Su Xiaoqi insisted that her residence was named Su, unrelated to the Shen family, and that the plaque above the entrance indeed read "Su Residence."
As everyone could see this, they almost entirely believed Su Xiaoqi, accusing Fang Gu, a girl from a pleasure house, of going mad for a life of wealth and coming here to cause trouble.
Fang Gu cried, saying that when Yun Lang left that day, he had given her this address; otherwise, how would she have found her way here?
Su Xiaoqi watched Fang Gu's performance with a look of detachment.
She thought about Fang Gu claiming Shen Yun had left her an address and felt like laughing three times. Would he? Naturally not.
When Fang Gu had cried her fill, Su Xiaoqi spoke, telling her to leave.
She said that since Fang Gu had come to the wrong place, she should hurry and search again, find the right person, and not delay her dreams of prosperity.
"No, it's not wrong, it's here." Fang Gu realized that her tears no longer evoked any reaction from others, and some had already lost interest and begun to leave.
After all, people came to watch a spectacle, and when one hand alone couldn't clap, the more boisterous the commotion, the better.
But here, with two women standing opposite each other, one crying and the other watching coldly, neither speaking, it was as quiet as could be.
Only the looks of the two women were worth seeing, but they were unattainable. Looking was in vain, so they might as well leave, lest their own wives start arguing.
Many people dispersed, leaving only a sparse few.
Only then did Fang Gu, reminded by her maid, ask if Su Xiaoqi's husband was Shen Yun.
Su Xiaoqi desperately wanted to shake her head and say no, but someone recognized her and answered for her, "Yes, yes, she is Madam Shen."
"The person I'm looking for is Shen Yun, I call her Yun Lang," Fang Gu remembered saying this title when she first arrived.
But perhaps it was too noisy then, or everyone's attention wasn't on it, so they collectively fell silent, truly driven away by Su Xiaoqi's few words.
Su Xiaoqi chuckled, "Oh, you know he has a wife. Aren't you willingly becoming a concubine?"
Fang Gu blushed, her beauty striking. She didn't flinch, "As a girl from a pleasure house, to be a concubine in a respectable family is already a great fortune.
Sister, please rest assured, this servant dares not compete with you for favor. I will surely adhere to my duties and serve Yun Lang and Sister well."
Hearing that soft, delicate voice, Su Xiaoqi felt a wave of revulsion.
However, she maintained her composure, "I can't make that decision. If you want to ask, ask him yourself."
She had stalled for so long; it was time for Shen Yun to come out and resolve this matter himself.
Damn it, she could tolerate other things, but when these romantic debts came knocking at her door, she had no intention of exerting herself.
As soon as she heard Fang Gu causing trouble, she had already sent someone to quietly invite Shen Yun through the back door.
Then she hid in the residence, waiting. When she couldn't stall any longer, she came out to deliberately tease Fang Gu, waiting for Shen Yun to return.
Now that he had finally arrived, she was also annoyed.
Su Xiaoqi pointed her finger, and Shen Yun slowly walked over.
He was wearing a moon-white round-collared robe, tall and straight like a pine and cypress. A smile adorned his face, radiating a gentle and refined aura.
As he approached, his eyes held no one else, only Su Xiaoqi's reflection. He cupped his hands, bowed, and greeted her, "My wife."
Su Xiaoqi lifted her chin, her eyes explicitly stating, "Look, your trouble has arrived."
A hint of apology flickered in Shen Yun's eyes, and he leaned in to whisper, "Wait for me for the time it takes one cup of tea to steep."
Su Xiaoqi spread her hands, leaving it to him. It was a good opportunity for her to watch the show.
"Yun Lang, Yun Lang, it's me, it's me, you're finally back." Fang Gu saw the Shen Yun she had been longing for.
She quickly stepped forward, her red lips curving, her white teeth slightly parted, revealing a smile she had practiced countless times in front of the mirror.
This smile was perfectly placed to showcase her stunning beauty.
She had tried many times; anyone she saw, man or woman, would be captivated by her.
The reason Shen Yun hadn't been attracted to her was her previous misstep, not revealing this devastating smile the moment she saw him.
Now, she believed Shen Yun couldn't escape.
But Shen Yun merely glanced at her indifferently, a look of confusion on his face.
