Chapter 2 These two slaps today will teach you a lesson...

Yu Tan's clothes had been changed, and Ji Yushang's attitude of wanting to muddy the waters even more was so egregious that if Yu He'an hadn't been there, she wouldn't have been able to explain herself no matter how hard she tried. One was the legitimate daughter of a noble marquis, and the other was a dissolute merchant, and they were entangled together because of this mistake.

Ji Yushang staggered forward, clasped his hands in apology, and stared at Yu Tan with a blatant gaze.

"I was drunk and went into the wrong room just now, which was disrespectful to Miss Yu."

Despite claiming to be an apology, his behavior was reckless and frivolous, and Yu Tan bit her lower lip tightly.

Ji Yushang's words meant he admitted it. She and he were alone in a room, and she even changed her clothes in front of him. Once the banquet ended, rumors would spread throughout Bianjing.

This is not an apology; it's clearly a provocation.

Yu Tan said angrily, "How could we have gone to the wrong room when the maid led the way?"

Ji Yushang lightly tapped his head: "I went to the banquet alone without a maid to guide me, so I went the wrong way."

He was a businessman driven by profit; once he'd taken the money, there was no reason for the deal to fall through, especially with such a beautiful young woman and the noble family behind her. If he could really get close to her…

It was truly a lucrative deal that brought him both wealth and respect. As for his reputation, what reputation could Ji Yushang possibly have? Bianjing was already full of scandalous rumors about him, so this was just another one of them.

Yu Tan glared at Ji Yushang and said angrily, "Are you so sure... what if I didn't enter the room?"

To make it look real, Ji Yushang had actually drunk quite a bit beforehand, and he didn't even know if Yu Tan had actually entered the room.

But now, whether Yu Tan enters or not, he has to stick to his guns.

Ji Yushang straightened his clothes, unfolded his folding fan, and a smile spread across his face. He raised the corners of his eyes, giving off an impression that said, "Stop struggling indifferently."

"Since Miss Yu has encountered this matter, I, Ji, will certainly take responsibility. I will draft the betrothal documents as soon as I return home, and I will send them to your residence in a few days... no, I will send them to you tomorrow..."

Yu Tan was so annoyed and disgusted by the smell of alcohol on him that she took a few steps back. If it weren't for the stairs behind her, she would have wanted to retreat even further. She clenched her jaw in anger and said, "You... keep dreaming."

Ji Yushang laughed and said, "This is not a dream, it can only be called fate, a destiny ordained by heaven."

Yu He'an looked down at her, his brow furrowing deeply.

Yu Tan felt extremely wronged. She had already been incredibly tolerant and understanding. Should she still be blamed?

Ji Yushang took a half-step closer, wanting to get even closer to Yu Tan, but was blocked by Yu He'an.

"And this is...?"

Ji Yushang moved to Bianjing two years ago. Although he has made a name for himself with his outstanding painting skills and attended banquets of aristocratic families, Yu He'an left the mansion to study three years ago, and they have never met him.

Yu He'an ignored Ji Yushang and calmly said to everyone, "Yu Tan sensed something was wrong. After changing her clothes in the empty room on the second floor, she has been staying in my room ever since."

Upon hearing this, everyone present understood that this whole affair was likely orchestrated by Ji Yushang himself, a despicable act aimed at currying favor with the Marquis's household.

Yu He'an stared coldly at Yu Tan: "The Marquis's mansion has not yet fallen, why should you put up with the lecherous man's temper?"

"Brother." Yu Tan was overjoyed. She was still the daughter of a marquis, and with Yu He'an to support her, Yu Tan took a big step forward and gathered strength in her right hand.

Ji Yushang's face, flushed with the smell of alcohol, turned white from the slap, then quickly turned red again, leaving two handprints on his cheeks.

Yu Tan used all her strength, her palms were hot and red, and she felt great all over, having vented all her anger.

"Firstly, even though I wasn't in the room, it was wrong of you to enter my room while drunk."

"Secondly, you tried to ruin my reputation by making a living by fabricating lies. These two slaps today will teach you a lesson."

Ji Yushang's cheeks burned, but he felt more pleasure than pain. Before the slap came the sweet fragrance from the young lady's sleeve, the intoxicating scent of the epiphyllum, which dragged him into a frenzy. No matter how hard she tried, her hand remained soft and yielding.

