CH 11
Chapter 11: Reconciliation
The shopkeeper of Xiangyang Restaurant felt so flattered. He continuously praised Gu Sicheng, and even invited the couple to come and visit his restaurant and stay for awhile if ever they got the time.
Once the guests were sent away, Tao Xinhe’s expression immediately turned frosty. She then vigorously shook off the big hand that kept poking and kneading her fingers.
“Where did my husband learn such frivolous behaviors?” She asked forcefully and preemptively.
Gu Ningxi suddenly looked around the flower hall. Trying to check if there were anyone listening. Although, the flower hall was not as private as the main courtyard, it was still huge enough compared to other places in the mansion. He didn’t want to delay any longer, and explain everything to his wife.
He first tried coaxing Tao Xinhe first before he opens up the topic.
“It’s because I missed my wife so much, I forgot that It was inappropriate.”
Then he ordered the maids who were going back and forth in the room:
“You go out first, and you are not allowed to enter without my orders.”
As the head maid, Qingfang looked at Tao Xinhe when she heard the order. She saw that the mistress shook her head first, and then she was about to make an excuse to help her mistress, but she saw Tao Xinhe bit her lip and sighed a bit. She changed her mind, and waved her hand to signal Them to exit.
Five or six servants immediately bowed their heads and retreated, and the little maid walking at the end closed the door silently.
After the “squeak” sound, their husband and wife were left alone.
Looking at Gu Ningxi’s face, Tao Xinhe was upset, she simply didn’t say anything, turned her back and closed her eyes to calm her mind. Leaving him with only a view of her back.
Gu Ningxi wasn’t perturbed. He can’t really see the lady’s appearance clearly. So for him, there wasn’t much difference whether she face him or not.
He swallowed his saliva twice, rolled his Adam’s apple. Tried to relieved some of his anxiety, and then worked his way up, and explain the whole situation, starting from when he met Mo Qiqi at the gate of the Gongyuan on the third day of September, all the way to yesterday’s farewell at the entrance of the alley.
Unexpectedly and within reason, Tao Xinhe heard from her husband how another woman got along with him.
While listening, she turned her head unknowingly then stared at Gu Ningxi’s expression. She scrutinized him, as if trying to prove something from the expressions he made while talking.
“So, of all the living beings in the sky and earth, you can only see the face of this Mo Qiqi clearly?” Finally, when Gu Ningxi’s last words fell, Tao Xinhe murmured, her voice almost choked with sobs.
Gu Ningxi pursed his lips tightly and then he nodded reluctantly. He breathed out exasperatedly while waiting for his Lady’s agonizing response.
He tried to recall everything he said just now. He was trying to make sure he didn’t say anything inappropriate to make his wife misunderstand him.
He then added softly:
“It is true, that’s why I was very curious. Therefore, I did a bunch of foolish things without thinking and wronged my lady. However, Qiniang and I are innocent, there’s nothing going on between us. Lady please trust me.”
Clear tears streamed down silently from Tao Xinhe’s eyes, the crystals were as big as peas, hanging on the side of her cheeks, it seemed like they were about to fall, which made her a look enchanting.
She paused then repeated the words with difficulty:
“So, of all the living beings in the sky and earth, you can only see this Mo Qiqi’s face clearly.”
The facial features of a person are just a combination of complex tiles, which was blurred into a piece piece in Gu Ningxi’s eyes. Although that was the case, he can still see his wife’s tears rolling down slowly.
He was shocked. It was rare for him to see his wife crying. He looked around for a handkerchief, then clumsily flicked his sleeve. He grabbed a portion of it and then moved to Tao Xinhe’s cheeks. He used the wide cuff fabric to wipe her face tenderly.
Feeling the cloth on his hands gradually getting wet and warm, Gu Ningxi felt upset. He didn’t understand why he never told her about it in the first place.
He was thinking that having himself form a foster relationship with the Mo family, would be the best solution for him. He can be able to remain at a close distance with Qiniang. That could mean that he can occasionally see a person’s real appearance without causing any misunderstandings nor troubles.
