Geschichte über einen Ehemanndiebstahl

Kapitel 85

Zhou Jixiang's loud outburst had certainly vented his anger, but it had also left him panting heavily. He glanced helplessly at the Seventh Prince, then bowed slightly to the Princess Consort: "Gentlemen, please stop tormenting me! I've wronged the Jiang family. When that child arrives, I'll personally apologize and come to their door, okay? Yiran's two older brothers are already married, and this child is still undecided. If that child still wants her, I'll even kidnap her if I have to. But you can't try to fool people with a fake! I'm already so old; I can't withstand such a commotion..."

Princess Consort barely managed to suppress her laughter and explained softly, "Prime Minister Zhou, what are you saying? With the friendship between our two families over the years, how could we joke about something like this? You saw that girl just now; she really does look a lot like Xiao You. Moreover, Ruilang and I tested her several times yesterday, and she answered almost flawlessly. If it were just a simple case of impersonation, she wouldn't know so much inside information."

The blush on Zhou Jixiang's face gradually faded, but he still looked suspicious: "But those eyes..."

The Seventh Prince quickly put down his teacup, his dark eyes full of amusement: "Hey Old Zhou, can you put that eye thing aside for now?" He then chuckled twice more: "To actually call someone's eyes 'bull's eyes,' if Brother Jiang knew in the afterlife, hearing you speak so disparagingly of his wife's eyes..."

Zhou Qianbo sighed deeply and said softly, "Do you know how many times I've dreamt of that child's eyes over the years? Every time, they stare at me intently, asking why I didn't help him when he was dying, why I kicked him when he was down... How could I forget? How could I let it go..."

A moment of silence fell over the hall. The four people looked at each other in pairs, remaining speechless for a long time.

backyard.

Zhou Yufei and the woman walked at the front. They strolled along, admiring the flowers and plants. Zhou, with his eloquent tongue, displayed his charming and romantic nature, while the woman maintained a polite smile, though her eyes held a subtle distance. Zhou Yufei was secretly pleased, but outwardly became increasingly eager, occasionally picking a flower, sometimes pointing to a pavilion in the distance, appearing extremely solicitous. The woman seemed to listen attentively, but her gaze wandered slightly, frequently glancing at the movements of the people behind them.

Duan Chen and Xiao Changqing walked about five steps apart, with Zuo Xin following at the very back. Zhao Ting and Zhan Yun originally wanted to follow Duan Chen, but a glare from Xiao Changqing made them stay behind and walk side by side with Zuo Xin.

The two weren't afraid of Xiao Changqing, but they could tell Duan Chen was in a bad mood and didn't dare to upset the beauty further. They obediently followed behind, their four gazes fixed on the pale blue figure, their expressions showing some anguish. Zuo Xin glanced at the two and chuckled softly, "Can't even handle this?"

Zhao Ting glanced at Zuo Xin, then continued watching the beautiful woman's back, straining his ears to listen to their conversation. Zhan Yun smiled faintly and replied in a low voice, "It's indeed not a pleasant experience."

Zuo Xin gave Zhan Yun a meaningful look and nodded with a smile.

Xiao Changqing walked beside Duan Chen, stroking his chin and scrutinizing the two people not far away: "I must say, that kid is more suited to that kind of girl."

Duan Chen, who was already preoccupied and feeling depressed, was also puzzled by these words: "Which kind?"

Xiao Changqing blinked her round eyes and counted on her fingers for Duan Chen: "Look, that Zhou kid is a womanizer. A man like that should be paired with a feisty woman, and one who is also beautiful."

Duan Chen's lips curled into a smile as he was amused by Xiao Changqing, and he glanced at the two of them with his cold phoenix eyes: "How do you know that woman is shrewish?"

Xiao Changqing's eyes darted around, and he said mysteriously, "Not only do I know she has a fiery personality, but I can also tell she comes from a brothel." He whispered the last sentence in Duan Chen's ear, and seeing Duan Chen's eyes widen in surprise, Xiao Changqing continued smugly, "Someone like you, Duan, is a perfect match for someone gentle and refined yet with some skill... Hmm? Come to think of it, if I were seven or eight years younger, I'd be quite suitable too..."