When she slapped him, her arrogant and smug expression made the little red mole on her lips appear even redder, tempting one to kiss her, to kiss her fiercely.

If there hadn't been so many people around, he would have loved for his wife to slap him a few more times, just to give him some more pleasure.

Yu He'an reached out and shielded her behind him, his tone gentle but devoid of warmth, yet no one present dared to ignore him: "Entering a woman's room and making lewd remarks, according to the laws of our dynasty, should be punished with caning, and an apology should be made."

Ji Yushang covered his face, silently calling out "Yu Tan" in his heart.

Beautiful flowers all have thorns, but he wanted them even more.

"This is Yu Xiao Niangzi's elder brother, Yu He'an," the maid whispered.

Ji Yushang paused, and Yu He'an actually returned.

In the vast city of Bianjing, who doesn't know Yu He'an, the eldest son of a marquis, a model for the scions of aristocratic families of this generation, with a bright future in officialdom? He wouldn't confront him directly. But even the best gardener can make mistakes. Once he gets his hands on the Jade Lotus, Yu He'an not only can't kill him, but might even recommend him for an official position.

Ji Yushang's smile vanished, he straightened up, and bowed respectfully.

“It was Ji’s fault. He was drunk and mistakenly entered Miss Yu’s room. He behaved inappropriately and offended her. He will go to the yamen to receive his punishment after the banquet.”

Yu Tan accepted the bow, hoping to have no further involvement with Ji Yushang.

She felt a sense of relief mixed with a newfound alertness, knowing she would have to deal with many more situations like this in the future.

Yu He'an looked down at her and sensed that Yu He'an seemed to have something to say to her.

She moved closer to Yu He'an with small steps, her height only reaching his chin. She stood on tiptoe, tilted her head back, and lowered her voice, "Brother, what's wrong?"

Who led you to Langyue Pavilion?

Yu Tan pointed to Cai Xia, who was furthest away: "That's her."

Yu He'an walked up to Caixia and said coldly, "Whose maid are you? According to the rules of the Li family, what should you do?"

Caixia knelt down with a thud and begged for mercy: "My lord, I served in Li Erniangzi's courtyard. My mistress and Yu Xiaoniangzi have always been close friends. I truly knew nothing about this matter."

Yu Tan sneered. She didn't understand why Duan Jiangtang would bring such a large group of people. It was clearly a deliberate setup.

Caixia knelt down and kowtowed repeatedly, blood streaming down her forehead. Yu He'an remained unmoved as Caixia continued to kowtow until her forehead bled.

Yu He'an coldly asked, "What should we do?"

Caixia said in despair, "Give him ten strokes of the cane and expel him from the mansion."

"Go and receive your punishment."

With Yu He An Zai, her reputation remained intact, and her two accomplices were punished, filling her heart with joy.

The banquet was about to begin when a maidservant hurriedly came to invite them.

Yu He'an walked one step ahead of her, and no matter how fast or slow she walked, he always managed to maintain that distance, even though he never looked back.

It was as if she had returned to her childhood, to the days following Yu He'an.

It seems that any problem can be easily solved as long as he is there.

That was true in the past, and it is true now.

Yu He'an has a bright future. He will pass the imperial examination with top honors in all three levels and become a close minister of the emperor. He will enter the cabinet at a young age and rise to the position of Grand Secretary.

Even after her identity was exposed, she was still given a final act of decency.

If she could receive his help in the future, she would surely be able to escape her misfortune.

Even though Yu He'an remained aloof, Yu Tan felt a growing sense of closeness towards him.

"Brother, which prefectures did you visit recently? Did you encounter anything interesting or meet any interesting people?"

“We’ve been to all the prefectures along the north coast, and the closest we’ve been to is Liangzhou.” Yu He’an stopped and turned to look at her. “What counts as interesting?”

Yu Tan thought about it seriously: "Meeting someone outside should be considered an interesting thing, but what is there in Liangzhou?"

"Half of Liangzhou is desert, and the people are busy fighting the desertification, while merchants from the Western Regions gather there."

Yu Tan's interest was immediately piqued. When she was brought back to the Marquis's residence, she had a high fever that kept recurring. It was said to be a congenital weakness she had, causing her to cough at the slightest breeze when she was little. Now, she had almost recovered, but she recovered from illnesses more slowly than others, which meant she had never traveled far from home in her entire life.

