"Whether you wear a green hat or not, you don't care. You only like men. Must I live as a widow for you? Is there such a thing in the world?" The more he became agitated, the happier Wu Caiwei smiled.
"I'm going to be driven mad by you, woman." After speaking, he directly stepped forward and grabbed her hand, then stormed out of the Nanfeng Pavilion.
This was not the end of it. He walked ahead, and she followed. He walked behind, and she followed. Suddenly, he remembered what she had said: she would only follow him if he returned to his manor. Since there was no other choice, he had to order his attendants to return to the manor.
As soon as he returned to the manor, he ran into the Prime Minister's wife. Seeing her son furious, she asked in surprise, "Aren't you going out? Why are you back so soon?"
Wu Muchuan was taken aback and then said somewhat guiltily, "We forgot to bring our money. We'll be going out shortly."
"There are many fun places outside. You can go out to eat, or go on a spring outing. Just try to avoid those unclean places." Seizing the opportunity, the Prime Minister's wife earnestly advised him.
Hearing this, Wu Muchuan quickened his pace. After a moment's thought, he walked back and asked irritably, "I heard you went to the Lin family some time ago to propose marriage, to take a concubine for me."
"Yes, what's wrong? I'm telling you, the Lin family's daughter is very beautiful, gentle, and virtuous. You'll definitely like her when you meet her." Many people knew about this matter, so the Prime Minister's wife didn't suspect how he had heard about it. She quickly praised Lin Ziyou, hoping to change her son's mind.
"Mother, please cancel this engagement immediately. I don't want to take a concubine. Aren't there enough women already?" Wu Muchuan resisted immediately upon hearing this. How could the woman his mother described be so different from the one he had met? Could such a woman be described as gentle and virtuous?
"Even with so many women in the inner court, you still have no heir. Don't you know how harsh people speak behind your back? Your father has wanted to beat you several times, but I stopped him. Besides, are men not as beautiful as women..." Madam Chen Xia rambled on. When she looked up, she realized her son was long gone.
Every time mother and son met, it was always about these matters. Wu Muchuan could almost recite their conversations. He thought that woman absolutely must not enter his inner court. If she could follow him even before entering his household, would she follow him everywhere after entering? Then how would he have fun? What would be the point of his life? He suspected his mother would even support it. He imagined being trapped in this cage every day, and the sky felt like it was falling.
"Young Master, shall we return to our rooms now?" His attendant beside him asked cautiously, seeing him stop there, his brow furrowed so deeply it could have trapped a mosquito.
Wu Muchuan looked at him speechlessly and lightly tapped his head with his fan. "Does that woman not letting us leave the manor mean we really can't leave? The day has just begun, and there are still so many long hours to get through. I'll be bored to death."
With that, he led the way towards the back gate. Seeing this, his two attendants quickly followed.
Wu Muchuan gently opened the back door. Under the surprised gaze of the gatekeeper, he slowly poked his head out to observe the situation in the alley. Seeing no one, he turned around, looked at his attendants triumphantly, and then brazenly opened the door. In a good mood, he led them through the alley and onto the main street.
As they walked, his attendant next to him couldn't help but flatter him, "Young Master is truly prescient. I doubt Miss Lin would ever have imagined we would enter through the front and leave through the back so quickly."
"Yes, yes! Didn't she say she'd always follow us? I'm afraid she'll be disappointed. We're going to enjoy ourselves shortly, and we won't be taking her along," the other attendant said quickly, seeing that his young master was pleased, afraid of falling behind.
Wu Muchuan nodded with satisfaction, feeling quite clever himself. Before they knew it, they had emerged from the alley. They had only taken a few steps onto the main street when the three of them suddenly froze as if enchanted, their eyes wide with terror, all looking in the same direction.
There stood Wu Caiwei, arms crossed, leaning against the wall at the junction of the alley and the main street, a blade of grass dangling from her lips, exuding a devil-may-care attitude.
Wu Muchuan was truly on the verge of tears. He could only shamefacedly lead his two attendants back the way they came.
Wu Caiwei watched their pathetic demeanor and found it quite amusing. At least this pampered young master wasn't as bad as she imagined. He could have easily beaten her up with his two attendants. Instead, he chose to retreat shamefacedly. Wu Caiwei suddenly found him rather likable.
Watching them reluctantly enter the back gate of the Prime Minister's manor, Wu Caiwei turned and walked into another alley. After only a few steps, she encountered more than a dozen beggars. She gave them over ten taels of silver in small pieces, telling them to share it.
She also informed them that she would be at a teahouse nearby. If there was any slightest movement from the Prime Minister's young master, they were to report to her immediately, and she would reward them.
The young beggars nodded happily, never expecting such a good job. In such a short time, they had earned a tael of silver, which could sustain them for a month if they were frugal. Soon, they dispersed, working diligently to earn more money.
Notably, during this time, Wu Muchuan even disguised himself in an attempt to sneak out and have fun. However, he was seen through by the discerning beggars. It was no wonder, as this young master used to swagger through the streets, and many people recognized him.
Seeing Wu Caiwei appear before him once again, Wu Muchuan was determined that for the sake of his future freedom, he absolutely could not let her enter the manor.
He knew that reasoning with his mother would be futile. For the sake of his own happiness, he began to feign illness. When the Prime Minister's wife heard that her beloved son was ill, she was distraught. She immediately sent for a doctor. As soon as the doctor felt his pulse, he looked up with surprise at Wu Muchuan. While feigning illness, Wu Muchuan seized the opportunity to give the doctor a meaningful look.
"Young master, this is an illness caused by worry. He needs to rest quietly and must not experience any strong emotional fluctuations. Everything must be done to appease him." The doctor, likely instructed by the Prime Minister's wife on something, understood that Wu Muchuan was using feigned illness to gain sympathy and achieve his goals. However, the doctor was an honest man, and it was difficult for him to fabricate a story, so he could only imply.
The Prime Minister's wife was blinded by her concern. Her son had always been in excellent health since childhood, rarely falling ill. Seeing his furrowed brow and discomfort, she was filled with distress.
"My heart aches, Mother. I feel no connection with Miss Lin. Ever since the engagement, I've been unwell everywhere. Perhaps we can find someone else?" Wu Muchuan said, feigning a headache and proposing.
"The engagement is already set. To go back on our word would not only damage the reputation of the young lady but also make it difficult to explain to the Lin family. We must find a suitable excuse," the Prime Minister's wife said hesitantly. She genuinely felt that the Lin family's daughter was beautiful, and breaking the engagement would be a pity.