Chapter 331: Side Story: The Tough Neighbor Chapter 50

Side Story: The Tough Neighbor Chapter 50

After all, he's his own son, so even if he gets so angry he suffers a brain hemorrhage, as long as his arms and legs can still move, Lu Shuang must pull him out!

Indeed, Lu Shuang may not have great abilities, but to protect himself, watching his own son being sent to his death, he really can't bring himself to do it. Moreover, looking at this situation now, even if he stays silent, can he still slip away?

His intuition, honed by years of navigating the bureaucracy, tells Lu Shuang—no way!

So, Lu Shuang can only dig a backdoor, trying to get his troublesome son out first. Thus, as soon as he left home, he headed straight for Jingzhao Prefecture, hoping to privately get close to Pei Yaoguang, at least to keep this East Ridge's top lunatic in check!

Unfortunately, whatever Lu Shuang could think of, Pei Yaoguang could not possibly miss! In fact, long before, after sending the kid Lu Douming back from Liufang Hall, Pei Yaoguang had already announced: Today the Emperor himself is coming, and that's two words—absent!

So, after Lu Shuang arrived at Jingzhao Prefecture exhausted, he didn't even get through the gate before Gatekeeper Lao Zhang brushed him off!

Now Lu Shuang grew even more urgent! Seeing he couldn't get into Jingzhao Prefecture, his mind switched, and he turned straight for the Pei residence!

Lu Shuang's thoughts turned quickly; he reasoned that if you disappear at the Jingzhao Prefecture office, you can't stay there forever—you have to go home, so I'll block you at home! After all, you can dodge a monk but not a temple; I can at least trap you!

Thus, upon arriving at the Pei residence, Lu Shuang claimed he had business with Pei Yaoguang, and to avoid raising suspicion, he deliberately fabricated a story, saying Pei Yaoguang wasn't at the office and he had his own matters, so he came to the mansion to bother them. Hearing this, the Pei family patriarch said nothing, just smiled and said it was fine.

So Lu Shuang waited at the Pei house for Pei Yaoguang to return. The Pei family was generous, offering food and drink, making Lu Shuang feel supreme warmth! Yet, waiting on both sides for Pei Yaoguang who never came, the sky outside turned pitch black, and still no sign of him!

Now even a fool can see something's up here!

Damn! Got duped!

It wasn't until then that Lu Shuang suddenly realized he'd fallen for the Pei family's plump Maitreya's trick. He finally put two and two together: the plump Maitreya and his lunatic son were colluding! But now it was too late; whatever Lu Shuang said would be wasted, so he stopped talking and sprang up to run out!

Lu Shuang thought himself clever, trying to block Pei Yaoguang at the Pei house, but he ended up walking into the opponent's trap, wasting time. After all that hustle, by the time Lu Shuang finally left the Pei residence, it was already almost the third watch!

Now Lu Shuang couldn't even find a place to cry. After weighing options, his last turn led him straight to the Gong Wangfu!

As expected, when Lu Shuang arrived at the Gong Wangfu, they didn't even open the main gate, giving him a cold shoulder!

Lu Shuang spent the late night wandering the capital, tormented by his own troublesome son. Meanwhile, in a side chamber of the Gong Wangfu's rear courtyard, Jin Jingwen had just finished bathing and was sitting at her dressing table drying her hair.

During the day, Yin Fengxuan had also followed Jin Jingwen back to the Wangfu, but just as Yin Fengxuan had just returned and hadn't even exchanged a word with Jin Jingwen, someone arrived from the palace.

The visitor was a junior eunuch from the Imperial Library; the exact matter wasn't disclosed, only that the Emperor had business for Yin Fengxuan. Upon hearing that his fourth brother was summoning him, Yin Fengxuan didn't dare linger, cast a pitiful glance at Jin Jingwen, and followed the eunuch into the palace.

As a result, he hasn't returned ever since!

Jin Jingwen sat alone quietly, her hands moving rhythmically with a poised elegance. At that moment, a clamor came from the front courtyard, and shortly after, Dong'er smirked, pushed the door, and walked in.

Dong'er's face showed obvious schadenfreude. Upon entering, she went straight to Jin Jingwen's side.

"Miss, you really guessed right; that old Lu Ge actually came knocking! Unfortunately, Lao Zhang didn't even open the door for him... Hahaha, you didn't see it, Miss, the scene was downright hilarious!"

Dong'er laughed so hard her back bent. Hearing that, Jin Jingwen, who had been sitting at the dressing table combing her hair, let out a light laugh and then pursed her lips, giving Dong'er a cold stare.

"Look at you, little girl, having so much fun—it's really that funny?"

"Ah, Miss, you truly didn't see it. Just now I was with Chief Hu and the others in the front courtyard, hearing old Lu Ge shouting at the gate... Hahaha, and the funniest part is Lao Zhang—he actually dragged a chair and sat right behind the main gate, yet showed no reaction at all. Miss, tell me, is that funny or not?"

