Chapter 468 - 179: Toying With
Chapter 468: Chapter 179: Toying With
The next morning, the entire Xinghuai Prefecture was in an uproar.
"Have you heard? Mr. Yin’s private residence is completely mobbed. First, it was the cats, and now it’s brothel girls demanding payment. They’re blocking the alley for blocks around."
"I heard, I heard! Word on the street is that business is booming over there. A ton of vendors have gone to set up stalls..."
"What in the world is going on? How come I haven’t heard a thing? You have to tell me everything."
"Heh, have you been locked in your room for days? The whole cat-hiring thing blew up yesterday, and you still have no idea? You’re so out of the loop..."
Everyone in the Prefecture was talking about Mr. Yin, and the Zhao Family was no exception.
Mrs. Zhao didn’t even have to make any special inquiries; the news found its way to her ears all on its own.
The maids and older servants of the household were gathered, gossiping away. They said Mr. Yin was about to suffer a massive financial blow. With so many brothel girls, at five taels of Silver per person, it would cost at least a hundred taels. They wondered if Mr. Yin’s entire annual salary even added up to that much...
Once Mrs. Zhao understood the situation, she made a snide remark, saying that for someone who was supposed to be a model teacher, Mr. Yin was unexpectedly promiscuous in his private life. His character was clearly lacking if he would even default on his debts to brothel girls.
After she finished muttering, she suddenly recalled the "good deed" her son had been responsible for, and her heart skipped a beat.
’The cat-hiring business was Jing’s doing. This new incident couldn’t possibly be related to him too, could it?’
’Of course not!’
Her Jing might be a bit rebellious, but he always conducted himself with integrity and had never been a philanderer.
He wouldn’t even set foot in the brothel district, let alone get entangled with the women there.
That was what she wanted to believe, but the two incidents had occurred back-to-back, and both were aimed directly at Mr. Yin. She couldn’t even convince herself that they were completely unrelated.
Mrs. Zhao called for Xiang’er. "We’re going to find your older brother."
"Find my brother for what? To interrogate him? Mother, do you have any witnesses or physical evidence? You have nothing, and you’re just going to confront him? If you show him this much distrust, what are you going to do when he gets upset?"
Mrs. Zhao was taken aback and stood frozen on the spot.
After a long moment, she finally asked, "Then what do you suggest we do?"
"Let it be. It’s not our door being blocked, and it’s not our family being hounded for debts. What does this have to do with us? Even the business with the cats... ahem... that was such a trivial matter. The cats were brought to his door; if he doesn’t want them, he can just refuse. It’s not like Mr. Yin has to pay their travel expenses. The problem solves itself. Besides, Mr. Yin clearly didn’t take it to heart, or else he wouldn’t have been in the mood to go carousing. As for those brothel girls demanding payment, paying one’s debts is only natural. Surely you’re not thinking of paying Mr. Yin’s bill for him, Mother?"
"Oh, you! Always teasing your mother. So, by your logic, we shouldn’t go question your brother?"
"Question him for what? What has he done wrong? My brother is being completely maligned here, being framed for something without a shred of evidence. No one else suspects him, yet you’re the first to assume the worst. Are you really his mother? All right, don’t even try to argue; I’m not listening. Instead of standing here letting your imagination run wild, why don’t you take advantage of my brother being home and cook something delicious for him? The servants’ cooking is fine, but he doesn’t like their food. He loves your scallion pancakes. You should go make some."
"Fine. I’ll go get started then."
Mrs. Zhao was easy to fool, but Chen Wanqing was a different story.
She took a branch she’d picked up outside, stripped it of its dead leaves and twigs, and rapped it sharply on Zhao Jing’s desk.
"Fess up. Were you involved in that business with the brothel girls?"
Zhao Jing sat in a high-backed chair carved with roses, his eyes crinkling with amusement as he looked at Chen Wanqing.
His legs were spread wide, placing him extremely close to Chen Wanqing. Still, he seemed to feel the distance was too great, so he pulled her even closer. His face and eyes were filled with mirth, showing not the slightest hint of fear.
"Wanqing, are you going to hit me? If you have the heart, then go right ahead."
As he spoke, he even held out his palm, presenting himself for her to punish as she saw fit.
Chen Wanqing was at a loss for words. She could only glare at him fiercely. How could she possibly bring herself to strike him?
Even at his most passionate, she restrained herself from biting him. Only when he went too far, when she absolutely couldn’t bear it any longer, would she rake her nails down his back, leaving scratches in their wake.
Normally, she couldn’t bear to lay a single finger on him; she all but put him on a pedestal.
Unfortunately for her, Zhao Jing didn’t want to be put on a pedestal. He just wanted to be her man.