What Bad Intentions Could a Wife Have? - Chapter 1

When Le Qingshi regained consciousness, his pupils were slowly struggling to focus. He vaguely heard people talking nearby and turned his head toward the sound.

“The eldest young master didn’t ingest a lethal dose. He’s out of danger now, but he needs to be observed for another day after the gastric lavage. Remember, no food for six hours. If there are no adverse reactions, he can transition to rice water and then slowly back to a normal diet.”

The speaker was a middle-aged man dressed in sterile white. Le Qingshi understood every word, but putting them together left him dazed.

Then, another voice, heavy with fury, gave a sharp huff and cursed: “A money-losing brat!”

“We provide him with the best food and drink, and instead of being grateful, he swallows pills to seek death? He’s humiliated me completely!”

A slightly shrill female voice tried to soothe him: “Alright, alright. As long as he’s okay, just let it go. Calm down.”

Le Qingshi tried to sit up, but the rough, thin bedsheet chafed against him. Only then did the dull signals of pain reach his brain—his back was aching from the hard bedboard. He let out a weak, muffled groan.

Which servant prepared this bed? The work is incredibly sloppy.

Le Qingshi frowned and surveyed his surroundings. What he saw filled his heart with alarm. This bedroom was pitifully meager; though the space wasn’t small, it was so empty it lacked any proper furnishings. It was worse than the servants’ quarters back at the Marquis of Wu’an’s estate.

Le Qingshi knew all too well that his parents, who doted on him to a fault, would never allow him to stay in such a wretched place.

So… where on earth was this?

He only remembered that he had reached marriageable age and his family was busy with his arrangements, handling endless visiting cards to find a “perfect husband” worthy of him. He thought he only had to follow his family’s lead, but a rejected suitor had cornered him with a knife on his way to the academy. When he woke up… he was here.

“Oh, Brother is awake!”

A teenage boy’s voice rang out. Someone sat on the edge of the bed and looked at him with a grin. “Honestly, Brother, was it really necessary to try and kill yourself over such a small thing? You had us so worried.”

A girl behind the boy giggled. “Exactly! That was my first time seeing an ambulance in action. Speeding through the city in the middle of the night—it got here so fast, it woke me up.”

Le Qi heard his sister Le Hua’s heartless comment and let his lips curl up slightly before quickly suppressing the smile. He said warmly, “Brother, don’t listen to Le Hua. Luckily the ambulance was fast, so you suffered less. See? The gastric lavage went fine, and you’ll be out of the hospital and home in no time.”

In reality, Father Le was simply afraid the news of Le Qingshi being in the hospital would spread; he found the whole thing embarrassing.

Le Qi continued to chatter with empty words of concern. As he spoke, his breath drifted toward Le Qingshi, causing the young man to knit his brows. Le Qingshi’s pale, thin lips pressed together as if he were enduring something unpleasant. His expression was quite strange.

Le Qi stopped talking and looked at him suspiciously. “Brother, what’s wrong?”

Le Qingshi’s bangs were slightly blocking his vision. He brushed them aside and looked at the boy calling him “Brother.” Since this was his younger brother, then as the elder, he should have the right to discipline him, right?

Having been the pampered youngest child of his own family, Le Qingshi had never disciplined a younger sibling before. He hesitated, then spoke honestly and gently: “Brother, your mouth seems to have an odor. It might be caused by excessive ‘stomach fire’ or indigestion. It would be best if you had it looked at…”

The words had barely left his lips when Le Hua burst out laughing. “Hahahaha! Brother, he’s saying you have bad breath! That’s what you get for smoking. Why don’t you just quit?”

Le Qi: “…You’re the one who needs to get checked!”

How did this clumsy, uneducated waste of a big brother suddenly become so sharp-tongued? Le Qi’s smile froze, his face turning a sickly shade of green and white. He stopped calling him “Brother” and snapped, “Le Qingshi, stop being so sarcastic. It’s not my fault you didn’t manage to die. Besides, don’t you smoke too?”

Le Qingshi froze. Smoking? Does smoking cause an unrefined odor in the mouth?

