My Sister Insisted on Swapping Marriages, and I Became a Marchioness Instead

Chapter 103: Chapter 103: Taking the Initiative

Marquis Gu sighed quietly.

At this moment, he only wanted to carry his wife back to Wutong Garden and then have a good sleep, but why did Gu Jingjun have to appear so untimely?

Marquis Gu frowned, intending to scold Gu Jingjun.

Qin Yuan whispered awkwardly in his ear, ”Husband, Sixth Master is like this, you can’t just ignore him. Why don’t you put me down?”

In just this short while, Sixth Master Gu’s crying grew louder, as if he was about to come over and make a scene with Marquis Gu.

There’s no reasoning with a drunk person.

There’s certainly no reasoning with someone pretending to be mad from drink.

The way Sixth Master Gu was sobbing and sniffling was truly something one couldn’t bear to look at, yet it was hard to just ignore.

Gu Jinghui secretly thought, it wasn’t that he was afraid of this dog of a Sixth Elder, nor was it that he feared his mother would later beat him for not taking care of Sixth Elder; it was just that he didn’t want to frighten his little wife that he compromised.

”Alright then.”

Gu Jinghui put Qin Yuan down, then turned to scold Gu Jingjun, ”Look at yourself, so disgraceful. Whatever troubles you have, can’t you tell mother and me clearly? Don’t you think we would care for you? Making a scene like this in front of your third sister-in-law, when you sober up tomorrow, how will you face anyone?”

”Third Brother, Third Brother, you don’t care about me anymore.”

Sixth Master Gu had been weak since childhood and was raised under the care of his elder brothers. Now under the influence of alcohol, his shamelessness was so intense that even the servant supporting him was embarrassed, not daring to lift his head.

”You rascal,” Gu Jinghui muttered, ”I really should give you a good thrashing, but I’ll let you off today, wait for us to settle accounts later.”

”Third Brother, please care about me, please, I am so miserable, it’s been so long since you last had a proper talk with me, do you despise me for being useless, for being incompetent?”

In an unguarded moment, Gu Jinghui was already tightly hugged by Sixth Master Gu.

”...You...”

Gu Jinghui angrily said, ”Wait here for me, I’ll first take your sister-in-law back, then come back to hear what troubles you truly have?”

Qin Yuan tugged at Gu Jinghui’s sleeve.

”What?”

Gu Jinghui turned his face, his expression softened.

Qin Yuan whispered, ”Sixth Brother is like this, perhaps he truly has something on his mind that he needs to get off his chest. Why not let someone bring him to Wutong Garden, and you can ask him properly when we are already so near.”

”But...”

Gu Jinghui was unwilling, yet upon reconsidering, letting that rascal Sixth Elder wait here, who knew what trouble he’d cause next.

”Alright, come with me to Wutong Garden, today I shall listen carefully to what countless troubles you have.”

With disdain, he tore Sixth Master Gu away, Gu Jinghui’s voice was cold and stern, ”Let’s go. Behave yourself, stop making nonsensical drunken scenes in front of your sister-in-law, or I’ll beat you.”

Only then did Sixth Master Gu, with a silly smile, stagger and stand straight with the servant’s support, grinning with a slanted gaze, ”Third Brother, my good Third Brother, I’ll listen to you.”

That refined and gentle appearance barely managed to hold on, with an added touch of rakishness and some roguishness.

Yet not unpleasant.

Qin Yuan thought, all the young sons of the Gu Family were good-looking, it was no wonder Aunt Zheng was driven to despair by Sixth Master Gu and made a scene by threatening to take her life for him.

Was it because the scar on Sixth Master Gu’s face troubled him, keeping him cooped up at home with nowhere to go, or was it because he had no money to redeem the pipa girl?

She couldn’t help but glance twice more at Sixth Master Gu.

Gu Jinghui took her hand and said, ”Ignore him, let’s go, let him follow behind.”

Qin Yuan laughed softly and nodded.

