Chapter 49
Hongmen Banquet
Lu Qin solemnly told Hao Jingshi, "I admit that I have fallen in love with Zhang Gui."
"..."
That explosive remark made everyone around the clothing shop prick up their ears.
The sun was halfway up in the sky, the breakfast stalls were halfway warm, and the sleepy shop owners were halfway through yawning.
The passersby were no longer cold or stiff, and they had forgotten Zhang Gui's warning from yesterday.
Everyone, intentionally or unintentionally, moved closer to see Hao Jingshi's reaction.
But Hao Jingshi remained silent, as if adhering to the principle that family scandals should not be aired in public. Under the watchful eyes of everyone, he pursed his lips and forbearingly dragged Lu Qin into the clothing shop.
"..."
Passersby's eyes followed the past.
Lu Qin staggered after her, closing the door of the clothing shop behind her to block the curious gazes from behind, while leaving a crack in the door to whet their appetites.
Like fish hooked by bait, everyone peered through the half-open door, eager to hear the sounds of the two arguing.
"You said you wanted to open a clothing shop in the capital, and I came all the way here with you. Now you say you've fallen in love with someone else?"
"Ever since I met Lord Zhang Gui yesterday, I have been deeply attracted to him... I have never seen such a handsome man."
"We've been married for three years, and all that affection isn't worth seeing him just once? Haven't I treated you well? How can you be so heartless and ungrateful!"
"We got married under pressure from our parents. Now that you've established your own household and become the head of the family, you no longer need to obey your parents. I don't need to hide anything from you either. Let's get a divorce!"
"Fine, let's get a divorce! You can forget about keeping this clothing shop open! I'm selling all these clothes for a pittance!"
"You're the heartless one! You said you'd love me no matter what, but as soon as I said I'd fallen in love with someone else, you stopped loving me and even tried to destroy the clothing shop!"
The argument between the two became increasingly heated, and a door could no longer block it out; even if they covered their ears and walked ten meters away, they could still hear each other.
Some people were not interested at first, but when they heard Lu Qin's shocking words, they couldn't help but stop and watch.
The onlookers whispered among themselves, piecing together the truth of the matter. They speculated that Lu Qin was a snob who rejected the handsome young man with a strong and upright back, and instead went after Zhang Gui, who was nearly thirty years old.
Just as the conversation was in full swing, Lu Qin suddenly burst out of the door, striding through the crowd and throwing a shout at the dozens of pairs of eyes around her: "What are you looking at!"
Hao Jingshi angrily chased after him, stood at the door with his arms crossed, and the onlookers immediately stopped talking, fell silent, and retreated guiltily.
"Stop right there!" Hao Jingshi shouted angrily. "You've already done it, are you afraid of people finding out? Fine, let's all be the judges and see who's right and who's wrong!"
He forcefully dragged the onlookers into the fray. At first, no one dared to say anything, but seeing that Lu Qin had no shame and had disappeared without a trace, they couldn't help but condemn her.
"Boss Lu has always been warm and hospitable, but I never expected him to be so unscrupulous in private... You can never judge a book by its cover."
"Exactly! How can a woman raise children properly if she does such a thing? She's utterly immoral!"
"She's already married, yet she's still trying to seduce the young master of an official family. I bet she thinks Zhang Gui's family is powerful and she wants to abandon her husband who's been through thick and thin with her!"
The crowd began to discuss the matter, expressing their sympathy for Hao Jingshi.
Hao Jingshi immediately said, "You are all reasonable people. Zhang Gui has always been domineering and arrogant. I have long disliked him. Now that he has stolen my wife, the enmity is irreconcilable! I will definitely deal with him!"
The bodyguards mingling in the crowd immediately shouted, "Boss Hao is righteous! He's ridding the people of a scourge!"
This shout inexplicably raised the atmosphere, and everyone's attention shifted. Their attitude instantly changed from dissatisfaction with Lu Qin to dissatisfaction with Zhang Gui, and they all began to cheer for Hao Jingshi.
The complaints were endless. Seeing that the time was right, Hao Jingshi waved his hand and said, "To thank everyone for their support, today's clothes will be buy one get one free! Take what you need! Don't worry about Zhang Gui causing trouble. I'll close the clothing shop tomorrow and rid the people of this scourge. Let's see how arrogant he can be then!"
"Support Boss Hao!" The incredible discounts were so generous that even those initially worried about being implicated were moved and decided to trust Hao Jingshi. They shouted, "We don't want to be bullied by Zhang Gui anymore!"
"Finally, someone can stand up for us!"
The sounds came in waves, and people flocked into the clothing store, scrambling to buy their favorite new clothes.
In the blink of an eye, all the clothes were gone as if they had been looted, and the servants in the shop were in a flurry of activity, even bringing out the remaining stock.
Hao Jingshi was keeping accounts at the counter, but his gaze kept stretching out in the direction Lu Qin had left.
Surprisingly, her absurd method actually attracted a large number of people.
He had heard her "melodramatic script" and initially disagreed because it would definitely affect her and the Hao family's reputation. He didn't want her to become the subject of gossip, but he couldn't resist her persistent pleading and cajoling.
He agreed to cooperate and offered to play the role of the heartless man who abandoned his wife and children, so that she wouldn't have to bear the blame.
