Description
Gu Xueyi was born into a family of generals and was the master of the Sheng family, the one person in charge of a family of 400. But when she woke up, she had transmigrated into a novel and was the ex-wife to be of the male lead and doomed to die early.
Looking at the four siblings of her husband, Gu Xueyi frowned and thought: "Back in the day, the sons of the Sheng family were able to go to battle, to become generals, to conquer the Imperial court and become officials. All of them were useful men, so why are those bigshots in the modern day so useless?"
Whether her husband wants a divorce or not, first she has to teach these idiots the right way!
Months later, the missing husband returned to the Yan family.
Yan Weijia, who had just received the Movie Emperor award: "The person I am the most grateful for is my sister-in-law and the person I love the most is also her."
Yan Weshu, a famous celebrity that had just entered a prestigious university: "The person I am the most grateful for is my sister-in-law and the person I love the most is also her."
Yan Wenhong, who just won a gold medal for his country: "The person I am the most grateful for is my sister-in-law…"
Yan Wenbo, holding his diploma: "The person I am the most grateful to is my sister-in-law…"
Even the Yan's former enemy said in a public interview: "The woman I admire the most is Ms. Gu Xueyi."
Everyone: ?
Yanchao: ? Am I green?
Only then he found out that his unruly and hateful wife had become the dream woman that everyone wanted to marry and that they were all waiting for him to divorce.
Associated Names
TMBWM
Tags:
Arrogant Characters Beautiful Female Lead Charismatic Protagonist Complex Family Relationships Confident Protagonist Family Fanaticism Female Protagonist Love Interest Falls in Love First Nationalism Racism Reverse Harem Transmigration Wealthy Characters
Madam! (1)
Gu Xueyi had died.
Yesterday, she had just been appointed Lady of First Rank1.
Today, when she opened her eyes, she was sitting at a white table with a simple and peculiar cup on it and a book with a curious binding beside it…
On the cover of the book were strange characters that said "The pampered sweetheart wife of the President" and just looking at those words, it pulled out all of the memories buried in her mind.
Her name was Gu Xueyi but she was no longer Gu Xueyi, Mistress of the Sheng Family of the Jin Dynasty but Gu Xueyi, eldest lady of the Xinyuan Group.
At 24 years old, she had fallen in love at first sight with Yanchao, the president of the Yan Group. She had hidden herself in his hotel room and invited reporters to catch the act. The media had taken photos of them entering the room one after another and they had quickly made the headlines.
Half a month later, they had gotten married.
…
As Gu Xueyi struggled to digest all of those unfamiliar pictures and words, she realized that she had come back to life again and had ended up in the body of a woman with the same name as her.
"Bang, bang, bang!"
Violent knocks on the door sounded. This family had no etiquette and Gu Xueyi frowned in her heart.
"Who?", she asked coldly.
The knocking on the door stopped and a female voice immediately answered: "Madam… you have to come out and have a look. Miss Jiang has been waiting for you downstairs for a long time and she is angry now."
Who was this Miss Jiang?
Who was this lady that came to her house and made her angry? What a mighty person, no one had dared to throw a fit in her own home in many years.
"Madam…"
"Madam, your husband may not be at home at the moment but you cannot be too unruly."
"Madam, Miss Jiang is carrying the Master's child…"
The people outside were more than a little rushed. Gu Xueyi had guessed that they must have been the servants of this family: who were they to command the master? The more restless the people outside the bedroom became, the less anxious Gu Xueyi was.
She pinched herself lightly; it hurt, this was not a dream. The first thing she had to do now was to get acquainted with this unfamiliar place, to survive, and to live well as a proud Gu daughter.
"Madam!" The maid Wang Yue knocked hard on the door several more times. There was still no movement inside and she could not help but mutter.
That was weird! The first two times Gu Xueyi had heard Miss Jiang's name, she had been so angry she had smashed something… Why was there no noise today? Wang Yue was a little anxious in her heart.
Gu Xueyi was President Yan's wife and according to the Yan Family's rules, while her husband was away, she had to report everything to her. Wang Yue wouldn't get near her otherwise.
This Miss Jiang matter… someone had to deal with this one way or another!
"Madam…" Wang Yue started yelling and when she turned her head, she saw Miss Jiang coming up the stairs.
This Miss Jiang was somewhat well-known as she was a small flower in the entertainment industry. Three years ago, she had become famous overnight when she had starred as the heroine of a costume drama. She had the curly hair that was popular nowadays and her facial features were of mixed blood; her slightly foreign looks and pouting red lips were very seductive.
Miss Jiang put her hand on her lower abdomen and frowned slightly. She asked: "Won't Mrs Yan see me?"
Jiang Meng was a little worried. If she had not been in a hurry, she would not keep coming to the Yan mansion. The Yan Family was her last chance… but if it were not for the rumor that Yanchao was missing, she would have not dared to come.
Gu Xueyi was a fool, it was easy to deceive her.
Jiang Meng secretly cheered herself up but kept a pitiful look on the outside.
Wang Yue was embarrassed and said: "Miss Jiang, the Madam might still be asleep…"
President Yan did not like Gu Xueyi. The only reason they had gotten married back then was because of her little trick. But this Miss Jiang was different, she carried the Master's child in her belly. Now that he was missing again… the child might just be the only blood left.
Jiang Meng looked at the door in front of her. It was a handiwork from the famous french designer Christian Liaigre. Not only this door… from the moment she had stepped in the villa, everything she had seen had been worth a lot of money.
The Yan household was so rich and powerful but it had to be occupied by a woman like Gu Xueyi.
A trace of envy arose in Jiang Meng's heart but she erased it fast. Yanchao and the Yan Family were things she could never grasp. She only needed to get a hold of what she could attain. As long as she reached this level, although she would never be as rich as the Yan Family, she could live a life that ordinary people could never dream of.
Thinking of this, Jiang Meng stepped forward and knocked on the door herself.
"Mrs Yan, I believe we need to talk."
[Toc ➡️]
一品夫人 (yi pin fu ren): if someone could explain to me exactly what this rank mean, I would be very grateful. I think -really, just think- it is a rank appointed by the Emperor to the first wife of an official that helped the country in some ways?
Madam! (2)
The other party was anxious and naturally, Gu Xueyi would not accommodate her. She turned a deaf ear to the sounds outside the room and raised her head to look at her surroundings.
This was a rather shabby place, with a strange bed, strange lights and strange windows… Everything looked unfamiliar and cheap. The bed was behind her and on the wall in front of her was a large mercury mirror. This family was odd… didn't they know the mirror should not face the bed?
Gu Xueyi approached it and looked at her reflection. She was wearing a light green silk dress that was held on her shoulders by two thin straps. Her neck was slender and the collarbone beautiful, the skirt was knee length and her legs underneath were straight.
The woman in the mirror looked similar to her but her eyes and eyebrows were blurred by the weird makeup; she looked several years older, fierce and somehow vulgar.
Following her body's memories, she found the "bathroom" and fumbled to find paper towels. She turned on the faucet with difficulty, stretched out her fingers and tentatively felt the water.
It was warm. This world really was strange; the servants were unruly and the furniture and ornaments were not aesthetically pleasing but the tricks were interesting and advantageous.
Gu Xueyi dipped the paper towel in warm water and started wiping off the makeup on her face. This makeup was very difficult to get rid of but Gu Xueyi was not in a hurry and she slowly cleaned her face little by little while assimilating the memories of the original body.
On the other side, Jiang Meng was waiting frantically. Why was Gu Xueyi so calm today?
Jiang Meng bit her lip and frowned. She used all of her acting skills, clutched her lower abdomen and hissed: "My stomach… it hurts…"
"Mrs Yan! Miss Jiang's stomach is hurting!" Wang Yue was panicking and shouting while holding Jiang Meng. "Someone call the family doctor!"
"Madam! It's not good! Madam, please come out!"
Back inside, Gu Xueyi found something called "makeup remover" and finally wiped off most of it. The eyebrows underneath were revealed.
At the same time, a loud noise suddenly sounded in the bedroom. It was in a language she did not understand and it vaguely sounded like music…
Gu Xueyi left the bathroom and found the small square the sound came from. Her memories told her this was a "cellphone". Rummaging through all of the information, she answered the phone uncertainly.
There was a careful voice of a man on the other end: "Hello? Is this Mrs Yan? The fourth young master Yan is currently at the police station. He had a fight with the third young master Jiang. Could you come and pick him up?"
