Chapter 16 Misunderstanding Xu Congjing growled, "Wanwan, I'm worried..."
"If you can come, why can't she?" Wan Qing'an noticed Xu Congjing's unfriendly tone, so she protected Lou Yanxu behind her.
But Wen Jie followed closely behind, stepping through the door. He concealed the worry in his eyes and looked at her fiercely, "Wan Qing'an! You dare to barge into any place? Don't you have a death wish!"
He knew her all too well; her skills were not enough to lead her into a den of wolves. It was only because she willingly played the hero.
Wan Qing'an, who was usually fearless, dared not talk back to Wen Jie. She could only smile apologetically at Lou Yan, as she was currently too busy to take care of herself.
Lou Yanxu looked dejected. Wen Jie had been Wan Qing'an's tutor, yet she had clearly made significant contributions. Why was Xu Congjing blaming her? She couldn't understand it, so she silently and quickly stepped into the boat. Wen Jie made all the arrangements, leaving her to sit on the same boat as Xu Congjing.
The sky was dark, with only occasional swaying reeds and ripples on the water. The fleet of boats left the two far behind, and they remained silent the entire way.
As they were just approaching the shore, Xu Congjing moved his hand on his knee and lifted his eyelids to look at her. "I was too harsh with my tone just now. I apologize to you."
Lou Yanxu didn't react much. After a while, he hummed softly and said in a low voice, "I don't mean to blame you. It's just that this den of thieves is not easy to deal with. For a young lady like you to enter here is like a lamb entering a tiger's den."
"You're afraid I'll hold you back, aren't you?" she replied calmly, raising her head to gaze at him.
Xu Congjing was taken aback, then realized the depth of her misunderstanding, "That's not how it is..."
Lou Yanxu didn't give him a chance to explain, almost gritting her teeth as she blurted out, "As you think, women are inherently weaker than men, and in a stalemate, they can only be slaughtered. But we are not born stupid. Father taught me the Thirty-Six Stratagems. No matter what the matter is, no matter how many obstacles there are, I will try. Besides, there are many women imprisoned in that den of thieves. If I stand by and watch, and one day disaster strikes me, will I only hope that my husband will save me? In the end, those so-called men still fall into the hands of us women..."
The fact that her uncles and aunts dared to swagger into the Lou family's home shows their contempt for the female head of the household. Those bandits who abducted women also knew that women were hard to resist. Women are born at a disadvantage and suffer much more than their husbands. But she refused to accept this, so she went to scheme, fight, and prove herself.
"Madam Lou, you've misunderstood..."
Xu Congjing was not unaware of her thoughts, but fearing she would misunderstand further, he straightened up to interrupt her. However, her words had already touched his heart, and her voice gradually rose, "You said that the den of thieves is fraught with danger, but do you know how many women are born unable to escape childbirth, the peril of which is comparable to walking through the gates of hell..."
She spoke rapidly, like beads off a broken string, ending with a low, hoarse scream. Left with no other choice, he gripped her shoulders tightly and growled, "Wanwan, I'm worried about you!"
The night wind was silent, and the water rippled.
Lou Yanxu was stunned for a moment, then looked at him in disbelief and murmured, "What did you call me?"
"I...I acted rashly..." Xu Congjing came to his senses, feeling remorseful, but then saw her backing away, her face contorted with anger. "Who gave you permission to shout like that?"
This unfamiliar, handsome face had the same captivating eyes as Zizheng's brother. When he called her Wanwan, it made her heart tremble and she almost lost her composure.
"I misspoke," Xu Congjing said.
The boat docked at the shore. Lou Yanxu pinched her fingertips, lowered her head, and spoke, "You know him, don't you?"
She should have realized it sooner; this person holds a high position and has great power, so how difficult would it be for him to thoroughly investigate her if he wanted to?
"You find out my preferences, inquire about my nickname, and tease me. Does that make you happy?"
Both of them knew who the "he" they were talking about was. Xu Congjing thought she would doubt him, but she misunderstood. Only then did he realize how worthless he was in her eyes.
He remained silent, which Lou Yanxu took as tacit agreement. Enraged, she raised her hand and slapped his left cheek, yelling, "Utterly shameless!"
