Chapter 185: Indecency

Hey there, my amazing novelworms! ? First off, a massive sorry for ghosting you all this winter—it’s been a real doozy. Between me playing a never-ending game of “flu roulette” (spoiler: I lost) and my poor kitties turning into little shivering furballs, it’s been chaos over here. But fear not! I’m dusting off my keyboard and slowly getting back into the groove. Updates are coming, promise! Thanks a ton for sticking around and being your wonderful selves, grab a cozy blanket and happy reading! ??✨

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Lu Xian had also passed the imperial examination back in the day. While You Fangyin was still being bullied and mistreated in the Earl’s Mansion, he had already become a well-known owner of the Youhuang Pavilion in the capital, secretly managing various businesses with his surplus funds. 

Firstly, he was highly knowledgeable, having served in the Hanlin Academy. 

Secondly, he was experienced, shrewd, and cunning. 

Now, two years have passed. 

Although You Fangyin, along with Ren Weizhi, has become one of the top merchants in Shu, and even manages many other industries with Jiang Xuening, if you compare their intelligence and skills with Lu Xian’s, they can’t be said to be completely without a chance, but they still lack a bit of confidence to be truly evenly matched.

After all…

In these past two years, in the business world of great gains and losses, they had strangely never crossed paths with Lu Xian, not even a minor friction.

You Fangyin, watching Jiang Xuening, couldn’t help but express some concern: ‘This Qinhuai banquet is actually led by the government and concerns next year’s salt permits. Although we have never had any conflicts with Lu Xian in the past, avoiding many losses, we also know nothing about his background. Miss, if he…’

Jiang Xuening, hearing this, came back to her senses.

When her gaze fell on this familiar face, she suddenly remembered the You Fangyin from her previous life. Compared to the reserved and gentle You Fangyin of this life, the You Fangyin of the previous life always gave people a faint sense of being out of place. Although there was a hint of melancholy in his eyes and brows, it couldn’t cover the slight disdain and mockery towards the world.

But even such a You Fangyin, when he encountered Lu Xian, couldn’t avoid a crushing defeat.

Because she didn’t know who her real opponent was.

But this life is different.

Jiang Xuening was momentarily dazed, then smiled and said, ‘We secretly support Yan Lin. Lu Xian will not trouble us no matter what, and is more likely to open doors for us. Fighting us would be self-destructive. Even if he has some resentment, the person behind him may not allow it.’

You Fangyin noticed her daze.

This wasn’t the first time she saw such an expression on Jiang Xuening’s face, as if she was looking through her at someone else. Sometimes it made her feel a bit confused: Who is the Second Miss seeing through her?

She said, ‘But he asked about your recent situation, Miss. I claimed not to know and found an excuse to leave. If he continues to pester…’

Jiang Xuening said, ‘Lu Xian’s ancestral home is in Jinling, and he does business smoothly between the north and south. If he wants to know my recent situation and track my whereabouts, he probably already knows by now. You don’t need to say anything; he just needs to send someone to follow you. Asking would only alert him. I think he probably has other matters.’

You Fangyin furrowed her brows and began to ponder.

Jiang Xuening, on the other hand, was not flustered and said, ‘We’ll deal with whatever comes our way. Lu Xian is nothing to be afraid of. Given the current situation, Xie… Xie Wei can’t leave the capital either. Even if things get worse, it takes at least ten days to half a month to travel from the capital to Jinling on fast horses. By then, the salt permit issue will likely have been settled, and we will have left this place.’

You Fangyin considered this and finally nodded slowly.

But in the end, she couldn’t help but feel troubled again: ‘What if Boss Lu continues to pester us…’

Jiang Xuening smiled: ‘Isn’t that simple?’

You Fangyin was puzzled.

Jiang Xuening’s smile became a bit mischievous: ‘Men and women should keep their distance. After all, you are still Ren Weizhi’s wife. If Lu Xian is thick-skinned, just have Ren Weizhi deal with him, won’t that work?’

As soon as the name ‘Ren Weizhi’ was mentioned, You Fangyin’s face immediately turned red.

She rarely felt shy, but now she lowered her head and said softly, ‘Miss, you’re teasing me.’

Jiang Xuening knew that she and Ren Weizhi had initially entered into a fake marriage. It was You Fangyin who first proposed the condition to fake a marriage with her to leave the capital, as a condition for investing in the Ren family’s salt fields, before they went to Shu.

Ren Weizhi was a scholar who often researched techniques for extracting well salt, but he didn’t have much talent for business.

You Fangyin came from a difficult background. Although she hadn’t read many books, she had seen the ups and downs of human relationships and could handle social engagements and trivial matters for him.

Over the past two years, they had really worked well together.

On the surface, they treated each other with respect.

The contract stated that after a year in Shu, they could separate, with Ren Weizhi writing a letter of release.

But when the year was up and You Fangyin went to find him, she couldn’t find Ren Weizhi anywhere.

She asked the housekeeper, who said he had gone to the study;

She went to the study, and a young boy told her he had gone to the salt field;

She went to the salt field, but still couldn’t find him. Upon inquiry, she learned that he had packed his bags and left Sichuan.

