Chapter 27: Aroused by Her Bite

Chapter 27: Aroused by Her Bite

Moonlight filtered through the window, casting a shifting shadow.

Lin Yufan felt as if her bones had turned to jelly, more exhausted than when she climbed Mount Tai.

The thing was, it hadn’t been long since it ended, and he went at it again.

This completely blew Lin Yufan’s mind; she had no idea a man could go twice in a row.

This only made her more certain it was the Second Concubine’s tonic soup at work.

When she woke up, the sun was already high—it was nearly 8:30.

The man beside her had already left, nowhere to be seen.

It had been ages since she’d slept this late.

Luckily, in this household, she didn’t have to play the dutiful daughter-in-law, rising early to tend to her mother-in-law.

She couldn’t remember who’d cleaned up last night—probably not her, since she nearly toppled over when she tried to get up.

Her body ached all over; she sat for a while to recover before taking a hot bath.

*

In the garden pavilion, the Second Concubine sipped tea, the Third Concubine cradled her kitten and fed it dried meat, and the Fourth Concubine grumbled about the cat hair flying everywhere.

The Second Concubine glanced up at the master bedroom window and said, "The tonic soup I made last night must’ve done wonders for the First Madam—she’s still in bed."

Noticing the Second Concubine’s sly look, the naive Fourth Concubine, Chen Dandan, simply asked, "Will she drink the tea we offer today?"

The Second Concubine was ready: "I’ve got herbal tea, red date and goji berry tea, black tea, and green tea. Whatever she wants, I’ve got it covered."

Chen Dandan, remembering how Gui Xiang always meddled, said, "The problem’s her maid—we need to get rid of her."

The Second Concubine: "I’ve got that covered too; we’ll have someone pull Gui Xiang aside right away."

Chen Dandan smiled: "You’ve thought of everything."

Still, the Second Concubine wasn’t too sure: "It’s just that our First Madam isn’t like other women—she’s not traditional, and she’s hard to pin down."

The practical Third Concubine finally chimed in: "Just drop it—it’s pointless. Even if she drinks our tea, it won’t mean a thing. Would you really dare to ask Zhi Ao for anything just because she drank the tea? We’ve already given him enough headaches; he’s done his best to look after us these past two years. Now, dreaming of making it a done deal is just wishful thinking."

If Zhao Zhiao wanted it, it would’ve happened ages ago—the thing is, he doesn’t. He’s not that kind of man.

Chen Dannan gave the Third Concubine a look: "I’m not like you. I’ve never been married, never been with a man—I was pure, but now everyone thinks I’m Zhao Zhiao’s Fourth Concubine. I can’t find anyone else."

The Third Concubine gently stroked the little white cat’s head, "Leave this place, start fresh—who’d know the difference?"

Chen Dandan didn’t want to leave Hong Kong; she was already accustomed to life here.

"If you want to leave, you leave. I’m not going."

Seeing the tension between the two rising, the Second Concubine quickly eased the atmosphere: "Let’s not talk about this now. So, are we still serving tea later?"

Chen Dandan: "We’ll play it by ear. Anyway, whether we serve tea or not, I’m not going to hold back in mahjong today; I want to win my money back."

As the three schemed, a young maid rushed over to say the First Madam had finished breakfast and was on her way down.

The three of them quickly made their way over, and the mahjong table was ready right on time that morning.

As soon as they started arranging the tiles, Lin Yufan coughed several times in a row. The second concubine shot a meaningful glance at the servants.

Not long after, Gui Xiang was called out.

It was only then that the second concubine spoke up, "First Madam, is your throat bothering you?"

"Maybe it’s the roast duck I had last night—it was too rich," Lin Yufan casually made an excuse, suspecting it was from the changing temperatures last night and not covering up, which gave her a chill.

"That’s how it is here—even a little roasted or spicy food can make you feel overheated. My throat was also uncomfortable this morning, but after drinking some herbal tea made from chicken dung vine, I feel much better. Try this—it cools you down and reduces heat. Just a few sips will help." The second concubine picked up the herbal tea she had prepared earlier and handed it directly to Lin Yufan.

Lin Yufan politely accepted it.

The concubines’ smiles began to form, but before their smiles could fully spread, they saw Lin Yufan place the tea on the side table next to her without drinking it.

The second concubine’s smile stiffened. "Why aren’t you having any?"

