What Bad Intentions Could a Wife Have? - Chapter 2

Le Qingshi had only recently been brought back to the family. The Le household didn’t have a room for him, so they ordered the servants to clear out a storage room to serve as his temporary quarters. Since the room had been closed up for so long and lacked windows, the air couldn’t circulate, leaving behind a faint, lingering smell of mildew.

“There’s no room for discussion! You’re marrying him whether you like it or not!”

Having delivered his ultimatum, Le Kang couldn’t stand staying in the stuffy little room any longer. He gave Le Qingshi a cold glare and swept out.

Feng Yilan, however, didn’t give up. She endured the discomfort and remained in the room.

She was a shrewd woman. Judging by how she had clung to Le Kang in her youth to rise to the status of a wealthy socialite, her ability to seize opportunities had always been top-notch. She knew well that a woman’s “prime” was short; relying on Le Kang was never as reliable as relying on her own children.

Furthermore, although the Le family didn’t lack money now, they couldn’t even be considered “nouveau riche” compared to true prestigious clans. The upper-class circles were small, stable, and closed-off; jumping social strata was harder than ascending to heaven. But if Le Qingshi agreed to this marriage, everything would change. It was the ultimate shortcut!

Tossing out a discarded son in exchange for a free connection to the precious Gu family network—what a beautiful deal!

Besides, her son Xiao Qi was so outstanding. With the Gu family’s connections, he would surely find a partner who was gentle, talented, and strikingly beautiful.

Softening her voice, Feng Yilan spoke gently to the cold youth: “Now, Qingshi, Auntie Feng knows you’re a smart boy. I shouldn’t have to explain these things for you to understand. And… if you truly are unwilling to marry Gu Xingye, I actually have another way…”

Le Qi caught the hint and temporarily dismissed the servants. Only then did Feng Yilan speak freely.

“I heard… the previous head of the Gu family isn’t in great health. To prevent the clan from tearing each other apart after he passes, he left a high-security item for his heir. No one knows what’s inside, but it’s definitely a crucial secret that can turn the tide and consolidate all power…”

“So, just bear with it… Men are easy to coax. As long as you make him happy, the power will be in your hands.”

Hearing this, Le Qingshi finally frowned and spoke bluntly: “You want me to deceive someone’s feelings and then steal his things?”

Feng Yilan was speechless for a moment. Then, her neck reddened as she glared at him. “How can you be so ungrateful?!”

“Can things between a husband and wife be called stealing? That’s called ‘joint property’! Didn’t you go to school?!” Feng Yilan snapped in exasperation.

Le Qingshi indeed didn’t understand “joint property,” but he had gone to school—and a very prestigious one at that.

Because his father, the Marquis of Wu’an, was a founding hero who had followed the late Emperor to conquer the land—and had even sustained hidden injuries while saving the Emperor—his entire family served the court, and their reputation for loyalty was renowned. Consequently, as the most pampered legitimate son of the Marquis, he was granted exceptional entry into the Imperial Academy. There, he accompanied princes and grandsons, soaking in the same refined knowledge.

Though this was all to mold him into an outstanding ger who would eventually marry a fine husband, his years studying the Four Books and Five Classics weren’t in vain. At the very least, he knew the meaning of Ritual, Righteousness, Integrity, and Shame.

As the books said: Ritual, righteousness, integrity, and shame are the four anchors of a nation; if the four anchors are not applied, the nation will perish.

If a nation would perish without them, how much more so a person?

Le Qingshi possessed a beautiful pair of hands—fair, well-proportioned, with a healthy faint pink at the fingertips. These hands were meant for burning incense, embroidery, playing the zither, or holding chess pieces; they could even wash up to prepare a meal. But they would never commit an act of theft. Otherwise, wouldn’t he be a disgrace to the years of teachings from his father, brothers, and masters?

Moreover, regardless of whether his fiancé’s temperament was as violent as this family claimed, the marriage proposal had indeed come from the other side. How could he harbor such malicious intent to deceive someone who sincerely wished to start a family and take a wife?

It was low. It was shameless.

Le Qingshi closed his eyes and said simply: “I won’t do it. Why don’t you go in my place? You sound very skilled at such things, anyway.”

Feng Yilan, who had risen from being a mistress: “…”

Having been a wealthy wife for so long, she hadn’t suffered such an insult in years. She felt her breath catch and nearly fainted on the spot.

Le Hua rushed forward to rub her mother’s back, shouting angrily: “How can you speak like that? Do you have no upbringing!”

Le Qi’s face soured as well. The three of them had taken turns, yet Le Qingshi remained completely stubborn.

He said shrilly: “Look, Big Brother, we’re family! We’re only saying this for your own good!”

“Think about Gu Xingye’s status. Do you really think someone of his level would be satisfied with a marriage partner shoved onto him by his family?” Le Qi gave a light sneer. “He’s a businessman; he’s always at social functions. It’s inevitable he’ll be ‘acting’ the part, and he’ll surely have other women outside. Plus, he has a terrible temper and won’t let you say a word against him. He’s also seven years older than you—nearly thirty…”

Le Qi added mockingly: “Are you really going to call a man like that hubby (laogong)?”

