Chapter 19: So prime minister song is here to catch an adulterer?

He’s here!

Song Jie actually came to see Xie Yushu himself.

Xiao Zhen, hearing the voices outside the door, was utterly shocked. 

He’d thought Song Jie would send someone to fetch Xie Yushu, never expecting Song Jie to disregard appearances and come himself.

“Missus, Missus is in the room.” 

Yin Ya answered from outside the door.

“She’s inside? Why aren’t you serving her in the room?” 

Song Jie asked, then gave a muffled cough, as if about to open the door and enter.

The shadow at the door flickered; the two young maids nervously blocked the way: “Missus isn’t well, she’s resting in the room!”

Xiao Zhen feared Song Jie would barge in regardless, so he quickly tried to withdraw his hand and escape through the window. 

But his wrist was gripped tightly by Xie Yushu, who leaned against the side couch, looking at him with a smug smile, lips moving silently to mouth two words: Kill.

She was blatantly mocking him!

Xiao Zhen shook off her hand with a sweep of his arm.

She frowned, and without hesitation called out:

“……”

Xiao Zhen hurriedly reached out to cover her mouth.

Outside, Song Jie’s surprised voice came: “Isn’t your Missus resting? Whose voice was that? Is there someone else in the room?”

Xiao Zhen’s face instantly turned pale. 

He glared at Xie Yushu beneath his palm, clenching his jaw in fury, wishing he could just silence her for good. 

But her two little maids had seen him enter the room; if anything happened to Xie Yushu, Song Jie would be the first to investigate him.

Fine, he had really underestimated Xie Yushu. 

He never thought a mere counterfeit could lure Song Jie to this extent!

Suddenly, a slap landed on his face.

He stared wide-eyed at Xie Yushu in shock—she actually dared to hit him…

Xiao Zhen was dumbfounded. 

Even if he was out of favor, he was still an imperial prince—no one, least of all a woman, had ever dared to slap him.

But Xie Yushu showed no fear after striking him. 

Grabbing his collar, she pulled him down, pried away his hand from her mouth, and leaned to whisper in his ear: “Ten thousand taels of gold, and I’ll keep your secret.”

The scent on her body and her warm breath brushed his cheek and ear. 

The cheek that had just been slapped burned, and for a moment he felt not anger, but astonishment.

Astonished by Xie Yushu’s cunning, boldness, methods, and greed.

Astonished that all she wanted was money?

Ten thousand taels of gold was no small sum, even for him, yet Xie Yushu, after humiliating and toying with him, holding his secret, was doing it just for silver?

Xiao Zhen could no longer see through her.

His chin was gripped by her warm hand, turning his face toward her.

She mouthed the words: Yes or no?

Her eyes at this moment looked nothing like Xie Jia Ning’s; they brimmed with mischievous malice, and the mole at her nose made her entire face look sly and vivid.

For the first time, Xiao Zhen felt as if he was being played with in someone’s palm.

She was deliberately teasing him, knowing he had no choice, yet still asking: Yes or no?

From outside came Song Jie’s impatient voice: “Xie Yushu, open the door and come out.”

Xiao Zhen jerked his head away, gritted his teeth, and spat out: “Fine.”

Xie Yushu immediately let go, pushed him away, and pointed her chin toward the inner chamber of the side hall.

Xiao Zhen turned and slipped into the inner chamber.

The door to the side hall was then pushed open by Cang Shu.

A gust of hot wind swept in.

Song Jie stood at the doorway, unable to stop coughing, covering his mouth and nose as he looked into the room at Xie Yushu, who was reclining on the beauty couch, frowning as she met his gaze.

The spacious side hall was empty—had no one else been here?

So the noises in the room earlier were made by Xie Yushu alone?

“Missus.” 

Jin Ye and Yin Ya rushed in, their faces pale, hearts pounding in their chests. 

Had the Fourth Prince left?

“What is Song Xiang up to now?” 

Xie Yushu frowned in displeasure at Song Jie. 

“Instead of enjoying the banquet, you force your way into my room. What if someone saw and started rumors—then what?”

Song Jie had been coughing all the way from the wind outside. 

Now, suppressing his cough, he walked in and saw Xie Yushu’s slightly disheveled hair, and then noticed a red mark on her fair neck…

Her Purple Sandalwood Fan had fallen under the beauty couch, and the narrow door to the inner chamber stood open.

Was she really alone in the room?

Song Jie sat down in a chair with Cang Shu’s support, glancing at him for a signal. 

Cang Shu immediately understood and strode quickly into the inner chamber.

“Were you alone just now?” 

Song Jie scrutinized Xie Yushu’s expression.

She didn’t glance toward the inner chamber, merely tidied her hair and said, “What kind of question is that, Song Xiang? I wasn’t feeling well and took a nap. If I wasn’t alone, would it be two people?”

“Then why did I hear you talking in the room just now?” 

Song Jie pressed further.

“I was woken by you, Song Xiang, and called Xiao Ye in to attend to me.” 

Xie Yushu lied without batting an eye.

But Song Jie knew all too well—her mouth was best at lying.