Fourth young master Yan?
It should be the younger brother of this body's husband, Mr Yanchao.
Fighting with the third young master Jiang? At the police station? Police station?
Gu Xueyi quickly found the definition of the police station in the memories. It seemed to be similar to the yamen. The young master of a big family had actually been fighting and had to be picked up by the mistress at the yamen? It was ridiculous and very embarrassing!
Gu Xueyi's face sank. She looked around the room and as she picked up an item, her gaze stopped on a picture. It was called a "photo".
It was the portrait of a tall and very handsome man. He was wearing black clothes, had short hair and a faint smile on his face but his eyes looked indifferent. The black looked distinguished, the short hair was stern and the whole person looked wealthy. Through the "photo" alone, one could feel his oppressing aura and Gu Xueyi immediately noticed this man had been stained by blood. He might have looked gentle but was actually hiding something even more frightening than the usual fierceness.
Was that Yanchao? How could such a man would easily agree to marry the original body? He did not seem to be the type to be coerced by others. Anyway, it was but a trifling matter and Gu Xueyi ruthlessly backhanded the picture.
Half a minute later, she opened the door.
Wang Yue, who was still shouting, and Jiang Meng, who was giving her best performance, were stunned. Gu Xueyi was wearing pajamas and had casually wrapped a red windbreaker around her. Her long black hair was scattered on her shoulders, her eyes were cold and sharp and she looked both beautiful and overwhelming. Instantly, Wang Yue and Jiang Meng felt like they were circus clowns performing hard but not being rewarded with a single coin.
Wang Yue stuttered: "Madam, Madam, you are out, you are finally out… Miss Jiang, she…"
Jiang Meng immediately narrowed her eyes and leaned on Wang Yue's shoulder. She looked at Gu Xueyi: "Mrs Yan, please don't be arrogant. I do not want to take your position as wife, I just want to talk to you. Let's talk about this child…"
Gu Xueyi lightly swept her gaze on her without saying a word. Jiang Mend felt embarrassed as she looked at her from head to toe, like she was observing goods.
Was she crazy? Why did she feel this way?
Jiang Meng gritted her teeth but Gu Xueyi ignored her and strode downstairs. Both Wang Yue and Jiang Meng were dumfounded. Hadn't Gu Xueyi come out to see her?
Wang Yue quickly let go of Jiang Meng's hand and instinctively tried to stop Gu Xueyi: "Madam, don't go…"
Jiang Meng was suddenly thrown away; she almost fell to the ground and cried in surprise. Wang Yue turned back to help her in a hurry.
"Madam, where are you going?"
Gu Xueyi paused and said: "I am going to pick up the fourth young master."
Fourth young master?
Wang Yue was confused for a moment before she realized Gu Xueyi was talking about the fourth young master Yan Wenbo.
"Pick up the fourth young master?" Wang Yue was getting even more confused. The Yan family and Gu Xueyi never dealt with each other, especially Yan Wenbo who was young and rebellious. No matter what had happened to the fourth young master, Gu Xueyi would never pick him up!
Gu Xueyi did not wait for Wang Yue to make sense of it. She shook the item in her hand: "Well, to scold anyway."
Wang Yue clearly saw Gu Xueyi was holding a Gucci belt thicker than a finger.
Wang Yue: ?
Jiang Meng: ?
Was she going to beat the fourth young master? Did she dare?
Crazy, she was really crazy!
Madam!
His sister-in-law
As the car drove all the way to the police station, the driver was still in a state of shock.
"Open the door." Gu Xueyi said.
The original owner would always order people around in the Yan household and the driver did not think anything was wrong. He got out of the car and opened the door for her.
Gu Xueyi glanced at him and she remembered him from this body's memories. Seeing Gu Xueyi stepping out of the car with a pair of beautiful crystal slippers on her feet, the driver could not help but ask: "Are you really going to pick up the fourth young master?"
"Yes." She looked at the driver's embarrassed face.
Why was everyone so surprised? Was the fourth young master a demon? Then he should be even more scolded. She clenched the "whip" in her hand.
This kind of thing, causing trouble to the family… It was not that big of a deal but if he were to implicate his whole family and cause its destruction, it would be terrible. Gu Xueyi became even more determined and strode into the police station.
The driver looked at her back and sighed. He had to stay behind and if it really did not work… he could always give a call to the second young master.
But today was really strange. How was the madam planning to take care of the fourth young master? Even President Yan did not pay attention to him.
"Fourth young… Where is Yan Wenbo?" Gu Xueyi stepped in and asked directly.
The Yan family was so famous everyone knew about them. Of course, the name of the fourth master was also very well-known. The little policewoman at the door was stunned for only a second before reacting and saying: "Inside, follow me."
"Are you… Mrs Yan?"
"Yes."
Before the original body got married, she had frequently appeared in various gossip magazines. After her marriage and because of the low key behavior of the Yan family, she had kept a low profile and had been in front of cameras less often.
The policewoman's impression of Mrs Yan was of raised eyebrows and big red lips printed on {Gossip Weekly} a few years ago. For a moment, she did not recognize the woman in front of her. Didn't a woman after marriage usually became less glamorous? Then how come Mrs Yan was like a different, much better looking person? Perhaps marrying a wealthy bigshot like President Yan was the reason.
The policewoman suppressed the confusion in her heart and pushed open the glass door in front of her.
"He is inside. Young master Yan… he does not look very good right now."
Gu Xueyi nodded: "Thank you."
The policewoman was a little flattered. Mrs Yan really seemed like a whole different person.
Gu Xueyi noticed her fourth young master. In the small room, there was only one teenager sitting, leaning against the wall. He was slender and wore weird clothes that belonged to this world. It was called a "shirt" and the neckline was torn, revealing his powerful chest.
When the boy heard footsteps, he turned his head.
"Gu… Gu Xueyi?" The young man narrowed his eyes and could not believe it.
"Yan Wenbo?" Gu Xueyi looked at him more carefully. He should be about twenty years old, with blood stained white straps on his head. Under them, there were sharp eyebrows, the bridge of his nose was straight and his appearance was quite outstanding yet a bit ordinary. The boy was frowning and his eyes were full of impatience and irritability. If he had long hair and longer clothes, he would have looked like a young swordsman from her world.
"What are you doing here?" Yan Wenbo asked unhappily.
"The police station called me."
The corner of Yan Wenbo's mouth twitched, showing a cold and disdainful expression: "Then my elder brother's secretary should have handled it. How does it concern you?"
"I am your sister-in-law." Gu Xueyi's tone was calm and emotionless, as she was just stating a fact.
When Yan Wenbo heard her, he was about to sneer. But when he raised his head, he faced Gu Xueyi's indifferent gaze.
She had removed the heavy makeup she usually wore to overwhelm others but she had not removed it perfectly. There was still a little bit of black mascara and red eye shadow in the corner of her eyes… Or it might not have been eye-shadow but it had been rubbed red. There was also a small lipstick mark on her lips… It did not look messy, on the contrary, she looked clean and pretty. Like a crying beauty.
Her usual fierce and disgusted expression was gone and she was not yelling "I am your elder brother's wife! You have to listen to me!" anymore. She just looked at him coldly, like they were strangers.
Yan Wenbo unconsciously squeezed his fingertips, a weird feeling blossoming in his heart.
Gu Xueyi grabbed and sat down: "Let's talk, what happened."
Yan Wenbo suppressed the strange feeling and sneered: "Do you think I will tell you?"
Gu Xueyi moved her hand and the belt tucked on the ground with a crisp sound.
"Crack"
Gu Xueyi: "I think you will."
"…"
Yan Wenbo trembled. Even his chest felt like he was suffocating. Was Gu Xueyi crazy? She… Was she going to hit him?
"What are you doing? What are you doing, this is the police station!"
"Third young master, don't make trouble…"
Suddenly, there was noise outside the glass door and it was slammed open. A young man about the same age as Yan Wenbo walked in and said with sarcasm: "What's the matter Yan Wenbo? You cannot beat me so you have to call your family? What can your brother even do? Who doesn't know he is missing? You don't even know if he is dead or alive!"
Yan Wenbo got up from his chair: "Jiang Jing! Do you want to die?"
"Let's go, let's go if you have the ability to hit me! You…" Jiang Jing held his neck high, with an arrogant smile on his face.
"Crack." There was another crisp sound and the belt flew across the room and pulled at Jiang Jing's feet. He screamed in surprise and instinctively took a step back.