I don’t know if the lady was able to understand his meaning. However, he’s already settled everything. So his lady has nothing to worry about.
Tao Xinhe was sitting on a large armchair, her shoulders clasped tightly, her fingers intertwined. Her body tensed to the extreme, and her hands and feet were cold.
Although the tears could not be stopped, fortunately Gu Ningxi’s sleeves covered her face, so it was fine. She bit down on the soft flesh of her lower lip and did not let go. She even tasted the blood and felt the pain of the flesh being bitten. However, She did not allow herself to wail.
God’s will tricks people too much.
These words were the only thing that kept circling in her mind at the moment.
Gu Ningxi was sensitive to his wife’s reaction. He realized that the woman’s body was not as repulsed to his touch as it was this morning.
Earlier, he was leaning over the flat table between two chairs while wiping her tears, but now, he gently moved forward and pulled her into an embrace.
Tao Xinhe didn’t struggle and had let her self passively fall into his familiar solid chest. Her ears just pressed against Gu Ningxi’s chest, with her hearing the beating of his heart. She can feel his deep breathing. The rising and falling of his chest made her feel at peace.
The two were silent. Just hugging each other for a moment, with each drowning on their own thoughts.
Tao Xinhe felt a lot of her grievances were poured out after while. Her tears eased, and her lips and teeth finally loosened. She then blurted out a hiccup.
The slight “hiccup~” sound made Tao Xinhe feel embarrassed for a moment, and then she thought that there were no outsiders here, so it’s okay.
She doesn’t know if her husband heard it, but she couldn’t see anything on Gu Ningxi’s expression. Even if he did he wouldn’t carelessly laugh at her.
A large area of Gu Ningxi’s chest, which she was leaning on, was already soaked with her tears, and the pearl gray material had turned dark gray.
Tao Xinhe adjusted her posture uncomfortably, but Gu Ningxi misunderstood it. He thought that she was trying to escape, so he quickly turned the lady to face him, and held Tao Xinhe’s cheek with both hands, as if he was holding his heart. He then supported her piously, then he wrapped her up in his arms once again.
Gu Ningxi felt that it was inconvenient for him to bend over and speak, so he just bent his knees and squatted down. With both his hands still on the lady’s face, he could not bear to let go. He doesn’t even care whether the corners of his robes reached the ground.
He then crouched down, bringing both of them to sit. Tao Xinhe saw his very distinct eyelashes. This man was blessed by a layer of golden rims from the sunlight, which added to his immortal like appearance. Even though his face showed distressed and eager expression, his whole person still shone brilliantly.
Gu Ningxi’s big foxy eyes can be seen under those thick long eyelashes. They were slanted upwards, and everytime she looked at them she can see herself deeply imprinted inside those deep eyes. However, Tao Xinhe understood from the bottom of her heart, that everything he saw was nothing but a woman with a tile face. She sighed and felt even more depressed.
Gu Ningxi raised his head, met the lady’s scrutinizing eyes and said:
“My lady, if you have any grievances, just say it, because of your husband’s mistakes, I will let you beat and scold me.”
Seeing that Tao Xinhe was not moving, Gu Ningxi slid a hand from her face, grabbed Tao Xinhe’s back, then pulled her towards him. He gathered her five fingers into a fist, and moved it towards his chest, signaling that the lady can punch him back as much as she want, to relieve her hatred.
He half-closed his eyes, waiting for the pain to come. However nothing happened. So he opened his eyes to look at his wife.
Tao Xinhe had already changed her posture and used her two hands to break off Gu Ningxi’s big palm that was lingering on her face.
“How do I hit you when I’m still squatting while you were standing already. Tell me how honestly.”
Tao Xinhe said in a cold voice. She then pretended that she didn’t miss the warmth of her husband’s palm. While pushing his hand back. She then quickly adjusted her emotions.
Only by communicating all your doubts clearly can you realize whether there is still chance for reconciliation between a husband and wife.
