Ling Long came up enthusiastically. “Let me help you prepare the ink.”
Lu Qi frowned. “Ling Long, your perfume powder…” It had assaulted his nose earlier. It was too strong.
“Ah, Young Master, you have such a sharp nose. I purposely asked someone to buy it for me from Hexiang Store.” Ling Long smiled flirtatiously and leaned against Lu Qi. “Doesn’t it smell nice?”
Lu Qi used the end of his brush to push Ling Long away. “It smells nice. But it is so strong that I feel like choking. You are like a fireworks tube, leave.”
Ling Long did not want to leave but Lu Qi threw her a sharp look and she did not dare to stay. She walked past Fu Yin, who was in a daze, and suddenly thought of something. She pulled Fu Yin along with her.
“Eh, don’t be delusional!” Ling Long dragged Fu Yin all the way to the back garden before flinging her hand away.
Fu Yin was not looking at Lu Qi but was focused on the small decorative dagger on the cupboard. She thought that if she could get near to Lu Qi, she would have a chance to stab him.
“Go and wash all these clothes.” Ling Long placed a huge bucket of clothes into Fu Yin’s hands.
Fu Yin could not help but say, “These are female clothes. However, the housekeeper said that I only need to wash the clothes Young Master takes off in the study room.”
“Just now when we were in front of Young Master, you pretended to be cold but now you dare to argue back!”
Ling Long came over to pinch her but Fu Yin dodged. Ling Long became furious and raised her hand to slap her. However, someone caught her hand.
“If the new maid does not know the rules, Ling Long, you can just say it nicely. Why do you need to slap her? If it leaves a mark, Brother Lu will lose face when there are guests to the study room. He will then look for you.” It was Lu Hanxing.
Fu Yin glanced at him. He gave off an unsettling aura.
“You are lucky. Get lost.” Ling Long was extremely irritated. This stupid maid has only been here for a day and she managed to seduce Lu Qi and Lu Hanxing. What is this!
Fu Yin did not like the look Lu Hanxing was giving her and could not wait to leave. Lu Hanxing’s gaze remained on Fu Yin. “The housekeeper’s eyes are not bad this time, he chose a beautiful maid.” However, as he saw Ling Long raised her eyebrows. He immediately lifted her chin and placed his lips extremely close to her mouth. “However, she is not as pretty as you.”
Ling Long allowed Lu Hanxing to kiss her for a while before pushing him away. “Then why are you helping her?”
“I am clearly helping you.” Lu Hanxing squeezed Ling Long’s cheeks. “You look so angry. Has Lu Qi been ignoring you?”
Ling Long was unhappy. “Other than serving tea, I have been serving more tea. He even said that I put on too much perfume. I served him for so many years and only managed to seduce him once. He has no conscience. He took my innocence and merely let me be a servant in his room and doubled by pay. He then treats me like nothing.”
Lu Hanxing was not surprised. “He wants a concubine, why didn’t you go for it?”
“I don’t go for it? I try so much, my head is about to explode yet he pretends not to notice. He even asked people to send in pictures, choosing here and there. In the end, he chose the lady from the Fu family. She has been married before, is infamous and is really unlucky. Because of her, he then had the Imperial Competition with Sheng Chumu and ended up getting beaten. He had to give up his bride on top of losing his army.”
Lu Hanxing suddenly gave a stone face. “You keep on talking about Lu Qi, are you treating me as if I am dead?”
“You are the one that brought it up first. Moreover, if I am doing well, it is good for you too.” Ling Long snuggled into Lu Hanxing’s embrace. “Did you find me for something?”
Lu Hanxing appeared aroused. “Come into my room to help me mend my clothes. If you do it well, I have something for you.”
Ling Long pretended to hit Lu Hanxing but still tried all ways to flatter and pamper him. The two of them secretly sang the same tune and both gained from fooling around with each other. Together, they plotted against Lu Qi. However, Lu Qi was unaware of all this.
Chapter 32.2: Medicine for the Soul
On this day, Ma Haihu decided that he was going to bring his gang of brothers to attack the Duke Lu Residence. He was going to give Sheng Chumu two choices. He could either marry Hainiu and everyone shall drink the celebratory wine happily or if he chose not to, they were going to kill him.
Everyone’s firewood was ablaze when their servant suddenly ran in. He announced that the Sheng brothers from the Duke Lu Residence were here and they wanted to meet Ma Hainiu.
Ma Hainiu was excited and nervous at the same time. “What are they looking for me for? Has Sheng Chumu told his family about us?” All of a sudden, she realised that her elder brother and fellow brothers had all found seats. “They are here to see me, all of you look so coarse and fierce. When they come in, it will look as if they had entered a bandit’s nest. Hurry and leave.”
Haicao, who had grown up with Ma Hainiu, said roughly, “We are scared that you will get bullied.”
Ma Haihu understood his sister the best. “Okay, okay, okay, we will leave. Younger Sister, we will be in the back. Anytime you need support, you can just call and we will be out to help.”
Ma Hainiu pouted, “That’s better.”
Everyone hid in the inner house with their ears flattened against the wall.
Sheng Chuling entered with Sheng Chujun. They saw only Ma Hainiu and immediately stuck out their chests.
With their elder brother absent, the second brother should take charge. Sheng Chuling cleared his throat. “We came here today because…”
Ma Haniu cut him off, “I know why you came.”
Sheng Chujun was delighted. “That’s great. Let’s move quickly, hand the thing over.”
Ma Hainiu was thinking that they were really direct. “How can it be so fast, I still have to prepare. Rest assured, when the time is right, I will get people to carry it to the Duke Lu Residence. It will at least be a few buckets full.”
Sheng Chujun choked. “A few buckets? That is a lot for an antidote.”
Ma Hainiu froze. “Antidote?”
Sheng Chuling started to realise that something was not right. “Then what did you think it was?”
Ma Hainiu raised her brows. “Wasn’t it dowry?”
“Bah!” Sheng Chujun did not detect the danger. “Are you really thinking of marrying Elder Brother?”
“Of course I am going to marry Sheng Chumu, we have already…”
Sheng Chujun lifted his hand, with an expression that showed that he knew it all. “Kissed, hugged and even tore clothes.”
Ma Hainiu said matter of fact, “That’s right, so he has to marry me.”
Sheng Chuling laughed, “So what? Don’t you know the famous nickname my Elder Brother had last year in Chang’an? He is Chang’an’s number one hedonist! If he had to marry every girl he kissed--”
Sheng Chujun continued, “Then our Duke Lu Residence will be swarmed.”
Ma Hainiu was furious. “Oi! I treat both of you so nicely, yet you are so arrogant. What are you all even here for?”
“For the antidote!” Both brothers shouted together.
“The antidote? Impossible!”
“You want to be our sister-in-law? Impossible!”
Ma Hainiu suddenly shouted, “Elder Brother!”
Sheng Chujun chuckled, “It doesn’t matter how nicely you call us.”
Sheng Chuling looked back and tugged on Sheng Chujun’s sleeves. Sheng Chujun turned around. Oh god. They didn’t know when but the hall was suddenly filled with burly guys with broad shoulders and thick waists. The two of them did not even have time to get into position before they were attacked. Bam, bam. They were beaten up. Ma Hainiu calmed down and drank tea. She kept her ears alert. Finally, she heard the Sheng brothers shout Sister-in-law before she called for them to stop.