I Became The Stepmother of My Ex-husband

Gu Hui Yan had strong shoulders, a slim waist, and well-proportioned and long legs. He looked tall and dignified when he stood, and anyone could tell at a glance that he was in the military. Lin Wei Xi already looked slim when standing in front of him. But as she wrapped her hands around his waist to tie his leather belt, in only her inner wear with her long hair draped behind her, it seemed like she was trying to hug him. While Gu Hui Yan was immaculately dressed and decked out in the first-rank Prince’s court dress, Lin Wei Xi wore her long hair at the waist, her clothes wrapping around her slim frame. The contrast gave one an indescribably romantic feeling.

Lin Wei Xi felt a little embarrassed as she tied on the leather belt, especially when she clearly felt Gu Hui Yan focusing on her. She didn’t know why, but the movement of her hands were a little flustered and the leather belt stayed twisted for a long time. She grew a little anxious. Attending court was an important event. Being discourteous or late were both serious offences. She was becoming impatient when he suddenly reached out to guide her hand to properly tie the leather belt. The light calluses on his palm were rough as he touched her hand, but it carried a reassuring warmth. Lin Wei Xi blushed a little. She forced it down, took the jade pendant, medal, Bixi^◇, etc. and hung them on the leather belt one by one.

It was later than usual by the time she properly helped him into the entire first-rank court dress. Lin Wei Xi took a step back, deeply and intuitively feeling the impact of this outfit. She pursed her lips at Gu Hui Yan and smiled, giving a deep Wanfu salute, “my Prince, I’ve caused you to wait a long time today. This humble one will wait here for you to return.”

Gu Hui Yan couldn’t find his words. He looked at Lin Wei Xi deeply. After a moment, he stepped forward to support her arm and pulled her up with little effort. He raised his hand to her cheek, stroked her chin a few times, then walked away.

When Lin Wei Xi dressed Gu Hui Yan, there were many maids in the room, but no one dared to step up and interfere. The Princess Consort had run around from start to finish to help Prince Yan put on his clothes. He had also been focused on her. Even if he didn’t say anything, everyone knew that he wouldn’t allow them to disturb them.

After Gu Hui Yan left, everyone in the room breathed a sigh of relief. Only then did Wan Xing and Wan Yue step forward to support Lin Wei Xi. They asked, “Princess Consort, it’s still early. Do you want to lie down on the bed for a little while?”

Lin Wei Xi looked outside. Although the sky was still dark, at the same time, the Eastern sky was already turning bright. She’d been so sleepy when she first woke up, but after helping Gu Hui Yan change into his court dress, her sleepiness more or less disappeared. She shook her head and said, “I’m wide awake. It’s not proper for me to return to bed. I’ll change my clothes.”

Because Gu Hui Yan was the only one in the residence who needed to attend court, by the time Gao Ran came to pay her respects, Lin Wei Xi had already been sitting there for a long time. Previously, Gao Ran had waited for Lin Wei Xi for a long time before the tea ceremony. Coupled with entering the palace the day before, she determined that Lin Wei Xi liked to sleep in, so she was rather sloppy when paying her respects today. Unexpectedly, Lin Wei Xi actually woke up early today. The moment Gao Ran saw her already neatly dressed and sitting by the window drinking tea, she hurried forward to bow her head in shock. She said, “Paying my respects to Mother. This daughter-in-law is late today. Mother, please forgive me.”

Lin Wei Xi glanced at her and indifferently said, “Didn’t I excuse you from morning and evening greetings for the next few days because of your injury? Why did you come?”

“Mother is very compassionate to her children. This daughter-in-law is very grateful and wants to be even more filial to mother. How could I dare neglect you.”

