CHAPTER 384: CHAPTER 195: BUYING LOYALTY (PART 2)

Xingzhi’s face turned pale, and she was stunned into silence.

Mrs. Wang continued, "I don’t mean anything else, I’m just worried that the young couple might not understand the gravity of their actions. The young master is usually not particular about small details, and if Miss Wan, being spoiled and indulged, ends up saying something improper, it would tarnish the reputation of the Shi family! I timely reminded her, which is good for everyone! Xingzhi, this matter is now entirely up to you! Don’t let me down!"

"Yes... Madam, I will remember," Xingzhi replied with a dry mouth and a pounding heart, whispering, "If I notice anything inappropriate from Miss Wan, I will definitely report it to Madam!"

"Hmm," Mrs. Wang nodded in satisfaction and smiled, "I trust you to handle things well! Alright, you may go now! This pair of gold hairpins is my reward to you, do your job well and do not disappoint me!"

"Slave thanks the Madam for the reward!" Xingzhi respectfully accepted and slowly bowed before retreating.

Upon returning to Ningyuan, Xingzhi inevitably showed Sang Wan the gifts bestowed by Mrs. Wang, to which Sang Wan, inspecting them in her hands, smiled and said, "This is Madam’s grace, take good care of them!"

Xingzhi replied with an obliging smile and went downstairs to store them properly.

Feeling conflicted for half a day, Xingzhi finally found an opportunity when everyone else had been sent away for the night, and while Shi Fengju was bathing, she summoned her courage to speak to Sang Wan, kneeling down to recount the instructions Mrs. Wang had given her earlier that day.

"I don’t know why Madam suddenly brought up this matter, after thinking it over, I couldn’t bear to hide it from Miss Wan! Miss Wan has been like a rebirth to me; I dare not forget!"

Sang Wan was utterly shocked upon hearing this; she hadn’t expected that after being scolded previously by her mother-in-law, she’d still be dissatisfied and even went on to instruct her own maid like this. Luckily the people around her, Xingzhi, Liu Ya, and Hong Ye, weren’t the kind to take advantage of such a situation; otherwise, given such instructions from Mrs. Wang, they might have used it to lord over others! Even if there were no issues, they could definitely create some!

Sang Wan was both shocked and angry; her mother-in-law’s suspicion had reached such a level!

"Madam’s concerns must also be for the good of the household; I am still young, perhaps some of my words and actions were inappropriate, and thus caught her eye, unnecessarily worrying her. Since Madam has instructed you so, report anything you see truthfully to her! As long as you do not fabricate stories, there’s nothing to worry about! Do not fail the trust Madam places in you!" Sang Wan, finally calming her irritation, lightly smiled and spoke to Xingzhi.

Xingzhi, feeling reassured by her words, quickly nodded, "Yes, I understand what to do!"

"Alright, you may leave now," Sang Wan waved her hand.

Xingzhi bowed and left, softly closing the door behind her.

Sang Wan leaned against the couch, watching the softly flickering light and felt increasingly suffocated and stifled.

When Shi Fengju came in and saw her not yet in bed, but sitting there lost in thought, he approached, wrapped her in his arms and joked, "What are you thinking about that has you so captivated? Aren’t you cold sitting here dressed like that?"

The house had underfloor heating, so of course, it wasn’t cold. Sang Wan looked up at him, suddenly smiled warmly, wrapped her arms around his neck, and whispered by his ear, "Carry me there."

Seeing her act coquettishly soft, warmth and a gentle fragrance emanating from her body, Shi Fengju’s heart swayed, unable to express his fondness, and chuckled softly as he lifted her, softly laughing, "If you like, I can carry you like this every night..."

Sang Wan’s face heated up, but she unexpectedly felt somewhat thrilled, and whispered by his ear, "Better not, what if mother finds out!"

Shi Fengju laughed softly, nuzzling his nose against hers, "How would mother know about our private matters?" he said, striding towards the bed, gently setting her down, and covering her with himself, cherishing the warmth and pleasure of the gentle jade in his arms through a limitless amorous night.

After fifteen days, Shi Fengju found an opportunity to talk to Mrs. Wang about Gu Fangzi.

"Mother, I’m thinking of finding another good family for cousin to marry into, what do you think?"

Shi Fengju originally thought his mother would leap up and argue with him in anger upon hearing this, but unexpectedly, she simply raised her eyebrows, her expression almost calm, surprising Shi Fengju even more.

Unbeknownst to him, ever since Mrs. Wang had inadvertently heard those old stories from Shi Yumei, her heart had swung from high regard and pity for Gu Fangzi to profound disappointment, no longer planning wholeheartedly for her future. In her eyes, only her son mattered! She cared for her mostly because she thought she was good to her son! Since that was not the case, why bother giving her special treatment?

"Why would you suddenly have such a thought?" Mrs. Wang asked indifferently. She even felt a vague sense of joy in her heart, thinking her son perhaps didn’t like Gu Fangzi as much as she had thought, and wasn’t afraid of being manipulated by her in the future.

Shi Fengju had already prepared his reasons, and said, "Cousin has lived with us since she was young, yet now we are considering taking her as a concubine, which might sound inappropriate to others! Those who don’t know might even think we, mother and son, have ulterior motives, turning gratitude into resentment! I didn’t consider this before, but now that I have, I truly regret it; we shouldn’t have brought her in! Fortunately, this hasn’t been widely known or alarmed many people. I’ll find her a husband from another region, and once things have calmed, we’ll send her out! As long as the Shi family stands, I suspect no one would dare to harm her! Becoming the main wife elsewhere would be much better than being a concubine, and it’s also for her good!"

Mrs. Wang, after listening, scrutinized him suspiciously for a while, "Are you truly thinking this way? Did you hear some idle gossip outside? Or is this Miss Wan’s suggestion?"