The most foolish in the world - Chapter 46
Fan Bing's eyes widened even more, and he jumped to his feet, pointing a trembling finger at him. "You tried to bribe me, but now you're threatening me? Fine, fine, you win!" He actually used the fact that he had concealed his master's identity to blackmail him. How cunning! How despicable!
The scholar watched him rush out of the door in a fit of rage, looking somewhat bewildered.
Coercion? What coercion? He just asked a question out of curiosity, didn't he? Could it be that he's been retired from the martial arts world for too long and doesn't know that asking about someone's master is now considered a threat? Hmm, I must remember this and never ask again, lest I bring trouble upon myself.
After summarizing his lessons learned, he bent down to pick up the eggs Fan Bing had left on the ground when he left, then went back to his study to continue writing wedding invitations. Halfway there, he remembered that he had broken all the pens he had used the night before. And the reason the pens had broken, Jie Dongfeng's words, like a nightmare, flooded his mind again.
"Who do you think you are? Is she someone I already—"
Already what? Already what? He dared not think further. To think further would be to belittle her, and to insult his own feelings. He naturally believed that she, who even Zhou Zice's maidservant couldn't tolerate, wouldn't have an affair with a married man. What angered him was that Xie Dongfeng could speak so confidently, and her reaction was one of guilt. Although she eventually asked him if he had misunderstood something, seemingly intending to explain, it was too late. He was sorry, but he only realized this after meeting her; he was actually quite petty.
With his hands hanging down, the scholar leaned against the door, his eyes darting about, constantly shifting, before finally settling into a resolute expression.
Meanwhile, in the study of the Xie family, the Minister of Revenue was overstepping his authority to try a case of treachery and adultery.
What did you promise me?
"...do not act first and report later."
"And what did you do then?"
"...we pledged our lives to each other."
The suspect was very cooperative and showed a very good attitude in admitting his guilt. Presiding Judge Xie Dongfeng nodded in satisfaction, then pulled a pre-prepared contract from his drawer and pushed it in front of Fan Qingbo. "Since that's the case, you know what to do, right?"
Fan Qingbo glanced at the indenture: lifelong unpaid work for Huanxitian, with royalties halved… each clause more humiliating than the last! What? There was another clause forbidding him from explaining their relationship to the scholar? “What does this mean?!”
Xie Dongfeng gave a sinister smile. "It means exactly what it says. Hmph, I'm the legal husband, how dare he act so arrogantly towards me?"
Fan Qingbo's lips twitched. "Are you jealous of someone's advances?"
Jie Dongfeng, with an expression as if his belongings had been stolen, replied matter-of-factly, "Yes!"
Fan Qingbo's lips twitched again, revealing a smile that was more like a grimace. "Well, thank you so much." One of them was having a fit of madness and causing trouble at home every day, another was a scholar who suddenly became arrogant, and now this nominal husband is also showing up. Could these men be any more childish?!
"Do you know how complicated it is to arrange for the identity of 'Xie Yiren' to disappear so suddenly? Hmph, you should thank me."
"Well, we don't have to do it so suddenly," she suggested softly.
Xie Dongfeng sneered, "Are you sure that after 'Fan Qingbo' gets married, 'Xie Yiren' will still be available to meet my schedule at any time?"
She was speechless, choked with envy. Realizing that all her pleading and cajoling were ineffective, and knowing she had indeed broken her five-year contract first, she had no choice but to sign the indenture. Fan Qingbo looked dejected, trying to console herself that the scholar was wealthy, and that meager salary and royalties were nothing. She quite liked her job at Huanxitian, and doing it for a few more years wouldn't be a problem…
Whatever! She was thinking of retiring early and focusing on going home to increase production and serve the country with her scholar husband! If she hadn't been so impulsive and had waited until the five-year term was up before having an affair, she could have gained complete freedom and both love and wealth... Alas, she brought this upon herself!
Just as she was feeling sorry for herself, Xie Dongfeng blurted out another sentence.
"By the way, Xie Yiren has one last grand finale before she makes her glorious exit."
She replied listlessly, "Oh, okay."
Xie Dongfeng finally revealed a genuine, heartfelt smile, unlike his sinister smirk. "On the seventh day of the seventh lunar month, the Empress will hold a Qiqiao Banquet, which all court ladies must attend. Remember to come!"
"Oh, okay—wait! The seventh day of the seventh lunar month?" Fan Qingbo's eyes widened suddenly. "Isn't that the day I married the scholar?!"
Author's Note: Last night, while I was writing, my hot water bottle burst, the power strip burned out, and the fuse blew...
Tonight, I fell asleep at my desk while writing and woke up around 4 AM because I was cold...
This chapter is so short>< I'm so disappointed in my writing speed, I'm so sorry everyone TAT Please punish me...
I'm so sleepy right now... I'm going to sleep now zzzzz I'll see if I have anything to add tomorrow.
31. If you don't get excited when someone sits in your lap, who will?
When Fan Qingbo emerged from the Minister's residence, she felt as if she had been skinned alive, her steps faltering, utterly exhausted. She cursed once again the judge who had left her words unfinished, forcing her to hastily possess someone, and now even her marriage was fraught with unrest. Thinking of how overwhelmed she would be on her wedding day, she lost all appetite. She stomped her feet a few times, imagining herself trampling on the heads of those in the underworld.
With slumped shoulders, he wandered aimlessly along the street, his mind filled with increasingly absurd thoughts.
Postponing the wedding? No way, how am I supposed to explain that to the scholar? He's in his arrogant phase right now, who knows what he might do?
Why not just not get married? No way, even if the scholar agreed, the neighbors wouldn't let her off the hook.
Find someone to marry in place of the bride and then switch back? Seriously, what a terrible idea! Don't you see those novels titled "Substitute Bride XX"? Every woman who's married in place of the bride ends up having an affair with the male lead! The original bride is either a background character who never appears or a heartless female supporting character who tries to steal the bride and ends up dying a horrible death!
What does it mean to be caught between a rock and a hard place? It means to have nowhere to turn!
—My thoughts are starting to become confused and incoherent.
That wasn't the worst part. The worst part was that she realized something had been following her ever since she stepped out of the Minister's residence. She didn't say "someone" followed her, but rather "something" followed her, because she suspected that what was behind her wasn't a person.
His breath was extremely weak, and his steps were extremely light—both things that martial arts practitioners could probably do—but that sinister aura…
Oh no! She had unknowingly walked into a dead end. Fortunately, it was still daytime, Fan Qingbo kept reassuring herself that this was the time when yang energy was at its peak, and evil spirits could not invade. Even so, her back still went numb involuntarily. She took a deep breath and tried to remain calm as she spoke, "Brother or sister, let me say first that I have a pretty good relationship with that second brother underground."
The judge is brought out as a backer at times like this.
"And whatever you do, I only ask three things: please don't come near me..." Demons, monsters, and even underworld officials love to make themselves look terrifying, and she'd be scared. "And please don't put your hand on my shoulder..." Ghost stories have left too much of a shadow on her. "And please don't breathe in my ear..."
Before she could finish speaking, she felt a cold hand on her shoulder—"Ahhhhh!"
A sharp scream came from the alley, but when passersby arrived, they couldn't find a single person.
"Why is nobody here? Did I hear that right?"
"It's impossible for so many people to mishear at the same time."
"Ugh, this is really weird! Let's get out of here!"