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There wasn't much time left for her; she could already hear the front yard gradually becoming lively.
Mingwei composed herself and tidied her makeup. She absolutely could not lose her composure in front of everyone! Since she had made a mistake in her past life, she had to make amends as much as possible in this one! She couldn't just live a life of dependence on others in the backyard of the Marquis's mansion; the regrets of her previous life could not continue.
Smoothing out the crumpled hem of her dress, Mingwei looked at the girl in the mirror again: her pale yellow dress was appropriate, her lightly made-up face had a subtle radiance, and the red-gold pearl headdress added a lot of nobility.
When her gaze fell on her black hair, her heart sank – the long hairpin was gone!
The most outstanding piece in this set of headdresses is a long hairpin in pure gold holding a South Sea pearl. The hairpin itself is nothing special, just that it has more gold and is heavier than the others. Only the South Sea pearl it holds is remarkable; it is large and lustrous, shimmering with a warm luster.
Mingwei hurriedly reached into her hair, but the long hairpin was nowhere to be found. Where could she have lost it? Mingwei forced herself to calm down and tried to recall the situation carefully. It wasn't that she was petty or distressed about the hairpin; in her past life, she had enjoyed all the riches and honors of the world, and she could even casually give away rare luminous pearls as gifts. Now, she was genuinely afraid that losing the hairpin would cause trouble. Agate's smug face immediately flashed before her eyes. Tangli and Yuelin, as her personal maids, would surely be implicated as well.
The second wife's ruthless methods can be glimpsed even more clearly from Mingrui's marriage. The second wife already disliked her, and this only gave her more leverage—
She needs to find it quickly!
She got into the carriage as soon as she left the courtyard. If she lost her hairpin in the carriage, she would have noticed. When she arrived at Rongshou Hall, she was with everyone. Even if someone disliked her, if she lost her hairpin, someone should have reminded her.
That's what she lost in the artificial hill—Mingwei suddenly remembered that only then was she alone, and Mingfang was urging her to come out. The entrance to the artificial hill was hidden and had many dead branches. Although she was extra careful, she couldn't help but get caught on a dead branch.
The more Mingwei thought about it, the more certain she became that the hairpin must have been lost there.
Losing the hairpin alone wouldn't be so bad; while the Second Madam's methods of tormenting her illegitimate daughters were certainly unkind, it was still manageable. But Mingwei was more worried that someone else might pick it up and then embellish the story, sending it to the Second Madam and claiming it was found somewhere… The thought of the Second Madam and Mingfang finding out that Mingjue and Liu Jun had been there… even with ten mouths, she couldn't explain herself!
Mingwei dared not think any further; if someone with ulterior motives found out, her innocence would be completely ruined.
We must find the hairpin quickly! Mingwei composed herself and noticed that the maidservants outside were peeking out to listen to the commotion in the front yard. She quietly followed the covered walkway to the large garden.
Mingwei lifted her skirt and walked briskly towards the artificial hill, fortunately without seeing anyone along the way. She circled around to the front of the artificial hill, squatted down and searched carefully, and sure enough, she spotted a long hairpin faintly gleaming with a golden light among the withered grass.
Mingwei finally breathed a sigh of relief. Finding them saved her countless troubles.
She reached out and picked up the hairpin, cleaned off the dirt and withered grass, and put it back in her hair.
It was getting late, and the banquet would soon begin in the front courtyard. If she didn't return soon, Minglian would surely send someone to look for her. If she were discovered here, it would be difficult to provide a reasonable explanation.
From now on, I must stay far away from Mingfang! Nothing good has happened since I met Mingfang. If she hadn't dragged me here, none of this would have happened! And this fourth young lady, relying on the second master's favor, is extremely audacious... Mingwei thought helplessly, who knows what her fourth sister might do! She has a favored concubine to back her up, while she can only be the second wife's punching bag! This is really not worth it.
Just as Mingwei was about to get up and leave, she suddenly heard a series of hurried footsteps. She thought it was her maid coming to find her and was about to see who it was so she could make up an excuse when she unexpectedly heard a woman's soft and seductive moan.
Mingwei wasn't an inexperienced young girl; she knew all too well what that voice meant. Mingwei's mind went blank for a moment, then her face flushed red. Could it be that someone was committing that filthy act in broad daylight?
What's even more embarrassing is that she can't show her face at this moment! Mingwei wanted to cry but had no tears. She didn't want to know about the erotic affairs in the inner quarters!