Gu Jinghui then walked slowly in front, holding Qin Yuan’s hand.

The servant supported Gu Jingjun, tottering behind them.

Seeing the long shadows stretched across the ground, entwined and beautiful, Gu Jingjun couldn’t help but let his tears fall again.

It was embarrassing, yes, but he really was living a miserable life.

Cui Ming and Hong Ye, looking expectantly, waited by the corridor; both had learned their lesson and dared not gossip anymore, yet couldn’t stay inside the room either, so they stood outside talking with a group of little maidservants and nannies.

It wasn’t long before there was a stir from the nannies watching over the courtyard.

”It should be Marquis and the madam coming back.”

The two tiptoed, only regretting that their sight couldn’t pierce through the hazy lamplight of the evening. Watching, the tall figure of the Marquis holding a lamp and supporting the lady finally came into view.

The Marquis was tall and handsome, the lady petite and graceful beside him.

Hong Ye whispered, ”How loving they are.”

Cui Ming said nothing but suddenly exclaimed, ”What is this...”

Hong Ye saw it too, hesitantly saying, ”...Sixth Master...?”

The two went up to meet them, surprised and uncertain. Gu Jinghui said, ”You two take the madam back, I’ll go with Sixth Master to the hall to sit down, serve...”

He paused, annoyed, and said, ”Serve tea.”

Hong Ye quickly acknowledged, instructing the little maidservant to prepare the tea, and took the sheep horn lamp from Gu Jinghui’s hand to hang it under the corridor before returning to the main room.

Qin Yuan was talking with Cui Ming, and upon seeing her come in, she asked, ”Is Sixth Master alright?”

Hong Ye replied, ”He’s fine, just a bit drunk. The Marquis and Sixth Master are sitting in the hall, and the little maidservant has already gone to brew tea, so I came over to ask if I should prepare some hangover soup?”

Qin Yuan thought for a moment, ”Prepare it then.”

Hong Ye then went outside to call for a little maidservant to make a fire, not bothering the kitchen lady as she could make the soup herself.

Cui Ming asked, ”How did Sixth Master get involved?”

Hong Ye was about to feel disappointed again.

Though Hong Ye didn’t mention it, seeing them walk out hand in hand, Hong Ye’s eyes laughed into a crescent moon.

Qin Yuan laughed, ”It was just a coincidence. Later, you go guard the door and have the little maidservants stay away, the Marquis needs to have a private talk with Sixth Master, don’t let others overhear, let Hong Ye come in to help me with my hair.”

Cui Ming nodded.

Hong Ye carried the hangover soup inside, where Gu Jingjun was lamenting to his good third brother, ”...She’s been a fierce and shrewish creature since her maiden days, I was blind to marry her, thinking she could manage the household and take good care of mother... But she can’t even recognize a few characters... There are many things I hesitate to tell mother and Third Brother, you only resent me for taking so many concubines, but I was just trying to extend the Gu Family lineage, mother would cry in secret then... I was young... Third Brother, just look at my face, scratched like this by her, I hardly dare to go out... I only wanted to redeem a pipa girl and she made a ruckus... Without them, how could I live on with her... who could understand my hardship...”

Seeing Hong Ye bringing the hangover soup, Marquis Gu said, ”Did the madam send this?”

Hong Ye quickly replied, ”To the Marquis, the madam was worried that Sixth Master might feel unwell, so she had me brew some hangover soup, the taste isn’t great, so Sixth Master just bear with it and drink it.”

Gu Jinghui glanced at the attentive Hong Ye and said, ”You can put it down, no need to come back to collect the bowl, go back and tell the madam, Sixth Master and I will be talking late, I need to go to the palace early tomorrow, tell her not to wait up and just sleep.”

Marquis Gu was taking the initiative here.

To prevent when Gu Jingjun went out later, seeing the lights out in the main room, he’d start to overthink.

Both Sixth Master Gu and Lin Ziqi were gossipy.

One must be cautious.