Fate rises and falls, and the affairs of the world are difficult to predict.

  Not long ago, "Fei Xia Lou" was plagued by troubles, lacking everything it wanted and getting everything it didn't. The owner was in a terrible mood, and even the Seventy-Two Beauties suffered from excessive anger. The health-preserving soup for detoxifying the liver, prepared by the mansion, was in short supply every day, with pot after pot being brewed.

  Suddenly, in less than ten days, most of the troubles had disappeared. They came inexplicably, and left just as mysteriously.

  Originally, due to the "Buddha's Son" incident, the "Jiangnan Yu Family" had caused a lot of trouble for "Fei Xia Lou" both openly and secretly. However, seeing that their young master had safely returned, the Yu family temporarily ceased their actions and no longer obstructed "Fei Xia Lou's" other businesses. Nevertheless, sporadic conflicts between the two sides were still heard from time to time, but the overall situation had stabilized.

  Next, there was the batch of spices and medicinal herbs that were rumored to have been bought by a wealthy merchant for a large sum.

  Just five days ago, several camels and mules brought all the goods to "Fei Xia Lou". The leader said that the goods had not been sold, but had only been delayed on the way and were held by bandits along with the people. Later, the bandit leader had a change of heart, decided to lay down his butcher knife and become a Buddha, and they were all able to escape unharmed.

  ... As if!

  When the owner heard this, her beautiful face turned cold. She smiled faintly and asked no further questions, only instructing people to unload the goods. When she was about to settle the payment with the leader, he hurriedly said it was not necessary, claiming that the delay of the goods for several days had caused "Fei Xia Lou" considerable losses, and he dared not take any more money. After saying this, he led his men, camels, and mules, and the group retreated as quickly as a whirlwind.

  Then, two days passed peacefully. The richest man in Dianshan, Master Meng, and Madam Meng happened to be attending a banquet at a large restaurant near "Fei Xia Lou". On their way back, they paid a visit to "Fei Xia Lou" and chatted with the owner in the flower hall for half an hour before leaving.

  As soon as the esteemed couple, Master and Madam Meng, left, "Fei Xia Lou" immediately issued a notice to the public, posting it in the most conspicuous place in front of the mansion. They also used some indescribable "unspeakable methods" to obtain the tacit approval of the local government and posted several large notices at the various city gates within three hours, as well as in front of several bustling restaurants and inns.

  Within two days, the news on the notices spread like wildfire, becoming the favorite topic of conversation for ordinary people and causing a stir in both the underworld and the legitimate world.

  The content of the notice was extremely simple and clearly stated:

  Notice

  The owner of "Fei Xia Lou" is sincerely seeking several male consorts.

  Must be male and have no wife or children.

  Must be strong, healthy, and have lasting stamina, aged between fifteen and fifty.

  Gentlemen are welcome, as are merchants and laborers.

  Heroes and young chivalrous men are welcome, as are bandits and ruffians.

  Talented young gentlemen are preferred, as are rough country folk.

  Family background must be clean, but a mixed background is also acceptable.

  "Fei Xia Lou" provides food, drink, and lodging, with a monthly salary of twenty taels of silver.

  No time-wasters.

  Then, starting yesterday, a long queue began to form outside "Fei Xia Lou". A flood of people came from all directions to apply for the position of "male consort". They first had to pass the assessment of the Thirty-Six Celestial Beauties, then the twenty-four Silver Bell Maidens, and then undergo an interview with the Twelve Golden Hairpins. After repeated screening, they could finally meet the owner's beautiful face!

  Of course, the final decision rested entirely with the owner.

  As for Aunt Shuang, who had some influence with the owner, she was invited back to "Lang Ping Shui Xie" for a short stay, and was also asked to look after the young sister Hua, who was still suffering from poison.

  Therefore, no matter how lawless the owner was, no one could control her!

  "Oh, wait, let me catch my breath. After looking at so many strong men with good looks, I'm dizzy..." My head is spinning with excitement! A Golden Hairpin rushed into the owner's boudoir, her footsteps unsteady. There were too many people downstairs, and she was thirsty and wanted to sit down and drink some tea. Seeing another Golden Hairpin sister, who was also upstairs resting temporarily, sipping fragrant tea, she unceremoniously grabbed her cup and drank the tea.

