“Miss, look, isn’t that Eldest Miss Jiang Wanfu over there?” Xiuzhu pointed toward a graceful figure in the crowd across the street, sounding surprised.
Jiang Wantang followed her finger and caught sight of Jiang Wanfu lifting her white veil hat.
The latter was staring fixedly in the direction of the imperial carriage, her gaze both infatuated and complex.
Xiuzhu was puzzled: “Miss, didn’t she admire Young Marquis Xiao and not want to enter the palace?”
“Why, why…”
That strange feeling—Xiuzhu couldn’t quite put it into words at the moment.
“Why would she look at the person on the imperial carriage with such affection?” Jiang Wantang softly finished her thought.
Xiuzhu suddenly understood: “Yes, that’s exactly it!”
Mouths can lie, but eyes cannot.
“Because the look in one’s eyes when they love someone cannot be hidden.” Jiang Wantang smiled, her expression tinged with sarcasm. “The noble man on that imperial carriage is her true beloved.”
“She likes the Emperor!”
Xiuzhu found it hard to believe, covering her mouth immediately after speaking.
Jiang Wantang nodded with a smile.
“Then why doesn’t she enter the palace herself?” Xiuzhu asked curiously.
In truth, ever since hearing that Jiang Wanfu was willing to marry into the Marquis Estate, she had known that Jiang Wanfu, like herself, had been reborn.
It was simply because Jiang Wanfu, who had always looked down on everyone, was not someone who would easily compromise.
Jiang Wantang’s gaze deepened slightly as she said calmly, “Emperors are fickle. Falling in love with such a man is destined to end like a moth flying into a flame.”
She just hadn’t expected that, even after starting over, Jiang Wanfu still couldn’t forget Ji Wuyuan.
So, she was merely afraid.
Not that she didn’t love him anymore.
“But what about you, Miss…” Xiuzhu began worriedly.
“It’s fine. He is fickle; I am heartless.”
“He and I merely take what we need from each other.”
The imperial carriage procession moved away grandly, and soon the long street returned to its bustling, prosperous scene.
Jiang Wantang then spotted her elder brother, Jiang Huaizhou, in the following entourage.
And riding alongside him… Xiao Jingheng.
One was elegant and transcendent, like a clear moon after rain; the other was spirited and dashing, a refined young gentleman.
Both possessed outstanding looks, quickly drawing the attention of countless onlookers.
Bold women on the street had already begun throwing embroidered handkerchiefs and pouches toward them.
Xiuzhu excitedly waved at Jiang Huaizhou, calling out loudly, “Young Master! Young Master!”
Amid the noisy street sounds, Jiang Huaizhou didn’t hear Xiuzhu’s call, but it caught the attention of Xiao Jingheng beside him.
Jiang Wantang quickly pulled Xiuzhu around, avoiding his gaze.
Once his eyes moved away, the two slipped out of the crowd.
“Miss, aren’t we going to meet the Eldest Young Master?” Xiuzhu asked, following behind her.
“It’s fine. We’ve already seen him.”
“Right now, we have more urgent matters to attend to.”
Afterward, Jiang Wantang took Xiuzhu to various famous taverns, teahouses, and pleasure houses throughout Jingcheng…
They visited the flower streets, the willow lanes, and Hongyan Yuan.
“Ah, it hurts, it hurts… Master, please be ‘gentler’…”
“Don’t…”
On the bed, a woman with reddened eyes pleaded softly for mercy.
Clothes lay scattered in disarray on the floor beneath…
The woman’s bonelessly soft arms wrapped around the man’s shoulders as she breathed out like orchid-scented air: “Master, is my ‘service’… to your satisfaction?”
“Satisfied, of course satisfied!”
The man panted heavily like an ox: “You’re much more agreeable, unlike that bitch Yunshang, who doesn’t know her place at all.”
“Sister Yunshang is the Flower Queen of our Hongyan Yuan and hasn’t yet had a Patron, so her temperament is inevitably a bit haughty.”
“Master, please be more forgiving…”
“Hmph, what does she think she is, daring to act proud in front of me!”
“My Qi family is the maternal clan of Empress Dowager Qi herself, Imperial Relatives and Nobility. Even the Emperor wouldn’t dare touch my Qi family!”
The lust in the man’s eyes gradually faded, replaced by boundless malice.
“Tomorrow, when she makes her Debut, I’ll bid for her Midnight. Let’s see if I don’t teach her a lesson!”
The woman on the bed was frightened by the cruelty in the man’s eyes, trembling uncontrollably…
“Ah…”
“You really are a tormenting little ‘siren’!”
The man gritted his teeth and grunted.
He patted the woman beneath him, letting out a sinister, wicked laugh: “Hehe, beauty, let’s ‘play’ something interesting today…”
Soon after, the woman’s cries and screams echoed through the room…
The couple on the bed tossed and turned in an endless sea of desire, the crimson waves of the bedding churning higher and higher.
Completely unaware that two people were hidden in the wardrobe in the corner of the room.
Xiuzhu: !!!Expression of shock or surprise.
