The Female Regent’s Daily Guide to Spoiling Her Wife - Chapter 13

“Master, master, something terrible has happened!” Yingxue rushed to find Lu Zhao with a panicked expression. “Miss Nian Nian, Miss Nian Nian.” she gasped, her face flushed red as she struggled to catch her breath.

Lu Zhao set down her brush and immediately stood up, asking urgently, “Nian Nian? What happened to Nian Nian?”

Yingxue clutched her chest, still panting heavily. “Miss Nian Nian has disappeared. This morning she said she was bored staying at home and wanted to go for a walk in the street. Unexpectedly, a crowd separated us. I searched the entire street, went into every shop, but couldn’t find Miss Nian Nian anywhere.”

Lu Zhao furrowed her brows. “Where did she disappear?”

“On South Tea Street, not far from the Red Sleeve Pavilion,” Yingxue replied.

A shadow of darkness flickered in Lu Zhao’s eyes. Her face turned as cold as water, and an icy aura emanated from her, making Yingxue uneasy.

“Let’s go!” Lu Zhao waved at Xi Gui and strode out first, her slightly trembling fingers betraying her fear. Without her protection, would that girl be harmed by villains?

As Lu Zhao and her entourage approached the Red Sleeve Pavilion, they heard a commotion. A crowd had gathered, whispering among themselves.

“Did you hear? Yang Yuan actually violated Miss Nian Nian. I must say, that Yang Yuan has some nerve!”

“Indeed! They say Miss Nian Nian is the Regent King’s current favorite. How will this end?”

“She’s just a plaything. I don’t believe the Regent King would truly offend the Yang family for her.”

“Hmph, what does the Yang family amount to? They’re merely merchants. But when it’s his own woman who’s been violated, how could the Regent King swallow such an insult?”

“Tsk, tsk, tsk. There’s going to be quite a show!”

Lu Zhao’s pupils contracted for the first time, she felt fear. Her expression grew increasingly grim, her beautiful lips pressed into a tight line, her eyes cold and piercing as she hurried forward. The mere thought of her Nian Nian in danger made her chest feel as if crushed by a heavy stone, leaving her breathless.

Lu Zhao burst into the Red Sleeve Pavilion, where a slender woman in a crimson dress, her face veiled, rushed into her arms. The woman’s clothes were disheveled, and the pale skin exposed was covered with ambiguous red marks.

Sobbing uncontrollably, the woman in crimson cried hoarsely, “Sister, you’ve finally come… You must seek justice for Nian Nian! That Yang Yuan that Yang Yuan violated me.”

Lu Zhao stood rigidly in place. The scent that reached her nose was unfamiliar, and though the person in her arms was veiled and of similar stature, the moment this woman rushed into her embrace, Lu Zhao knew something was wrong. This was not her Nian Nian.

Her heart churned with turmoil. Who was this person in her arms? Where was the one who had captured her heart? Anger, regret, and sorrow intertwined within her, twisting her heart with pain. What was even more despicable was that relief ultimately prevailed she was relieved that the one violated by Yang Yuan was not that person.

Hidden in a corner, Yunxia secretly watched the two embracing, her heart aching intensely. She clamped her hand tightly over her mouth to prevent even the slightest sound from escaping.

Somehow, Lu Zhao seemed to sense something and abruptly turned to scan the crowd. Though the place was bustling with people, there was no sign of that person. Disappointed, she turned back, stiffly pushing the woman in her arms away. Her deep, cold eyes fixed sharply on Nian Nian, her lips pressed into a tight line, a faint anger simmering in her gaze.

Niannian felt her scalp tingle, as if she had been exposed. Yunxia had once said Lu Zhao was easy to get along with, but why did she seem so cold and imposing today?

Her legs felt weak, but she steeled herself and stepped forward to grab Lu Zhao’s arm. Imitating Yunxia’s tone, she said with a sob, “Sister.”

Lu Zhao withdrew her arm expressionlessly, her gaze fixed on the unconscious Yang Yuan on the bed behind her. Her eyes darkened as memories of what that person had once said flashed through her mind.

“The imperial merchant Yang family is utterly unprincipled.”

“Sister, if you find out Niannian deceived you, please forget about her, okay?”

“Sister, Niannian has suffered so much in the past.”

Lu Zhao clenched her fist, her deep, shadowy eyes devoid of any emotion. She spoke coldly, “Guards! Seize Yang Yuan! For visiting a brothel before the imperial exams, he shall be stripped of his qualification and imprisoned for one month!”

Since that person had gone to such lengths to set up Yang Yuan, she had no choice but to assist. But still…

After giving the order, Lu Zhao cast a cold glance at the disheveled Niannian and said in a low voice, “Miss Niannian, there’s no need for you to return to the manor. After all, the Red Sleeve Pavilion is your home. Rest well here.” Using her? How bold! She would turn the entire Yindu upside down if she had to, but she would find that person!

After stepping out, Lu Zhao instructed Xi Gui, “Xi Gui, investigate what Yang Yuan has done recently and whom he has offended. Keep a close watch on the Red Sleeve Pavilion. Report to me immediately if the madam or Niannian make any moves!”

“Also, give the order to have someone ‘take good care’ of Yang Yuan. Make sure he doesn’t come out alive! No one from the Yang family is allowed to visit him!”

Xi Gui shivered. Her master was truly enraged this time. But why was she acting so strangely? If she cared so much about Miss Niannian, why leave her there? Could it be that she was bothered by the possibility that Miss Niannian might have lost her chastity?

Xi Gui opened her mouth to speak but was too intimidated by Lu Zhao’s icy, furious aura. She replied cautiously, “Yes! I’ll see to it right away!” Yet inwardly, she lamented. Miss Niannian had been wronged, but instead of comforting her, her master was bottling up her anger. She would have to tread carefully in the coming days!

After Lu Zhao left, Niannian felt as if all her strength had drained away, nearly collapsing. Fortunately, Yingxue, who was standing behind her, quickly reached out to support her. “Miss, be careful!”

Niannian shook her head and said hoarsely, “You should go back with His Highness. I’ll be fine.”

Yingxue was startled. Though her voice was raspy, her tone was nothing like the Niannian she knew. Yingxue’s gaze sharpened as she slowly released her grip. Having grown up in the Regent’s residence, she regarded Lu Zhao as her savior and would never allow anyone to harm her not even the young lady she had spent so much time with!

The sympathy in Yingxue’s eyes gradually turned to disdain and anger. She bowed slightly and walked away.

Watching all this, Yunxia realized that even Yingxue had noticed that person must have noticed too. She leaned weakly against the corner, thinking of Lu Zhao’s heartless departure, and couldn’t help but feel a pang of bitterness. Lu Zhao had accused Yang Yuan of visiting a prostitute did that mean in her heart, she had always been nothing more than a courtesan? All that talk of being the lady of the house, the wife, must have been nothing but empty words spoken in a moment of delight.

Tears streamed down from the corners of her eyes, and the image of that person’s tall, resolute, and unfeeling figure as they walked away replayed in her mind over and over again. Her heart ached as if pierced by needles, a dense and relentless pain. But what right did she have to blame her? Xu Yunxia, from the very beginning, you were just a performer at the Red Sleeve Pavilion! Even if she knew the real you, would she spare you a second glance? Don’t you know your place? What exactly are you hoping for? Do you want to follow in your mother’s footsteps?