I Became The Stepmother of My Ex-husband

Lin Wei Xi had the natural and easy air of a mistress and the servants didn’t even dare to lift their heads, affirming their agreement. Granny Bu had intended to bring down this little Princess Consort’s authority today to show her who was in charge of the residence, and who was the true Princess Consort. After Lin Wei Xi gave her instructions, Granny Bu was unexpectedly too stunned to catch even the tiniest slip up. Instead, it seemed that she was the one at a disadvantage. Granny Bu wasn’t happy. She’d been respected for so many years and disliked this orphan girl who’d come in and taken over the position of her own lady. Her lady had been devoted to Prince Yan and even gave birth to the residence’s only heir. Prince Yan ought to honour her his entire life. How could he let someone else occupy her lady’s position?

Granny Bu initially felt personally prejudiced, but now that she was suppressed by Lin Wei Xi, she became more unreasonable. She frowned deeply and the wrinkles on both sides of her mouth became more pronounced, “Princess Consort’s management is naturally good. Although you are the second wife, you are unexpectedly decent at managing the household and won’t lose to other noble ladies from influential households.”

As soon as she said that, silence descended on the west room. Wan Xing’s eyes widened, but she was firmly held back by Wan Yue. Lin Wei Xi smiled as she rested her hands on her knees, leaned back slightly and looked at Granny Bu with a smile, “I may be incapable, but since I have this position, how can I betray the Prince’s trust? As the Prince Yan Consort, this is what I ought to do.”

Lin Wei Xi directly addressed herself as “Prince Yan Consort” and even briefly mentioned Prince Yan at the end. Granny Bu didn’t dare say anything about Prince Yan, so she had no choice but to avoid this landmine, and agreed with a smile. Afterwards, she seemed to casually talk about Princess Consort Shen’s past accomplishments. It included her first encounter with Prince Yan, their marriage, everyone’s joy when Shizi was born, as well as Princess Consort Shen’s extremely grand funeral when she died.

Lin Wei Xi maintained her smile as she listened. She could strike back against slaves who deceived their master and decisively demonstrate her position as mistress, but she couldn’t say anything about the deceased original wife who was a white moonlight.

Actually, Lin Wei Xi had already heard all of this during her previous life. Although the focus last time was to one up her when it came to filial piety, this time it was a demonstration to show her that she was an outsider. The last time she heard this, she was a daughter-in-law who didn’t care at all about the feelings of her mother-in-law and father-in-law. She treated it as if it were a story. But this time, Lin Wei Xi noticed some discrepancies in the story.

Shou Kang was a princess, Wei Shi was the Princess’ di daughter and the wife of a Duke’s Shizi, while Lin Wei Xi was a Duke Residence’s di daughter in her previous life. With the accumulation of education from generation to generation within the family, frankly speaking, Lin Wei Xi couldn’t understand the beauty behind this story about falling in love at first sight during military upheaval and thus eloping for thousands of miles.

Wasn’t this illicit sexual relations without a matchmaker and eloping? Lin Wei Xi, who came from generations of imperial officials and had a quarter imperial blood, didn’t really understand this kind of marriage union. In her world, marriage was a way to tie two families together for their benefit. The main wife was in charge of offering prayers and worship to the ancestors as well as finances. This symbolized her status and role as a wife and it wasn’t about love. As a noble young lady who was raised as a model wife from birth, no one dared to talk about love to Lin Wei Xi. And the husband wife relationship of her grandmother and mother didn’t give Lin Wei Xi a good impression of love between a man and a woman.

So with Granny Bu now telling the legendary and touching love story of Princess Consort Shen, Lin Wei Xi could remain silent and nothing more. She’d never been in love, nor had anyone given her love before. She was like a spectator of a drama, only able to hide at a distance and silently avoid Prince Yan and Princess Consort Shen’s story.

First it was Gu Cheng Yao and Gao Ran, now it was Prince Yan and Princess Consort Shen. Lin Wei Xi maintained a smile on her face, but her heart was frozen. She was probably born in the ashes of others’ love stories. She couldn’t seem to avoid it for the entirety of her two lives.

Granny Bu was still going on about it when footsteps came from outside the room. When she saw the person walk in, her voice suddenly trailed off, “My Prince.”

Lin Wei Xi also stood up and greeted Gu Hui Yan with a Wanfu salute, “my Prince, you’re back. Would you like to eat?”

Gu Hui Yan swept his gaze across the room filled with maids and grannies before it finally stopped on her, “not yet. Have you been waiting here this whole time?”

“Of course.” she felt a little down. She forced a smile and tried her best to walk over to Gu Hui Yan without showing her feelings, “my Prince, the food is hot. I’ll have them prepare it, so please wait a little.”

Gu Hui Yan nodded. Seeing this, Granny Bu and the others promptly withdrew, Wan Xing and Wan Yue following them out to bring the food. He had barely crossed the threshold before the completely packed west room emptied out.

Gu Hui Yan sat down at the west window seat and looked at Lin Wei Xi. When he came in earlier, had he faintly heard them talking about Shen Shi? His feelings towards his deceased wife had always been very complicated and somewhat indescribable. But at the end of the day, she was Gu Cheng Yao’s birth mother. He wouldn’t speak ill of the dead and always showed respect towards her. But these servants actually talked about it in front of Lin Wei Xi?

Irritation suddenly rose within Gu Hui Yan.