I Became The Stepmother of My Ex-husband

“I came to see how badly Shizi Fei injured herself.”

Gao Ran initially felt nervous if Prince Yan had seen it or not, but hearing Lin Wei Xi’s obvious joy at her misfortune, she could barely maintain the smile on her face. Her expression grew cold and she asked in response, “I don’t understand what Mother means.”

“I’m just concerned about your injury.” Lin Wei Xi’s eyes overflowed with joy, but they looked faintly icy and thorny when she looked at Gao Ran, “What do you think I want?”

Lin Wei Xi’s words had a hidden meaning. Those who weren’t in the know would of course think that this was her caring for her daughter-in-law. But for Gao Ran, who knew her well, this was her way of taunting her secretly.

Gao Ran had relied on her age to give her an edge for so many years and was successful in every endeavour in the back courtyard. Over time, she grew confident that she’d succeed in whatever she did and that she ought to succeed. It took a lot of technique and good timing to throw a teacup while everyone was watching. It was harmful to oneself and there was the risk of being caught. If it were anyone else, Gao Ran would think that this scheme wasn’t worth it. But when it came to herself, she was extremely confident that she’d succeed without a problem.

The situation was initially one-sided at the start, as Gao Ran had predicted. Women had wide sleeves, and she only used her strength when Lin Wei Xi’s hand touched the teacup. The timing, the place, and the people had all aligned for Lin Wei Xi to educate her daughter-in-law like this in front of everyone. Anyone who knew about it would get angry. Lin Wei Xi would lose face if she made such a big mistake as soon as she made a public appearance and she’d most likely have no face to fight Gao Ran for power in the future.

However, Gao Ran hadn’t expected Prince Yan to suddenly say something like that.

When he said the first sentence, Gao Ran’s heart almost jumped out of her throat. He really saw Lin Wei Xi not flip the teacup? Or had he reluctantly compromised for the sake of the Prince Yan Consort’s face? Gao Ran panicked for a moment until she heard his conclusion that it was just an accident.

Just an accident. Gao Ran heaved a sigh of relief. Everything was good as long as he didn’t doubt her. But then she thought about it and felt a little unhappy. If it was just an accident, and Prince Yan testified to Lin Wei Xi’s innocence, then for what reason had she suffered such a severe burn?

She hadn’t accomplished her objective and also injured herself.

She was a little uncomfortable at first and tried to console herself to forget about this incident, but Lin Wei Xi had to sit at the edge of her bed, take her hand, and examine the burn on her arm.

“Tsk… it’s red and swollen, plus it’s blistering, I’m afraid your skin will start peeling in a few days. It really hurts to think about it.”

Gao Ran had already steeled herself, but her wounds seemed to burn again at Lin Wei Xi’s words. Gao Ran’s face was stiff and she forced herself to smile as she tried to pull back her hand, “Thank you Mother for caring. The wound looks gross. I can’t let it stain Mother’s eyes.”

She tried to pull back her arm, but was firmly held in place by Lin Wei Xi. She raised her head and gave Gao Ran a brilliant smile that looked sincere, “a freshly boiled cup of tea spilled onto your arm. Luckily you dodged it in time. Otherwise, it could’ve splashed onto your face.” Lin Wei Xi’s gaze stopped on Gao Ran’s face, moving inch by inch, “if it had splashed on your face, I’m afraid it would’ve been ruined.”

Being stared at by Lin Wei Xi in this manner made Gao Ran feel like the smooth skin on her face was burning, as if hot water had really splashed on it. A disfigured Shizi Fei… Gao Ran shuddered from head to toe. After breaking free from that unwarranted mental image, she felt a little annoyed as she looked at Lin Wei Xi, “Mother, please watch your words!”

“What are you afraid of? It didn’t splash on your face.” Although Lin Wei Xi said this, there was a bit of pity on her face. She lowered her head and swept her eyes over Gao Ran’s fiercely inflamed wound and said, “It’s fortunate that it only spilled on your arm. Even if scars are left behind during the scabbing, winter clothes can cover it up and in the summer, no one will see if you wear tighter clothes. It merely hurts a little. Shizi Fei didn’t lose anything.”

