After the delicate and soft-spoken wife gave up, the aloof and powerful minister embraced her and sh

Chapter 38 I will not remarry

Upon returning to the Marquis's residence, Wen Jiayue began to take stock of the dowry and betrothal gifts.

She has a small, separate storeroom, which hasn't been used to store much stuff even after a year of marriage. Now that her dowry and betrothal gifts are in there, it looks quite full.

Just as they were counting, a maid came to report: "Madam, Third Aunt and Young Master have arrived."

How did that mother and daughter get here?

After thinking for a moment, Wen Jiayue nodded: "Let them in. Remember to make a backup of the cloud cake; Yao'er loves it."

The maidservant accepted the order and left.

A short while later, Shen Funian led Wang Chengyao in.

Wang Chengyao called out loudly, "Aunt!"

Wen Jiayue patted his head and looked at Shen Funian: "What brings you here today, Third Sister?"

"With such a grand display here, of course I'm curious," Shen Funian snorted. "What, aren't you welcoming me?"

Wen Jiayue replied politely, "Of course you're welcome."

Shen Funian nodded in satisfaction and asked casually, "Why did you bring so many things back? Even your bloodsucking family members were willing to give them to you?"

“The dowry and betrothal gifts are mine anyway,” Wen Jiayue said calmly. “It’s no use if they don’t give them to me.”

Shen Funian was truly impressed by her, and clicked his tongue in admiration.

"Having a daughter really gives you confidence. You used to be so cautious, were you just putting on an act?"

Wen Jiayue gave a self-deprecating laugh: "Acting... what benefits have I gained from acting?"

He was cautious and meticulous his whole life, but in the end, he was still poisoned to death, and he couldn't even protect his daughter.

Her eyes immediately welled up with tears, and Wen Jiayue gently wiped the corners of her eyes.

Just then, a maid brought over some snacks, and she said to Wang Chengyao, "Yao'er, come and have some snacks."

To everyone's surprise, Wang Chengyao shook his head and said seriously, "Aunt, I don't eat snacks."

Seeing her son so well-behaved, Shen Funian was overjoyed.

Although my son hasn't lost much weight, his persistence during this period has definitely paid off; at least he's stopped being so greedy.

She took pity on you and said, "Your mother will allow you to eat two pieces today."

Wang Chengyao's eyes lit up: "Thank you, Mother!"

He grabbed a piece of cloud cake and stuffed it into his mouth, looking at it with relish, but his movements were wolfing it down.

Wen Jiayue asked in surprise, "Why don't you let Yao'er eat more?"

Shen Funian pinched the flesh on her son's arm and sighed, "So fat, what will he eat?"

She muttered to herself, "It's been two months, why hasn't Yao'er lost any weight?"

Wen Jiayue suddenly realized why Wang Chengyao had been coming to see her from time to time these past two months; it turned out he was craving snacks.

Fearing his aunt would reveal the secret, Wang Chengyao said before he had even finished swallowing the food in his mouth, "I didn't steal anything from Ci Dengxi!"

He spoke incoherently, spewing out bits of tea. Shen Funian couldn't bear to look at him and handed him a cup of tea with disgust.

"What's the rush? Don't wolf down your food. Speak slowly."

Wang Chengyao gulped down the entire glass before repeating it.

"Mother, I didn't steal anything. You can ask my aunt if you don't believe me!"

He looked at his aunt expectantly, his chubby face full of pleading.

Wen Jiayue coughed lightly and said guiltily, "Yes, Yao'er is very well-behaved and never steals food."

She gave them all to me willingly.

Shen Funian looked at her with a puzzled expression: "You've been in postpartum confinement, how would you know if he's been cheating?"

Wen Jiayue smiled and said, "That's true."

She quickly changed the subject: "You came here just to watch the show?"

"Otherwise what?" Shen Funian glanced at her sideways. "Should I curse you a few more times?"

Wang Chengyao shouted, "Mother, you're not allowed to scold your aunt!"

Shen Funian's vision went black, and she raised her hand, saying, "You brat, you're siding with your aunt instead of your own mother, aren't you!"