Everyone thought the couple was having a quarrel. You Fangyin was also puzzled.

Jiang Xuening, as an observer, saw things clearly and gently gave You Fangyin a suggestion. She told her to write a letter saying she wanted to discuss postponing the separation. After all, the Ren family’s salt business was a priority, and they were in it together. However, it would affect Ren Weizhi’s ability to marry, so he needed to come back.

Sure enough, Ren Weizhi came back.

When he arrived home, he was covered in dust, having endured many hardships outside. His face was puffed up with anger, though it was unclear who he was upset with.

You Fangyin had some talent for business but seemed clueless about matters of the heart. She didn’t understand why Ren Weizhi was acting this way and earnestly talked to him about interests and the salt field, saying that they would separate, but many things needed to be handed over slowly by him, the head of the household.

Ren Weizhi’s face turned ashen as he listened.

One day, after drinking a bottle of wine, he knocked on You Fangyin’s door and confessed his feelings. He said that since they were already married and had been living comfortably together, why not let things continue as they were and consider it a good match granted by fate.

Over the past year, You Fangyin had never thought about this matter.

Her mind was entirely on business.

When Ren Weizhi said this, she was naturally at a loss.

These two were quite interesting.

Later, Jiang Xuening asked her how she handled it.

You Fangyin stammered, ‘I don’t know if I like him. I never thought about it before, but over the past year, I’ve realized that although he’s not particularly savvy in business, he’s a good person. So, I haven’t separated from him yet. I’m going to try and see how it goes.’

In the past year, the two had clearly grown much closer.

Ren Weizhi seemed to genuinely care for her.

That’s why Jiang Xuening could joke like this. No matter what kind of person Lu Xian was, he wouldn’t get any advantage when faced with Ren Weizhi, who was protective of his wife.

While they were talking, someone came in to report that Boss Ren, seeing it was late, had come personally to the residence to pick her up.

Naturally, You Fangyin blushed deeply again.

Knowing that she was shy, Jiang Xuening didn’t say much more. She simply asked a few more questions about business and instructed her to pick a few capable managers and one particularly competent one to oversee things at Wei Liang’s place. Then she urged her to go quickly so that Ren Weizhi wouldn’t have to wait too long.

*

Recently, wealthy merchants and tycoons had gathered in Jinling. The Qinhuai River was bustling with activity every night. Although it was already autumn, it was even livelier than summer.

Some familiar faces who attended every event could be seen at each gathering.

After talking with Jiang Xuening, You Fangyin didn’t deliberately avoid social engagements for the next three days. Instead, she attended banquets with Ren Weizhi and didn’t encounter Lu Xian again. She thought that perhaps he had just asked a question and decided not to get involved, possibly having already left Jinling.

Unexpectedly, she ran into him at today’s banquet.

At that moment, she was intently listening to a few herbal medicine merchants from Shaanxi and Gansu discussing border affairs.

“Ever since Her Highness the Princess went to marry for peace, Daqian and the Tatars have indeed opened trade. The Tatars have quite a few good medicinal herbs. But you know, that place is bitterly cold, and there’s not much big business to be done. Unexpectedly, this year I had good luck. Just when I was worried about not being able to sell a lot of medicinal herbs, I met a young man, very handsome, not sure whose son he is, but he bought everything I had. Although the profit was thin, the volume was large, which allowed me to return early and prepare for next year’s herbs. He said that there is always a shortage of medicine and to have more ready for next year.”

“Your herbs must have been worth twenty thousand silver, right? And he bought them all, how generous!”

“Who says not?”

“Ah, but don’t mention the border!”

“Why the long face, brother?”

“I’ve been holding this in for a long time. We who deal in medicinal herbs know a few doctors. In the past two years, with the opening of trade, medical skills have been passed to the Tatars, and a few people have gone to the Tatar royal court. The steward in my house has a young assistant whose brother works in the palace. He came back the other day and told me that Her Highness, who married into the Tatars two years ago, seems to be pregnant.”

“Wow!”

Everyone was shocked, and You Fangyin couldn’t help but turn her head to look.

The crowd was puzzled: “Isn’t pregnancy a good thing?”

The man sneered: “What do you know? The Tatar King Yanda is in his prime. Although he married the princess, how could he value a weak woman? She has no status in the palace. The Tatar King has many wives and concubines and especially favors a Tatar woman named Najir. This so-called marriage for peace is clearly an insult!”

The others looked at each other and couldn’t help but sigh.

You Fangyin was startled and wanted to ask if the information was reliable, but it was difficult to do so in front of so many people at the banquet.

She ate her meal absentmindedly.

Ren Weizhi, sitting beside her, helped her with the dishes and quietly asked what was wrong. She saw out of the corner of her eye that the merchant who had shared the news had left, so she briefly explained and got up to follow.

She was preoccupied with the rumors about the border and didn’t notice someone in the corner putting down their wine cup and following her out.

She had only taken a few steps down the corridor when she heard laughter behind her.