Just hearing 'chicken dung vine' made Lin Yufan’s skin crawl. She hated the name, and the taste was worse.

"I’ll have it later when I’m thirsty. I just had some luo han guo tea, and my throat feels much better now."

The second concubine’s face fell. Once the tea was set aside, it didn’t count as her gesture anymore.

Honestly!

The concubines were deflated once more.

Fortunately, everyone’s luck at the mahjong table was quite good today. After three rounds, Lin Yufan was the only one losing to the other three.

Finally, the tables had turned.

Lin Yufan reminded the second concubine, "It’s your turn to draw a tile."

The second concubine reached out to draw a tile. As soon as she touched it, before even looking, she could tell it was a four of circles. Her face immediately lit up with joy as she covered the tile in her hand, "A concealed kong!"

"Wow, Sister Ping, you’re on a roll today!" Chen Dandan teased the second concubine with a smile.

"Thank you, thank you."

The second concubine’s slightly plump, prosperous hand was about to draw another tile when Lin Yufan across the table said, "Is it a four of circles? I’m winning on the kong."

!!!

Since an exposed kong is an open tile, winning on the kong is relatively easier, but the winner only collects from the one who exposed the kong.

Winning on a concealed kong collects from all three players, but it’s extremely difficult.

Because you don’t know which tile the other player is konging, and if you guess wrong, it’s a false win.

Chen Dandan looked at Lin Yufan in disbelief, "First Madam, if it’s a false win, you owe us triple."

Lin Yufan was very confident, "If it’s a false win, I will definitely pay you according to the rules."

"Geng Dongping, is it a four of circles?" Chen Dandan was so anxious that she called her by her full name.

Everyone looked at the second concubine, who sighed awkwardly, "Yes."

The concubines’ spirits sank instantly.

Their rule was, if you win with a concealed kong, everyone pays eight times the base amount!

Chen Dandan tried to wriggle out: "How about we play in Hong Kong dollars?"

Using US dollars was way too painful on the wallet.

The Second Concubine immediately shut her down, "How can that be? Are you even following the rules?"

The Third Concubine also said, "We can't have the First Madam thinking less of us."

"I was just kidding, why so serious?" Chen Dandan whined.

Lin Yufan, who knew how to play the long game, smiled and said, "Fine, but let's convert my earlier losses to Hong Kong dollars and recalculate."

They all knew the First Madam wasn’t a pushover, so they didn’t dare recalculate.

While earlier rounds were mostly luck, this one was pure skill. If the First Madam didn't have the skill, she wouldn't have guessed that the Second Concubine's concealed kong was the Four of Circles.

Most people are like that—they respect strength.

The three concubines were no different. Even though they lost money, they now saw the First Madam as a mahjong genius.

After two hours of mahjong, Lin Yufan drove Wang Junyao and Liu Fang around the mountain.

Yunping Mountain is by the sea, but the Zhao family villa sits halfway up, sheltered from the ocean.

At the base of the mountain, a cobblestone street lined with brick-and-wood buildings stretched out.

Locals had set up stalls selling all sorts of farm goods.

The farmers and fishermen, weathered and lean, were sharp traders but sold quality goods.

They picked up some local bananas, olives, and freshly caught fish.

*

The fish was turned into a hearty fish and bitter melon stew for lunch.

Zhao Zhiao returned in the evening to find his wife and concubines laughing over mahjong.

The harmony surprised him.

When Zhao Zhiao wasn’t around, Qi Yunxin and the Second Concubine kept the dinner lively.

But with Zhao Zhiao there, the dining room fell silent.

Even the talkative ones only commented on the food.

Zhao Zhiao asked his brother, "How was your first day at the paper? What did Editor Kuang give you?"

Zhao Lixiang, munching on fish, shrugged, "A window seat."

The table was silent, but Zhao Lixiang’s reply killed even the whispers.

Wang Junyao jumped in, "Zhao Lixiang, what’s wrong with you? He’s asking about your job."

"He knows what position—he set it up."

Zhao Zhiao said, "If you’re too proud to take my help, go find your own job."

Zhao Lixiang retorted, "With a salary of less than two hundred dollars, how can I support myself? If that's the case, I might as well stay in Haicheng." "If you want to go back to Haicheng so much, you can go back anytime!"

Zhao Lixiang didn’t say anything.

