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"I just happened to be walking by!" Ouyang Han said, trying to cover up his mistake, hoping that the two masters and servants hadn't seen him use his lightness skill.

"Where are you going? I'll go with you!"

"Uh... um!" So the two of them snuggled together and walked toward the study.

Du Peiru stayed at the Ouyang residence for more than half a month. If it weren't for that damned "cockroach" causing trouble, she would definitely think she was the happiest person in the world.

That day, Du Peiru was playing jump rope on the grass. Xiao Hong and Xiao Cui were swinging the rope for her, while Jin'er stood by and watched.

Du Peiru jumped around for a while, then suddenly noticed the envious look in Jin'er's eyes. So she decided to let Jin'er try too. She said, "Jin'er, why don't you jump in and play?"

"No! No! Miss, I can't!" Jin'er hurriedly shook her head and said.

Sickly Hero (3)

Du Peiru jumped out of the rope and said to Jin'er, "Who is born knowing how to jump rope? Come on! Come on! Come on! Go in and try!" After saying that, Du Peiru was about to pull Jin'er's hand and jump into the rope.

Jin'er hurriedly pushed Du Peiru's hand away and said, "Miss! I...I dare not jump in. I see that rope swaying back and forth; it would be terrible if I got hit by it!"

"What are you afraid of? Even if you get hit, it won't hurt much. Don't be afraid! Just grit your teeth, steel your heart, and jump in. When I was learning to jump rope, I was hit by the rope countless times, but I didn't feel any pain at all!" Du Peiru continued to coax her.

Hearing Du Peiru's words, Jin'er steeled her resolve, gritted her teeth, closed her eyes, and jumped into the rope. Unexpectedly, she was struck by the rope the moment she jumped in. "Ouch! Miss lied! She said being hit by the rope wouldn't hurt! Look, it's all red!" Jin'er pulled up her sleeve to show Du Peiru a red welt on her fair arm.

This scene was witnessed by the second young master's wet nurse, Granny Li. She thought it was time to show off her power in front of the two servants! "Xiao Hong, Xiao Cui, you two lazy girls, what are you doing here? Hiding here to slack off! Don't you know there's a lot of work to do in this villa? Do you think you're as idle as some people? The Ouyang family doesn't support freeloaders! Get back to work! Do you want to be kicked out?"

Upon hearing this, Xiaohong and Xiaocui quickly replied, "Yes! Mother Li, we'll go right away!" After saying that, the two of them were about to leave.

"Stop!" Du Peiru shouted.

Xiao Hong and Xiao Cui stood there, too afraid to move.

Du Peiru turned to Li Mama and said, "Li Mama, what right do you have to send my maid away? Who is the master here, you or me? How dare you act so arrogantly towards me!" Du Peiru said with a gloomy face.

"Oh dear! My young mistress. How dare I act so arrogantly before you? It's just that you, being above, don't know the difficulties we servants face below. You entrusted this Hengxiang Villa to me, and I will do my utmost to manage it well for you. If these servants are so unruly, of course I have to scold them!" Although Li Mama spoke humbly, her arrogance and disdain for others were undeniable. Li Mama addressed her as "Madam" repeatedly, as if she didn't care about anyone else.

Du Peiru, her face ashen, said, "I call you 'Mom' because I see you're old, and you've become a bully, causing trouble every day. Now you've gone even further. You think I'm as easygoing as others, letting you bully me? You've got the wrong idea! I usually don't care what you do, and I don't get angry. But now you've dared to mess with me. Don't you know your place? Just based on those few words you just said, I could kick you out!"

"This old servant knows that I am of lowly status. But I have served Madam wholeheartedly and have not made any mistakes. If Young Madam wants to send me away, I can only go to Madam herself. It is so unfair!" This Li Mama was clearly saying that Du Peiru had no reason or right to send her away.

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"Injustice? Humph! Just now you scolded me for only eating in the Ouyang mansion and not doing any work. All three maids heard that! Don't you agree?" Du Peiru turned to Xiao Hong, Xiao Cui, and Jin'er.

