"Girl, are you alright?" With the stunning beauty in his arms, Huo Rang suppressed his excitement and asked softly.
Chen Mianmian steadied herself first, then hurriedly pushed, "Let go!"
“I apologize for my rudeness, young lady. I am not a lecherous man,” Huo Rang explained, fearing that “Miss” might misunderstand his identity. “I am from the Xuanping Marquis’s mansion. My father is the Changning Marquis. I am the second son. My surname is Huo, and my given name is Yi Rang.”
Upon hearing Huo Rang's name, Shen Mianmian's expression darkened further. "I know who you are. Let go of me now, and stop looking at me with those lecherous eyes. I'm already taken."
Thinking that Huo Rang was the one who framed Feng Chu, Shen Mianmian gave him a cold look and didn't even bother to pretend.
Huo Rang was taken aback. "The young lady is engaged?"
Shen Mianmian's wrist was still being held by the man. She first turned her head to see if there were any outsiders. Finding that no one was around, she felt relieved and started to tear into him, "Are you out of your mind? What does it have to do with you whether someone is engaged or not? Are you single? Don't forget that you're already married, you scumbag!"
Why did you ask the girl if she was engaged? Shouldn't you have asked if she was married? What, were you secretly hoping she wasn't engaged but only engaged, or were you going to try and steal her away?
A married man, how can you be so frivolous? Does your wife know?
Furthermore, this lady is none other than Bai Qingzhou's concubine, Chen Mianmian. You harmed my young master and even dared to seduce the young master's concubine at the Marquis of Anning's residence. You've got some nerve! Is this how varied and unique the family education is in the Marquis of Changning's household?
"Let go right now, or I'll call for help."
Huo Rang was completely stunned by the barrage of insults.
Shen Mianmian's hand was still being held tightly by the man. Thinking about how this shameless scum had framed the innocent and lovely Fengchu, she was furious.
I raised my hand, ready to slap him.
Not for any other reason than to avenge the foolish Phoenix.
But as soon as he raised his hand, he remembered that slapping someone would leave a handprint, and if it were discovered, it would be difficult to explain.
Even if Lady Xuanping doesn't mind, Jiang Yinjin will definitely make a big deal out of it, so this slap shouldn't be delivered.
Thinking of this, she looked down at the man's hand that was gripping her wrist, and without saying a word, she pinched the inside of his upper arm hard, twisting it around.
Sleepyhead—if you want to bully Phoenix, you'll have to ask me, the Crouching Dragon, for permission first! If Marquis Anning and his wife won't help Phoenix get revenge, I will! Don't ask, the answer is simply to teach that lecherous man a lesson!
A piercing pain shot straight to the top of his head. Huo Rang had practiced martial arts for many years, and his fists and feet were unpredictable. He had been injured in various places, but this was the first time he had been injured in this way.
Seeing that the man was enduring the pain but still wouldn't let her go, Chen Mianmian became even angrier.
I've never seen such a scoundrel! He's harassing a woman in someone's home!
Thinking it over, I pinched the exact spot I had just pinched again, and twisted it once more.
Damage is doubled in the same location.
Huo Rang immediately shouted, releasing the woman, "Who taught you to pinch people like that?"
Chen Mianmian was too lazy to reply, so she picked up her skirt and ran away.
This time, Huo Rang didn't give chase.
Unlike the Marquis of Anning's family, the Marquis of Xuanping's family was a large clan. Not only did the father have many wives and concubines, but he also did not separate from his uncle.
In large families, there is no shortage of open and covert struggles.
When he heard the woman's identity, he guessed that this matter was not simple. Otherwise, why would he have been led to the garden just because he came out to relieve himself and get some fresh air?
Judging from the woman's hurried appearance, she must have been lured there by someone.
He never expected that the simple Anning Marquis's mansion would be in such turmoil.
He rubbed the inside of his arm, where the pain still lingered, but his mind was filled with the woman's stunning face, her sharp curses, and her lively eyes.
This... is not the skinny horse he imagined.
Shouldn't a skinny woman be gentle, charming, flirtatious, and alluring?
Her image lingers in my mind, and I can't shake it off.
A short while later,
Huo Rang had just recovered his senses when he heard voices.
