Chapter 17 A Secret Rendezvous with Our He Family's Son-in-Law

"What's wrong with A-Feng?" Yuan Zheng frowned at him. "Hurry up and drink. After this meal, I have to go to school again. I don't know how long it will take!"

"Hey Yuan Zheng, how many years have you been taking the exam? Still taking it?"

Yuan Zheng downed a large bowl of soup and snorted, "Take the exam! Of course I'll take it! I'm going to be a high-ranking official someday!"

The others burst into laughter and teased him.

Gu Feng looked the person in front of him up and down, who was bent over from the sting of his gaze, and coldly shouted: "Turn around!"

"..."

"Ah Feng, why did you make her turn around?" Wei Lai chuckled. "Don't you know she's the most famous ugly woman in our Furong Town? What's so interesting about her? You might be so scared you can't sleep at night..."

"Shut up." Gu Feng chuckled, examining her face hidden by her falling hair. He toyed with the wine bottle in his hand and said with amusement, "I've always been bold since I was a child. I've never seen anything that can scare me. I'd like to see just how ugly this ugly woman can be!"

Having said that, he ignored her struggles and screams and tried to snatch the mask from her face.

But Gu Feng was just a spoiled brat after all. He was not only weak but also exhausted. How could he compare to Fang Linchun, who had done a lot of hard work?

After several attempts to grab it failed, and with his brothers' mocking laughter around him, Gu Feng got angry and slapped her across the face, yelling at the onlookers, "What are you looking at! Come and help me!"

"Help! Help!" Fang Linchun shouted, but was met with their ridicule and belittling. "That's such an awful way to yell!"

"Ah Feng, stop looking! Your voice is so awful, I don't know how ugly you are. I'm afraid I won't be able to sleep!" Gou Ting spat out, disgusted.

Chen Quanhai chuckled, his interest piqued: "I'm curious, you guys come and hold her down!"

Gou Ting and Chen Quanhai held down her hands, while Wei Lai and Yuan Zheng held down her feet, preventing her from moving.

"Help! Help!"

"Stop yelling, no one will come to save you even if you scream your lungs out!"

"No..." Fang Linchun struggled, shaking his head, unwilling to let his mask be removed. "I beg you, please don't take it off, okay? I can give you all my money..."

"Tsk, too much talk." Gu Feng impatiently grabbed her hair, and when he saw the exposed half of her face, a hint of amazement flashed in his eyes. If one could ignore the other side, "So you're actually quite good-looking without any injuries!"

Fang Linchun couldn't stop crying; the left side of his face, where he had been slapped, stung with pain.

Gu Feng pressed her head down with one hand while removing her mask.

"Tsk..." Gu Feng glanced at it once and then quickly turned his head away, unwilling to look at it again.

"Wow, it looks really disgusting..." Chen Quanhai frowned, glanced at it, and then looked away, finding that he couldn't get that image out of his mind no matter what he did.

Gou Ting didn't dare to look at him at all, and after letting go of his hand, he downed a glass of wine.

Taking advantage of their momentary lapse in concentration, Fang Linchun broke free of his restraints and attempted to snatch the mask back from Gu Feng.

"Smack!" Gu Feng threw the mask far away and yelled, "Crawl over here and I'll let you wear it."

"..."

Fang Linchun stood there frozen, as if every bone in his body had been broken. His hands and feet trembled, his heart felt like it had fallen into an ice cave, and his whole body was filled with coldness.

"Are you going to climb or not!"

Seeing her dawdling, Gu Feng gave her a hard push.

"..."

Fang Linchun was about to make a move when he was stopped by a cold, stern male voice.

What are you doing!?

A handsome man in a faded blue shirt stood not far away, holding a book, his brows furrowed and eyes narrowed.

"Hey, where did this clueless brat come from? Trying to pull off that hero-saves-the-damsel-in-distress move from those old plays?" Chen Quanhai sneered.

The room erupted in laughter, mocking him for being a weak scholar, powerless and yet daring to imitate the characters in operas who draw their swords to help those in need.

The scholar in the blue robe was not angry, but shouted, "Release that girl immediately, or I will go to the yamen to report you for abusing a respectable woman!"

"Tch, you think you can take me? Do you even know who we are?" Gou Ting stood up and said sternly, "And who are you, you wild brat?!"

The scholar said coldly, "I don't care who you are, as long as you release that girl, apologize to her, and win her forgiveness."

"Ha, what you're saying is the most ridiculous thing I've heard all year!" Gou Ting was about to roll up his sleeves and beat up this ignorant scholar when Yuan Zheng stopped him.

"Yuan Zheng, what are you doing?"

"Don't hit him, I think I know him." Yuan Zheng sized up the handsome man not far away in the dim moonlight.

"May I have your name?"

"My surname is Tang, and my given name is Peiqian."

"..." Yuan Zheng suddenly slapped his forehead, "You're the scholar who got first place in the county-level imperial examination this year?"

"Exactly."

Yuan Zheng stepped forward a few steps: "It really is you!"

"I am a fellow examinee in the same examination room as you! I have read your essay; could you answer a few questions for me?"

The scholar didn't answer, but instead looked at Gu Feng, who was holding Fang Linchun, and said, "It's possible, but I want you to release this girl..."

"No problem, no problem!" Yuan Zheng readily agreed.

He scurried up to Gu Feng, grinning, and said, "Ah Feng, could you do me a favor?"

"Seriously, Yuan Zheng, have you gone mad from all your studying?" Wei Lai frowned and scolded him. "I know you love reading, but you don't have to be so blind to your own interests, do you? Why are you siding with outsiders like this?"

Yuan Zheng ignored him and stared straight at Gu Feng.

