging her from the side. “Why don’t you be bold and take the initiative, and consummate your marriage before the Young Marquis moves to the school?”

Mo Shuqing looked at her. “If I truly wanted to be with Gu Shufeng, I wouldn’t have gone out of my way to talk to Doctor Li. If I were to consummate my marriage today, what would be the point of me going to all that trouble to get Gu Shufeng to move out of the manor?”

She sent him out because she didn’t want to consummate the marriage.

Liu Mama was shocked. She stared at Mo Shuqing for a long time before she could finally find her voice. “My lady, what do you mean?”

Mo Shuqing said plainly, “I simply don’t want to see him.”

Liu Mama said, “But the Young Marquis is still your husband.”

Mo Shuqing’s tone was as calm as ever. She began walking towards the Azalea Courtyard. “He can also not be.”

Liu Mama was too shocked to speak. “Then, then you just…”

Mo Shuqing said, “I was just feeling sad for Ayao. The Marquis clearly suspects that Madam Gu is up to something today. But before the truth is revealed, he’d rather stand by and watch instead of helping Ayao avoid the danger.”

This kind of Marquis manor made one’s heart turn cold.

Mo Shuqing glanced at the garden and said softly, “However, with the Marquis’s words, things will be easier for Ayao and me. Let’s go. If we delay for too long, Ayao will get impatient waiting.”

…

Madam Gu’s Failed Scheme

At the lotus garden, Madam Gu was whispering. “Where is he? Where is Wu Nianye?”

The servant’s face was covered in sweat. “We haven’t found him yet.”

Madam Gu gritted her teeth. “How can you not find him? At such a crucial time, where did he go?”

The servant said, “I saw him with the male guests coming this way earlier. But in the blink of an eye, he was gone. First Lady, please don’t worry. Mama has already gone to look for him everywhere.”

Madam Gu’s face was grim. Her voice was harsh. “He probably saw some maid and went off to flirt with her. …That useless good-for-nothing. If I had anyone else to use, how could I have used him?”

A servant quickly approached from a distance. “First Lady, we couldn’t find Brother Ye, but we saw our Brother Ming.”

Wu Mingchun, Madam Gu’s biological son and the young master of the Earl’s manor.

Madam Gu quickly went over. When she saw Wu Mingchun, she grabbed his arm and pulled him to the side. “Where is Wu Nianye? Weren’t you with him?”

“He went to the outhouse,” Wu Mingchun said impatiently as he straightened his wrinkled sleeve, which had been pulled by Madam Gu. “Mother, if you have something to say, just say it. Why are you pulling my arm?”

Seeing her son’s attitude, Madam Gu’s face immediately turned cold. “Did your father say anything about me?”

Wu Mingchun was nonchalant. He mumbled, “He didn’t say much. Besides, you and my father are divorced. What does it matter what he says about you?”

Madam Gu lowered her voice. “Your father and I’s divorce doesn’t count. I’ve told you this eight hundred times. Why don’t you believe me?”

“It’s not that I don’t believe it,” Wu Mingchun said. “I used to believe it, but my father married a new wife six years ago. You know about this. At this point, you’re probably the only one who thinks that your divorce from my father doesn’t count.”

Madam Gu’s face was ugly. “Your father only did that to show to outsiders. After all, if your father and I didn’t get divorced back then, how could I have stayed in the Marquis manor for so long and schemed for the Ming family’s dowry and money?”

Wu Mingchun scoffed. “But you failed, didn’t you? You were almost caught by my uncle. Otherwise, my father wouldn’t have married a new wife to dispel my uncle’s suspicion and finalize the divorce.”

“Mother, you couldn’t get rid of Gu Wenyao when she was eight. It’s not guaranteed that you’ll succeed this time,” Wu Mingchun said, his voice full of dissatisfaction. “Also, you could have chosen anyone to deal with Gu Wenyao, but you chose Wu Nianye. Don’t you know I can’t stand him?”

“I wanted to choose you, but you’re about to marry the eldest daughter of the Yan family. How can we ruin that because of Gu Wenyao?” Madam Gu said with a blank face. “Gu Wenyao can’t bear children easily. How can she carry on the Wu family bloodline if we marry her to the Wu family?”

When this was mentioned, Wu Mingchun immediately looked impatient and disgusted. “I don’t like any Miss Yan.”

“It’s not that you don’t like any Miss Yan, you don’t like any girl!” Madam Gu yelled, then realized she was being too loud and quickly looked around.

Who would have thought that the young master of the Earl’s manor was gay (a cut-sleeve)?

Madam Gu looked at Wu Mingchun and lowered her voice. “I’m telling you, Wu Mingchun, you will obediently marry the Yan family’s daughter and have a son. After that, I won’t care what you do with those boys in your courtyard. But before you have a son, you have to pretend to be a loving husband, even if you have to act!”