"Who? What?!"
The arrogant expression faded quickly and his face turned pale. He looked at Gu Xueyi in shock. The feeling in Yan Wenbo's heart suddenly felt less annoying.
"Who are you?" Jiang Jing grasped the door frame, ashamed, and stared at Gu Xueyi with an ugly expression. The woman in front of him somehow felt familiar but he could not figure out why.
"Gu Xueyi. His sister-in-law."
Yan Wenbo bit his lip but did not refute it this time.
Jiang Jing was stunned and said in a startled voice: "You are … Gu Xueyi? Yan Wenbo, your sister-in-law turned out to be so good-looking! But she has such a bad temper, no wonder your elder brother doesn't like her!"
Gu Xueyi opened her eyes slowly, her long and curled eyelashes leaving a little shadow behind. Her eyes were sharp but not cold or angry and looked very seductive. Jiang Jing suddenly went quiet and stared at her.
"Let's leave first."
Jiang Jing was still silent and Yan Wenbo did not say anything either. He raised his head and glanced at Jiang Jing with hatred and he stared back, unafraid.
Under the guidance of the little policewoman, Gu Xueyi went through all the procedures. Watching her, Jiang Jing could not stop himself and said: "Mr Yan has disappeared and you cannot even send a secretary? Mrs Yan comes personally? My father uses assistants to run errands!"
Gu Xueyi turned her head to look at him, her voice neither slow nor hurried: "So? Does your family not care about you enough to come? Why are you so proud of it?"
Jiang Jing's expression froze and a cheerful smile appeared on Yan Wenbo's face, who had just walked out. How come he wasn't aware Gu Xueyi could be so terrifying? And Jiang Jing was still young, even if he tried to refute her, after opening his mouth he could not mutter a single word for a long time.
After completing the formalities, Gu Xueyi strode ahead.
"Keep up."
Yan Wenbo was usually ashamed of Gu Xueyi's screaming but he could not just sit on the ground and refuse to go. He held his breath and followed obediently.
Once out of the police station, Yan Wenbo immediately headed the other way.
"Where are you going?" Gu Xueyi stopped him.
"You don't need to worry about it."
Gu Xueyi turned her head and looked at Jiang Jing: "Please come to the Yan mansion, third young master Jiang."
Jiang Jing had not expected she would invite him. He licked his lips, not daring to refuse and nodded: "Okay, let's go!"
When Yan Wenbo heard it, he got really angry. Why did Gu Xueyi invite Jian Jing? Jiang Jing had just fought with him! Did she invite him to comfort him? Was she that afraid of the Jiang family? No way! He could not let Gu Xueyi let the Yan family lose face.
Yan Wenbo recognized the car parked by the side of the road and quickly walked over. He opened the passenger door and got in.
Seeing his expression, the driver shouted: "Fourth young master!"
It was over. The madam and the young master must have been arguing just now.
Gu Xueyi and Jiang Jing got in the car just after. Yan Wenbo heard the sound of the doors closing and turned his head. He finally took the time to notice Gu Xueyi was still wearing a nightgown, showing her slender neck and white collarbone. She was only wrapped in a windbreaker which showed her thin waist and graceful posture. Yan Wenbo's eyelids twitched and he did not dare to look anymore.
Yan Wenbo: "Stop."
The driver quickly stepped on the brakes and asked with caution: "Fourth young master? What's wrong?"
Yan Wenbo got out of the car. He walked to the back and opened Gu Xueyi's door.
"Sit in the front."
Gu Xueyi raised her head to look at him but did not move. Yan Wenbo was a little afraid to look at her directly. He wanted to tell her to hurry but as the words were going to come out, he swallowed them back and reluctantly said from between his teeth: "Sister-in-law, please sit in the front."
She was dressed like this and sat next to Jiang Jing, this was so wrong! How could Jiang Jing see this? Who was he?!
Stop hitting! (1)
Gu Xueyi got out and moved to the passenger seat without thinking much of it.
They were already at this age but were still very childish. Thinking back to her Sheng family, at this age, children followed their fathers and uncles to the battlefield. Fortunately, children were easier to handle and it was not too late to put them back on the right path.
Jiang Jing snorted: "Yan Wenbo, what are you doing?"
"Keep talking and believe me, I will put your head under the wheel." Yan Wenbo replied with a cold expression.
The two started arguing again but they did not fight in the car which quickly drove back to the Yan household.
Back to the villa, a doctor had come to see Jiang Meng and Wang Yue had realized something did not seem right. Had Miss Jiang been acting all along? This method… was even more powerful than Gu Xueyi! If she were to be added to the Yan family, wouldn't it cause even more trouble?
Wang Yue handed a cup of coffee to Jiang Meng. Jiang Meng lifted her head and said softly: "I am pregnant, how can I drink coffee?"
Wang Yue was about to reply when she heard the car coming back. Soon after, Gu Xueyi and Yan Wenbo entered the villa, followed by Jiang Jing.
Jiang Meng was taken aback. Had Gu Xueyi really brought the fourth young master back? She stood up quickly.
Yan Wenbo noticed her and turned his head to ask in a cold voice: "Who is she?"
"Fourth master, I am Jiang Meng."
Jiang Jing interrupted her: "Oh, I've seen you on TV. Didn't you play in a dumb TV show a few years ago? It was pretty popular. And that underwear commercial was pretty good."
Jiang Meng's expression froze. Why did she feel like the young master Jiang was instead calling her dumb?
"Can just anyone enter the door of the Yan Household?" Yan Wenbo had been in a terrible mood today and immediately insulted her.
Jiang Meng's expression became even stiffer. She carefully recalled that she had not offended the fourth young master of the Yan family in the past. Not only had she not offended him, she had never even met him!
"Fourth master, I am here…"
"Go upstairs." Gu Xueyi ignored her.
Jiang Jing immediately complied and stepped on the stairs first. He had never met a woman like Gu Xueyi before and she was very different from the rumors. Jiang Jing was really curious about what Mrs Yan was planning to do. Apologize for Yan Wenbo? Vent for him? It should be fun!
Upon seeing this, Yan Wenbo followed him and strode upstairs with a straight face. He couldn't let Gu Xueyi do anything!
Gu Xueyi walked behind him and went upstairs slowly. Wang Yue was shocked again, was the madam really going to scold the fourth master? Wait, why had they both listened to her all of sudden? Why had they gone upstairs?
Jiang Jing reached the second floor. There was a living room there but before he even stepped in it, Gu Xueyi drew her whip at his feet, blocking his way.
Gu Xueyi was born from a general household. Since childhood, she had followed her father to learn archery, kung fu and to hold a whip.
Because women had limited strength, they learned less about archery as they grew up but their abilities with the whip would get better and better. She could slam through the air and just having it passing close to someone was enough to make them feel the strength contained in it.
Like this, even if Jiang Jing had been prepared, he was still shocked and jumped back two steps. His face turned pale again. It turned out she was really going to vent for Yan Wenbo!
"Since the family of third master Jiang does not seem to care, I will teach you the rules and how to be polite today." Gu Xueyi still looked indifferent but she swung the belt again.
It hit Jiang Jing's back this time and he cried out in pain. In an instant, he felt like he was split apart by the whip. He tried to hide in a hurry and yelled: "Are you mad? How dare you hit me?"
Yan Wenbo was also startled and quickly took two steps back. This was… Was it why Gu Xueyi wanted to take them out of the police station first? In order to beat them?
Jiang Jing was the youngest member of his family. He was not as capable as his first few brothers and his family ignored him a lot. He was rarely disciplined and because he had learned from an uncle in the army, he had been invincible in his circle since of friends childhood. Today was the first time he was ever beaten.
And for his first time… it hurt, it really hurt! Jiang Jing tried to dodge the whip with desperation only to realize he could not avoid it. He gritted his teeth and gave up, today, he was going to hit a woman!
But Gu Xueyi did not leave Jiang Jing the time to fight back at all. His punches and kicks were really not enough for her to be bothered by it and she had more than enough time to take care of him.
The more Yan Wenbo watched, the faster his eyelids twitched. He watched Jiang Jing trying to helplessly avoid the belt again and again… just looking at him made Yan Wenbo feel pain. He had never known that Gu Xueyi was so amazing!
"Okay, okay, fuck! Stop, it hurts! I have to go to the hospital…!"
"Mrs Yan!"
