Chapter 48 The spice smells no different from ordinary sandalwood.

Afternoon.

Qian Qiuchan was feeling very bored in her room. Hearing that her younger siblings were playing Cuju (ancient Chinese football) in the garden, she went out for a stroll, wanting to join in the fun.

As she walked along a garden path carved from Taihu stones, dappled light and shadow were cast by the jagged rocks. When she reached the vicinity of a secluded stone cave, a person suddenly jumped out of the cave and blocked her way.

Qian Qiuchan was so frightened that her face turned pale. She thought she had encountered some kind of ghost, but when she looked closely, her heart calmed down a lot.

Qian Peng smiled broadly, his cloudy eyes darting around her, and he made a show of bowing with his sleeves clasped, saying, "Greetings, Third Madam."

When Qian Qiuchan came out, she had just missed the maid from Bodhi Hall who came to her courtyard to announce her arrival. Seeing Qian Peng now, she was both surprised and delighted, and couldn't help but ask, "Brother? What are you doing here?"

Qian Peng smiled without saying a word, his gaze casually glancing at the maid beside her.

Qian Qiuchan immediately understood and turned to the maids, saying, "My uncle and I have some family matters to discuss. Please step back and wait."

The maids obeyed and left.

After the people left, the surroundings became completely empty and quiet.

Qian Peng looked around to make sure no one was there, then suddenly pulled Qian Qiuchan into the shadows of the cave, holding her tightly in his arms and greedily inhaling the fragrance of her hair: "My dear sister! I've missed you so much!"

Everyone knew that the two were siblings, but few knew that Qian Peng was the adopted son of Old Man Qian, who had raised him since childhood and grew up with Qian Qiuchan.

The brother and sister spent every day together, and knowing that they were not related by blood, they developed feelings for each other that went beyond that of siblings. It was precisely because of the discovery of their affair that Old Man Qian sent Qian Qiuchan to his sister's house in an attempt to sever their ill-fated relationship.

At this moment, Qian Peng embraced Qian Qiuchan tightly, as if he had found a treasure. He sniffed her intensely, wishing he could meld her into his bones and become one with her.

Qian Qiuchan turned pale with fright, shoving him forcefully and muttering, "You heartless piece of trash! Be careful someone sees you!"

Ignoring everything else, Qian Peng gave her a loud kiss on the cheek: "Don't worry, little sister. When I came here just now, I saw those rascals playing football in the distance. They were having a blast and won't be coming over here for a while."

Qian Qiuchan was still scared and kept pushing him away with both hands.

Qian Peng pinned her hands behind her back, lifted her chin with the handle of his fan, and deliberately changed the subject. He narrowed his eyes and stared at Qian Qiuchan's face, his tone intriguing and probing: "Have you used the things I gave you? Have you and Xiao San gotten together?"

Qian Qiuchan indeed quieted down, her expression becoming resentful: "Brother, don't even mention it. That bastard Xiao Heng, he won't even touch anything I touch. I can't just pry open his mouth and force it down his throat. Besides, he's so cunning. He doesn't even need to smell it to know what I've put in the soup. I have even less chance."

Qian Peng fell silent, loosened his grip on her arm, and his cloudy eyes darted around as if he were seriously considering a solution.

Qian Qiuchan was extremely anxious and urged him, "Brother, please think of another way for me. Otherwise, it has been four years, and the fact that I have no children is enough for his family to divorce me. If I am divorced, the wealth and glory of our whole family will come to an end!"

Qian Peng patted her back reassuringly, his voice softening even more: "What's the panic? Even if the sky falls, your brother will hold it up."

He lowered his head and kissed Qian Qiuchan's lips gently, saying softly, "I just happened to get a new aphrodisiac fragrance. It smells just like ordinary sandalwood, but it's extremely potent. Add it to the incense that Xiao San uses every day. As for the rest, just watch out."

Qian Qiuchan was skeptical: "Is it really that effective?"

Qian Peng laughed and said, "I can't compare to those young masters in terms of reading and martial arts, but when it comes to the mastery of these strange and ingenious skills, if you claim to be number one, no one dares to claim to be number two."