The most unfortunate thing is that, since she was crouching behind the artificial hill, any slight movement would easily be noticed by people outside. It would be better if she were inside the artificial hill, at least there would be some cover, and standing would be more comfortable than crouching.
While lost in her own thoughts, Mingwei carefully concealed her true feelings.
"Si Lang, don't you miss me at all!" The woman's voice was charming and seductive, like a cat's claws scratching at the heart. But to Ming Wei, it was not pleasant at all.
The speaker was none other than Cui, the maidservant her father had just bought from a slave trader. Mingwei remembered her because of the fierce battle between her and Aunt Wen—or rather, the fight over her cheap father's affections.
Although the final outcome was a narrow victory for Consort Wen, the Second Master still stayed in her room. However, Miss Cui didn't lose out either; she really fought back, using her formidable strength to make a mess of Consort Wen's prized, smooth, black hair, pulling out quite a bit, causing Consort Wen to cry out in pain. Consort Wen, however, didn't gain the upper hand against Miss Cui.
Not long ago, the Second Master followed the Old Madam to receive the imperial decree and had to make arrangements for the people coming from the palace; she saw it all with her own eyes. Would he really have the time to come to the garden with his concubine for a tryst?
If it wasn't the Second Master, then who could it be?
"My little darling, my sweetheart." A male voice filled with lust rang out, and Mingwei was so shocked her jaw almost dislocated. "I've lost my appetite for you—"
The person speaking was none other than Liu Yi, the fourth cousin of the second wife's family.
She had long suspected Liu Yi was no decent person, a good-for-nothing playboy. She never imagined he would do something like this! To even sleep with her uncle's wife—it was clear he had no sense of morality or shame! Judging from their tone, this wasn't the first time; they'd been secretly having sex quite often!
It's a good thing Liu Yi was born into a proper duke's family; the name "Yi" is a real waste of his talent!
Both brothers had spoken in front of the artificial hill, and Mingwei overheard them twice from behind it today. Liu Jun and Ming Jue discussed matters of state, displaying the responsibility expected of sons of noble families; Liu Yi, however, was here having an affair with his uncle's concubine—
Mingwei felt utterly disgusted. Thinking of Liu Yi's frivolous manner that day, she felt utterly nauseous. No wonder Mingfang and Mingrong were so determined to win Liu Jun; now she could understand why.
If she were to marry a cousin like that, it's hard to say whose fate would be more tragic—compared to Mingrui marrying an old widower.
Their words grew increasingly vulgar and obscene, but the more they spoke, the less Mingwei dared to act rashly. If Liu Yi discovered this—Mingwei had a bad feeling; she feared she would be in deep trouble!
And that incredibly powerful Cui girl... Mingwei's head was throbbing more and more; she didn't want to be targeted by these petty people!
After a rustling sound of fabric, both their voices changed. Mingwei, hiding behind the artificial hill, blushed and her breathing suddenly became rapid. They couldn't really be going to do this here, here—
"Si Lang, don't do this! What if someone sees us?" Cui's voice was as soft as water, and her coy tone almost melted Liu Yi's bones.
Liu Yi, now emboldened by lust, no longer cared about anything else. He simply leaned in and uttered a string of incoherent cries of "My love!" before collapsing onto the young woman's body.
Mingwei felt extremely ashamed and angry; she had never been in such an embarrassing situation. Although such sordid matters were common in aristocratic families, the Grand Secretary and his wife were so loving that they didn't even have a concubine; her brother and sister-in-law were newly married at the time, deeply in love, and naturally couldn't tolerate anyone else. Moreover, Mingwei was a modern person, and she was even more intolerant of such things.
She was now at her wit's end. Having died twice, she understood the preciousness of life all too well. To risk her life for such filthy people would be a terrible waste!
But listening like this isn't a solution. First, she's constantly worried about being discovered by Liu Yi and the other man; second, Minglian only let her come to the back to rest because she looked unwell, and she'll naturally look for her if she doesn't go back soon.
Liu Yi and Cui were already half-undressed, and their passion was about to ignite.
"Snap—" After squatting for a long time, Mingwei was also annoyed and didn't pay attention. Her legs went sore and she almost fell to the ground. Afraid of getting her dress dirty, and even more afraid of being discovered by Liu Yi, Mingwei hurriedly braced herself with her hands and managed to steady herself.
Unexpectedly, her act of reaching out caused trouble.
She snapped the withered branch that drooped all the way to the ground, and stones from the artificial hill tumbled to the ground with the broken branch, making a sound. The sound wasn't loud, but it was enough for Liu Yi and his companion, who were not far away, to hear.