Chapter 770 – Feng Zhen’s Romantic Fate (Part Six)
A woman from a brothel could never hope to become the legitimate wife of a high-ranking official or a wealthy gentleman. The Madam settled for less, merely desiring the position of a favored concubine, promising a fortune in dowry! At this declaration, the room erupted in astonished murmurs, everyone gazing at Huan Er with fiery, eager eyes.
Someone from the crowd asked, “I wonder who Huan Er has her sights set on?”
As soon as the words left their mouth, Huan Er shyly glanced in Feng Zhen’s direction.
Feng Zhen instinctively shivered, feeling utterly drained.
He wasn’t keen on such inexperienced little girls; in his previous escapades in the red-light district, he favored those mature, alluring women who understood the game—at least they wouldn’t easily develop feelings for their clients. With someone like this young girl, it was a toss-up; Feng Zhen did not wish to deal with emotional entanglements.
Youthful naivete often led to misplaced affections.
Jiang Pengji, standing beside him, teased, “The little lady has her eyes on you; it’s obvious she’s interested!”
Feng Zhen gritted his teeth, lowering his voice, “My Lord, please don’t jest—”
“She’s not asking for a single coin; instead, she’s offering a fortune as a dowry to be your concubine, and you’re not even slightly tempted?”
Shao Guang was surprised, but even more perplexed was the fact that his Lord had foreseen this whole scenario.
Feng Zhen declared with righteous indignation, “I am not moved!”
He was resisting an opportunity that seemed to fall into his lap, prompting a stir among the other guests.
They couldn’t comprehend why such a beauty would be interested in a middle-aged man with ragged clothing and a female companion by his side.
To be blunt, this man’s eye bags were dark and swollen, clearly a sign of poor health; how could he possibly satisfy a youthful beauty? The girl, being young and naive, was bound to choose someone far more appealing than an ordinary man like him!
As they watched a lovely flower poised to land on a pile of dung, someone stood up to voice their objection.
“Huan Er, with your unmatched beauty, why would you settle for such a poor and ordinary man?”
“…Exactly! Plus, he has a female companion with him; it’s clear he isn’t a suitable match for lifelong companionship…”
Onstage, Huan Er stood with a fan, slightly covering her face, moving with grace toward Feng Zhen, shattering his illusion that she had eyes only for Shao Guang. She slightly bowed, gazing deeply into Feng Zhen’s eyes, “I am of lowly birth, aware that I’m unworthy of you, Young Master, yet I still harbor foolish desires, longing for your compassion to fulfill my whimsical hopes. Even without a proper title, I would welcome the role of a humble concubine joyfully.”
Feng Zhen forced a bitter smile, speaking softly, “Your affections are overwhelming, but I can hardly agree to this. To be honest, I am nearly thirty, with a young child at home; I cannot bring hardship to you. You are still in your prime and will surely find someone who truly cares for you…”
Huan Er bit her beautifully painted lip, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears, “I truly admire you, Young Master… No matter how many wives or children you have, even if I am just a lowly concubine, as long as I can stay by your side, I shall have no regrets in this life.”
Feng Zhen: “…”
This script was off!
Jiang Pengji covered her mouth with a smile, “Since she likes you so much and has fallen for you at first sight, why not just accept it?”
Feng Zhen’s heart burned with resentment; clearly, his Lord wanted to see the spectacle!
Shao Guang also encouraged him from the side, laughing at Feng Zhen’s embarrassed predicament.
Feng Zhen took a deep breath; while others envied his good fortune in winning a beauty, who knew the turmoil he felt inside?
Not to mention, his Lord’s behavior made him quite anxious.
Even more importantly, Huan Er had clearly come prepared, targeting only him.
Common sense would suggest that no matter how love-struck one might be, seeing another attractive woman by a man’s side would usually raise doubts, preventing one from brazenly approaching them. Yet, throughout it all, Huan Er had not glanced once at Jiang Pengji, as if she already knew of her presence.
Feng Zhen dared to speculate that Huan Er was fully aware of his Lord’s identity, just as she knew her own.
The beauty’s advances might not be as simple as they appeared.
Feeling disgruntled, Feng Zhen caught Jiang Pengji’s knowing gaze; he held back, ultimately yielding to reality.
“Well then, I suppose I must trouble you, Huan Er.”
It was evident he had silently accepted the arrangement.
With a dreamy blush on her cheeks, Huan Er, aided by the Madam, ascended to the new room upstairs, waiting for Feng Zhen’s arrival.
No matter the discontent brewing within the other guests, they knew better than to raise a ruckus; the atmosphere was still relatively calm.
Jiang Pengji and the others returned to their previous room, and indeed, the Madam sent people over with the promised fortune.
She opened the box to reveal stacks of exceptionally high-quality gold ingots, her expression chillingly joyful.
“Go on, tonight’s the groom’s night; your bride is waiting for you, don’t keep her waiting.”
Feng Zhen’s expression darkened, muttering, “What exactly is your Lord’s intention?”
She had known Huan Er’s plan from the very beginning, and yet, she was pushing him into the fire.
Clearly, this wasn’t about making him a groom; it was an experiment!
Jiang Pengji replied, “Don’t worry, just treat it as a fleeting romance; you’ll just have to go with the flow.”
Though Feng Zhen was a bit of a rogue, he wasn’t blind to the risks.
No matter Huan Er’s intentions, he couldn’t just clumsily walk into a private chamber with her.
And yet his Lord continued to dangle the carrot, refusing to come clean.
“If you’re so curious, go uncover the truth yourself…”
Feng Zhen took a deep breath, eyeing those gold ingots with concern, “Isn’t this just the risk of losing everything if the arrangement goes south?”
Jiang Pengji teasingly remarked, “Don’t worry, when it’s time for the wedding night, I’ll keep watch at the door. If she tries to do anything, just scream; I’ll rush in to protect your virtue…”
Feng Zhen twitched at the corner of his mouth, resisting the urge to throttle his Lord.
“Is this some scheme, then?” Shao Guang munched on peanuts. “To create discord between you and Zishi and gain other benefits.”
Feng Zhen replied, “Doesn’t seem like it; if it were a scheme, the cost would be too steep.”
Who would waste a stunning beauty of eighteen on him?
“Why not check it out and see?” Jiang Pengji urged. “I’ll disguise myself as a young servant and follow you in.”
Feng Zhen sighed, “Alright, I suppose that’s the only option left.”
Having an unreliable Lord and subordinates willing to sell out their own male beauty!
Following brothel customs, Feng Zhen changed into a suitable outfit, looking just the right amount like a groom.
Inside the “bridal chambers,” Huan Er was already beautifully dressed; the air was thick with a sweet fragrance.
As she set down her fan and caught sight of the Jiang Pengji behind Feng Zhen, her expression faltered slightly.
She timidly asked, “Young Master, who is this?”
Feng Zhen declared grandly, “Just a young servant, my lady; pay her no mind, lest it spoils the mood.”
Jiang Pengji transformed her face to look utterly unremarkable, leaving the audience in the live stream in awe, exclaiming that she wasn’t just applying makeup, but changing her entire appearance.
Huan Er chose not to linger on the topic of the servant; she and Feng Zhen proceeded through their respective rituals.
Just as they were about to drink the nuptial wine, a peanut sneakily struck Feng Zhen’s soft flesh at his waist, causing him to shudder unexpectedly.
He frowned silently, his lips barely touching the edge of the gourd cup, not drinking a single drop, before placing it down.
