"Wait!" Zhe Jing spoke as she strode forward, pushing the door open before Miss Chang could, and picked up the garment stuck under the door.
"This?" Miss Chen, who had come along, exclaimed and covered her mouth, her eyes fixed on the blue, round-necked robe in Zhe Jing's hand. It was clearly a man's outer garment.
Miss Li seemed to have caught Zhan Feiyu's small flaw, and with a sharp voice, she sneered, "Miss Zhan is having a tryst with her lover in the guest courtyard of the Chang residence. What did that poem say again?"
With another sarcastic laugh, Miss Li answered her own question and recited, "My twin blades are like water, Wu salt is whiter than snow, slender fingers break fresh oranges. The brocade tent is newly warm, the beastly incense unceasing, sitting opposite, we play the sheng. In a low voice, she asked: Who are you staying with? It's already the third watch on the city wall. The horses are slippery and the frost is thick, it's better to stop, for there are truly few people walking!"
"But this is not Yufeng Tower, it's the Chang residence. You've chosen the wrong place to stay." The young lady in the red jacket giggled, looking at the pitch-black room, and raised an eyebrow, "Sister Chang, you are young. It's better not to open this door, lest you see something you shouldn't and dirty your eyes."
Although Miss Chang and Tao Tao, her two cousins, were young, they had started their studies at five or six and were well-versed in poetry and prose. Miss Li's poem was explicit, and the young sisters blushed with shame and annoyance. They didn't know whether to push the door or not.
"Miss Zhan has traveled far and wide, and I don't know how many guests she has had. If she can do such a shameless thing, can we not watch?" Zhe Jing sneered, then stepped forward again and pushed the slightly open door open completely with a creak. "Bring the lantern over, I want to see this pair of adulterers!"
The noble ladies in the courtyard looked speechlessly at the garrulous Zhe Jing. How could she utter words like "adulterers"? She was so vulgar yet chased after Young Master Ning all day. Did she really think that a woman pursuing a man was as easy as a thin layer of gauze?
"Miss, I'll go in and check first!" The head maid next to Miss Chang whispered. Regardless of whether Miss Zhan had fallen into someone's trap, this matter ultimately happened at the Chang residence. Moreover, the room was silent, and the maid was uneasy.
"No need, you come in with me!" Miss Chang was still composed. She then looked at the pale Tao Tao and patted her arm reassuringly, "You stay here, I'll go in and see."
"No, Miss, you can't go in!" The head maid could not let her young lady go into the room. If Madam and the young madam were here, it would be fine. But Miss was still a young girl. If there was any dirty scene in the room, how could Miss see it?
Miss Chang shook her head. This matter happened at the Chang residence, and by all reason, she could not stand aside.
Zhe Jing impatiently watched the dawdling Miss Chang and the maid, and directly strode forward to investigate.
Unfortunately, as soon as Zhe Jing lifted her foot, her arm was grabbed by Wen Ruyi.
"Jing'er, there's an outsider man inside, and you and I have both come of age." Wen Ruyi's face showed a bit of assertiveness, and she firmly pulled the Zhe Jing, who wanted to go in and "catch them in the act," a few steps back.
Miss Chen and the other noble ladies also retreated a few steps. It was enough to listen to such excitement. If they really saw something they shouldn't, it would ruin their reputation.
He Nuan returned with the clothes and saw a dark crowd in the courtyard. Looking at the pitch-black room, she knew something had happened. Her face darkened, and she quickly walked past everyone towards the door, "Miss?"
As soon as she entered the room, He Nuan noticed that there was only a slightly heavy breathing sound inside, accompanied by a strong smell of alcohol. The young lady was not in the room, which made He Nuan feel more at ease.
Carrying the lantern, she walked two steps further inside. He Nuan glanced at the messy ground and the man lying on the ground. His outer robe was gone, and a large area on his chest in the white inner garment was stained with wine. He looked about twenty years old, but his face was slightly sallow, and his eyes were dark circles, suggesting he was a dandy who frequented brothels.
Picking up the fallen candlestick, He Nuan relit the candle. She glanced at the window again. The young lady should have left through the window.
Those waiting in the courtyard, seeing He Nuan go in, couldn't help but crane their necks to look at the room where the candlelight had been rekindled. Unfortunately, the room was still silent.
"Miss, I'll go in, you and your cousin stay here!" The head maid spoke again. Before Miss Chang could agree, she strode into the room.
"Isn't this Young Master You?" The head maid, who had walked a few steps inside, exclaimed in surprise, looking at the unconscious Young Master You on the ground. Then, she stomped her feet in annoyance, "How did he barge into the back courtyard!"