"Miss, do we know each other?"
If Su Xiaoqi's words had allowed everyone to see the actual situation of this matter,
then Shen Yun's words completely made everyone feel that there was no more entertainment to be had.
Before Shen Yun's appearance, many people present thought that no matter what kind of man the master of this house was, upon seeing a beauty as exquisite as Fang Gu, he would likely not be heartless.
At the very least, he would give her some face.
However, his opening words were like this.
He did not recognize this woman at all.
"Heavens, this woman, really, she's truly from a pleasure house, driven mad by men," scoffed a middle-aged woman from the marketplace.
She had even more unpleasant words left unsaid.
This woman must be driven mad by men.
Indeed, in a pleasure house, serving those stinking men every day, and still not getting enough, running out and still looking for them, how truly cheap.
"Let's go, let's go, don't crowd around here. When your brother-in-law gets back and sees the excitement, he'll definitely come to see. Don't let this kind of woman take a liking to him and send her home without even knowing her, that would be troublesome."
Someone reminded them, pulling their own sisters and slipping away.
Thus, the already few people became even fewer.
Only a few unsavory idlers remained standing at the corner, watching Fang Gu with lewd smiles.
Their eyes were almost glowing green.
They thought how wonderful it would be if this beautiful girl were looking for them, they would definitely take her back and cherish her dearly.
Fortunately, Fang Gu came from a pleasure house, and she was already accustomed to such undisguised, nakedly invasive gazes.
Weren't the patrons she encountered daily like this?
The moment they saw her, they wished they could strip her clothes off with their eyes and indulge in fantasy.
Hmph, shameless men were all like this.
She cursed inwardly, but outwardly, she put on a pretense of being fragile, looking on in disbelief.
Although her expression contained a degree of affectation, the surprise in her eyes was undisguised.
She truly hadn't expected Shen Yun to say in front of everyone that they didn't know each other.
They didn't know each other!
They had clearly drunk together, sat at banquets together, exchanged glances (cough, cough, she herself had made assumptions).
"Yun Lang..." Her tone was low, but her voice rose and fell.
First high, then low, then soaring again. In just two words, she conveyed all her heartache and disappointment.
"My wife, please return," Shen Yun did not wish to associate with such an unreasonable woman.
This was, in a way, his last chance for her.
If she continued to pester him, the situation might not end well.
But Fang Gu was not someone who easily gave up.
Whether she couldn't understand Shen Yun's rejection or simply refused to admit that her charm was useless against him,
she suddenly rushed towards Shen Yun, shouting, "Yun Lang, Yun Lang, you can't treat me like this, I gave you everything."
She intended to touch him with her soft body, thinking that no man could resist such provocation.
However, before she could finish her thoughts, her hopes were dashed.
Because Shen Yun had no intention of letting her touch him.
She missed her target, stepped on the stairs, and stumbled.
"Ah..." she cried out, and real tears finally welled up in her eyes, breaking her long-held pretense of crying.
She had twisted her ankle; it truly hurt this time.
But despite the pain, her heart still hoped that her pitiful appearance would elicit sympathy from Shen Yun.
She didn't believe this man was made of stone, impervious to all her attempts, no matter how she tested him or pushed against him.
She was unconvinced.
Su Xiaoqi, watching from the side, felt a surge of annoyance. She was incredibly perceptive, seeing through Fang Gu's intentions at a glance.
She said calmly to Shen Yun, "I'll go back first. You deal with her slowly."
"My wife, wait for me. The time for one cup of tea has not yet passed."
Shen Yun didn't want to bother with Fang Gu too much.
The more you engaged with such a person, the more they would escalate. The best approach was to remain indifferent.
However, this woman was more troublesome than he had imagined.
If ordinary people were rejected by him repeatedly, they would at least have some self-respect and not bother him again.
But she, on the other hand, not only sent people to block him, but also sought out Chang Wanqing to mediate, and even came to his home. It was truly a nuisance.
Therefore, no matter what kind of act Fang Gu put on, Shen Yun only felt disgust towards her.
Especially seeing her bring such a large crowd to his doorstep to make things difficult for Su Xiaoqi, he disliked her even more.
His thoughts shifted, and a hint of darkness flashed in his eyes.
Since that was the case, he couldn't be blamed for showing her no mercy.