The Grand Secretary’s Pampered Wife

Special Thanks to these patrons for their support!

S T E L L A R C L O U D

[Galetron]

O R A N G E S T A R

[Alma S.] [Azurixa] [Christine G.-L.] [K.Rom]

[Lily J.] [Michelle N.] [Ziana K.-P.]

Y E L L O W S T A R

[Anasi] [Jwyla C.] [Passerby] [Xena]

G O L D S T A R

[Anne C.] [Rose Ky]

R A I N B O W S T A R

[Debra W] [Smurfinbatik]

T H E S U N

[Kiiayame]

C E L E S T I A L C O N Q U E R O R

[Ava C.] [kuroneko_chan] [Leeyue] [Manon]

[Raquel G.] [Sophia W.] [Val Nes] [Woon Li Ying]

Also, many thanks to everyone who bought me coffee (*≧∀≦*)

“Are you saying that the people from the Sword Lodge might try to kill JiaoJiao?”

Inside the study, Marquis Xuanping listened to his son’s recount of the events. To say he was not surprised would be false, yet to say his son was fabricating something out of thin air, he did not think there was any need for such a thing either.

Xiao Heng spoke with a serious expression, “JiaoJiao’s dreams have always been accurate. Back when you almost lost your life under the mudslide, it was only because she had foreseen the heavy rain and the landslide in her dream beforehand that you survived.”

A real man did not speak of ghosts, monsters, and gods, and Marquis Xuanping was a man who lived with his head tied to his belt. His entire life was carved out through battles won by his own strength. If it had been any other matter, he would have scoffed at it without hesitation.

However, since it concerned Gu Jiao, he was extremely cautious.

“The bastards from Sword Lodge are all dead.” He sounded somewhat regretful. Had he known this would happen, he would have left a few alive.

Xiao Heng said, “Those were all outer disciples, their knowledge of the inner sect was limited. They are of less value than Ming Yue.”

Marquis Xuanping muttered thoughtfully, “Then I’ll just grab that fellow some other day and interrogate him properly.”

Xiao Heng did not oppose.

There was no need to preach about mercy; sometimes mercy to an enemy meant cruelty toward oneself.

“Father, have you ever seen any expert from Sword Lodge wearing this mask?” Xiao Heng handed over a sketch he carried with him to Marquis Xuanping.

Marquis Xuanping took it, examined it carefully, then shook his head. “No. Why would people from Sword Lodge need to wear masks?”

That question startled both Xiao Heng and Gu Jiao.

Since it was an accepted fact, neither of them had bothered to question the oddity of it.

But Marquis Xuanping, standing as an outsider, could immediately spot that something was off.

Xiao Heng quickly regained his composure and said, “You almost led me astray. An Hun and Shi Tian both wore masks. I suspect only inner sect disciples, when sent out on missions, are required to wear them.”

Marquis Xuanping nodded: “That makes sense. I’ll get to the bottom of this. You just focus on preparing for your upcoming examinations.”

Xiao Heng looked at him with some doubt. “Did I… tell you I have an examination?”

Marquis Xuanping snorted, “If you don’t tell me, you think I won’t ask?”

He was now a father who knew how to care for his son, no longer someone who would ignore, or pretend to ignore, matters of his studies.

Xiao Heng gave a small laugh, “Thank you, Father.”

Marquis Xuanping, with his usual carefree air, replied, “What are you thanking your old man for? If you really want to thank me, just give Yiyi a little nephew to play with.”

Xiao Heng: “…”

There were two things in life that were impossible to avoid: being urged to marry and being urged to have children.

When Little Yiyi was about to sleep, the couple bid farewell to Princess Xinyang and Marquis Xuanping and returned to their own courtyard.

As soon as they entered the room, Xiao Heng asked, “My mother didn’t say anything strange to you, did she?”

“What strange things?” Gu Jiao asked.

Xiao Heng replied, “For example, pressuring you to give birth to a big, healthy son?”

“No.” Gu Jiao answered.

Xiao Heng let out a breath of relief.

Yet before he could even finish exhaling, Gu Jiao added, “She just gave me a bowl of fertility tonic to drink.”

Xiao Heng: “…!!”

As expected of his mother, harsher than his father.

Xiao Heng, half exasperated and half amused, said, “Tomorrow I’ll go speak with her and tell her not to give you these things anymore.”

Gu Jiao replied, “It’s fine. Actually, they’re just some herbs that nourish the blood and energy. Drinking them won’t do me any harm.”

Xiao Heng thought for a moment, “That’s true.” Better than telling his mother outright that for now, they were not planning on having children.

“Do you want a baby?” Gu Jiao asked him.

This was a topic they had never really delved into. It had been the drunk Gu Jiao who had brought out contraceptives, and the two had simply gone along with it as a matter of course.

Xiao Heng smiled slightly and said, “You’re still young. Even if we wait until you’re a little older, it won’t be too late to have children.”