But Lu Qin said a lot of strange things in an attempt to persuade him, such as that a strong woman can bend and stretch, and now that there is no internet, the rumors will only last for a while and will not ferment. When Zhang Gui becomes timid, everyone will naturally understand everything.
For example, in an era where men are favored, no one will criticize them; only by acting as a bad woman can she attract everyone's attention.
Lu Qin muttered to herself, showing no fear of ruining her reputation, only a desire to teach Zhang Gui a lesson. After all, as a seasoned live streamer, no one knew more about trending gossip than her.
Hao Jingshi was completely unaware of this and didn't understand what it had to do with the net. He thought to himself that if what she said was true, the fishermen would be casting nets on the beach every day, which would be a bad thing.
He pondered this all night, completely baffled, and still can't figure it out.
However, since the lady said he would understand afterward, he would wait until then to ask.
"Young Master."
As Hao Jingshi stared absently at the windowsill, Xuan Lan walked over lightly and whispered gloatingly in his ear.
"This servant just sent someone to check on the Qian family's clothing shop. The guard said that Qian Yuming was originally looking forward to customers with great joy, but when he heard that everyone had gone to Xiaolu Clothing Shop again, he was so angry that his teeth itched and his face was really ugly."
"Keep an eye on his movements." Hao Jingshi was indifferent to Qian Yuming, and instead asked, "Where did Madam go?"
Xuan Lan said, "Madam took Ling'er back to the manor. I happened to run into the two of them when I returned."
"Okay, go ahead and do your thing."
Hao Jingshi dismissed Xuan Lan to continue keeping accounts. There were constant voices around him, making it very lively, but he always felt that something was missing.
In the past, Lu Qin would chat and laugh by his side, her petite figure always appearing in his sight.
No matter how busy she was, she would always find time to turn around and give him a flirtatious wink. Sometimes, when she needed his help, she would sweetly call out "husband."
She's not here today, and the clothing shop, usually packed with people, has become quite noisy...
Thinking of this, Hao Jingshi paused, his thoughts turning into a blob of ink on the ledger.
He frantically tried to salvage the situation, but suddenly, he came to his senses.
Wait, I've been tricked again.
That little devil, she dusted herself off and ran away, finding herself in a peaceful situation.
...
After lying there contentedly for a morning, Lu Qin returned to the clothing shop as planned, and even had Ling'er bring a lunchbox full of snacks to stage a reconciliation act.
Considering the two hours they were apart, Hao Jingshi must have been in a frantic rush.
I wonder if he misses her.
As Lu Qin imagined his frantic state, she happily headed towards the clothing shop, but unexpectedly, halfway there, as she crossed an alley, she heard hurried footsteps behind her.
Lu Qin sensed something was wrong, and sure enough, before they even left the alley, she and Ling'er were stopped by several people. These people were breathing heavily, not like they had been waiting there for a long time, but more like they had been lurking in the crowd and following them all the way.
They were dressed in ordinary clothes, but their expressions were not friendly. Ling'er quickly stood in front of Lu Qin to block them.
Who are you?
"What's there to be nervous about? Do you guys look like bad guys?" The burly man with thick eyebrows, who was the leader, didn't take her seriously at all and kept his eyes fixed on Lu Qin. "We're just here on orders to invite Boss Lu to our humble abode for a short visit."
"Is this how you invite people?" Ling'er couldn't help but cover Lu Qin with her hands after hearing this.
"Who asked you?" The bearded man took a few steps closer and pulled her aside. Ling'er stumbled and fell at the feet of several people blocking her way.
The lunchbox in her hand crashed heavily to the ground, and the delicate pastries rolled all the way. Before she could pick them up, several feet appeared in her field of vision and mercilessly trampled them into pieces.
Ling'er hurriedly reached out, trying to get up to protect the lunchbox, but the men roughly dragged her up, held her arms, and made her face Lu Qin.
Knowing that these people would harm Lu Qin, Ling'er was extremely anxious and shouted with all her might, "Help!"
Her flushed face and desperate effort drew disdain and sneers from the crowd, who, as they laughed, added a touch of mockery to their eyes.
"You're overestimating yourself. Don't you think about who would dare to come and rescue you from this place?"
The bearded man immediately walked over and struck Ling'er on the back of the neck, knocking her unconscious.
He caught Ling'er's soft body and faced Lu Qin again, saying, "I've heard that Boss Lu is very successful, not only in business but also in the favor of Lord Zhang. Our boss admires you and would like to learn from you."
"Perfect timing. He has some connections with Lord Zhang Gui, they're practically family. You must do me the honor."
Lu Qin looked at the unconscious Ling'er, her heart pounding with anxiety, her fingernails unconsciously digging into her palms.
This was a trap set by Qian Yuming. It seems that Qian Yuming is much more cunning than Zhang Gui.
"So it was Mr. Qian who invited me. I've heard so much about you." She put on a fake smile. "Brother, since you've invited me, please don't make things difficult for my maid."
“If it weren’t for that, Boss Lu might not have been willing to go.” The bearded man spread his hands and said, “This girl is your confidante, right? Although she’s talkative, she’s loyal to her master, which is truly rare.”
"If Boss Lu is willing to go, I promise to take good care of this girl and return her intact after the matter is settled. If Boss Lu is unwilling to go..."
The bearded man deliberately emphasized his words, sounding rather forceful, and after drawing out the syllables, he gave a forced, relaxed smile.
"Hey, Boss Lu, you can't bear to abandon your loyal servant, can you?"
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