Chapter 42, Chapter 20: The Heir Apparent's Wife
Xiaotang's face turned pale, her expression full of humiliation, and her affectionate eyes were filled with shame and anger.
But what could she do? The moment she opened her mouth, the old woman swiftly covered her mouth, leaving her powerless to resist.
Fearing she might anger Madam Ye, Mama Hua gave a signal, and several old women from Zuixianlou came forward to help the old woman restrain Xiaotang.
In the midst of her struggle, Xiaotang met Yu Wanwan's gentle, smiling eyes through the crowd.
Her gaze darkened.
More than half a year has passed, and the woman is still the same as when we first met, exuding nobility and gentleness.
But she was already in a sorry state.
Xiaotang gradually stopped struggling, trying her best to maintain a proper posture and not be looked down upon.
"I'll walk by myself!"
The old woman raised an eyebrow, but didn't make things difficult for her, and let go of her hand.
The old women from Zuixianlou didn't attack her again, but instead surrounded her to prevent her from causing any more trouble.
Xiaotang knew that the situation was hopeless. After several failures, Hua Mama would no longer stand by her side, so she stopped making futile struggles that would only make her a laughingstock.
She glanced again in the direction of Yu Wanwan, then straightened her back and slowly walked into the building.
After she left, Madam Hua approached Madam Ye with a smile and struck up a conversation. Unfortunately, Madam Ye remained indifferent throughout, neither giving her a cold shoulder nor displaying a friendly attitude.
In just a short while, the people around Lady Hou had already found out what had happened.
It turned out that last night, Young Master Ye and his classmates had arranged to go boating on the lake and compose poems.
The literati of this era, when boating on the lake, always liked to invite some singing girls to play music and add to the merriment.
Young Master Ye and his group were no exception.
It was just playing the piano and singing songs; it didn't count as patronizing prostitutes.
But who would have thought that when one of the songstresses was pouring wine for Young Master Ye, her sash suddenly came undone.
Because of the angle, others only saw that an accident had occurred, but did not see anything else.
Only Young Master Ye was caught off guard and saw her body clearly.
This songstress is none other than Xiaotang, whom we haven't seen in a long time.
Young Master Ye saw her body in full view of everyone, so there was no way to argue and he could only admit defeat.
This infuriated Madam Ye, who brought her men and a sedan chair to Zuixianlou today.
At first, Madam Ye did not want the nanny to examine her body; she only wanted to carry her back as soon as possible to protect Young Master Ye's reputation.
Just like when Xiaotang rejected the young master.
This time, Xiaotang also refused to become a concubine in the Ye family, upholding her integrity and saying that it was just an accident and that Young Master Ye was not responsible.
Unfortunately, Madam Ye was not so easily fooled. When she saw that Xiaotang refused, she summoned the nanny without saying a word.
Then the scene they just witnessed happened.
Lady Hou's eyes were filled with disgust. She already had a very bad impression of Xiao Tang because of what the young master had done before, and now it was even worse.
She held Yu Wanwan's hand, feeling incredibly fortunate.
"Luckily you stopped that brat Zhou'er back then, otherwise..."
If this restless woman were to actually enter the household, who knows what kind of chaos she would cause.
Yu Wanwan simply smiled and remained silent, offering no explanation, and confidently accepted the credit for persuading Xu Qingzhou to turn over a new leaf.
Xiaotang was led inside by the nanny, and the surrounding people gradually dispersed. The Lady of the Marquis immediately directed her people to leave quietly by a roundabout way, without disturbing Lady Ye.
Knowing what had happened, Yu Wanwan lost interest in watching any longer and left with the Lady Hou.
Although they didn't read any further, Madam Ye was very open about her actions, and the matter caused quite a stir. The whole capital was buzzing with talk of this exciting affair.
Lady Hou and Yu Wanwan also learned of the subsequent developments not long afterward.
The medical examination confirmed that Xiaotang was indeed innocent.
Madam Ye was decisive; she immediately paid a high price to redeem her from her servitude, took her indenture, and had her carried into the Ye residence in a sedan chair.