Gu Ningxi was overjoyed when he heard the words and knew that things had turned around.
He was so happy. He quickly stood up straight. While brushing off her robes. He replied with a beaming smile,
“You can even ask the emperor, even the empress dowager can testify, that I’m only loyal to you my wife. This husband will never lie to you. If anyone deceives Madam, I will personally handle them.”
Tao Xinhe took advantage of their close proximity by stomping on Gu Ningxi’s feet, to stop him from talking so much nonsense.
Gu Ningxi was so gratified, and said repeatedly, “My lady, just ask me anything, I’ll tell you everything quickly.”
Although their misunderstandings have been cleared up, given his explanation. Tao Xinhe still can’t accept that he lied to her. With all those recent outings he did which she was unaware of with guises of him being on duty in the ministry of rites.
Tao Xinhe has an excellent memory. She can remember everything. Whatever her husband said on a certain day, what he wore, when he left and what time he would return.
Gu Ningxi gritted his teeth and said everything. He elaborated everything he did the past months. Where he went, when she thought he was somewhere else. He even told her whether he went to the small courtyard of Mo’s family or a nearby teahouse, which book he discussed in detail with Mo Qi, how much money, medicine, and books were given to them.
Tao Xinhe secretly counted her fingers and found out that Gu Ningxi had lied to her twenty-four times.
Hah.
It was the fourth day of the 10th lunar month when he returned home from the Gongyuan, but it was the 9th day of the twelfth lunar month when he got sick in the snow. It has been Two months and five days, if she calculated correctly then Gu Ningxi will tell a lie to herself in every two to three days.
[Read only on Salmonlatte.com]
The last one was that after he recovered from his illness, at noon on the 21st of the twelfth lunar month, that is, yesterday, he told me he’ll to go to the Ministry of Rites to prepare his vacation, but in fact he hurried to the Mo’s house.
The number of times he saw the other woman was eight out of the twenty-four times that he lied, which was a third of it. It was less than what she had expected.
But every time she thinks about him staring at other women obsessively eight times, with that kind of focused eyes that he had never used before, Tao Xinhe felt as if a mouse was biting her heart. Its sharp teeth were like gnawing on it and she felt an excruciating pain.
Furthermore, he said that he decided to first discuss with Mo Qi about admitting them as relatives, and then come back to tell her about it. Why not the other way around?
Why didn’t he consider asking me whether I want to recognize their siblings as our righteous relatives?
The more Tao Xinhe asked, the colder her face became, and she fell silent in the end.
Gu Ningxi really told the whole story this time, without a trace of deceit.
As he was talking, he didn’t know what went wrong. It was obviously the lady who insisted on asking for details, so why did she suddenly turned frosty.
“My lady, I’m telling the truth. You can even ask both Shishu and Shihua they can testify for me. You can even ask the brothers and sisters of the Mo family. Oh, even the waiters in the teahouse have also recognized me, and they always greet me attentively. How about I invite them here and explain it? I can even ask them for a signed testimony if you don’t believe me?” Gu Ningxi frowned and thought about it, and proposed such a plan.
Tao Xinhe didn’t doubt that he was pretending nor was he whitewashing his deeds. After three years of being husband and wife, she knew him better than Gu Ningxi thought.
After listening to it from the beginning to the end, she can roughly tell whether what he said was consistent and whether it was as she remembered it. She judged that what her husband said today should indeed be the truth.
It’s hard for him to remember everything firmly, hum. He seemed to have been thinking about it a lot.
“Besides lying to me about going out, what other lies did you tell me?” Tao Xinhe ignored Gu Ningxi’s “witness” statement and asked another question.
***
TL NOTE:
This couple just needed communication bro, Tao Xinhe should have just asked him, why he never asked his opinion. I can see that Gu Ningxi has communication problems, and since he has been suffering face blindness he seemed to unaware of some of his actions. Whether it affects others or not. Especially since he can’t really assess the situation with his disability. Ugh these two has been married for three years what have they been doing?
