Chapter 27: Perfect Little Son
~Flashback. A few hours ago~
Wanqing had been standing in a particular spot for over five minutes now, ever since she got summoned to her parents chambers. She didn’t want to move.
The messages had arrived the moment after the warriors dragged Anning out of her room and honestly, Wanqing hadn’t thought much of it at first. Why?
Because her said parents, her mother especially, had always been displeased with everything she did. Whether it involved socializing, marriage or simply her attitude.
So, when Lanzhin informed her that the master and mistress had requested her presence, Wanqing merely nodded at her but she still didn’t move from where she was standing.
It was at that moment, she unfortunately remembered the utterly ridiculous expression Anning had made earlier.
The image replayed in her head vividly and instead of making her feel annoyed, it made her feel...weird?
But seriously, the stupid girl had actually closed her eyes and puckered her lips. As though Wanqing had truly intended to kiss her.
Wanqing’s lips curled into a small smirk before she quickly schooled her expression back to something indifferent.
Absolutely ridiculous.
Another knock on the door made her frown but that was enough to remind her that this matter was probably more important than amusing herself with thoughts of an insolent slave.
Wanqing calmly stepped out of her chambers and found Lanzhin already waiting outside. The head maid bowed slightly before leading the way through the long halls of the Gu residence.
The mansion remained as lively as always despite evening approaching. Servants moved in and out of rooms carrying hand woven baskets, folded garments, and unlit lanterns yet the moment Wanqing appeared, conversations died down immediately.
Several maids lowered their heads so quickly one would think speaking while working was some sort of crime. Others moved aside nervously, trying to become one with the walls.
A young servant carrying a pot of water accidentally glanced up and flinched so hard that some of the water spilled onto the floor.
Wanqing’s eyes narrowed slightly at the sight, but she wasn’t exactly upset. She was amused.
Fear truly was a fascinating thing.
She continued walking beside Lanzhin before finally saying, "Why did they call for me?"
Lanzhin cleared her throat softly before replying, "I am not in any position to disclose such information. Forgive me, young miss."
Wanqing rolled her eyes inwardly. Of course, what exactly had she been expecting?
The rest of the walk went by in silence until they finally reached the eastern wing of the mansion where her parents quarters were located. Unlike the rest of the estate, this area was quieter, heavily guarded...the hallway was literally covered in expensive ornaments and silk.
Lanzhin stood in front of a large set of wooden doors, and after a brief pause, she slid one open carefully.
"The mistress is currently waiting for you. The master promised to join you both I’m a few minutes."
Wanqing spared Lanzhin one cold glance before stepping into the room. Truthfully, the sight staring back at her didn’t really surprise her. Not even a little bit.
Her biological mother, Gu Ruiqing, sat lazily across a long cushioned seat with one leg crossed elegantly over the other. Her black hair had been pinned into an elaborate bun held together with gold ornaments and jade pins. A black robe draped loosely around her body, leaving her pale shoulder and the upper part of her chest exposed. Not to forget the several purplish marks that openly stained her skin.
In her hand was a long smoking pipe that she swirled around every once in a while.
After swirling it, she brought it toward her painted lip, inhaled slowly and then released the smoke elegantly.
On either side of her sat two young men who looked slightly older than Wanqing herself. One had his hands wrapped around Gu Ruiqing’s waist while the other had his head buried into Ruiqing’s bosom.
Neither of them looked embarrassed.
Her mother looked even less bothered. The glazed look in the woman’s eyes only deepened as she noticed Wanqing standing there.
Wanqing’s expression darkened immediately. "Get out!"
Her voice wasn’t particularly loud but the authority in it instantly made the room feel weird.
The two young men straightened instantly, exchanging nervous glances between each other before looking toward the older woman between them.
Only after she gave a lazy nod did they scramble up hurriedly, grabbing their scattered robes before rushing towards the exit.
The door slid shut behind Wanqing a few seconds later.
Wanqing stepped forward slowly, hands planted on her hips. "You truly couldn’t wait till father left?" She asked quietly. "You had to bring them here?"
Her mother laughed softly at her words, then tossed the pipe in her hand carelessly onto the nearby table before leaning back against the cushions.
"What I do does not concern you, Wanqing," she replied coldly. "Your father has already chosen to ignore my affairs. Perhaps you should do the same."
Wanqing said nothing.
The older woman’s lips curled slightly. "And maybe then..." She continued lazily, "...I might actually tolerate your presence."
Wanqing’s fingers dug into her hips tightly, something in her gaze darkening.
"Tolerate my presence?" She repeated slowly.
Her mother merely raised a brow but that only made Wanqing scoff but this time, she wasn’t amused.
"Why?" She asked softly. "Because I’m not the perfect little son you hoped for?"
Gu Ruiqing slapped a hand over her forehead, before standing up from the couch and turning away from wanqing.
"Do not bring that up. Wanqing. Don’t." She said stiffly but her words only made Wanqing feel irritated.
"Don’t bring it up? Ha! You must be joking. It’s always about him. Always about that fucking bastard!" Wanqing screamed before she could stop herself.
But the moment those words left her mouth, she saw something flying towards her but sadly, it was too late to dodge.
Crash!
The sound of glass shattering echoed through the air. Gu Ruiqing stared at the tea cup that now laid shattered at Wanqing’s feet and let out a shaky breath.
"Get out!"
