Gu Meiting knew her husband all too well — the very fact that he’d said this meant he was already backing down. She quickly said, “I know, I know. The Gu family lacks capable hands, the Gu family needs you. Let me beg you on my father’s behalf to stay, won’t you? My father only said that thoughtless thing because he was frantic with worry. So much of the Gu family’s business is handled thanks to you — far from ‘feeding you for nothing,’ even the word ‘feeding’ is hurtful!”

Today, Gu Meiting was prepared to get down on her knees before her husband if that was what it took — she had to keep him here, no matter what.

Only with Jiang Chen staying at the Gu residence could she continue to enjoy everything she, as the eldest young mistress, was entitled to. If Jiang Chen left, she’d either have to follow him — marry a chicken, follow the chicken — and even if she was willing to endure hardship herself living with the Jiang family, she wasn’t willing to let her six-year-old son grow up in such an ordinary household!

She wanted to give her son the very best Liuxian Island had to offer — she wanted him to start learning the Gu family’s internal martial arts as soon as possible!

And besides, even if things escalated to the point of a marital separation, given Jiang Chen’s temperament, would he really allow an ambiguous, unofficial separation? He’d surely make sure the whole of Liuxian Island knew about it — and where would that leave the Gu family’s reputation then?

And given her father’s temperament, would he really let Jiang Chen off easily after that?

Gu Meiting understood perfectly well that the one thing she absolutely had to do was keep her husband here — keep him here for good.

Hearing this, Jiang Chen, though still fuming, no longer argued back.

Seeing this, Gu Meiting’s heart leapt with joy. She stepped forward quickly, taking his hand, coaxing him. “Husband, please forgive your father-in-law just this once, I beg you — or, for Yuan’er’s sake, just pretend you never heard it at all!”

Jiang Chen still didn’t budge, his dark face set in a cold scowl. He wasn’t particularly handsome, and rather large and burly besides — it was hard to say where exactly his charm had come from, that had so captivated this eldest young mistress of the Gu family, enough that she’d insisted on marrying him against her parents’ wishes.

Seeing his cold expression, Gu Meiting pleaded again, “Husband, you know perfectly well how well Father normally treats you. And Mother — she must have felt so sorry for you, not wanting you to use up your internal energy, that she did it herself! Let’s not argue anymore. The servants just came to report — she’s fallen unconscious. Let’s go see her, all right?”

Only then did Jiang Chen look down at her, his mouth twisting. “It’s not that I was unwilling to use my internal energy — your mother beat me to it. I’m not that petty.”

“Yes, yes, you were already at the door!” Gu Meiting said quickly, carefully prying open Jiang Chen’s tightly clenched hand from around his packed bag.

Jiang Chen immediately pulled free. Gu Meiting, undeterred, tried again, and the two of them went back and forth like this for a good while before Jiang Chen finally, impatiently, set the bag down.

“Fine, fine. Every single day it’s something with your family that has me all worked up — if it weren’t for Yuan’er’s sake, I absolutely would not be staying!” Jiang Chen said coldly.

Gu Meiting’s own temper wasn’t exactly mild either, and after all that coaxing only to be snapped at again, she couldn’t help but snap right back, “And wasn’t I doing it for you? For Yuan’er?”

“Heh, so in the end, you still think I’m useless, and that’s why you need to rely so heavily on your parents’ household?” Jiang Chen sneered.

“I… I… Jiang Chen, do you even have a conscience? I know you have talent, and it’s exactly because I feel for you, because I’m afraid you’ll go unrecognized, that I want to find you more opportunities within the Gu family! I want Yuan’er to grow up in a superior environment from the very start, don’t I? You say it’s easy for me? If you’re so talented, so capable, then you go find your own opportunities! You can’t seriously expect Yuan’er and me to spend our whole lives tagging along while you go looking for your big break!”

Gu Meiting burst into aggrieved tears. Jiang Chen sneered inwardly — this woman still couldn’t bear to part with the wealth and glory of the Gu family, couldn’t bear to give up her position as the young mistress who held sway over everyone here.

