Chapter 162 Rumors and Gossip

"Miss, Young Master He is gone."

Inside Liufang Courtyard, a senior maid hurried into the room and reported to Fang Qian, who was reposing lazily on a daybed.

Her once relaxed and graceful posture stiffened abruptly as she snapped her head up, casting a piercing gaze at the maid. The girl shrank back in fright, lowering her head.

"Gone? Where did he go?"

The gloomy voice carried a chilling frost.

Daring not to draw a full breath, the maid replied submissively, "When people were sent to summon Young Master He, they were told he was not in his room. Upon asking the neighbor, they said Young Master He hasn't returned since last night."

"Not returned since last night?"

"He is merely a manservant, why should milady take it to heart?"

An abrupt male voice broke in, startling the maid. Only then did she realize with a start that a young lord clad in brocaded robes was seated in the corner of the room.

The maid's face drained of color. It was her own negligence; in her panic, she had burst in without announcing herself. She wondered how severely her mistress would punish her, and at the mere thought, cold sweat beaded on her forehead.

"Hahaha." Fang Qian laughed, her shoulders shaking deliciously. Only after she finished laughing did she say to the maid, "Perhaps he went visiting relatives and friends. Making such a fuss over a trifle—send someone to check on him later."

"Yes."

Just as the maid was about to withdraw, she heard Fang Qian add, "Go and keep watch outside the courtyard. No one is allowed to enter."

"Yes."

Once the maid had retreated, leaving only the two of them in the room, the young man slowly rose and walked over to Fang Qian, who had reclined back onto the daybed. He sat down beside her, picked up her delicate, fair hand, caressed and toyed with it, and said with a hint of grievance, "You care so much about that fellow surnamed He; could it be that you want little Luo to be jealous?"

"Giggle." Fang Qian covered her mouth with her other hand and laughed. "This lady loves nothing more than seeing little Luo's jealous little expression."

"You..." The man called Luo feigned annoyance, popped her finger into his mouth, and nibbled on it gently. After biting it, he proceeded to lick and nibble each and every one of her fingers one by one.

A tingling sensation spread throughout her body. Fang Qian let out a comfortable moan, her entire body softening against the daybed.

"Feels good?" Luo glanced at her sideways and smiled, "There's even better than this."

With that, he leaned over, kissing her all the way from her eyes, cheeks, lips, and down to her neck, while one of his hands slipped inside her garments...

The temperature in the room climbed steadily. Lewd, dissolute murmurs and seductive gasps soon arose from the carved canopy bed, drifting unashamedly across the courtyard of Liufang in the fading twilight.

That night, Young Master He still did not return.

***

Three days later.

In a fit of violent rage, Fang Qian smashed a roomful of fine porcelain, finally collapsing onto the daybed in utter dejection.

She finally understood that He Shaoxing had truly abandoned her. He was truly gone.

She had no shortage of men around her. Aside from He Shaoxing, there were several others, each with their own charms and distinctive appeal. Yet only He Shaoxing had truly captured her heart and held her attention. While the other men treated her with varying degrees of flattery and obsequiousness, He Shaoxing retained the proud, upright posture of green pine and jade bamboo even in her presence. It was precisely this aura that had infatuated her and drawn her in.

She could sense that He Shaoxing had once held genuine affection for her, but later...

"Wretch, it's all because of that wretch."

She viciously pinched the decorative silk pillow on the daybed, imagining it to be the sharp-chinned face of that seductress. Had she not wished to conceal her true intentions from He Shaoxing, she would not have merely injured that bitch's hand; she would have carved seventy or eighty gashes across that obnoxious face to see if anyone would ever be willing to look at her again.

It was all because she had been too soft-hearted. Had she disposed of that vixen sooner, Shaoxing perhaps would never have left her.

No. Whatever she desired had never slipped through her grasp.

A fierce, ruthless gleam flashed across her eyes. She got up, adjusted her hair ornaments and attire, left the courtyard, and headed toward Wuxiang Study with her personal maid.

Wuxiang Study was the quarters of her eldest brother, Fang Zhen.