Those words caused Gao Ran’s teeth to ache. What did she mean it only hurts a little? Didn’t people struggle their entire lives for the sake of their own body? Gao Ran was already feeling defeated after suffering a double loss from trying to trick her enemy. When Lin Wei Xi said this, the pain felt even more difficult to bear.

Gao Ran’s face completely froze over. She and Lin Wei Xi had long since broken off relations in May because of the marriage, and now they were merely pretending with each other. Lin Wei Xi gripped Gao Ran’s wrist and she had “what a pity” written all over her face as she undressed Gao Ran’s wounds with her gaze. Even a living Bodhisattva wouldn’t be able to endure it. Gao Ran fiercely pulled her hand back, but ended up tearing the wound because she used too much force. A wave of burning sensation stretched across her arm and she frowned angrily, hurriedly covered it up, and pretended that it didn’t hurt at all. She said to Lin Wei Xi, “It’s my honour to be able to chat with Mother. But I was injured today. I was struggling for so long earlier. It’s truly exhausting.”

It was obvious that she was hinting for Lin Wei Xi to leave. Lin Wei Xi’s smile became more sincere as  she glanced down and raised her eyebrows, saying, “that pull must’ve hurt a lot. Imperial doctor Zhou left the medicine, but if the wound isn’t properly taken care of, his painstaking effort will be in vain. Someone, bring the ointment that imperial doctor Zhou left behind. I will personally help Shizi Fei apply the medicine.”

Gao Ran’s maid and old servant grew flustered when they heard this, “Princess Consort… “

“Are you deaf?” Lin Wei Xi suddenly raised her voice. It sounded delicate and cold. “Or do you look down on me, the Princess Consort?”

Seeing this, Wan Xing glanced angrily at Ning Fu and the rest, “the Princess Consort is Shizi Fei’s mother-in-law. It’s an honour for the daughter-in-law to have her mother-in-law personally apply medicine for her. You actually dare to ignore her?”

“We don’t dare.” Granny Tao and the few of them could only lower their heads and retrieve the ointment left by imperial doctor Zhou while feeling wronged. They reluctantly handed the medicine to Lin Wei Xi.

Gao Ran turned pale when she realized that Lin Wei Xi was serious about applying medicine for her, “Mother, my injuries aren’t that bad. There’s no need for Mother to do it.”

“You already call me Mother, so what’s the use in refusing.” Lin Wei Xi squinted at Gao Ran and smiled, “you ought to cherish whatever your elder gives you. I don’t have anything with me right now, so I can only apply medicine myself to make up for it. You can treat it as a return gift, my good daughter-in-law.”

After she finished speaking, she pulled Gao Ran’s arm without waiting for her to react and fiercely dug out a spoonful of ointment, slapping it onto Gao Ran’s arm. The burned skin was especially fragile and it hurt as soon as it was touched. Gao Ran couldn’t hold back a cry and Lin Wei Xi pretended to be surprised as she covered her mouth, her eyes filling with water, “Does it hurt?”

Lin Wei Xi was dressed entirely in red today. At that moment, her eyes widened innocently and grew watery. Anyone who saw her would pity her. Unfortunately, Gao Ran was explicitly aware that the tears in Lin Wei Xi’s eyes weren’t ones of distress, but from enduring her laughter.

Gao Ran clenched her teeth but still squeezed out a smile, “It doesn’t hurt.”

“It’s good if it doesn’t hurt. I’ve never done something like this before and don’t know how much force to use. If I’m using too much strength, please tell me Shizi Fei.” Lin Wei Xi finished speaking and continued to dig up the ointment and apply it onto Gao Ran’s arm. Gao Ran had nurtured her soft skin and delicate flesh all these years. Getting scalded by boiling tea already made her skin ache, but being treated like this by Lin Wei Xi on top of that brought her indescribable pain. Unfortunately,she had no outlet to vent. Her mother-in-law was personally applying medicine for her. This was earth-shattering. If the daughter-in-law felt dissatisfied, then she simply couldn’t differentiate good from bad.