"Gu… Sister Gu, Sister Gu!"
"No, sister-in-law, can I call you sister-in-law too?"
"If you hit me again, I will…"
"Tell your parents?" Gu Xueyi finally said.
Jiang Jing swallowed back his words. If he did, would he still keep his face? Not only had he just been beaten, he found it very embarrassing.
"I will apologize! Can I apologize?" Jiang Jing gritted his teeth.
As a real man, he could bow and submit or could stand tall but he could not get beaten to death in the Yan household! He really had not expected this kind of pain when the belt had hit him. His skin was scorched and if she had used a whip, he would most likely have been bleeding. That was a torture from the Qing Dynasty! It wasn't that he was weak!
Stop hitting! (2)
Gu Xueyi stopped. Looking at Jiang Jing that was bowing and hugging his head on the ground, the corner of Yan Wenbo's mouth twitched. He had never seen him like this.
"Apologize." Gu Xueyi lowered her head and slowly rolled up the belt in her hand. The belt was brown and black and with her slender white fingers, when put together, her hands looked even more beautiful. Jiang Jing raised his head. When he saw them, he was dazzled for a second before recovering his usual cold expression.
"I… what am I sorry for?"
Gu Xueyi paused. Jiang Jing quickly added: "No, no, I will apologize it's just… I have no experience apologizing! Could you… remind me?"
Gu Xueyi was not angry and calmly said: "Think about what you said today."
Jiang Jing thought fast: "I'm sorry, I should not have offended Mrs Yan today. No, I should never offend Mrs Yan. I mocked you but it was not sincere. Really, you have to believe me."
He then asked in a small voice: "Was it good?"
Yan Wenbo's face was still dark but he felt better in his heart. He really had not expected Jiang Jing would be so overwhelmed by the whip. At the same moment, Gu Xueyi turned to look at him and his heart jumped once more. What else did she want to do?
Gu Xueyi pointed a finger at Yan Wenbo and asked Jiang Jing: "What about him?"
Jiang Jing was dumbfounded: "What? Do I also have to apologize to him?"
"You hit him."
"You hit me too!"
Gu Xueyi's fingers pressed lightly on the belt.
"Of course I have to apologize! I was just being polite and apologizing to Mrs Yan first." Jiang Jing looked at Yan Wenbo and forced a stiff smile.
"Fourth master Yan, I am sorry. I should not have fought with you and I should not provoke the Yan family in the future."
Yan Wenbo did not care about it at all. Even if Jiang Jing apologized, it was not sincere. But he was looking at Gu Xueyi again. She had asked Jiang Jing to apologize to him and he felt a bit conflicted for a moment.
"Can I go now?" Jiang Jing asked with a grin.
It was no wonder people would say Gu Xueyi was a savage! If you asked him, she really was, she really was savage! He would not have been surprised if she had killed him and buried him in the basement.
"Go." Gu Xueyi did not even look at him and Jiang Jing felt a little uncomfortable. Was the madam of the Yan so above him? She had just beaten him but would not even look straight at him? Jiang Jing pursed his lips and limped downstairs. He should not dare look for any comfort in the Yan household.
Back downstairs, even if the soundproofing of the villa was excellent, the door had been wide open and everybody had heard the crisp sounds of the belt.
Jiang Meng's face had turned pale and she was instinctively touching her lower abdomen. She kept thinking Gu Xueyi was going to clean her up very soon.
No! She must have been killing the chicken to warn the monkey1! She was just trying to scare her!
But… But would she dare hit the fourth young master? Yes, she had even beaten the third master Jiang. As she stared at Jiang Jing, the panic in Jiang Meng's heart slowly spread.
"Is third master Jiang alright?" Although he had ridiculed her earlier, she greeted him somewhat eagerly.
Jiang Jing's posture was a bit awkward and he straightened his back while gritting his teeth: "I'm fine, I'm fine."
Jiang Meng frowned: "Mrs Yan is too rude to…"
"Not at all, Mrs Yan is very polite."
Jiang Meng: "…"
Jiang Jing did not bother to talk to this random person longer and hurried out of the Yan villa.
Upstairs, the atmosphere was a bit awkward. Yan Wenbo had never thought he would stay in the same room as Gu Xueyi for such a long time. Gu Xueyi used to always scream and no one could live with her peacefully.
But today…
Yan Wenbo looked at her face again. Had she beaten Jiang Jing to defend him? Probably not, that was ridiculous. That was simply impossible!
Just as Yan Wenbo's thoughts were all over the place, Gu Xueyi stretched out her belt and raised her hand.
"Crack."
The belt flew towards Yan Wenbo's body.
Fuck! It hurt so fucking much!
Yan Wenbo finally understood what Jiang Jing had felt just now and why he had been subdued so easily… He gritted his teeth and said bitterly:
"Gu Xueyi! What are you doing!?"
"I beat him because he bullied you and did not respect the Yan family. I beat you because you chose to fight in such an inferior way to solve your troubles and did not care about the Yan family's honor." She paused. "Had you won, it would be different but you lost."
"…"
Yan Wenbo's face started to burn.
Gu Xueyi wanted to say that her Sheng family did not have a son like him that would lose in a fight. But when the words came to her lips, she suddenly remembered that she was no longer the mistress of the Sheng family. She frowned and raised her hand again.
"You are disobedient and have no respect for your elders."
Yan Wenbo bit his lips so hard he did not cry out. He stared at Gu Xueyi a little angry and disgusted but not as much as before. Not only his heart was very conflicted, his mind was also messed up.
Gu Xueyi stopped and instead of rolling her belt this time, she threw it aside. Yan Wenbo loosened his clenched jaw. As he was enduring the pain, his voice was small: "Are you not going to hit me anymore?"
With the little resentment and his low voice, he sounded like a spoiled child. Yan Wenbo immediately regretted opening his mouth.
Gu Xueyi did not notice his reaction and said: "No more. Hitting an outsider requires a heavy whip to deter them. Hitting your own family is different."
People from her own family?
Yan Wenbo was stunned. He opened his mouth, closed it, opened it again. In the end, he did not say that she was not from the Yan family.
Gu Xueyi walked forward slowly, lowered her head and called downstairs: "Doctor."
The family doctor had not left yet. He picked up the medicine kit and ran upstairs quickly.
Gu Xueyi turned around and leaned on the railing behind her. She pounded at Yan Wenbo's forehead: "Here. Along with the wounds on his body."
She still looked indifferent and her appearance was surprisingly beautiful. The red windbreaker on her body was like fire that firmly imprinted in other people's eyes.
Yan Wenbo lowered his head. More complex emotions surged from the bottom of his heart; in the middle of all the bitterness, there was some warmth barely noticeable.
[⬅️ Toc ➡️]
Idiom, to punish an individual as an example to others
Jiang Meng's plan (1)
After the family doctor treated his wounds, Yan Wenbo raised his head again and noticed Gu Xueyi was no longer there. Yan Wenbo frowned and after hesitation, he called the maid and asked: "The one downstairs… is called Jiang Meng?"
"Yes."
"The one from the news that went to the hotel with my brother?"
"Yes."
Yan Wenbo's face sank and he coldly added: "My elder brother had been missing for half a month and the scandal happened three months ago. Why is she only coming here now?"
The maid did not know what to say and she looked at Yan Wenbo in a daze. The young man stood up and walked downstairs.
Did they really think they could take advantage of the Yan family now that his elder brother was missing? What kind of trash would come to their door to make a scene?
But he hadn't expected that when he reached the living room, Jiang Meng was nowhere to be seen. Yan Wenbo frowned and asked: "Where is she?"
"She left a few minutes ago. Said she was uncomfortable and had to go to the hospital."
Yan Wenbo's brows did not loosen and he turned around to glance at the direction of the stairs. Gu Xueyi's room was on the third floor.
"Gu… Where is Gu Xueyi?" Yan Wenbo asked again.
He had always called her by her name but today, he felt something wrong in his heart when he said it. But calling her "sister-in-law" was out of the question.
The maid did not notice the stiffness in the fourth young master's voice and replied: "The madam went back to her room first and asked us not to disturb her."
Not that anybody would dare. Who wanted to be beaten? No one.
Yan Wenbo did not say anything anymore and lowered his head before raising his hand to press on the wound on his forehead. The wound was not very deep and had been made by broken glass. When he pressed on it, it hurt a little and the hot feeling of the medicine was mixed with it…
Gu Xueyi had returned to the room. Everything in this world was weird but it was not too complicated to understand and it at least showed that she would be able to live well here. And while she was longing for her own time and dynasty, Gu Xueyi had never been the type to hesitate, indulge herself or dwell on the past.