"Eldest Brother." Pushing open the door to her brother's study, she found Fang Zhen seated behind the desk, holding a delicate young maid in his lap and teaching her calligraphy hand-over-hand.

Whatever he whispered into the girl's ear made her giggle and melt softly into his embrace.

The ambiguous atmosphere in the room was abruptly broken. Frowning with irritation, Fang Zhen looked up, ready to scold the intruder, but stopped when he saw it was Fang Qian. The young maid hastily stood up from his lap, curtsied to Fang Qian, and slipped out the door as Fang Zhen waved his hand.

"What is it?" His good mood interrupted, Fang Zhen's tone was deeply impatient.

"Eldest Brother, you must help Qian'er." Ignoring his foul expression, Fang Qian walked up, tugged at his sleeve, and acted coquettishly. "A manservant ran away from my courtyard, and he is utterly hateful. Eldest Brother must help me catch him back."

"Such a small matter. Just have the steward send a few men to drag him back."

Gazing at the flower-bright face before him, Fang Zhen's tone softened slightly. His eyes drifted down past her face, and he could not help but swallow hard. His sister truly had a magnificent figure—all curves in the front and back. If only... Ah, what a pity she was his own full-blooded sister.

His gaze lingered on Fang Qian's chest for a long moment before finally tearing itself away with reluctance.

As if completely unaware, Fang Qian continued to tug at his hand, speaking in a sweet, pleading voice: "No, Eldest Brother, what use are those good-for-nothings in the estate? Please have the yamen draw up a portrait and send men to apprehend him, won't you, Eldest Brother?"

"Fine, fine. My sister's affairs are my affairs. But how is sister going to reward your eldest brother?"

"If Eldest Brother helps Qian'er, Qian'er will give two more maids to Eldest Brother, all right?"

Fang Zhen reached out and stroked Fang Qian's cheek, laughing heartily. "Ha, ha! Very well. The maids trained by my sister are certainly different."

***

Meanwhile, throughout the streets and alleys of Wucheng, gossip and rumors concerning the young lady of the Fang estate slowly began to circulate.

In wine shops, teahouses, restaurants, and academies—anywhere people gathered—the discussions were endless.

"Have you heard about what's going on at the Fang estate?"

"What happened?"

"I heard that the manservants around the third young lady of the Fang family are all shockingly handsome. Do you know why? Because those aren't ordinary servants; they are kept male concubines raised by the third young lady."

"What? How could that be?"

"Tsk, tsk. Such nerve for a young maiden."

"How do you know about something so secretive?"

"There is no impermeable wall in this world. No matter how secretive, some wind is bound to leak out. Besides, men act while Heaven watches. Heaven knows, Earth knows, and now I know, and you know too, hehe."

...

The rumors eventually reached the residence of the Commander of the Prefecture.

Commander Guo and his family of three sat in the main hall with gloomy expressions, having dismissed all the maids and matrons. Only a single censer of warm incense curled in wisps around them.

"Father, I absolutely refuse this marriage."

Commander Guo's legitimate son, Guo Siyuan, was consumed by a blazing fury that threatened to burst through the crown of his head and set the room on fire.

"Indeed, Husband. The Fang family has brought such scandalous disgrace upon themselves. How can a respectable family like ours allow such a shameless woman to cross our threshold?"

Commander Guo's expression was similarly so dark it seemed water might drip from it. He clenched his fists in silence, letting out a long sigh after a long while. "Yet the Fang family showed me grace and lifted me up. How can I possibly bring myself to speak of calling off the marriage?"

"Forgive your concubine for disagreeing, Husband. While the Fang family once favored you, knowing full well what kind of character their daughter possesses and still trying to force her upon our Yuan'er shows they hold our Guo family in contempt, treating you no better than a domestic servant of theirs. Over the years, you have given your utmost to the Fang family, Husband. But what have you gotten in return? Husband..."

"Enough, say no more."

With a look of profound anguish, Commander Guo brought his fist slamming down onto the table. (To be continued.)