dognovel Chapter 34 Xiao Hengzhi, your wife is here to see you.
Chapter 34 Xiao Hengzhi, your wife is here to see you.
Zuiyin Tower is extremely magnificent, with five stories high, exquisitely upturned eaves, and intricate openwork carvings on the exterior walls. Even the window lattices are meticulously carved with ancient wood cloud patterns.
As night falls, lanterns are hung high, their red glow reflecting on the silk curtains. When the wind blows, they sway like graceful shadows, creating an ethereal, fairyland-like scene.
Jiang Mian was surprised, as she had never noticed such a conspicuous place before.
She hesitated for a moment outside the door, then said to the woman, "Madam, I... I'll try to see if I can get in. If I can, there's no need to call out."
After saying that, Jiang Mian walked towards the door.
She followed the crowd with her head down, trying to slip in through the throng. But the waiter at the door spotted her and raised his hand to stop her.
The waiter smiled and said politely, "Miss, Zuiyin Tower does not accept female guests. If you would like to listen to opera and enjoy tea, there are other places to choose from."
Sure enough, it was exactly the same thing the man on the boat had said.
Jiang Wan asked, "What kind of rule is this? Men can go in, but women can't. Is there something inside that you're afraid a woman might see and damage?"
The waiter, still smiling, said very respectfully, "This is the rule of our shop. Please understand, Miss. If you would like to watch a play and enjoy tea, I can have someone take you to another private room. I will cover all the expenses. Please calm down, Miss."
The words were spoken so eloquently, and the actions were so thorough; no wonder no one has ever criticized this place.
Jiang Wan was about to ask a few more questions when the customers queuing behind her became impatient, their urging voices rising and falling.
The woman pulled her aside again, looking indignant, and whispered, "Sister, don't bother anymore. All these places are the same, stinking to high heaven. It's a good thing they won't let us in. If your man is really inside, we'll just shout it out."
Jiang Wan looked at the people going in through the door and saw that they were all men. She glanced at the tailor shop next door and thought she might as well disguise herself as a man and sneak in.
As she was pondering this, the woman asked again, "Sister, what's your husband's name? I'll call him out for you."
"Huh?" Jiang Mian was taken aback and tried to evade the question, "Well, let's forget about it. My husband is a man who cares about his reputation, so it might be inappropriate to call him that."
The woman was unconvinced and grabbed her arm: "What are you afraid of? Just say it! I think all men are the same, they're all capable of debauchery, why are you afraid of being called out and embarrassed?"
Jiang Mian was being dragged along by her, and she almost lost her balance.
She took a deep breath, knowing that she couldn't escape today.
He lowered his head and hummed a few syllables: "His name is *&……%......"
"Huh? Explain yourself more clearly."
Jiang Mian closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and, as if she were going all out, spoke: "Xiao Hengzhi."
After saying that, he held his forehead and turned his back.
I'm sorry, Xiao Hengzhi, this was not my intention...
Immediately afterwards, a powerful voice rang in his ears: "Xiao Hengzhi! You heartless bastard! Your wife is waiting for you at home! And you're here indulging in debauchery! If you're a man, get out here, Xiao Hengzhi!..."
"Xiao Hengzhi! Get out here!"
"Xiao Hengzhi! Get out here!"
"..."
Jiang Mian couldn't bear to listen any longer, so she covered her ears with her hands and buried her face in her hands, hoping not to be seen by acquaintances.
Seeing her shouting and the growing crowd, the doorman hurriedly ran over to advise, "Ladies, what are you doing? Don't ruin the harmony in public."
The woman put her hands on her hips and said righteously, "Then let him get out here! A grown man, can't he even face his own wife?"
The servant panicked and replied repeatedly, "I'll go fetch him right away! I'll go right away!"
After saying that, he dashed inside and rushed upstairs in a few strides.
Inside the Drunken Sound Pavilion, ribbons hung from the five-story pillars, and dancers gracefully floated down, like fairies in a dream. Several floors were crowded with people, and the noise was deafening, making it a lively and bustling place.
The servant searched through the guestbook and finally found Xiao Hengzhi's room. He stamped his feet anxiously, "Young Master Xiao, we've finally found you! Your wife is shouting loudly downstairs, making it hard for us to do business."
Xiao Hengzhi was slightly taken aback, then narrowed his eyes: "My wife?"
"Yes! You should go and take a look!"
Xiao Hengzhi hurried downstairs, filled with doubt.
As they approached the door, the shouts outside became clearer and clearer.
They used terms like "heartless man," "fickle man," and "playboy," and even went so far as to use derogatory terms like "prostitutes."
When he came out, a crowd had already gathered around him, all of them talking and pointing at him.
Looking around, he saw Jiang Mian standing in the middle of the crowd, covering her face, with a woman beside her still cursing at him.
Xiao Hengzhi hissed softly; this scene had truly caught him off guard.
Jiang Mian noticed his gaze, suddenly cried out sweetly, and pretended to run and jump into his arms: "Husband!"
Before he could react, a soft figure suddenly appeared in his arms.
Then the woman approached, pointed at his face, and said, "You really are a pretty boy! You already have a beautiful wife at home who loves you so much! And you're still fooling around outside. Why can't men like you control yourselves?!"
After she finished cursing, she looked at Jiang Wan and softened her tone, saying, "Miss, do you want to beat him up to vent your anger? There are many people here now, and we can definitely beat him until he is paralyzed from the waist down."
Jiang Wan opened her eyes wide and hurriedly shook her head: "Good sister, you mustn't! He and I don't have any children yet."
Seeing Jiang Mian's pained expression, Xiao Hengzhi gradually realized the situation.
He chuckled softly, then turned and hugged her back, asking gently, "Madam, what brings you here?"
Jiang Wan felt Xiao Hengzhi's hand gently grasp her waist. Her back tensed, and she replied somewhat nervously, "Let's go back first."
As she spoke, she reached out to pull Xiao Hengzhi's hand away.
However, Xiao Hengzhi didn't move an inch. Instead, he pulled her even tighter and looked at her with a mischievous grin: "Why go back to say it? Madam, you can say it here. Did you come to see me?"
Jiang Mian was held tightly around the waist by him, unable to move. She secretly pinched his arm, her lips barely moving: "Are you never going to stop acting?"
Xiao Hengzhi didn't react at all, only smiling as he looked at her.