The second concubine quickly tried to ease the tension: "This skinned fish is really delicious. It was bought back by First Madam and the First Madam from the street. Zhao Zhiao, would you like some?"

The second concubine was seated quite far from Zhao Zhiao’s seat, so she couldn’t serve him the dish.

Wang Junyao shot her son a meaningful look.

Zhao Lixiang had no choice but to pick up a fish and place it in Zhao Zhiao’s bowl.

Zhao Zhiao stayed calm, "You’ve got two years. If you don’t make something of yourself, you’ll start at the bottom in my company."

Zhao Lixiang muttered an "oh," showing he’d heard.

Wang Junyao actually wanted her son to work at Zhao Zhiao’s company. Not only would the treatment be better, but he could also secure a position in the company, which would mean more money during the division of family assets.

But her son refused, and she couldn’t do anything about it.

Lin Yufan stayed quiet, just eating her dinner while they talked.

From the information of his past life, it was known that Zhao Lixiang was still an editor at the Hong Ming Newspaper when he passed away in 1950. He loved that job too much to join Zhao Zhiao’s company.

Dreams are fine, but Zhao Lixiang was a bit ungrateful.

Lin Yufan walked with Wang Junyao in the garden after dinner. Upon returning to the bedroom, she saw Hong Yu ironing Zhao Zhiao’s shirt in the walk-in closet.

Lin Yufan asked her, "Why are you handling this?"

Hong Yu smiled, "The servants who usually work for Eldest Master all got high fevers at the same time. Ms. Guan wanted to assign someone else, but I said I know how to iron clothes, so she gave the task to me."

Hong Yu was honest—while others slacked off, she’d take on extra work.

Previously, Hong Yu was Jian Suzhen’s maid, and Lin Yufan had no authority over her. Now that Hong Yu was her responsibility, Lin Yufan decided to teach her some survival tips.

"Don’t take on work that’s not yours from now on. Doing well won’t earn you credit, but if you ruin the shirt, you’ll have to pay for it."

Hong Yu paused, then gave an awkward smile, "I’m too bored with nothing to do. It makes me anxious."

She feared Lin Yufan might abandon her if she wasn’t useful.

Lin Yufan could roughly guess her concerns and asked, "I heard from Gui Xiang that you can read?"

Hong Yu: "I accompanied the young lady at the landlord’s house in the countryside for a few years, so I can read and do accounts."

"I’ll get you something to do tomorrow. From now on, don’t take on random tasks. In this house, you only do things related to me, understand?"

Hong Yu nodded blankly, saying, "I understand."

Tomorrow, Zhao Zhiao was going to Guangzhou for business, so he came to the room early in the evening.

*

Lin Yufan lounged on the chaise in the bedroom, listening to "The Seven Heroes and Five Gallants" on the radio.

Zhao Zhiao sat on one side and said, "You seem to get along quite well with the three of them."

He was referring to the three concubines.

Lin Yufan treated the three as colleagues rather than rivals. With no major conflicts, they got along just fine.

She casually replied, "Playing mahjong together is fine."

"Besides mahjong, we can do other things together." As he spoke, he grabbed her foot and began massaging it back and forth.

What other things?

What exactly?

Is he thinking what I think he’s thinking?

After all, he's already had group sex with four people—could he really be thinking of a fifth?

Lin Yufan wanted to pull her foot back, but he held it tightly and placed it on his thigh.

She frowned instantly, "What exactly do you mean by 'together'?"

He noticed the subtle change in his wife's expression and thought she was jealous. For some reason, seeing her jealous gave Zhao Zhiao a little thrill.

He explained, "Doing things that make everyone happy..."

Shopping, getting a perm, sewing—all of that was possible, just like having a few more female friends.

Lin Yufan cut him off, her voice tinged with emotion, "In your dreams!"

Zhao Zhiao: "!"

His wife must be green with envy!

Zhao Zhiao pulled her over and cradled her in his arms like a doll, softly coaxing, "What’s so bad about doing other things together? It’s good for your body and mind."

Good for health, my ass!

Lin Yufan bit him hard on the neck, leaving a visible mark, and then said, "My limit is just playing mahjong together. Don't even think about anything else."

Zhao Zhiao got excited by her bite, "Then I’ll come up with something else."

With that, he immediately took action. On the chaise longue, before she was ready, he flipped over and thrust inside.

The sheer intensity!

Lin Yufan clenched her fists and struck him, but he didn’t flinch. His movements became even more forceful. She knew then that he wasn’t going to back down.

