Volume One, Chapter 8: You Shouldn't Be So Reckless!

Cheng Wenyuan’s voice was low and soft, laced with desire, carrying a slight huskiness.

“But I miss you…”

Warm lips pressed against her ear, his unique breath lingering beside her.

Cheng Jinxi’s heart stirred slightly.

But soon, she suppressed the rising emotions.

She turned around, her gaze gentle as waves as she looked into his handsome eyes. Her voice was alluring, tinged with a subtle tremor.

“Wenyuan, take me as your concubine.”

Cheng Wenyuan, who had been gradually sinking into tenderness, suddenly stiffened at her words.

Disbelief flashed across his sharply defined face.

He released his arms from around her waist.

“What? What did you say?”

“Wenyuan, Grand Madam said she wants to give you a concubine so that Yue’er can be registered under a concubine’s name. Go to Grand Madam and tell her to accept me as your concubine. Then the three of us can be together openly and without shame. We won’t have to hide anymore…”

“No!”

Without a second thought, Cheng Wenyuan rejected her outright.

The moment the words left his mouth, he regretted his haste, feeling it was somewhat cruel and disrupted the intimate atmosphere that filled the room.

He took Cheng Jinxi’s hand gently.

“Jinxi, didn’t you say? You love me. You said you could be with me without a formal status. Why have you changed your mind now?”

“I don’t want status! I don’t want you to marry me as a legitimate wife. I just want to be openly your woman. The mother of our child. Just a concubine, and even that’s not allowed? Wenyuan, you said you love me above all else. You said you could die for me. What law forbids you from taking me as a concubine?”

“Jinxi, isn’t it fine as we are? Why must you become a concubine? My heart is yours, my body is yours. You want me to be faithful, and I will obey. I won’t touch any other woman. Why force me?”

“Wenyuan, since you love me so much, why can’t you give me the status of a concubine? Even a lowly concubine is unacceptable?”

“No! Jinxi, we are cousins. Even if it doesn’t break the law, it goes against propriety and morality. It will affect my official career. Jinxi, you shouldn’t be so reckless!”

Cheng Wenyuan’s expression was filled with disappointment and pain.

He slowly let go of her hand.

Career.

Still career!

---

Cheng Jinxi sneered coldly, swaying slightly.

She weakly supported herself on the bed, silently shedding tears.

No matter how much Cheng Wenyuan whispered promises in her ear,

“Jinxi, Grandmother will let me take a concubine, but I promise I won’t touch her. Just like Chu Yao today. I will only be good to you. I truly love you…”

Cheng Jinxi’s tears slid into her mouth, bitter and cold.

It turned out that in his heart, she was far less important than his career advancement.

But for him, she could disregard everything.

She didn’t care about reputation or dignity.

She even destroyed her own marriage with her own hands.

She had quietly stood behind him for five years.

Carried a child for ten months, nearly dying in childbirth to give him a child.

His vows and sweet words had blinded her.

In the end, his professed love was nothing but empty words.

His future and career mattered far more than her.

The truth was so cruel.

Like a sharp dagger piercing her chest.

The pain made her unable to breathe!

...

“Miss, these are the keepsakes left by the master. Are you really planning to give them away?”

Cheng Jinxi’s eyes were full of reluctance as she carefully caressed a pair of delicate, smooth white jade bracelets.

In the carved nanmu wood box was a heavy, pure gold headdress.

She looked at the headdress with lingering attachment for a long while before placing the white jade bracelets back into the box and carefully locking it.

Frowning as she stared into space, she seemed to be speaking to herself, but her tone was resolute.

“Give them away!”

Since what she wanted was scorned by Grand Madam and refused by Cheng Wenyuan,

She would fight for it herself!

“But Miss, aren’t you afraid that doing so will ruin your reputation?”

“Reputation?”

A trace of sorrow appeared on Cheng Jinxi’s face.

“I am an orphaned widow, a dependent living under others’ roofs. What reputation do I still care about? I know no matter what, I can never become the lady of the Hou family. That’s why I can endure Wenyuan marrying Chu Yao. But just because Chu Yao refuses to accept Yue’er, they want to take a concubine! Yue’er cannot be the legitimate daughter of the Hou family, so does she have to be registered under some irrelevant concubine’s name? I refuse to accept that! Rather than guarding my reputation and dying lonely in the Hou family, I’d rather risk everything and fight for a concubine’s position myself!”

“But, Miss, won’t this affect the heir’s career...”

“If he loves me, what’s a little sacrifice for me? Besides, he is talented and resourceful; his promotion is just a matter of time. Why care about a little loss now?”

“But will the heir blame you for this?”

Cheng Jinxi didn’t answer but let out a barely audible sigh.

Would he blame her for affecting his career?

Perhaps he would.

But she believed their bond was so deep,

It wouldn’t break because of this.

She was Yue’er’s biological mother, his beloved.

He should understand her difficulties.

...

“Young Madam, I’ve been keeping an eye on the Autumn Evening Courtyard. This morning, I saw the young lady’s maid, Xiaocui, secretly visiting the Duke’s residence. I’ve already inquired; the young lady sent a formal invitation to Madam Jiang, the Duke’s wife. She will visit the Duke’s house tomorrow morning. But I don’t know what for.”

Qiu Xi whispered beside Chu Yao.

“Understood. Keep watching.”

Chu Yao glanced at Qiu Yue. “Send a formal invitation to the Duke’s eldest daughter. I will visit her tomorrow afternoon.”

“Yes.”

The Duke’s residence was a major aristocratic family in the capital, with over a dozen officials from the family serving in government.

They were a truly prestigious and influential clan.

The Duke himself was the current Prime Minister of the highest rank.

His eldest son, Su Yuankai, was the Minister of the Imperial Academy, Cheng Wenyuan’s superior.

Chu Yao recalled the moment she first met the Duke’s legitimate daughter.

At that time, she had just returned to the capital.

By chance, she came across a mad horse pulling a carriage at a wild gallop.

The horse, startled and frantic, ran wildly, causing panic among passersby, overturning stalls, and scattering debris.

From inside the carriage came the terrified screams of a woman, growing louder.

In the midst of the chaos, Chu Yao acted swiftly, leaping up.

With a few quick moves, she landed on the mad horse’s back.

Having grown up in the Northwest army and trained in horsemanship since childhood, her riding skills were exceptional.

She tightened the reins with all her strength, forcing the mad horse to halt and saving the passengers inside the carriage.

Only then did she learn that the pale, frightened woman was the Duke’s legitimate daughter, Su Wanyun.

Su Wanyun and she became fast friends.

Because of Chu Yao’s heroic rescue, Madam Qin of the Duke’s family treated Chu Yao with great kindness.

Thus, Chu Yao became an honored guest in the Duke’s residence.

In her previous life, at that time, Minister Su Yuankai had been smoothly promoted.

Using the Duke’s family connections, Chu Yao had successfully pushed Cheng Wenyuan, then a junior minister, up to Minister of the Imperial Academy.

Then, step by step, she ushered him into the Cabinet.

Cheng Wenyuan’s promotions were partly due to the military ties of the Chu family, but also heavily reliant on Chu Yao’s influence in the Duke’s residence.