  "What's so good about strong men? I've chosen several scholar-gentlemen for the owner! They are talented, refined, and extremely good-tempered, and easy for the owner to command. They can play however she likes, and they will definitely cooperate obediently, hehehe~~" The more she thought about it, the more excited she became!

  "Then I... hmm... I don't care, I don't care!" My heart is itching too!" The Golden Hairpin playfully lifted a few hanging curtains, hugged Hua Duomei, who was leaning on the couch and leisurely drinking tea, and rubbed against her haphazardly. "Anyway, the owner's action is 'Xiang Zhuang dances with a sword, aiming at Pei Gong'. We have all worked hard to screen and select many 'treasures'. After the owner captures 'Pei Gong', she will have 'Pei Gong's' sword to use, and these 'swords' of 'Xiang Zhuang' will naturally be useless and will be bestowed upon me?"

  The Golden Hairpins resting in the boudoir were about to scold the maidservant sister, when Hua Duomei smiled and said, "You want to use so many 'swords' by yourself, aren't you afraid of being stabbed unconscious?"

  "I'm willing to be stabbed unconscious!" she shouted with great spirit!

  Hearing this, the Golden Hairpins immediately engaged in a war of words. The boudoir was chaotic, and Hua Duomei let them argue, smiling quietly without speaking.

  Suddenly, the noisy voices quieted down one after another. The Golden Hairpins pricked up their ears and widened their eyes, as if they had caught the heavy footsteps of someone completely different from a gentle woman, approaching step by step, as if filled with fire, shaking the entire chestnut floor.

  Good heavens!

  Bang! Bang!

  The two slightly ajar doors of the boudoir were pushed open with a bang by a pair of giant hands. Not only did the doors open, but the two carved doors flew to the sides and fell down, and a large foot clad in a sheepskin boot stomped in.

  Lei Salang rushed in like a gust of wind, as if entering an empty realm.

  This time, he didn't need to sneak onto the rooftop, nor did he intend to sneak in under the cover of darkness. He directly broke in through the main entrance downstairs.

  None of the women in "Fei Xia Lou" bothered to stop him. However, the men waiting to be chosen as "male consorts" saw him breaking the rules and rushing upstairs, and they all cursed. But seeing his unusually tall stature and fierce expression, and his readiness to fight to the death, they all touched their noses and retreated to the queue, with no one daring to fight him.

  There was a moment of silence in the boudoir, a tension like a plucked string, so quiet that all the Golden Hairpins present held their hearts, their beautiful eyes unwilling to blink, looking back and forth between the owner and the owner's man.

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  Hua Duomei's heart was also in her throat, but she still forced herself to remain calm.

  She remained unchanged to deal with all changes. Her relaxed posture did not change, her long eyelashes fluttered lightly, and she secretly adjusted her breathing.

  Who would have thought that her "unchanged" state would be a complete miscalculation!

  The man with a livid face had truly given up all pretense. He strode forward, regardless of who was present, and repeatedly waved away the obstructing purple curtains with his hands, his hawk-like eyes fixed on her.

  She heard the Golden Hairpins let out gasps of surprise, and she was also about to cry out.

  As soon as her lips parted, the man pounced.

  Pressing her down, he immediately began to savagely tear at her clothes and rip her black silk skirt.

  "What are you doing?! You bastard! Stop it! Lei Salang—"

  She struggled violently, shocked to find how vast the difference in strength between them was.

  She managed to break free with difficulty. Before she could get up, her ankle was tightly gripped and she was dragged back forcefully, pinned under his strong body again.

  Heavens! How could this be?

  "Don't you want 'male consorts'? I'm here to apply. Food, drink, and lodging are all provided, and there's a monthly salary of twenty taels. That's great!" Lei Salang's expression was wild, his whites of his eyes seemed bloodshot, and the corners of his mouth curled into a sinister, cold smile, appearing enraged. "I am strong and healthy, and my stamina is definitely lasting. To show my sincerity, why doesn't the owner try me out first?"

  "I won't—" She gasped, her eyes wide open. Before she could dodge, the man had already thrust himself in.

  He only lowered his pants, spread her legs apart, and entered her body from beneath her torn black silk skirt.