At first, she could still scold him, but later her voice became hoarse. She realized that the more she cried out, the more he got into it.

She bit her lip and stayed silent. But the overwhelming waves of pleasure nearly knocked her soul out of her body.

He must have popped pills again tonight! Not content with the chaise longue, he went for round two on the bed.

Fortunately, he was leaving for Guangzhou on a business trip the next day and wouldn't be back for four or five days. Otherwise, she’d be worn out.

*

A few days later, Lin Yufan finally got her hands on the property deed. Kang Nian and his wife went with her to take possession of the house and then visited the He family.

She headed to the He family first thing in the morning. After a bit of chit-chat, she hit the shops with Sun Jingxi.

"Shall we take the car?" Lin Yufan asked. The car Zhao Zhiao had given her was waiting outside, and now she only used her personal car when going out.

Sun Jingxi picked up her handbag, "No need, it's very close. We can walk."

Her rented Western-style house had no yard; the street began right at her doorstep.

Just outside the street, there was a small hill covered in lush greenery, which looked quite scenic, but it was one of Sun Jingxi's worries.

"I don't like this place for another important reason—this hill is basically a graveyard. There are at least twenty graves on it. At night, I don’t dare to go out on the balcony. It's terrifying."

Lin Yufan asked curiously, "What hill is this?"

"Turtleback Hill. The name’s not great either," Sun Jingxi shook her head in disdain.

Turtleback Hill? Lin Yufan vaguely remembered it.

This hill was later developed into the city’s first modern commercial district.

At that time, Lin Yufan had just arrived in Harbor City and would spend her days reading the newspaper at home.

Because two big bosses were competing to buy this Turtleback Hill, bidding exorbitant amounts and making headlines, it even made it to the newspapers. Otherwise, Lin Yufan wouldn’t have known the name of Turtleback Hill.

Sun Jingxi continued, "Turtleback Hill is owned by a local liquor factory owner. I heard it’s been on the market for over half a year, but no one wants to buy it. Who’d buy it without clearing the graves first?"

Lin Yufan asked, "Can’t those graves be cleared?"

"Most of them are graves of poor folks. Those without descendants are easier to handle, but those with descendants are holding onto their plots and refusing to budge unless you’re willing to compensate them. If the liquor factory owner had the money to compensate, he wouldn’t need to sell the hill. It’s a never-ending cycle with no way out."

Lin Yufan thought it over. Perhaps this was a money-making opportunity?

They walked forward, turned to the other side, and after about five minutes, they arrived at the bustling shopping district.

Sun Jingxi kept complaining, "So, I still want to move away."

Lin Yufan suggested, "How about later, Xi Gu, you come with me to check out the properties? If you like any of my properties, you can stay as long as you want, no rent needed."

Sun Jingxi didn’t want to take advantage of her niece. "That won’t do. Your money’s your own. If I really rent your property, I’ll definitely pay you the market rate for rent. Even family keeps things clear."

"Alright! First, see if there’s anything you like. We’ll talk about it if there is."

They stopped by a few fabric stores, where there were many styles of fabric, including many imported goods.

Lin Yufan took a liking to a piece of red Scottish plaid fabric. She held it up to herself, "Does it look good?"

Sun Jingxi examined it carefully, "Are you wearing it? What style are you planning to make?"

"A men’s coat, with a large collar and a fitted waist. It’ll look really sharp. This plaid fabric never goes out of style."

Sun Jingxi laughed, "You said it’s a men’s coat, I thought you were making it for your Zhao Zhiao. With this red Scottish plaid, he would probably hate it. Turns out it’s for yourself, you’re cracking me up."

Lin Yufan also laughed, "Why would I care what he thinks? It’s for me to wear."

"This color should look good on you. Do you know a good tailor? I have a few pieces of fabric too, maybe we can make clothes together later."

Lin Yufan replied, "There should be. I’ll ask Sister-in-law Yunxin."

Lin Yufan bought the fabric, while Sun Jingxi bought a pair of shoes for each of her three children, a sun hat for herself, and a tie for He Zhanhong. They used the money Lin Yufan had won at mahjong.

They spent it without a care—it felt amazing.

Since it was almost time to meet Kang Nian, they didn’t continue shopping. When they returned, they saw Kang Nian’s car waiting by the roadside.

