Chapter 142 Perform well tonight

The uncle frowned, clutched his chest, and sat down blankly, muttering to himself, "Oh no! They haven't consummated their marriage after all these days, which means they're not interested in Yuanzhen at all."

Ji Yunliu was also shocked to hear this, while Yuan Zhen had already turned away awkwardly.

Seeing this, Uncle Huixian quickly said, "Sixth Brother, you go out first. We're going to talk about some things that are important for men. It's not convenient for you to listen."

Ji Yunliu hesitated for a moment, "Well... the important matter I mentioned is also related to Yuanzhen. It concerns his lifelong happiness, so no matter how embarrassed he is, he has to listen."

Ji Yunliu turned and closed the door, then confirmed again, "The Alliance Leader really didn't consummate the marriage with you."

Yuan Zhen nodded. "No, but she's very good to me, we just haven't consummated our marriage. Is it really that serious?"

The uncle interrupted, "Of course it's serious! Don't believe me? Ask Sixth Brother. You're a perfectly innocent, handsome young man lying right next to her. What normal woman could stand it unless..."

Ji Yunliu said, "Unless she has someone else in her heart."

Yuan Zhen was startled. "I...I never thought that way. I always thought she was just too nervous and scared in front of me, so..."

Yuan Zhen's already wavering confidence trembled even more, and he began to mutter to himself, "Maybe Second Uncle is right. What wife can tolerate her husband openly liking another woman? She knows I liked Lu Jinlan, but in the end, she still dislikes me."

Yuan Zhen lowered his eyes, a faint layer of tears welling up in them.

Ji Yunliu hurriedly said, "This has nothing to do with Lu Jinlan, don't misunderstand. You should... you should think about it, maybe she has other things to do."

The uncle, with his keen senses, noticed something amiss. "Sixth Brother, do you know something?"

Ji Yunliu pursed her lips. "Yuanzhen, your senior sister has some bad news for you. You must hang in there!"

Yuan Zhen gave a bitter smile. "The situation is already like this, could it get any worse? Tell me all the bad news. As long as she doesn't want to divorce me, I can handle anything."

Ji Yunliu swallowed hard. "It's hard to say, but she definitely has someone else in her heart. Marrying you might just be a stopgap measure to become the leader of the alliance. The fact that she married you but didn't consummate the marriage means she probably never intended to have you."

Yuan Zhen said in a daze, "What kind of person is she in her heart who could make her like this? Does having someone else mean she can't have me? Is that man more handsome or more virtuous than me? I can't compare to him in any way."

Ji Yunliu: "That's not fair. I think that man isn't as good-looking as you."

Upon hearing this, the three men simultaneously looked at her in shock. "You saw it?"

Ji Yunliu nodded, "Yes, I saw it, I saw it clearly. Today when we went down the mountain on business, I saw the Alliance Leader and a handsome man dressed in rich clothes embracing each other tightly in a secluded alley, kissing passionately."

Ji Yunliu sighed at this point, "I shouldn't have said this, after all, it's the Alliance Leader's private matter, and as his subordinate, I shouldn't have said it."

“But Yuanzhen, we grew up together, you’re practically my younger brother. If something happens to you, I can’t just stand by and do nothing. But ultimately, this is a matter between you and your husband, and I can’t help much. I can only give you this message, so you’d better think of something quickly. Otherwise, your wife might be taken away by another man.”

"What can I do?" Yuan Zhen felt as if she had fallen to the bottom of an abyss. Her dark eyes blinked, and two clear tears rolled down her cheeks.

"If I really had a way, I wouldn't have been foolish enough to wait until now, without even realizing she had someone else in her heart. If she's determined not to have me, what can a man like me do to her?"

Uncle said anxiously, "You can't just accept your fate! You're so young, what will you do if you get divorced? Even if you're a virgin, you've still been married before. If you want to remarry, it will be difficult."

Yuanzhen cried, “If she divorces me, I will become a nun. I will spend my life eating vegetarian food and chanting Buddhist scriptures, and I will never marry again.”

