5 Caught in the Act

Jiang Shuwan said respectfully, "Old Madam Gu, it is not that I am unwilling to marry, but you have just witnessed the behavior of the Heir and my cousin. Since his heart lies elsewhere, I certainly would not force him. My maid informed me just now that after they left one after the other, they are currently in my cousin's bedchamber."

Old Madam Gu’s face changed drastically. "Girl, you must not speak such nonsense."

"I am not speaking nonsense. If you do not believe me, you may go and see for yourself. The truth will be revealed soon enough, will it not?"

"Very well. If you are falsely slandering the Heir of the Marquis’s estate, you know the consequences."

"I am aware."

Inside the hibiscus-curtained bed, the purple drapes swayed, and the bells hanging along the edges chimed, adding to the atmosphere of their spring dalliance. The sounds of moaning continued for half an hour before finally ceasing.

Lin Rou’s hair was slightly disheveled. She placed a fair hand on Gu Xin’s chest, her voice laced with seduction. "Brother Xin, do you really intend to marry your cousin?"

A satiated Gu Xin grabbed her hand and pressed it to his lips, a smile playing on his face. "How could I? That shrew—if I were to marry her, what kind of good life would I have?"

Lin Rou giggled, her face filled with triumph. Yet, remembering something, she pouted. "Brother Xin, I truly love you. For your sake, Rou’er would even give her life. You won't marry another woman, will you?"

The tears of passion still lingering in the corners of her eyes had not yet faded as she looked up at Gu Xin with a fragile, pleading, and obedient expression. Recalling his previous life—where he and Lin Rou had been forced apart because of Jiang Shuwan, while Lin Rou had waited for him all along—Gu Xin’s heart softened into a puddle.

"Rou’er, I love you the most, too. You are the only one in my heart. I will definitely keep you by my side in the future," Gu Xin promised.

Not having heard the answer she truly wanted, Lin Rou felt a tinge of disappointment. Knowing that there would be plenty of time in the future, however, she did not dwell on it. She began to tease him again, and Gu Xin quickly rolled over her.

*Bang!*

Just as they were lost in their intimacy, the door was kicked open and crashed to the floor.

Startled, they froze and looked toward the entrance. Their astonishment quickly turned into panic; Gu Xin tumbled off the bed in fright, while Lin Rou clutched the quilt tightly to her chest.

"Ah! What a disgrace! To actually engage in lewd acts in broad daylight—truly shameless!" cried Jiang Xueyu, Jiang Shuwan’s stepsister.

Jiang Shuwan’s stepmother, Madam Li, pulled Jiang Xueyu into her arms and held her firmly. "Do not look up. You are an unmarried young lady; do not look at such things."

Madam Li cast a mocking glance at the huddled figure of Lin Rou on the bed. Although Jiang Xueyu was curious, she dared not peek with others present.

Jiang Shuwan smelled the stale air in the room and smirked. She signaled to Liusu, who stepped forward and threw open the tightly shut windows.

Old Madam Gu, clutching her cane, struck it hard against the floor. "What are you doing?"

Jiang Shuwan noticed that the Old Madam of the Jiang family and Jiang Xunian did not seem surprised at all; it was as if they had long known of their illicit affair and were even pleased to see it. Jiang Shuwan bowed her head slightly, sneering inwardly. In her past life, she had been as foolish as a pig; these people had kept it so well hidden that she had been completely ignorant of their affair.

Gu Xin, terrified, scrambled to pull on a loose robe, revealing deep red marks on his neck. He knelt in a panic. "Grandmother, why are you here? And why is everyone else here?" He kept his eyes down, feigning confusion. In his past life, he and Lin Rou had stolen moments together many times without ever being caught. How was it that this time, they were discovered so suddenly? He stole a glance at Jiang Shuwan. *Could she have been reborn as well?*

But as soon as the thought arose, he dismissed it. Jiang Shuwan was a lowly woman, unloved by her father and motherless; how could she be reborn? Such a destiny was reserved only for "Children of Heaven" like himself. How could a woman like her possess such a grand opportunity?

Old Madam Gu struck Gu Xin hard with her cane, but he dodged to the side. Seeing that he still had the audacity to avoid the blow, she became even more furious. Gritting her teeth, she hissed, "In broad daylight, and on the very day you were to be betrothed to the eldest daughter of the Jiang family—how could you commit such a base act?"

Gu Xin stood up in a disheveled state, keeping his head down in silence.

Old Madam Gu approached the bed. Looking at the mess and smelling the nauseating odor, she glared with disdain at Lin Rou, who was wrapped in the quilt. "And whose daughter are you, to behave in such a shameless manner?"

The members of the Jiang household kept their heads down, pretending not to hear. The Old Madam of the Jiang family secretly glared at Lin Rou, disgusted that she had brought shame upon the Marquis’s estate.

Jiang Shuwan stepped forward and said slowly, "Old Madam, she is a distant relative of my grandmother who has been living with us at the Yongbo Marquis estate since she was young."

Old Madam Gu looked on in disbelief. "A cousin from the Bo estate, climbing into the bed of the Heir to the Pingning Marquis’s estate? Is this the upbringing of your Yongbo Marquis estate? To raise a shameless woman who ignores all propriety and seeks only to climb the social ladder?"

These words stung like a slap to the face of the Jiang family's Old Madam. She hated Lin Rou with a passion; if she had to seduce Gu Xin, why did she have to choose today, and in her own chambers?

"Sister..." Lin Rou, looking guilty, tried to reach out to the Old Madam, but the latter recoiled.

Knowing she could no longer hide, Lin Rou knelt before the Old Madam, weeping. "Old Madam, I am not a shameless woman. Brother Xin and I are in love. I only ask that you grant us your blessing."

Seeing that everything was laid bare, Gu Xin stopped pretending. He stepped forward to face Old Madam Gu. "Grandmother, it is true that Rou’er and I are in love." He then pointed to Jiang Shuwan. "Now that I am betrothed to the eldest daughter of the Jiang family, I will naturally not break the engagement. However, after I marry her, I will take Rou’er into the Marquis’s estate. Then, the eldest daughter will be the wife, and Rou’er will be the concubine. Would that not be a happy resolution for all?"

Hearing Gu Xin’s shameless proposal, Jiang Shuwan longed to rush forward and kill him. In her past life, how had she been so blind, so possessed by folly, to fall for such a despicable man? She had even exhausted all her efforts to help him rise in his career.

Lin Rou felt a deep sense of loss, her hands clenched tightly in frustration. Yet, she knew her status, and given the current situation, this was the best possible outcome. With her methods, as long as she gained entry into the Marquis’s estate, she would eventually oust Jiang Shuwan and become the mistress of the Pingning Marquis’s house. Thinking this, Lin Rou felt a sense of relief.