In the courtyard, when Miss Chang and the others heard the name Young Master You, their faces immediately turned black, their eyes filled with undisguised contempt and disdain. Everyone in the capital knew that the Young Master You, the bully of the You family, was comparable to Zhe Jing. The two were known as the "Male and Female Twin Maniacs." Outsiders who didn't know the inside story would think they were two famous peaks in the capital.
"Cousin?" Tao Tao's already pale face turned even paler. It was on the Lantern Festival last year, when Tao Tao was young and playing wildly, she bumped into You Haoran.
This was originally a harmless accident, and an apology would have sufficed. Who knew that the You Bully would grab Tao Tao's arm, utter indecent and vulgar words, and with the courage of alcohol, even try to bite Tao Tao's neck, wanting to have a taste of her.
How could a twelve or thirteen-year-old girl have encountered such a situation? Tao Tao immediately screamed and cried. Fortunately, some of her friends who were sober recognized this as Miss Li, the niece of Lord Chang of the Dali Temple. Only then did they restrain the wicked You Bully, but Tao Tao was still frightened and fell ill.
"Don't be afraid, don't be afraid. This is the Chang residence. You Bully wouldn't dare to act recklessly!" Miss Chang quickly hugged her younger cousin. Hearing the movement behind her, she looked back and breathed a sigh of relief. It turned out that Madam Chang had brought people over.
If there were wild cats going mad in the guest courtyard, it was one thing, but now even an outsider man had barged in, and it was the lecherous You Bully. Even with her good upbringing, Madam Chang's face was ashen at this moment.
"An'an, take the ladies back to the warm pavilion to rest." Madam Chang spoke gently, suppressing her anger. These words were addressed to her daughter, Miss Chang, but also to Wen Ruyi and the other noble ladies.
"Yes." Miss Chang nodded obediently. She glanced at the silent room again, wondering how Sister Zhan was doing. However, it was more appropriate to let her mother handle this matter.
Since the hostess, Madam Chang, had spoken, the younger generation of Wen Ruyi and the others should naturally obey and withdraw from the guest courtyard to return to the warm pavilion where they were resting. However, among them was the rebellious Zhe Jing.
With new and old grievances, how could Zhe Jing be willing to leave like this? "Madam, you don't need to cover for Miss Zhan. She can do such things with You Bully, so she probably isn't afraid of us seeing."
Madam Chang's face darkened again. Old Madam Zhe had really spoiled this late-born daughter to the point of losing all her manners!
Suppressing her anger, Madam Chang's face was grim and serious. "This matter happened at the Chang residence. Please, Miss Zhe, avoid it for now. The Chang residence will definitely give all the ladies an explanation!"
After all, an outsider man appeared in the back residence of the Chang family, and it was a lustful dandy like You Bully. No matter what, Madam Chang would have to give these noble families an explanation.
"Jing'er, you must not be rude. Let's go back to the warm pavilion first." Wen Ruyi also spoke, shaking her head at the defiant Zhe Jing. This was the Chang residence, and they were guests attending the Old Madam's birthday celebration. How could they usurp the host's authority and put the hostess in a difficult position?
If it were any other matter, Zhe Jing would have listened to Wen Ruyi, her confidante. But thinking of how Zhan Feiyu had made her lose face time and time again, and how she had chatted happily with Ning Chen'an at the water pavilion today, Zhe Jing could not swallow her resentment.
"Fine, I'm leaving!" she said angrily. Just when everyone thought Zhe Jing had been persuaded, she suddenly turned around and directly pushed open the two old women blocking the doorway, rushing into the room.
The two old women, who were almost knocked over, were stunned, not only because of Zhe Jing's rudeness but also because of her brute strength, which almost broke their old waists.
In the room, Zhe Jing yelled sharply, "Where is she? Where is that shameless slut?"
You Bully was still lying on the ground, reeking of alcohol. He Nuan stood by the window, and Miss Chang's head maid stood by the table. However, there were only these three people in the room.
Not seeing Zhan Feiyu, Zhe Jing was unwilling. She searched the room, but the guest hall was only this big, and there was no place to hide.
Madam Chang could no longer stand by and quickly entered the room.
Wen Ruyi and the others exchanged glances when they saw this. A group of noble ladies hesitated for a moment, and finally followed them in.
The originally spacious room was suddenly crowded with people, and Zhan Feiyu's disappearance left everyone stunned. There was only the unconscious You Bully. What kind of "catching them in the act" was this?