IBTSOME Chapter 66 Part 1

I BECAME THE STEPMOTHER OF MY EX-HUSBAND

 

Chapter 66 Part 1: Lantern Festival

 

^^

 

On the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, it was the Lantern Festival.

 

When Gu Cheng Yao walked in from the outside, he happened to see the maids in Jingcheng Courtyard beaming with joy. When they saw that it was Shizi, they all smiled and greeted Gu Cheng Yao: "Shizi, Shizi Consort."

 

Gao Ran also noticed the unusual excitement of these girls. Although they were not allowed to show frustration during the New Year holidays, there was a clear difference between pretending to be happy and really happy. These girls laughed like this, obviously something good had happened.

 

Not only the two maids who opened the door, but the people who served in the main house were all happy. Lin Wei Xi was sitting on the Arhat bed with a look of joy, while Gu Hui Yan, who was sitting on the other side, looked helpless.

 

This was very strange. After Gu Cheng Yao saluted his parents, he asked, "This son seems to be miss something, mother looked very happy today."

 

Lin Wei Xi laughed again when she heard this, but Gu Hui Yan seemed helpless. Seeing that Wangye did not stop her, Wan Xing boldly said: "Today is Wangfei’s birthday, Wangye was just talking about this."

 

Gu Cheng Yao was obviously taken aback: "Today is mother's birthday?"

 

In other words, Lin Wei Xi's birthday also today?

 

Lin Wei Xi was already used to other people surprise, so she explained in a familiar way: "Yes, I was born on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, on the day of Lantern Festival."

 

Gu Cheng Yao also realized that what he had just said was rude. But he asked like that, not because he couldn't remember the birthday, on the contrary, it was because he knew whose birthday it was that he forgot his manners.

 

Gao Xi also celebrated her birthday on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, and even the word "Xi" (bright) in Gao Xi's name was because she was born when the lantern was light up on the Lantern Festival. Ablaze with lights, everyone was being merry, so her grandfather gave her "Xi" name. This was what Gao Xi told him in person. Gu Cheng Yao still remembered Gao Xi complaining that she happened to be born on the Lantern Festival, so it was annoying to explain her birthday and the origin of her name to people every year.

 

Who knew, immediately Lin Wei Xi also said: "When I was born, the sky was still not yet bright, it is just when dawn is breaking, so my father put 'Xi' (dawn) on my name."

TN: the Xi in Gao Xi (高熙) and Lin Wei Xi (林未晞) is homophone, 熙 means bright, while 晞 means dawn.

 

Gu Cheng Yao was almost in a daze, with exactly the same pronunciation and exactly the same sentence pattern. Except for the time of birth, Gu Cheng Yao almost thought that the person in front of her was Gao Xi, and she also had to explain her name to others.

 

Shizi didn't answer for a long time after hearing these words, Wan Xing and Wan Yue glanced at Gu Cheng Yao strangely. Gao Ran also didn't know what was going on with Gu Cheng Yao, how could he be stunned at such time, after all, Lin Wei Xi took the name of a mother, and he didn't reply when he learned of his stepmother's birthday. This was rude. Gao Ran hurriedly remedy it, and quickly took over and said: "Mother was born on the Lantern Festival, and at dawn, this birthday is really good."

 

Lin Wei Xi nodded casually. She listened to similar things every year, even if she was reborn, it didn't change. Now she really didn’t feel anything to compliment like this. Gu Cheng Yao came to his senses, his first reaction was to quietly glance at Gu Hui Yan, and seeing that Gu Hui Yan did not respond, he was relieved without knowing whether it was from being relax or being lucky.

 

Gu Cheng Yao also knew that when looked distracted a while ago it was very disrespectful, but he couldn't explain the reason for it. He could only remedy it another way: "This son don't know that today is mother's birthday. It is really unfilial. Since it’s mother's birthday, then you can’t just take it lightly. I wonder how mother plans to celebrate?"

 

Lin Wei Xi laughed again when she heard this, her eyes flowed with a smile, unbelievably exquisite and dazzling: "It's not a whole birthday (TN: like 10^th, 20^th, etc), there is no need to make a big deal, not to mention that today is the Lantern Festival, just conveniently celebrate it with Lantern Festival celebration."

 

"How can this work?" Gu Cheng Yao frowned, and without thinking he said, "Your birthday is a major event in the family, how can just conveniently celebrate it along with Lantern Festival celebration?" Gu Cheng Yao realized after he finished speaking that his words was inappropriate, so he looked at Gu Hui Yan covertly: "Father, what do you say?"

 

For some reason, Lin Wei Xi suddenly chuckled and laughed. She also turned sideways and looked at Gu Hui Yan with a smile: "Wangye, what do you think?"

 

Gu Hui Yan sighed inaudibly, and said helplessly: "Yes, even if it’s not a whole age, your birthday can't be such a trifling matter. Whether it is the Lantern Festival or not, you should celebrate it separately."

 

Lin Wei Xi couldn't care about the people in the room. She stretched her hand over the small table on the Arhat bed and held Gu Hui Yan's arm: "Wangye, so you promised?"

 

Gu Hui Yan looked back at her: "Do you really want to go?"

 

"Yes."

 

Gu Hui Yan didn't speak, Lin Wei Xi held his arm tightly and refused to let go. Gu Hui Yan even felt that if it weren't for the large number of people in the room and that Gu Cheng Yao and his wife were also there, Lin Wei Xi would have come over and shamelessly acted like spoiled child. Gu Hui Yan finally understood why the ancients said that beauty harmed people, and why the beauty trick was one of The Thirty-Six Stratagems¹. He really shouldn't have promised her that night, and promised that she could do whatever she wanted.

 

Both Gu Cheng Yao and Gao Ran felt strange, what were they talking about? What did Yan Wang promise Lin Wei Xi? The two of them were hesitating, wondering if they should ask, then they saw Gu Hui Yan sighed, and gave Lin Wei Xi a helpless look: "Alright, since you want to go like this."

 

Lin Wei Xi immediately laughed, her eyes full of smiles. Wan Xing and Wan Yue behind her were also pleasantly surprised. Wan Xing desperately gave Lin Wei Xi a meaningful looks. Lin Wei Xi didn't want to pay attention to her, but it was not easy for the womenfolk to go out. Lin Wei Xi in the end didn't make it difficult for these maids. "Wangye, can the maids also go to the street to watch the lantern together?"

 

"Look at the lantern?" Gao Ran didn't care that she was interrupting Yan Wang, she was very surprised. Lin Wei Xi actually asked Yan Wang to take her outside to watch the lanterns? There was no curfew today, so there would be many people on the street, fish and dragon mixed together and most of them were common people. How could the imperial family members go to such a place?

 

Gu Cheng Yao also felt very surprised, no wonder his father looked helpless. He said, if it was an ordinary thing how could his father give in to Lin Wei Xi’s cajoling, he must have agreed early on, but it turned out Lin Wei Xi wanted to go to the street to watch the lanterns.

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1 The Thirty-Six Stratagems, is a Chinese essay used to illustrate a series of stratagems used in politics, war, and civil interaction.^↩

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