Feng Zhiwei froze, slowly turned around, pointed at her own nose, and asked incredulously: “Me? Force? Myself? On you?”

That person smiled charmingly, swept back his hair with an alluring gesture, and nodded with infinite charm, while conveniently displaying his torn clothing to Feng Zhiwei: “Look, you even tore my clothes. The evidence is irrefutable.”

Feng Zhiwei was so angry she laughed instead: “With Your Excellency’s old face, the wrinkles on it are deep enough to kill people—me? Force myself? On you?”

“Hey, have some conscience, will you?” That person became anxious and thrust his face directly in front of hers. “I have an old face? Old face? Old face?”

Feng Zhiwei looked closely at short range and had to admit she had indeed spoken against her conscience just now. If this face was an old face, then everyone in the world could enter their coffins.

With such a pretty face, accusing someone of forcing themselves on him—whether the accused was male or female—would be very convincing.

When a situation cannot be avoided, there is no need to avoid it.

This was a casual note from that book earlier, which she very much agreed with. Feng Zhiwei smiled and said: “Fine, I’ll save you. Let go first.”

That person glanced at her sideways, feeling this person was untrustworthy. Feng Zhiwei didn’t struggle either. Still in his embrace, she half-turned and quickly undid his hair bun.

Then she put all the silk flowers she had bought on his head.

The newly purchased peach branch embroidered silk cloth unfurled with a flourish and she draped it over his shoulders.

With one hand she poured the reddish-brown sauce from the sweet lotus root in the porcelain jar onto his face, smeared it around, and his jade-colored skin immediately turned yellow-black.

Then with a horizontal elbow strike, she pinned him against the tree.

This series of actions flowed seamlessly. Before that person could react, Feng Zhiwei had already finished, and the pursuers were already close.

What a fierce female army.

In the lead was a plump, large woman, a cleaver in her left hand and a chopping block in her right, like wielding a spear and staff, very imposing.

Following were a group of pretty young women with similar features to the woman but slimmer builds, holding various weapons—large ones like washboards, small ones like spatulas, everything imaginable.

That group charged over with great momentum. The lead woman brandished her knife and shouted: “You damned scoundrel, daring to sneak around behind my back! If I don’t castrate you today, I’ll write my surname backwards!”

Her large feet stomped as she charged over. Originally thinking she would surely catch that old lecher of hers, she unexpectedly saw a young man in blue clothes leaning down and flirting with a woman.

The woman wore silk flowers and an embroidered silk blouse. The young man’s body blocked hers, and the half of the woman’s face that showed had slightly dark skin.

Hearing voices, the young man turned his head—a face both unfamiliar and ordinary, showing some surprise and displeasure.

That flower-wearing woman, seeing so many people, seemed overcome with shyness. She raised her sleeve to cover her face, trembling timidly.

Neither of these two people bore any resemblance to that scoundrel of hers. Originally thinking this trip would surely catch her philandering ghost, she never expected to interrupt someone else’s tryst. The plump, large woman immediately felt somewhat embarrassed. She awkwardly nodded, waved her hand, and the female army immediately whooshed away.

Under Feng Zhiwei’s arm, the handsome middle-aged man let out a long breath.

With a half-smile, Feng Zhiwei withdrew her arm and blocked the other party’s thanks. She extended her palm: “Four feet of embroidered and gilded silk cloth from Jiangnan, five gold-dotted silk flowers newly arrived at Fengyi Studio, one jin of sweet lotus root with glutinous rice from Sifang Studio—sixteen taels and eight qian of silver in total. Thank you.”

That person’s bowing waist froze halfway. After a long while, he raised his head miserably and said with pursed lips: “…Could I owe you?”

Feng Zhiwei narrowed her eyes: “Your Excellency entered the courtyard without even bringing money?”

“What skill is there in using money to visit girls?” That person proudly straightened his back. “Being able to make a courtesan willingly pay for you—that’s true manhood.”

Feng Zhiwei looked him up and down and nodded as if enlightened: “True, with your looks, it’s hard to say who’s taking advantage of whom.”

“You…” Before the other party could bare his fangs, Feng Zhiwei had already quickly said: “The overnight fee can go unpaid, but the life-saving fee must be given—your wife hasn’t gone far yet!”

