Lie to him again

West Street is filled with red-roofed buildings and green-tiled archways. People come and go with thin wallets but hurried steps. The tall pillars along the roadside are tied with thick cowhide ropes. In the daytime, the scenery is quite ordinary.

Only at night, when thousands of lights come on and lanterns of all colors are hung high in a continuous line, they linger and enchanting under the cover of night, where people either drink and sing or indulge in merriment.

The Red Robe Pavilion was not particularly noticeable, but it was made even more radiant by the arrival of this person.

"Girls, Young Master Qi is here! Come out and greet him!"

Inside the pavilion, the red steps, carved from sandalwood in a cross shape and worth a fortune with each step, were still eye-catching. The girls on the second floor swarmed in at the sound, standing in a row, all dressed in their finest attire. Qi Guanlan remained inscrutable, looking at them from the doorway and seeing only ordinary, vulgar women. "You called me in just to see this?"

"No way, please take a seat. I'll go call right away. Perhaps my voice was too soft; some people in the rooms probably couldn't hear me."

Qi Guanlan pulled down his lips and stepped upstairs with an icy expression. The madam was uneasy. This didn't seem like someone seeking pleasure; it seemed more like someone catching someone in adultery. How strange!

With a thud, a red wave rolled across the bed, startling the person on it.

The madam followed behind him, sweating profusely with anxiety. She had kicked down every door in the row of incense rooms on the east side. "Master, no need for you to kick. Whoever you want, I'll bring them to you." Qi Guanlan remained silent, then kicked open another door. "This room isn't available..."

The madam's voice was shut out from outside the door.

"Young Master Qi, you're acting so rudely because you're looking for me?"

The timing was perfect. Wen Ruo was sitting in front of the dressing table inside the room. She easily entered as a gofer. The owner of the room had just left, and the clothes left behind fit her perfectly.

Upon seeing her in bright colors and somewhat disheveled attire, Qi Guanlan's surprise and astonishment were undisguised. Time seemed to freeze at that moment, and his heart was filled with inexplicable turmoil. He asked in a hoarse voice, "Why didn't you come to redeem the shop?"

Wen Ruo pinched her pinky finger and drew her eyebrows perfunctorily, saying, "After thinking about it, making money is not easy, and I don't have the skills, so I've changed my mind!"

"Didn't I say I'd protect you?"

"Thank you for your kindness, Young Master Qi, but I really have no choice. Please go back, Young Master, and let's not see each other again."

Qi Guanlan, his anger boiling over, snapped, "Just because you say so, does that mean I have to listen?"

"You won't listen?" Wen Ruo raised an eyebrow, stood up gracefully, and walked towards him step by step. Her fingers touched her collar, revealing a hint of red beneath her clothes. Her eyes were alluring as she said, "Young Master Qi, are you going to stay and join me in this erotic adventure?"

Qi Guanlan unconsciously stepped back. Wen Ruo stopped, straightened her clothes, and said in an even colder tone, "Does Young Master Qi want me to enter the manor? Or is it to see me in such a disheveled state?"

You're just unwilling to accept it!

You are in the heavens, able to reach out and pluck the stars, while I am in the mud, utterly powerless. What need is there for us to meet again! Is this how you repay the humiliation that Young Master Qi suffered?

On the quiet, wide street, there was only one person and one horse. It was a territory designated by princes and nobles, and few people dared to easily trespass. Qi Guanlan spurred his horse and whipped it, his ears and mind filled with noise, and the sounds of Xi You came from all directions.

He frowned, jerked the reins, and tried to banish Xi You's voice and words from his mind until the sound of hooves and wind reached his ears, only then was he satisfied.

"A mere woman, there are plenty of them on the street, why should I bother with her?" Qi Guanlan threw down his whip, dismounted nimbly, and the two stone lions in front of the heavy vermilion gate were polished to a shine by the servants. He only breathed a sigh of relief when he heard a neighing sound. Thank goodness, he wouldn't be punished.

As he stepped through the door, servants along the way either bowed their heads or turned away when they saw him. The menacing mythical beasts on the roof ridge were obscured by the dark clouds. In the main hall, Princess Rongjing sat upright, staring expressionlessly at the whip in her hand.

"Mother!" Qi Guanlan cried out, then her whole body began to ache. She had indeed been reckless today; her mother's whip was no joke.

"What are you complaining about? Was it harassing a woman the other day, robbing someone's shop, getting splashed with water at an inn, or having a secret rendezvous with a woman by the pavilion today?"