The shopkeeper of Xiangyang Restaurant felt so flattered. He continuously praised Gu Sicheng, and even invited the couple to come and visit his restaurant and stay for awhile if ever they got the time.
Once the guests were sent away, Tao Xinhe’s expression immediately turned frosty. She then vigorously shook off the big hand that kept poking and kneading her fingers.
“Where did my husband learn such frivolous behaviors?” She asked forcefully and preemptively.
Gu Ningxi suddenly looked around the flower hall. Trying to check if there were anyone listening. Although, the flower hall was not as private as the main courtyard, it was still huge enough compared to other places in the mansion. He didn’t want to delay any longer, and explain everything to his wife.
He first tried coaxing Tao Xinhe first before he opens up the topic.
“It’s because I missed my wife so much, I forgot that It was inappropriate.”
Then he ordered the maids who were going back and forth in the room:
“You go out first, and you are not allowed to enter without my orders.”
As the head maid, Qingfang looked at Tao Xinhe when she heard the order. She saw that the mistress shook her head first, and then she was about to make an excuse to help her mistress, but she saw Tao Xinhe bit her lip and sighed a bit. She changed her mind, and waved her hand to signal Them to exit.
Five or six servants immediately bowed their heads and retreated, and the little maid walking at the end closed the door silently.
After the “squeak” sound, their husband and wife were left alone.
Looking at Gu Ningxi’s face, Tao Xinhe was upset, she simply didn’t say anything, turned her back and closed her eyes to calm her mind. Leaving him with only a view of her back.
Gu Ningxi wasn’t perturbed. He can’t really see the lady’s appearance clearly. So for him, there wasn’t much difference whether she face him or not.
He swallowed his saliva twice, rolled his Adam’s apple. Tried to relieved some of his anxiety, and then worked his way up, and explain the whole situation, starting from when he met Mo Qiqi at the gate of the Gongyuan on the third day of September, all the way to yesterday’s farewell at the entrance of the alley.
Unexpectedly and within reason, Tao Xinhe heard from her husband how another woman got along with him.
While listening, she turned her head unknowingly then stared at Gu Ningxi’s expression. She scrutinized him, as if trying to prove something from the expressions he made while talking.
“So, of all the living beings in the sky and earth, you can only see the face of this Mo Qiqi clearly?” Finally, when Gu Ningxi’s last words fell, Tao Xinhe murmured, her voice almost choked with sobs.
Gu Ningxi pursed his lips tightly and then he nodded reluctantly. He breathed out exasperatedly while waiting for his Lady’s agonizing response.
He tried to recall everything he said just now. He was trying to make sure he didn’t say anything inappropriate to make his wife misunderstand him.
He then added softly:
“It is true, that’s why I was very curious. Therefore, I did a bunch of foolish things without thinking and wronged my lady. However, Qiniang and I are innocent, there’s nothing going on between us. Lady please trust me.”
Clear tears streamed down silently from Tao Xinhe’s eyes, the crystals were as big as peas, hanging on the side of her cheeks, it seemed like they were about to fall, which made her a look enchanting.
She paused then repeated the words with difficulty:
“So, of all the living beings in the sky and earth, you can only see this Mo Qiqi’s face clearly.”
The facial features of a person are just a combination of complex tiles, which was blurred into a piece piece in Gu Ningxi’s eyes. Although that was the case, he can still see his wife’s tears rolling down slowly.
He was shocked. It was rare for him to see his wife crying. He looked around for a handkerchief, then clumsily flicked his sleeve. He grabbed a portion of it and then moved to Tao Xinhe’s cheeks. He used the wide cuff fabric to wipe her face tenderly.
Feeling the cloth on his hands gradually getting wet and warm, Gu Ningxi felt upset. He didn’t understand why he never told her about it in the first place.
He was thinking that having himself form a foster relationship with the Mo family, would be the best solution for him. He can be able to remain at a close distance with Qiniang. That could mean that he can occasionally see a person’s real appearance without causing any misunderstandings nor troubles.
