231: Young master, you've come to the right person.

Jiang Huai saw that Huangfu Yunyan didn't seem to recognize him and smiled. "Is that so? Then shall I help you look for it?"

As he spoke, Jiang Huai walked to the carriage. Then, in a corner of the carriage, he found a gilded hairpin.

Jiang Huai picked up the hairpin and handed it over. "Miss, is this it?"

Huangfu Yunyan's face immediately lit up with joy, and she hurried to take it. "Thank you, Young Master!"

Taking the hairpin, Huangfu Yunyan turned to leave.

But Jiang Huai's voice came from behind her. "What, leaving just like that?"

"I've done you such a big favor, and all I get is a thank you? I'm afraid that's a bit inappropriate, isn't it?"

Huangfu Yunyan showed a triumphant smile before turning around and saying timidly,

"It was my oversight. If the Young Master doesn't mind, how about I treat you to a cup of tea at a tea house?"

Jiang Huai gave a light chuckle and nodded. "Very well. Why don't you join me in my carriage?"

As he spoke, Jiang Huai's hand had already come to rest on Huangfu Yunyan's.

Seeing this, Huangfu Rui was completely bewildered.

"Holy crap, how did she know Jiang Huai likes drinking tea? This woman really isn't to be trifled with; she's definitely not a good person."

Huangfu Rui watched Huangfu Yunyan and Jiang Huai leave. After returning to the restaurant, he said to Huangfu Yunyan's Maid, "Following your mistress, you must have learned a lot about her way of reading people, right? Explain this: why was she so sure Jiang Huai wouldn't refuse to help her find the hairpin?"

Such a clumsy trick could be seen through by anyone; he didn't believe Jiang Huai couldn't see it for what it was.

"Is that so hard to understand?"

"The fact that you don't understand only shows you don't understand him. My lady is different from you; she doesn't just sit around doing nothing. On the way here, she studied the personalities and traits of the Jiang Family's key figures countless times, committing all that information to heart."

Huangfu Rui was noncommittal. "Then why don't you explain it to me?"

The Maid said, "The head of the Jiang Family, Jiang Yan, has a son and a daughter. The eldest son is Jiang Huai, and the daughter is named Jiang Ling. She's about the same age as you and will also participate in the Liangzhou Trial this year."

"However, Jiang Ling's talent is better than Jiang Huai's. So, even though he is the Eldest Young Master, his Cultivation can't compare to Jiang Ling's. Besides, it's not like there aren't women heading families in Qian Prefecture. Don't you think Jiang Huai would be panicking? Wouldn't he be afraid of being replaced by his sister?"

"On the surface, Jiang Huai is a refined gentleman, but behind the scenes, there are plenty of scandals about him—frequenting brothels, spending money like water..."

"But no one has ever caught him in the act, so people think he's either putting on an act for others to see or that someone is deliberately smearing his name."

Huangfu Rui was a bit stunned. "Could it be that he really did those things?"

The Maid smiled. "A Young Master whose Cultivation isn't going well and who lives in fear every day... if he didn't have some way to relieve the pressure, he'd probably have gone mad long ago!"

"So my lady was certain that he's a different person in private than in public. When he came down just now, he didn't even look at those women who swarmed him. Do you really think he didn't want to look?"

"It's that he didn't dare to look. There are too many eyes and ears here. If he dared to do anything even slightly out of line, it would be instantly magnified. Once it reached his father's ears, do you think he could still remain the Young Master?"

Hearing this, Huangfu Rui suddenly understood. "So Huangfu Yunyan counted on exactly that and chose a spot outside with fewer onlookers to ensure a high success rate?"

The Maid nodded. "If you can see through my lady's methods, Jiang Huai naturally can too. He knows she's approaching him on purpose, but her methods make him feel comfortable."

"Not only does it maintain his public persona, but she's also inviting him for tea as a thank you—it's elegant and won't give anyone leverage over him."

"As for what they'll do once they actually get to the tea house, no one else will know. If I'm not mistaken, Jiang Huai has already climbed into my lady's bed by now."

Hearing this, Huangfu Rui swallowed hard. He saw a shadow of himself in Jiang Huai; he had been maneuvered step by step into Huangfu Yunyan's bed in the same way.

"This woman is truly ruthless!"

Huangfu Rui cursed in his heart.

In fact, things were exactly as the Maid had analyzed.

In a private room of a tea house in Liangzhou City, Huangfu Yunyan and Jiang Huai were embracing each other naked, the room echoing with their heavy breathing.

On the other side, Feng Ming brought Jiang Shuwan to the Fangyuan Restaurant. As soon as they entered, they saw Feng Mian and Feng Da.

Feng Da reported, "Young Master, Jiang Huai left an hour ago. When we arrived, only Huangfu Rui and the Maid were here. Huangfu Yunyan's whereabouts are unknown."

Feng Ming nodded. He naturally didn't know what Huangfu Yunyan was plotting, nor did he know she was already rolling in bed with Jiang Huai.

He looked around and asked, "Where is the notice?"

Feng Da quickly led Feng Ming to a corner on the first floor, where Feng Ming saw the notice.

Feng Da asked, "Young Master, should we tear it down now?"

Feng Ming shook his head.

"I'll do it myself later, and I can't tear it down as Feng Ming!"

"The Jiang Family likely thinks it's my elder brother who's marrying Shuwan. If we can avoid exposing this, let's keep it quiet for now. At least until I get the Ninth-grade Medicinal Herb, let's not cause any unnecessary complications."

Everyone nodded.

Then Feng Ming called out,

"Call a Waiter over. I have something to ask!"

The group sat down, and a moment later, a Waiter walked over.

"Young Master, what would you like to ask?"

Feng Ming said, "I have a relative living at the Jiang Family Mansion by Danhua Lake. I want to visit. Is there any way to skip the Visiting Card and directly smooth things over?"

The Waiter laughed when he heard that.

"Young Master, you've asked the right person. To be honest, in this past half-month, no fewer than a hundred people have wanted to visit relatives at the Jiang Family!"

"Oh? Then do you have a way?"

The Waiter smiled and said, "For the Jiang Family's Visiting Cards, except for visiting the head of the family, everything else is decided by the managers of each residence. Your Visiting Card could be delivered to the person in charge tonight, but whether they let you in depends on if the person in charge is willing."

"At the Jiang Family Mansion by Danhua Lake, the person in charge is the widow of the late Jiang Qi, Lady Jin. She likes drinking Kumquat Tea, and her Maid goes to the Hua Clan Merchant House every day to buy the freshest Kumquats."

"Young Master might as well go to the Hua Clan Merchant House tomorrow morning and wait. If this gift is delivered into the Maid's hands, there will naturally be a result very quickly."

Feng Ming realized what was going on.

He hadn't expected there to be so many tricks involved.

This supposed love for Kumquat Tea was probably just a front, wasn't it? Who knows if it was just a way to collect gifts!

The Waiter soon left.

Feng Mian looked surprised. "What, you guys didn't see Shuwan's mother?"

Feng Ming explained what had happened. When he heard that Jiang Shuwan needed a Visiting Card just to go back, Feng Mian was also furious.

"Damn, having to use a Visiting Card to go back to your own home? That’s a real eye-opener. If you ask me, Younger Brothers Wife, you shouldn't even go back. Just bring your mother over later and live in the Feng family together."

Feng Ming, however, looked at the silent Jiang Shuwan, his brow furrowed slightly.

"What's wrong?"