Someone said leisurely, ‘The banquet is only halfway through, and Miss You is already leaving in a hurry. I didn’t realize you were so concerned about border news. Are you planning to get into the medicinal herb business?’

The voice sounded very familiar.

You Fangyin’s heart tightened, and she turned to see Lu Xian.

He was dressed in a scholar’s long robe. Although he was in the business of making money, he always maintained an air of refinement, with a lingering scent of ink. Unfortunately, his sharp and shrewd demeanor was quite the opposite of Ren Weizhi’s.

She stopped and became wary: ‘Boss Lu is here too.’

Lu Xian hadn’t left Jinling these past few days, only calculating the reaction to the letter received in the capital and handling some matters. Today, upon hearing that Ren Weizhi and You Fangyin were coming, he decided to come as well.

He approached and said, ‘A few days ago, I wanted to have a word with Miss You, but you didn’t give me any face and didn’t want to say a word, which made me a bit sad. It’s rare to meet today; could you spare some time?’

You Fangyin took a step back: ‘Today is a banquet at someone else’s residence. It’s really not suitable to talk business, and I have other matters to attend to. Boss Lu, please choose another day.’

Lu Xian didn’t take it seriously: ‘It’s not about business.’

You Fangyin said, ‘If it’s not business, then it’s a personal matter. Please forgive me, Boss Lu, but I am a married woman. It’s inappropriate to have private interactions with others outside of business. Please mind the propriety.’

Not business, and not personal matters either?

Lu Xian appeared smooth on the surface, but he was proud and competitive. Even when he encountered Xie Wei during the imperial examinations, he had to compete fiercely. It was only later that he was convinced to work for him. But for others, it was almost impossible to gain his respect.

He rarely put anyone in his eyes.

Hearing You Fangyin use Ren Weizhi as an excuse, he let a playful smile appear on his lips and said, Miss You, you know very well what kind of relationship you have with Young Master Ren and how much of your marriage is real or fake. Why speak in riddles in front of a wise person?’

You Fangyin never expected that her relationship with Ren Weizhi would be exposed by him in one sentence.

Her body tensed up, and she took another step back.

But behind her was a corner, and she could retreat no further.

She said, ‘Boss Lu, your words are confusing. Young Master Ren and I are a properly married couple.’

Lu Xian, tired of beating around the bush, simply said, ‘I want to see your boss.’

At that moment, You Fangyin’s pupils contracted.

Lu Xian was straightforward and indeed had business with Jiang Xuening, but as soon as he finished speaking and looked up, he felt that the girl in front of him had suddenly changed. Her gaze now held a protective and hostile look, like a young beast guarding its master.

A sense of unease suddenly swept over him.

Before he could react, You Fangyin turned her head and shouted towards the flower hall on the other side of the corridor, ‘Help!’

Help?!

Lu Xian was so startled that he shivered. Usually calm and composed, even in the face of great danger, he was thrown into confusion by this sudden cry.

Though Lu Xian might be a beast, he prided himself on being a refined beast!

I have never done such a thing as harassing a lady!

If she starts shouting, what will happen?

So, he instinctively stepped forward and restrained You Fangyin, covering her mouth with his hand, both shocked and angry: ‘When did I ever harass you?!’

You Fangyin, on the other hand, remained the calmest.

She looked directly at Lu Xian, her meaning clear.

Only then did Lu Xian realize that his hand was already pressed against her lips, the soft lip balm smudging his palm. Startled, he wanted to withdraw his hand immediately. But seeing You Fangyin like this, he worried that if he let go, she would continue to slander him and shout, attracting others.

A vein nearly popped on his forehead.

Lu Xian took a deep breath and said, ‘I’ll let go of my hand, but please don’t falsely accuse me again.’

You Fangyin blinked.

Lu Xian released her.

You Fangyin didn’t move and stared at him: ‘I work for my mistress. She stays away in Shu to avoid trouble. Even if Boss Lu has business, speak properly in the future. It’s fine to bother me, but if you want to pester my mistress, I’ll shout like just now whenever I see you.’

Lu Xian was furious.

You Fangyin calmly reminded him: ‘People are coming. Boss Lu should leave quickly.’

Lu Xian turned around and saw shadows moving in the flower hall. He was both anxious and angry. Even though he had a lot to say and even wanted to curse, he couldn’t find the time to speak. In a hurry, he just threw out a ‘You’re ruthless’ and quickly slipped away.

After he had gone some distance, he heard a commotion in the corridor.

You Fangyin softly explained to the people that it was a tall rogue hiding in the flowers who had startled her and had run towards the east.

Lu Xian was so angry that his head felt like it was about to explode.

As the saying goes, ‘Only women and petty people are hard to deal with!’

Back then, when they met by chance at the Shuxiang Inn, she was just a little maid in the Qingyuan Mansion who endured humiliation. Now, she had transformed, gaining wealth, power, and cunning. She appeared quiet and gentle, but turned out to be a hidden schemer!

She even dared to accuse him of harassment!

Staying by Jiang Xuening’s side for so long, isn’t this the perfect example of ‘One takes on the color of one’s company’?

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