I don’t know if the lady was able to understand his meaning. However, he’s already settled everything. So his lady has nothing to worry about.
Tao Xinhe was sitting on a large armchair, her shoulders clasped tightly, her fingers intertwined. Her body tensed to the extreme, and her hands and feet were cold.
Although the tears could not be stopped, fortunately Gu Ningxi’s sleeves covered her face, so it was fine. She bit down on the soft flesh of her lower lip and did not let go. She even tasted the blood and felt the pain of the flesh being bitten. However, She did not allow herself to wail.
God’s will tricks people too much.
These words were the only thing that kept circling in her mind at the moment.
Gu Ningxi was sensitive to his wife’s reaction. He realized that the woman’s body was not as repulsed to his touch as it was this morning.
Earlier, he was leaning over the flat table between two chairs while wiping her tears, but now, he gently moved forward and pulled her into an embrace.
Tao Xinhe didn’t struggle and had let her self passively fall into his familiar solid chest. Her ears just pressed against Gu Ningxi’s chest, with her hearing the beating of his heart. She can feel his deep breathing. The rising and falling of his chest made her feel at peace.
The two were silent. Just hugging each other for a moment, with each drowning on their own thoughts.
Tao Xinhe felt a lot of her grievances were poured out after while. Her tears eased, and her lips and teeth finally loosened. She then blurted out a hiccup.
The slight “hiccup~” sound made Tao Xinhe feel embarrassed for a moment, and then she thought that there were no outsiders here, so it’s okay.
She doesn’t know if her husband heard it, but she couldn’t see anything on Gu Ningxi’s expression. Even if he did he wouldn’t carelessly laugh at her.
A large area of Gu Ningxi’s chest, which she was leaning on, was already soaked with her tears, and the pearl gray material had turned dark gray.
Tao Xinhe adjusted her posture uncomfortably, but Gu Ningxi misunderstood it. He thought that she was trying to escape, so he quickly turned the lady to face him, and held Tao Xinhe’s cheek with both hands, as if he was holding his heart. He then supported her piously, then he wrapped her up in his arms once again.
Gu Ningxi felt that it was inconvenient for him to bend over and speak, so he just bent his knees and squatted down. With both his hands still on the lady’s face, he could not bear to let go. He doesn’t even care whether the corners of his robes reached the ground.
He then crouched down, bringing both of them to sit. Tao Xinhe saw his very distinct eyelashes. This man was blessed by a layer of golden rims from the sunlight, which added to his immortal like appearance. Even though his face showed distressed and eager expression, his whole person still shone brilliantly.
Gu Ningxi’s big foxy eyes can be seen under those thick long eyelashes. They were slanted upwards, and everytime she looked at them she can see herself deeply imprinted inside those deep eyes. However, Tao Xinhe understood from the bottom of her heart, that everything he saw was nothing but a woman with a tile face. She sighed and felt even more depressed.
Gu Ningxi raised his head, met the lady’s scrutinizing eyes and said:
“My lady, if you have any grievances, just say it, because of your husband’s mistakes, I will let you beat and scold me.”
Seeing that Tao Xinhe was not moving, Gu Ningxi slid a hand from her face, grabbed Tao Xinhe’s back, then pulled her towards him. He gathered her five fingers into a fist, and moved it towards his chest, signaling that the lady can punch him back as much as she want, to relieve her hatred.
He half-closed his eyes, waiting for the pain to come. However nothing happened. So he opened his eyes to look at his wife.
Tao Xinhe had already changed her posture and used her two hands to break off Gu Ningxi’s big palm that was lingering on her face.
“How do I hit you when I’m still squatting while you were standing already. Tell me how honestly.”
Tao Xinhe said in a cold voice. She then pretended that she didn’t miss the warmth of her husband’s palm. While pushing his hand back. She then quickly adjusted her emotions.
Only by communicating all your doubts clearly can you realize whether there is still chance for reconciliation between a husband and wife.