"Young Madam, we didn't hear anything!" Xiao Hong and Xiao Cui quickly replied. Jin'er, however, remained silent.

When Li's mother saw this, her eyes revealed a mocking and contemptuous look.

Upon seeing this, Du Peiru snorted and turned away.

Seeing this, Jin'er hurriedly followed.

As soon as Du Peiru returned to her room, she pointed at Jin'er and started cursing, "What was wrong with you just now? They were bullying us, and you didn't say a word. You're utterly spineless! Are you mute or have you lost your mind? You made me argue with that dog of a servant!"

Jin'er knew Du Peiru's temper perfectly well; she was sharp-tongued but kind-hearted. Therefore, she wasn't too bothered by Du Peiru's scolding. However, seeing Du Peiru so angry, she felt extremely regretful and said, "Miss! I...I'm sorry! When I was with the former young lady, she often endured those scoldings. But after being with her for so long, I didn't know what to say anymore! I'm sorry!"

"I'm not blaming you! It's just... sigh! Never mind!" After a while, Du Peiru suddenly burst into laughter, "Heh! Heh! Ha! Ha..."

"Miss, are you alright?" Jin'er was stunned, utterly shocked. How could her mistress have been so angry just moments ago, and now she was laughing so happily? Had she driven her mad with rage?

"It's nothing! But why did you bring up the old Miss? I'm the new Miss, aren't I?" Du Peiru said, stopping her laughter.

"What new young lady, old young lady?" Ouyang Han happened to come in and heard Du Peiru's words, so he asked.

"It's nothing!" Du Peiru rolled her eyes at him, annoyed.

"What's wrong?" Ouyang Han noticed that Du Peiru seemed to have a problem with him today.

"What? You dare ask what? Your wet nurse is actually trying to ride roughshod over me! Bah! What young mistress, what young lady, she's not even as good as a servant!"

"What exactly happened?" Ouyang Han was completely baffled.

Du Peiru turned her head away and ignored him.

Upon seeing this, Jin'er recounted the entire story to Ouyang Han.

After hearing this, Ouyang Han waved his hand, signaling Jin'er to leave.

Jin'er left the room and gently closed the door behind her.

"I'm sorry! It's because your husband is useless that you were bullied by the servants!" Ouyang Han said with a composed expression.

"Uh... um!" Du Peiru originally wanted to vent her anger on Ouyang Han. But when he apologized to her, she suddenly felt that it had nothing to do with him. So, she said with a face full of shame, "This has nothing to do with you! Don't take everything on yourself!"

Upon hearing this, Ouyang Han tenderly pulled her into his arms and said, "I'm sorry! You've been wronged, and your husband couldn't stand up for you!"

"No! I don't need you to step in! I can handle it myself!" Du Peiru said firmly.

Volume 5

Sickly Hero (5)

Upon hearing this, Ouyang Han hugged her even tighter!

Du Peiru noticed that Ouyang Han was a little agitated, so she reached out and hugged him to comfort him.

That night, Ouyang Han heard the coded signal, so he quietly got out of bed, dressed, and went out. When he arrived at their usual spot, he shouted, "Han Yufeng, get out here right now!"

"Hey! Hey! Junior brother, it's only been a few days, and you're already missing your senior brother so much?" Han Yufeng walked out from behind a big tree with a grin.

"Stop talking nonsense! How's the investigation going?" Ouyang Han said angrily.

"Are you going through menopause? Why are you always taking your anger out on me?"

"Are you going to tell me or not?" Ouyang Han glared at Han Yufeng and said.

"Alas! Who told me my martial arts skills are inferior to others! Now I can only be enslaved by others!" Han Yufeng resignedly took out the scroll he was carrying and handed it to Ouyang Han. Ouyang Han unfolded it and saw that the person in the painting was clearly his wife, only her face had a more childish look.

"This is a portrait of Li Yushan when she was fourteen!" Han Yufeng explained.