Dong'er was rolling with laughter, her back bent. Seeing her pathetic demeanor, Jin Jingwen couldn't help but sneer at the girl, then changed the subject.

"By the way, where's the Prince? He hasn't returned from the palace yet?"

Speaking of business, Dong'er quickly composed herself.

"Yes, Miss, he hasn't come back yet!"

As she spoke, Dong'er couldn't help but furrow her brows, a hint of worry in her heart, though she dared not voice it. Hearing this, Jin Jingwen's hand paused briefly, then she nodded and said,

"There shouldn't be any problem; perhaps he's tied up with something, maybe talking with the Emperor or the Grand Empress... After all, he hasn't entered the palace for a while, so it's probably nothing."

Jin Jingwen knew exactly what Yin Fengxuan was like. With his cowardly demeanor and his mind, causing a big disaster wasn't easy for him. Moreover, Yin Fengzhan wasn't capricious; his brother would always look out for him. So, thinking that way, Jin Jingwen wasn't worried at all.

It grew late; Jin Jingwen dried her hair, then sent Dong'er away to rest. Once Dong'er left, the spacious room was left to Jin Jingwen alone.

Then Jin Jingwen slowly stood, glanced at the sky outside, and turned her head, inadvertently spotting a bench not far away.

Since their marriage, due to the three‑clause agreement, Yin Fengxuan had always slept on that bench in the outer room. At this moment, looking at the bench, Jin Jingwen raised an eyebrow, sauntered over, stared for a while, then lifted her leg and kicked the bench twice.

"You damned bastard! You've got the nerve to run away from home?! Go ahead, you left, but why have you always been so obedient before?"

Muttering softly, Jin Jingwen then kicked twice more as if deflating. After the kicks, she suddenly felt her actions were childish, pursed her lips, glanced around unnoticed, then looked up and saw a wooden box on a nearby table.

In an instant, Jin Jingwen's eyes flickered, and she walked straight over, opened the wooden box, and reached in to pull out the peacock feather dress inside.

Under the dim yellow candlelight, the interwoven peacock feathers on the garment glittered brilliantly, even more dazzling than in daylight. For a moment, Jin Jingwen couldn't help but have her eyes light up, a clear smile of joy spreading across her face.

Everyone has a love for beauty, and Jin Jingwen is no exception. Especially this peacock feather dress, she fell for it to the bone from the first glance; during the day, with people around, she had to keep a straight face, but now...

Hehe~!

She laughed joyfully, then eagerly stripped off her outer coat, put on the three‑piece peacock feather dress. Once dressed, Jin Jingwen looked down, then, proud and delighted, walked to the dressing table and faced the bronze mirror for a good look.

She examined herself from left and right; although the bronze mirror under the night candlelight was blurry, it still made Jin Jingwen look stunning.

The peacock feather dress was designed with a cinched waist and a flared hem, so when she turned, it unfolded, the white peacock feathers instantly flashing a dazzling brilliance!

Jin Jingwen was lost in her own vanity, so focused that she didn't hear any sounds outside, and the scene before her was just perfect for the newly entered Yin Fengxuan to see!

"Ugh..."

At this moment, Jin Jingwen's face bore a satisfied and reckless smile, her narrowed waist outlining her alluring curves, the wide skirt shimmering with dazzling light, her loose hair dancing with the spin... So with just one glance, Yin Fengxuan was left dumbfounded!

Yin Fengxuan stood there, dumbfounded, his eyes fixed on Jin Jingwen admiring herself in the bronze mirror. At that moment, as she spun again, she happened to meet his gaze, and instantly, Jin Jingwen was also stunned!

Uhh—

In an instant, Jin Jingwen felt a wave of heat surge to her head, wishing she could dive into a crack in the floor and never emerge!

Embarrassing!

So mortifying!

Jin Jingwen was mortified, her face flushed bright red, embarrassment, shyness, frustration... all flooded her mind, making her want to close her eyes and faint!

Unfortunately, Jin Jingwen couldn't faint, and there was no crack in the floor. After the brief mental freeze, she quickly composed herself, forced herself to stay calm, her face instantly tightening, then she looked up at Yin Fengxuan

"It's the middle of the night, why are you back so late? Look at the time now!"

Jin Jingwen, with a forced smile, scolded Yin Fengxuan. Hearing this, Yin Fengxuan suddenly snapped back, and regardless of her attitude, he reflexively chuckled

"Wife..."

"Ahem~, cut the nonsense! I don't want to hear your explanations!"

Speaking, Jin Jingwen feigned indifference as she turned away, thinking to quickly escape this embarrassing scene. But just then, Yin Fengxuan reached out and grabbed her wrist.

"My lady, this clothing..."

Yin Fengxuan's action was completely reflexive. The only reason he said that was to express: "Wow, my lady, this outfit looks really good on you!"

Unfortunately, Jin Jingwen felt guilty at that moment, so when Yin Fengxuan had only spoken half his sentence, she immediately assumed he was going to mock her.