That person was helpless. He searched for a long while and handed over a small seal, saying: “This is tianhuang stone, worth some money…”

It was “worth some money”—on the market, a finger-sized piece of tianhuang stone of good quality was worth a thousand gold.

Feng Zhiwei accepted it with some dissatisfaction, frowning: “…Ready silver would be more practical…” and casually tucked it into her pocket.

That handsome middle-aged man had been watching her actions all along. Suddenly he said: “Are you an errand boy at this brothel? For someone of your caliber to lower yourself to this place of pleasure is truly a waste. How about changing places?”

Feng Zhiwei waved her hand without interest: “Thanks, but no thanks.”

“When you change your mind, go to Pine Mountain ten li outside the city to find me. Use this seal to look for Little Xin.”

Feng Zhiwei nodded very perfunctorily, watching the middle-aged man “Little Xin” slink away like a thief, then suddenly called out to stop him.

“May I ask presumptuously—what is your esteemed wife’s surname?”

The middle-aged man grimaced: “…Wang.”

“…”

It was already late. Feng Zhiwei entered through the back door and went first to Yanhong’s place to deliver the silk flowers. Just as she was about to push the door, the curtain lifted and a person rushed out quickly, colliding with her. Then she heard Yanhong’s shrill voice cursing loudly: “What family spawned this little bastard! One tael of silver and you dare ask me to spend the night!”

That person’s face flushed red with shame. Angrily he turned back to retort: “This young master wouldn’t pay half a tael to look at you!”

Feng Zhiwei froze, not expecting that after hiding for so long, she still ran into Feng Hao. This was too pathetic—he had stooped to coming to a brothel.

Feng Hao didn’t notice this errand boy. He was trembling all over with anger. Some days ago he had just made a batch of respectable friends who took him everywhere to play, let him experience many new things, and egged him on to “taste the flavor of women,” saying one tael of silver would be enough. He never expected that today at Orchid Fragrance Courtyard, that small piece of silver would be thrown right back out.

The curtain swung open and Yanhong came out with her willow eyebrows standing on end, her finger nearly poking Feng Hao’s nose: “Poor wretch, go back and cling to your mother’s belly. Want to visit me? Still too early!”

Feng Hao had been pampered since childhood—how could he endure such treatment? He reached out to slap Yanhong: “Stinking whore!”

A hand suddenly appeared out of nowhere, lightly intercepting his palm.

Feng Hao’s flushed face struggled, but couldn’t break free. Only then did he raise his eyes to see the yellow-faced errand boy across from him, quietly watching him.

After a moment of shock, Feng Hao recognized Feng Zhiwei and cried “Ah”: “Sister—”

“Borrow money? Don’t have any!” Feng Zhiwei quickly cut off his words and bowed slightly to Yanhong: “Miss Yanhong, this is a fellow townsman of mine…”

“What a country bumpkin…” Yanhong muttered and waved her hand. Feng Hao still wanted to argue but was already dragged out by Feng Zhiwei.

Even after leaving the courtyard, Feng Hao was still indignant, cursing loudly: “Bitch! Only recognizes silver!”

Feng Zhiwei didn’t even have the heart to lecture him anymore. Mother had always doted on him single-mindedly, and in recent years had become even more excessive. What use would a few light words from her serve?

She didn’t bother with Feng Hao, but Feng Hao refused to let her go. With a bellyful of resentment and nowhere to vent it, he found everyone disagreeable. He tilted his head and looked askance at Feng Zhiwei: “Sister, why would you be in such a filthy place? A respectable young lady from a good family—how can you be so shameless? Aren’t you afraid of sullying our Feng family’s reputation?”

Feng Zhiwei turned her head and looked at Feng Hao incredulously—she had previously only felt that Mother’s favoritism toward her son might not be good for Feng Hao, but she never imagined a person could be spoiled to such an ungrateful degree. Forget character—even conscience couldn’t be found.

Her dark pupils shone brilliantly in the dusk, like an abyssal whirlpool, cold and profound, making Feng Hao shrink back. Then he heard his always-gentle sister speak, biting out each word like cutting through gold and jade.