"Is that my sister-in-law in the painting?" Don't misunderstand, Han Yufeng isn't afraid of that damned Ouyang Han! It's just that his mother, for some reason, insisted on adopting that damned Ouyang Han as her godson. What a joke! If that were the case, wouldn't Han Yufeng have to call that damned Ouyang Han "brother"? So, Han Yufeng had no choice but to threaten the hateful Ouyang Han by exposing his feigned illness. Although Ouyang Han eventually made an agreement with Han Yufeng on the condition that he wouldn't call him "junior brother," it still felt good to occasionally call him "brother," even though it was a bargain for that kid! You ask me why Ouyang Han feigned illness? Who knows! Maybe it was my senile old man, that made him do it! The real truth, Han Yufeng really doesn't know!

"Hmm!" Ouyang Han replied, "What are the results of your investigation?"

Han Yufeng replied, “Li Yushan is the daughter of Li Fugui’s first wife. When she was 10 years old, her mother passed away due to illness. Li Fugui then made his second wife his official wife. From then on, Li Yushan lived a life like that of a commoner. The only person who accompanied her was Jin’er, a maid whom the first wife had bought when Li Yushan was 8 years old! According to my investigation, Li Yushan is a gentle, kind, timid, and delicate woman. She is proficient in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, and is well-educated and courteous! I have also made a significant discovery: she actually has a lover named Shen Lang. And Shen Lang disappeared a few days before your wedding!”

"It's alright! You can go now!" Ouyang Han said expressionlessly.

"Hey! Are you kidding me? I helped you so much, and you didn't even say thank you!" Han Yufeng protested with extreme dissatisfaction.

Ouyang Han ignored Han Yufeng and turned to leave using his lightness skill.

Han Yufeng continued cursing, "Heartless bastard! Dead Ouyang Han! Rotten egg!" Hmph! Fine! Han Yufeng is magnanimous; he won't stoop to the level of a rotten egg. Heh! Heh! Looks like this Ouyang Han values his wife quite a bit! But it seems his wife doesn't like him! Ha! Ha! Ha… This is what they call a villain always finding another villain to torment!

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Ouyang Han didn't know why, but he always felt that although Li Yushan in the painting and his wife looked alike, their temperaments were completely different. Subconsciously, he always felt that the person in the painting and his wife were two different people. Ouyang Han compared the Li Yushan that Han Yufeng had investigated with the Li Yushan he knew. She couldn't be called gentle; if you changed it to fiery, that would be more accurate. If she could be described as weak, then there were few women in the world who weren't weak. Timidity was even more out of the question, because she was the boldest woman he had ever met. As for kindness, he could barely accept that. As for music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, he would have to find an opportunity to verify that. But if she really was Li Yushan, then why wasn't she sad at all about being separated from her lover? And why was she flirting with him? Was she not a virgin and afraid he would find out? Ouyang Han didn't want to think about this anymore.

In the days that followed, given Du Peiru's vengeful nature, she certainly wouldn't let Li Mama off the hook! Therefore, Li Mama had to proceed with extreme caution from the moment she entered the villa. She had to be careful not to trip over ropes that suddenly appeared on the road; she had to watch out for flowerpots falling from the second floor, lest she be crushed to death; she had to be careful of dirty water suddenly splashed from the room, lest she get soaked; she had to be careful whether her tea contained cockroaches, flies, or laxatives; and she had to be careful whether the stool she sat on had three legs… In short, Li Mama was subjected to terrible torment, but she was powerless to do anything about it.