Raised under strict discipline and refined education, Le Qingshi had zero vices. Hearing this, his heart leapt into his throat. He suspiciously cupped his hands to his mouth, blew a light breath, and sniffed. Only then did he relax, saying seriously: “I do not smell.”

Le Qi: “…”

Seeing the siblings bickering again, a middle-aged man with deep nasolabial folds and a mean-spirited face snorted coldly. “Le Qingshi, stop being so slick! We’re letting you marry into the Gu family—don’t look a gift horse in the mouth!”

Le Qingshi pursed his lips. He was beginning to piece things together.

Based on the decor and environment, he was likely no longer in the Jiahe Dynasty with his kin. Furthermore, his “relatives” here didn’t seem to love him at all. A cold father, mocking siblings, and a mother… Le Qingshi glanced at the beautiful middle-aged woman who hadn’t spoken up for him. He wasn’t sure if she was his mother.

And once again, he was facing the prospect of immediate marriage.

Marriage, he understood. After all, he was a ger, and he had reached the age for it. He had been meticulously educated by his clan for over a decade in music, chess, calligraphy, painting, cooking, and embroidery—every essential course for a ger—all to choose a desirable husband to spend his life with.

But in all his years, he had never been yelled at with such ferocity.

Without a word, Le Qingshi lay back down and slowly closed his eyes.

I must have gotten up too fast. (Idiom: “I must be dreaming.”)

Le Kang, watching his eldest son lie back down as if nothing had happened: “…”

The middle-aged man gritted his teeth, about to explode again, but the beautiful woman patted his back. She sat on the edge of the bed and took Le Qingshi’s hand, playing the “good cop.”

“Qingshi, Auntie Feng knows you don’t like me, so I didn’t dare speak to you.” Her expression looked aggrieved. “But your siblings and your father all share the same blood as you. How could they hurt you?”

“I know you still resent your father for heartlessly kicking you out of the house years ago and ignoring you. But your father’s heart has always been soft. He was waiting for you to bow your head. As long as you’re willing to come back, the door is always open. But who knew you’d be so stubborn… just like your mother. Sigh.”

At this, Le Qingshi coldly pulled his hand away.

So this woman truly wasn’t his biological mother, but his father’s concubine (step-mother).

Feng Yilan didn’t care about his attitude. She continued in a soft voice, “Anyway, now that we’ve finally brought you back, let’s be a harmonious family. Don’t be angry with your dad anymore.”

“Society is open now. Men marrying men is a common thing, so why be so stubborn? That man from the Gu family… the rumors are indeed a bit scary, but marriage is like drinking water—only you know if it’s hot or cold. You can’t just believe rumors. Those bad reviews are just hearsay, but the Gu family’s estate is known to everyone. That is a level of wealth most people can’t touch in a lifetime. Marrying in means jumping social classes instantly. Why struggle in society when you can live easily?”

Feng Yilan spoke with feigned earnestness. “You see your sister—she’s too young, blunt, and immature. She’d be bullied if she married out. As for your brother…”

“You left home too early and have been out of our circle for too long. Xiao Qi has been learning how to manage the family business since he was a child. He’ll surely take over the Le family industries in the future. He’s in the prime of his career; it’s not the right time for him to marry. But you, Qingshi…”

Feng Yilan gave a small, light smile. “You’re mature and can handle things. But you ran away to live on your own and haven’t studied well these years. In comparison… marrying into a top-tier wealthy family is the best path for your life.”

“Your father truly cares for you, which is why he made this arrangement.”

Le Kang looked coldly at his eldest son, who sat there like an unmovable stone. He snorted through his nose: “Ungrateful!”

This eldest son was exactly like his ex-wife—the same cold, rigid temper. Looking at him made Le Kang remember his past days of humiliation, and his face soured.

In his youth, Le Kang was ambitious but lacked the capital to start. By chance, he met the eldest daughter of the prestigious and wealthy Meng family. They fell in love and married, but Le Kang married into the family as a matrilocal son-in-law (living with the wife’s family).