“No matter how shameless I am, I wouldn’t take Mother’s hard-earned savings to play at a brothel. No matter how much I disgrace the family, it can’t compare to the Feng family’s only male heir deceiving people for money to visit prostitutes at fourteen.”

“Who deceived people for money to visit prostitutes!” Feng Hao jumped up as if his tail had been stepped on, his red-lipped, white-toothed face contorted with uncontrollable fury. “You’re framing me! Slandering me! Shameless! False accusation!”

Feng Zhiwei sneered: “You seem more skilled in that way.”

Feng Hao choked, thinking of Feng Zhiwei’s current circumstances, and finally felt somewhat guilty. After a long while, just as he was stammering to speak, a large group of people came over laughing and playing. The one in front greeted Feng Hao: “Ah Hao, did you have fun?”

“With the grand sum of one tael of silver, the girls must have been fighting to offer themselves to you?” A richly-dressed young man winked suggestively with a mocking expression.

“Of course! If Young Master Hao likes someone, why not keep her? One tael of silver is enough!”

Everyone burst into laughter.

Feng Hao’s face turned alternately green and white. Feng Zhiwei watched coldly from the side, knowing these were the group of young masters mentioned in Mother and Hao’er’s earlier conversation. Feng Hao rarely went out, had no money, and had few opportunities to move among wealthy households. How did he meet these people?

Feng Hao was young and hot-blooded—how could he endure such face-to-face mockery? He said angrily: “You think I really can’t produce anything valuable? Just wait!”

He turned to leave in a huff. Feng Zhiwei’s instinct told her this was bad—would this kid, in his anger, go home and rummage through Mother’s hidden savings? She quickly grabbed him and said in a low voice: “Don’t lose your mind!”

Feng Hao struggled: “Let go! Let go! A gentleman can be killed but not humiliated!”

Feng Zhiwei was both angry and amused. She raised her hand and dragged him to a wall corner. During this time helping that wide-robed person with chores, her strength had unknowingly increased considerably. Feng Hao actually couldn’t break free. The two struggled in the wall corner. Feng Zhiwei restrained her brother and said angrily: “What do you want to do? You haven’t embarrassed yourself enough?”

Feng Hao stiffened his neck and continued throwing his young master tantrum: “Cannot be humiliated!”

But Feng Zhiwei was thinking about today’s events. Feng Hao suddenly making these friends, suddenly going to visit prostitutes, now being pushed to this point—somehow, she always felt there was something strange about these seemingly ordinary events, making her uneasy.

She was somewhat distracted. Without warning, a mud-gold fan inserted itself between the two of them. The young man who had spoken first smiled and said: “What are you two sneaking around here plotting?”

He glanced at the handsome-faced Feng Hao and suddenly smiled mysteriously, saying: “So what if you got kicked out by a whore for having no money? Don’t worry. Hao brother, with such good looks, I’ll introduce you—spend one night at any prince’s manor, and when you come out you’ll have enough to keep ten whores for a year!”

“Smack!”

Before the last syllable ended, blood blossomed in midair, splashing vividly and brightly. That young man’s eyes suddenly went blank. With a short “Ah” sound, he crashed to the ground with a thud.

Also falling to the ground was the half brick stained with blood in Feng Hao’s hand.

Young Master Feng had, in that moment just now, rarely acted so swiftly—smashing open the other person’s head with one brick.

“Murder!”

The brick-smacking sound startled the other young men waiting on the other side of the wall. One person poked his head over, saw the young man on the ground, and immediately shrieked like a chicken being slaughtered.

The out-of-tune shriek awakened the two stunned people. Feng Zhiwei thought this was bad and reached out to grab Feng Hao, wanting to pull him away to escape together. Her hand had just extended when Feng Hao suddenly shoved the blood-stained brick in his hand into hers!

Then with a roll, he flipped over a short wall behind them. With a thud, he seemed to have fallen on the other side, but without stopping, he scrambled up and ran away.

Feng Zhiwei’s first reaction was to throw away the brick in her hand, but it was already too late. That group of wealthy young men had already surged over, shouting in unison:

“Catch that person! He killed someone!”