The uncle quickly said, "Don't say such discouraging things. The leader hasn't said he'd divorce you yet. Since it hasn't been explicitly stated, there's still room for maneuver. Don't cry. One person's plan is limited, but three people's plans are long. Let's think of a solution together."

After a moment of contemplation, the uncle asked Ji Yunliu, "What did that man look like?"

Ji Yunliu thought for a moment, "Besides his outstanding appearance, there's nothing special about him. However, he seems... quite good at seducing people. He wouldn't let go of the Alliance Leader, and kept sticking to her body. Anyway... he has some tricks for flirting with women."

The uncle gritted his teeth angrily, "You shameless woman, seducing someone else's wife. Yuanzhen, don't be discouraged. We're all the same, if he seduces someone, you seduc someone too. With your looks, you're not afraid of losing to him!"

Yuan Zhen wiped away her tears. "How do I hook it? I don't know how."

The uncle looked at Ji Yunliu, who asked in surprise, "Why are you looking at me?"

Her uncle asked her, "What do you think is the most alluring thing a man can do?"

Ji Yunliu scratched his head, looking troubled, and said, "No man has ever tried to seduce me! But I think if a man cooks me a big feast, he's definitely trying to seduce me."

Her uncle rolled his eyes at her. "Is she seducing men or tempting gluttons? You're not the leader of the alliance. All you do is eat all day long. Yuanzhen, don't listen to her."

Ji Yunliu was unconvinced, "Uncle, if you think I'm wrong, why don't you teach him a few moves?"

My uncle blushed. "I've been a widow for so many years, what can I do? Ask your second uncle."

Everyone looked at their second uncle; Yuanzhen's hopes were all pinned on him.

Uncle Huixian touched his still-handsome face. "My wife and I have been married for over thirty years. We may not be the most loving couple, but we are at least a harmonious and respectful husband and wife. As for the secret, of course there is one. But with Sixth Brother here, I can't say."

Ji Yunliu rolled her eyes. "You guys chat, I'm leaving first."

As soon as Ji Yunliu left, Second Uncle went home to get a bundle and brought it over furtively.

He whispered to Yuanzhen, "I bought this a few days ago, intending to wear it myself. But your aunt went out, so I haven't had a chance to wear it. I'll sell it to you for two taels of silver. Your second uncle is well-maintained, and we're about the same size, so you'll definitely be able to wear it."

Yuan Zhen held the light, thin gauze nightgown, somewhat doubtful, "Two taels of silver is so expensive, is this even useful?"

"Tsk!" Uncle said, somewhat displeased. "I bought this for a tael of silver; it's not cheap. It looks like a simple gauze dress, but you'll know its wonders once you put it on. Look at the waist and abdomen area; can't you see a few faint lines?"

Yuan Zhen took a closer look and said, "It does seem so. We should wash it."

The uncle hurriedly said, "Yes, go wash it quickly, so you can wear it tonight."

Uncle glared at them disdainfully, "Why are you washing it? You really don't know anything about quality. This is a mark that was deliberately made by spinning dark yarn."

He held it up to Yuan Zhen's body, saying, "This nightgown really shows off your figure. Look, here are your abs, here are your V-lines. What woman wouldn't take a second look at it and then make a move?"

Yuan Zhen said embarrassedly, "But this is too see-through. It's like I'm not wearing anything at all. Won't she think I'm too promiscuous?"

Before the second uncle could speak, the uncle advised, "At a time like this, you're still hesitant and preoccupied with these things? Haven't you heard the three standards of a good man? He should act like a gentleman in public, a dutiful husband at home, and a libertine in bed. With you being so indecisive, how can you blame her for finding other men outside?"

"Exactly, exactly!" Second Uncle chimed in. "What woman doesn't want her man to be both handsome and capable?"

"In public, a woman should be presentable, well-educated, reasonable, virtuous, and gentle."

"At home, he can do everything—laundry, cooking, taking care of his wife and raising their daughters, managing all the household chores meticulously so that women can focus on their work outside with peace of mind."

