Miss, Please Respect Yourself - Chapter 9

After the singing and dancing ended, the stage came alive with the beat of gongs and drums. The performers with white face paint swung their water sleeves gracefully, singing in an elongated tune as they made their entrance.

The guests engaged in various activities: some enjoyed their wine while listening to the performance, others played chess, and a few leaned against the railings, gazing out to appreciate the scenic beauty of the courtyard.

Wen Qian sought out a secluded spot in the far eastern corner of the Lotus Lake. She stood on a small stone bridge facing an ancient well. Several maple trees were planted around the well, their red leaves fluttering gently in the breeze, creating a scene that could only be described as desolate and melancholic.

A particularly oblivious maple leaf landed on her head. Wen Qian reached up to pluck it off, brushing the dust from her hairpin with some disdain. Suddenly, she noticed Tang Shi’s figure appearing at the corner of the corridor. She quickly pulled out a handkerchief and began to wipe her tears mournfully in front of the scenery.

Tang Shi was indeed a gentleman who cherished beauty. Lifting his robe slightly, he walked briskly toward her but hesitated to get too close. Stopping about six meters away, he called softly, “Miss Wen…”

Wen Qian, feigning surprise, quickly wiped her tears, turning around with reddened eyes and a forced smile. “Lord Tang.”

“There are many guests here today. Shouldn’t you be busy?”

Tang Shi, noticing her tear-streaked face, couldn’t help but feel a pang of sympathy. “There’s still some time before the evening banquet. I don’t have to entertain anyone right now and can rest for a bit…” After a pause, he hesitated and then asked, “Miss, is there something troubling you?”

Wen Qian bit her lower lip, remaining silent.

“Earlier, I noticed that your interactions with Young Master Duan did not seem like those of a loving couple. Rather, it seemed… as if there were some unspoken troubles. Forgive my impertinence, but could you share a bit of what happened?”

Perfect question.

She sighed softly, as if hesitating for a long time before speaking. “A few days ago, Tingyu Tower was sealed by the Embroidered Uniform Guard. Has Lord Tang heard about this?”

Tang Shi nodded slightly. “I have indeed heard about it.”

“Previously, Young Master Duan came to our music workshop and happened to hear me play the zither. At first, he praised me highly, saying my music was unique and unparalleled in this world. I thought him a kindred spirit, so I entertained him warmly. But to my surprise, after a few more visits, he suddenly asked me to marry him as a concubine.”

This statement had both truths and fabrications. It not only successfully smeared Yang Jin’s reputation but also provided a seemingly plausible reason for the Embroidered Uniform Guard’s closure of the music workshop. Upon hearing this, Tang Shi furrowed his brows.

“I have been in Guangling for ten years and am unwilling to leave. When he saw that I wouldn’t agree, he revealed his true nature, saying that his adoptive father has close ties with the Embroidered Uniform Guard. If I didn’t comply, he would…”

At this point, Wen Qian secretly pinched the back of her hand, causing her eyes to immediately turn red, tears welling up. “The music workshop raised me. The Embroidered Uniform Guard have always been ruthless. Since this matter arose because of me, to avoid implicating others, I could only…”

Tang Shi sighed, “If you are in such difficulty, you could have come to me.”

“…Wen Qian is of low status. How could I dare trouble Lord Tang with such a trivial matter?” As she spoke, a cool breeze blew by, and she weakly held her chest and coughed a couple of times.

Tang Shi quickly reached out to support her. “Miss, you don’t look well. Worrying too much will harm your health.”

“Thank you, My lord…” She pretended to be strong, pulling away from his support, but after taking two steps, she nearly stumbled again.

“You are weak. Don’t push yourself.” Tang Shi steadied her, glancing around. “The wind is strong here. Let’s go inside and rest for a while.”

So far, the first part of the plan was complete.

As Wen Qian daintily followed Tang Shi into the study, Yang Jin happened to return from outside and caught sight of her back.

Holding onto Tang Shi.

Extract information from him.

These were all instructions given before they set out.

However, Wen Qian was just a woman after all. Having her handle Tang Shi on her own might put her at a disadvantage.

After some consideration, Yang Jin still felt uneasy and decided to follow them.

The study was elegantly decorated, with a desk, chairs, and bookshelves. A gilded incense burner released wisps of white smoke, and Wen Qian could smell its faint fragrance almost as soon as she stepped in.