Princess Rongjing recounted the details, and before she could hold back, she lashed out with her whip. "Going to brothels again? You've only been behaving yourself for a few days. Now that the engagement is over, you dare to be so presumptuous. I think you deserve another beating. You always cause trouble as soon as you go out."

Qi Guanlan turned his head away, the sharp sound of the wind whistling past his ears, a few strands of hair falling with the wind. He lowered his head, "I made a mistake and this is what happened. But I am innocent today. I didn't even drink any wine. Mother, you can tell just by smelling it."

"Innocence? Everyone on the street knows that, and now you're covered in the smell of rouge. You still dare to say you're innocent?" Princess Rongjing's newly acquired hairpin, with its red jade and pearls bouncing under the tassels, swayed back and forth, clearly showing that its owner was quite angry. "Why didn't you say you liked Cao Xi before the engagement was broken off?"

"Mother, I don't like Cao Xi."

"Then why are you chasing after a woman who looks like Cao Xi? Do you know what people are saying behind her back?" Mentioning Xi You, Qi Guanlan immediately shrugged his shoulders and raised his hand helplessly to swear: "I don't like Cao Xi. May I be struck by lightning if I'm lying, okay?"

Rong Jing's breathing stabilized slightly. She picked up her teacup, took a small sip, and said, "I've found you a good family. Get married as soon as possible and let me have some peace and quiet."

I will not get married.

Wen Ruo changed her clothes and pretended to be a shop assistant, slipping out through the back gate. On her way home, she encountered the distraught Yu Niang again. She forced an ugly smile and sobbed, "Thank you for your help."

"He doesn't acknowledge you?"

Yu Niang gave a wry smile, her silence tacitly agreeing. Wen Ruo pulled her to sit in a teahouse by the shore and asked curiously, "How did you two meet?"

“I met him in early spring on the outskirts of the hunting grounds. He was injured and forgot his name. He lay in bed for two months. We fell in love and secretly married. My parents were so angry that they abandoned me. Later, life was hard. When his leg healed, he said he was going out to earn money. He said there were military camps recruiting people outside, and he wanted to make a name for himself. He said he would accompany me to apologize to my parents when he came back. He left me a jade thumb ring and told me to wait for him. A few days ago, my father fell ill and was missing a medicine. I came to the city and recognized him at the city gate. Only then did I realize that he had lied to me.”

Wen Ruo was speechless. What? He hit his head while hunting and forgot his own name and the laws of the world? In just two months, he could be engaged to someone else, enjoying romantic moments under the moon and flowers, and even talking about joining the army to support his family. It was obvious that he was blinded by lust and didn't want to take responsibility.

"He doesn't even want the child?"

Yu Niang shook her head. "I'm not pregnant. I'm sorry."

Wen Ruo choked up. Not having to have an abortion was a good thing. She had blamed her for not listening before, but it turned out that she had been naive again. She lowered her head and began to reflect. Was she really that easy to fool?

As the surrounding guests left, the cold wind, now unshielded, swirled and brushed past her ears, making her shiver. She quickly grabbed her hot tea and thought to herself, "You two are both quite good at lying."

Yu Niang lowered her head, her face flushed red from her ears to her collarbone, and refused to look at her.

Wen Ruo: "So what are you going to do now?"

“I want to wait a few days; he has his own difficulties.” After sighing, Yu Niang said sincerely, “Thank you. I feel much better now that you’ve said it. I’ll stay for a few days. You can contact me if you need anything. I want to repay this favor.”

Why are they still so stubborn? It's one thing to ignore the difference in social status, but they seem to have forgotten how fickle men are. Wen Ruo didn't know what to say. These kinds of people won't give up until they're driven to the edge; you can't wake them up by scolding. She's seen too many like this.

After finishing their conversation, the two parted ways. Wen Ruo received the letter and immediately went home. Recently, a new scholar had come to visit. He was picked up by Shi Liu Niang on the road. He was witty and charming, without the pedantry of other scholars. Occasionally, he would come to her house and teach her to read and write.

The next day, before she even left the house, her good friend, Aunt Shiliu, came to visit. As soon as she arrived, she took her hand. Aunt Juan had a beautiful voice; she spoke softly and quickly, like a gentle stream.

"I have a young man here, tall and handsome, who is a perfect match for you. Go and wash your face."