Le Qingshi froze, the coldness on his face gradually fading. “…Hubby?”

The youth’s beautifully shaped peach-blossom eyes suddenly shimmered with life.

The people here… didn’t call their husbands “Xianggong,” but “Laogong” instead?

Seeing his different reaction, Le Qi thought he was finally scared and immediately added fuel to the fire: “That’s right! If you don’t call him hubby, what else? Do you want to call him darling (qin’ai de)?”

Le Qingshi pursed his lips. Beneath his messy black hair, his fair earlobes slowly flushed a faint pink.

D-darling?

When he got married in the future, was he supposed to address his husband like that?

The term was so bold that Le Qingshi was too embarrassed to say it out loud. He could only keep it on the tip of his tongue, repeating it silently in his heart several times until his ears were burning hot.

…The social customs here are truly liberal, Le Qingshi couldn’t help but marvel.

Seeing him with his head down, Le Qi assumed his words had finally sunk in. He put on an act and said, “Rest well, Brother. We won’t disturb you further.”

With that, he took the still-fuming Mother Feng and his sister and left. Simultaneously, the servants and bodyguards waiting outside filed in, diligently performing their duty of guarding the Eldest Young Master.

Le Qingshi felt a bit uncomfortable. Fortunately, these servants were a mix of men and women. If this were the Jiahe Dynasty and he were locked in a small room with a group of strange men, his reputation would be ruined beyond repair.

The youth immediately got out of bed. A maid stepped forward cautiously and asked, “Eldest Young Master, what are you doing?”

Le Qingshi wasn’t one to hold a servant’s attitude against them. He replied, “I wish to see a mirror.”

The maid relaxed. “You want a mirror? There’s one in the bathroom.” She pointed toward a side door.

Le Qingshi looked over. Having learned the new word “bathroom” (ce suo) and found a solution to his urgent need, he offered a faint, shallow smile: “Thank you.”

The maid dazed for a moment, her ears suddenly feeling warm.

How strange. His appearance hadn’t changed, so why did she suddenly feel that the dull, eccentric Eldest Young Master had become gentle and radiant? Perhaps because of the gastric lavage, his voice was a bit raspy, but it didn’t hide its clear, cold quality. When he softened his tone, it gave people the illusion of a refreshing spring breeze.

Le Qingshi didn’t think much of it. He pushed the door open into the tiny bathroom and looked around with curiosity.

Though this “latrine” was small, it was spotless and had no odor. The mirror wasn’t bronze either; it was a thin, light sheet embedded in the wall. The clarity was staggering—he could even see the faint shadows under his eyes. The craftsmen here were clearly highly skilled.

The youth opened his mouth in slight shock; the person in the mirror mimicked the gesture.

The person in the mirror looked exactly like him!

The beautiful peach-blossom eyes with slightly upturned corners and that tiny, light-red mole beneath his eye—everything was identical.

However, the original owner of this body seemed to have neglected his appearance. His hair was a mess; the long, supple black hair he used to have was now short and streaked with red dye. He had no idea how it had been colored. Le Qingshi moistened his fingers with water and rubbed a strand, but the color didn’t budge.

Le Qingshi: “…”

He was a little annoyed. It looked like he had a bunch of small chili peppers hanging off his head.

His bangs were also too long, blocking his eyes. Hanging heavily over his forehead, they made him look quite gloomy. Besides the hair, the original owner’s complexion was dull due to a poor lifestyle, with faint dark circles under his eyes. His lips, which should have been naturally flushed, were pale and dry. He looked like he had been drained of his essence by some spirit from a ghost story.

Le Qingshi touched his face.

In two lifetimes, this was the first time he had seen himself looking so unkempt and slovenly. His first reaction was actually to grab a brush and paint it; it was quite interesting.

Luckily, his father, mother, and brothers weren’t here. If they saw him like this, they would surely make him practice calligraphy as punishment.

The youth chuckled softly, a tiny dimple appearing just as it had in his previous life. But soon, the light in his eyes dimmed.

He wondered… how his family was doing. Had they managed to compose themselves? If his mother knew he was being bullied here, urged to become a thief and use his charms for gain, she would surely cry her eyes out.

Thinking this way, Le Qingshi felt his current situation wasn’t so bad. Compared to him, his loved ones were surely the ones suffering most.

He cupped some clear water to wash his face, revealing his smooth, full forehead. His beautiful peach-blossom eyes shimmered. Even without anyone to help him, he would live on resiliently. That was the greatest comfort he could offer his family and himself.

Le Qingshi thought optimistically: Fortunately, my looks haven’t changed. As long as the foundation is good, I should be presentable once I clean up.

He wondered what that never-before-seen fiancé… the one with the supposedly terrible temper… actually looked like.