Duan Chen sensed the hidden meaning in Xiao Changqing's words and awkwardly turned his face away, looking into the distance. He didn't notice Xiao Changqing's last self-talk. Zuo Xin, who was behind him, heard it clearly and couldn't help but twitch his eye, coughing heavily twice.

Xiao Changqing waved his hand, signaling Zuo Xin not to cause trouble, and continued to analyze for Duan Chen with great interest: "Don't be shy! Listen to me, actually, there are many types that can match someone like you. The key is to be patient and able to withstand the test, and to know how to seize the opportunity at crucial moments..."

The three people following behind were only seven or eight feet away from him. Xiao Changqing's voice wasn't loud, but he could definitely hear clearly. Duan Chen was both embarrassed and angry, not knowing what to say. Zhou Yufei and that woman were chatting not far ahead, so he couldn't get too close. For a moment, he was so anxious that the tips of his ears turned red.

Zhan Yun, who was behind, heard and saw everything clearly. She quickly and gently came to Duan Chen's rescue, saying, "It's getting late. Let's go to the South Courtyard."

The woman and Zhou Yufei walked towards the group. The group then changed direction and headed towards the south courtyard.

During the meal, everyone ate and drank as usual. The Seventh Prince and Zhou Qianbo didn't try to probe the woman again. The Princess Consort served everyone with a smile, and Madam Zhou, as before, spoke warmly with the woman. Zhou Yufei also figured things out. He drank and joked around, always wearing a carefree smile, looking even more like a playboy than a playboy himself.

Zhao Ting and Zhan Yun, not wanting to get involved, occasionally served Duan Chen food, but spent the rest of the time quietly drinking. Xiao Changqing, treating it as a show, ate his meal with relish, occasionally praising the Prince's Jade Wine for its pure and mellow taste. Zuo Xin was even quieter, focusing solely on taking care of the person next to him and ignoring everything else.

After dinner, everyone sat around the table drinking tea. The woman, however, seemed suddenly inspired and said she would play a tune for them. Taoran Residence had windows on all four sides, and outside grew a large grove of crabapple trees. The crabapple blossoms were beautiful and charming, their fragrance exceptionally rich, carried on the gentle evening breeze. The woman stood by the window, wearing a long, intricately layered crimson dress, truly resembling a delicate crabapple blossom, so beautiful it was almost blinding.

Picking up a seven-hole bamboo flute, the woman lowered her head slightly, and the flute music began to play softly. With a "clatter," the wine cup in Duan Chen's hand fell to the ground, and the clear wine splashed onto a corner of his light blue clothes.

Everyone at the table turned their gaze to Duan Chen, and the woman stopped playing and looked up at him. Duan Chen gritted his teeth and forced a smile: "Sorry, my hand slipped."

Soon a maid came forward to tidy up. The woman nodded slightly, smiled, and began to play the tune again. A strange look flashed across her half-closed eyes.

Duan Chen poured another cup of wine, steadied his trembling hand, lowered his eyes, and drank the wine down in one gulp. The wound on his left palm reopened.

As the first watchman's clapper sounded, Duan Chen stood by the window, quietly gazing at the sea of bright white flowers behind the house. The moonlight was dim, and thick clouds drifted erratically. Duan Chen gripped the wooden box in one hand, his heart growing colder with each passing moment. All his previous suspicions had been confirmed when the woman played that tune just now.

Those details known only to himself—the flute melody his mother would play alone when she missed his father—were known only to him, his master, and Qingzi. The grand gift mentioned in Li Lingke's letter, the mysterious man's warning to "be careful in everything," the surveillance at the teahouse across the street at midday, and the mysterious list Zhao Ting mentioned, whose whereabouts were unknown…

Duan Chen took a deep breath, but felt an increasing tightness in his chest. A faint fragrance filled the air, and Duan Chen recalled the bowl of jasmine tea that someone else had held in their hands that afternoon, as well as the words Xiao Changqing had spoken.

