The Eldest Daughter of the Su Family had always carried a powerful aura. Even now, as a widow and pregnant, she still commanded involuntary respect.
Xu Tanxin had always felt both envy and jealousy toward her.
Lifting her head with reddened eyes, Xu Tanxin nodded and said, “Cousin Su, if I’m sent to the manor, my life will be completely ruined.”
To be fair, she felt somewhat wronged—after all, she hadn’t actually drugged the Second Young Master, though she had very much wanted to become his woman.
Su Qingwan gently handed her a handkerchief. “Xu Consort, I don’t have the authority to decide whether you stay or go, but I can point you toward a clear path.”
Xu Tanxin asked urgently, “What path?”
Su Qingwan replied, “By rights, you are already Second Brother’s concubine, so your consummation isn’t the main issue. The key lies with Xi Yue. As long as Xi Yue isn’t angry and agrees to let you stay, Second Brother won’t send you away.”
Xu Tanxin frowned. “But Cousin Xi Yue hates me deeply now. She’d be thrilled to see me sent away.”
Su Qingwan withdrew her hand and casually flipped through a book beside her. “Xi Yue is very filial and will surely listen to Second Aunt. Write a letter yourself, and I’ll deliver it to Second Aunt for you.”
Xu Tanxin’s eyes instantly lit up; in that moment, she felt like kowtowing to Su Qingwan in gratitude!
“Cousin Su, you’re so kind! Cousin Xi Yue could never compare to you.”
Su Qingwan let out a scornful laugh. Couldn’t compare? Yet in Gu Yunrui’s heart, Su Xiyue was far superior to her.
After Xu Tanxin finished the letter and was about to leave, Su Qingwan remarked casually, “Xi Yue has been so agitated that the child might not be saved. It’s a pity—Mother has always cared so much about Second Brother’s heirs.”
Xu Tanxin’s eyes shifted thoughtfully, but she said nothing and turned to leave.
Qiyi escorted her out and, upon returning, whispered, “Miss, do you think Xu Consort understood your hint?”
Su Qingwan said, “She’s ambitious and clever. Back when her target was my elder brother, she managed to send him handmade belts and kneepads right under our noses. Now that her future depends entirely on Gu Yunrui, she’ll naturally pull out all the stops. Succeeding in climbing into his bed this time has given her a huge boost of confidence.”
So, Xu Tanxin would certainly grasp her hint. Since she had already consummated her relationship with Gu Yunrui, within a month or two, her belly would surely bring “good news.”
Ideally, by that time, Su Xiyue’s child would have been lost, making Xu Tanxin’s “pregnancy” all the more crucial.
Su Qingwan instructed Qiyi, “Make sure the letter reaches Second Aunt as soon as possible. If we delay, Xu Tanxin will be sent away.”
Qiyi replied, “Understood. I’ll see to it right away.”
Xu Shi arrived swiftly, bustling into Hou Manor in a hurry. At that moment, Gu Yunrui was sitting by the bed, comforting Su Xiyue.
“Xi Yue, rest well. Taking care of your health is more important than anything.”
Su Xiyue nestled in his arms, sobbing, “But the physician said this child might not be saved! It’s all because of that wretched Xu Tanxin! Why did she have to drug you? Why did she have to seduce you?”
Seeing Su Xiyue growing agitated again, Gu Yunrui quickly reassured her, “Don’t worry. Tomorrow, I’ll have her sent to the countryside manor. She’ll never come back to trouble you again.”
Only then did Su Xiyue feel somewhat appeased.
At that moment, a maid knocked and entered to report, “Young Master, Young Mistress, the Second Madam of the Su family has arrived and has gone to the Main Courtyard.”
Upon hearing this, Su Xiyue’s face instantly paled, and she gripped Gu Yunrui’s hand tightly. “Husband, Mother must be here to persuade me not to send Xu Tanxin away. What should we do?”
Gu Yunrui said gently, “She is still your mother, after all. You cannot refuse to see her. But don’t worry, I will stay with you. We can say this decision was mine, that it has nothing to do with you, and that it will absolutely not change.”
He explained the plan in detail.
Su Xiyue nodded.
When they arrived together at the Main Courtyard, Su Qingwan was sitting quietly in the Grand Preceptor’s Chair, listening to Feng Shi and Xu Shi converse.
Feng Shi had previously looked down on Xu Shi, as the second branch of the Su family was far inferior to the main branch. Strangely, however, she seemed to be getting along quite well with Xu Shi.
When she saw Gu Yunrui and the others arrive, Feng Shi’s smile faded slightly, and her gaze fell on Su Xiyue’s pale face. “Xiyue, look at you—your complexion is so poor. Why are you exerting yourself like this?”
Both were pregnant, yet Su Qingwan remained perfectly composed, with rosy lips and bright eyes, radiating good health.
But Su Xiyue was always fussing and fretting, wearing herself down until she looked half-dead!
The thought that their situations should have been reversed made Feng Shi feel stifled and frustrated.
Chastised, Su Xiyue bit her lip and looked at Gu Yunrui with pitiful eyes. Gu Yunrui’s gaze swept past Su Qingwan, and he unconsciously touched his belt.
He helped Su Xiyue sit down in the Grand Preceptor’s Chair and immediately spoke up in her defense. “Mother, Xiyue is in this state because she was upset by Xu Consort.”
Xu Shi, seated nearby, was displeased by this remark. Not daring to confront her son-in-law directly, she fixed a sharp glare on Su Xiyue.
“Xiyue, how could you let your husband misunderstand Xin’er like this?”
