Xiao Shao looked at her thoughtfully. Jiang Ruan was indeed angry, and this discovery filled his heart with faint satisfaction. Even the cold expression that had remained since Jiang Susu’s appearance vanished, leaving only a hint of amusement.
Seeing him smile, Jiang Ruan felt even more annoyed, this annoyance mixed with some self-disgust. Since her rebirth, perhaps having learned from her previous life’s lessons, she didn’t invest too much expectation in anything. But once she recognized something as hers, she possessed an extremely strong sense of ownership. Having already accepted becoming the mistress of Prince Jinying’s residence, regardless of whether there were feelings between her and Xiao Shao, privately, Xiao Shao in his entirety belonged to her.
Jiang Susu had touched what was hers, naturally making her displeased. Yet the instigator showed no awareness, wearing that beautiful face while playing innocent.
The more angry she became, the more adorable she appeared to Xiao Shao. Before Jiang Ruan could speak, he pulled her to his side and seated her on his lap.
“You…” Jiang Ruan was furious. Strictly speaking, this wasn’t the first time Xiao Shao had done this – when she was at Prince Jinying’s residence, she had been honored with such treatment from Xiao Shao before. But that time Xiao Shao had been drunk and not in his right mind, so it could be overlooked. Now, in broad daylight, though they were engaged, this behavior was still too bold and sudden.
“Don’t move.” Xiao Shao held her back, his movements gentle yet surprisingly strong, not allowing resistance. His next words made Jiang Ruan abandon her plans to glare at him coldly. He said: “A husband embracing his wife is perfectly natural.”
Jiang Ruan rolled her eyes internally, then heard Xiao Shao continue: “It would be better if an incomparable beauty came to seduce me instead.”
This person who was always cold and sharp-tongued turned out to be quite the smooth talker when he spoke. Jiang Ruan looked at him with some disbelief, feeling somewhat confused. She had thought he was joking, yet he maintained such a serious expression that it was puzzling. However, after this series of actions from Xiao Shao, her earlier displeasure had completely vanished.
Being good-looking really was advantageous. Jiang Ruan thought to herself about how beauty could bewitch people, momentarily occupied with her own thoughts and not paying attention to Xiao Shao’s expression. She thus missed the joy that flashed in Xiao Shao’s eyes as he held the beauty.
Time passed until Xiao Shao’s expression shifted slightly and he patted her head: “Someone’s coming.”
What these two did privately was none of others’ business, but Jiang Ruan was still unmarried and had to observe proper etiquette. Moreover, in a place of intrigue like the Jiang residence, one careless moment could spread rumors harmful to Jiang Ruan. With Xiao Shao’s reminder, Jiang Ruan stood up and properly picked up the tea on the table, pretending to pour tea for Xiao Shao.
They heard someone knocking outside: “First Miss?”
The voice was Hong Ying’s. She had probably discovered that there had been no movement for a long time, and seeing that the messenger hadn’t returned with news, she had grown suspicious and come to see for herself. The timing was just right – if there hadn’t been other plans here, Hong Ying’s scheme would have succeeded by now.
Jiang Ruan smiled slightly: “Come in.”
Hong Ying’s hand pushing the door paused slightly, her heart beginning to pound. Why was Jiang Ruan so calm? Why was it so quiet inside? She couldn’t detect even a trace of displeasure in her voice. The servants and old women responsible for guarding the door were also nowhere to be found. The more frightened Hong Ying became, the less she dared to push the door casually. She began to regret why she had so rashly agreed to Jiang Susu’s request. Xiao Shao wasn’t an ordinary person – if he discovered their scheme and wanted revenge, she would have no way to deal with it.
The door was eventually opened. Hong Ying took a deep breath and looked inside, seeing everything neat and tidy. Jiang Ruan stood beside Xiao Shao, pouring tea for him. Everything appeared normal.
Hong Ying looked searchingly at the two people. Jiang Ruan remained as inscrutable as always, her lips bearing a faint smile, making it impossible to read her thoughts. Xiao Shao was the same, as indifferent as before, showing no particular expression. Yet even so, Hong Ying could still sense a faint… joy in the room?
Joy?
What had happened here? Hong Ying looked around but didn’t see Jiang Susu anywhere. What was going on? Hong Ying was first shocked, then gradually calmed down, even feeling somewhat relieved. Looking at Jiang Ruan and Xiao Shao’s lack of displeasure, it seemed Jiang Susu hadn’t succeeded. Hong Ying was disappointed while finding it somewhat unbelievable. According to Jiang Susu’s plan, she shouldn’t have failed. Jiang Susu had such charm that even without special methods, she could drive men crazy. How could Xiao Shao be an exception and not fall for her?
On second thought, Hong Ying felt relieved. When pushing the door earlier, she had somewhat regretted rashly agreeing to Jiang Susu’s request. This Xiao Shao was ultimately a court minister with many times more influence than Jiang Quan. If he discovered she had conspired with Jiang Susu to scheme against him, he would inevitably retaliate in anger. Opposing such a person was too risky. Now that Jiang Susu had overestimated herself and fled in disgrace, this matter could be considered closed, having nothing to do with her regardless.