Qian Qiuchan glared at him, her eyes gleaming, and said reproachfully, "That's all you've got."

Qian Peng felt a chill run down his spine. He bit her lip hard, his voice filled with urgency: "Others may not know how capable I am, but my sister certainly does."

As he spoke, he reached out to unbutton Qian Qiuchan's clothes.

Qian Qiuchan knew he was the kind of person who would take advantage of anyone who gave him a little attention, so she slapped his hand away and said coldly, "Alright, just say what you have to say. What exactly is your purpose in trying to sneak in here?"

Qian Peng shamelessly tried to kiss her again, grinning and trying to please her: "I just missed my little sister."

Qian Qiuchan's eyebrows shot up, and she said coldly, "If you don't tell the truth, I'll call for help right now and see if you can run faster or if the Marquis's sticks can."

Seeing that she was truly angry, Qian Peng reluctantly put away his lewd expression, his face instantly filled with resentment and indignation, as if he had suffered a great injustice, and he gritted his teeth and said, "Isn't it all because of that bastard Xiao Heng?"

He indignantly accused: "A few days ago, my brother just saw a pretty young woman on the street and wanted to take her home as a concubine. Who would have thought that the young woman was so temperamental that she took her own life."

"This matter was originally suppressed, but some damned bastard leaked the news, and Xiao Heng found out. He not only cursed me to death, but also had the Censorate suspend my brother from his post. Now I have lost my official position, and I am inferior to everyone else wherever I go. How can I swallow this humiliation, sister?"

Upon hearing this, Qian Qiuchan showed no sympathy but instead let out a cold sneer, slowly saying, "So you brought this upon yourself. You came to me, but what can I do? Has Xiao Heng ever treated me like a human being? If my words were useful, would I need to resort to such despicable means?"

Qian Peng smiled ingratiatingly: "I thought you had already won him over. My sister's body has so many wonderful qualities. Once that kid has tasted them, how could he bear to part with them? He'll definitely listen to you and obey your every word."

The words were harsh and unpleasant to hear, but Qian Qiuchan found them extremely comforting. It was only at times like these that she could remember that she was also a beautiful and charming young woman, and the joy she couldn't get from Xiao Heng could only be obtained from Qian Peng.

So she half-heartedly agreed, tacitly allowing Qian Peng to untie her skirt and carry her deep into the cave.

After the lovemaking, Qian Qiuchan's face was rosy and her eyes were moist, better than if she had eaten a ginseng tonic. Even the glare she gave Qian Peng was full of charm: "If my father sees this, he'll break your legs again."

Qian Peng, panting and sighing with satisfaction, pulled her into his arms and kissed her hard, saying, "What are you afraid of, little sister? The old man is far away from us. Besides, even if he breaks my legs a hundred times, I still can't bear to part with you."

Qian Qiuchan was extremely satisfied and threw herself into Qian Peng's arms, kissing him like a loving couple.

With her body and mind both rejuvenated, Qian Qiuchan's personality also changed. She spoke sweetly to Qian Peng, "I can't speak for Xiao Heng, but I might be able to plead for you with the old lady. She's a vegetarian and a Buddhist, and she believes that harmony in the family brings prosperity. She thinks it's better to avoid trouble. I can cry a few times to soften her heart and have her act as your intermediary. I'm not afraid that Xiao Heng won't agree."

Qian Peng immediately beamed and pulled Qian Qiuchan into his arms: "My good sister, I knew I hadn't spoiled you for nothing. You've always been resourceful and beautiful. I knew then that you were a golden phoenix born in the wrong chicken coop. As long as I'm with you, I'll never have to worry about making it big in this life."

Qian Qiuchan was flattered by a few words and felt sweeter than honey, but she pushed Qian Peng away and said, "Get out of here right now. I can hear people talking. If we are discovered, we will both die a horrible death."

Qian Peng, of course, saw through her feigned indifference. Instead of loosening his embrace, he tightened it considerably, and they made love a second time.

Afterwards, both of them were exhausted and snuggled together, talking intimately.