There were no servants inside, and Tang Shi personally poured her a cup of calming tea.

“Thank you for your concern, Lord Tang.”

He replied that it was no trouble. “Women are generally weaker. You should take good care of your health.”

“I wish I could, but my hands are tied.” Wen Qian did not drink the tea right away. Instead, she picked up the teapot and poured a cup for him. “We, who are caught up in the dust of the world, cannot be as delicate as the young ladies in their boudoirs.”

Tang Shi naturally took the tea and took a sip. “I’ve always felt that your dances and music are quite different from others.”

Wen Qian’s eyes shifted, and she let out a soft chuckle. “We’re all just singers and dancers selling our talents. How different could we really be?”

He shook his head and said otherwise, speaking earnestly, “What you perform is beyond the mundane world, unlike the others who are mired in it.”

She just smiled and said nothing.

As expected of a scholar, always speaking in such inexplicable terms. What does it mean to dance beyond the mundane? A nun’s dance?

She couldn’t express her true thoughts, especially since she had ulterior motives. She maintained a warm smile, wearing an expression of finding a kindred spirit, and said, “To receive such high praise from Lord Tang is the greatest fortune of Wen Qian’s life.”

The man across from her waved his hand humbly, refusing such flattery.

Wen Qian intentionally paused for a moment. “Lord Tang and I have known each other for a while. There are some things… if I don’t speak of them, I fear I will feel uneasy.”

Tang Shi asked curiously, “What is it?”

“Actually…” She grew solemn. “Young Master Duan attended this birthday celebration today with ulterior motives.”

“Oh?” Tang Shi looked surprised.

“I’ve heard that the Tang family’s treasure pavilion holds countless rare treasures. He and the Embroidered Uniform Guard have been coveting them for a long time. The birthday celebration today is just a guise, their real intent is to steal the treasures together.” Wen Qian expressed her concern, “If something valuable goes missing today, with so many guests around, it will be impossible to track down. So, please be cautious and take extra precautions.”

After hearing this, he smiled helplessly. “There are no such rare treasures. It’s just a baseless rumor.” Tang Shi put down his cup. “But thank you for the warning, Miss. I always carry the key to the pavilion with me. Even if something were taken, it wouldn’t matter much.”

Seeing him smile so easily, Wen Qian also breathed a sigh of relief. “If that’s the case, then I am relieved.”

The conversation had almost run its course, but Lord Tang seemed reluctant to end it. After a few cups of tea, he grew rather tipsy. “Duan Yu may be young, but he is a notorious playboy and has yet to pass the imperial examinations. His future is uncertain; he is not someone to whom you should entrust your life.”

Wen Qian absently murmured in agreement.

Unexpectedly, her hand was suddenly gripped tightly. Tang Shi had already seized it. “I have one year left before my term ends, after which I can return to the capital. About what I mentioned to you before…”

As he spoke, he moved closer, his gaze burning. “Would you not reconsider? If you are willing, I swear to the heavens that I will never wrong you in this lifetime.”

“This…” She dodged his question, subtly shifting away from him.

Tang Shi, however, refused to give up and continued inching closer. “Miss Wen,  you know well that I have always felt… I’ve always felt this way about you…”

Wen Qian tried to pull her hand free but couldn’t. The man’s hot breath brushed her cheek, and she could feel a hand slowly creeping around her waist, making her increasingly uncomfortable. She silently frowned and began counting in her head.

One, two, three…

Before she reached three, Tang Shi’s eyelids began to droop, and with a loud thud, he collapsed onto the table.

Physician Lou’s knockout drops truly never failed, it worked every time.

Wen Qian shook off the hand that had clutched hers with a look of disgust. She said coldly, “Did you really think this lady is so easily taken advantage of?”

She stood up and snorted at Tang Shi. “You want me to be your concubine instead of Duan Yu’s? Keep dreaming!”

Remembering her next move, she bent down and rummaged through Tang Shi’s clothes, pulling out a ring of keys from inside his inner garment.

Wen Qian held the keys up to her eyes, her lips curling into a sly smile.

Mission accomplished.

After a day of hard work, she finally got something.

Just as she was about to tuck the keys away, a figure suddenly appeared before her. Before she could fully see who it was, another hand had already gripped the other end of the keys. Fortunately, Wen Qian reacted quickly and didn’t let go.

Who dared to interfere?!