Still, he knew when to hold back, and said impatiently, “All right, all right, enough with the crying. Let’s just say I’m the one who’s too petty, is that better? Let’s go to the storehouse and fetch some medicine — your mother’s internal energy is likely completely spent, her martial arts ruined. We need to get some restorative herbs for her, and quickly!”

Gu Meiting nodded eagerly. “See, you do have some conscience after all — you know my mother cares about us!”

The couple had gone through arguments like this behind closed doors more times than either could count. As long as it stayed within these four walls, no matter how Gu Meiting carried on, Jiang Chen would simply ignore her entirely — she could rail at him all she liked, and at most he’d sulk in silence.

The moment they stepped out the door, though, everything returned to normal — the couple acting as though nothing had happened at all, hurrying together toward the storehouse.

The Gu family’s storehouse was renowned throughout Liuxian Island — herbs, weapons, rare treasures, it held everything imaginable. Unless one was a direct member of the Gu family, it wasn’t easy to gain entry at all!

Even Jiang Chen, the eldest son-in-law, could only enter the storehouse accompanied by Gu Meiting — had he come alone, the guards would never have let him through.

Before long, the couple reached the storehouse, only to find its great doors standing open.

“Who’s in there?” Gu Meiting asked, chin raised, every inch the picture of hauteur.

The storehouse guards were a hereditary position within the Gu family, dedicated specialists whom few dared to offend — even Jiang Chen had to greet them politely.

As for Gu Meiting, spoiled and pampered since childhood, even now that she was married, she remained courteous only toward her parents — even toward her own younger sister she was habitually imperious, let alone toward the servants.

“Bodyguard Yingzi is in there fetching medicine,” the guard answered honestly.

“Bodyguard Yingzi? Since when is he allowed to fetch medicine here? Where’s Physician Hua?” Gu Meiting asked, displeased.

“The master gave the order himself — said he could take whatever he needed from the storehouse. I heard the young master’s about to wake, and they need the medicine urgently,” the guard replied.

At this, Gu Meiting’s face lit up with delight. “Beiyue’s about to wake?”

“Indeed. That’s why the master, overjoyed, gave permission for Bodyguard Yingzi and Physician Gu to come and go from the storehouse freely!” The guard, too, seemed pleased at the news — once the young master woke, it would mean there was hope for the Gu family’s future after all.

Gu Meiting felt exactly the same way, nodding again and again. “Well, that’s good, that’s very good. My parents can finally rest easy.”

With that, she led Jiang Chen into the storehouse. Jiang Chen nodded politely to the guard, though a complicated look flickered in his eyes.

He hadn’t expected Jun Beiyue to wake so soon. He really should have made his move sooner, back when he had the chance!

The storehouse was a vast underground chamber. Though the two of them were inside together, they didn’t necessarily cross paths — and Jiang Chen, far more familiar with the Gu family’s internal martial arts than Gu Meiting, knew even better than she did which herbs were most beneficial for a body cultivating the Gu family’s techniques!

Every time, Gu Meiting merely brought him inside, while the actual selection of herbs was always left to Jiang Chen — including choosing medicine for their son Yuan’er, which Jiang Chen handled as well.

“Chen, look at this — I’ve never seen this before,” Gu Meiting said, puzzled, standing before a strikingly vivid, blood-red lingzhi mushroom, remarkably fresh, as though it had only just been added to the storehouse.

Jiang Chen turned to look and immediately blurted out, “Blood Spirit Herb!”

But no sooner had the words left his mouth than a hand suddenly reached out from the other side of the shelf and snatched up the Blood Spirit Herb.

“Who’s there!” Gu Meiting demanded loudly, by pure reflex — within this storehouse, unless it was her father, even when her mother came, anything Gu Meiting had her eye on was always given to her without question!

At that moment, a figure stepped out from the side of the shelf — none other than Bodyguard Yingzi. “Eldest Young Mistress, it’s me.”