However, Du Peiru's actions only reinforced Ouyang Han's belief that she and Li Yushan were not the same person. (Sigh! Sometimes a man's intuition is quite accurate!) This made Ouyang Han feel even more compelled to verify her identity. But he couldn't understand why, if she wasn't Li Yushan, she would marry into the Ouyang family in Li Yushan's place. Was it to covet the wealth of the Ouyang household? If she wasn't Li Yushan, why did they look so alike? Was he just being paranoid? And why was she so reluctant to consummate their marriage? To resolve his doubts, he had to find reasons to explain Du Peiru's actions: greed? That was unlikely, as she disliked hair ornaments and jewelry. Was her refusal to consummate the marriage due to her illness and out of consideration for him? Or perhaps she feared becoming a widow after his death, and she didn't want that, so she remained a virgin to remarry? Or was she keeping her virginity for her lover, Shen Lang? The more Ouyang Han thought about it, the more tormented he became. Because he had already unknowingly given his heart to Du Peiru. He so desperately wanted his wife and Li Yushan to be two different people. That's why he wanted to test her, but he was afraid he couldn't bear the truth. So he hesitated to carry out his plan. Ouyang Han suffered this torment every day.

Furthermore, Li's mother harbored resentment after being repeatedly tricked by Du Peiru in the villa, so she desperately slandered Du Peiru in front of Madam Zhao. This Madam Zhao was Ouyang Han's father Ouyang Hai'na's concubine, and she was made his official wife after Ouyang Han's mother died.

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"Didn't you say that Li Yushan was weak-willed, timid, and easy to control? What's going on now?" Madam Zhao asked angrily.

"This servant doesn't know either. When I accompanied the matchmaker to see her, she seemed so gentle and weak, completely different from her current shrewish demeanor. Besides, there were rumors that she was abused by her stepmother but never uttered a sound, so this servant thought she was really as timid as the rumors said. Who knew this little girl was just putting on a show, and was actually so shrewish in private. A little girl as cunning as her, Madam needs to put her in her place, otherwise Madam might be riding on her head!"

"Then tell me, how should we deflate her arrogance?" Madam Zhao asked.

Upon hearing this, Li's mother whispered a suggestion in Madam Zhao's ear.

Upon hearing this, Madam Zhao said, "The method is feasible, but not now! We'll implement it after Master goes on his long trip in a few days! Then... Hmph! Hmph! Let's see if that brat is still so arrogant! Li Mama, just bear with it for a few more days!"

"Yes!" said Mrs. Li with a smile.

Meanwhile, Du Peiru, having toyed with Li's mother, felt extremely pleased. During the days she was plotting how to teach Li's mother a lesson, although she noticed Ouyang Han's gloomy expression every day, she hadn't taken it to heart due to her eagerness for revenge. Now that she had her revenge, she realized Ouyang Han hadn't smiled in a long time. Was he angry that she hadn't paid him any attention these past few days? No! She had to make him laugh, otherwise she felt uneasy! Men, you know, a little coaxing is all it takes! Got it! That's it! His shy look is quite amusing. Heh! Heh!

That evening, in Ouyang Han and Du Peiru's room.

"What are you doing?" Ouyang Han asked in surprise.

"Take off your clothes!" He gave me a look that said, "You must have something wrong with your eyes."

"Well, you don't have to take your clothes off completely!" Ouyang Han said in a hoarse voice. What was wrong with this woman? She was putting on a striptease in front of him. He tried to turn his eyes away, but he couldn't, and his mind went completely blank.

"Really? Isn't there a bellyband too?" Du Peiru said, feigning ignorance, then crawled into the covers and said, "Aren't you going to sleep?"

Ouyang Han swallowed hard, then stammered, "Sleep...sleep!"

"Then why don't you turn off the light and go to sleep!" Du Peiru urged.

"Oh!" Ouyang Han responded to Du Peiru, then blew out the candle, slowly moved to the bedside, stiffly lowered the mosquito net, and lay down next to Du Peiru, not daring to move at all.

Du Peiru deliberately turned over, sleeping on her side facing Ouyang Han, and even placed one hand across Ouyang Han's chest. Ouyang Han's whole body trembled, and his body became even more stiff.

"What's wrong with you?" Du Peiru continued to feign ignorance, while also groping Ouyang Han. "Why is your body so stiff? Oh dear! Why are you sweating? Are you very hot? Let me help you take off your clothes! I told you that sleeping in clothes would be uncomfortable, so I took them off tonight..." Du Peiru said as she helped Ouyang Han take off his clothes.

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