Chapter 31 Peeping

Wei Heng caught her breath for a moment, looked at Yinzi who was still kneeling on the ground, and asked coldly, "Where is my brother?"

Yinzi replied in a low voice, "My lord left at noon, I don't know if he has returned yet."

Wei Heng knew that her brother couldn't stay at home; he was probably either drinking somewhere or having fun at a brothel.

He was filled with resentment. He had been in Chongzhou for so long, and instead of helping him much, he was nowhere to be seen all day.

...

At this moment, Wei Ziming was in Chunhua Garden. He was reclining on a small couch, his clothes loose and his behavior unrestrained. Beside him, Manniang, the top courtesan of Chunhua Garden, was feeding him wine.

Her eyes sparkled, exuding a captivating charm that stirred the heart with just the right touch.

However, the man in front of her was not paying attention to her; he was staring blankly at the artificial hills and pavilions outside the window.

His mind had already wandered to Ji Shu.

I recall her jade-like face and the delicate fragrance emanating from her body—a scent unlike any other woman's, one that I could never forget once I smelled it.

"My lord, what's wrong with you today? Why are you ignoring me?" Man Niang nestled softly into his arms, her hand slowly slipping into his chest.

Just as she was about to go down, he pressed her down with one hand, saying impatiently, "Alright, I'm not in the mood for that today."

Seeing that he really had no such intention, Manniang pretended to stop and acted as a confidante, saying, "If you are unhappy, why don't you tell Manniang? Although I am not knowledgeable enough to give any advice, I can be your listener."

Wei Ziming looked away, poured himself a glass of wine, and drank it all in one gulp.

"Okay, go ahead."

Wei Ziming asked gently, "Tell me, one of my brothers has fallen for a woman, but he offended her today. How can I get her to forgive him?"

Man Niang lowered her head and smiled faintly. She was a very clever person. Seeing that he was so absent-minded, she had already guessed seven or eight parts of the truth. She slowly said, "So all this fuss about is because you have fallen in love with a woman."

Wei Ziming gradually sat up straight, his previously slightly drunken eyes immediately becoming clear. "It wasn't me, it was my brother."

Man Niang, who was surrounded by men every day, understood everything and readily agreed, "Alright, alright, it's your brother, not you."

She was unusually smug; no matter how noble her status, she still needed to ask for favors.

"It's not difficult at all. Most women like novelty, such as pretty jewelry. Also, if she doesn't like these things, you can cater to her preferences. Over time, even an ice cube can be warmed up!"

At the same time, she couldn't help but feel sorry for herself. She had used all her skills to get Wei Ziming to take her as his concubine. If she could get him to redeem her, that would be the best thing ever.

In a few years, when I am old and my looks have faded, and after serving others for so long, my body will also deteriorate, and I can imagine what will happen to me in the future.

Even a powerful figure like myself, who has gone to great lengths to please women, sometimes feels a pang of bitterness in his heart.

Upon hearing this, Wei Ziming realized that these methods might be effective against women in the pleasure quarters, especially those who were not particularly knowledgeable. However, upon thinking of those clear and bright eyes, he understood that she would not be tempted by any of them.

Seeing that he seemed unconvinced, Manniang said angrily, "Don't you think about how many actors we have in this brothel? Only women understand women."

"You seem to have forgotten the old ones now that you have new ones."

Wei Ziming frowned almost imperceptibly, feeling somewhat uncomfortable. How could Ji Shu be compared to women from brothels and pleasure houses? It would be an insult to her.

He suppressed his subtle displeasure, turned to look at Man Niang's jealous and seductive demeanor, and burst into laughter.

He reached out and pulled the warm, soft body into his arms, with a touch of casual plunder, and lowered his head to cover that blushing face.

The gauze curtains fell, concealing the feigned springtime atmosphere in the room.

Wei Ziming didn't return to the prefectural governor's mansion until dawn the next day.

The guards stood with their heads bowed, having long been accustomed to this sight.

Just as he lay down on the bed and closed his eyes, he was awakened by his attendant, "My lord, the young lady says that you should go there first after you return, as she has something important to discuss with you."

Wei Ziming suppressed his sleepiness, waved his hand, and said he would be there in a while.

Entering Wei Heng's courtyard, I saw that she had laid out a table full of food, which was clearly prepared with great care.

He teased, "Oh, what brings you here today that my sister has to do all this herself? I'm flattered!"

Wei Heng smiled and said, "Since we came to Chongzhou, my brother and I haven't had breakfast together for a long time."

Wei Ziming was hungry, and as soon as he sat down, Wei Heng even personally served him a meal, which made him even more confused.

These days he has also been thinking that his younger sister is not as innocent as she looks; many people have been deceived by her appearance.

Sometimes I wonder if the girl from the Gu family really fell off the artificial hill on her own.

If not, then how deep must my younger sister's thoughts be, and how old was she at that time?

Seeing that her brother had already started eating, Wei Heng said, seemingly casually, "Brother, yesterday when you weren't here, Brother Xingjian came over and threw a huge tantrum."

Speaking of this, Wei Ziming swallowed his millet porridge and suddenly realized, "Yes, I had forgotten if you hadn't mentioned it. Madam Ji actually came to the mansion yesterday. I heard her say that you invited her. Why did you invite her over?"

Wei Heng pouted, threw down the spoon in her hand with a clatter, and her eyes reddened slightly: "What can I do? I just want to see what kind of woman can win the hearts of both my brother and Xingjian."

"On the contrary, you all suspect that I have ulterior motives. We are all women, how stupid would I be to openly harm her?"

Wei Ziming also realized that he had been overthinking things, and his heart softened. He gently coaxed her, "Alright, alright, your brother didn't mean anything by it. I know you didn't do anything to her. Besides, I ran into Madam Ji yesterday and said a few words to her."

Wei Heng remained silent, drinking the porridge in her bowl without saying a word, and remained silent for a long time.

Wei Ziming pressed further, "So what happened when you said Xingjian came over? What happened after that?"

She then spoke up, "He came over and immediately started scolding me. Brother, could you please explain for me? I really didn't mean anything by it."

"Does he want to break off our engagement? Am I not even allowed to see that woman?"

Wei Ziming looked at her and slowly shook his head: "Heng'er, you invited Madam Ji over without telling everyone. No matter how you look at it, it's not right. What is your status, and what is hers?"

"You are still Pei Xingjian's fiancée. As long as this engagement is not called off, don't panic."

Annulment? If she didn't fight for herself, she believed the engagement would be annulled before she even returned to Yang County.

He was about to become the laughingstock and the talk of the entire Yanzhou.