Even at the full moon celebration, they actually defended Wen Jiayue! What a waste of raising her!

Wang Chengyao instinctively shrank back, and seeing that the slap hadn't landed on him, he quickly ran away.

Wen Jiayue frowned and said, "Don't always hit the child."

In her previous life, Wang Chengyao suffered countless beatings after her enlightenment, and at that time she only felt pleasure.

He would never bully Zhao Zhao again in this lifetime, so Wen Jiayue began to treat him as her own nephew.

Shen Funian grabbed her son and poked his forehead hard a few times.

"You're such a worry!"

Wen Jiayue shook her head and continued taking inventory.

After disciplining her son, Shen Funian looked around.

"Where's my older brother? Didn't he go back to your parents' house with you?"

Wen Jiayue didn't pay much attention, and he disappeared after returning to the mansion.

She said casually, "Perhaps he went to the study."

Shen Funian clicked her tongue: "Perhaps... you really don't care about my older brother. Be careful he doesn't get snatched away by another woman."

Wen Jiayue gave a self-deprecating laugh: "It was bound to happen sooner or later."

Shen Funian looked like she'd seen a ghost: "I really don't understand you. How can someone actively push their own man away?"

Wen Jiayue's expression remained unchanged; instead, she smiled.

"Haven't you always looked down on my background? Shouldn't you be happy to have a sister-in-law with a more noble status?"

Shen Funian pouted: "What's there to be happy about?"

Wen Jiayue asked with great interest, "If it were really a young lady from one of those wealthy and powerful families, what would you think?"

In her previous life, when she was bedridden with illness, Shen Funian never showed her face.

She neither kicked her when she was down nor offered help when she was in trouble; she was rather curious about what she was thinking at the time.

Shen Funian really couldn't understand her. What kind of woman would so much hope that her man would marry another woman!

She took a deep breath: "You're really sick!"

After saying that, she quickly took her son and left, as if she would catch a disease if she walked too slowly.

Wen Jiayue also found her questioning and asked casually what was wrong.

After taking stock of the dowry and betrothal gifts, Wen Jiayue did not put the jewelry from the dowry in the storeroom, but instead put it in the dressing case.

She will wear it often from now on, as if her mother is still by her side.

Although... she never met her birth mother.

But she thought, her mother, who risked her life to give birth to her, must love her very, very much, right?

Unfortunately, she has never experienced true love since birth.

The love of her father and stepmother was hypocritical and utilitarian; Shen Fuhan's love for her was a figment of her imagination, all of it was fake.

Wen Jiayue stroked a pearl hairpin; it felt cool to the touch, but a warm feeling welled up in her heart.

"What are you doing!"

Suddenly someone rushed in and snatched the hairpin from her hand.

Wen Jiayue looked up in a daze, meeting Shen Fuhan's serious and nervous expression.

She answered instinctively, "I was just looking at the hairpin my mother gave me. What's wrong, Lord Marquis?"

He immediately breathed a sigh of relief: "It's nothing, I thought..."

As soon as he entered the room, he noticed the tip of the hairpin gleaming faintly, just inches from her wrist.

Wen Jiayue turned around and asked, "You don't think I'm going to kill myself, do you?"

She said seriously, "I'm not going to be that stupid, since I only get one chance to live."

Shen Fuhan stared at her without changing his expression.

Wen Jiayue took the hairpin back, put it into her dressing case, and spoke casually.

"My lord, if I were to die one day, could you postpone your marriage to another woman for Zhaozhao's sake?"

"will not."

Wen Jiayue asked softly, "You won't marry someone else?"

Come to think of it, Shen Fuhan is a cold person. Even the pampered princess would need three years to warm his heart.

He may only have a slight liking for the princess now, far from wanting to marry her.

But men are prone to hypocrisy, so what's the use of saying it now?

Wen Jiayue chuckled self-deprecatingly, realizing she had asked a silly question.

She changed the subject: "How is your fourth brother doing?"

Shen Fuhan paused for a moment, then said, "Lin Wanwan went to see him today."