Chapter 10: No Rules
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Du Zi Heng opened his mouth but found himself at a loss for words.
You Bing Yue had also arrived on the bridge, and Du Zi Heng frowned. “Why must you trouble her? Didn’t I already promise you that nothing would ever happen between us? She just helped us moments ago, and here you are, turning around and targeting her people. What does that make us?”
“You’re my man, yet she holds the title of the main wife. I’m merely reclaiming what’s rightfully mine. What’s wrong with that?” You Bing Yue’s eyes flared with anger, but her disdain quickly took over. “Besides, she’s nothing more than a cloistered maiden. What can she possibly do to help me? It’s all just your parents backing her up, fooling you in the process.”
“It’s nothing but a ploy!”
She was visibly displeased. “Even if they hadn’t intervened, I could’ve managed on my own.”
As for her earlier tumble into the water, she had chalked it up to her own overexertion.
Du Zi Heng suspected there was more to it than that.
However, he didn’t have the patience to delve deeper right now.
You Bing Yue’s clothing had been quite form-fitting to begin with, and after being soaked, every contour—appropriate or otherwise—was now on display.
He motioned for Du Lin to keep his distance and escorted You Bing Yue back to the Moon Gazing Pavilion.
Meanwhile, Yu Zhi Yi had already returned to the Breeze Pavilion, though Zi Yuan was still fuming. “That woman is insufferable!”
“What gall to flaunt herself in front of you, Miss! She’s not even on par with a concubine!”
A concubine, at least, held a formal title. That woman was no better than a mere kept mistress with no standing.
“Alright, calm down,” Yu Zhi Yi said, pouring her a cup of tea. “I promise you, if she ever crosses our threshold again, I’ll teach her a lesson as harsh as today’s. Fair?”
Yu Zhi Yi had initially refrained from paying You Bing Yue any attention. In her previous life, every altercation You Bing Yue had with Yu Jiao Jiao had been provoked by Yu Jiao Jiao’s own antics, prompting You Bing Yue to retaliate.
Yu Zhi Yi had assumed that You Bing Yue was different, someone capable of maintaining at least a veneer of peace.
Clearly, she had been wrong.
But Yu Zhi Yi reminded herself that she was on the path of accumulating merit and could not allow herself to be derailed by unworthy individuals.
If someone came looking for trouble, however, they had no one but themselves to blame.
And besides, Yu Zhi Yi had made an intriguing discovery.
For some reason, You Bing Yue’s face remained unreadable to her.
It had been the same in her past life, and even now, after reincarnation, it remained so.
This anomaly could be explained by one of two possibilities: either You Bing Yue was also involved in the Mystic Sect or had connections with someone in it, using a Secret Technique to shield her features from scrutiny.
Or…
She was a Destined One.
Yu Zhi Yi was unsure of You Bing Yue’s background, but she wasn’t overly concerned.
No matter which possibility proved true, it wouldn’t affect her in any meaningful way.
Eventually, Du Zi Heng would establish his own residence elsewhere. When that time came, Yu Zhi Yi intended to remain in the Chancellor’s Mansion, minimizing any interaction between them.
The only potential complication lay with their offspring.
In her previous life, even up until her untimely death, You Bing Yue had failed to produce a child. This issue had been an ongoing source of annoyance.
Yu Zhi Yi shook off these distracting thoughts and resumed her work arranging Formations.
Earlier, she had set up a Defensive Formation across the entire mansion. The formation would activate only at night, with entry points left open at the main gates and side entrances.
Unless someone attempted to scale the walls or crawl through dogholes under the cover of darkness, the formation would remain undisturbed.
Should anyone be foolish enough to try, however, they would quickly find themselves injured by it.
The Chancellor’s Mansion was well-guarded; any commotion would alert the sentries immediately.
Yu Zhi Yi had also made a small but clever modification to the Defensive Formation: if someone tampered with it, she would be able to “see” their appearance.