She left behind four words, got up and left, no longer caring about the reactions of those behind her.
A light rain was falling, and candlelight flickered on the shops in the city. She used this light to avoid puddles, but accidentally fell into another one. The dirty water soaked her shoes and socks, and she kicked the water twice in frustration.
Just as he was venting his anger, a carriage suddenly stopped beside him. The owner leaned out and asked, "Why isn't Madam traveling by carriage?"
She subconsciously felt that Sheng Yan was there to make fun of her, otherwise she would have stayed as far away as possible. So she gave him a cold look and lied through her teeth, saying, "It's time to digest after the meal."
The city was flooded everywhere, making it impossible to walk even half a step. Who had the leisure to digest their food? However, Sheng Yan did not say much.
"Why don't you get in the carriage, Madam, and we'll go back to the manor together?" He invited with a slight smile, and as if afraid she would refuse, he added, "Grandmother-in-law will surely be pleased to see you like this."
He was clearly happy to serve her, which was really strange. Lou Yanxu wanted to find out his purpose, but she replied without any change in expression, "Then I will trouble you, my husband."
The carriage slowly made its way through the streets and alleys. Lou Yanxu sat quietly, but out of the corner of her eye, she saw Sheng Yan scratching his neck and lifting his buttocks, which made her even more certain that he had ulterior motives.
After turning another corner, he arrived at the Lou residence. He finally couldn't help but ask, "I've heard that Qingyun Manor outside Suzhou belongs to the Lou family. May I be so bold as to ask if you would be willing to sell it to me?"
It was rare to see him soften his attitude towards her, and Lou Yanxu smiled sarcastically. Hearing the name Qingyun Manor, she knew that he was doing it for Weng Chuchu.
She feigned ignorance and blinked. "Qingyun Manor is especially famous for its Hundred Flower Soup, which has beauty and skin-nourishing effects for women. What does my husband want it for?"
"It's naturally to honor my mother. You don't need to ask any more questions, just name your price."
If it were truly intended for the Zeng family, why would it be so difficult to say?
"I don't want money." Lou Yanxu had a plan in mind, and frowned as she looked at him. "But you must do me one thing."
"you say."
This was the first time Sheng Yan had ever asked her for a favor. He was initially quite nervous, but things went surprisingly smoothly. He was secretly pleased with himself, thinking that he had managed to get the young lady to surrender without him even saying a few kind words.
"I want you..." Lou Yanxu met his gaze in a silent confrontation, her voice firm, "To consummate our marriage."
She was going to give birth to the eldest son of the Marquis's family.
During this period, Sheng Yan had hardly entered her room. Even when he did, it was when she was fast asleep. However, her father's dying words still echoed in her ears, and she needed to secure her position and protect the safety of the building. Now that he had a request, she naturally could not let this opportunity pass.
As soon as he finished speaking, Sheng Yan stared at her with his dark eyes, sweeping the tea set aside. "Utterly shameless!"
Shameless beyond measure? She had just been cursing Xu Congjing like that, but she never expected it would happen to her so soon.
For no reason at all, her hair stood on end. She saw his brows furrowed tightly, tinged with a hint of madness. "You want to give birth to a legitimate son, is that it? I, the young master, can tell you that even if you are truly pregnant, I have a hundred ways to abort the pregnancy!"
Lou Yanxu opened her mouth, staring at him in stunned disbelief. He was completely insane! "That's your child too!"
His face was cold as he sneered, "I'll have many children; one more won't make a difference."
Ultimately, they don't want the child she gave birth to.
Her mind was in turmoil, as if a fire was burning inside her chest. Finally, she gritted her teeth and sneered, "Sheng Yan, you are a coward!"
"What did you say?" He was furious, with pale blue veins showing on his forehead.
“You and I both know very well that back then, your parents came to our door begging for money from the Lou family. The Lou family kept their promise to the Marquis's Mansion but broke their word. You should know that the kindness of your parents is greater than heaven, so you took all your anger out on me. What is this behavior if not cowardly?”
“Father could have paid off the debt, but you all insisted on holding on.” He clenched his fists and turned his face away, refusing to admit that he was at fault no matter what.
