Jiang Tingjun moved. He pushed all the Zhua Zhou items together and then, with the force of a collapsing mountain, flopped onto them.
His current posture reminded Ye Yunniang of the village children who, upon catching a turtle, would flip it over for amusement, leaving it flailing comically on its back.
Ye Yunniang pressed her lips together to stifle a laugh.
The others in the room, witnessing Jiang Tingjun's comical antics, couldn't hold back either.
A snicker broke out first, followed by waves of laughter until the entire room was roaring with mirth.
The loudest laughter came from his own father, Jiang Mingrui.
“That’s my boy! Why choose when you can have it all? Hahaha…”
Fourth Madam Jiang covered her left eye with one hand while the other reached for Jiang Mingrui’s waist, giving it a sharp twist.
“Ack—!” Jiang Mingrui’s voice instantly changed pitch, his eyes pleading. “My dear, let go.”
Fourth Madam Jiang shot him a look that promised a reckoning later.
“Son, pick one—take the book,” she urged.
But if Jiang Tingjun could understand her, he wouldn’t be a one-year-old.
Instead, he flailed his limbs excitedly, his eyes fixed on Fourth Madam Jiang as if to say,
Look how clever I am!
This only made the room erupt in even louder laughter.
“Tingjun is destined to be a scholar and warrior both,” a member of the Jin family chimed in, trying to salvage their grandson’s dignity.
“Yes, yes…” the others echoed, still chuckling.
Unbeknownst to him, Jiang Tingjun's "Zhua Zhou" had already become legendary.
From then on, whenever a "zhuazhou" was held among Jiangcheng’s elite, his antics would inevitably be recounted.
Once the zhua zhou was over, Jiang Tingjun’s role in the festivities ended.
Taohong carried him away, but he protested—he couldn’t bear to leave his treasures behind.
Aunt Jinlan instructed Ye Yunniang and Hong Cai to stay behind and gather the Zhuazhou items, transporting them back to Fanghua Courtyard.
While organizing, Hong Cai was pulled away to assist elsewhere, leaving Ye Yunniang to handle the task alone.
The items weren’t heavy, so she borrowed a large basket from the gatekeeper at Chunze Courtyard.
She packed the zhua zhou items inside, avoided the areas where guests lingered, and returned to Fanghua Courtyard.
After storing them in the new toy chest labeled “No. 3,” Ye Yunniang returned the basket to the gatekeeper at Chunze Courtyard, thanking her with a handful of copper coins.
With her duties done for the day, Ye Yunniang prepared to return to Zhiyu Pavilion.
As she passed a rockery, she heard faint moans and ragged breathing.
Her body tensed instantly.
Who would dare sneak around like this on such an important day?
She cursed her luck—why did she always stumble upon such scandals?
The memory of Fourth Madam Jiang’s murderous glare flashed in her mind, and she knew better than to linger or investigate.
In her panic, her foot accidentally kicked a loose pebble, sending it tumbling into a nearby pond.
The splash startled the illicit lovers behind the rockery.
“Who’s there?” a gruff voice demanded, followed by the rustling of hastily donned clothes.
Ye Yunniang’s heart sank. This is bad.
She bolted toward a nearby bamboo grove.
The man who emerged first from the rockery caught only a glimpse of red disappearing into the bamboo forest.
“Did you see who it was?” the woman asked, her voice still husky with desire.
“Someone in red, running toward the bamboo forest,” he replied, though he couldn’t tell if it was a man or woman, nor their appearance.
“We can’t let this get out,” they agreed, hurrying after the figure.
Beyond the bamboo forest stood a two-story bamboo pavilion.
The first floor was open, supported only by four corner pillars.
The second floor had proper rooms, doors and windows shut—a potential hiding place.
“Why is there a bamboo house here?” the woman wondered.
“A few years ago, the old master wanted to cultivate an air of refinement, so he planted this grove and built the pavilion. His interest faded within days, and it’s been abandoned since,” the man explained, leading the way upstairs.
Inside, the furnishings were sparse:
A bamboo bed, a bamboo table, four bamboo chairs, and a folding screen painted with bamboo motifs symbolizing peace.
Their eyes simultaneously locked onto the screen.
They flanked it, searching behind—but found nothing.
“Check for hidden mechanisms,” the woman suggested, tapping along the walls.
After a thorough inspection, they found no trace of anyone.
“Are you sure you saw someone?” she pressed.
The man didn’t answer, his gaze instead drawn to a scrap of red fabric caught on a tree branch outside the rear window.
He plucked it free and handed it to her.
She examined it closely, even sniffing it. “Soft Crimson Smoke Gauze. This is trouble.”
“Why?”
“This fabric is the latest trend from the south. Thirty taels per foot.” Anyone who could afford clothing from it was no servant—either a lady of the household or a distinguished guest.
This is serious trouble.
The man’s expression darkened. “We’ll find out who it was. They only heard us—they don’t know our identities.”
“This is your fault,” the woman said playfully, hitting his chest.
He caught her fist, bringing it to his lips for a teasing nip.
“Guilty as charged. You’ve bewitched me utterly.” His flirtation reignited her earlier arousal.
With a soft moan, she melted into his embrace, yielding to his touch.
“Mm… stop… what if someone… ah…” Her protests were half-hearted.
“We checked. No one’s here. Don’t you want me, sweet sister?” His words dissolved her resistance.
Soon, they resumed their interrupted tryst right there in the bamboo pavilion.
Unbeknownst to them, hidden behind a hanging scroll, someone watched.
Ye Yunniang had initially tried to flee after crossing the bamboo forest, but a pair of strong arms suddenly swept her up, leaping with her into the bamboo pavilion.
Before she could react, the man activated a hidden mechanism, slipping them both into a concealed space.
“Secret room” might be an exaggeration—the space was barely two feet wide, further cramped by a row of cabinets.
Pressed flush against each other, the man held Ye Yunniang tightly from behind.
His scorching breath on her neck made her heart pound like a drum.
“Second Master, let me go,” she whispered, recognizing Jiang Mingzhe.
“Hush. Stay still unless you want to be discovered,” he murmured, covering her mouth.
“Look.”
The door creaked open as the couple entered.
The sight made Ye Yunniang gasp.
How could it be them?
The girl—no, young woman—was none other than the Jiang family’s Fifth Miss, Jiang Mingyue.
The youth beside her was the Sixth Master, Jiang Mingshu.
But they’re half-siblings!
“Jiang Mingshu isn’t the old master’s true son.
His mother is Concubine Bai. Bai Yurong’s first man was the estate’s steward.
After seven childless years, he divorced her.
Coincidentally, the old master visited the estate that very day. Captivated by her beauty, he brought her into the household as Concubine Bai.
One month later, the physician announced her pregnancy—two months along.”
Jiang Mingzhe whispered into Ye Yunniang’s ear, "The person has already entered the estate, and the old master has acknowledged the child in her womb. He’s been named Jiang Mingshu."