Qian Qiuchan complained about Xiao Heng's cold-bloodedness and Qin Shi's shrewdness. None of the elders were easy to deal with. She pitifully had to live by reading people's faces all day long, and she could not rely on anyone. She could only rely on her sweet words and ability to win people over.

Qian Peng lamented the hardships of officialdom. He was just a minor censor, posing no threat to anyone. He only accepted a few bribes, yet he was constantly harassed and made to live in constant fear. Those noble families could easily bring him down with a stomp of their feet.

Just like when they passed by the football field, Qian Peng was considered a senior, but who paid him any attention? It was as if nodding to him was already a sign of deference.

Recalling his recent experience, Qian Peng belatedly reminisced, saying, "Just now I saw a girl standing next to Xiao Wan. She was incredibly beautiful; from a distance, she looked like a fairy descended from heaven."

Qian Qiuchan said, "Then it must be Cui Ying. You must have a death wish to make a move on her!"

Qian Peng immediately retorted, "No, I saw Cui Ying once in the front study. She is beautiful, but she looks like a formidable woman, making it hard for anyone to get close to her. That young lady just now was so demure and gentle; she was truly pitiful and charming."

Qian Qiuchan sneered: "I know who you're talking about. That's Madam's illegitimate niece, named Qin Wan. She just came to visit a few days ago. If you take a fancy to her, I'll ask Madam to let you marry her as your second wife, how about that?"

This was just a joke. Qian Qiuchan knew in her heart that Madam Qin looked down on Qian Peng. Not to mention her own niece, Madam Qin would not agree to marry any of her capable maids.

Qian Peng, however, failed to detect the sarcasm in Qian Qiuchan's tone and seriously considered it. Finally, he shook his head and said, "I appreciate your kindness, sister, but no matter how beautiful you are, it's useless after a while. It would be better to have some practical benefits, such as a noble birth, so that my father and brothers can benefit and solve my urgent problem."

At this point, as if remembering something, he softly asked Qian Qiuchan, "What do you think of what I told you before?"

Qian Qiuchan looked up at him, her sharp nails scratching at his chest: "I advise you to give up on that idea as soon as possible. Madam looks at Xiao Shu more closely than she looks at the eyeballs. She doesn't even look at princes and noblemen. You toad, how dare you covet swan meat?"

Qian Peng laughed and said, "If I am a toad, then my sister is a hen. Even if we are animals, we will be a perfect pair."

Qian Qiuchan spat in his face, the tenderness and affection that followed had faded considerably, and she spoke harshly: "Stop daydreaming. This matter is absolutely not to be mentioned, otherwise, not only you, but I will also be scolded to my face."

Qian Peng grabbed her fingertips, kissed them, lowered his voice, and revealed his cunning in his eyes: "But just as you were able to use tricks to marry Xiao Heng, can't I use some tricks too?"

Qian Qiuchan became wary: "What do you want to do?"

Qian Peng retorted, "Don't you think my sister can guess what I'm planning to do?"

"Since ancient times, the word 'chastity' has been a fatal flaw. If I have the chance to get my hands on her, I'll first force the issue and then not marry Xiao Shu to me—"

Qian Peng sneered, his voice low and menacing: "Their whole family will just have to wait to become the laughingstock of the entire capital."

...

The clear pool water was stirred up and shimmered, reflecting the figures of two girls chasing and playing.

Cui Ying and Xiao Shu had a water fight for half a day, laughing so hard they couldn't stand up straight. Only when their hair was completely soaked did their maid come to stop them, and they finally stopped fighting.

Just then, Cui Ying noticed that Xiao Wan was nowhere to be seen, so she asked Xiao Shu, "Where did Yangyang go? I haven't seen her for most of the day."

Xiao Shu shook her head: "I didn't pay attention either. I only heard that the cat was missing. She must have gone to look for the cat."

As soon as she finished speaking, Xiao Wan came running from the lush path, her steps unsteady, her face pale, and her once bright eyes blank and unfocused.

It seemed as if he had suffered quite a fright.

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Author's Note: The story of Qian Peng has reached the point where it needs to be reported as a work injury. Sister Qian, please eat something better from now on.