My Dearest Sister-In-Law, I've Been Waiting For You To Get A Divorce For A Long Time - Chapter 29

Chapter 29

◎ “Because, the Marquis’s manor will eventually be mine.” ◎

The carriages started their journey.

Mo Shuqing sat upright in the carriage, casually opening a storybook on her lap.

These were the books Gu Wenyao had brought her a few days ago, saying they were for her to pass the time.

Before, to investigate where Madam Gu had spent the money, Mo Shuqing hadn’t had time to read. Now that the matter was settled, she rested her fingers on the book. After a moment of silent thought, she finally turned a page.

The book wasn’t explicit, but it did tell of a few entangled love stories between men and women. Some of the descriptions of love between women were so subtle that one might not notice them unless they looked closely.

“My lady,” Liu Mama said softly from beside her. “Reading in the carriage is bad for your eyes. Why not take a break and eat some fruit?”

She opened a food box at her side and said to Mo Shuqing with a smile, “This was sent by Yi Yun just before the carriage left. I looked inside, and it’s all the fruit you usually eat. It shows how thoughtful Miss Yao is and how much she cares for you.”

Whether it’s care or something else is hard to say.

Mo Shuqing glanced at the fruit. Her fingers were still on the book, tapping rhythmically. “Mama, do you really think the letters Ayao sent me over the past two years were accidentally left behind in Lingnan by my mother?” she asked.

“If they were left behind, shouldn’t it have been the old ones? Why would the newly sent ones be forgotten there?” Mo Shuqing lowered her eyes. Her tone was calm, lacking even the slightest hint of a question, as if she were simply stating a fact.

Liu Mama had no idea. “Perhaps the new letters were put somewhere else, and that’s why they weren’t brought back with the others. Don’t worry, my lady. Didn’t the Madam say she would send them to you as soon as they arrive?”

Mo Shuqing didn’t reply. She wiped her fingers with her handkerchief, picked up a piece of fruit, and lifted the carriage curtain to watch the scenery as she ate.

Perhaps I’m the one who led Gu Wenyao on, she thought, and that’s why she has such thoughts about me.

If I became a little more distant, would things get better?

After all, I only ever treated Ayao as a younger sister.

…

The Seductive Trap

The journey from the capital to the suburbs took two full hours before they arrived at the Gu family’s summer villa.

The villa was built halfway up a mountain, surrounded by lush greenery and a stream, making it incredibly beautiful.

Before even entering the villa, you could feel the natural coolness of the surroundings.

The maids and servants moved the luggage into the villa. The villa’s manager came out to greet them. “We were informed of your arrival early. We’ve already had the rooms swept and the courtyards cleaned. Dinner is ready, and you can eat after you’ve rested for a bit.”

The food at the villa was mostly vegetables they grew themselves, and the meat was either from their own livestock or hunted from the mountains. Everything was incredibly fresh.

Gu Wenyao wasn’t a picky eater. The bumpy carriage ride had left her a little tired. She ate a few bites and then went back to her room to rest.

As she was leaving the table, Gu Wenyao noticed Mo Shuqing looking at her. Her gaze was filled with concern, but she didn’t say anything.

Gu Wenyao raised her eyebrows slightly. She turned back and stood behind Mo Shuqing, bending down so her chin was almost on Mo Shuqing’s shoulder. Her graceful voice was an invitation. “Sister-in-law, want to go to the hot springs with me this evening?”

Mo Shuqing was unmoved and calm. She lowered her eyes and continued eating. She said softly, “My period has started, so it’s not convenient. Ayao, you should go by yourself.”

Gu Wenyao’s gaze fell on Mo Shuqing’s earlobe. Her eyes were deep, and she tilted her head and sighed softly. “What a shame.”

This time, Gu Wenyao didn’t persist. She straightened up and walked away.

Mo Shuqing turned to look at her, feeling a sense of surprise. Giving up so easily? That’s not like Gu Wenyao at all.

The scenery at the villa was completely different from the capital. Even the evening breeze carried the fresh scent of grass and trees. The surroundings were quiet and peaceful, so much so that it felt a little unsettling.

In the afternoon, Mo Shuqing had joined Madam Yu in admiring the lotus flowers. She also helped Gu Wenyao check the villa’s accounts. After that, she was free.

The storybook from the capital was on the table. Mo Shuqing stood beside the table, but she had no intention of opening it. She just estimated the time and asked Liu Mama, “Have they gone to the hot springs?”

“Not everyone,” Liu Mama said. “It seems only Miss Yao is soaking right now. The Madam and the others have gone to play poker. They probably want to go after dinner.”

With the Marquis gone and far away from the capital, the women were able to shed their noble status and act more relaxed and casual.

Mo Shuqing paused. She put her hand on the storybook and asked softly, as if she were hoping for something, “Ayao didn’t send anyone to find me this evening?”

Liu Mama smiled and said, “She knows you’re on your period, so of course she wouldn’t send someone to ask you to go to the springs with her.”

Almost as soon as Liu Mama finished speaking, Qinglu rushed in, looking panicked. She bowed to Mo Shuqing. “My lady, Miss Yao seems to have fainted in the hot spring.”

Liu Mama was immediately shocked. “What? Fainted?”

She quickly asked, “Well, did someone go get Doctor Hu? He’s at the villa. Tell him to go see her!”

Qinglu had no idea. She looked anxious and confused. “I just heard Sister Yi Yun say it. She only told me to come and tell you. She didn’t say if Doctor Hu had gone or not.”