Lin Wei Xi applied the medicine for Gao Ran without any hesitation. The expression on Gao Ran’s face told her that she wanted to hide, but couldn’t. Granny Tao and several others were angry but didn’t dare say anything. Lin Wei Xi endured her laughter until her face grew stiff. It was only when she was completely out of breath that she finally put down the ointment. Everyone in the room, including Gao Ran, quietly breathed a sigh of relief.

Lin Wei Xi looked at Gao Ran with a smile, and said, “Shizi Fei, you should now be able to take proper care of the wound, right?”

Gao Ran smiled unsmilingly and the corners of her mouth twitched, “Thank you, Mother.”

“You’re welcome.” Lin Wei Xi stood up, lowered her eyes, and looked down at Gao Ran condescendingly, “Shizi Fei offered me tea so I ought to return the favour. You’ve suffered today, so properly recuperate.”

How dare Gao Ran scheme against her by injuring herself to gain everyone’s sympathy. She truly deserved it!

It felt refreshing for Lin Wei Xi to get her revenge after being schemed against. Yesterday, the kowtow ceremony had happened in the innermost hall of the residence. Large households often used specialized rooms to hold weddings, funerals, ceremonies and other events. That hall was reserved for wedding ceremonies. Now that the wedding was over, Lin Wei Xi moved back to the residence’s main courtyard, Jingcheng courtyard.

Jingcheng Courtyard stood in the centre of the residence. It spanned a vast area, grand and magnificent. Prince Yan and the Prince Yan Consort lived and entertained their guests there. When Lin Wei Xi walked into Jingcheng Courtyard, a crowd of servants were already kneeling inside. When they saw her enter, all the servants said in unison, “Paying our respects to the Princess Consort. We wish the Princess Consort good health.”

They were all servants who served in Jingcheng Courtyard. Lin Wei Xi paused briefly, her eyes slowly sweeping across the top of everyone’s heads. Without a word, she walked through the passage they made and made her way to a seat in the hall before slowly speaking, “Get up.”

“Thank you Princess Consort.”

The rustling of clothes sounded, but the servants didn’t dare raise their heads even as they stood. They held their breath and bowed their heads looking to the floor

“Shizi Fei occidentally injured herself today and it’s held up some of my work. In that case, I’ll just focus on this. Let’s do a roll call of everyone one by one according to the roster. All the managers will stand up first and briefly explain what you’re in charge of. Then form groups of five according to your responsibilities and let these maids know when you’re ready so I can recognize your face.”

Lin Wei Xi actually recognized everyone here, but as an outsider who’d only stayed in the residence for a period of time, she shouldn’t be able to recognize the servants of the main courtyard. Therefore, she took this opportunity to have everyone step up one by one, and she’d consider this public knowledge.

After everyone finished kowtowing to Lin Wei Xi, the new mistress, the sun had already risen to its peak. She’d woken up early today. Firstly, there was that accident during the tea ceremony, and she’d spent half the morning at Gao Ran’s place. After that, it had taken a long time to do roll call. After the kowtowing was finished, Lin Wei Xi got up from her seat and temporarily went to the west room to sit on the arhat bed. Wan Yue came to ask for instructions, “Princess Consort, do you want your meal?”

She almost nodded but suddenly remembered that she was the Prince Yan Consort now. She was no longer a well-bred young lady who lived by herself and decided everything on her own. She now had to worry about her husband’s daily schedule. Lin Wei Xi paused and said, “Wait. Wan Xing, go to the front courtyard and ask when the Prince will return for his meal.”

