一夜情

Zhao Chuchu and Xie Heng stopped their conversation and looked over in unison.

A young girl dressed like a maid got down from the carriage, walked up to Xie Heng, and bowed slightly. “May I ask if you’re Xie Heng?”

Xie Heng’s gaze instantly turned cold. “You are?”

“My master has met you once and heard that you had already started preparing for the next Provincial Examination. Her Excellency ordered me to present traveling expenses to you, hoping to meet you again in the capital later,” the maid said, holding up a small bulging bag with both hands.

Zhao Chuchu was speechless.

She guessed it right.

She knew it was Sikou Qin’s plan.

“Travelling expenses?”

“Is Xie Heng short of money?” she thought.

“I don’t have any reason to take it, Miss. Please tell your master I can’t accept it,” Xie Heng politely refused.

“Please accept it. Her Excellency is already looking for a trustworthy doctor for your brother. I hope you can relieve yourself of the worries about your brother’s condition.” The maid took a step forward, trying to stuff the purse to Xie Heng.

Zhao Chuchu’s eyebrows were slightly raised. “Before Sikou Qin did this, has she not inquired about Xie Heng?”

“Or did she think a small village girl like me was not worthy of her attention?”

“Why did she make it so obvious? Wasn’t she afraid of her secret being made public?” she thought.

Xie Heng’s expression was slightly cold. “I am not acquainted with the noble lady you are talking about, so I cannot accept it. Besides, my wife is also a doctor, so it won’t be necessary for you to look for a doctor for me.”

Then Xie Heng pulled Zhao Chuchu over.

Seeing this, the maid glanced at Zhao Chuchu contemptuously. “Mr. Xie, it is better for you to accept her Excellency’s kindness. In the future, if you join the government, you will have a nobleman to help you make your way.”

“The nobleman you are talking about will force her goodwill on me?” Xie Heng snickered. “If I don’t want it, then it’ll make a rude man of me. If I take it, will I be threatened with this in the future? Miss, I have no grudge against you. Why are you doing this to me?”

The maid looked puzzled. “Saying you’re refusing her Excellency’s kindness, Mr. Xie?”

“I do not need it, thank you.” Xie Heng said, “My wife is here. Do you want to make things difficult for me? Miss, I don’t know you. Why are you so ill-mannered?”

Hearing this, the maid laughed coldly. “It’s better for you to accept it, for if you regret it in the future, you don’t have a second chance to do it all over again.”

Zhao Chuchu was shocked and speechless.

“Is this how they treat the guests in this world?”

“Aren’t they afraid of messing up the plan?” she thought.

Zhao Chuchu laughed. “You’re treating me like I don’t exist? I have never seen a woman force herself upon a man. It’s usually the other way around. What a surprise. Why don’t you tell us the name of your master so that we’ll have the honor of bearing it in mind?”

“How dare you! What makes you think a country woman like you can talk to me like that?” The maid said arrogantly, “You must have cheated your way into marrying Mr. Xie. Otherwise, how come Mr. Xie wants to marry a woman like you?”

“And who are you to slander my wife like that?” Xie Heng’s gaze fell on the maid like a stone with an intimidating aura. “Why don’t you tell us your master’s name, and we’ll ask around?”

Xie Heng’s voice was still calm, making the maid breathless.

“Or do you want everyone in the world to know that if people don’t accept your inexplicable kindness, you will take revenge on them?”

“That, that’s not what I meant!”

“No?”

Xie Heng gave a cold laugh.

Seeing this, the people around pointed at the maid and scolded her.

“Well, what nobleman? I’m afraid she’s just a prostitute trying to snatch Mr. Xie from Mrs. Xie!”

“Oh, how can she be so shameless? I don’t know what kind of family she grows up in. If she were my daughter, I would immediately chase her out of my door.”

“How can a maid be so arrogant? I wonder who her master is? How does she have the heart to try to snatch another person’s husband in public?”

The women who scolded the maid were all women who had been straining their ears since the maid took out the bag.

It turned out that she was trying to steal another’s husband.

Now that they got the opportunity to defend justice, they sure would do so.

The maid had never seen such a scene.

Now that she had become the accused and dared not to give her master’s name, she finally pointed at Xie Heng and said angrily, “Xie Heng, you will regret it one day!”

After saying that, she fled, got into the carriage, and left in a hurry.

The women all comforted Zhao Chuchu. “Xie Heng doesn’t look like an unfeeling and ungrateful man. He won’t be fooled by a woman with an evil heart.”

“Well, I know my husband, and I believe he will not do me wrong.” Zhao Chuchu thanked them.

“It’s okay. We are all women. We should help each other. We can let a third woman get the better of you.”

“Tell me about it. Check out that woman’s attitude. She’s just a servant, but she acted like an important figure.”

“Mrs. Xie, don’t worry about those phony bitches. Just live your own life.”

Zhao Chuchu smiled and gave a bow to them. “Thank you, everyone. I will.”

Xie Heng also cupped his hand at them. “I will remember your words and will not fail my wife.”

Zhao Chuchu secretly looked toward the teahouse not far away. Behind a slightly open window, the woman wearing a bucket hat was staring over with a vicious look as if she wanted to eat Zhao Chuchu alive.

Zhao Chuchu’s smile flickered away.

After thanking the passersby for their kindness, Zhao Chuchu and Xie Heng slowly walked toward the Gan clan.

Knowing that someone was watching them, Zhao Chuchu deliberately wandered through all the stalls and stores on the street.

...

When she wanted something, Xie Heng would buy it for her.

The woman in the teahouse wearing a bucket hat almost gnashed her teeth.

She didn’t come all the way to Yuanjiang County just to see Xie Heng flirting with another woman!

But she decided to wait. Now that her first plan had failed, she could only resort to Plan b.

“Anyway, Xie Heng is mine.”

“I have to make up to Xie Heng,” she thought.

Walking out of the last store, Zhao Chuchu pointed to the teahouse in front of her and said, “Da Lang, should we go in and have some tea before we return? By the way, we should try the pastries in this teahouse. There might be a surprise.”

“Okay.” Xie Heng agreed.

The two of them walked into the teahouse side by side.

“Is there any more private room?” Zhao Chuchu asked the waiter, who greeted him.

While leading the way, the waiter said, “Yes, there is. Please come this way.”

...

They went up to the second floor, and the room arranged for them was right next door to the woman in the hat.

When they passed the private room, Zhao Chuchu glanced thoughtfully at the closed door.