When she had died, she had just been appointed Lady of First Rank and both the Sheng family and the Gu family were at their strongest time. The King was wise and the dynasty strong; her family and her country, she did not need to worry about them.
Thinking about this, Gu Xueyi returned to the table and sat down before opening the book "The pampered sweetheart wife of the President". To understand the customs of this new place, she should read books and would start with this one.
Jiang Meng got back to the car and felt breathless. Gu Xueyi was really terrible! She had actually hit them! If by any chance she had been beaten by her too, the child in her stomach would have not survived. It would have been a waste of her previous efforts!
"Miss Jiang, where are we going now?" the driver asked. "To the hospital?"
"Go… Go to the hospital." Jiang Meng had been pretending at first but after hearing the sound of the belt, she had felt an indescribable panic. She had felt like she was going to strike a stone with an egg1.
Now she really felt uncomfortable and her back was all sweaty; she really had to go to the hospital.
The driver nodded and stepped on the accelerator.
After Jiang Meng calmed down, she took out her phone from her bag and entered a number she had memorized before dialing, hanging up and dialing again. She waited about a minute before it was picked up.
"Didn't I tell you to call me less recently?"A tired male voice came from the other end.
"Things… did not go well." Jiang Meng said in a shaky voice. She felt wronged in her heart but in front of this man, it was not easy for her to complain.
"Didn't go well? You can't even coax a brainless Gu Xueyi?"
Jiang Meng felt even more wronged. Who could have known that Gu Xueyi had no common sense at all!
"The Jian family is coming back from Haishi." The man said solemnly.
Jiang Meng was a little flustered: "Why so fast?"
"Yanchao has been missing for so long now. Jian Changming is his friend, of course he has to come back to check the situation." The voice sounded more and more irritable: "Jian Rui will definitely come back to Beijing with him."
Jian Rui, the wife of Dajin Entertainment's chairman, came from the prestigious Jian family.
The Jian family had a close relationship with the government and the current head of the family, Jian Changming, was particularly fierce and Jian Rui was his most believed niece.
Cao Jiaye, the chairman of Dajin Entertainment, was a well known tycoon in the industry. But in front of the Jian family, he was barely anything.
Cao Jiaye had many lovers, mostly actresses and female models from the circle, and none of them had escaped Jian Rui's "deadly blow".
Jiang Meng was terribly afraid of her. Because she was also one of Cao Jiaye's lovers and a month ago, she had gotten pregnant with his child.
If she could not keep this child, she would be like all of Cao Jiaye's lovers. She wouldn't be able to work anymore and would end up in a desperate situation.
If she managed to keep the child… Cao Jiaye would find ways to give her money to raise the kid. It was obviously easier than making it in the entertainment circle! And if she was lucky enough and survived Jian Rui's death, she would even be able to become the genuine Mrs Cao.
Reaching for the Yan family had come to her in a flash of inspiration after learning of Yanchao's disappearance from Cao Jiaye.
Three months ago, she had gone to the hotel to participate in an event and had happened to leave it just after President Yan. The paparazzi had then known she was the lover of a big guy and had been trying to get proof for a long time in vain. She had not expected they would start thinking Yanchao was her secret lover. But now, this random and fake scandal had become her best cover. As long as she was known as Yanchao's mistress, even if Jian Rui had her suspicions, she would not act on because of the friendship between the two families.
Jiang Meng licked her dry lips: "… What if nothing happened? If Yanchao comes back alive…"
Then it would even be worse than offending Jian Rui!
"Yanchao is missing in Africa where the Ebola epidemic is erupting. He cannot come back alive." Cao Jiaye said decisively on the phone.
Cao Jiaye was a little impatient with this conversation: "That was your idea. Now you regret it? If you regret it, leave and go kill the child."
"No, no, I don't regret it. It's just that… something is wrong with Gu Xueyi."
"What can be wrong with her? Is she too angry? It's best for us if she is crazy. The more crazy she is, the more real it looks and Jian Rui won't have doubts anymore."
"She is crazy but… this time she is not smashing antiques all over the place or threatening. She beats people…"
"What am I supposed to do?" Cao Jiaye sneered. "The Yan family wants to keep their honor and it looks like Yanchao won't be able to come back. If you tell them you are pregnant with his child, the Yan family will definitely protect you. After all, this is "Yanchao's only blood". How can she dare to beat you? What are you afraid of?"
"But Yan Wenbo could not even stop her."
"…"
"Where were the Yan family bodyguards?"
"Not only did she hit Yan Wenbo, but she also beat Jiang Jing and the bodyguards could not stop her! I am afraid… Do you know what she uses to beat people? Her belt is thicker than my fingers! If she hits me, your son… your son will be gone. Don't you feel bad about it?" Jiang Meng was afraid but she was mostly acting the part of being scared and wronged and started crying in the low voice.
Jiang Meng was good at playing the delicate and pitiful part.
Cao Jiaye eased his tone and said: "Why are you crying? This is not a big deal. She hit Jiang Jing, didn't she? Okay, then I will tell the Jiang family about this. When the Jiang family comes to confront her, she won't have time to beat you."
Jiang Meng choked and softly said a few more words to flatter Cao Jiaye before they hung up the phone.
When she put away her phone, Jiang Meng erased her crying expression immediately. She gave the driver a look and he immediately nodded in knowledge: "Miss Jiang, don't worry. I am Mr Cao's person, I will definitely not talk."
Jiang Meng let out a sigh of relief. She could not lose this battle! What other women could not do, she would.
Translator: Dorkzilla
Editor: Kyoun15
Jiang Meng's plan (2)
Gu Xueyi finally finished the book in front of her. Although she was not familiar with this type of writing, with the help of her body's memories, it had not been difficult to read.
The instant she closed the book, it disappeared into thin air. Gone? Gu Xueyi frowned but did not feel any panic. She had come back to life, it was already extraordinary in itself.
Gu Xueyi picked up the cup and took a sip of water to relieve the dryness of her lips and tongue. The water in the cup was long cold but she did not care. She cared more about what she had just learned from this book just now!
The heroine of this novel was named Yu Xiaoxiao and the hero's name was Yanchao. Yes, the male lead's name was exactly the same as her body's husband. And in this book, the male lead had a stalkerish, vicious ex-wife called Gu Xueyi.
Her name.
After the male lead had disappeared, he had encountered the female lead Yu Xiaoxiao. Yu Xiaoxiao was simple, cute and a bit awkward which the male lead and other supporting characters had found very charming.
The male lead had been initially unimpressed by her but had slowly fallen for her in the later stage. When he had gone back home, he had brought back Yu Xiaoxiao with him and had shocked everyone.
In the novel, Gu Xueyi, who had not been happy with the divorce, played the role of a vicious supporting character and began to frequently trouble the heroine. In the end, everyone had been disgusted by her and all the supporting male characters had joined hands to destroy her. Only at the third book did it all happened by then.
So it turned out she had been reborn in a novel! And she was still destined to die early! Gu Xueyi was a little surprised and could not help but wonder at the marvel of this world. So it turned out that the human soul could enter a book and this book was a world itself. But while it might be her destiny, she did not want to be a stepping stone for other people's love.
Gu Xueyi was lost in her thoughts for a while and decided to read more books to master the common sense of this world as soon as possible… It did not matter to her whether her husband wanted to divorce her in the future, but what Gu Xueyi wanted, was to be able to live a wonderful and exciting life.
Gu Xueyi stayed in her bedroom for several days. The maid of the Yan household did not dare to disturb her and three meals were delivered to her door everyday. She would also come clean the room and take her clothes away to wash. And in the blink of an eye, it was five days later.
The injury on Yan Wenbo's forehead had almost healed and he had taken off the straps; only a pale white mark remained there.
When he came downstairs, he saw the maid holding a tray.
"Gu… Gu Xueyi has not come out yet?"
"Yes, Madam is still resting."
Rest? Who needed that much rest?
Yan Wenbo frowned.
It could not be because she had seen Jiang Meng and had hid herself away to cry, right?
No, Yan Wenbo did not think it was the case. The past Gu Xueyi did not cry, the Gu Xueyi from today probably did not even know how. If she had been angry with Jiang Meng, she would probably have gone to cut her into eight pieces rather than feeling sorry for herself.