Suppressing her anger, Su Xiyue replied, “Mother, we have not misunderstood Xu Tanxin. She tried to seduce my husband by drugging him!”
Xu Shi said, “What she did was wrong, and as the rightful wife, it is your duty to discipline her. If she is disobedient or unruly, scolding or even beating her would be understandable. But you cannot send her away to a rural manor! If word gets out, what will people think of you? As the rightful wife, you must not appear so jealous.”
The same old excuses.
Su Qingwan, who had been watching the scene unfold from the side, raised an eyebrow slightly. This was not the first time she had seen Xu Shi manipulate Su Xiyue like this—outwardly pretending to care for her daughter’s well-being, while every word was meant to shield Xu Tanxin.
She could easily guess that if Su Xiyue had actually struck Xu Tanxin, Xu Shi would have shown up the very next day to scold her daughter.
Having a mother so fixated on favoring her natal family—Su Qingwan truly pitied Su Xiyue. But her sympathy went only so far. After all, sometimes it takes a villain to deal with a villain.
Suddenly, Su Qingwan felt someone’s gaze on her. She looked up and, as expected, it was Gu Yunrui staring at her.
As he watched her, he lightly stroked his belt.
Noticing this, Su Qingwan’s expression shifted slightly.
Seeing her change in demeanor, Gu Yunrui—who had been irritable all day—finally felt a little better.
Meanwhile, Su Xiyue burst into tears. “Are you my mother, or are you Xu Tanxin’s mother? She is trying to steal my husband!”
Her crying was too loud, immediately snapping Gu Yunrui back to his senses. While comforting Su Xiyue, he said, “Mother-in-law, it was entirely my decision to punish Xu Consort for her restlessness. Please don’t make things difficult for Xiyue here. The physician said Xiyue’s fetal position is unstable, and her health is poor—she’s already suffering enough.”
Xu Shi: “As the principal wife, one must be magnanimous. I only have her best interests at heart. Since her pregnancy is unstable, she ought to rest properly and let the concubine attend to the Second Young Master.”
Hearing her own mother say these words, Su Xiyue felt as though she were about to spit blood in frustration.
Clutching her stomach with a pained expression, she gripped Gu Yunrui’s arm tightly. “Husband, my stomach hurts so much, it really hurts…”
“Xiyue, what’s wrong? Are you alright? Quick, summon the manor physician at once!”
By the time the manor physician arrived, Su Xiyue was already drenched in cold sweat. After checking her pulse, the physician sighed helplessly, “I’ve already reminded the Second Young Madam—you’re at risk of miscarriage. Why aren’t you taking better care of yourself? You must avoid stress and agitation. If this happens again, the child will be lost for sure!”
Upon hearing this, both Feng Shi and Xu Shi paled.
Only Su Xiyue remained nestled in Gu Yunrui’s embrace, looking utterly aggrieved.
Su Qingwan, who was also pregnant, sat in the Grand Preceptor’s Chair farthest away. She observed Xu Shi’s obvious retreat and then glanced at Su Xiyue, whose eyes and brows radiated triumph.
She realized then that this entire scene had been a performance staged by the couple for Xu Shi’s benefit.
However, Su Qingwan knew that the child in Su Xiyue’s womb wouldn’t withstand many more such episodes.
This act successfully frightened Xu Shi, who began to back down. Though she wished to support her niece from her maternal family, she couldn’t stand by and watch her daughter lose the child.
Seeing how ineffectual Xu Shi was, Feng Shi snorted coldly—she had no intention of opposing her son either.
As the situation shifted, Su Xiyue’s gaze drifted toward Su Qingwan before settling back on Gu Yunrui. Suddenly, she gasped.
“Husband, that belt of yours looks so exquisite. Who embroidered it for you? The stitching… it looks somewhat familiar.”
Gu Yunrui quickly explained, “It’s nothing, just one of the Hou Manor embroiderers. Of course it looks familiar to you.”
Su Xiyue pressed on sharply, “The stitching of the manor’s embroiderers could never be this fine! Don’t try to deceive me! Mother, come take a look—doesn’t the stitching on my husband’s belt seem very familiar?”
Xu Shi, who had assumed her daughter was angry with her, hurried over at her call. As she examined the belt, her expression gradually grew complicated.
Feng Shi’s curiosity was piqued as well. “It’s just a belt, isn’t it? A-Ci, just tell Xiyue which embroiderer from the manor made it.”
Gu Yunrui looked exasperated. He glanced nervously at Su Qingwan before brushing it off, “It’s just from an embroiderer. Alright, Xiyue, let’s return to Haitang Courtyard. You need to rest.”
By now, Su Qingwan understood perfectly—this couple’s performance today, while ostensibly for Xu Shi, was actually meant for her.
Since they had gone this far, Su Qingwan naturally had to “play along.”
Feigning sudden interest, she rose and walked over. After examining the belt closely, she gasped in surprise.
“This belt’s stitching…”
Gu Yunrui and Su Xiyue could barely conceal the triumph in their eyes.
They were convinced that Su Qingwan must have recognized her own handiwork—after all, this was something she had once gifted to Gu Yunrui. Either she would begin suspecting that the current Gu Yunci was actually Gu Yunrui, or she might become embroiled in rumors of failing to observe widowhood properly and seducing her brother-in-law.
Either outcome would work to their advantage.
Just then, everyone in the room heard Su Qingwan exclaim in astonishment: “Isn’t this Xu Consort’s stitching? So Second Brother has long been romantically involved with Xu Consort? Then why did today’s scene even occur?”