A feeling of excitement, unlike anything I'd ever experienced before, began to rise in my chest. I gently touched my heart with one hand, recalling the words that person had once spoken. Could it really be true? The image of that person's handsome face and gentle smile kept appearing in my mind. Before I knew it, I had reached the door of the next room.

Duan Chen raised his eyes blankly; the lights were still on in the room. The moment he raised his hand, he snapped back to reality, a flicker of panic crossing his eyes. He turned to go back to his room, but a clear voice came from inside: "Who's there?"

Immediately following was the sound of running water and the rustling of clothes. Duan Chen stood there dumbfounded. The next moment, the door was opened from the inside. Zhan Yun wore a moon-white robe, the front half-open, revealing his light honey-colored chest. He held a snow-white handkerchief in one hand, his raven-black hair cascading down his back, a wet lock hanging from his shoulder, dampening his clothes, and droplets of water eagerly sliding down his slender neck. His handsome face still bore traces of water, and his crescent-shaped eyes held a faint moisture, but they lit up the moment he saw who it was: "Chen'er."

Author's Note: There will be an update at 9 AM tomorrow. By the way, if you get overwhelmed by sweet or sour thoughts tomorrow, I won't be responsible!

Ahem, actually, I've read tomorrow's chapter at least five times myself.

Okay, that was so much fun! Hehe, you all have to watch from behind me~

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Chapter Twelve: A Hazy Night, Lingering Affection...

Duan Chen realized why he was there and turned to leave, but his wrist was grabbed. He lowered his head and tried to break free, when he heard a slightly hoarse voice say, "Would you like to come inside? I'm likely to catch a cold like this..."

Duan Chen subconsciously looked up and saw Zhan Yun's shirt half-open, revealing a large expanse of his muscular chest. His moon-white robe was soaked with water, faintly revealing his lean and muscular physique underneath. Duan Chen's face flushed instantly, his mind went blank, and he forgot to struggle. Zhan Yun smiled and, with a slight exertion, led Duan Chen into the house.

Duan Chen hadn't looked up since entering the room. He pushed the man's arm and said in a low voice, "Go and dry your hair. It's wet and you'll easily catch a cold."

Zhan Yun hadn't had a chance to get close to the beauty all day, so how could he miss such a good opportunity? Thinking of what Xiao Changqing had said in the evening, Zhan Yun's mind raced, and his voice lowered by three points, his clear voice becoming slightly hoarse, adding a touch of charm rarely seen on him: "Chen'er, my head hurts a little."

Upon hearing this, Duan Chen looked up abruptly and heard Zhan Yun let out a muffled groan, her other hand covering her lips. Her crescent-shaped eyes still held the faint mist from before, making her look quite innocent. Duan Chen was momentarily at a loss. He stepped forward, frowning as he examined her, and hesitantly reached out a hand. Had she just bumped into him somewhere?

Duan Chen leaned forward, essentially pressing his entire body into the other's embrace. Zhan Yun released his hand from his lips, grasped Duan Chen's outstretched wrist, and lowered his head to kiss him.

Duan Chen's hands were held by the other person, and his lips were gently kissed. His phoenix eyes were wide open, and for a long time he couldn't react to what was happening.

Zhan Yun kissed her gently and tenderly, carefully coaxing her to open her lips, then pressing his advantage to explore every inch of her sweet fragrance. He gently gripped her wrists with his other hand, while his other hand held her slender waist, subtly pulling her closer to him.

Duan Chen's fair cheeks flushed slightly, his breath grew weak, his phoenix eyes remained open, slightly moist, and he twisted and turned, trying to distance himself from the other person. However, although the hand on his waist was warm, it was domineering and brooked no refusal. His wrists were held tightly, and although he was being gently embraced, he could not break free no matter what he did.