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墨書 Inktalez
“Oh my ancestors, you—didn’t let me earn a single penny, and now I have to lose a hundred thousand!” Madam Lu raged, tugging at her freshly styled hair in front of Ruan Tingyu.
A few heavily made-up women stood at the door, watching the spectacle unfold. Ruan Tingyu shrank against the wall and said, “Grandma…”
“What?!”
“Madam.” Ruan Tingyu dodged Madam Lu’s raised hand and confessed, “I was wrong. I truly didn’t mean to; I won’t dare do it again next time.”
“When have you ever said it was unintentional? Tingyu, if it weren’t for that face of yours that can still be considered as pure as a lotus flower, I would really want to poison you and throw you into the city moat.”
“Just throw me into the river then; after all, I injured Commander Yu’s daughter. She probably won’t live much longer,” Mei Jiao said from the doorway, relishing the misfortune.
“Commander Yu’s daughter?” Ruan Tingyu’s heart sank.
Madam Lu, furious, pinched her arm and said, “Yes. She is the beloved third concubine of Commander Yu, named Yu Biyun. Now you’ve caused her to break her leg; the doctor says it will take at least six months to recover. You’ve really made a huge mess.”
As a socialite, one of the essential skills is remembering the key figures in the city. Although Ruan Tingyu had never met Commander Yu, his name was well-known; he was like a local emperor across three provinces. It was said that years ago he led fifty thousand troops from the Northeast to the Southwest and now commanded an army of over a million. Having injured his daughter, Ruan Tingyu didn’t know how she was born but certainly knew how she would die.
“My Lu Mansion is truly going to be ruined because of you,” Madam Lu lamented. The women at the door listened and were about to return to their rooms to pack up and leave when Madam Lu shouted furiously, “Stop right there! I’ve treated you all well with good food and clothing; now that trouble arises, you all turn into ungrateful wolves!”
Seeing her angry, the women halted in their tracks. Madam Lu steadied her emotions and said, “Hmph! I’m not someone to be trifled with either. Commander Yu may be formidable in the military world, but I have my connections in politics too. Mei Jiao, go find Commissioner Chen for me and arrange for him to go dancing tonight.”
"Mm." Mei Jiao huffed as she turned to leave, only to bump into the butler rushing in.
"Young Mistress, I have good news!"
The butler exclaimed excitedly. "Young Master Zhao just called and said he managed to negotiate with Commander Yu. Aside from the compensation, everything else will no longer be pursued."
Upon hearing this news, everyone cheered. Ruan Tingyu finally let out a sigh of relief. The butler glanced at her with a complex expression and said, "However, Young Master Zhao mentioned that he wants to have dinner with Miss Tingyu tomorrow night."
The crowd was taken aback. Madam Lu paused for a moment before bursting into laughter, pulling Ruan Tingyu close. "You little girl really turned misfortune into fortune; you’ve caught Young Master Zhao's eye. Since you injured Miss Yu, whatever Young Master Zhao asks you to do, you must do it. No more causing trouble for me. Remember, getting the gold from him is the most important thing."
Ruan Tingyu mechanically nodded. Madam Lu was a socialite of great renown, adept at navigating through various circles, and despite being young and widowed with such a vast estate, she was restless. In the mansion, she indulged in lavish feasts while meticulously training a group of social butterflies to entice government officials and business tycoons, profiting during these tumultuous times.
Zhao Shanxing from Zhao's Company was her latest target. It was said that he had escaped from war-torn Shanghai with several ships filled with gold; compared to those local tycoons, he was the real treasure.
Madam Lu didn't ask for much; she only hoped to swindle half of his gold from him so that she would never have to worry about food and clothing again. Hearing that Zhao Shanxing disliked places filled with frivolity, Madam Lu sent out the seemingly purest Ruan Tingyu. The reason Ruan Tingyu still managed to maintain this "purity" after two years in Lu Mansion was that Madam Lu had assigned her one task: to break things down piece by piece.
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