Liu Zhengyu saw the problematic accounts and was furious, wanting to teach Hong Yan a lesson.
Yu Yi advised: “Master, don’t be hasty. Although Madam Zhou has done wrong, she is pregnant.”
She understood that Liu Zhengyu was just momentarily angry. Even if he went to scold Hong Yan, as long as she pretended to be nauseous or complained of stomach pain, he wouldn’t truly punish her. It was better to appear magnanimous and add some weight to her status in Liu Zhengyu’s heart.
This account book incident was enough for Liu Zhengyu to understand Hong Yan’s character, and he would never entrust the household affairs to her again.
Jin Zhi’s “small days” were not over, but Liu Zhengyu didn’t want to go to Hong Yan and slept in the main hall that night. Yu Yi was on edge all night, but fortunately, since Liu Zhengyu had been with Hong Yan the previous night, he didn’t touch her this night.
Yu Yi sent Liu Zhengyu off in the morning and whispered softly: “Heavenly God, Heavenly God…” She called for a long time before getting a response.
“What is it?” The Heavenly God’s tone seemed somewhat impatient.
Yu Yi carefully asked: “Have I completed my task?”
“No, if you had, the system… I would know, and you would return then.”
Yu Yi continued: “But I have eliminated the rift between husband and wife and helped Master Liu see Madam Zhou’s true nature…”
“But she is still Liu Zhengyu’s favored concubine. If you leave now, once she gives birth to a son, the childless Jin Zhi will soon be suppressed again.”
Yu Yi frowned: “Do you mean Master wants Liu Zhengyu to divorce her?”
“Not exactly, but you must ensure Jin Zhi can firmly secure her position as the primary wife.”
Yu Yi pondered for a long time.
To ensure Jin Zhi’s stable position as the primary wife, she needed to firmly grasp the household management and ensure Liu Zhengyu and Jin Zhi’s relationship was good. They had only just eliminated their estrangement and were far from being emotionally close.
Before marrying Liu Zhengyu, Jin Zhi had already known him. Their fathers were business partners and close friends. Liu Zhengyu had seen Jin Zhi smiling beautifully on a swing during one of his father’s visits, which led him to visit her family frequently. Soon after, Liu’s family proposed marriage.
As Liu Zhengyu needed to go on a business trip for three days, Yu Yi called a carpenter to build a swing in the Liu family garden. On the third evening, she set up wine and dishes near the swing.
At dusk, Liu Zhengyu returned home. Cui’er was waiting in the hall and immediately asked him to visit Hong Yan. Liu Zhengyu frowned slightly. Although he had listened to Jin Zhi and not punished Hong Yan, he still harbored resentment about her secretly using family funds to support her own family. He asked casually, “Is she feeling well?”
Cui’er answered that she was fine, so Liu Zhengyu said, “I’ll go see her after eating.”
Liu Zhengyu arrived at the main courtyard.
As soon as he entered, he smelled the aroma of food. Walking a few steps, he saw the swing set up. A few more steps, and he saw Jin Zhi, with wine and dishes beside the swing.
Jin Zhi was wearing a moon-white silk oblique-front short jacket, paired with a water-green satin long skirt. A slender waist was cinched with an autumn-green silk belt. Her hair was loosely pinned to the side, with three slender, long jade hairpins inserted in a fan shape. She hadn’t noticed him, sitting sideways on the swing, head slightly lowered.
Liu Zhengyu stared blankly at Jin Zhi’s side profile, suddenly feeling that her posture on the swing was beautiful. In a daze, he was transported back to his youth, when he would see her sitting on the swing in the courtyard, gently swaying back and forth, laughing with her sisters. Her smile was radiant and bright, like sunshine on a spring day. He was deeply attracted by her smile and thus proposed to her father.
Liu Zhengyu suddenly felt regret, realizing that after marriage, perhaps because they had become too familiar, he rarely looked at her so carefully, and had even forgotten how beautiful his wife was.
Yu Yi had actually known long ago that Liu Zhengyu had returned, and all of this was carefully orchestrated by her.
In the teaching house, she had learned how to dress, how to pose, and what expressions would maximize her beauty. But at the time, her sole purpose in learning these techniques was to avoid making clients find her attractive, so she had done everything contrary to that goal. Unexpectedly, these skills were now proving useful.
Liu Zhengyu followed her gaze to her hand, which held a jade pendant – the token of affection he had secretly given her before proposing to Jin Zhi’s family. He couldn’t help but softly call out: “Jin Zhi.”
Yu Yi pretended to just notice him, her round eyes widening in surprise: “My lord, you’ve returned?” Then she laughed, stepping down from the swing: “I’ve prepared wine and dishes to welcome you home.”
Liu Zhengyu didn’t wait for her to sit at the table but grabbed her hand and pulled her into his embrace.
Yu Yi’s heart raced, yet she could only allow him to hold her, repeatedly reminding herself that this body belonged to Jin Zhi, not her. Her face was already burning. Liu Zhengyu, who hadn’t been intimate with Jin Zhi for a long time, saw her originally fair cheeks flushed and assumed she was thinking of marital affairs. Moved by desire, he lowered his head to kiss her lips.
Yu Yi was terrified, hastily saying: “My lord, it’s broad daylight, it’s not appropriate…” While inwardly hoping the heavens would quickly take her away.
At this moment, a maidservant rushed into the courtyard, calling out in panic.
Liu Zhengyu was displeased but released Yu Yi, frowning and asking: “What’s so urgent?”
Yu Yi secretly sighed in relief when the maidservant urgently reported: “Madam Zhou has fallen!”
Liu Zhengyu arrived at Hong Yan’s place, and Hong Yan began to cry again. Liu Zhengyu knew that her grief over losing a child was normal, and he initially tried to comfort her a bit. Unexpectedly, Hong Yan became more hysterical, insisting that Liu Zhengyu must divorce Jin Zhi. Liu Zhengyu was already frustrated about Jin Zhi returning to her parents’ home, and hearing Hong Yan’s outburst, he became angry: “Shut up! This is your own fault.”
Hong Yan was stunned, and her crying stopped momentarily. When she saw Liu Zhengyu was about to leave after his outburst, she immediately started wailing again, shouting that she would kill herself.
Liu Zhengyu knew she was just throwing a tantrum and didn’t want to indulge her further, so he walked away without looking back.
Liu Zhengyu sat alone in the room, looking at the bed that Jin Zhi had neatly made before leaving, and thought about how good she was. He ordered someone to prepare a carriage to go to Jin Zhi’s parents’ home to bring her back.
Liu Zhengyu was touched and went to the backyard to find Jin Zhi, seeing her sitting on a swing, chatting with her sister.
Yin Ye asked Jin Zhi, “How does my brother-in-law treat you?” Jin Zhi nodded, “Very well.”
Liu Zhengyu was about to approach but stopped after hearing this, standing behind the doorway until the sisters finished their conversation before pretending to have just arrived. Yin Ye called out “Brother-in-law” and then moved away.
Liu Zhengyu walked to the swing, and Jin Zhi looked up at him: “Husband, do you remember when we first met?” Liu Zhengyu gazed at her tenderly, softly saying, “I remember,” while leaning closer to her.
It seemed she had once again successfully completed her task.
Chapter 5 Test Mission Three (1)