Yu Tan excitedly exclaimed, "Then haven't you seen dancers? Aren't they beautiful? Can their singing really bewitch souls? Are there really bones inside the drums they use for dancing?"

"Read fewer storybooks."

Yu Tan gave a disappointed "Oh".

Yu He'an's gaze passed over the green tiles of the courtyard wall, looking at the red sun that was about to set on the horizon, with the sky full of rosy clouds, and he said, "The sunset there is very beautiful."

She stood beside Yu He'an. She had never been there and couldn't imagine how beautiful the sunset in Liangzhou was, or how it differed from that in Bianjing. If she had the chance in the future, she would like to go and see it for herself.

She and Yu He'an were seated in different places, and they parted ways at the door.

"My lady, I've finally found you." Her personal maid, Lanxin, approached and recognized the person she was saying goodbye to. "Your husband is back?"

Yu Tan nodded: "It's my brother who's back."

Lanxin said, "No wonder my wife is so happy. How long will my husband stay in Bianjing this time?"

"Really?" Yu Tan rubbed her face. Did she look happy? It must be because she had just vented her anger. It was already late autumn, and there were only five months left until the spring examination. Yu He'an should not be leaving. Yu Tan's lips unconsciously curled up.

"The lady passed away early, and the Marquis is away from home for many years. When the lady was young, she liked to stick to her husband. They have become a little distant since then, but blood relatives are still different."

Yu Tan sat down, her good mood from before dissipating by half. It wasn't just that they had grown distant; she and Yu He'an had been estranged for five years.

If only Yuhe could always be her brother. They can't be biological siblings in this life, but they could try the sworn brotherhood in the stories.

"Lanxin, do you think the relationship between sworn siblings will be good?"

Lan Xin was taken aback: "Of course, they can't compare to biological siblings; after all, there's some affection between them."

"A little bit of affection." Yu Tan's heart stirred. A little bit would be enough, as long as it could help her escape that fate. Was it too late for her to start ingratiating herself with Yu He'an now? "Lanxin, how does my brother treat me?"

Lanxin affirmed, "My lord is aloof to outsiders, but he is special to his wife."

Yu Tan's mood immediately lifted after her earlier disappointment. She even moved around more during dinner that evening, and when the banquet ended, she happily planned to head home.

As she reached the corridor, she was stopped by someone. Li Xu was carrying a palace lantern, her thin dress billowing in the cold wind, waiting for her alone in the windy spot.

Li Xu quickly stepped forward and affectionately took Yu Tan's hand. Her eyes were red from the wind, making her look somewhat pitiful.

"Tan'er, I've heard about what happened this evening. It's all my fault." Li Xuyu then began to sob softly. "I shouldn't have sent you the invitation to come and admire the flowers. Now I've only brought you all this trouble."

Yu Tan pulled her hand away from Li Xu, keeping her distance. Hearing Li Xu cry gave her a headache. "Alright, stop talking."

Li Xu's hand went empty, her expression froze, and two lines of clear tears fell. "Tan'er, don't you want me as your friend anymore? I'm just an illegitimate daughter of the Li family. Most of the young ladies from noble families in Bianjing look down on me. Only you are willing to play with me. Now you don't want me anymore either?"

Yu Tan's face turned cold, and she said helplessly, "That's not what I meant."

Lanxin tugged at Yutan's sleeve, wary that she might fall for Li Xu's tricks again. Li Xu was a master of acting. Lanxin whispered, "My lady, it's time to go back to the manor."

Li Xu's voice was extremely pitiful: "Didn't you like my sapphire and kingfisher feather headdress the most? Come with me to get it and I'll give it to you. Please forgive me."

Yu Tan thought for a moment and nodded, "Okay, I'll go with you."

Lan Xin wanted to follow, but Li Xu stopped her. Yu Tan nodded to her, "Don't worry, I'll be back in a bit."

Lanxin could only stand there, anxiously pacing back and forth. She had been sent away by Li Xu before, which was how her wife had fallen into the water. Now Li Xu was using the same trick again, and a tall and slender figure was approaching.

"My lord."

Yu He'an asked, puzzled, "Yu Tan isn't with you?"

Lan Xin said angrily, "Li Er Niangzi has put on an act again and tricked my wife away."

Yu He'an frowned. She had almost been framed just this evening, yet she dared to follow someone again. He said coldly, "Let her be. It's good for her to learn a lesson, otherwise she'll keep getting fooled."

A note from the author: