Chapter 98
Chapter 98
"It's also true that the curve of your hips below your waist is the most beautiful. I've seen thousands of people, and none of them have hips as beautiful as yours. So, it's no lie to say yours are the most beautiful."
Mulan's face turned red, and she clenched her fists. At this, Xiao Bing tilted her head slightly and glanced down at her own hips, seemingly thinking that hers weren't so bad either. Just as Mulan was about to erupt, Shen Lang spoke gently.
"My lady, your slender waist alone is enough to drive me wild, so what are you worried about? In my heart, in my eyes, there is only you. The world is full of beautiful things, but the one beautiful thing beside me is all I need.
My lady, I swear to you. Even in my deepest dreams, yours will be the only face I see, and your name will be the only one I whisper."
Shen Lang was about to say more, but Mulan, feeling she couldn't take any more, quickly covered his mouth. His words were so direct that her heart began to race. Though she was still inexperienced with men, she understood the meaning behind everything he said.
Shen Lang seized the opportunity to kiss the palm of her hand. Mulan's heart fluttered, and she froze for a moment before finally pulling her hand away. Then, she took his wrist, pressing her firm, sensual body close to his, and said in a soft voice.
"Let's go meet the number one beauty of Raging Wave Prefecture."
"Let's go."
*Hmph! Zhang Chong, you dare try to use a honey trap on me? You must be daydreaming. I, Shen Lang, have seen countless women. This 'number one beauty' title is surely just a fabricated reputation. You think you can sway me with such a woman? How ridiculous! The heart of Shen Lang is as unyielding as steel!*
* * *
In the main reception hall of the Count's estate, Shen Lang and Mulan met the daughter of Prefect Zhang Chong. Shen Lang had no choice but to immediately retract his earlier resolve.
*Damn it! This woman didn't gain her reputation through her family's prestige! She clearly earned it through her own inherent charm. She is truly... beautiful. Every movement, every expression is as precise as a textbook. She has the air of a well-bred lady and a talented scholar.*
*However, her face has a strange resemblance to a fox. Such an exquisitely beautiful and slender face, it looks as if it were drawn by hand.*
The moment Shen Lang saw her, he wanted to shout.
*'You vixen, if you have any guts, take off that beautiful face, remove the special effects filter, and get rid of those big eyes and that slender face before you show yourself again!'*
But of course, that was impossible. She was naturally born this way. Now he understood why a power-hungry man like Zhang Chong hadn't married his daughter off to the King or Governor Zhu Rong's son. Her beauty was so stunning it was almost unsettling, a true femme fatale capable of toppling nations. No matter how she hid her true nature with her talents in poetry and calligraphy, she couldn't conceal the possibility that she could become a woman like Daji.
Zhang Chunhua, too, seemed dazzled the moment she saw Shen Lang. She had seen many handsome men, but it was rare to see one as exquisitely beautiful as him.
Among peacocks, it is the male that fans its tail, but in the hall, two female peacocks were desperately displaying their plumage. It was like two flowers vying for beauty with all their might, like two lustrous pearls radiating their brightest glow. Though no blades were drawn, Shen Lang felt a heavy killing intent in the air. One woman pressed down with direct killing intent, while the other seemed to hide a dagger within her smile.
Zhang Chunhua looked at Jin Mulan and spoke in a gentle voice.
"Elder Sister, it's been over a year since we last saw each other, hasn't it? When I met you last year, I felt so plain in comparison that I didn't have the courage to visit."
"Then why have you come today?"
"Recently, I acquired something wonderful—an aromatic oil extracted from the snow lotuses of the snowy mountains. It's quite rare, but it would be a complete waste for someone like me to use something so precious. After some thought, I realized only a beauty like you, Elder Sister, would be worthy of it, so I brought it for you."
Her manner of speaking was as if she were possessed by Lin Daiyu. Inside the white porcelain bottle Zhang Chunhua offered was the rare snow lotus oil. As she said, it seemed more fitting for Mulan than for herself.
"Thank you for your thoughtfulness. But I heard you came to see my husband, Shen Lang. What is it about?"