Madam Gu threatened, “Otherwise, you’ll have to spit out all the money I’ve given you these past few days.”

Wu Mingchun weighed his belt and his money pouch. In the end, he had no choice but to give in to Madam Gu. He said reluctantly, “I get it.”

“Go find Wu Nianye. Don’t let him fall into the outhouse,” Madam Gu said angrily. “A lazy donkey always has a full bladder when it’s time to work.”

Madam Gu was afraid that staying there for too long would attract attention. She pushed Wu Mingchun to go find Wu Nianye while she went back to the garden to socialize.

As soon as Madam Gu returned, the servant who was keeping an eye on the Azalea Courtyard came over.

The servant said, “Miss Yao has returned to her courtyard. The maid saw her take a sip of tea, and not long after, Yi Yun helped her lie down.”

Madam Gu finally smiled. She said with disdain, “She thought I was only holding this banquet to get money, so she focused her attention on the accounts. In reality, I was just using the banquet as an excuse to move people around and place a few inconspicuous servants in her courtyard.”

Madam Gu said, “The boy who tends to the fire in her small kitchen is someone I recently placed there. That way, it’s easy to put things in the food that Gu Wenyao eats.”

The servant also complimented her. “Miss Yao was on guard. She didn’t eat any of the pastries you prepared in the pavilion and didn’t drink a single drop of water. But she held on until she returned to her courtyard and immediately had someone bring her some tea.”

“It’s normal to be thirsty in this weather,” Madam Gu said with a smile, holding a handkerchief to her nose. “She’s just a teenage girl trying to play mind games with me. But she can’t even handle a simple feint. She’s still so naive.”

Madam Gu instructed the servant, “Go tell Wu Nianye to go there. The aphrodisiac takes effect very quickly. Tell him not to dawdle and to do what needs to be done with Gu Wenyao before the flower appreciation ends.”

The servant acknowledged her command.

Madam Gu looked at the retreating figure of the servant. She felt as if she could already see Gu Wenyao in her grasp. The excitement in her heart was hard to contain.

Gu Wenyao’s Revenge

Meanwhile, in the Azalea Courtyard…

Gu Wenyao was standing by the door, fully dressed with her hair pinned up. There was no sign of her being bedridden.

She tilted her head and looked down at the man in white who was knocked out on the ground with a stick. He had fallen face-first, and the fan he was holding had fallen at her feet.

Gu Wenyao lifted her foot. The tip of her lotus-colored embroidered shoe nudged the man’s face, gently flipping him over to reveal his face. She frowned. “This is Auntie’s nephew?”

The man’s nose was bleeding, and the bright red bl00d was smeared over the lower half of his face, making him look horrifying.

Gu Wenyao looked away in disgust and shook her head with a soft sigh. Her emotions were unreadable. “My aunt really hates me. To use such a person to ruin my reputation. What a pity. I’m not eight anymore.”

Gu Wenyao hadn’t touched the tea on the table at all. She walked back to the table and picked up the teapot.

Just then, Yi Yun came in from outside. “My lady, the people to move him have arrived.”

Two servants followed Yi Yun, holding ropes.

Gu Wenyao handed the teapot to Yi Yun. “Tie Wu Nianye up and throw him into the woodshed. My great-aunt placed someone in my small kitchen, right? The boy who tends to the fire.”

Yi Yun nodded. “Yes, the medicine in this teapot came from his hands.”

Gu Wenyao’s smile was bright. “Then pour this water down that boy’s throat. When Wu Mingchun comes to look for Wu Nianye, lead him to the woodshed and lock all three of them in there together.”

Since Madam Gu wanted to watch a show, she would give her a grand one.

Yi Yun took the teapot and was also looking forward to it. “Yes.”

Gu Wenyao took out a handkerchief to wipe her fingertips. She looked outside, a bit resentful. “Sister-in-law really trusts me. She’s not even worried that something might happen to me. She hasn’t come to look for me yet. Who is in the front hall that’s so important that she has to stay?”

Yi Yun stood by and heard this. She couldn’t help but look at the thugs inside and outside the door. After a moment of silence, she said softly, “My lady, these people are all the First Lady’s people. They were sent here to protect you.”

Yi Yun smiled. “And the First Lady was also in the front hall to warn the Marquis about Madam Gu. Only she can do this without arousing suspicion.”

Of course, Gu Wenyao knew all this, but after hearing it, she still felt happy and relieved.

As the servants dragged Wu Nianye away, Gu Wenyao asked softly, “Is the lotus pond the most crowded place? Then I’ll have to go look for Auntie. When sister-in-law comes, she’ll wait for me.”

The grand show was about to begin, and Gu Wenyao was going to open the curtain herself.

She was in such a good mood that when she left the room, she even forgot that the secret door was still open.