The Laid-back Life of a Stepmother

Chapter 91

Hmm, it won't work even if you pout.

Wen Ye waited for two days before returning to the main courtyard.

Upon seeing her arrive, Madam Lu immediately dismissed the servants, leaving only the two of them. She then asked, "Have you come to your senses?"

Wen Ye nodded, "Yes."

Madam Lu thought that Wen Ye had taken her words to heart and said, "If my younger brother ever brings up such nonsense again in the future, just come to me, and I’ll have your brother-in-law teach him a lesson."

Wen Ye smiled and said, "Sister-in-law, my husband and I still believe that having Xuan'er is enough."

Madam Lu felt as if she had misheard, doubting, "What?!"

She suspected that Wen Ye had been fed some kind of "elixir" by Xu Yuejia.

Madam Lu hoped that Wen Ye would come to her senses.

She spoke sincerely again, "Although my younger brother is exceptionally handsome, no one's looks will last forever."

Wen Ye said insincerely, "Sister-in-law, looks aren’t the most important thing to me."

She reminded herself to tell Xu Yuejia when she got home to start exercising as he aged.

Angrily, Madam Lu retorted, "If you don’t care about his looks, then what are you after? His heart?"

Wen Ye nodded, "Yes."

She indeed hoped that Xu Yuejia's "forward-thinking mindset" would remain consistent.

Madam Lu: "......"

Seeing her unyielding attitude, Madam Lu didn't know what else to say.

After a long while, she tried to reason again, "There are still decades ahead. By making such a choice, aren’t you afraid of regretting it in the future?"

Wen Ye remained steadfast, "Regarding children, I always follow my husband’s wishes."

But at the end, she added, "As for the future, I think if my husband changes his mind, Sister-in-law wouldn’t abandon me, right?"

Madam Lu huffed, "I won’t care about you, let you be stubborn."

She couldn’t understand what was so good about her younger brother that he could charm Wen Ye so.

Wen Ye proactively carried a stool to Madam Lu’s side and sat down, acting like a child just learning to be coquettish, "Sister-in-law wouldn’t, of course."

Madam Lu was nearly driven mad by Wen Ye, losing her usual composure and failing to notice the oddity of the situation. All she could think about was her disappointment in Xu Yuejia and her frustration with Wen Ye.

Wen Ye continued, smiling, "Moreover, with Brother-in-Law as a great example, I believe my husband won’t change either."

One of the best things about the Xu family was that Xu Yuejia's grandfather’s playboy ways hadn’t been passed down to the next generation. Not only did Duke Xu and Xu Yuejia currently have no concubines, but the number of concubines among their uncles could be counted on one hand.

When a man’s heart is at peace, there’s less drama in the inner chambers. Over time, sincerity grows among the younger generations.

Madam Lu, hearing Wen Ye mention Duke Xu, said in a tone that was hard to define, "Your brother-in-law is simple-minded. How can he compare to my younger brother, whose mind is like a beehive full of tricks?"

Wen Ye gently defended Xu Yuejia, "Isn’t it a bit extreme?"

Madam Lu retorted, "Where’s the exaggeration? Your brother-in-law was never as steady as my younger brother when he was young."

At this point, Madam Lu suddenly recalled some distant memories and blurted out, "He was so silly and loved to cry."

Wen Ye internally gasped, thinking she had just heard a big secret.

Madam Lu also realized she had let slip a childhood embarrassment about her husband.

She quickly added, "Actually, he wasn’t that silly. Back then, he made many contributions on the battlefield."

At ?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????that time, the old Duke Xu was still alive. To prevent the Duke’s mansion from being dragged into the chaos of the royal succession, the then-Crown Prince Duke Xu, after receiving his merits and rewards, faked illness and relinquished his military power, staying at home.

After the new Emperor took the throne and the border conflicts subsided, Duke Xu no longer needed to go to the battlefield. He stayed in the capital, occasionally helping the Emperor train soldiers or improving weapons at the Ministry of Works.

Regardless of what Wen Ye thought, she outwardly agreed with Madam Lu, "Of course."

