An Invitation to Go South

"Oh, I'm here to see the Marquis. It's urgent, I'm so sorry, but thank you for making the way, young lady," Zhou Jingyuan said, cupping his hands in greeting.

"I'm fine, Your Marquis has important business to attend to."

The door was quickly opened, and Xu Weibei's serious face appeared behind it.

"What's wrong?" he asked in a deep voice.

Disturbing my peaceful sleep so early in the morning.

Recently, Xu Weibei lied that his old illness had relapsed and was not going to court. In reality, it was mainly because the weather was cold and he wanted to stay in bed.

Especially the woman beside you, she makes it even harder to get out of bed.

However, as Xu Weibei gradually recovered, he felt that he was about to explode with impatience.

Moreover, the two were intimately close, sharing the same bed, and he seemed... he couldn't hide it any longer.

A few nights ago, Gu Wanning complained to him about why he had brought a dagger to bed.

Sleeping here isn't like being in a den of dragons or tigers; one should relax both body and mind properly when sleeping, and weapons shouldn't be on the bed.

Xu Weibei was so embarrassed he wanted to disappear.

Fortunately, Gu Wanning gave him such an "explanation," which allowed him to shamelessly agree that it was a dagger, indeed a dagger.

His dagger, which he never parted with...

Although his health was gradually improving and he could feel the changes in his body almost every day, his "inner demons" also came along with it.

In the past, Xu Weibei was not controlled by desires and genuinely despised men whose minds were dictated by their lower bodies.

He's different!

But now I realize that he simply didn't understand.

A man's desires extend beyond the physical to include the spiritual.

He desperately wanted to possess Gu Wanning.

The thought that other men might also discover Gu Wanning's beauty and develop a possessive desire for her made Xu Weibei unable to bear it.

No, he absolutely needs this title.

When Gu Wanning accompanied him to offer incense to his mother, Xu Weibei had not yet recovered, but he was already silently telling his mother that this was the only woman he had ever wanted in his life.

He wouldn't let Gu Wanning suffer, or repeat her mother's mistakes.

Let's get married. That would not only give Gu Wanning a title, but also give him one.

--Let all the other men in the world know that Gu Wanning is already taken.

Xu Weibei was still lying in bed talking to Gu Wanning, or more accurately, listening to her rambling.

Being interrupted naturally doesn't elicit a pleasant expression.

Zhou Jingyuan stepped forward and whispered a few words in his ear.

Knowing he didn't want her to know, the Second Concubine tactfully turned her face away, waiting for the two to leave quickly.

Xu Weibei frowned and cursed, "He's got nothing better to do than mess with my men. I think he's tired of living! Let's go!"

It turned out that his former subordinates were beaten by a mob for defending him, and his old comrades naturally wanted to avenge their comrade.

The situation escalated from a minor conflict to something much more out of control.

So Zhou Jingyuan came to Xu Weibei and asked him to take charge of the overall situation, urging him not to let the arguments escalate into a fight, which could result in death and be difficult to explain.

Xu Weibei hurriedly followed Zhou Jingyuan away.

Only then did the Second Concubine go inside.

Gu Wanning listened patiently to her, occasionally picking up her teacup to take a sip of tea.

Actually, this action was entirely her way of suppressing her emotions.

She was about to unleash a torrent of profanity.

--How can there be such a lustful idiot?

If it weren't for this younger brother, how carefree my Second Concubine's life would be now.

"Actually, I didn't suffer any loss, but I'm just upset, probably because I feel like my brother isn't on my side," the Second Concubine said quietly.

"Your thinking is wrong. He was originally closer to his wife. But he doesn't understand right from wrong, doesn't know how to repay kindness, doesn't appreciate your good intentions, and has been deceived. It's really infuriating."

After a pause, Gu Wanning asked again, "What are your plans now? If you ask me, you should just move out. Out of sight, out of mind."

"I'm not moving!" Second Concubine became agitated. "If I move, I'm afraid the house will even be registered in that woman's name."

Gu Wanning thought to herself, "Maybe things have changed, as you know."

"... And I want to see just how far those two can go! When will they kick me out of the house?" the Second Concubine said through gritted teeth.

How can you learn a lesson if you don't get hurt?

Chapter 282 Invitation to Go South

When the Second Concubine arrived, Gu Wanning asked Er Ya to invite the Third Concubine over for a chat.

"... If there's anyone at the clinic, we can go there," she instructed.

"Alright!" Er Ya replied briskly, "When I come back, I'll ask the Madam for a nice pattern so I can make you some winter cotton shoes."

"Okay, go ahead, don't rush back, help your sister-in-law with some chores."

Er Ya loved running into her sister-in-law's room.

Sometimes Gu Wanning even suspected that she liked her sister-in-law more than her brother.

But after a while, Er Ya came back on her own.

"Hua Ying isn't here. I don't know where she went. Both her house and the clinic are locked."

"She went out? She didn't tell me," Gu Wanning said. "Could it be that she has a patient in urgent need?"

Because the Third Concubine had no other relatives or friends to rely on, she became close to Gu Wanning here.

So she always lets others know before she leaves.

"I think so," Er Ya said. "Should I go ask Third Master?"

"Third Brother should have gone to the palace for his duty, because the Marquis mentioned to me yesterday that Third Brother said he hasn't had a break lately due to his duty and hasn't had time to invite the Marquis for a horse ride."

"Hua Ying has her limits, and besides, it's broad daylight; we can't just kidnap her," said the Second Concubine. "She hasn't offended anyone, and she's not exactly rich or powerful."

"Um."

Gu Wanning listened to her Second Concubine talk all morning.

Although it was the same content over and over again, Gu Wanning listened patiently.

She knew that her Second Concubine didn't need her advice; she was just feeling too bad and wanted someone to talk to.