In the study, Gu Hui Yan was solemnly instructing his son. Gu Cheng Yao lowered his head as he listened. He carefully answered, and when he saw that Gu Hui Yan’s expression still didn’t look too good, he asked cautiously, “Father, the Grand Secretary and Supervisor Feng came to the Residence yesterday… “

The meeting between Prince Yan, Grand Secretary Zhang, and Eunuch Feng was a subject of interest for the entire capital. Everyone, from the imperial court to the ordinary layman, all wanted to know what they’d discussed.

What a pity that Gu Hui Yan didn’t wish to talk about it. He said lightly , “you’re still not old enough to know about this. You should focus on studying and prepare for next year’s civil service exam in Spring.”

“Yes.” Gu Cheng Yao replied respectfully.

Gu Hui Yan began his career through outstanding military service, and the Prince Yan Residence also defended an important strategic location. Gu Cheng Yao would definitely join the army in the future. But first, they were now in the capital, and second, the current situation unfortunately didn’t allow the heirs of the Prince Yan Residence to only have knowledge of military affairs. An official with no friends or connections would meet a bad end. Gu Hui Yan didn’t have that much confidence to think that he was an exception. While he was still in the capital and the various powers were fighting, he’d let Gu Cheng Yao learn more through experience.

Gu Cheng Yao now took it for granted and Gu Hui Yan had been dissatisfied about it for a long time, so he rejected his subordinates’ opinions and insisted on having Gu Cheng Yao go to the underprivileged and negligible department to experience everything from the bottom. But because of Gu Hui Yan, he received too much preferential treatment. His father’s halo made everything smooth sailing. In the past, Gu Hui Yan had been too busy with the war to care. But now, it was impossible not to care.

Gu Hui Yan thought of that rather scheming daughter-in-law and his gaze darkened. So this was the “saviour” that Gu Cheng Yao insisted on marrying despite his wife’s passing. The more disappointed he was with Gu Cheng Yao, the more harsh his expectations became.

Gu Cheng Yao seemed to have also thought of what happened during the tea ceremony. His eyes flashed and he asked, “Father, just now, you said that you saw it… “

At the same time, another voice sounded from outside the door, “my Prince, the Princess Consort sent someone to ask when you’ll be going back for your meal.”

Gu Hui Yan and Gu Cheng Yao both froze for a moment. It’s not as if Gu Hui Yan had never been urged to have a meal before, but things were much simpler during wartime and he was busy dealing with military affairs. The soldier who delivered the food would put his food by his desk and occasionally make small talk, and that was it. This was the first time that someone thought of him like this and specifically asked for him.

Gu Cheng Yao was obviously not used to this. His impression of his father was that he always seemed to be in the study, martial arts field, or the battlefield. He came to see his father mostly because he had questions to ask him. No matter what he asked, his father could always clear his doubts in a sentence. Gu Cheng Yao increasingly admired his father and kept that admiration close to his heart. He naturally respected his father and inquired about his father’s health out of filial piety. As for when his father ate and so on… it seemed like Gu Cheng Yao had never paid attention to it. Prince Yan had always seemed unapproachable, victory always within his grasp. Everyone revered the god of war, so they’d automatically assume that he didn’t need to eat or sleep.

It wasn’t until Lin Wei Xi sent someone to inquire that Gu Cheng Yao realized with surprise that his father had married a new Princess Consort, and they even had their private space.

Gu Cheng Yao felt conflicted while Gu Hui Yan was a little surprised. He once again realized that he was married, and that he was married to a thoughtful little girl. His fingers twitched and he actually stood up to walk outside, “I seem to have forgotten the time. Shizi Fei was injured today, you can return and spend time with her.”

And just like that, Gu Cheng Yao was sent away, but it was impossible to find fault with the reason. He remembered his question that had been interrupted, and was a little bit unwilling to leave for the first time. He couldn’t help following him, “Father, during the tea ceremony today, you say… “

Gu Hui Yan extended his hand to stop Gu Cheng Yao, “whatever it is that you want to know, find out for yourself.”