Madam Lu continued, "Although they are brothers, their personalities are quite different. I believe you can see that. It’s not that my younger brother is not good, it’s just…"

Looking at Wen Ye's sincere eyes, Madam Lu didn’t know where to start, taking a long time before continuing, "My younger brother serves in the court, and his conduct is often criticized for being inflexible, scheming, and merciless.

"Of course, most of these accusations are exaggerated rumors from their jealousy, but there’s some truth to them—sometimes my younger brother’s temperament is indeed a bit strong. By giving in to him so much now, what will happen in the future?"

Madam Lu concluded, "I would like my younger brother to be softer like when he first entered the government."

Wen Ye, hearing this, suddenly smiled, "Actually, my husband is just very responsible with his casework. The judgment scroll may seem light, but it carries significant weight. Even a small oversight by a government official can have a huge impact on the case.

"I understand what Sister-in-law means. In the world of politics, to have a smooth career, one inevitably has to get a little dirty. Sister-in-law is worried that my husband is too unyielding and might hurt himself."

As a family member, Madam Lu’s concerns were understandable.

But from her past observations of how Xu Yuejia handled cases, she believed he was truly a good official.

He was meticulous, incorruptible, and never rigid in his actions. He was dignified, intelligent, and open-minded.

Such a person, whether subjectively or objectively, Wen Ye deeply admired.

Wen Ye continued, "Actually, my husband is fortunate. The current Emperor is wise, the Crown Prince is intelligent, and the times are peaceful. This is the best era, isn’t it, Sister-in-law?

"Since my husband has lofty ambitions, as his family, why should we obstruct him because of potential dangers that may never occur?"

Xu Yuejia, during the previous Emperor’s reign, knew how to hide his sharp edges, which proved he wasn’t impulsive or reckless. His "change" in the eyes of others wasn’t arrogance but rather a calculated action.

Wen Ye believed that Xu Yuejia, like her, understood that such harmony in the court was rare throughout history. So, he wanted to seize this opportunity to maximize the value of what he had learned and could do.

Unbeknownst to them, Xu Yuejia had arrived at the main courtyard at some point. Beside him, a maid who was about to announce his arrival asked softly, "Second Master?"

Xu Yuejia narrowed his eyes and whispered, "No need. Inform them in a quarter of an hour."

The maid lowered her head and curtsied, "Yes."

Xu Yuejia looked at the entrance to the main hall, hesitated slightly, then turned and left, with the maid following closely behind.

Inside the hall.

"Sister-in-law," Wen Ye continued, "My husband is a good official and a good man. I think even if he regrets his decision about children in the future, he won’t treat me poorly."

Indeed, Madam Lu acknowledged that Xu Yuejia’s character was unquestionable.

She just felt sorry for Wen Ye. If this situation had occurred when she first married into the family, perhaps she wouldn’t have advised so passionately today.

But the past year’s interactions couldn’t be erased so easily. Now, Madam Lu’s heart had already leaned toward Wen Ye.

Seeing that Madam Lu was being swayed by her arguments, Wen Ye continued, "Besides, if it really comes to that, Sister-in-law can just let my husband live separately."

Madam Lu was both amused and annoyed, "You’ve got all kinds of tricks up your sleeve."

Wen Ye chuckled, "Won’t it be nice if I stay in the mansion to accompany Sister-in-law?"

Madam Lu still had some resentment but couldn’t help asking, "What about Xuan'er?"

Wen Ye thought for a moment and replied, "Of course, he’ll stay too."

Aside from everything else, he could at least serve as a "tool for maintaining favor."

After this long conversation, Madam Lu gradually came to understand something, though she didn’t plan to ask directly. She simply said, "Xuan'er is so fortunate to have such a wonderful mother."

Treating everything as beautiful, Madam Lu chose not to delve deeper into the truth. There’s a saying in ancient times: It’s better to judge by actions than by intentions.

Wen Ye recalled yesterday morning when she unconsciously laughed upon learning that Xu Yuxuan had wet the bed again. She honestly shook her head, "Not really."

