Chapter 608: Chapter 610: Losing One’s Appetite

Ming Nian ignored him. Instead, he hurried out from behind the counter, a broad smile on his face as he greeted the people at the door.

Wang Li also saw the newcomers then: Prefect Gu was walking in with several other officials.

"My lord, you’ve arrived.

Should this humble one arrange another private room for you, or will you be dining with the Madam?"

"The Madam is here too?" Ancient Wen Heng had just finished his official duties and dropped by for a meal. He had no idea Jin Qianqian was also here today.

Ming Nian glanced at the officials behind him and said with a smile, "Yes, all the Madams are upstairs. Shall I go and inform them?"

Ancient Wen Heng looked back at He Gaofei and the others, saw their surprised expressions, and said with a smile, "Our families aren’t so formal. Since we’ve run into each other, we might as well dine together.

Go ask the Madams. If it’s convenient for them, we’ll head over."

He had to give them a heads-up first. If he just barged in with a group of men, Jin Qianqian wouldn’t mind, but he couldn’t say the same for the other ladies.

Ming Nian replied, "Yes, my lords. Please rest in the adjacent private room while I go and ask."

"I never expected we’d run into each other," He Gaofei said with a laugh, stroking his beard. "What a coincidence."

He knew his wife was planning to visit Mrs. Gu today, but he hadn’t imagined they would decide to meet here.

Ancient Wen Heng said, "Now we’ll see if the Madams will grace us with their company and take us in. Otherwise, we’ll have to make do with this small room."

The room they were in was nice, but it couldn’t compare to the exclusive private room Jin Qianqian kept reserved for herself.

Hearing Ancient Wen Heng’s jest, the other officials laughed and joined in the banter. "Today, we’ll see if the Madams are willing to spare us a meal."

As they joked, the door was pushed open. The Madams were standing in the doorway, watching them with smiles.

"And what will you do if we’re not willing to feed you?"

"I’m sure the Madams wouldn’t be so heartless," Lu Shenggen said, bowing quickly. "You’ve been living the high life with Mrs. Gu. You can’t just leave us behind."

Ancient Wen Heng remarked, "Mr. Lu, that’s an interesting thing to say. When have I ever let you go hungry while following me?"

Lu Shenggen gave him an ingratiating smile. "Of course, you’ve never let us go hungry. It’s just a rare chance to meet here, so we should all get together. No need for family to act like strangers."

He Gaofei: ’...’ ’If anyone tells me that Lu Shenggen is simple and honest now, I’ll fight them.’

Wu Yichen: ’...’ ’I’ve underestimated Mr. Lu. Listen to him—he closed the distance in an instant. It’s more direct than a hundred compliments I could ever give.’

Ancient Wen Heng said, "Since we’re all one family, let’s all relax. No need to be so formal."

As the hostess, Jin Qianqian naturally spoke up as well. "Gentlemen, please don’t just stand here. We came over specially to invite you. Let’s all go, the food is about to be served."

Ancient Wen Heng was the first to move. He took Jin Qianqian’s hand and led her straight to the large private room across the hall.

"How long have you been here?"

"Not long. We were just chatting when we heard you’d arrived."

"Have you ordered?"

"I just had Lichun arrange for a few more dishes. If there’s anything else you’d like later, we can have them add it."

The other couples, left standing there, paired up and followed silently behind.

They couldn’t understand it. They were all long-married couples, yet these two were still so affectionate.

In official families like theirs, while they might not have wives and concubines in droves, it was common to have one or two concubines in the household.

A "rear courtyard" as quiet as Mr. Gu’s was truly a rare sight.

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Mrs. He and the other wives were envious, so the men standing beside them had already received several glares.

He Gaofei and the others exchanged glances, smiling bitterly to themselves. ’The next few days are going to be rough.’

’It’s not like *we* were the ones who wanted the concubines at home. Weren’t they all arranged by our wives? And now they’re digging up old scores again.’

’This is the one good thing about leaving a post—if our wives don’t see things like this, they won’t make comparisons.’

When they saw Ancient Wen Heng pull out a chair and help Jin Qianqian sit down, a pang of jealousy shot through them. At the same time, they felt several searing gazes land on them.

They didn’t need to look to know what those gazes meant. Gritting their teeth, the men copied Ancient Wen Heng, pulling out chairs to help their wives be seated.

If they didn’t do it now, they’d be sleeping in the study again tonight.

Although Mrs. He and the others took their seats, they still didn’t feel satisfied. After all, their husbands were just mechanically copying the gesture, not doing it out of their own consideration.

The delicious feast on the table might as well have been sawdust to them. The couple across from them was just constantly showing off their affection.

Peeling shrimp, picking crab meat, pouring tea—he waited on her hand and foot.

This once again showed the other families how Ancient Wen Heng doted on his wife with no limits, a display they felt too embarrassed to even try to imitate.

Normally, in their own manors, He Gaofei and the others were all great masters. Only their wives and concubines served them; when had they ever been the ones to serve women?

As for Mrs. He and the other wives, they left the meal with their stomachs full of anger.

In terms of birth and upbringing, they were several tiers above Jin Qianqian. So on what grounds did she get such a considerate husband?

They glanced at the wooden statues sitting beside them—their other halves—and their eyes filled with disdain.

’His looks and official rank aren’t as high as others, but his lordly airs are certainly well-maintained.’

Aside from pulling out their chairs at the beginning, they had just focused on their own eating and drinking, not even sparing their wives a single glance.

But in a place with so many people, they couldn’t very well cause a scene. The women all bottled up their frustration.

Jin Qianqian had noticed this long ago and had been subtly signaling Ancient Wen Heng. But it was as if he’d taken the wrong medicine today; his actions only served to further aggravate the women across the table.

’But what could she do about her own husband? Naturally, she could only spoil him and let him be.’

When the dinner finally, mercifully ended, the three Madams were the first to speak, claiming they had matters to attend to at home and hastily leaving with their husbands in tow.

Returning to their manor full of questions, Jin Qianqian asked the moment she walked through the door, "What was that about?"

Usually, when they were out, Ancient Wen Heng was mindful of their public image, but today he had been very abnormal.

Ancient Wen Heng knew what she was asking. "Someone’s hands were getting a little too long. I just gave them a rap to make them pull back."

Jin Qianqian: "..."

Ancient Wen Heng didn’t hide it. "Our ’rear courtyard’ is too quiet, and it seems to be bothering them. They actually had the gall to ask me about taking a concubine."

Jin Qianqian: "...They must have eaten their fill and then some. If I had known, I would have served them a bowl of rice soup to clear out their stomachs."

It wasn’t as if no one had tried to pry into their affairs over the years; some had even exhausted every trick in the book.

"Were they just asking, or did they have something more in mind?" Jin Qianqian didn’t think this was a topic one could bring up casually.

"He Gaofei mentioned his cousin a few times..."

Jin Qianqian: "Doesn’t he know about our clan’s rule? Did you not mention it to him?"

"Hah. The year before last, when someone else tried to gift me a person, I mentioned it in passing. I refuse to believe they didn’t hear about it.

These people are just holding onto a sliver of hope, trying to get closer to us.

But at least he had the sense to read the room. After he saw my expression darken, he didn’t bring it up again." Ancient Wen Heng was long accustomed to handling such matters.

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