Gu Feng was taken aback when he heard Tang Peiqian mention his name. He remembered that his uncle intended to win over this scholar by marrying Hui'er to him.

When he thought of this, he couldn't help but look at the scholar. He was handsome and upright, and he was a good match for his cousin.

Gu Feng scoffed, losing all interest in drinking: "Let's go, let's go back to sleep!"

Gou Ting and Chen Quanhai, who were his constant followers, immediately chased after him upon hearing this. Wei Lai glanced at Yuan Zheng but said nothing more and left as well.

Tang Peiqian stepped forward and cupped his hands, saying, "Thank you for your help, Young Master Yuan. If you have any doubts, you can come to the tile-roofed house at the end of Wuxing Lane to find me. It's not far from Cat Lane."

"Hey, thank you so much, Master Tang." Yuan Zhengxing walked away excitedly, catching up with Gu Feng and his group who had left.

Fang Linchun huddled in the corner, lowering his head to minimize his presence.

A faint scent of ink wafted in, and a worn-out cloth robe stopped not far beside her.

"..."

"girl?"

A pair of clean, white hands, covered in calluses and frostbite scars, held her mask and offered it to her.

"Don't be afraid, young lady, they've all left."

"..." Fang Linchun trembled and shrank back when he heard his gentle voice.

"I've left the mask here." Knowing she was afraid, Tang Peiqian placed the mask at her feet and left on his own.

"Thank you..."

I wonder if he heard her whispered thanks, barely audible.

From that time on, every time Fang Linchun got up early to open his stall, he would see Tang Peiqian passing by, carrying books and walking hurriedly, as if he were rushing to school.

It's amazing. She had never paid attention to it before, but now she has figured out his daily routine.

She hoped in her heart that one day he would remember the thanks she hadn't yet expressed, and she wanted to thank him in person.

That night, Tang Peiqian hurried back under the stars and moon.

Fang Linchun's heart pounded wildly, his hands and feet trembled uncontrollably, and he felt parched and restless at the thought of what he was about to say.

She absentmindedly packed her things, eagerly waiting, until finally the person she was waiting for arrived.

"Young Master Tang!"

Tang Peiqian stopped and asked in confusion, "Did you need something from me, young lady?"

Fang Linchun was at a loss, her eyes darting around, and she didn't dare to look up at him or speak to him: "Um, I wanted to thank you..."

Tang Peiqian was also quite impressed with her; she was a very strong and hardworking girl. He smiled and said, "It's just a small favor, don't worry about it. Anyone who sees it will lend a helping hand."

No! They're not the same!

Fang Linchun really wanted to tell him that it wasn't like that; apart from Mudan, no one else would stand up for her like he would.

However, she was always insecure about her voice and dared not say much to him.

"If there's nothing else, Miss, I'll take my leave now." Tang Peiqian walked back a few steps and reminded her, "Miss, please don't close your door so late in the future. This place is a mixed bag, with many bad people, and you're likely to be bullied."

"...Yes, thank you."

There was nothing she could do but thank him.

Tang Peiqian left, and Fang Linchun, clutching her wildly beating heart, couldn't help but smile.

From then on, he would greet her every day he passed by. Fang Linchun went from being flattered to overjoyed, and began to look forward to when he would pass by and what tone he would use to call out "Miss Fang"...

Even when the peony spoke to her, she could sense that the peony was lost in thought.

What are you thinking about?

"Huh? It's nothing..."

Peony, preoccupied and oblivious to her expression, continued, "I might not be able to leave for a while. Remember to let me know if anything happens..."

"Why?"

"Children shouldn't meddle in adult matters..." Peony didn't want to talk about those things, so she just brushed it off. "Anyway, after this period of time, we can go to the places we want to go together."

"Um……"

Fang Linchun also failed to notice the preoccupied Peony.

Days passed by.

Perhaps it's because people are in high spirits when they have good news, that even the wine shop's business is booming.

When someone does well, others become envious.

"Hey! Bring us some good wine!"

The same sound as that night.

Fang Linchun was jolted by the shock and mustered the courage to refuse.

A gleaming blade was pressed against her neck, so cold it made her hair stand on end and her heart leap into her throat.

"What...what do you want to do?"

"Of course I want your wine!"

Gu Feng led the group of people to stand in the wine shop and look around. Their movements were rough, and they knocked over a lot of things, but Fang Linchun couldn't spare any extra thoughts of heartache.

"I can give you any of these wines you want..."

“You said it yourself,” Gu Feng said with a smile, but before Fang Linchun could breathe a sigh of relief, he added, “But this isn’t enough.”

"..." Fang Linchun must have offended him somehow again. "What do you want?"

"Your brewing recipe."

Yuan Zheng got straight to the point.

"No!" Fang Linchun was willing to give anything, but this prescription was absolutely out of the question; it was the last thing her parents left her.

"Oh ho, you've grown wings, huh? You really think we won't dare to hit you just because someone's backing you up?" Wei Lai grabbed her and said fiercely.

What do you mean?

"Still pretending to be stupid?"

"You shameless ugly woman, how dare you seduce Ah Feng's future cousin-in-law! You have some nerve!"

"I didn't! I don't know his cousin's husband!"

"Still playing dumb!"

"Ah!" Fang Linchun tilted his head and denied it, "I really don't know him!"

Chen Quanhai said coldly, "Then why did you have a secret rendezvous with Tang Peiqian in the middle of the night?"

"Wh-what?" Fang Linchun was stunned upon hearing this.

Gu Feng grabbed her neck, forcing her to look at him, and said coldly, "Tang Peiqian is already engaged to my cousin and will be getting married soon. It's all over the place. Don't you know?"

"I never expected you to be not only ugly, but also so audacious! You dared to seduce the son-in-law of the He family!"

A note from the author:

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