  Outside the purple curtains, there seemed to be many figures, many voices, rustling. Then, faint laughter could be heard... In the past, she was an observer outside the curtains, but now she had become the "honored guest" within the curtains. And he was even more ruthless, not caring about being watched in order to deal with her...

  But this wasn't what she wanted!

  Why was he so fierce with her?

  He didn't mention anything. He left decisively back then, and now he was back like a bully, making her dizzy and everything felt wrong. And he was still bullying her like this!

  Damn it! Bastard!

  Damn it—

  However, desire overwhelmed her thoughts and controlled her soul. Relying on her instinct, she couldn't push him away and tightly embraced him, arching her soft body towards the source of pleasure.

  She was completely conquered, defeated by her own desire for him.

  The intertwined desires and emotions could not be severed...

  The chaos finally passed.

  Her consciousness, which had been soaring in the ninth heaven, gradually returned. There were no voices outside the purple curtains.

  Hua Duomei couldn't figure out when all the extraneous people had left. In any case, her boudoir was quiet. She lay there with her clothes in disarray, her eyes gazing blankly at a certain spot, her mind completely blank.

  Lei Salang's chest tightened fiercely, a nauseating feeling of being choked.

  This was the first time he had seen such an expression on this woman's face. It was listless, as if her soul was far away, beyond his reach. It reminded him of Lan Qi'er's empty, lifeless eyes.

  He trembled with fear.

  "How do you feel, owner? Is it durable? Comfortable? Was I working hard enough?" He whispered into the woman's flushed ear, taking advantage of the situation and acting innocent. He would rather see her roar with anger and hit him than see her so lifeless.

  Hua Duomei shivered. The emptiness in her eyes finally changed.

  She blinked slowly.

  As if she had pondered for a long, long time, thought and thought again, and still had no answer in her heart, she slowly exhaled and lazily sat up under his gaze.

  Her hair was disheveled, and the passion on her skin had not yet faded.

  Her eyebrows slightly raised, she looked at him fixedly, her chest rising and falling more rapidly.

  "I'm not good enough..." Her lips, like red flowers, seemed to part and then close.

  Lei Salang frowned, his eyes narrowed. Before he could say anything, he suddenly saw her fiercely slap her own cheek.

  "I'm not good enough!" She slapped both cheeks.

  "Not good enough!" Another slap.

  "Not good enough!" Still another.

  "Not good enough!" This slap didn't land as her wrist was tightly grasped by the man.

  "What are you doing?!" Lei Salang's face turned stern, his bright eyes wide open. He quickly pulled the woman who was slapping herself towards his chest and hugged her, preventing her from harming herself again.

  He embraced her with one strong arm, and with the other hand, he gently lifted her already red and swollen face to examine it carefully. His breathing was rough, and his chest ached like a mountain collapsing, making him groan involuntarily.

  "You're really getting better and better at tormenting people!" Tormenting him to the point of almost losing his life!

  The man shouted loudly, and Hua Duomei also shouted at him, "Anyway, I'm just not good enough!"

  Tears gushed out, her cheeks wet. Her hands were restrained, so she couldn't wipe them. She instinctively pushed her delicate shoulders to wipe her face. Her brows furrowed, and she finally felt the pain. In an instant, all her grievances poured out, and she was so angry that she burst into tears!

  "You're bullying me... What's wrong with the daughters of our Hua family? You're not satisfied with bullying me alone, you even set a trap for Yu Hong... Woo woo woo~~ Now you've broken in and are bullying me again..." And she's still not good enough to let him bully her, which is even worse!

  Lei Salang looked defeated. "Aren't you bullying me too?"

  "How could I? How could I?" She cried.

  "Why did you post a notice? A few days ago at the water pavilion, I already made it clear that if you wanted a man, it would be me, and there was no choice. I've only been gone for less than ten days, and you've already rebelled?" No wonder Yu Hong had to advise him. Knowing a sister is like knowing a sister!

  Lei Salang sighed inwardly. What else could he do? He had fallen in love with her. Whenever it came to her matters, he became dizzy and couldn't calm down.

  He fumbled in his embrace and took out a cold medicine for bruises and swelling. He scooped some medicine and gently applied it to her red cheeks, while also wiping away her tears.