Gu Jiao lowered her gaze, “But what if I never, ever want to have children?”

A flash of astonishment flickered across Xiao Heng’s eyes, but he did not hesitate for long. He looked at her steadily and said, “Then we won’t. After all, I still have an elder brother. At worst, he can be the one to continue the family line.”

Gu Jiao stepped forward, her forehead pressing with a soft thud against his chest. “Pat my head.”

Xiao Heng gave a faint smile, his hand gently coming down to stroke her hair with tenderness.

Gu Jiao felt his comfort in that moment, a warmth she had once longed for as a child but had never received from her parents.

It was a long while before she spoke in a low voice, “I’m a little monster… I’m afraid if I have a baby, it will also be a little monster.”

It was the first time she admitted fear before him.

She had never feared anyone, nor anything, not battles, not bloodshed, not life or death in the midst of plague. Never once had she shown a trace of fear.

Xiao Heng’s heart clenched painfully, and he drew her into his embrace with aching care. “You’re not a little monster, you are my JiaoJiao.”

Gu Jiao said nothing, only leaned quietly against his chest.

She knew that Xiao Heng was not her parents from her past life, and she herself was not them either; they would never treat their child the same way.

Yet there were shadows buried deep in her subconscious that she could not control.

She could bear all the pain the world inflicted upon her, but she did not want her child to grow up wounded and scarred as she had.

“It hurts.” She whispered.

“They didn’t want me.”

“It really hurt.”

……

Duke Estate.

Night had already deepened, yet Duke An could not sleep. He went to Xuanyuan Qi’s courtyard.

Xuanyuan Qi had always gone to bed early, and as expected, the lamp in his room was still lit.

Duke An wheeled himself inside.

“Aren’t you able to walk now?” Xuanyuan Qi opened the door and pushed him inside.

Duke An smiled. “Not for long distances.”

“Did you come to see me for something?” Xuanyuan Qi pushed the wheelchair to the Eight Immortals table, then sat across from him.

Duke An said bluntly, “You seem to know JiaoJiao quite well.”

“We fought a war together.” Xuanyuan Qi replied.

Duke An recalled how Gu Jiao and Xuanyuan Qi had dealt with Gongsun Yu and the Jin army in Ghost Mountain and Pucheng. He nodded. “Is that so? But I feel your understanding of her goes beyond that.”

Xuanyuan Qi did not respond to his words. Instead, he asked seriously, “How come you speak so well now?”

Duke An had fallen from his horse and spent three years in a vegetative state, far worse than Xuanyuan Qi’s condition.

Duke An smiled. “Because I’m smart.”

Xuanyuan Qi’s face darkened. He walked to the door. “Goodbye.”

References

Raz P.'s Thoughts

To read advance GSPW chapters! Updates 7x a week (daily).

You can read up to 45 advance chapters in our patreon so you should go check it out. ^^

No patreon but want to support us? Then,

OR if you can't support us in money, you can always support us emotionally -just hope into . Hehehe~

--------------------------------------------

PLEASE CHECK OUT OUR NEW PROJECT:

Description:

In the suspenseful supernatural novel “Records of Mortals,” Jiang Baiyan, once a solitary and impoverished youth, finds refuge in the Shi family of Chang’an due to his extraordinary bloodline. With his clear and captivating peach blossom eyes, this seemingly innocent young man conceals a fanatical and malevolent lunatic within. Destined to succumb to darkness amidst hardship and degradation, he becomes a harbinger of chaos.

When Shi Dai suddenly transmigrates, she takes on the role of the Shi family’s young lady, the one who subjects him to countless trials, eventually leading to her demise.

The twist? She never got to finish reading the novel.

From what she knew of the plot, Jiang Baiyan was just a silent, timid, and often bullied pitiable character.

***

Jiang Baiyan had never encountered someone like Shi Dai.

After he had slaughtered all the evil creatures in the garden, the blood-stained young man, exuding a murderous aura, approached her step by step, his lips curling into a malicious smile, "Scared?"

Shi Dai responded, “You’re really amazing! I applaud you until I spin like a spiral and fly around the moon three hundred times! And also——you have dimples when you smile!"

Jiang Baiyan: ...?

—

After seeing her at a lantern festival with another man, Jiang Baiyan lowered his eyes, his fingers twirling her hair. He said in a mocking and sinister tone, "The mansion in the western suburbs...if I hide you there, no one will find you, right?"

Shi Dai replied, "Does it come with meals and lodging? Can I sleep in everyday? Oh, and your cooking is the best!"

Jiang Baiyan: ...?

—

Jiang Baiyan was supposed to dislike her, even hate her, but as their separation drew near, his eyes turned red and he grabbed her sleeve, pleading, "Don't abandon me, alri—”

Shi Dai responded, "Alright, alright, I’ll only have you. Mwah."

Jiang Baiyan: ...?

He hasn't finished his lines yet though…