Meanwhile, Wei Tingyu silently thanked his luck for having gotten off the carriage early; otherwise, he would never have overheard such an honest and candid exchange between the three women.
It seemed that all he needed to do was wait patiently, and Dou Zhao would soon present two fragrant, delicate concubines right before him! The very thought stirred a faint flush of pride and excitement in Wei Tingyu's heart.
Indeed, in this world, as long as one had wealth and strength, life could be lived like that of the immortals!
Of course, such bliss was never easily maintained. There were always lowly pests lurking in the shadows, scheming to destroy everything one held dear.
At that thought, Wei Tingyu's eyes darkened with a cold gleam. The carriage was already rolling toward the front gate of the Marquis's mansion.
Two Silver Shadow Guards stationed at the gate caught sight of the carriage from afar and promptly moved to escort it. Only then did Wei Tingyu finally breathe a full sigh of relief.
As long as the three women were inside the Marquis's residence, guarded by eighteen Silver Shadow Guards stationed both inside and out, no one in this world could break in and harm them.
Then, finally, he could turn his attention to the task he ought to do!
Turning away, Wei Tingyu returned to the bustling street. The mask vendor's stall was still there, catching his eye. Suddenly, memories of the original story flooded back: Dou Zhao had bought a mask here, wandered about wearing it, and by chance met Song Mo, also wearing a mask—thus beginning a fateful and twisted bond.
But now, having intercepted the great beauty Dou Zhao, this "fated bond" belonged solely to Wei Tingyu!
With that thought, he spent his money and bought a jade fox mask, putting it on before heading straight toward the Dou residence.
From what he knew of the original story, Wang Yingxue would never accept defeat so easily!
Previously, this woman had arranged for her own nephew—the young master Pang, clad in green at the banquet—to disgrace Dou Zhao's chastity, thereby forcing Dou Zhao to become part of their family.
Though Dou Zhao was now the esteemed Marchioness, Wei Tingyu worried this venomous woman would not give up so easily. There was bound to be a sinister scheme targeting Dou Zhao—that was the problem he had to solve!
Drawing upon his inner power, Wei Tingyu used the cover of night to swiftly leap along the rooftops of the capital. Within breaths, he returned to the Dou residence's back gate.
To him now, these so-called high walls were no different than ordinary wooden fences. With a light leap, he effortlessly vaulted over into the backyard, arriving just outside Wang Yingxue's boudoir.
Through a half-open window, Wei Tingyu clearly heard Wang Yingxue speaking with a stuttering man.
Curious, he peeked inside through the crack and almost chuckled out loud.
The stammering, thick-tongued man was none other than the young master Pang, the same one who had been beaten into a swollen "pig-head" at the family feast.
No wonder he spoke with a lisp—his swollen cheek made clear enunciation impossible!
"Aunt! This simply cannot be!" Pang, with half his face wrapped thick in bandages, eyes wide with terror, was clearly refusing some proposal.
"You coward!" Wang Yingxue snapped, glaring at him with a look that spoke of her bitter disappointment.
"I wasn't afraid before! But your plan—Aunt—it truly terrifies me!" Pang trembled at her reprimand. Despite his fear, he still did not agree.
What exactly was Wang Yingxue asking of him? Surely not anything good.
Wei Tingyu's gaze sharpened. After all, Pang had just been savagely beaten on Dou Zhao's orders at the feast.
Now Wang Yingxue sought to use him for revenge against Dou Zhao and Wei Tingyu himself!
"You were beaten like this—aren't you angry? Don't you want to take revenge on that Wei Tingyu?" Wang Yingxue's tone was icy as she stared at Pang.
"I do want revenge! But... I'm truly afraid, Aunt. If we get caught, my life is forfeit!" Pang swallowed nervously before replying.
"Afraid of what?" Wang Yingxue rolled her eyes in exasperation. "Though the Jining Marquis residence is heavily guarded, Dou Zhao can't stay locked inside forever, can she? You only need to wait for the right moment—when she is alone. No need for rash action."
"Then, arrange a few men to capture her in some secluded spot, and…"
"After that, tear off her bellyband as proof! Once she has lost her chastity, she'll be despised by the Jining Marquis!"
"At that time, I will naturally ascend to my rightful place—and you will be rewarded handsomely!"
Wang Yingxue's words poured out like a volley of cannon fire, repeating her plan clearly. Outside the window, Wei Tingyu heard every word as if it were whispered directly in his ear.
Damn it! This woman was plotting to cuckold him! A truly vile woman, indeed.
"But if this gets out… I'm done for!" Pang was not foolish. Shaking his head repeatedly, he warned, "To insult a noble marquis's wife is a path to death!"
"Rest assured!" Wang Yingxue sneered, "If this happens, Dou Zhao won't dare make a scene. Even if Wei Tingyu knows, he will not expose the matter publicly, for the sake of the family's honor! At worst, he'll find an excuse to discard Dou Zhao quietly."
"No! No! I won't do it! I can't!" Pang's head bobbed like a wave drum. "Even if the Jining Marquis doesn't stir trouble, he'll come after me. Our Pang family is of great standing—how dare we offend the Marquis? We might all be wiped out by assassins!"
With that, Pang paid no heed to Wang Yingxue's reaction and fled the room in a panic, clearly intent on returning home to his parents.
"Pang! Stop!" Wang Yingxue was stunned that her nephew could think so far ahead.
By the time she reacted, Pang had vanished into the night; her calls went unanswered.
"Good-for-nothing! No courage at all! Can never accomplish anything!" Wang Yingxue slammed her fan onto the table in anger, then sat brooding alone, pondering her next move...