She smiled apologetically: “This concubine came to see if Your Highness and First Miss needed anything else, so this concubine could have it prepared. This is Your Highness’s first time in our residence, and with our families becoming close in the future, we mustn’t be negligent.”
Jiang Ruan glanced at her lightly, her curled eyelashes suddenly fluttering as she smiled: “Auntie is so thoughtful, but speaking of which, this room indeed needs some tidying up.”
Hong Ying was stunned and asked blankly: “What instructions does First Miss have?”
Xiao Shao looked at Jiang Ruan without speaking, his gaze full of indulgence, obviously prepared to listen to whatever nonsense his young mistress would say.
Jiang Ruan tucked her hair behind her ear, her expression utterly sincere without a trace of pretense: “The tea pavilion Auntie chose has beautiful scenery and is quite nice. It’s just that perhaps it hasn’t been cleaned for too long – there were rats inside gnawing on things.”
“Rats?” Hong Ying had been nervous when Jiang Ruan spoke, but hearing her words, she laughed: “How could there be rats? First Miss must have seen wrong. This concubine specifically had people clean it beforehand.” Moreover, to achieve her goal, Jiang Susu had already arranged everything inside and out of the tea pavilion. How could such a romantic place tolerate rats to disturb things?
“If Auntie doesn’t believe it, go look.” Jiang Ruan pointed to the jade screen in the room, her smile carrying more meaning: “A rat suddenly darted out earlier and startled me, so Prince Xiao killed it. Those are the stains it left.”
Hong Ying looked in the direction Jiang Ruan pointed and saw a pool of blood beneath the jade screen. The blood seemed to have splattered out, staining parts of the jade screen, appearing particularly clear and startling.
Hong Ying was initially confused and about to say something when a thought suddenly flashed through her mind. Her face turned deathly pale as she retreated several steps. She stared fixedly at the bloodstain, then turned to look at Jiang Ruan. Jiang Ruan smiled and nodded at her, saying softly: “Can Auntie see clearly now?”
Just then, someone outside shouted loudly: “Something’s wrong! Something’s wrong! Something happened to Second Miss!”
…
Just a few hundred meters from the Jiang residence gates, the area was now completely surrounded by people, three layers deep, all common folk. Among these people, the men’s gazes were particularly fervent.
“What a beautiful woman! Those eyes are so seductive I can barely contain myself!”
“Truly a fairy’s face with a courtesan’s body – that figure could echo for nine days!”
“Whose daughter is this? How did she end up lying here?” some kind-hearted people asked.
“Look at her dress – does she look like a daughter from a good family? Hey, brother, you probably haven’t seen such things before. We see this kind of scene often in the capital. Usually it’s improper women who mess around with men and get dealt with by the legitimate wife. Look, they’re deliberately giving her a lesson. But this woman is really something – just looking at her drives one wild. I wonder which young master has such fortune. Beauty’s favor is the hardest to bear!”
“Bah! What kind of eyes do you have? What improper woman? Isn’t this Second Miss from the Minister Jiang’s residence? The famous talented woman of the capital – I thought she looked familiar! I’m definitely right. What’s going on here?”
The person surrounded in the center of the crowd wore plain white robes that were somewhat revealing, outlining curves that sparked imagination. Her long black hair, freshly washed, clung wetly to her body, making the already thin clothing even more transparent, almost revealing the beautiful scenery beneath. The woman’s head was lowered, but one could still see a delicate, refined small face. Whether from anger or shame, her fair face was slightly flushed, making her even more heart-stirring. The faint sweet fragrance emanating from her body filled the air like the finest aphrodisiac, making the surrounding gazes as predatory as wolves. Several men had begun to stir, touching and groping her.
Jiang Susu nearly bit through her silver teeth. When that guard had thrown her here, he had somehow sealed her pressure points, leaving her weak and powerless like a drowning dog for these lowly commoners to gawk at, having to endure these men’s disgusting stares. Thinking of this, Jiang Susu wanted to gouge out the eyes of everyone looking at her. Of course, she hated most the creator of all this – Jiang Ruan.
She couldn’t say anything, only hearing the indecent discussions around her.
“Don’t fool me into thinking I’m ignorant. The Minister’s residence is at least an official household – how could a pure, jade-like miss behave so wantonly? Besides, look at this woman – her whole body exudes sensuality. How could a proper young lady give off such an aura? She’s probably already experienced in intimate matters – what a temptress.”
A pot-bellied middle-aged man finally couldn’t restrain himself. Waving a fan, he approached and crouched before Jiang Susu, grabbing her chin to make her lift her head. When everyone saw Jiang Susu’s face clearly, they gasped again, praising her beauty. The middle-aged man was obviously very satisfied. His lecherous gaze roamed over Jiang Susu’s entire body before saying: “Excellent, quite a beauty. Miss, which establishment are you from? Come home with this master to be my seventeenth concubine – I’ll take very good care of you.”
This man was decked in gold and silver but looked coarse and vulgar, his speech crude – clearly some newly rich master. Normally, if someone treated Jiang Susu this way, she would have scolded them long ago. Now, facing such a disgusting face, she couldn’t even open her mouth.