Kang Nian and Qi Yunxin took Lin Yufan and Sun Jingxi to view several properties under Lin Yufan’s name.

Three adjoining shops were in the heart of the commercial district. The shops were quite large, with high rents, and were currently all leased out.

The apartment building is named Weiyin Apartments, a three-story building with two units on each of the first and second floors, and the third floor is a single unit with a loft and garden.

All units in Weiyin Apartments have been rented out except for the third floor.

There is also a villa in Repulse Bay that has been sitting vacant.

The properties Zhao Zhiao gave her are all top-notch in every way.

Sun Jingxi said she would go back and discuss with He Zhanhong whether to rent the apartment or the villa.

"The villa is definitely more comfortable overall, but the apartment is more convenient for getting around, especially since your uncle has to work and the kids will need to go to school once the semester starts."

Standing on the apartment's rooftop garden, Lin Yufan earnestly suggested, "Actually, the apartment's large flat is plenty spacious, and it has a loft and a big rooftop garden. The environment is also nice. The main thing is that it's convenient for getting around."

Qi Yunxin also said, "The villa in Repulse Bay is a hassle to get to; you need a car to get around. With a big family, one car isn't enough, and it's nowhere near as convenient as here. This place was originally rented to a French couple, and they just moved out last month when they went back to their country. Look how well-kept this garden is."

Sun Jingxi definitely preferred this place, "Yes, I think so too. This garden is so well-kept."

Kang Nian is a quiet, honest man. He didn't say anything, just moved some flower pots to the corner.

Everyone headed downstairs together, with Sun Jingxi and Lin Yufan whispering at the back.

"Hey, those two standing together don't look like a couple at all. Zhao Zhiao, that cousin of yours, with his pockmarked face and short stature, standing behind Qi Yunxin, looks more like her chauffeur," Sun Jingxi said, sometimes with a sharp tongue.

Qi Yunxin's father owns a small shop in a town near Haicheng. She married Kang Nian after being introduced by his aunt.

She married up, and the reason she could marry up is because she is beautiful.

Lin Yufan didn't want to comment on whether the couple was well-matched, only saying, "Their two children take after their mother; they are good-looking."

"Right. I saw them last time. They really take after her; both children have big eyes, sparkling and rosy, like dolls, really beautiful. They say if the father is ugly, it's just him, but if the mother is ugly, it affects the whole family. So, as the old saying goes, when marrying a wife, look for virtue, but in my opinion, virtue alone is not enough; appearance is also important. Marry a beautiful daughter-in-law, and the descendants will become beautiful too."

Lin Yufan shook her head, "Character is still the most important."

Coming down from upstairs, Kang Nian and his wife parted ways with them.

Lin Yufan first sent Xi Gu home, and then she had the driver take her around the city.

The driver thought First Madam wanted to get to know the city, but actually, that wasn't the case.

Lin Yufan mainly wanted to walk around and see, to compare the current city with what it would be like five years later.

Perhaps she could really find a money-making opportunity from this.

She wanted to make money, but she wasn't cut out for business because she had never done it before.

Since she knew the direction of development for the next five years, could she use this information to make money while lying down?

As long as she had enough money, she could focus her energy on her hobbies.

When she got home, Tielong brought her the first report made by the private detective Tu Laoliu.

After Tielong left, she opened it to read.

The first piece of information, after Tu Laoliu's detailed investigation, was that among the managers and above in the three companies currently in Zhao Zhiao's hands, there was no one with the surname Xiong.

No senior executive with the surname Xiong? Did Jian Suzhen give false information?

That couldn't be. Jian Suzhen, in that environment, would definitely have given true information to stabilize Lin Yufan in order to save her own life.

Could it be that Zhao Zhiao's future partner hasn't started working yet?

Second, Tu Laoliu looked into all of Zhao Yanhui's social ties and kept tabs on his recent activities.

Lately, Zhao Yanhui has been steering clear of gambling and cutting back on socializing. Apart from going to work, his biggest hobby is playing pool. Over a week of tracking, he only went home and played pool, skipping social events and visits to others' homes.

So, it's pretty clear he doesn't have a woman on the side.

Lin Yufan was going over each detail when suddenly, a line of text grabbed her attention.

The day before yesterday, Zhao Yanhui took a tricolor jade bracelet to a jewelry store for repair.

A tricolor jade bracelet? The one on Qi Yunxin's wrist?