Chapter 198: Coercion
This novel is translated and hosted on bcatranslation.
Rong Che was overjoyed.
Sitting beside Lu Yan Shu, his gaze frequently drifted toward Madam Xu.
All night long, he wore a contented smile, looking as though he were drunk on happiness.
Lu Chao Chao held a skewer of roasted lamb in one hand and a chicken drumstick in the other, her belly round and full.
“This life, even the gods wouldn’t trade for it…” Lu Chao Chao sighed in satisfaction.
Rong Che chuckled. “Little one, do you even know what kind of life the gods live?”
“Not interesting.” Lu Chao Chao pouted, quickly losing interest.
The night was filled with merriment, food, and the dazzling glow of fireworks. Everyone enjoyed a warm and harmonious New Year’s Eve.
Madam Xu even bestowed triple wages upon the servants and arranged a grand feast, filling the entire household with joy.
“Are you confident about the upcoming capital exam?” Rong Che inquired.
Lu Yan Shu’s expression carried a gentle resolve. “I will not disappoint my family. I shall give it my all.”
Meanwhile, at the Lu residence, the atmosphere was anything but festive.
Madam Pei sat with a sullen face as a trembling maid reported, “Old Madam has soiled herself again. She requests your presence for cleaning.”
In her rage, Madam Pei hurled her teacup.
The shattered porcelain struck the young maid’s face, leaving a bloody cut.
The girl trembled but dared not cry out.
“Am I the only one who can serve her?! I stay up all night tending to her, fetching water when she soils herself, and yet, what more does she want?!” Within a few short days, Madam Pei looked utterly drained, her complexion sickly pale.
Tears welled in the maid’s eyes. “When others tend to her, she wails and screams nonstop.”
Madam Pei knew all too well—Old Madam was deliberately tormenting her.
Cursing under her breath, Madam Pei turned to another matter. “Where is Jin Niang? It’s New Year’s Eve, yet she hasn’t arranged the vigil?”
The maid lowered her head. “Young Madam is unwell.”
“Useless thing.”
Madam Pei understood that Jiang Yun Jin was feigning illness to avoid responsibility.
Months had passed since the wedding, yet Lu Jing Huai had never once consummated their marriage. She secretly suspected something was wrong with her son.
Restless and anxious, she dared not voice her concerns.
“Mother, let’s seek the Abbot of the National Temple,” Lu Jing Yao suggested softly.
“The Abbot once said that I am destined for greatness. Surely he would grant me this favor—to examine if our household has encountered any misfortune.”
Lu Jing Yao clung to this hope.
Madam Pei’s eyes lit up.
“Jing Yao, you are truly clever.”
“Why didn’t I think of that?”
“Even before you were born, the Abbot gifted prayer beads to Old Madam, showing how highly he regards you.”
“Unfortunately, he is currently on a pilgrimage and will not return to the capital until March.” Madam Pei seethed with impatience, longing to summon him immediately.
Despite her exhaustion, a flicker of joy crept into her heart.
She concealed her bitterness—Lu Yuan Ze had been comparing her to Madam Xu of late, making her feel utterly resentful.
The Abbot had once recognized her child’s potential.
Surely, he could change her fate.
Lu Jing Huai had returned home at some point and now stood before Jiang Yun Jin, looking somewhat embarrassed.
“Jin Niang, may I borrow some silver from the accounts?”
“The capital exam is approaching, and I need to make some arrangements.” His face flushed, betraying his unease.
Jiang Yun Jin pressed her lips together and smiled. “Husband, we are one. There’s no need to distinguish between yours and mine.”
“After the vigil tonight, I shall prepare it for you first thing in the morning.”
First thing in the morning?
The night signified that they would share the same bed.
Lu Jing Huai clenched his fists, suppressing the nausea in his heart. Forcing a smile, he said, “Alright. This past period must have been difficult for you, Jin Niang. It was my fault.”
That night.
While Jiang Yun Jin was bathing, Lu Jing Huai secretly took out a packet of medicine from his sleeve. Hardening his resolve, he poured it into a cup and drank it in one gulp.
By the time Jiang Yun Jin stepped out, his face was already flushed red, his gaze brazenly burning with unrestrained heat.
Seeing the fire in his eyes, Jiang Yun Jin’s displeasure dissipated in an instant.
Passions ignited, filling the chamber with warmth and desire.
The next day was the first day of the new year.
Lu Jing Huai couldn’t even wait to pay respects to Madam Pei before hurriedly taking three thousand taels and rushing out the door.
Jiang Yun Jin felt stifled. Last night seemed like a dream.
Upon waking, Lu Jing Huai had once again returned to his cold and distant self.
[Has he fallen for someone else?!] Jiang Yun Jin felt a deep sorrow twisting in her heart.
“Follow him. Find out where he’s going. But don’t let my husband notice,” she ordered, convinced by the anxiety between his brows that he was keeping a mistress outside.
Lu Jing Huai seemed extremely anxious.
He didn’t use the household’s carriage, nor did he bring a servant. Instead, he moved stealthily into a secluded alleyway.
This place was remote, deep within the commoners’ district.
Inside the alley, three burly men stood waiting.
The moment they saw Lu Jing Huai, one of them kicked him hard in the chest, sending him sprawling onto the ground.
“Are you playing with us?! We told you to bring some new year’s money, and yet you made us wait all night?!”
“Did you want us to freeze to death?!”
“Hurry up and hand over the money. Stop dawdling!” The man spat and reached out to grab the silver.
Lu Jing Huai clenched his teeth in humiliation and passed the three thousand taels to them.
One of the men snatched the money, counting it while appraising him.
“You promised that once you got the money, you would leave the capital! Never to return!”
“You swore that you wouldn’t breathe a word about this!”
Saintess Jing Li had already returned to Western Yue, but these three men were from Northern Zhao!
They remained in the capital, constantly blackmailing Lu Jing Huai.
Over time, he had already given them several payments.
Each time, their demands grew larger.
“You say leave, and we leave? Wouldn’t that make us look weak? But if you can make us happy, well… we might consider it!” The three men exchanged glances, eyeing Lu Jing Huai up and down. Having grown up in the manor, his skin was fair and delicate, even more refined than a woman’s.
“Heh heh, if you serve us one last time, we’ll definitely leave the capital and stop interfering with your business, Young Master Lu.”
“I heard you recently married.”
A chill ran down Lu Jing Huai’s spine, his fury nearly snapping his sanity.
His eyes burned with killing intent.
His nails dug deeply into his palms, blood faintly visible.
“Really? Will you truly leave?” Lu Jing Huai asked coldly.
One of the men ran a hand across his face, sneering. “Tsk tsk, such tender skin, it brings back fond memories.”
“Even more fun than a woman.”
“Have you grown to enjoy it too? We took good care of you, didn’t we?” The man’s voice dripped with vile arrogance.
The maid hiding in the shadows covered her mouth tightly, eyes wide with horror.
What had she just heard?!
“I heard that Young Master Lu’s wife is the legitimate daughter of a second-rank official. If she knew that her husband had once been beneath us, writhing in pleasure… I wonder if she could accept it?”
Lu Jing Huai gritted his teeth.
“One last time! Give me a few days. I’ll make sure to properly entertain you… to your heart’s content!” Lu Jing Huai let out a cold laugh, his gaze filled with murder.
The three men laughed wildly, one of them squeezing his backside in a crude gesture before swaggering away.
Lu Jing Huai stood in the snow, his shoulders covered in frost.
His life had become the inverse of Lu Yan Shu’s.
A path filled with hardship, with no road left for return.
Man…
Wow…I was accidentally…almost right about his experience *shock*