Cang Shu came out of the inner chamber and shook his head at Song Jie.

No one hiding?

Song Jie looked at Xie Yushu again. 

The red mark on her neck was very obvious. 

“What’s with the red mark on your neck? Left a mark?”

Jin Ye and Yin Ya hurried to look at her neck, spotting a thumb-sized red mark on the side. 

“Missus was bitten by a mosquito?”

“Was it really a mosquito?” 

Song Jie’s voice was cold as he beckoned her over.

“Come here, let me take a look.”

Xie Yushu touched her neck, her face instantly turning cold. 

She looked at Song Jie with mockery. 

“Did Song Xiang forget that we’re not familiar? I’m the Countess of Bo Yibo, we’ve barely met. What I do in my room, and what’s on my neck, what does that have to do with you? Does Song Xiang have a hobby of caring for married women?”

Song Jie’s face darkened at her ridicule. 

Such a sharp tongue—after she’d sweet-talked him out of nearly ten thousand taels of silver at his manor, now she claimed they’d barely met and weren’t familiar at all. 

Truly, turning her back and refusing to acknowledge him.

He rather regretted canceling tonight’s “appointment.” 

If he hadn’t, would Xie Yushu still be able to say such things?

He couldn’t be bothered to argue further, and asked directly: “Did the Fourth Prince come to see you just now?”

Jin Ye and Yin Ya hung their heads, so nervous they nearly dug their fingers into their palms.

But Xie Yushu answered calmly: “Why would the Fourth Prince come to see me? I’m just a minor concubine-born girl, and even less familiar with a prince.”

Song Jie grew angry at her feigned ignorance. 

“If you’re not familiar, why did he defend you in front of everyone?”

“How would I know? Song Xiang should go ask the Fourth Prince.” 

Xie Yushu looked at him, feigning sudden realization. 

“Oh, so Song Xiang is here to ‘catch an adulterer’?”

The words ‘catch an adulterer’ shocked even Cang Shu.

Song Jie’s face turned even darker as he sneered, “Xie Yushu, do you know what nonsense you’re spouting?”

“Isn’t that the case?” 

Xie Yushu ruthlessly exposed him. 

“Song Xiang rushed here so anxiously, isn’t it because you’re afraid my face, which attracts you, might also attract the Fourth Prince?”

Song Jie’s heart tightened, and he couldn’t help but cough violently, spitting out a mouthful of black blood.

“Prime Minister!” 

Cang Shu hurried to feed him Dan Medicine.

Outside the side hall, hurried footsteps approached. 

That Mama brought in a doctor at a quick pace. 

Seeing Song Xiangguo in the room, both were stunned. 

Why was the Prime Minister here, alone with Madam Pei?

The two hastily paid their respects.

Xie Yushu helped Jin Ye to her feet and said, “Just in time, the doctor is here. Have a look at Song Xiangguo, lest something unfortunate happen on such a joyous day.”

She was practically trying to anger him to death!

Song Jie looked up and fixed his gaze on her, only to see her give a perfunctory bow, then sway away with her two little maids.

How did she dare to be so brazen?

Song Jie burned with rage, sweeping his glare over the doctor and Mama: “Get out.”

The group was so frightened they bowed their heads and hurried out.

Cang Shu closed the door to block out the draft, and only then did Song Jie feel a bit better.

“Prime Minister, the window in the inner chamber was open,” Cang Shu reported quietly.

So it was quite possible that before he entered, someone else in the room had escaped through the window?

Song Jie’s weakened face was icy pale. 

He signaled Cang Shu to pick up the fan under the beauty couch.

Cang Shu went over and retrieved it. 

The Purple Sandalwood’s fragrance, mixed with the Flower Dew Fragrance from Madam Pei, wafted up as he presented the fan to the Prime Minister.

Song Jie took it, the scent flooding his senses, reminding him of Xie Yushu’s bone-deep gentleness in the bedchamber. 

She was truly a master of performance—not a single word or expression was genuine.

Xiao Zhen had vanished after leaving the Water Pavilion. 

Had he really not come to see Xie Yushu? 

If he hadn’t been drawn by her face, so similar to Jia Ning’s, why would he risk his status to defend her?

Xiao Zhen was always one to hide his true abilities—he’d never gone out of his way for anyone, not even for Jia Ning in the past, always cold and indifferent.

Song Jie’s mind replayed the red mark on Xie Yushu’s neck again and again. 

He simply couldn’t believe it was from a mosquito bite.

“Prime Minister, should we return to the manor to rest?” 

Cang Shu asked worriedly.

Song Jie replied, “I’ll wait until Pei Shilin leaves, then I’ll go.” 

He looked at the fan and sneered, “I want to return this fan to Xie Yushu right in front of Pei Shilin.”

Didn’t she love pretending to be the loving Countess of Bo Yibo?

He would make sure things stayed ambiguous, so she’d understand that with him, things ended only when he said so.

He looked up and instructed Cang Shu, “Go fetch her from Pei Mansion as usual tonight.”

Cang Shu hesitated, “What if Madam Pei is unwilling to come?”