  "You... If you want to leave, then leave. You never mention what you do outside, do you think you can hide it from me? Those Hu merchants brought back "Fei Xia Lou's" goods. It was clearly you who interfered and insisted on detaining the goods... Also, you claim you didn't break the contract, you, you..." The medicine was good, and her hot cheeks felt a refreshing coolness. As she accused him, her face obediently tilted upwards, allowing him to apply the medicine. "Let me tell you, I've talked to Master Meng. He laid everything out. You're bullying and playing tricks like this, do you have any conscience?"

  "May I ask how I am conscience-less?" After applying the medicine, he asked calmly, picking up a handkerchief left by some Golden Hairpin and began to clean her in a simple manner between her legs.

  Hua Duomei's body tensed slightly. She forgot to cry and felt shy as she clung to his broad shoulders.

  "Back then... you left, and if you were angry with me, then be angry with me. Why did you bother arranging for those Hu merchants to do business with my 'Fei Xia Lou'? They were all your people, obeying your orders, yet you didn't let them reveal the truth, and you hid it from me for four whole years..." No wonder "Fei Xia Lou" found a new business partner so smoothly back then. It was all because he was pulling the strings behind the scenes.

  She suddenly trembled slightly, as his rough finger accidentally touched a very sensitive spot while wiping her legs, almost making her cry out.

  "Continue to enumerate, I'm listening." Lei Salang said as if unintentionally, not even glancing at her.

  Provoked by his indifferent attitude, Hua Duomei clenched her fists and raised her voice, "And you and Master Meng are simply... in cahoots!"

  "Oh?" He raised an eyebrow, threw the handkerchief aside, and finally looked at her.

  "Master Meng and Madam Meng visited two days ago. I asked him if I could still buy 'Manluo grass root' and who I should buy it from. Master Meng said that if I wanted to ask you, I could, and that you had plenty!" She paused, her eyes deep like a clear pool, and poked his chest with her jade finger.

  "You clearly asked Master Meng to give it to me. Since you gave it to me, it's mine. Why did you steal the 'Manluo grass root' that night? You're inexplicable!" She strongly suspected that Master Meng was his spy, which was why he visited "Fei Xia Lou" from time to time.

  "I'm inexplicable?" With his trump card revealed, Lei Salang appeared indifferent, but he had opinions about her accusations. "Who used it recklessly? And without knowing the consequences, drank two or three pots of strong liquor and made herself crazy and incoherent. Of course, I had to take it away!"

  "I... that's..." Hua Duomei's earlobes turned red. She wanted to defend herself but couldn't utter a word for a moment. Annoyed and ashamed, she could only glare at him with her swollen cheeks.

  Lei Salang nodded. "Alright. Since you have nothing more to say, it's time for me to speak."

  Her beautiful eyes glared at him unwillingly. Let's see what the man had to say.

  He curled his lips dismissively, lightly scraped her jaw with his knuckles, and stared at her for a long time.

  Only when Hua Duomei was almost suffocated and losing her patience did he open his lips.

  "Regarding Lan Qi'er and Lie Er Zhen's matter, perhaps I was angry with you at the time and didn't want to see you, but I never hated you... I was just unwilling."

  Unexpectedly, he brought up the "grudge" of that year as soon as he spoke. Hua Duomei swallowed her saliva. Her unwilling eyes unconsciously flickered when she heard him say "unwilling."

  "... Are you unwilling because Lan Qi'er was taken away?"

  "I was unwilling because I felt that you were mine, and I was yours. We should be one. Seeing you treat Lie Er Zhen so well made my heart ache and my feelings hurt, so I was extremely unwilling, so angry that I couldn't control myself, and for the first time experienced what it felt like to almost vomit blood." His voice was mellow and rich like fine wine.

  Hua Duomei anxiously retorted, "I didn't treat Lie Er Zhen well! I just... Lan Qi'er, she, she..." Would it all come back to the old problem? She bit her lip, her heart aching, realizing that she had indeed hurt him back then.

  His dark, large hand gently caressed her bruised cheek, as if he had already guessed her unfinished words and inner turmoil. The pleasant male voice, with a hint of amusement, uttered a sentence—

  "Lan Qi'er and Lie Er Zhen already have two children."