Having lost the support of the young master and unable to escape from Zuixianlou, Xiaotang had no ability to resist.
As for what will happen to Xiaotang after she enters the Ye family mansion, that remains to be seen.
What Yu Wanwan was curious about was why Xiaotang would use such a despicable method.
She wasn't surprised that Xiaotang would turn her attention to Young Master Ye.
Xu Qingzhou in this world is practically a shut-in. He never goes out unless absolutely necessary, and even if he does have to go out occasionally, he will finish his business as quickly as possible and rush back immediately.
He didn't give Xiaotang a chance to get close to him at all.
With no hope for Xu Qingzhou and Xu Mingche still just an illegitimate son, even though he has the title of Juren (a successful candidate in the provincial civil service examination), he remains an unremarkable illegitimate son without any official position before the provincial examination has even been held. It's perfectly normal for Xiaotang to shift her focus to the young master Ye, who comes from a prestigious family.
But doesn't she have a system and item cards she can use?
No matter how hard she tried, Yu Wanwan couldn't figure it out. It felt like cat claws were scratching at her heart, and she couldn't even sleep well.
Finally, Yu Wanwan couldn't suppress her curiosity and, taking advantage of a dark and windy night, quietly slipped out of the Marquis's mansion.
"lady?"
"..."
Yu Wanwan stiffened, slowly lowered her head, and met the gazes of the Xu Qingzhou and Xu Mingche brothers standing under the wall.
Weren't they out on business with Marquis Chengqing? How come they're back so soon?
Xu Qingzhou's expression was strange, while Xu Mingche suddenly lowered his head, not daring to breathe.
"What...is this, Madam?"
"..."
Stay calm and don't panic!
"Moon viewing!"
"..."
Xu Qingzhou looked up at the pitch-black sky, which was completely devoid of any light.
"Madam's hobbies... are quite unique."
Even Xu Mingche couldn't help but shrug his shoulders.
Yu Wanwan glanced over, and Xu Mingche quickly stopped laughing, touched his nose, and cupped his hands in a respectful gesture.
"Brother, sister-in-law, I'll head back now!"
Xu Qingzhou: "Mm."
Yu Wanwan: "Stop."
Xu Mingche: "..."
He glanced at Xu Qingzhou, then at Yu Wanwan, who was still sitting on the wall with a radiant smile, his expression conflicted.
"I……"
Yu Wanwan used the wall as leverage to jump down.
Xu Qingzhou's heart skipped a beat, and he subconsciously stepped forward and reached out to catch it.
But Yu Wanwan didn't need him to catch her; she landed lightly on the ground without even stirring up a speck of dust.
Xu Qingzhou pursed her lips, casually withdrew her hand, and glanced at the spot where she had just been sitting.
That wall was at least two stories high, yet she was able to jump down so easily without making a sound.
Is this reasonable?
As far as he knew, the eldest daughter of the Marquis of Changrong did not know martial arts.
Has she stopped acting altogether?
Should he expose her or not?
Before Xu Qingzhou could decide, Xu Mingche spoke first.
"Sister-in-law, you also practiced martial arts?"
Yu Wanwan straightened her skirt and gave a casual "hmm".
Xu Mingche looked on with deep emotion.
"Sister-in-law, you are so knowledgeable and skilled in martial arts. You are truly a woman who is just as capable as any man!"
"..."
Xu Qingzhou was filled with mixed feelings and didn't know what to say to Xu Mingche.
In his mind, even if she could fly to the heavens, he wouldn't be surprised; he'd just applaud and praise her as awesome.
That's the power of die-hard fans; he's used to it.
well!
Yu Wanwan's gaze fell on the two brothers, and her smile gradually deepened.
"My dear husband, there's a place I'd like to go. Would you be willing to accompany me?"
No!
Just by looking at her expression, you can tell it's definitely not good news!
Can Xu Qingzhou say it?
Of course not.
He took a breath and tried his best to maintain a doting smile.
"nature."
Even if the mission target wants to go through fire and water, he has to go with them!