Madam Lu: "......"

She finally understood: Wen Ye’s biggest flaw was her honesty, and her greatest strength was her subtle lack of honesty.

*

After leaving the main courtyard, Xu Yuejia returned to the western courtyard to change out of his official robes before returning to the front courtyard. Duke Xu, seeing only him, asked, "Where is she?"

Standing by Duke Xu was a young man of a similar age to Xu Yuejia, with refined looks and courteous manners. He greeted Xu Yuejia with respect: "Cousin Zitan."

Xu Yuejia nodded in acknowledgment and said, "My eldest sister-in-law and the others will be here shortly."

Duke Xu chided, "I told you to stay here and chat with Shen Tingxuan, the servants could have handled it."

"It was on the way," Xu Yuejia replied, not wanting to get into an argument with him further.

His mind kept replaying the conversation he had overheard earlier.

Seeing the tension, Shen Tingxuan spoke up to ease the atmosphere: "It's my fault for arriving two days earlier than the agreed date on the letter."

At this, Duke Xu waved his hand dismissively. "How can it be your fault? Blame those bandits."

Indeed, on his journey to the capital, Shen Tingxuan had encountered a group of bandits, nearly losing both his belongings and his life. To avoid such mishaps in the future, he had hurried the rest of the way, arriving in the capital two days earlier than planned.

"Your distant cousin-in-law has already had the courtyard prepared for you," Duke Xu continued. "You can stay here without worry."

The Shen Family also had a residence in the capital, and after Eldest Aunt Xu had come to the capital last year, she had purchased another house just two streets away from Duke Xu's mansion. However, with Shen Tingxuan's unexpected arrival, the residence had not yet been properly cleaned.

"That's right," Madam Lu interjected, having hurried over upon hearing that Shen Tingxuan had arrived. "You must stay here, or how will I explain it to your aunt?"

After Xu Yuejia left, the maid did not actually wait a full quarter of an hour before entering. Upon learning that Shen Tingxuan had arrived, Madam Lu brought Wen Ye along.

Shen Tingxuan first greeted Madam Lu with a bow: "Shen Tingxuan greets Elder Cousin-in-law."

After a few moments, he also bowed slightly to Wen Ye: "And also to Second Cousin-in-law."

Wen Ye nodded in acknowledgment and called him "Cousin Shen."

Shen Tingxuan added, "Your fame precedes you."

Madam Lu, hearing these words, couldn't help but smile, her gaze shifting to Wen Ye.

Wen Ye: "..."

No wonder he was Aunt's son.

*

After settling Shen Tingxuan in, the family gathered together in the main courtyard for dinner. Only then did Wen Ye return to the western courtyard with Xu Yuejia.

The winter days grew dark early, and by the time Wen Ye finished washing up, candlelights had already been lit on the porch outside.

Inside the room, the candles illuminated every corner.

Xu Yuejia sat on the bed, flipping through one of the ancient texts he had copied earlier.

Wen Ye climbed onto the bed and soon found herself holding a book of a different kind, a novel.

Her eyes glued to the pages, she casually remarked, "Cousin Shen seems a lot like Eldest Aunt Xu."

She had previously imagined him to be quite stern, based on Eldest Aunt Xu's descriptions.

Xu Yuejia shifted his gaze from the book to her and asked, "Are you sleepy?"

Wen Ye looked up and suddenly yawned. "I think I might be a little."

However, he seemed to be in a good mood today, perhaps even more than that.

It was a bit peculiar.

Wen Ye had noticed it since dinner, though everyone's attention had been focused on Shen Tingxuan, no one had paid much heed to the subtle change in Xu Yuejia.

Xu Yuejia closed his book, his tone composed and reserved, as if discussing something utterly ordinary: "As a teacher, you have not checked your student's homework for quite some time."

At this, Wen Ye's spirits immediately perked up: "Speaking of which, I'm wide awake now."

The process of checking homework was somewhat lengthy.

Though tonight, it seemed that the student was a bit too enthusiastic.