Gu Ningxi was overjoyed when he heard the words and knew that things had turned around.
He was so happy. He quickly stood up straight. While brushing off her robes. He replied with a beaming smile,
“You can even ask the emperor, even the empress dowager can testify, that I’m only loyal to you my wife. This husband will never lie to you. If anyone deceives Madam, I will personally handle them.”
Tao Xinhe took advantage of their close proximity by stomping on Gu Ningxi’s feet, to stop him from talking so much nonsense.
Gu Ningxi was so gratified, and said repeatedly, “My lady, just ask me anything, I’ll tell you everything quickly.”
Although their misunderstandings have been cleared up, given his explanation. Tao Xinhe still can’t accept that he lied to her. With all those recent outings he did which she was unaware of with guises of him being on duty in the ministry of rites.
Tao Xinhe has an excellent memory. She can remember everything. Whatever her husband said on a certain day, what he wore, when he left and what time he would return.
Gu Ningxi gritted his teeth and said everything. He elaborated everything he did the past months. Where he went, when she thought he was somewhere else. He even told her whether he went to the small courtyard of Mo’s family or a nearby teahouse, which book he discussed in detail with Mo Qi, how much money, medicine, and books were given to them.
Tao Xinhe secretly counted her fingers and found out that Gu Ningxi had lied to her twenty-four times.
Hah.
It was the fourth day of the 10th lunar month when he returned home from the Gongyuan, but it was the 9th day of the twelfth lunar month when he got sick in the snow. It has been Two months and five days, if she calculated correctly then Gu Ningxi will tell a lie to herself in every two to three days.
[Read only on Salmonlatte.com]
The last one was that after he recovered from his illness, at noon on the 21st of the twelfth lunar month, that is, yesterday, he told me he’ll to go to the Ministry of Rites to prepare his vacation, but in fact he hurried to the Mo’s house.
The number of times he saw the other woman was eight out of the twenty-four times that he lied, which was a third of it. It was less than what she had expected.
But every time she thinks about him staring at other women obsessively eight times, with that kind of focused eyes that he had never used before, Tao Xinhe felt as if a mouse was biting her heart. Its sharp teeth were like gnawing on it and she felt an excruciating pain.
Furthermore, he said that he decided to first discuss with Mo Qi about admitting them as relatives, and then come back to tell her about it. Why not the other way around?
Why didn’t he consider asking me whether I want to recognize their siblings as our righteous relatives?
The more Tao Xinhe asked, the colder her face became, and she fell silent in the end.
Gu Ningxi really told the whole story this time, without a trace of deceit.
As he was talking, he didn’t know what went wrong. It was obviously the lady who insisted on asking for details, so why did she suddenly turned frosty.
“My lady, I’m telling the truth. You can even ask both Shishu and Shihua they can testify for me. You can even ask the brothers and sisters of the Mo family. Oh, even the waiters in the teahouse have also recognized me, and they always greet me attentively. How about I invite them here and explain it? I can even ask them for a signed testimony if you don’t believe me?” Gu Ningxi frowned and thought about it, and proposed such a plan.
Tao Xinhe didn’t doubt that he was pretending nor was he whitewashing his deeds. After three years of being husband and wife, she knew him better than Gu Ningxi thought.
After listening to it from the beginning to the end, she can roughly tell whether what he said was consistent and whether it was as she remembered it. She judged that what her husband said today should indeed be the truth.
It’s hard for him to remember everything firmly, hum. He seemed to have been thinking about it a lot.
“Besides lying to me about going out, what other lies did you tell me?” Tao Xinhe ignored Gu Ningxi’s “witness” statement and asked another question.
***
TL NOTE:
This couple just needed communication bro, Tao Xinhe should have just asked him, why he never asked his opinion. I can see that Gu Ningxi has communication problems, and since he has been suffering face blindness he seemed to unaware of some of his actions. Whether it affects others or not. Especially since he can’t really assess the situation with his disability. Ugh these two has been married for three years what have they been doing?
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