Wen Ruo was pushed to the well with a helpless expression. She was so lucky that such a man ended up in her hands, a mere errand girl. "Mother, didn't you have your eye on the scholar?"

Don't think she didn't know; her mother found out everything about the person when she delivered the food.

“He’s currently staying at the temple and doesn’t have any property. It would be difficult for you to marry him. Your Aunt Juan has saved the best one for you. She’s personally inspected him. He’s only eighteen. Although he’s a manager, he’s a free man and has money. He’s a good match for you. This time it’s at the Tianqing Teahouse.”

"Is it really that good?" Wen Ruo washed her face, somewhat skeptical. "Then why do I need to find a wife? Is there some hidden illness? Aunt Juan, don't try to fool me with my mother."

"Little girl, you're so thoughtful." Aunt Juan quickly tied her hair into a bun, then took out a box of face powder and smeared it on her face. She also shaped her eyebrows and touched up her lip color. Then she looked at her work with a smug look on her face. "So beautiful. I knew you two were a match made in heaven."

"Don't be so careless in the future, don't be afraid of ruining your face with cheap face powder." Wen Ruo smiled awkwardly, she naturally knew what she was doing, then turned to the door, and Shi Liu Niang nodded in satisfaction.

The skirt was already folded on the stool. "Go change into it. Be careful when you drink tea at Tianqing Tea House. If Aunt Juan comes back and says you deliberately made yourself look ugly, I'll break your legs."

Wen Ruo put on her hairpin and rode in Aunt Juan's sedan chair, swaying all the way to the teahouse. As soon as she entered, she found that the teahouse was a hidden world inside. The waiters carrying tea trays walked slowly and quietly.

Entering the innermost room, Aunt Juan gave her name and pushed open the door. Through the screen, she smelled a mellow and elegant aroma of tea—green tea! She then realized that she had forgotten to ask for her name after listening to her conversation.

After they went around the screen and their eyes met, Wen Ruo's pupils suddenly contracted, and she hurriedly curtsied. It was Yang Shen!

Aunt Juan introduced at the right moment: "Young Master Yang, this is Miss Wen Ruo. She is seventeen years old, cheerful and generous, and quick-witted, which is exactly what you are looking for. You two chat for a while. I'm a little thirsty and will be right back."

Wen Ruo sat to the side, seemingly too shy to look up, but in reality, she hadn't quite come to her senses yet.

The story differed greatly from what the matchmaker had told him. Yang Shen frowned. "Miss Wen, what do you usually like to do? If I get married, I will inevitably run into the host family during holidays. I wonder what you think about that?"

Wen Ruo looked up and then at the steward of the Yang family. She was amazed. She wondered how he had been cultivated. He was even more noble than Yang Cong. His innate coldness could freeze a person to death. "It's very good. Young Master Yang is an outstanding talent. Why has it been delayed until now? Is there some trouble? May I tell you the truth?"

Yang Shen glanced at her again, his eyes softening slightly. "To be honest, I'm ashamed to say that I've been too busy with life and have passed the marriageable age. Also, I'm bothered by some things, and my family has been urging me to get married. I need a woman who is decisive and can manage the household."

Another person who doesn't care about social status. Wen Ruo nodded, "I see. If I decline on your behalf, will you really not regret it?"

Yang Shen understood immediately. He picked up a cup of tea, walked up to her, bent down slightly, and handed it to her, saying, "Thank you for your trouble."

Wen Ruo took the teacup, smelled it, and suddenly looked up to ask, "What do you think of me?"

Yang Shen covered his mouth with his fist and coughed. "It's fine." He really didn't talk much. It was really hard for him to deal with a playboy like Yang Cong. Wen Ruo nodded, took a sip, and found it bitter with a sweet aftertaste. It was good tea.

"What kind of person is that young lady?"

“She’s charmingly naive and stubborn, and doesn’t understand rejection,” Yang Shen said, his brows furrowing again. He sighed, “She’s very difficult to deal with.”

Are all the young ladies and gentlemen of the Yang family like this? Wen Ruo put down her teacup meaningfully, rested her chin on her hand, and looked at him for a long time until his face turned slightly red before she suddenly spoke, "I suddenly want to eat some pastries from the Meng family in the east of the street. I wonder if you would be willing to accompany me?"

Yang Shen nodded, told the matchmaker, and Aunt Juan stood at the door knowingly. The two left side by side, their backs looking quite well-matched. She clapped her hands, her slightly sunken eyes full of joy, "Old sister, this is going to be a success!"