Even if they managed to escape, they wouldn’t evade her perceptive gaze.
She remembered how, in her previous life, Chancellor Du had been falsely accused once. Though the truth had come to light months later, the entire ordeal had been troublesome for everyone involved, herself included.
Yu Zhi Yi detested unnecessary complications. If she could nip a threat in the bud, she wouldn’t hesitate to do so.
Arranging the formations for the Breeze Pavilion proved even simpler. She didn’t need to fabricate an excuse—merely tending to the flowers and strolling along the walls aroused no suspicion whatsoever.
Just as she completed her work, a servant arrived to inform her, “Young Madam, the Marquis of Wu’an’s Wife has arrived.”
“Let her in.”
The Marquis’ Wife entered, her face alight with joy. “Master truly lives up to the title of Master—how extraordinary!”
Her son, initially rebellious, had once been engaged to the daughter of a military family. However, finding the girl too bold and not as demure as the ladies of the capital, he had sought to break off the engagement.
When the girl, Miss Tan, heard that her son had almost been beaten to death for harassing another young lady, she had stormed over yesterday to sever ties officially.
Yet now, her son seemed smitten. He refused to break the engagement and was begging to hasten the wedding arrangements.
Yu Zhi Yi had already discerned much of this from the Marquis’ Wife’s expression, but hearing her story still left her somewhat speechless.
What a perfect example of a “glutton for punishment.”
Still, for all his faults, the young man had settled down after marriage. He and Miss Tan had become a bickering but affectionate couple, their union ultimately harmonious.
“She is the young man’s destined partner,” Yu Zhi Yi said evenly. “Treat her well, and the Marquis of Wu’an’s Mansion will prosper in no time.”
Delighted, the Marquis’ Wife presented a heavy pouch. “This is but a small token of my appreciation. Please accept it.”
A quick glance revealed that the bag contained at least thirty to forty taels of silver—or more, if it were gold.
Yu Zhi Yi instructed Zi Yuan to accept it and offered a free prediction in return. “The eighteenth of the twelfth month is an auspicious day for them. If both families are keen on this match, that date would be ideal for the wedding.”
The Marquis’ Wife, overjoyed, expressed her gratitude profusely before departing.
After she left, Zi Yuan asked, “Miss, Miss Tan had already sought to end the engagement. Are you certain she’s truly his destined partner?”
“She still cares for him,” Yu Zhi Yi replied. “She was simply hurt by his past behavior. However, this incident will prompt the young man to change his ways.”
Zi Yuan exhaled a sigh of relief.
Given the young man’s notorious antics, she had worried that Miss Tan’s marriage might lead to unhappiness. If that were the case, wouldn’t it tarnish her mistress’s accumulated merit?
As they spoke, Yu Zhi Yi had already checked the pouch’s contents. It contained pure gold, thirty to forty taels in total—equivalent to several hundred silver taels.
She was quite pleased.
Suddenly, Yu Pan Er entered the room. “Young Madam, the one from the Moon Gazing Pavilion has gone out.”
Yu Zhi Yi asked, “And the young master?”
She assumed Du Zi Heng had accompanied her, but Yu Pan Er shook her head. “No, Young Madam, the young master stayed behind.”
Yu Zhi Yi was surprised but quickly dismissed her curiosity.
You Bing Yue had always enjoyed her freedom, a privilege granted by Du Zi Heng.
Madam Yao disapproved of this but was unable to argue against her son’s wishes.
Zi Yuan frowned. “This is utterly improper!”
In a respectable household, a woman wishing to leave the residence would first need the Mistress’ approval.
You Bing Yue, however, came and went as she pleased, completely disregarding protocol.
Yu Zhi Yi chuckled lightly. “She isn’t part of the household, after all. She’s free to come and go.”
After all, if she wasn’t a mistress or servant, she wasn’t truly considered part of the family.
Not even a guest, really.
For the household didn’t welcome her.