Chapter 8: It Was Overheard, The Calmer She Is, The Bigger the Matter

It had been several days since Wen Zhaoyin last spoke to Meng Huan, and she hadn’t come by since.

Bored, Meng Huan wanted to take the initiative. Although the food and clothing at the Wen residence were good, he still preferred freedom. Looking at the same flower all the time becomes uninteresting; everything is better when it’s fresh.

However, as soon as he reached the gate, he was stopped by the guards. They said he wasn’t allowed to wander around, and his range of activity was limited to within Qingzhu Garden.

Meng Huan felt angry just thinking about it. Where was the basic trust between people? He had behaved so normally these past few days, yet Wen Zhaoyin still restricted his movements. Her wariness seemed excessive.

With no other choice and finding himself bored, he could only play five-in-a-row with Wen Xi on a Go board. They played from morning till night, and he got tired of it after just one day.

The next day, Wen Xi offered to tell him some gossip about the Wen residence. At first, Meng Huan felt that only women engaged in such behind-the-back gossip and rumor-mongering, so he refused. But later, unable to resist the temptation, he listened a bit, and found himself getting more and more interested.

“Young master! Young master!” Wen Xi lifted the hem of his outer robe and ran towards Meng Huan with small, quick steps.

To be honest, Meng Huan initially couldn’t stand this effeminate man. But whether it was because he had gotten used to hearing him or because everyone around him was like that, he somehow found Wen Xi less irritating now.

At the moment, he was tending to the short shrubs in the corner of the corridor, trimming them with special large shears as a form of exercise. He looked up and rolled his eyes at Wen Xi, “Why are you running so fast? Is a wolf chasing you?”

Wen Xi obediently slowed down, but then Meng Huan said, “How many times have I told you? A man should take big strides! Always walking with your legs pressed together, are you afraid your bird will fall off?”

This was too crude. Wen Xi’s face turned bright red, and he wished he could rush forward and cover the young master’s unfiltered mouth.

“You… you should lower your voice. It wouldn’t be good if others heard.”

He stepped forward to help brush the dust off the corner of Meng Huan’s clothes, then took the shears and followed Meng Huan into the room.

“This servant has heard some good news. It seems that Wang Fu, who used to serve you, was found to have embezzled family property and secretly sold the Late Husband’s jewelry. He’s now been taken away by slave traders to be sold!”

Wang Fu wasn’t investigated earlier or later, but right after he had bullied the young master. Wen Xi, being quick-witted, immediately understood and guessed that the family head must have been working behind the scenes.

If one day he could gain the family head’s favor, would he also be cared for like this…

Meng Huan and Wen Xi entered the room. He casually put the tools on the table, washed his hands in a basin, then picked up the teapot and took a big gulp. Only after finishing did he say, “Mm, I see.”

Though he appeared calm and composed, he was quite pleased inside. Wen Zhaoyin usually seemed indifferent, but he didn’t expect her to care about him this much.

“Can you find out what Wen Zhaoyin has been up to lately? How come she doesn’t even have time for romance?”

“I heard that women here can marry several men. Does she have several husbands too?”

This string of questions confused Wen Xi. He sorted through them before answering one by one, “This servant cannot inquire about the family head’s whereabouts. Women can indeed have three husbands and four attendants, but the family head currently only has you in her back courtyard.”

“Young master, even if you don’t call the family head ‘wife-master’, you should at least address her as ‘wife-master’. Always calling the family head by her full name seems very disrespectful.”

Wife-master, being both wife and master – Meng Huan shook his head repeatedly. He had always kept his distance from the former term, and as for master, family head, and the like, he was unwilling to say them out loud because it made him feel inferior.

“I’m used to calling her this way. It’s fine. If she ever feels that me calling her by her full name is disrespectful, she can just drive me out of the Wen family. That’s what I hope for.”

Wen Xi was shocked by his words and covered his mouth. “Young master, how can you joke about such things? If you leave, you’ll have no support and life will be very difficult.”

In fact, Meng Huan’s current situation was very awkward. He had no official status in the Wen family, and he had been slept with. If he were really driven out one day, he probably couldn’t even return to his former home and might end up begging on the streets.

“Oh, enough of this. Go check if the kitchen has finished preparing the meal. Right now, food is the only thing I look forward to.” Meng Huan didn’t want to listen to Wen Xi’s brainwashing speech and sent him away with a single sentence.

Just as Wen Xi left, he ran right into Wen Zhaoyin and Pei Lan standing at the door. He was about to pay his respects, but was signaled to keep quiet and told to go about his business.

As he walked away, he kept looking back. Even after leaving Qingzhu Garden, his heart was still pounding. He wondered how long the family head had been standing outside and if she had heard anything she shouldn’t have.

The young master had said he hoped to be driven out of the Wen family. Would the family head be angry if she heard that? Perhaps she would, after all, the family head was still a woman, and women wouldn’t tolerate their men being unfaithful…

Meanwhile.

Wen Zhaoyin stood at the door for a while longer before walking in as if nothing had happened. She didn’t mention punishing Wang Fu for Meng Huan, only asked if the food was to his liking and if his health had improved.

Meng Huan had no sense of crisis and answered whatever was asked. In the end, he even tried to apply for an expansion of his range of activity.

Pei Lan served nervously on the side. She knew that the calmer the family head appeared, the bigger the matter was. Oh, young master Meng, you’re in for it in the coming days.

Wen Xi returned, followed by a group of servants carrying dishes. They swarmed into the room, set out a table full of food, and then hurriedly left.

He didn’t leave with them but stood to the side, repeatedly winking at Meng Huan, trying to warn him that the family head might have overheard their earlier conversation.

After all, they were in this together now, not in competition. If the young master fell out of favor with the family head, his chances of interacting with her would also disappear.

But Meng Huan seemed blind to it all, completely failing to notice.

Pei Lan, standing to the side, couldn’t bear to watch anymore. She quietly pulled Wen Xi out, only allowing him to stand guard at the door and await orders.

Wen Zhaoyin finished her meal quietly, put down her chopsticks, and moved to the warm couch by the window. She called for her books to be brought, saying she wasn’t busy today and wanted to stay to keep Meng Huan company.

Meng Huan was quite happy. He prided himself on knowing how to please women. As long as the other party didn’t resist contact with him, he believed he could make them do whatever he wanted given some time.

He had studied those online courses about the art of flirting more seriously than his major courses.