Chapter 118
Seeing Xiao Guozhi completely ignoring her words, Lin Qiao'er was thoroughly displeased.
"Hurry up and get to it!" Though Lin Qiao'er disliked his frail appearance, since he was already here, there was no reason to send him away. At least his face was somewhat presentable.
Finding a father like this for her child wouldn’t disgrace her own beauty. With that thought, Lin Qiao'er reached out to remove Xiao Guozhi’s clothes.
"What are you doing?" Xiao Guozhi, who had been trying to pull open the door, was startled by her sudden advance.
"What do you think?" Lin Qiao'er arched her delicate brows and sauntered toward him with a seductive sway.
"You—stay away from me!" Xiao Guozhi trembled, utterly confused by the situation.
Could it be that the Minister of Justice’s residence harbored man-eating demons?
"Stop pretending!" Lin Qiao'er scoffed. Did this man really think she’d believe his act? He was here because Douya had paid for his services.
What was the point of playing the virtuous scholar now?
"I don’t understand what you’re saying. Please keep your distance." Xiao Guozhi shifted uncomfortably. He couldn’t fathom why this woman insisted on standing so close while speaking.
"Distance? Ha! Do you really think my money is so easily wasted?" Lin Qiao'er grew impatient. Not only was this man far from her ideal, but he also had the audacity to act coy?
Besides, she didn’t have time to waste. If they were discovered, it would be disastrous.
"Young lady, there must be some misunderstanding. I’ve never taken your money." Xiao Guozhi was baffled. What was this talk of money?
"Enough nonsense. Hurry up!" Losing patience, Lin Qiao'er grabbed Xiao Guozhi and dragged him toward the simple bed in the corner.
"Young lady, men and women should not touch! Have some decency!" Xiao Guozhi’s eyes widened in shock. Not only was this woman manhandling him, but she was also pulling him toward a bed?
Xiao Guozhi, though ambitious, was a true bookworm—thick-headed and naive. Though he had a wife at home, their relationship was one of distant respect.
Now, with Lin Qiao'er pulling him toward the bed, his heart pounded in alarm.
How could this be allowed?
Lin Qiao'er pushed him onto the bed and reached for his pants, making Xiao Guozhi scramble to hold onto them in panic.
"Young lady, what are you doing?" Xiao Guozhi was horrified. As a scholar, he knew this wasn’t his wife—but even if she were, this was absurd.
Moreover, he hadn’t forgotten he was currently in the residence of Minister of Justice Liu Bozheng.
Liu Bozheng was a towering, formidable man—nothing like Xiao Guozhi’s frail self.
And he had no idea who this woman was. He couldn’t afford to act recklessly.
Lin Qiao'er hadn’t expected him to be so difficult. She prided herself on her beauty—among the women in the household, she was the most alluring, and the master often favored her chambers.
Who would’ve thought this feeble scholar would dare reject her?
If force didn’t work, Lin Qiao'er simply shed her own clothes.
The two, locked in their struggle, failed to notice the approaching footsteps outside. Douya, seeing the group arrive, paled in terror, her heart sinking.
Concubine Zhen led Madam Lan and the others to the door.
"Madam, I told you Lin Qiao'er was meeting a man in this courtyard, but you didn’t believe me. Look—Douya is right there!" Concubine Zhen declared triumphantly.
"Nonsense!" Madam Lan frowned. A maid’s presence alone proved nothing.
If rumors spread that one of the master’s concubines was involved in an affair, the Liu family’s reputation would be ruined.
Concubine Zhen was displeased. Why was Madam Lan still defending that wretch Lin Qiao'er at a time like this?
"Douya, why aren’t you with Concubine Lin? What are you doing here?" Madam Lan asked sternly, eyeing the visibly nervous maid.
"Madam, I—I was feeling upset and wandered into the wrong courtyard by mistake. I’ll leave now." Douya’s gaze flickered toward the closed door, silently praying the situation wouldn’t be exposed. Otherwise, both she and Lin Qiao'er would face dire consequences.
After all, adultery was a disgrace no matter how one spun it.
"Douya, you’re always inseparable from your mistress. How could you ‘wander off’ now?" Concubine Zhen wasn’t buying it. Her instincts told her Lin Qiao'er was inside.
"Enough. If she took a wrong turn, she should leave. Why is everyone standing around? Return to your duties." Madam Lan’s frown deepened. She saw no reason to make a scene—this was all Concubine Zhen’s meddling.
Reluctantly, Concubine Zhen cast one last glance at the closed door but didn’t dare disobey. She followed Madam Lan, though she couldn’t resist looking back repeatedly.
But before they had taken more than a few steps, a loud thud came from inside the room.
"Stay away from me!"
A man’s terrified voice followed.
Concubine Zhen whirled around excitedly. "Madam, did you hear that? A man’s voice!"
Inside, the two remained oblivious to the commotion outside. Lin Qiao'er was fixated on subduing the man before her—she needed to conceive a child quickly so she could rise in status within the Lin Family.
Yet this fool refused to cooperate. She had even stripped down, and still, he dodged her advances. How infuriating!
Where had Douya found such an idiot?
Outside, Madam Lan’s expression darkened. She had hoped to sweep this under the rug—making a public spectacle of adultery would only tarnish the master’s name.
But Lin Qiao'er had gone too far.
Seeing Madam Lan’s displeasure, Concubine Zhen eagerly signaled to the maids. "Open the door!"
She had received a tip-off—a servant had led a man into the residence, and her own spies had seen Lin Qiao'er heading this way. She had come prepared to catch them in the act.
The thought of eliminating Lin Qiao'er, that seductive fox, and securing the master’s favor for herself filled her with glee.
Douya tried to block the way, but the maids seized her, gagging her before she could protest.
Helpless, Douya could only struggle in vain, her world collapsing around her.
The sturdy maids swiftly forced the door open. The moment it gave way, Xiao Guozhi bolted outside, his clothes in disarray.
"Help!" he cried, fleeing in panic.
Madam Lan’s frown deepened at the sight of him.
Why was he here?
Lin Qiao'er, about to storm out and demand why Douya had failed to keep watch, froze when she saw the crowd outside. Her face drained of color.
"Oh, Sister Lin, what are you up to?" Concubine Zhen smirked, relishing her triumph.