Lin Wei Xi was no stranger to this kind of response. If their positions were switched and she was exempted from the routine greetings by her mother-in-law because she pitied her injury, she’d say she was grateful, but she wouldn’t actually skip the greetings. In the Duke Yingguo Residence, Lin Wei Xi had gotten used to her grandmother, the Duke Yingguo Madam’s, ways of doing things. Her mother was the Princess Royal’s daughter, but she never skipped the morning and evening greetings. In her memory, it was only during those few days where her mother went through labour prematurely that she was exempted from paying her respects because she couldn’t get out of bed. Afterwards, Wei Shi’s health deteriorated, so she couldn’t serve her mother-in-law.

Lin Wei Xi thought of Wei Shi, and also recalled Han Shi and Han Shi’s son, her former shu younger brother. Thinking of these unpleasant old friends, her interest waned and her expression became colder, “Shizi Fei is considerate. No wonder everyone always praises you for your filial piety. I heard that even before you married, you already had a reputation for being virtuous. Seeing you today, it seems like you deserve that reputation.”

“Mother, you praise me too much. Those Madams are just giving face to this daughter-in-law. I’m just lucky that I have a reputation for being talented and filial. How dare this daughter-in-law take it seriously? Mother, please don’t say that again. This daughter-in-law is ashamed.”

She spoke modestly, but deliberately implied that she indeed had a reputation for being talented and filial before she got married. Lin Wei Xi smiled, put down her teacup, and looked at Gao Ran, “Shizi Fei is actually so famous. My Prince Yan Residence is really fortunate to have you as a wife. Since Shizi Fei was so famous before getting married, then surely it wouldn’t be a problem for you to serve your parents-in-law and do the housework, needlework and cooking.”

Gao Ran’s face became a little stiff. She hadn’t said anything untoward, but the way Lin Wei Xi said it made her seem like a maid waiting on someone. But even if she was unhappy, she didn’t have a choice. Society’s requirements for a daughter-in-law were to be her mother-in-law’s maid, a perfect person in front of the husband, and the Buddha in front of the servants.

If Lin Wei Xi really ordered Gao Ran around like a maid, Gao Ran was powerless to do anything except use her tears to garner sympathy from the masses.

Lin Wei Xi wiped the corners of her mouth with a handkerchief and held the armrest as she made to get up. Gao Ran felt fed up when she saw this and hurried to help. “Mother, be careful.”

After she stood up, she shook off Gao Ran’s hand. She walked to the anteroom and asked, “Shizi Fei, did you already have breakfast? If you haven’t, you can eat together with me.”

Gao Ran quickly said “I don’t dare”. She’d been late in paying her respects today. If she had breakfast here, that’d leave fuel for gossip. She’d rather go hungry.

It was just a rhetorical question. Lin Wei Xi didn’t actually want to eat together with Gao Ran. She sat at the dining table and a maid brought out steaming tea and cakes. Every dish was exquisite and small, and they all looked expensive. After Lin Wei Xi sat down, Gao Ran promptly stepped forward and said to the maid who was serving the food, “I’ll serve Mother. Withdraw.”

Seeing that Lin Wei Xi didn’t respond, the maid passed the serving chopsticks to Gao Ran with both hands, then bowed and withdrew.

Lin Wei Xi smiled politely, “Shizi Fei, you still have burns on your hand. How can we have you do a servant’s job? It’s too difficult.”

“How is serving Mother-in-law difficult?” Gao Ran continued to smile gently without showing any stiffness or embarrassment. Lin Wei Xi’s eyes merely shifted a little and Gao Ran put the dish that she’d looked at into her bowl. She didn’t need to say anything at all. Lin Wei Xi had seen Gao Ran ingratiate herself with their grandmother when she was still in the Duke Residence. Although she felt that Gao Ran was just putting on an act of filial piety, she had to admit that Gao Ran was much better at serving others than she was. If it were Lin Wei Xi, she definitely wouldn’t be able to do things like personally serve tea or eagerly serve food to the female elders or her husband.

She used to disdain Gao Ran’s way of doing things, but now that she was in a different position, she suddenly found that it felt quite good. No wonder the Duke Yingguo Madam always praised Gao Ran. Who wouldn’t praise her after being served so thoughtfully and thoroughly?