"This world isn't a place where you can do whatever you want. Your family has always harbored schemes against my family. A man who breaks his promise is no gentleman. What are you? What kind of man are you!" Lou Yanxu's voice was hoarse, her anger and grievances choking her throat, each word hitting Sheng Yan's heart like a hammer blow.
The carriage stopped, and Lou Yanxu was practically pushed off. She lost her balance upon landing and nearly crashed into the doorstep, blood trickling from her forehead. Large raindrops pelted her face, intensifying the pain.
With a drop of blood on her fingertips, she watched the carriage disappear into the distance through the rain curtain, then dragged her weary body quietly back into the house.
That night, Lou Yanxu arranged for Wan Qing'an to stay at the Lou residence. After breakfast that day, Wan Qing'an was pestered to go find Wen Jie.
Coincidentally, Xu Congjing and Wen Jie were living in the old house of Zizheng's maternal grandfather. At that time, the old house had been mortgaged due to debts, and somehow it ended up in Xu Congjing's hands.
Lou Yanxu had been to this place once before, and now, returning to this familiar spot, she stared thoughtfully at the plaque above the door.
Yunlu led the two inside. When they arrived at the courtyard, they saw a woman walking gracefully in the distance. Her face was fair and her beauty was like an orchid. What a beautiful lady!
I had long heard that Xu Congjing was a man of impeccable morals, but now it seems that this is not the case. Despite being engaged, he both flirts with her and hides his affections, which makes me feel a little contemptuous.
Just then, Xu Congjing came out of the council hall and saw the beautiful woman walking towards the inner courtyard. He asked, "Who is that?"
Wen Jie took the account book handed to him by the governor and slightly raised his eyes. "She is the daughter of the late Madam of Chenghua Marquis's Mansion, named Sheng Ling. She was kidnapped by river bandits while passing through this place. Since we have not been able to find the whereabouts of the heir, I arranged for her to stay here temporarily."
Logically speaking, Lou Yan, being the elder sister-in-law, should have been properly taken care of, but Wen Jie, considering the relationship between the couple, did not insist. Besides, he was the cousin, so it wouldn't hurt to take care of her.
Lou Yanxu overheard their conversation and realized she had misunderstood, so she touched her nose and looked embarrassed.
When Xu Congjing turned around to see her, he was frozen in place, one foot still in the air.
Lou Yanxu glanced at his left cheek subconsciously, actually feeling a little flustered. That night, she was so angry that she said wild things and even slapped him. But when she calmed down, she felt scared. Luckily, he didn't take it to heart, otherwise, given his status, even ten Lou families wouldn't be enough to swallow him whole.
However, he remained as gentle as ever, as if nothing had happened that day. He walked towards her in his pearl-gray shoes, "What brings you here, Madam Lou?"
She had nothing to do. She was merely accompanying Wan Qing'an to find her beloved, but she couldn't say that. After a moment's thought, she asked, "I wish to ask Situ, did the lady who gave birth on Lingbo Island that night bring her back?"
"She was forcibly taken to be a wife, but has been properly taken care of."
"That's excellent."
As Lou Yanxu spoke, she noticed out of the corner of her eye that Wan Qing'an and Wen Jie were chatting nearby. However, Wen Jie seemed to have important matters to discuss with the governor, so she took her leave temporarily.
Xu Congjing didn't notice her absent-mindedness. He hesitated for a moment before speaking, intending to apologize again, "That day..."
As she spoke, a flicker of panic crossed her eyes. Had he remembered again? Was he going to settle scores with her?
Before he could finish speaking, she pulled Wan Qing'an away hastily, saying, "Then we'll take our leave now."
Xu Congjing sighed and rubbed his forehead in exasperation. Was he really that scary?
When he came to his senses, the governor had already left. His gaze fell heavily on the corridor. "Has the identity of that Sheng family lady been ascertained?"
Wen Jie nodded, saying there was nothing unusual.
He remained furrowed in fear, extremely cautious. "Since we're staying in the mansion, it's best to have someone keep an eye on us."
Wen Jie agreed and looked towards Wan Qing'an as she stepped out the door.