As he was thinking about it, the phone rang in the living room and the maid picked it up quickly. Soon, her face turned pale and she carefully held the receiver to hand it to Yan Wenbo.
"Fourth master, it is Mr Jiang."
"Which Mr Jiang?"
"Jiang Jing's second brother."
Did Jiang Jing really notified his family?
Yan Wenbo answered the phone with a dark expression.
"Hello."
"Fourth master Yan?" A cold voice came from the other end.
"Could the fourth master Yan give the phone to Mrs Yan?"
Yan Wenbo clenched the receiver tightly. He was the one unable to hold his anger and quarreled with Jiang Jing, which had caused all this trouble. Why would he ask Gu Xueyi to clean up his own mess? His pride did not allow it.
Yan Wenbo gripped the receiver even tighter and controlled his anger before saying.
"Why is Mr Jiang looking for her? If it is about Jiang Jing, Mr Jiang can just ask me."
Jiang Er was merciless: "You are not in charge."
"Jiang Jing dared to insult the Yan family so I fought with him. Was he crippled? Are you in the ICU? Is Mr Jiang that eager to come see us and take out his anger?" Yan Wenbo started to taunt him and arouse his anger.
"Fourth master Yan!" Jiang Er shouted.
Gu Xueyi had just walked downstairs and had been listening to the entire conversation. Yan Wenbo was still too young and had no ability to handle these kinds of troubles. Without even thinking more of it, she held out her hand: "Give me the phone."
When Yan Wenbo heard the female voice behind him, his expression instantly stiffened, he turned around and wondered.
What could Gu Xueyi do?
She might be able to beat Jiang Jing… but Jiang Er was different. She might get scared. Yes, she would be scared and if she was afraid, she would make the Yan family lose face. He just did not want her to make the Yan family lose face!
"Fourth master Yan." Jiang Er's voice came from the other end again but Yan Wenbo stood motionless. He looked like he had become a statue.
Seeing he was so still, Gu Xueyi did not wait anymore and reached out to grab the phone from him. Yan Wenbo was caught off guard and failed to keep it away. On the contrary, when Gu Xueyi's smooth and warm fingers touched his hand, he felt his whole body stiffened.
[⬅️ Toc ➡️]
TL note: "Jiang Er" is not a mistake. It's actually his surname as it will be explained in chapter 4. So basically, he is both Second master Jiang and just Jiang Two, hence why I kept Jiang Er.
Jiang Meng's plan (3)
"This is Gu Xueyi."
The voice on the other end paused.
"Mrs Yan, did you hit Jiang Jing?"
The reason why he was asking was because an outsider had said Gu Xueyi had beaten his brother. If the Yan family beat the Jiang family in private, it could be considered as just a kid's fight. But if they beat each other in the open, it was equivalent to challenging the Jiang family and it could not be easily tolerated.
The problem was that Jiang Jing had not said anything about it. When he had asked the family doctor to check his injuries, there had been no visible marks. It was only when the doctor had pressed his hand on his back that Jiang Jing had felt pain.
"Yes." Gu Xueyi answered honestly.
Jiang Er was stunned. Had Gu Xueyi really just admitted it? Was she courageous or did she not take his Jiang family seriously?
"Then I will have to pay you a visit."
"I will be waiting."
Jiang Er choked. He did not know if it was false bravery or not.
Jiang Er hung up the phone and had a bad feeling. He had obviously called to hold them accountable, how come had he not been able to vent his anger?
His secretary waited until he had hung up the phone to bend over and ask: "Are you really going to visit the Yan family?
"Yes."
"How about 3 pm? I will rearrange your schedule."
"Yes, let's go then." Jiang Er put out the cigarette between his fingers.
"There is still no news about President Yan, this is the perfect time to go."
Back to the Yan villa, Yan Wenbo was a little agitated. He grabbed Gu Xueyi's wrist.
"Why did you admit it? Are you not afraid it will cause trouble?"
Yan Wenbo was 185 cm tall and Gu Xueyi had to raise her head to look at him.
"So you're trying to try to take the fall for me? That whip was not for nothing, it is good to respect your elders and want to protect your family but there are some things children can not do and can only be taken care of by the adults."
Who was the kid? Who was the adult? She herself was also just in her twenties.
Yan Wenbo was full of rebuttals but in the end, he only squeezed out: "… I'm not. I'm not defending you."
Gu Xueyi did not want to argue with him about such a meaningless matter and faintly replied: "Yeah, I know."
Yan Wenbo was not relieved when he heard her unemotional answer and felt even more pressure.
She knew? What did she know?
She beat Jiang Jing for him but he was not grateful and would say something like thank you. What was she thinking?
No, it did not matter. Why would he care about her feelings? Yan Wenbo tightened his grasp unconsciously and felt the soft wrist he was holding. He could feel her pulse beating under his fingertips, beating directly into his heart.
Yan Wenbo quickly withdrew his hand, not daring to think of what he had just felt and squeezed another sentence from his throat: "… I didn't mean to do that."
Gu Xueyi responded faintly: "I know."
Yan Wenbo suddenly felt dejected. Whatever he say, Gu Xueyi just did not seem to care at all…
"Have you had breakfast?"
Yan Wenbo did not want to answer but because Gu Xueyi wanted him to be polite, he gritted:
"… not yet."
Gu Xueyi turned around and said to the maid:
"Prepare breakfast."
The maid recovered from her trance:
"Right away, Madam."
Yan Wenbo and Gu Xueyi sat at the same table for breakfast.
Gu Xueyi was not very proficient with a knife and fork but her posture was elegant and impeccable. Yan Wenbo looked at her with a weird expression before speaking again:
"You can't afford to offend them."
"When I decided to hit him, I had thought about the consequence. Think first then act. This is how you should act next time you encounter trouble." Gu Xueyi answered without looking up.
It was ironic to hear "think first then act" from Gu Xueyi's mouth but Yan Wenbo could not laugh.
He said: "Jiang Er is the current head of the Jiang family. He came forward for just this small matter, do you know what it means?"
"It means that he is very interested in the disappearance of Yanchao."
Yan Wenbo was taken aback.
"It's not a big deal and you do not need to worry about it so much. It is good to have a sense of worry but you should not be afraid of the enemy." Gu Xueyi put down her fork. This thing was heavy and uncomfortable to hold.
"Aren't you worried that he will find a way to deal with the Yan family while my eldest brother is away?" Although Yan Wenbo still couldn't help but contradict Gu Xueyi, he was indeed already a lot less anxious. Gu Xueyi's unhurried tone affected him.
"Your eldest brother might be very powerful but he is not a god. The entire Yan empire is not supported by him alone. In other words, if your eldest brother is powerful enough, then he should have a fairly strong sense of risk. He will consciously cultivate a strong team to make sure that the Yan Group will still be able to function normally when he is away." Gu Xue Yi paused. "So, from any perspective, these are not things we need to worry about."
It has never been so easy for families to go up against each other. No one knew that better than Gu Xueyi.
Yan Wenbo: "…"
He was actually convinced. It was just that the words "eldest brother" from Gu Xueyi made him feel a bit weird. It seemed that the relationship between her and the rest of the Yan family was very alienated.
… Well, he had never tried to get close to her.
"Second master Jiang coming is actually a good thing."
"Why?"
"We can show them the strength of the Yan family and let people know that even if Yanchao's absence, the Yan family can not be bullied."
Gu Xueyi's tone was very calm but Yan Wenbo's heart started pounding and even the blood in his limbs started boiling.
He licked his lips: "They can't do anything to the Yan Group, but what if they directly attack us?"
Like Gu Xueyi had said, the Yan Group was a powerful empire. Those who tried to provoke it would always pay the price. But they were not the Yan Group but the Yan family. The Yan Group was only firmly held by his eldest brother.
Then what about their safety?
Gu Xueyi glanced at him in surprise and Yan Wenbo's heartbeat got even louder.
Gu Xueyi asked him: "Do you believe he can beat me?"
Yan Wenbo: "…"
[⬅️ Toc ➡️]
Author's note:
One shot rhetorical question.
Fourth young master Yan: I lost.
Second master Jiang (1)
Yan Wenbo was supposed to go to class today but when he thought of second master Jiang's visit, he did not hesitate before asking for a leave.
After Gu Xueyi had breakfast, she did not go back to her room but sat on the couch, a pillow in her back and a book in her hand and she started reading attentively. Yan Wenbo took a closed look and saw that Selected works of Mao Zedong was written on the cover.
