Chapter 51: Cold Night

That night, an unexpected bout of acute gastro enteritis caused a cold condition. Whether it was the efficacy of Meinang’s herbal remedy, Ling Xu Zi’s medicine, or the hot ginger bath, Jun Ying broke out in a sweat and soon felt completely better.

Afterward, he became busy, leaving the house before dawn each day and avoiding breakfast with Meinang by leaving before she entered the Eastern Garden. Meinang tried to send a maid to check on his whereabouts, but he had Bai Zhan or Bao Ju guard the moon gate to keep anyone from entering, including Meinang herself.

Bai Zhan and Bao Ju felt troubled but had no choice but to obey Jun Ying’s orders. Respectfully, they explained to the lady: “Lately, the marquis has been reviewing confidential military documents at home. To prevent any chance of a leak, no one is allowed to enter or exit the Eastern Garden except for him and his personal attendants.”

Meinang understood immediately. She knew Jun Ying was avoiding her. With a slight smile, she didn’t make it difficult for Bai Zhan and Bao Ju.

“If he wants to avoid me, so be it,” she thought. In this society, where men could have multiple wives, trying to win back his heart would likely be futile, especially if he had feelings for another woman. Realistically, a wife had no choice but to accept her husband’s decisions, relying on him for support.

However, she wasn’t really the original Qin Meinang. So, aside from feeling sorry for her son, she wasn’t heartbroken. But since she was living as Qin Meinang, she couldn’t endure such humiliation. Her rebellious spirit resurfaced, angered by the injustice why did those “elegant” and “well-bred” women insist on taking another woman’s husband?

As for Jun Ying, what kind of father was he to treat his son so coldly? What crime had Qin Meinang committed to deserve such treatment? Did he think it was enough to leave her with a title and ignore her for the rest of her life?

The original Qin Meinang might have silently accepted this. But since she was living for her, she wasn’t going to stand for this disrespect. She would make them regret it.

Meinang leaned back on her chaise, trying to stay awake as her exhaustion took over. She had spent much of the day massaging the elderly lady’s stiff joints, and by the time she returned, her strength was nearly gone. She barely made it back, with Cui Xi and Cui Jian supporting her on either side. When they finally reached the Qui Hua Courtyard, Nurse Wang immediately arranged a hot bath, fussing over her with concern.

“Tomorrow, you should take it easy,” Nurse Wang said gently, as she helped Meinang dry her hair.

But Meinang waved it off, saying, “Don’t worry, Mama. I just need to sleep, and I’ll be fine.” She was aware that treating the elderly lady’s joint stiffness required daily massages to be effective. “And besides,” she continued, “it’s a duty to relieve some of her discomfort as her daughter in law.”

Mama Wang sighed, stroking Meiniang’s hand affectionately. “You’ve always been so kind-hearted. I just worry about little Heng inheriting your nature.”

“Why?” Meinang asked, surprised. “Isn’t kindness good?”

“It is, but if you’re too kind, people take advantage of you,” Mama Wang replied. “Now that you’ve grown more assertive, I feel relieved. If you were still like before, I’d lose sleep at night worrying about you.”

Meinang chuckled and patted Mama Wang’s slightly calloused hand. “Don’t worry, Mama. I won’t let myself be taken advantage of, and I’ll make sure to teach Heng well too…”

As she drifted off to sleep, a figure at the moon gate took a final look toward her room before heading back to the Eastern Garden.

In the study, Jun Ying was reading when Bai Zhan entered to inform him, “The lady has gone to bed.”

Jun Ying raised an eyebrow, glancing at the water clock. “So early?” he muttered.

Bai Zhan assured him that everyone had retired for the night and left after Jun Ying dismissed him.

Alone in the study, Jun Ying poured himself some hot tea from a kettle that Meinang had once kept warm for him, observing how she’d used a cloth to protect her hands from the heat. He knew why she’d sat there on those cold nights to keep his attention away from others.

But she was naive to think she could manage the entire household or dictate the future of the Marquis’s estate. He realized, painfully, that he and Meinang could never return to how things were before, and he’d already decided to take a new wife who matched his status, to start a new life.