Xu Mingche hesitated for a moment.
"Then I don't need to go, right?"
"No, you can't!"
"no!"
The couple spoke in unison, leaving Xu Mingche bewildered and at a loss.
Why bring him into their business?
Unfortunately, Xu Mingche had no say in front of his idol and older brother.
The three of them eventually set off together.
The wall of the Ye residence.
Xu Mingche kept his eyes tightly shut, not daring to even look inside.
"Sister-in-law...what are we doing here?"
His voice was weak and trembling slightly; he was on the verge of tears.
Although Xu Qingzhou wasn't as exaggerated as him, he still felt very uncomfortable and looked at her.
Is the place she wants to come to the Ye residence?
It's one thing to come to the Ye residence, but why come to the backyard where the women live?
Yu Wanwan chuckled.
"Catching ghosts!"
She jumped down from the wall and waved to the two of them.
"..."
Xu Qingzhou sighed.
What else could we do but jump?
He patted Xu Mingche to make him open his eyes before jumping down.
Xu Mingche was very unhappy.
He studied the Six Arts of a Gentleman from a young age, was well-versed in the Four Books and Five Classics, and abided by the law. When had he ever done anything so outrageous?
But faced with two pairs of menacing eyes below the wall, he had no choice but to jump down as well.
Yu Wanwan led the two of them, avoiding the patrolling guards, and made her way deeper into the backyard.
Seeing her so skilled movements, Xu Qingzhou's doubts grew stronger.
This time, even Xu Mingche, a die-hard fan, noticed something was wrong.
He gently tugged at Xu Qingzhou's sleeve and lowered his voice.
"Brother...how does sister-in-law know so much about the Ye family?"
"..."
Xu Qingzhou was also eager to know.
But could he tell Xu Mingche that he didn't know either?
Obviously not!
That would be so embarrassing.
He pursed his lips and pointed to the guards standing watch outside.
"Don't make a sound."
"..."
Xu Mingche quickly covered his mouth and nodded.
Led by Yu Wanwan, the three of them made several turns, bypassing the guards, and finally arrived at a secluded courtyard.
Before the two brothers could ask, Yu Wanwan had already used a big tree outside the courtyard to leap over the wall and jump into the yard.
Xu Qingzhou and Xu Mingche exchanged a glance, sighed, and then jumped in as well.
When they entered the courtyard, Yu Wanwan was already standing outside a room, using a key to open the door.
At her feet lay a silent maid.
Xu Qingzhou's eyelids twitched, and he instinctively stepped forward to check the maid's breathing.
Although the breathing was faint, it did not stop.
This greatly relieved him.
Thankfully, I'm still alive.
Yu Wanwan glanced at him with a half-smile.
"Don't worry, he's not dead."
Xu Qingzhou looked a little embarrassed, but Yu Wanwan ignored him and swaggered into the room.
Even a casual glance reveals that this is a daughter's house.
Xu Qingzhou and Xu Mingche looked at each other outside, unsure whether to go in, when a familiar voice suddenly came from inside.
"Xi! Qing! Yao!"
Xu Qingzhou's heart tightened, and without thinking, he immediately slipped into the house.
"Big brother!"
Xu Mingche hesitated for a long time, but still followed them inside.
When he went in, Xu Qingzhou was standing to one side, looking at the flickering lamp wick.
Yu Wanwan, on the other hand, had someone under her feet.
The person she was stepping on had a distorted face and eyes full of resentment.
But you can still tell that she is Xiaotang.
Belatedly, he remembered the rumors circulating in the capital recently.
The top courtesan of Zuixianlou, with ambitions beyond measure, failed to curry favor with the heir of the Chengqing Marquis's mansion, and instead turned her attention to scheming against Young Master Ye.
Xu Mingche didn't know what to say for a moment, so he could only silently recite "Don't look at what is improper" and turn his back.
Seeing that both men were turning a blind eye to Yu Wanwan's actions, Xiaotang's jealousy and hatred intensified.
What are you doing here? Are you here to laugh at me?!
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