Seeing Jiang Susu’s silence, the middle-aged man assumed she had agreed. He reached out his fat hand to pat her face: “Beauty, come home with me now.”
However, he wasn’t the only one with lustful thoughts among the spectators. Someone immediately spoke up: “I clearly saw this girl first – what are you fighting for?” This was a wealthy official’s son who looked quite prosperous.
“What’s all this noise? This old man also took a fancy to this woman – there should be a first-come-first-served rule.”
Beautiful women always drew attention, especially such a naturally gorgeous temptress. Some wanted to take the beauty home as their own, while others wanted to dress her up nicely and present her to superiors to advance their careers – such a beauty would surely be impressive as a gift to those above.
Unlike the men, women looked at Jiang Susu with contempt: “Tsk, nowadays these vixens are becoming more outrageous, actually being so shameless in broad daylight on the streets.”
“Indeed,” women were most intolerant of such debased, vulgar people, all discussing: “Truly corrupting public morals. These brothel women are simply shameless – what decent family could do such things?” They actually took Jiang Susu for a courtesan from the pleasure quarters.
Jiang Susu only hated that she currently couldn’t speak and was powerless, otherwise she would definitely take scissors to cut out these gossiping women’s tongues. She had always considered herself a fairy descended from the ninth heaven’s jade pond, always maintaining an aloof appearance of being untouched by worldly concerns. Even in the capital, various praises added luster to her mystique. When had she ever fallen to such a wretched state, as if all her disguises had been stripped away, exposed naked under everyone’s scrutinizing gazes? It was utterly humiliating!
Perhaps the only proof of her charm was those men fighting over her with jealousy. Even in her current state, these men were still captivated by her beauty. But… the men fighting over her now were all common people – either merchants reeking of money or newly rich country gentry, completely different from the elegant young masters of before. Even the least remarkable of her former admirers was countless times better than anyone here. The stark contrast between past and present nearly drove Jiang Susu to collapse.
The fighting here drew more and more onlookers. Just then, a voice called out: “Over there!”
Jiang Susu looked up to see the crowd being parted, with several people walking in from outside. Leading were several household servants, followed by a pregnant woman – Hong Ying.
Seeing Hong Ying suddenly, Jiang Susu felt both angry and anxious. Hong Ying hurried forward and without a word ordered the servants to help Jiang Susu leave. Knowing this was shameful, they dared not do anything else to reveal their identities, only hoping to settle the matter quietly.
But while Hong Ying thought this way, the surrounding people disagreed. Those men who had been fighting red-faced over Jiang Susu simultaneously stopped and blocked Hong Ying’s path, one saying: “What are you doing? The woman I’ve taken a fancy to – you dare touch her?”
Hong Ying suppressed her anger and smiled at the man: “Sir, to be honest, this is a distant niece of mine. She’s had some trouble, and I’ve come to take her back. Please step aside, sir.”
If it were someone else, it might be different, but this was a crude, ignorant wealthy merchant who immediately laughed loudly: “Little lady, don’t try to fool me into thinking I’m ignorant. What distant niece? This woman is clearly from some brothel or pleasure house. I’m not unreasonable – name your price, little lady. Whatever silver it takes, I’ll pay. I like this little beauty and want to take her home to be my seventeenth concubine.”
Hong Ying’s face flushed with anger at these words. This person was so unreasonable that logic wouldn’t work, but she absolutely couldn’t let him casually take Jiang Susu away today. If Jiang Susu were taken, and people who recognized her spread the word, there would probably be no place for the Jiang family in the capital. As for Jiang Quan, knowing his most beloved second daughter had encountered such a thing, he would surely blame all the fault on her head – what good end would she have then?
But Hong Ying forgot that even if Jiang Susu wasn’t taken away now, there were no impenetrable walls in the world – paper could never contain fire, and this matter would eventually spread. It hadn’t been exposed yet because people couldn’t connect this sensually seductive woman with the fairy-like Second Miss of the Minister’s residence. But the capital was only so big – there would always be a few acquaintances. With Jiang Susu having such an incident so close to the Minister’s residence gates today, her reputation was ruined. What good end could she have in this lifetime? For a woman, she might as well be dead. How could Jiang Quan let this go when he learned of it?
Hong Ying forced a smile: “Sir, she’s not from any brothel – she’s a proper young lady from a decent family. I’m afraid she can’t fulfill your wishes.”
“What proper woman?” The wealthy merchant was also displeased: “Think I don’t have eyes? What are you really trying to do with all this evasion? Men, take my seventeenth concubine home.” This person was completely unreasonable, planning to simply snatch her away. He even grinned at Hong Ying: “Little lady, don’t be ungrateful.”
“You—” Hong Ying had never encountered such a scoundrel. In her urgency, she said: “You dare! Do you know who she is?”
“Who is she?” The man smiled without warmth: “Don’t tell me she’s some golden branch and jade leaf?”
Hong Ying choked, not daring to reveal Jiang Susu’s name. Just then, she saw a guard approaching from the distance, calling loudly: “Auntie! The County Princess sent this subordinate to help search for Second Miss’s whereabouts. Any news?”