Yan Wenbo: ?
Why would Gu Xueyi suddenly read this? No matter how you looked at it, it just did not fit her style.
Gu Xueyi noticed his gaze and raised her head slightly before lowering it down and continuing reading.
"Quite an excellent book."
Although some things were very different from her dynasty, Gu Xueyi could not help but marvel at it. And after reading it, she would have a more detailed understanding of her new world.
Yan Wenbo had never read it and hearing Gu Xueyi's words, he gave it a second glance… He would probably read it too later.
The living room quickly returned to silence and only the sound of breathing and pages turning could be heard. Yan Wenbo had trouble staying still and he looked at Gu Xueyi.
In the past he… no, not only him but the whole Yan family had not liked Gu Xueyi. They had never really paid attention to her. But today… Gu Xueyi was very beautiful.
She really had drastically changed. Not only her temperament, but also her appearance.
She was sitting gracefully, book in one hand, and the white dress she wore showed her figure perfectly. From his angle, Yan Wenbo could see her long eyelashes, beautiful jawline and pale pink lips… And the little daylight that poured in the room spread on her hair and shoulder like a golden halo. She was incredibly beautiful and noble.
Yan Wenbo had to force himself to look away. He took out his phone and played games for a while before looking through Weibo and memorizing some words on an app. But with the anxiety in his heart, no matter what it did, he would lose attention and get bored and kept switching apps. And after ten minutes, he did not even remember what he was doing. This time alone with Gu Xueyi was still difficult, but it was different from before.
Yan Wenbo finally found a TV show that was currently airing and played it. The quiet room suddenly became noisy and Yan Wenbo's anxiety started to calm down.
"Master Hou, Yuan'er is willing to sacrifice her life for Master Hou…"
When Gu Xueyi heard this sentence, she could not help but turn her gaze. She knew that Yan Wenbo was playing a "TV show" on his "phone" but the lines gave her a sense of familiarity. She was instantly curious and put down her book.
"Can I see it?" Yan Wenbo suddenly heard Gu Xueyi's voice.
"…Yes."
He moved stiffly next to her, leaving some space between them. Gu Xueyi sat a little closer and stared at the screen in his hand.
Even though Gu Xueyi had gained a certain understanding of this world these past few days, she felt wonder once more. This world was really amazing. There were many novel ways of entertainment and people's lives were extremely convenient…
Whatever Gu Xueyi did, she would always do them very seriously. This was a concentration habit she had cultivated over the years. But Yan Wenbo could not concentrate at all. What lingered in his nose was the scent from Gu Xueyi which was no longer the Mon Paris from Yves Saint Laurent that she used to shower herself with but a faint shampoo… like lemon. Yan Wenbo's thoughts went crazy in his mind.
One was looking at the phone seriously and the other was distracted but they were in rare harmony and all the servants in the villa were surprised.
By the time the two of them had gone through eight episodes of the costume drama, it was time for lunch.
"… It's not pretty." Gu Xueyi commented.
Yan Wenbo had not paid attention to the plot at all but when he heard her voice, he glanced at the screen and saw a familiar face. His facial features were so exquisite that he could only be described as "gorgeous."
The man was wearing a jade crown and was dressed in brocade clothes. When the camera swept over, he looked offensively conspicuous.
Yan Wenbo: "It's pretty ugly."
But Gu Xueyi had already lost interest and had not noticed that exceptionally beautiful face.1
She got up and walked to the dining room. The maid had already arranged the food and Gu Xueyi looked at it. In addition to the main meal, there were vegetable salads and fresh fruits. This made her very satisfied.
There were modern terms called "science and technology" in this new world and thanks to it, people in this era could enjoy fresh and varied fruits. Exactly what Gu Xueyi liked.
Yan Wenbo just stared at her. He had seen her eat breakfast and now lunch after reading a book halfway and watching a few episodes of the drama like she did not care at all about second master Jiang's visit.
"This is delicious."
Gu Xueyi suddenly raised her head and pointed to the plate of strawberries in front of her. The maid replied in a hurry: "Should I wash more for Madam?"
"Yes." Gu Xueyi nodded.
The same instant, Jiang Er came to the door.
Jiang Er was actually called Jiang Yue. He was the second child of the Jiang family and since he had been young, he had always been very stubborn and everyone used to call him "Jiang Er"2 to make fun of him. Nowadays, however, his name was like a symbol telling people to not underestimate him.
Jiang Er had taken his secretary with him and had left a bodyguard outside.
"Mrs Yan." As soon as he entered the door, Jiang Yue politely greeted the woman sitting on the couch, Yan Wenbo at her side.
The Yan Wenbo that always acted untamed was actually sitting upright and a little… behaved?
The young woman in a white dress was very graceful, one hand pressed on the pages of her book, the other paused in the air. If one looked closer, they could catch a glimpse of the water remaining on her fingertips.
The maid came out carrying a plate of strawberries and placed it respectfully in front of Gu Xueyi. Jiang Yue glanced at the fruits and looked at Gu Xueyi again.
Her eyes were like cold stars and her eyebrows like distant mountains. They looked like they had been drawn in ink stroke by stroke, like a classical Chinese masterpiece. Her beauty, combined with her indifferent demeanor, formed another king of unique, sharp and compelling allure.
President Yan's wife turned out to be so pretty?
[⬅️ Toc ➡️]
This whole part must sound a bit confusing and while it's not an important scene, I feel like I should explain it as it makes no sense otherwise. Spoiler alert? The person Gu Xueyi is talking about is Jiang Meng while Yan Wenbo is talking about one of his brothers. They are both working on the same drama (which will be told in a few chapters).
二 can both mean 'two' and 'stupid'
Second master Jiang (2)
"Mr. Jiang." She opened her lips softly and greeted him lightly.
Jiang Yue noticed that her lips were strained with a bit of strawberry juice, red and glistening, looking full and soft. But her expression was very cold.
Jiang Yue clenched his fists unconsciously and took two steps forward before smiling: "Is Madam Yan having an afternoon tea?"
When the words fell, Jiang Yue realized that he was not intending to show any sort of smile to Gu Xueyi.
Gu Xueyi answered: "Yes. It's a pity we did not prepare any for Mr. Jiang."
After speaking, she leaned forward to get a napkin from the table.
Because of her movement, her figure stretched and arched into a beautiful arc. Her black hair slipped from her shoulder to one side of her profile and revealed a slender white neck. Jiang Yue instinctively bent over to get the napkin for her but Yan Wenbo moved faster than him and was closer to Gu Xueyi. In an instant, Yan Wenbo had already handed the napkin to Gu Xueyi.
Gu Xueyi took it, slowly wiped the water from her fingers while Jiang Yue finally regained his senses. He had discovered that Gu Xueyi was not afraid of him.
Not only she was not afraid, but she was also very confident and a little laid back, eating strawberries in front of him without offering him some.
"Have a seat, Mr Jiang." After drying her fingers, Gu Xueyi looked at him. "What is Mr Jiang doing here?"
Jiang Yue smiled and took a few steps before sitting down. Gu Xueyi finally understood why Yan Wenbo was afraid she would be scared of him.
This Jiang Er was tall and had a dark complexion. At first glance he did not look like a businessman. Even in his suit, he did not look slightly courteous. But was he supposed to be scary?
Gu Xueyi blinked slowly, taking in his entire appearance. How could the people of this era compare to the great generals that had fought their way through with swords and blood and with their overwhelming auras?
Gu Xueyi had grown up in a general's house and had been surrounded by such people since childhood. Later, when she had married into the Sheng family, she had become the mistress of a large family and had been in charge of more than 400 people. Whether it was to go to the battlefield or enter the palace, she had never been timid! How could she be afraid of Jiang Er?
"Is Mr Jiang here to vent his anger for Jiang Jing?" Gu Xueyi spoke first.
"At least ask for an explanation. Someone from our Jiang family was beaten at your Yan villa… How can we easily forget it?"
"Then what should be done about your Jiang family hitting my Yan family?" Gu Xueyi asked with an indifferent tone.
Had Jiang Jing beat someone too?
Jiang Yue was not surprised. He did not know much about his younger brother but he was aware he liked to start fights among his peers.
"What does Madam Yan want?"
"It's only natural to return what has been given. So I beat him."
The implication was that there was no reason for Jiang Yue to come to the Yan household to find fault. After all, the beating was justified.