"What's wrong with this outfit? Let me tell you, I just wanted to try it on briefly to see how the craftsmanship of Fragrant Flow Studio is! Humph, it's nothing special anyway, so I'm telling you, I don't actually like this outfit at all—I'm just curious to take a look!"

Jin Jingwen hurried to clear her name; hearing this, Yin Fengxuan froze for a moment.

"Actually, I originally intended to give it to someone else..."

As a veteran of the realm of romance, under normal circumstances Yin Fengxuan would easily notice such a woman's delicate thoughts. Unfortunately, facing Jin Jingwen, his usual skill in matters of the heart completely failed him, to the point that he actually believed she didn't like it.

Originally, according to Yin Fengxuan's plan, although the outfit was custom-made, he wasn't entirely sure about the size and such. So today he went to Fragrant Flow Studio intending to first retrieve the outfit, then have Liu Hai and the others help find a young girl with a similar build to Jin Jingwen to try it on, and once everything was sorted, bring it back to win Jin Jingwen's favor.

Unfortunately, how could Jin Jingwen possibly know about this? Even now, upon hearing Yin Fengxuan say that the outfit was meant for someone else, she instantly flared up!

"What? You say this outfit is for someone else? Fine, Yin Fengxuan… alright! It's just a piece of clothing—I don't care! Besides, I never liked it anyway!"

Saying this, Jin Jingwen made a move to take off her clothes; seeing this, Yin Fengxuan couldn't help but freeze, then he swept her into his arms and hurried to explain.

"No, no, this outfit is meant for you! I just said that I originally wanted to find someone with a similar build to you to try it on, see if it fits, and then, once everything was ready, send it over to you!"

Jin Jingwen's explosive anger was a dangerous situation. In his panic, Yin Fengxuan actually displayed his skill, stringing together a series of words that were even more fluent than his usual speech.

Given Yin Fengxuan's limited intellect, in front of Jin Jingwen it was nowhere near enough. So as soon as he spoke, Jin Jingwen realized she had misunderstood again!

Jin Jingwen felt a bit embarrassed, but for the sake of face she couldn't directly admit her mistake, so she could only press her lips together and stay silent.

For a moment, the room fell silent; Jin Jingwen remained held by Yin Fengxuan, wanting to break the silence but not knowing what to say.

Perhaps eager to escape her predicament, Jin Jingwen forgot that she was still being held by Yin Fengxuan. Only after a while did a slight movement suddenly make her realize she was actually in his embrace!

In an instant, Jin Jingwen's little face turned red as a monkey's butt again! She then raised her hand and slapped Yin Fengxuan's arm.

"Yin Fengxuan, let go of me! Have you grown bold? Release me at once!"

The proud Jin Jingwen once again transformed into a fur‑bristling cat. When Jin Jingwen pushed him, Yin Fengxuan snapped out of his daze, and she seized the chance to wriggle free from his arms!

Jin Jingwen, cheeks puffed with anger, raised her hand and pointed fiercely at Yin Fengxuan, though she wasn't quite sure what to scold him for. Used to seeing Jin Jingwen usually cool and unruffled, Yin Fengxuan was startled to see her now flushed and furious; his eyes lit up, he found himself momentarily captivated, and then he cracked a smile.

"Hehe~, my lady~!"

Yin Fengxuan felt pleased with his smile, but Jin Jingwen instantly glared at him!

"You damn Yin Fengxuan, while I'm fuming over here, you actually dare to laugh?!"

Jin Jingwen felt resentful, and without further words she lunged at him, scratching and clawing at Yin Fengxuan! In the end, Yin Fengxuan kept begging for mercy, and she herself grew tired before she finally stopped.

"Yin Fengxuan, remember this: if you dare to lay a hand on me again, just wait and see how I'll deal with you!"

Jin Jingwen narrowed her eyes, hands on her hips, glaring at Yin Fengxuan, who had been beaten and flung onto the bench, and began to utter harsh words. At that moment, Yin Fengxuan, his face streaked with scratches from Jin Jingwen, also flared up; he stiffened his neck and couldn't help shouting:

"Who laid hands on you? I was just acting in self‑defense… ow…"

Yin Fengxuan, scratched badly, hadn't even uttered two shouts before he cried out in pain—but Jin Jingwen, no pushover, upon hearing him dare to talk back, reached out and scratched him again.

"It was you who started the grabbing! And you still dare to make excuses?"

Saying this, Jin Jingwen made a move to strike again. This time Yin Fengxuan had enough; he sprang up from the bench in a leap and went straight to the copper mirror to examine himself.

"Who's making excuses? It's exactly as I said! You said you, go ahead and hit—but why aim for the face? Look, look… oh no, how am I supposed to go out tomorrow?"

"Hmph! Go out? Go out where? Stay home and behave!"

"Nonsense, do you think I want to go out? My fourth brother has spoken—he ordered me to report for duty at the Imperial Treasury tomorrow! Oh—"