Because Suzhou city slopes from west to east, the western market was less affected. Furthermore, since relief grain had been distributed for several days, allowing the people to recover from the initial crisis, some shops in the western market reopened. The two chatted and strolled around, after which Lou Yanxu was pulled into a clothing shop.
Wan Qing'an took a fancy to a gardenia-colored ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress) with holly flower patterns and wanted to buy the same style as Lou Yanxu, so she dragged her to try it on.
"Excellent!"
She circled around Lou Yanxu, beaming with delight. Taking advantage of Lou Yanxu's moment while she changed, she tossed the copper coin aside and readily accepted it.
As she looked around, her smile faded when she caught sight of a corner. There, she saw Weng Chuchu, dressed in new clothes, twirling around in front of Sheng Yan, wafting a sweet and intoxicating fragrance.
"Brother Yuanzhuo, is it good?"
"Beautiful." Sheng Yan stood upright with his hands behind his back, completely captivated.
The shopkeeper seized the opportunity to praise, "Your wife is as beautiful as an angel, and this dress suits her perfectly!"
Upon hearing this, Wan Qing'an's anger intensified. She crossed her arms and raised a single eyebrow. "Such brothel behavior!"
There were only a few people talking quietly in the shop, so even the slightest noise could be heard. When Weng Chuchu saw Wan Qing'an staring at her, she felt a little embarrassed. Now that she was far away in Suzhou, she didn't want to hold back any longer, so she raised her voice and retorted, "Who are you calling a brothel owner?"
"I didn't name names, are you feeling guilty?" Wan Qing'an leaned against the counter, just as Lou Yanxu finished changing her clothes, and glanced at her with a sneer, "Your wife is still here, and you're shamelessly sticking to her husband."
The shopkeeper looked around, wiped the sweat from his brow, and dared not utter another word.
Lou Yan and Xu Mu stopped laughing when they saw each other. They hadn't seen each other since the day she argued with Sheng Yan. He was still angry and his brows were furrowed. She looked away and ignored him.
But when her gaze fell on the doorway, she met Pu Niang's eyes, and her heart panicked instantly. She watched Pu Niang leave in a hurry.
The old man, looking rather aggrieved, said, "I only called out 'brother,' what's wrong with that?"
"What do you mean, 'what's wrong'..."
Lou Yanxu was afraid that Pu Niang would tell her grandmother everything at once, so she didn't dare to delay and pulled Wan Qing'an away, leaving Weng Chuchu stamping her feet in the same spot.
Back at the mansion, Lou Yanxu went straight to her grandmother's room. The old lady was smiling and leaning against the daybed, which made Lou Yanxu breathe a sigh of relief. After serving her grandmother her medicine and chatting for a while, she bumped into Pu Niang, whose clothes were damp with rain, as she entered the room. The two exchanged knowing glances and then went together to Lou Yanxu's courtyard.
Just then, Qingrui returned home after carrying out her orders. Lou Yan instructed her to offer Pu Niang a seat, then lowered her head and held a teacup, saying, "Pu Niang, could you please keep today's events a secret from Grandmother? I don't want her to be upset."
My heart belongs to Sheng Yan, and my feet belong to Sheng Yan. Even if my grandmother knew, what could she do? It would only cause her worry.
Pu Niang was well aware of this principle. She had been in a bad mood the whole way, unsure whether she should say it or not. "The old lady knows that you have a hard life. I never thought that heartless person would dare to bring someone to your mother's house!"
Her long, thin eyelashes obscured her eyes, making it impossible to discern the emotions in Lou Yanxu's eyes. "It was just a chance encounter on the way."
"It's not that simple..."
She didn't want to say more and interrupted Pu Niang, "Alright, alright, you know I always have my own ideas and I know what I'm doing."
If that's the case, Pu Niang sighed. How could she meddle in her master's affairs?
The two remained silent, and the room was quiet. Lou Yanxu tapped her fingertips on the round table, and suddenly felt a lump in her throat.
She hesitated for a moment, her eyes darting around, but she still asked, "I came to ask you something."
"Do you know why Sister Rou couldn't think straight three years ago? And why Brother Zizheng left without saying goodbye?"
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