Chapter Five: Personal Belongings

“Sister Yun Zhu, what’s wrong with you?”

Jiang You’an propped her chin in her hand, smiling warmly at Lu Yun Zhu.

Lu Yun Zhu glanced at their wine cups and suddenly realized something. “You—you switched my wine!”

After saying that, her mind went completely blank, and her hands uncontrollably began tearing at her own clothes.

Jiang You’an looked at Lu Yun Zhu with disdain. “You’d dare to pull such a petty trick and embarrass yourself like this!”

She left the warm pavilion and was walking when she saw Shen Heping approaching her.

Shen Heping pulled her under a tree and furtively took out a silver note. “This is a one-hundred tael silver note. Return that silver hairpin to me quickly.”

Jiang You’an raised an eyebrow. “I distinctly remember telling you it was five hundred taels.”

“I can only give you this much, Jiang You’an. Don’t be too greedy!”

Jiang You’an tossed the silver note to the ground like a scrap of worthless paper and said softly, “Shen Heping, don’t try to haggle with me. If you don’t give me five hundred taels, no matter whom you marry, I will expose your betrayal. Aren’t you so-called men of letters the most concerned about your reputation?”

As soon as Jiang You’an finished speaking, Shen Heping’s face flushed red with anger.

She walked away leisurely, then suddenly turned back with a sly smile. “By the way, Lu Yun Zhu is in the warm pavilion. She said she wants to see you.”

Hearing this, Shen Heping headed toward the warm pavilion. Jiang You’an watched his retreating figure and smiled faintly.

Lu Yun Zhu must be desperate for a man right now. She had been too kind to find her the one she desired—Shen Heping.

Those two were equally selfish and rotten at heart; they deserved to be paired together. Just hope they wouldn’t go on to ruin others!

At that moment, a group of young ladies came laughing and chatting. It seemed Lu Yun Zhu had made thorough arrangements. Jiang You’an decided to offer them all to her.

Jiang You’an hurriedly blocked them with a flustered expression. “Sisters, don’t go to the warm pavilion.”

“Why not?”

“There—there... it seems someone is... oh dear, just don’t go there!”

The more vague Jiang You’an sounded, the more curious the others became. They eagerly rushed into the warm pavilion.

With a loud bang, the door was pushed open, and the young ladies hurried in.

“Ah!”

Screams erupted one after another as everyone was stunned by the scene before them.

A man and a woman, disheveled and clinging to each other, were in the middle of an intimate act!

---

Shen Heping was shocked and quickly pushed the drugged Lu Yun Zhu away.

The girls covered their eyes and fled as if they had seen a ghost.

The commotion quickly drew the attention of Lady Yong’an and Lady Zhao. When they entered the room, Shen Heping was hastily dressing, while Lu Yun Zhu twisted and turned on the bed.

Lady Zhao’s face darkened as she scooped a cup of cold herbal tea and splashed it onto Lu Yun Zhu’s face.

That fool!

Slowly regaining consciousness, Lu Yun Zhu was terrified by the scene before her.

Lady Yong’an ordered Shen Heping to be restrained and sent someone to stop the girls, warning them not to spread rumors and to handle everything discreetly. With a grim expression, she turned to Lady Zhao and said, “Is this how your Lu family raises its daughters?”

Lady Zhao’s face turned grim. “Yun Zhu, what on earth happened?”

Lu Yun Zhu shouted, “Aunt-in-law, it was Jiang You’an who drugged me!”

Jiang You’an stood just outside the door. Hearing this, tears streamed down her face. “Sister Yun Zhu, don’t say such nonsense! I was in the bamboo grove the whole time; Fourth Master even saw me. He can vouch for me. I didn’t have time to prepare any drugs.”

“You came to find me, saying you weren’t feeling well. I was worried something might happen to you, so I asked Master Shen to take care of you. It’s strange though, since Master Shen isn’t familiar with herbal medicine, how did he end up acting as if he had lost his mind…”

Shen Heping buried his head deeply, wishing he could disappear into the ground. Even though he knew he had been tricked by Jiang You’an, he dared not utter another word.

“I also desperately tried to stop the sisters from coming here. Sister, I did my best to protect you. Why are you turning things around on me?”

Jiang You’an sobbed pitifully, looking utterly wronged.

Lu Yun Zhu was caught off guard and furious, wanting to lash out. She lost control and shouted, “It was clearly you!”

“That’s enough!” Lady Zhao already understood the situation. There was no point in further argument. She looked at Lu Yun Zhu with disdain. “You’ve disgraced the Lu family. Hurry up and get ready to come back with me!”

Lady Zhao wanted to leave immediately and strode out quickly. Passing Jiang You’an, her eyes suddenly turned icy cold.

Although Lady Yong’an had forbidden any talk of the warm pavilion incident, how could such a matter be kept completely silent? In just a short time, the rumor had already spread in a small circle.

The Lu family took their leave first. Lu Yun Zhu wrapped herself tightly and hurried into her own carriage.

Lu Yun Yao whispered to Jiang You’an as they prepared to board the carriage when a voice came from behind. “Did you enjoy the garden party?”

Jiang You’an turned sharply and saw Lu Xuan Heng. A chill ran down her spine.

Lu Xuan Heng wouldn’t have learned anything, right?

His gaze was piercing as he stared at Jiang You’an without moving.

He had already found out about what just happened.

---

He wasn’t particularly close to his cousin Lu Yun Zhu, only feeling a bit embarrassed for her. He hadn’t thought much of it until he saw Jiang You’an’s reaction…

“Sit in my carriage.”

Jiang You’an wanted to refuse, but when she met Lu Xuan Heng’s gaze, she had no choice but to obediently follow.

“Miss Jiang.”

A young servant came running out from the marquis’s residence and approached Jiang You’an.

Jiang You’an and Lu Xuan Heng both turned to look at him.

“Miss Jiang, you dropped your scented sachet. Fourth Master asked me to bring it to you.”

She must have accidentally left it behind when pushing Su Mingxiu’s wheelchair.

Jiang You’an thanked him and took back the sachet. When she glanced at Lu Xuan Heng, his gaze was dark and sharp as if he wanted to tear her apart.

Without a word, Lu Xuan Heng pulled her into the carriage.

“What are you doing?”

Jiang You’an rubbed her wrist where he had hurt her and frowned.

Lu Xuan Heng snatched the sachet from her hands, sneering, “You weren’t watching me for a moment, and you got involved with another man. You even gave him something so personal?”

“I didn’t. We just happened to meet. The sachet fell accidentally, and he picked it up.”

Jiang You’an denied it firmly. The fact was true, but she also knew how possessive Lu Xuan Heng was. If he found out she had any dealings with another man, he would never forgive her.

His eyes fixed on her face like knives. “Such a coincidence? Why wasn’t it someone else who found it?”

“If you don’t believe me, go ask Su Mingxiu yourself. Why put me through this?”

Jiang You’an looked a little aggrieved. “You suspect I purposely got close to him? What am I to him? Do you really think I could catch the eye of a marquis’s son?”

Lu Xuan Heng scoffed. “What marquis’s son? He’s half-disabled. If you fancy him, you must be blind.”

Jiang You’an ignored him and tried to grab her sachet back, but Lu Xuan Heng shamelessly tucked it into his own chest.

She stared at him wide-eyed. Lu Xuan Heng tugged her roughly, forcing her to sit on his lap.