Jiang Wantang: (displeased look) firing a gun
╰︿つ-]═──
Chapter 14: She Likes the Emperor
“Miss, look, isn’t that the eldest young lady, Jiang Wanfu?” Xiuzhu pointed toward a graceful figure in the crowd across from them, her voice filled with surprise.
Jiang Wantang looked in the direction she was pointing and happened to see Jiang Wanfu lifting her white veiled hat.
The latter was staring fixedly at the imperial carriage, her gaze obsessed and complex.
Xiuzhu was puzzled. “Miss, didn’t she fancy Young Marquis Xiao? Didn’t she want to avoid entering the palace?”
“Why… why…”
Xiuzhu couldn’t quite put words to the strange feeling for a moment.
“Why is she looking at the person on the imperial carriage with such affection?” Jiang Wantang finished her sentence in a low voice.
Xiuzhu suddenly understood. “Yes, that’s the feeling!”
Mouths can lie, but eyes cannot.
“Because the look of love in one’s eyes cannot be hidden.” Jiang Wantang smiled, her gaze mocking. “That noble man on the imperial carriage is her true beloved.”
“She likes the Emperor!”
Xiuzhu found it hard to believe and immediately covered her mouth after speaking.
Jiang Wantang nodded with a smile.
“Then why didn’t she enter the palace herself?” Xiuzhu asked curiously.
In fact, ever since she heard that Jiang Wanfu was willing to marry into the Marquis Estate, Jiang Wantang knew that Jiang Wanfu, like herself, had experienced rebirth.
Otherwise, the habitually haughty Jiang Wanfu was not someone who would compromise so easily.
Jiang Wantang’s eyes deepened slightly as she said calmly, “An emperor is fickle. Loving such a man is destined to end like a moth to a flame.”
However, she hadn’t expected that even after starting over, Jiang Wanfu would still be so pining for Ji Wuyuan.
It turned out she was simply afraid.
It wasn’t that she no longer loved him.
“Then Miss, you…” Xiuzhu spoke up worriedly.
“It’s no matter. He is fickle, and I am heartless.”
“He and I are merely taking what we need from each other.”
The grand procession of the imperial carriage moved on, and before long, the long street regained its bustling and prosperous atmosphere.
Jiang Wantang then saw her brother, Jiang Huai Zhou, in the following entourage.
As well as the man riding alongside him… Xiao Jingheng.
One was elegant and ethereal, like the clear moon after rain; the other was high-spirited, a dashing noble.
Both possessed such outstanding appearances that they quickly attracted the gaze of countless people.
Some bold women on the street were already throwing embroidered handkerchiefs and sachets at them.
Xiuzhu excitedly waved at Jiang Huai Zhou, shouting, “Young Master! Young Master!”
The street was noisy, and Jiang Huai Zhou did not hear Xiuzhu’s calls. Instead, it drew the attention of Xiao Jingheng by his side.
Jiang Wantang quickly pulled Xiuzhu around, avoiding his gaze.
Once his gaze moved away, the two of them left the crowd.
“Miss, aren’t we going to greet the Eldest Young Master?” Xiuzhu asked as she followed behind.
“It’s fine, we’ve already seen him.”
“Right now, we have more important things to do.”
Afterward, Jiang Wantang took Xiuzhu to the various famous restaurants, tea houses, and the Qinlou and Chuguan of Jingcheng…
The street of flowers, the lane of willows, and Hongyan Yuan.
“It hurts, it hurts, Master, please be gentler…”
“Don’t…”
On the bed, a woman’s eyes were red as she begged softly.
Clothing lay in a messy heap on the floor…
The woman’s soft, boneless arms clung to the man’s shoulders as she exhaled like lilies. “Master, are you… satisfied with my service?”
“Satisfied, of course I’m satisfied!”
The man panted heavily like an ox. “At least you’re sensible, unlike that bitch Yunshang who doesn’t know what’s good for her.”
“Sister Yunshang is the Flower Queen of our Hongyan Yuan, and she hasn’t had a Patron yet. Her temperament is inevitably a bit proud.”
“Master, please be patient with her…”
“Hmph, what kind of thing is she to act proud in front of me!”
“My Qi Family is the maternal clan of the current Empress Dowager Qi! We are Imperial Relatives and Nobility; even the Emperor wouldn’t dare do anything to my Qi Family!”
The lust in the man’s eyes gradually faded, replaced by endless ruthlessness.
“When she makes her Debut tomorrow, I’ll bid for her Midnight. See if I don’t teach her a lesson!”
The woman on the bed was terrified by the ferocity in the man’s eyes, and her whole body couldn’t stop trembling…
“Hiss…”
“You really are a vexing little vixen!”
The man gritted his teeth and let out a low groan.
He slapped the woman beneath him and gave a sinister, evil laugh. “Hehe, Meiren, let’s play something interesting today…”
Soon, the woman’s cries rang out in the room…
The man and woman on the bed drifted in a boundless sea of desire, the red waves of the blankets flipping over and over.
They didn’t notice at all that in the wardrobe in the corner of the room, two people were hidden.
Xiuzhu: !!!Throwing hands up in despair
Jiang Wantang: aiming a gun