*Ah! My lovely wife is not only superior in martial arts but also so direct in character.*
A look of surprise appeared on Zhang Chunhua's beautiful face.
"Oh no. Young Master Shen is a married man. Though my own standing may be humble, how could I be so shameless as to ask to meet him alone?"
At Chunhua's reply, Mulan tilted her head with a skeptical expression. Jin Zhong would not have lied.
"Perhaps the Count's servant misheard. I asked to see Young Master Shen and his wife. There's a reason for this. It would seem rude to mention your name first, Elder Sister. What if people thought I was looking down on Young Master Shen's status?"
The reason was plausible enough. Shen Lang was a live-in son-in-law, so he would likely be sensitive about his status. Despite the convincing explanation, Mulan remained suspicious of Zhang Chunhua. A sense of crisis filled her heart. The two women then entered a mode of idle chatter. From beginning to end, Zhang Chunhua did not exchange a single word with Shen Lang, nor did she even glance at him once.
However, Zhang Chunhua's behavior only served to provoke Shen Lang.
*'Could it be that this vixen before me isn't trying to use a honey trap? Was I just getting ahead of myself?'*
Mulan found it impossible to adapt to the conversation between noble ladies. Everything they said sounded beautiful, but it was all embellished and polished before being spoken. Zhang Chunhua carried the conversation with ease, at times passionate and bold, but mostly gentle and elegant.
Shen Lang couldn't help but compare the two in his mind. In terms of looks, they were both peerless beauties, neck and neck. In terms of figure, his wife was unquestionably more fiery and voluptuous. Every time, even in his dreams, Mulan made him explode... In terms of disposition, both were charming. But in terms of poise...
After about fifteen minutes of talk, a straightforward, cool, and down-to-earth goddess like Mulan could no longer endure the formal conversation.
"Miss Zhang, is there anything else?"
Mulan was asking her to leave. Shen Lang realized his wife was even more direct than he had thought.
"No. I just came because I missed you, Elder Sister. I'll take my leave now."
Zhang Chunhua bid her farewell with impeccable etiquette. Her every action was the standard for a lady from a great house. She was truly a textbook example of a refined lady, a talented woman, a model of high society. Then, just as she reached the entrance of the Count's estate, Zhang Chunhua suddenly spoke.
"Oh, Elder Sister. I composed a poem recently. Please listen and tell me what you think. And please don't laugh, even if it's poorly written."
"I don't know much about poetry."
Mulan had read many books, but she wasn't fond of poetry. Of course, there were poems she liked. For example, she loved every poem her husband wrote. She had learned a great deal of knowledge she hadn't known before from the erotic poems he had written.
"I just wrote whatever came to mind, but shall I recite it for you?"
"If you wish, go ahead."
Zhang Chunhua began to recite the poem.
"Climbing high to gaze north, a misty rain falls deep; turning, I weep at the ugly moon in the sky. Parted from you like Wu and Yue, our shared pillow now faces farewell. Restless at night, I near the stone gate, but pace the corridor and sleep alone again. Bygone days are but empty longing; my soul crosses a lonely bridge, my spirit returns to the netherworld."
After finishing, Zhang Chunhua looked at Mulan with expectant eyes.
"Elder Sister, what do you think?"
"It's not the style of poetry I prefer, but it seems well-written."
"Thank you for the compliment, Elder Sister. Hearing that helps me make up my mind. I'll be going now. I'll come see you again when you have time."
And with that, Zhang Chunhua left. Until the very end, she hadn't said a word to Shen Lang or even given him a single glance. It seemed she had come on behalf of the Prefect to postpone the fight after all.
* * *
Back in his room, Shen Lang grew suspicious.
*'Was I really wrong? Did Zhang Chunhua only come to see Jin Mulan? Did she really come to postpone the fight on Zhang Chong's behalf? She didn't come to seduce me, Shen Lang? It wasn't a honey trap?'*
She had shown no intention toward Shen Lang, not even giving him a glance. From start to finish, she had spoken only with Mulan, and every word was befitting a lady of a noble house. She acted like a cultured and principled woman of great talent. And yet, Shen Lang felt something was off, though he couldn't put his finger on it.