After the wedding, he naturally used his wife’s family’s money as his first stepping stone into the business world. Because he was a “live-in” son-in-law, he felt looked down upon by his in-laws. He had to be cautious even when misappropriating funds, living under constant suppression. This feeling peaked when his wife, Meng Wanqing, argued with him because she found his business tactics unethical.

What could a high-minded woman who only knew books and painting understand about business tactics? She only knew how to hinder his progress. To this day, Le Kang believed it was her interference that prevented him from joining the true upper crust.

Later, as Le Kang’s business grew, Meng Wanqing fell into depression after years of unhappiness and passed away early. Only then did Le Kang gain total control. He brought in Feng Yilan—who had endured being his mistress for years—and their children. Then, Le Qingshi had a falling out with him.

Le Qingshi’s rebellious streak was the spitting image of Meng Wanqing. In a fit of rage, Le Kang kicked him out. He thought the ignorant brat would come crawling back to apologize after a little lesson, so he paid 3,000 yuan a month to a construction worker to “look after” him.

Every month when he sent the money, Le Kang would ask if Le Qingshi had realized his mistake, but the answer was always no. Over time, Le Kang’s patience ran out. He grew tired of hearing news about the rebellious son of his late wife, so he handed the payments over to Feng Yilan and stopped asking entirely.

He only remembered this rebellious son when the Le family received news that the Gu family was interested in a marriage alliance.

Logically, this was a good thing. Unlike “nouveau riche” like the Les, the Gu family had a long history and unimaginable wealth. Marrying into the Gu family was a literal “ascent to heaven.”

But the candidate was Gu Xingye—the head of the Gu family, rumored to be eccentric, moody, and terrifying. Rumor had it he was so ruthless that he wouldn’t even spare his own siblings if they crossed him. When he returned from abroad to take over the company, many executives were defiant because of his youth. He silently stripped them of power, throwing uncles and brothers-in-law alike out of the headquarters, turning decades of their work into nothing.

There was also a story about a young cousin of Gu Xingye who was flamboyant and spent his days in nightclubs. He was caught on camera forcing a waitress to drink and made the local news. Everyone thought the Gu family would suppress the news, but they didn’t. That night, the cousin was forced to drink until he had alcohol poisoning; he barely survived after a trip to the ICU. The next day, the news was perfectly calm…

There were many such rumors.

So how could Le Kang bear to send his carefully raised “precious” children to be tortured by this “Living Yama”? If Le Qi or Le Hua married him, who would inherit his vast estate? His rebellious, estranged eldest son, Le Qingshi?

Wait… Le Qingshi?

Only then did Le Kang remember he had another option. He quickly sent people to bring him back.

But upon seeing him, Le Kang almost didn’t want to claim him. Le Qingshi hadn’t spent his time studying or improving himself; instead, he had fallen in with a bad crowd, smoking, drinking, and perming his hair like a street thug.

Le Kang held his nose and acknowledged him, offering him this “great” marriage. Yet, this unfilial son swallowed a whole bottle of pills to end his life, making the whole world laugh at Le Kang!

Without his matchmaking, Le Qingshi would never encounter someone of Gu Xingye’s status in his entire life; he’d probably be tightening screws on a construction site. Meanwhile, Le Kang could use a “useless” child to build a connection with the Gu family and boost his business. He couldn’t understand why Le Qingshi would refuse—it was clearly a win-win!

Just like his mother—completely inflexible!

Le Kang didn’t want to say more and gave his final ultimatum: “This matter is settled. The family doctor is on standby, and the servants will be watching you constantly. You’d better not try anything stupid again, or you’ll be the one suffering.”

Le Kang looked at the thin youth on the bed. His face was still a sickly pale, but his clear, cold eyes were like translucent crystals. He was so calm that you couldn’t tell he was a prisoner of circumstances.

For a moment, Le Kang felt an unexplainable sense of unease. But that feeling was quickly replaced by beautiful fantasies of the future.

A rebellious, unmanageable son and a “Living Yama” who specialized in fixing defiance.

Quite the match, isn’t it?