Liu Mama frowned. She was genuinely concerned about Gu Wenyao. She couldn’t help but grumble, “Yi Yun is so young and inexperienced. What’s the point of telling our lady that Miss Yao fainted, but not telling a doctor? Our lady isn’t a doctor.”

Liu Mama turned to look at Mo Shuqing. She was about to tell her not to worry, since Miss Yao was a sensible girl, when she saw that Mo Shuqing’s eyebrows, which had been slightly furrowed, had now relaxed. Her lips were curved in a faint smile, and her entire demeanor was calm.

Liu Mama was bewildered.

Liu Mama grumbled and asked softly, “My lady, have you fallen out with Miss Yao? You’re actually happy that something happened to her?”

Mo Shuqing glanced at Liu Mama. Liu Mama said sheepishly, “Or did you already know that Miss Yao would faint? That’s why you’re not worried at all.”

“Judging by your recent relationship with Miss Yao, this shouldn’t be your reaction,” Liu Mama said, following Mo Shuqing as she headed outside.

Mo Shuqing wasn’t not worried. She just had a suspicion.

The hot spring pool was in the southeastern part of the back courtyard.

When Mo Shuqing and Liu Mama arrived, Yi Yun was waiting at the entrance.

Seeing her approach, Yi Yun bowed respectfully. Her expression was calm and collected. “First Lady, my lady is just inside.”

Mo Shuqing glanced at Yi Yun. Yi Yun’s head was bowed, but her face and actions showed no sign of panic or worry. She had been Ayao’s maid for many years. Although she wasn’t as anxious as Qinglu, if something had really happened to Ayao, she wouldn’t be standing outside so calmly.

Mo Shuqing walked in, leaving Liu Mama outside.

The hot spring was a natural spring, and the villa was built around it. The courtyard was enclosed, but the area around the hot spring was open to nature, with rock gardens, trees, and stone tables.

Upon entering, the steam was thick. In the twilight, it felt like she had stumbled into a fairyland.

Mo Shuqing’s gaze went to the edge of the pool. Gu Wenyao wasn’t in the water at all. She was sitting barefoot at the edge of the pool, leaning back against a smooth, large stone, smiling at her.

She was wearing a pale green dress. Her long hair, like silk, draped over her slender shoulders and back. A ribbon was tied around her waist at its thinnest point, with the ends hanging down behind her.

Gu Wenyao had her dress pulled up, revealing her legs, which were as smooth as jade. Her two pale feet were submerged in the spring water, moving up and down, disturbing the calm surface and creating ripples.

In the soft, orange light of dusk, Gu Wenyao sat by the pool, playing in the water with her feet. She looked like a fairy who had stumbled into the mortal world.

Mo Shuqing stood still and didn’t move forward. She only asked softly, “Didn’t they say you fainted? Why didn’t you get Doctor Hu?”

Gu Wenyao leaned lazily against the stone behind her, her arm resting on the stone surface. She propped up her chin with one hand and looked at Mo Shuqing. Her eyes, as clear as autumn water, reflected Mo Shuqing’s image, and they seemed to be filled with spring. “To me, my sister-in-law’s ‘medical skills’ have always been more brilliant than Doctor Hu’s.”

Gu Wenyao said slowly, “Your words and actions can stir my heart more effectively than Doctor Hu’s acupuncture and herbs.”

Mo Shuqing sighed softly. She looked at her, and for a moment, she was speechless.

Despite their identities, she always acts this way.

Seeing that Mo Shuqing wasn’t coming closer, Gu Wenyao became serious. “I won’t joke with you anymore, Sister-in-law.”

Gu Wenyao sat up straight and gestured for Mo Shuqing to come over. “Since you’re already here, why don’t you sit down and chat?”

Gu Wenyao reached out her hand and stirred the water. Her gaze fell on the ripples. “Before my aunt left, she told me that I should think about why my sister-in-law married into the Marquis manor and whether she was scheming for something.”

From the corner of her eye, she saw the hem of Mo Shuqing’s skirt approaching. She finally sat down next to her. Gu Wenyao’s eyes filled with a smile. “I think I might have guessed what my sister-in-law is scheming for.”

Mo Shuqing sat on the stone, looking down at Gu Wenyao playing in the water. She was intrigued. “Then tell me, Ayao. What am I scheming for?”

“In the Marquis manor, there are three things people scheme for,” Gu Wenyao said, leaning against the stone and looking up at Mo Shuqing. She counted on her wet fingers. “One is the Marquis’s power. Two is the young marquis’s status. And three…”

Mo Shuqing lowered her eyes to look at Gu Wenyao. As she spoke, her pink lips opened and closed like blooming petals. Her eyes were bright. She looked up and stared at her, then slowly placed her hand on her own chest, over her heart, and whispered, “Me.”

Mo Shuqing’s eyes flickered. She reached out and brushed a drop of water from Gu Wenyao’s face. Then she pulled her hand back and asked with a smile, “Of the three, which one do you think I’m scheming for?”

Gu Wenyao lowered her eyes to the spot on her face that Mo Shuqing had touched. Her heart skipped a beat. The words “scheming for me” almost slipped out.

Gu Wenyao looked away and used both hands to support herself on the edge of the pool. She slowly slid into the hot spring, letting the warm water submerge her waist. The water came up to her chest, just below her heart.

Her long hair was wet and floated on the surface of the water. Her clothes clung to her body, her curves appearing and disappearing in the steam. Her voice sounded ethereal. “Sister-in-law, no matter what you’re scheming for, I urge you to scheme for me.”

Gu Wenyao turned to look back, her face full of a smile, but her eyes were filled with ambition. “Because, the Marquis’s manor will eventually be mine.”