Chapter 5: The trophy couple argue
Over the past two months Wan Wan had gone back almost every week to visit the three sisters. Once they cleaned up a bit soft white skin and shiny moe eyes were revealed, such beautiful and eye catching looks would attract customers in the future when she starts her business. The three girls felt indebted to Wan Wan since she'd taken care of them for such a long time, it's just that they felt she didn't trust them, she hadn't even told them her name. Even on the day they had met her face had been covered by a veil, this made the girls determined to do anything to earn her trust.
As for the Duke, he was aware of everything that occurred on that day but didn't think too much about it. He had already dug up all the information about them, although there background was a bit unexpected they shouldn't be any harm. Perhaps Wang Zhi Ruo was just lonely and developed some sort of attachment to those girls. Nonetheless, he didn't stop her from seeing them, as long as she was not causing trouble in the manor.
"Summon Mistress Wang." However, a tiger can never change its stripes? How could Wang Zhi Ruo go through such a big change so suddenly? Just because she admitted her wrongs does not mean he is daft enough to believe her.
"My Lord." Wan Wan wanted to stomp her feet in anger. Why was this man calling her? Had she not left him alone? Had she not avoided trouble? What was it now?
"En. Come." Wan Wan glanced at him suspiciously, he wore an amiable smile on his face as he beckoned her to come closer. He's definitely up to no good! Look at the smile on his face! Definitely one of a crazed murderer! But alas! What could she do? She was in the inferior position, as a female, she had to do as he said.
As she slowly moved closer to stand next to him. Who knew he could be so unpredictable? In Wan Wan's head, she imagined the Duke had the typical cold, emotionless 'CEO-male-lead' persona. This was one of Wan Wan's shortcomings, she often looked down on the people of the olden days, she saw them as predictable and simple-minded people. But how could this be? In the beginning, China had not always been such a vast land. Powerful generals, tactful strategists, intelligent officials and formidable emperors are the ones who made China up to what it is today. How could the Duke be such a simple character?
My Lord, this-" The Duke swiftly pulled her into his arms to embrace her. Wan Wan was frozen in shock, what is this situation?
"Zhi Ruo you've changed." A hand reached up to stroke her face, "In the past if I called you to come you would immediately run into my arms. But now..." He pulled her face up to look at her. Seeing the nervousness and panic in her expression, a complicated look flashed in his eyes before disappearing.
"M-my Lord..."Wan Wan quickly recovered and bit her lip as if trying to hold back a sob, "This servant also remembers, this servant also remembers how my lord would react..." At night while she sleeps her great aunt like to visit and show her what type of life she lived. Wan Wan could recognise that the Duke treated Wang Zhi Ruo very coldly and only favoured her a number of 9 times in the whole four years they had been married.
The Duke felt slightly awkward when she mentioned this, in the past if she touched him he would immediately kick her away. Similarly, the Duke also thought that she'd said this on purpose to make him uncomfortable.
"En. It's true, but your lordship has noticed that you seem to have changed. You're more gentle not unruly like you used to be. Your Lordship appreciates this change." Wan Wan noticed him leaning closer and started to panic again. As a woman in this era, it was practically a sin to refuse your husband. Wan Wan knew that one day it would come but not this soon.
"M-my lord..." Her hand stopped him, this woman was really acting strange. Was she holding a grudge against him for taking away her position? Why did he care? He wasn't going to touch her anyway.
"Don't go out this week, your brother is returning and would want to see you." He leaned closer to whisper in her ear. Her cheeks flushed with embarrassment, he'd only been teasing her. He had one up her this time!
"Feng-" At this moment, Gu Jin walked in. One could imagine what they think after witnessing their husband in loosened robes embracing a seductive looking woman whose dress was falling down her shoulders. It was indeed an ambiguous sight.
"J-" Just at the Duke was about to explain he stopped himself, he was a man. A man with not just a wife but concubines too. It was only natural that he favoured them every once in a while, besides he had stayed by Gu Jin's side for the past two months it was about time he visited someone else's courtyard. The Duke instead used this opportunity to study her reaction.
Contrary to what Wan Wan thought the Duke held her closer. "Jin, you've come!" Wan Wan looked up at him in bewilderment and noticed a crafty look flash in his eyes. He was clearly using her as a prop!
"Fengge is embracing another woman in my presence." Gu Jin thought bitterly. It seemed this Wang Zhi Ruo was smarter than she let on. Wang Zhi Ruo had barely met with the Duke in the past two months since the madame married in. She had known that she was up to no good, even though she appeared meek and gentle she was in fact slowly seducing the Duke. This Mistress Wang was too good!
"...En, Mistress Wang is also here." Gu Jin looked at Wan Wan with an indifferent gaze. Wan Wan was also a woman, how could she not understand. If her days in the Lifu become hard who could she complain to?
Wan Wan didn't care for how the Duke felt, she needed to save herself first. She quickly removed herself from the Duke's embrace to greet the madame, "T-this servant greets the madame."
"Oh? So you know that you still need to greet the madame?" Gu Jin was trying her hardest to keep her anger at bay but seeing the exposed fair skin of her shoulder, her blood was boiling.
"M-madame..."
"Enough! Leave, the sight of you disgusts me." Wan Wan felt insulted. She hadn't even done anything wrong, nor did she cause this. It all because of that hateful Li Fengge! She frowned and clenched her hands, how she wanted to rush up to that arrogant woman and give her a few hits! She was the one in the wrong! Who said she should marry a married man?
"En." The Duke noticed her clenched fists as she stood up from her kneeling position. This Wang Zhi Ruo was acting too strange if she stayed in his arms then she could have been protected by him. Because she left his arms she put herself directly into Gu Jin's hands. To her, was that better than being in his arms?
"Li Fengge!" After Wan Wan had fled the room Gu Jin shifted her anger to her lover. He broke his promise.
"En?" Seeing his laid back demeanour Gu Jin got angrier.
"En? That is what you have to say to me? When I first came to your side you said you would only love me! You spoke time and time again about how much you detest that Wang Zhi Ruo, but today I saw her in your arms! Embraced by you! Li Fengge, you disap..." Gu Jin glared fiercely at him. She felt so betrayed, he lied to her!
As for the Duke, he was deeply disappointed. He thought that Gu Jin wouldn't be so intolerant. If she became like how Wang Zhi Ruo was in the past then... "No, you disappoint me. I thought you understood? You are already the main wife but you are still too greedy. I have only visited you for the past two months, the other mistresses in the manor are not just for decoration. In the future, all of them will bare me a child, when that happens will you then become a vicious woman? Listen clearly and listen well, I will continue to see my concubines and bestow favour on them. Whether you accept it or not is your business, but beware of the consequences."
Some might see the Duke as a lustful bastard that already had five women at the age of twenty. This is indeed true but the Duke shared a small romance with every single one of them, so they all occupied a space in his part. It's just that Gu Jin currently occupied most of the space, but still, the Duke would not let her act willfully and harm the others.
"Fengge!" He didn't bother to turn around and continued to walk out. He was angry and needed to let out some steam.
"Notify Mistress Cheng that this lord is going to see her tonight."
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
EmpressAS
EmpressAS I've only just realised that referring to the original WZR as Great Aunt can be a but misleading?. By Great Aunt I do not mean the thing that comes at the end of every month??
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