"The most important thing is to be charming and romantic when serving your wife in bed, otherwise you can't blame women for always running away outside."

"Think about it, your wife is successful in her career, beautiful and talented, and rich. Plenty of young men are throwing themselves at her; what woman could resist those temptations?"

"You're like a block of wood all day long, ruining everyone's appetite. If you can't even feed your wife at home, how can you blame her for cheating on you?"

Yuanzhen was silenced by his second uncle's words.

His second uncle shoved the nightgown into his hands. "Don't underestimate this nightgown. I've heard that the husbands of wealthy families in the city all wear this kind. Even the palace servants buy these things to please the emperor. Listen to your second uncle, wear this tonight."

Yuan Zhen gritted his teeth and nodded forcefully.

The uncle then instructed, "Remember to whisper sweet nothings in her ear again. When she's happiest, lie to her and say you want to be with her forever. Make her swear that she won't abandon you. The leader is a woman of her word; once she agrees, she definitely won't divorce you again."

Yuan Zhen said, "I originally wanted to be with her for the rest of my life, I'm not lying to her."

The uncle sighed helplessly, "Alright, alright, if you can speak from the heart, the effect will be even better. We're leaving now. Prepare well and do your best tonight."

Yuan Zhen held the sexy nightgown and sighed with mixed feelings.

*

After returning from the foot of the mountain, Lu Jinlan held another meeting with the heads of the household.

During the meeting, Lu Jinlan first listened to the various work reports and highly praised the achievements of the leaders in their work. He then engaged in in-depth discussions on the key issues mentioned in the reports.

Lu Jinlan clearly pointed out that the alliance is at a crucial juncture in its negotiations with the government. It requires all members of the alliance to steadfastly implement all directives and advance the important historical process of legitimizing the alliance.

Finally, Xu Lin delivered a concluding speech: "Under the leadership of the Alliance Leader, the legalization of the Alliance has made initial progress. We must unite closely around the Alliance Leader, implement all relevant directives, and diligently advance all tasks to strive for the happiness of everyone in the Alliance."

The meeting concluded successfully, and it was already dark.

Yuan Zhen prepared a table full of dishes and waited and waited until Lu Jinlan finally returned.

Yuan Zhen dressed himself up carefully, feeling like he was a dish on the table, striving to be a feast for the eyes, nose, and palate, so that others could appreciate him.

Unfortunately, the first thing the wife said was, "I'm not hungry."

Yuan Zhen's heart skipped a beat when she heard "I'm not hungry."

Lu Jinlan said, "I already ate during the meeting. You can eat. I'm a little tired today, so I'm going to sleep first."

Even if she were to offer something that looked, smelled, and tasted delicious, she might not be willing to deign to taste it. My senior sister's plan was completely useless.

Yuan Zhen took the clothes from her in a daze, his prepared lines all jumbled up, and he was speechless for a moment.

He stood there in thought for a while, then closed the doors and windows and took off his outer robe.

Lu Jinlan was lying on the bed, and just as she closed her eyes, she suddenly heard Yuan Zhen softly call out, "My wife."

Lu Jinlan opened her eyes a crack and glanced at him. "Hmm, what's wrong?"

Yuan Zhen was fine; he just wanted her to look at him, but she only glanced at him before turning away. Yuan Zhen's heart sank to the bottom, utterly chilled.

He tried to remain calm and said in a low voice, "It's nothing, it's just... I just bought a new dress as a reward. It's very expensive, costing two taels of silver. I wanted you to see if it was worth it."

Lu Jinlan vaguely heard that it was about money and clothes, so she closed her eyes and said, "It's worth it, buy it. I have some silver notes in my purse, you can use them."

The room was quiet for a while, then the sound of sobbing came from inside. Lu Jinlan opened her eyes and saw Yuan Zhen sitting on the edge of the bed, tears streaming down her face.

Lu Jinlan sat up in surprise. "Oh my little darling, I didn't do anything to you. What's wrong? Who bullied you?"

Yuan Zhen looked at her with a mournful expression and said aggrievedly, "You, you bullied me."