It turned out that it was Mother and Lady Anning who had arrived, along with Bai Qingzhou, the ladies of the two mansions, and the servants—a large and impressive group.
Thankfully, the woman ran away. If she hadn't, these people would have found them alone in the garden.
Huo Rang was very frustrated—who exactly orchestrated this scheme? How could that person have predicted that he would go and talk to the "skinny horse" (a woman who is considered promiscuous) and cling to her, refusing to let her leave? Did that person really think he was that lecherous?
Okay, he admitted that the person knew him very well.
He does appreciate beautiful women, but he is by no means a lecher.
The others also noticed Huo Rang.
When Lady Feng, the wife of the Marquis of Xuanping, saw her son there, she asked in confusion, "A-Rang, what are you doing here? Didn't you go to relieve yourself?"
Huo Rang calmed down and said seriously, "Reporting to Mother, I told the servant of the Marquis of Anning's residence that I wanted to get some fresh air, so he brought me here."
"What about the servant?"
"I don't know either. He disappeared shortly after I came in."
"Are you all alone here?" Mrs. Feng asked again.
“Yes, just me,” Horjan answered confidently.
Among the crowd, Jiang Yinjin's eyes held a hint of doubt—was he alone? But the servants had secretly reported that Madam Shen had been lured here, so how come he hadn't seen her?
At the back of the crowd, Bai Qingzhou frowned, staring at Huo Rang who was talking to Lady Changning, thinking to himself—the servant brought Huo Rang here and then disappeared.
This is against the rules. The servants of the Marquis of Anning's residence are all rigorously trained. Every move they make is reported, and they will never take any further action without waiting for a response from their master.
There's a problem here.
Who is that servant? He must find out!
...
On the other side.
Although Chen Mianmian had never been to the Marquis's Garden, she had taken a few walks with Fengchu, so she wouldn't get lost in the Marquis's Garden. After passing through a few connecting corridors, she returned to the place she knew.
She leaned against a pillar, clutching her chest, gasping for breath.
"Auntie!"
A voice trembled with sobs, followed by Han Rong's figure.
Hanrong ran over and knelt down with a thud. "Auntie, this servant is guilty."
Chen Mianmian was pale from running so fast. She looked at Han Rong kneeling on the ground with icy eyes and said, "Why did you suddenly disappear? Give me a proper explanation."
She was considering whether or not to keep Jiang Yinjin's informant.
Hanrong knew what her aunt suspected, but she couldn't speak. Tears streamed down her face as she shook her head. "Please believe me, Aunt! I really didn't know! I was following along when suddenly someone covered my mouth and dragged me away. Then my eyes were blindfolded, and I was thrown into a woodshed."
The ropes binding the maid were loose, and she untied herself, then ran out to find her mistress. "Mistress, look!"
As he spoke, he pulled out a piece of hemp rope and even rolled up his sleeve.
There were marks on her wrists under her sleeves from where she had been tied with hemp rope.
Hanrong looked closely at the area around Hanrong's mouth and saw a red mark, indicating that her mouth had indeed been covered.
Isn't Han Rong one of Jiang Yin Jin's people?
Why did Jiang Yinjin go to all this trouble?
However, Shen Mianmian quickly realized that Jiang Yinjin probably didn't trust Han Rong and was afraid that Han Rong would betray her at this critical moment.
Chen Mianmian calmed her breathing and said to Hanrong, "Let's go to the front yard first."
"Yes, Aunt."
Before the two even reached the front yard, a passing maid told them that they had seen the ladies go to the garden.
So the two of them went back to the garden.
Sure enough, in the pavilion in the center of the garden, I saw a group of people chatting and drinking tea.
Chen Mianmian felt a burning gaze from the crowd, but she lowered her head and ignored it, walking along the small bridge to the waterside pavilion.
Greetings to all the ladies.
Jiang Yinjin asked, "Sister Chen, did you just arrive? Didn't someone send someone to summon you a while ago?"
Chen Mianmian kept her head down. "Replying to Madam, I was feeling dizzy, so I walked slowly and just arrived at the garden."
I secretly prayed that Huo Rang, that scumbag, would use his brain!
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