Chapter 742: Only to Obediently Become Her Son’s Concubine

Chapter 742: She Can Only Resign Herself to Being His Concubine

Yu Yonggui was furious when he saw the invitation: "Will the Pangs ever give it a rest?!"

Xingxing placed the invitation on the table: "Looks like I’ll have to pay a visit to the prefect’s place tomorrow."

Yu Yonggui disagreed: "Who knows if it’s a setup—"

Xingxing reassured him: "It’s fine... Fourth Brother, don’t you trust the fake Feng family identity that your Chaoyang Tower prepared for us?"

Yu Yonggui immediately replied: "This cover identity is flawless."

Xingxing smiled and gently comforted Yu Yonggui: "Then it’s settled. There really is a merchant family named Feng in Jiyang City, and they do have a young master and a young lady. When we appeared in Jiyang City, that young master and lady took a carriage out of town and stayed at the place arranged by your Chaoyang Tower. With everything planned down to the last detail, how could anything go wrong?... So it’s definitely not because of any flaw in our identity. That leaves only one possibility—Pang Jinkang must have mentioned me to his mother, and she wants to meet me. As for these matters of the inner household, Fourth Brother, don’t you trust me to handle them? Have I ever come out on the losing side in these situations?"

Though Yu Yonggui still frowned, he was clearly persuaded by Xingxing’s words.

"I don’t know if she’s taken a sinister interest in you because of what her son said," Yu Yonggui muttered. "I still can’t shake this bad feeling. I’ll be posted up outside the prefect’s place tomorrow. If anything feels fishy, give this whistle a blow."

Yu Yonggui took a small whistle from around his neck and handed it to Xingxing, instructing her to keep it close.

Xingxing understood that this whistle was her fourth brother’s final compromise. She took it with a smile, tucked it snugly into her clothes, and gave it a pat—proof for Yu Yonggui that it was safe and sound.

Only then did Yu Yonggui reluctantly nod.

The next day, Xingxing touched up her disguise with the cosmetic solution before setting off half an hour early, as indicated on the invitation, to the prefect’s residence.

The doorkeeper and servants at the prefect’s place didn’t give Xingxing any grief, politely and warmly escorting her inside.

Hidden in a secluded spot outside, Yu Yonggui breathed a little easier seeing this.

Since they hadn’t tried to strong-arm Xingxing, it probably wasn’t a setup after all.

But what Yu Yonggui hadn’t counted on was that while it wasn’t a setup, in some ways, it was even more annoying.

Prefect’s Wife Luo Shi was all smiles with Xingxing, though she had also invited the Scribe's Wife from the Anjiang Prefect’s office to accompany them.

Scribe’s Wife Jiang had brought her sixteen-year-old daughter, a real beauty. After sizing Xingxing up with a smile, she asked, "I heard Miss Feng is from Jiyang City?"

Xingxing nodded politely: "That’s correct."

Madam Jiang beamed: "Fancy that! My younger sister married into the third branch of the Sun family in Doushuai Alley in Jiyang City. I wonder if Miss Feng has heard of them?"

Since Xingxing had taken on the identity of the Feng family’s daughter from Jiyang City, she had memorized most of the city’s key details.

The Suns of Doushuai Alley were one of Jiyang City’s big four merchant clans—the Zhangs, Wangs, Suns, and Lis.

However, Xingxing could tell that Madam Jiang’s mention of the Sun family wasn’t meant as a test. Rather, it seemed she was bringing up the Sun family to contrast with the "Feng family."

Xingxing let just the right amount of shyness color her face: "Madam Jiang, you jest. The Sun family leads the stationery trade in Jiyang City. Our Feng family’s just small-time—how could we measure up? Let alone be acquainted with them."

Madam Jiang figured the Fengs were just your run-of-the-mill rich folks, nothing special.

She shot Prefect’s Wife Luo Shi a knowing look.

Luo Shi gave a faint smile: "Plenty of time for that later."

Xingxing dipped her head with a carefully practiced smile: "Then I’ll hold you to that, Madam."

After the small talk, Prefect’s Wife Luo Shi had the Feng family pretty much pegged.

She felt even more confident that she could arrange this suitable match as a concubine for her son.

Luo Shi turned to Scribe's Wife Jiang with a smile and said, "Strangely enough, though this is my first time meeting Miss Feng, I feel an instant connection with her."

Jiang Shi jumped in with flattery, "That must mean you and Miss Feng are fated to meet. Think about it—Miss Feng and her brother aren’t even from Anjiang. If not for fate, how else would she have come to know you?"

Luo Shi was quite pleased with the scribe’s wife’s tact and added to Xingxing with a smile, "Madam Jiang is right. Perhaps it really is fate between us? By the way, Miss Feng, I heard you’re already betrothed? To whom, if I may ask? Someone as lovely as you—I wonder which fortunate gentleman will have the honor of marrying you?"

Xingxing put on the shy act of a bride-to-be: "He is the son of a family we are acquainted with."

With just that one sentence, she put on an act of extreme shyness, lowering her head with flushed cheeks and saying no more.

Luo Shi felt a twinge of disappointment.

Apparently, this Miss Feng and her betrothed shared genuine affection.

But that didn’t matter.

A family they were acquainted with—just some ordinary merchant family.

What chance do commoners have against officials?

To put it bluntly, she had a hundred tricks up her sleeve to ensure Miss Feng couldn’t marry, leaving her no choice but to obediently become her son’s concubine.

Luo Shi’s brow relaxed slightly, her smile unwavering as she changed the subject.

But Xingxing caught on.

This prefect’s wife and the scribe’s wife were working in perfect tandem, casually discussing the fancy social events and banquets of the prefect’s household, as if deliberately showing off to Xingxing.

Xingxing, who had entered the imperial palace more times than she could count, couldn't care less about the daily social affairs of a prefect’s wife.

She faked admiration while inwardly calculating—why on earth was the prefect’s wife deliberately showing off to her?

Surely she wasn’t so bored as to randomly summon a girl just to show off?

Thinking of Pang Jinkang, Xingxing felt she understood—this prefect’s wife probably thought her merchant roots weren't good enough for her son and was deliberately highlighting the luxuries of high society to scare her off?

Xingxing mused to herself, *Madam Luo, this is exactly what I want! You don't have to try so hard—just say the word, and I’ll gladly agree. I’ll steer clear of your son from now on, never provoking him again!*

As Xingxing pondered how best to convey her complete lack of interest in the young master, Luo Shi, evidently satisfied with her groundwork, shifted the topic with a smile and asked, "...Miss Feng, do you find what we’ve been discussing rather distant from your own life?"

Xingxing promptly put on a starry-eyed look, as if deeply enlightened.

Luo Shi smiled in satisfaction, believing she had planted the seeds in Xingxing’s heart.

When the banquet concluded, the scribe’s wife left first with her daughter. Xingxing was about to take her leave as well when Luo Shi gave her a knowing smile and said, "There’s one more thing... Miss Feng, what do you think of my son?"

Xingxing thought, *Finally! Getting to the real question!*