She glared furiously at the intruder, only to meet a pair of starry eyes filled with anger.

“Lord Yang?” Her anger dissipated halfway, replaced by surprise. “What are you doing here?”

Yang Jin’s anger had not yet subsided. “What do you think?”

Originally, he had followed her all the way here out of concern for her safety, only to realize it had been entirely unnecessary.

“Oh, were you eavesdropping?” Wen Qian feigned sudden realization. “That’s not very proper, is it? If word gets out, it could harm your reputation.”

Yang Jin wasn’t buying her act. “I should be grateful I eavesdropped this time.”

He enunciated each word clearly, “You claim I’m in cahoots with the Embroidered Uniform Guard, plotting to steal Tang Shi’s treasures?”

“Miss Wen.” Yang Jin advanced, his grip on the keys not loosening one bit. “Is this the information you were after?”

The evidence was clear, so denying it would be pointless. Despite being caught red-handed, Wen Qian remained calm, showing no intention of letting go of the keys. Instead, she gave him a sweet smile.

“Sir, the Tang Mansion is full of dangers. Can’t I at least get some compensation?”

Yang Jin tugged the keys towards himself, his voice sharp. “Didn’t we agree on the terms before we left?”

Wen Qian exerted some force to pull it back. “This is a separate matter. I know the rules; whoever sees gets a share. Of course, I won’t forget your part. How about we split it fifty-fifty?”

His tone became irritated. “Don’t even think about it!”

Thinking Yang Jin was just being greedy, she bit her lip and offered another compromise. “Fine, you can have everything. I’ll just take one item.”

“You think I came after Tang Shi for these things? What kind of person do you take me for?”

She hadn’t expected that he wasn’t interested in keeping everything for himself nor willing to share. This made Wen Qian furious. “What’s the point of being an Embroidered Uniform Guard officer if you’re like this? Why don’t you just become a monk?!”

Yang Jin retorted, “What I do is none of your business!”

As the two bickered, neither noticed a subtle change on the table. Suddenly, a gust of wind swept past their ears. Yang Jin quickly shouted, “Watch out!” and pushed Wen Qian away.

A teacup, along with its contents, crashed to the ground.

Tang Shi, who had been quietly slumped over like part of the background, had somehow woken up. Seeing his first attack miss, he grabbed a jade paperweight and hurled it at Yang Jin.

Yang Jin kicked it aside and pinned Tang Shi’s wrist with one hand. He turned to Wen Qian, scolding, “Didn’t you say you’d knock him out?”

This turn of events was completely unexpected. She was certain she’d seen Tang Shi collapse; there was no reason he should have gotten back up. Wen Qian was momentarily stunned, muttering, “How would I know?” while cursing inwardly.

Damn you, Physician Lou, selling fake medicine! Even if it was free, you can’t scam people like this!

I’ll have to settle the score with that rascal later.

The awakened Governor Tang seemed like a madman and kept grabbing Yang Jin. Although he had no martial arts skills, Yang Jin had to avoid hurting him, and thus was somewhat restrained. It was surprisingly difficult to gain the upper hand for the moment.

After Yang Jin shoved her away, he naturally had no time to snatch the keys from Wen Qian. At that moment, as the two men continued to struggle, she took advantage of the situation. Her eyes glinted with cunning as she slowly started to make her way to the door, cupping her hands in farewell. “Lord Yang,  you have important matters to handle. This humble girl has matters to attend to, so I’ll take my leave now.”

“Don’t you dare!” Yang Jin turned his head, wanting to leave, but he was unable to do so because his hands were occupied with Tang Shi.

In just a moment, Wen Qian had already slipped away, the sounds of her footsteps fading into the distance outside the courtyard.

“My lord, rest assured, I only need one thing. Once I’ve used it, I’ll return it to the original owner. You won’t be short-changed.”

Yang Jin had no choice but to hold Tang Shi’s hands with one hand while untying the belt around his waist with the other and began to tie him up.

Perhaps because the servants were busy attending to guests near the stage, none had passed by this area. Wen Qian ran all the way, putting considerable distance between herself and the study.

Seeing no one chasing after her, she leaned against a tree to catch her breath, glancing down at the bronze keys in her hand. A smile curling up the corner of her lips.

“Apologies, Lord Yang.”

She tossed the keys high into the air and easily caught them again before striding off with a light-hearted step.