Suddenly, an idea flashed in Shen Lang's mind. He took out a brush and paper and wrote down the poem Zhang Chunhua had recited before she left.
Climbing high, I invite you northward, where mist and rain lie deep.
Turning back, I weep beneath the ugly moon at the edge of the sky.
Parted from you like Wu and Yue, form and shadow divided, I face separation beside my jade pillow as the hours pass.
At night, stifled with sorrow, I reach the halberd gate, then circle the corridor and sleep alone.
The past is only empty longing; my soul returns to Mo Bridge, my spirit to the spring.
Staring at the poem, Shen Lang nearly had a nosebleed. Just listening to it revealed nothing. But written down on paper, her intention became clear. It was an acrostic poem. Shen Lang had once used an acrostic poem to trap Li Wenzheng and claim victory at Zhang Jin's engagement banquet. Now, Zhang Chunhua was using his own method against him. By taking specific characters from each line, a message was formed.
"I invite you to come... to the covered bridge at the Hour of the Ox."
*'This message contains a time, a place, and an action. An invitation in the dead of night? Is she asking me, Shen Lang, to have an affair?'*
The situation was like meeting a female driver who loved to speed. Shen Lang was ecstatic. His intuition had been right.
*'Zhang Chunhua, that vixen really did come to seduce me. It was a honey trap after all! Hahahaha! What does this prove? It proves that I, Shen Lang, am a man of immense charm. The number one beauty of Raging Wave Prefecture has recognized my outstanding talents and is throwing herself at me like a moth to a flame.'*
*Ah! For being so handsome and charming, I am committing a great sin. So many beauties adore me, and even when temptations arise from all sides, I... It's so hard!*
At last, Shen Lang couldn't resist and glanced out the window.
*'The Hour of the Ox is between one and three in the morning, isn't it? The covered bridge is less than ten li away, not far at all. Isn't the dead of night the perfect time for a man and a woman to have a tryst? Ptooey, ptooey, ptooey! Cancel that thought!'*
Shen Lang hesitated for about a second on whether to go. That vixen was undoubtedly a rare and outstanding beauty who could stir a man's heart. Feeling swayed, Shen Lang constantly looked for ways to rationalize it.
*'It's not cheating if a man just mixes bodies. It's only cheating if you give your heart. I truly love my wife, but can't I seek a little pleasure now and then? One must pluck a flower when it's in bloom; I can't let my other self gaze at the moon alone. Even if I'm a bit wild with women outside and my private life is a mess, I'm still a good man, aren't I?'*
*'A lady has kindly invited me. Wouldn't she be hurt if I didn't go? That would be heartless. Not what a gentleman would do. Besides, even if I go, it's not like I'm definitely going to do anything. A hug doesn't necessarily lead to a kiss, and a kiss doesn't necessarily lead to... that. And even if we did do that, if it's consensual, there's no need to take responsibility.'*
However, after just one second, Shen Lang erased all such delusions. He knew that going to the covered bridge in the middle of the night would make him a laughingstock. That vixen would provoke and seduce him, but never this quickly or this directly. She was merely using a trick to leave a deep impression on his mind in an instant.
He had seen many noble ladies who pretended to be demure, but what would happen if a peerless beauty like Zhang Chunhua suddenly made such a brazenly flirtatious advance? Any man's heart would be shaken. Of course, calling her flirtatious and wanton was a compliment. That's how vixens were. They were incredibly bold and proactive when seducing someone, but once they had you hooked, they would only let you catch their scent, never allowing you to even touch their fingertips.
*'You little brat, are you trying to play these games with Lord Shen Lang? You're too young. You might fall into your own trap and end up falling for me.'*
Shen Lang suddenly felt a chill run down his spine. He had instinctively sensed danger.
*'I must survive, I must survive. I can't be swayed at a time like this.'*
Finally, Shen Lang picked up the paper with the poem and went to Mulan's room.