Jiang Yue was actually a little surprised.
Because he had realized that Gu Xueyi did not look as foolish as the rumors said. Instead, she was extremely calm and his trip to the Yan family had been in vain.
But Jiang Yue could not help but ask: "Oh? And why should I trust Madam Yan? Jiang Jing is my brother."
His tone became more serious on the second half of his sentence while Yan Wenbo's face turned cold, his eyes sharply staring at Jiang Yue like an irritated little wolf.
But Gu Xueyi slowly hooked her finger at Yan Wenbo and said: "Come here."
The fourth master's irritation immediately calmed down. What was she doing? Yan Wenbo's gulped, feeling a little shy. Gu Xueyi's actions looked like she was teasing a dog. But there were outsiders… Yan Wenbo obviously did not want to look like a joke in front of Jiang Yue and moved his body to sit closer to Gu Xueyi.
As soon as Yan Wenbo had acted, Gu Xueyi turned slightly and put her hand on his forehead. Because she had just eaten strawberries, her fingers were a bit cold and Yan Wenbo's skin was warm. When he felt her touch him, not only his whole body shivered, his heart seemed to have shaken too.
Gu Xueyi did not notice his small reaction and quickly removed the band aid on his forehead before tapping her fingertip on the small white scar.
"Mr Jiang, this was done by your brother." Gu Xueyi kept touching the wound over and over again and her tone lowered with a bit of anger: "What? Should I allow your Jiang family to bully my Yan family?"
Yan Wenbo was not paying attention to anything she said. His body had become extremely tight. He was already an adult and never had a woman before acting so close towards him…
His eyes flashed. Gu Xueyi's appearance at this moment was something he had seen countless times as a child; parents taking care of their kids and standing up for them… Just thinking about it, Yan Wenbo could not help but feel feverish all over again. And while she was seriously talking to Jiang Er, he could only think about that.
Jiang Yue saw the scar on Yan Wenbo's forehead and if someone were to ask him, he would say it was not serious. But Gu Xueyi's expression was sullen and he did not dare to contradict her.
"Even so, this is just a small fight between children. Why should the adults get implicated?"
Jiang Yue's secretary felt weirder and weirder the more he listened. Was not the point of today's visit to pressure the Yan family? Why did it seem that Jiang Yu's arrogance was weakening? Why did he sound less and less like the head of the Jiang family?
Gu Xueyi smiled.
Since Jiang Yue had entered the Yan villa, he had not seen her smile and he found out that her first smile was like the first flower that bloomed after the frost and snow melted. Stunning and eye-catching.
"This is indeed just a small matter. I beat Jiang Jing for Yan Wenbo's sake and if Mr Jiang is not satisfied, he can beat me back for Jiang Jing's sake also…"
"… or could it be that Mr Jiang wants to use this matter to start a dispute between the Jiang and Yan families?" Her tone was sharp and suddenly she stopped smiling.
Second master Jiang (3)
Jiang Yue's fingers twitched. Fuck! No one had ever told him that the lady of the Yan family was so good at turning the situation around! She could handle the mood perfectly! Just like this, he could not refute her anymore or it would indeed be as she said.
"It would be better to choose an auspicious day but if Mr Jiang is eager to take a stand for Jiang Jing, you can fight me today."
Jiang Yie had never imagined a woman would ever ask him to fight. But Gu Xueyi, Yanchao's wife, had.
Jiang Yue shook his head: "I don't hit women."
After saying this, Jiang Yue felt that it was too easy to provoke her and immediately changed his words: "I don't fight with women…"
When he looked at Gu Xueyi again, the smile was still nowhere to be seen on her face. Jiang Yue sighed inwardly and said: "This incident… Since Jiang Jing caused it, then let's forget about it."
"Forget about it? Mr Jiang, do you really believe that you can come to the Yan household at will?"
Jiang Yue felt very conflicted. Did Gu Xueyi really want to settle this matter with him? Wasn't she afraid? No, as soon as he had crossed the door, she had never been afraid of him and Jiang Yue could only admire her.
Yanchao was the backbone of the family and he had not expected Gu Xueyi would step him during his absence. Whether she really was calm and collected or whether she was outwardly strong, she really looked like she knew what she was doing. Anyone else would have been at a loss for words or flustered under such a scenario… let alone faced to Jiang Yue and his imposing aura.
"What does Madam Yan means…"
Yan Wenbo looked at Jiang Yue and suddenly felt like he had just raised a flag that said "Danger" with big red letters. But apparently, Jiang Yue was completely oblivious.
Gu Xueyi stood up and Yan Wenbo's breathing immediately slowed down. If she hit him with the belt, Jiang Yue's pride would be hurt instead.
But Gu Xueyi wasn't thinking about anything and clenched her fingers into a fist and grabbed Jiang Yue's collar with the other hand.
The secretary was stunned.
What was happening? President Jiang had said he did not hit women but could it be that Madam Yan still wanted to fight?
Jiang Yue looked at Gu Xueyi's movement and smiled before staying still. She was very protective of the Yan family. Women had flowery fists with fancy footwork1, they had no strength. A punch was nothing. He also wanted to overwhelm her first…
"Bang."
Gu Xueyi's left hand held his collar and her right had punched Jiang Yue in the face.
Fuck!
It hurt!
It really hurt!
Jiang Yue was stunned for a second. Not only had he never been grabbed by his collar before, he had also tasted a woman's fist today.
His secretary rushed to support him. Jiang Yue still hadn't recovered.
On the other hand, Gu Xueyi frowned slightly, lowered her head and gently rubbed her reddish finger bones before saying: "Okay, Mr Jiang can go now."
Jiang Yue felt like he had to say something but when he opened his mouth, nothing came out.
"Mr Jiang, are you alright?" The secretary was anxious.
Jiang Yue pushed him away: "Everything is fine."
He wanted to add "just a little pain" but when touched the inside of his cheek with the tip of his tongue…
Fuck! Why did it hurt even more?
He could only swallow the words back.
"Now… we are even." Jiang Yue still tried to keep up an elegant demeanor and his next words flowed more smoothly.
"Since President Yan is not in Beijing at the moment, if Madam Yan has any trouble, you can always come to me."
"The Yan family has many businesses, capables cadres, many relatives and friends, Mr Jiang." Gu Xueyi said.
Jiang Yue could not help but sigh. She really was unwilling to reveal any weakness!
"Then I will leave first." Jiang Yue turned around to walk out.
As he was halfway to the door, Gu Xueyi called aloud: "Bring that freshly washed strawberries to Mr Jiang. We cannot let Mr Jiang leave empty-handed."
The dazed maid woke up and quickly packet the fruit before handing them to Gu Xueyi.
Jiang Yue's secretary was already sinking but President Jiang was not saying anything and it was not his place to.
Gu Xueyi walked to Jiang Yue and put the box in his hand: "Mr Jiang, drive carefully."
Her etiquette was impeccable. Hadn't she said that she had not prepared afternoon tea for him? Why would she give him something? Jiang Yue wasn't sure whether she was mocking him or if she wanted him to bring a "souvenir" back… He grabbed the box and walked out all the way back into the car.
"Madam Yan…" The secretary started to say but suddenly did not know what words to use to describe Gu Xueyi.
He could not call her rude, could he? She was elegant and polite and had even offered to bring back fruits, even if it was not something expensive. But he could not say she was polite either. She had grabbed President Jiang by his neck, whose madam fared to do this?
Jiang Yue said nothing. He lowered his head and opened the lid of the box. The strawberries inside were still a little bit wet and their tips looked particularly red and attractive. Jiang Yue picked one and put it in his mouth.
Fuck. It was really sweet.
Gu Xueyi had not only been relaxed, she had controlled the mood and used both gentle methods and force, an iron hand in a velvet glove. Jiang Yue's mind flashed back to the image of Gu Xueyi giving him the box of strawberries… Her lips had been even more beautiful that the fruits on his lap and he felt a little strange in his heart.
Had Jiang Yue seen the whole process of Yan Wenbo and Jiang Jing being beaten a few days ago, he would have realized that he was not anything special.
"Back to the company."
The secretary nodded. It was only a ten minutes later that Jiang Yue realized how wrong this decision was, when he set foot in the Jiang building.
The staff was panicked: "What has happened to President Jiang's face?"
[⬅️ Toc ➡️]
idiom, highly embellished and ineffectual, all show and no go