Chapter 21: By No Means a Charade

He pressed his fingertips against Dou Hongyan’s lips, feeling their softness as he toyed with them, a gesture that seemed to soothe his unspoken agitation.

Dou Hongyan was long accustomed to his wandering hands. Nuzzling against his thumb, she continued, "News of his resurrection has already spread throughout the Marquis’s estate. If he were to die again so soon... I fear it would be detrimental to both my reputation and Heng’er’s. It would be unwise to act rashly."

She was speaking the truth.

When Shen Yishu had faked his own death to abscond with the family assets, she had indeed been the one managing the estate all these years. If he were to suddenly reappear only to die within the walls of a secure manor, anyone would inevitably cast suspicion upon her. She kept her eyes lowered, feigning a look of deep concern while concealing the sharp glint in her gaze, continuing to play the submissive role to deceive Xiao Ze.

"Do you still care for such trivial things as reputation? As for gold, silver, and jewels, I have them in abundance," Xiao Ze said, his tone dripping with mockery. "Instead of worrying about that, you would do well to consider how to please me and dispose of Shen Yishu quickly. Otherwise, if I become displeased and revoke the Marquis’s title, it will not just be reputation that Heng’er loses."

Even when speaking of his own flesh and blood, he showed not a shred of mercy. Everything was merely a tool—using what Dou Hongyan held dear to twist the knife in her ribs.

The clarity in Dou Hongyan’s eyes sharpened; the ease and cunning vanished, and she silently clenched her fists.

At this moment, she could afford no further hesitation. Clenching her palms, she said coldly, "I will handle him soon enough."

No one would be allowed to jeopardize Heng’er’s future. A waste of space like Shen Yishu was not even worthy of consideration!

The carriage stopped in a secluded spot. Dou Hongyan quietly alighted and transferred back to the Marquis’s carriage to return home, where she ran straight into Liu Xin’er, who was biting her lip in resentment. Liu Xin’er had suffered a defeat at Dou Hongyan’s hands that morning and had been waiting for her return, burning with indignation.

But the moment their eyes met, she was struck by the unusually vivid, flushed color of Dou Hongyan’s lips. An alarm bell rang in her heart as she sensed something amiss. This was not the lip stain Dou Hongyan had applied that morning. On the contrary, her lipstick had been completely worn away, leaving her full, supple lips looking tender and glistening—as if they had been thoroughly ravished.

A chill ran through her, followed by a sudden, triumphant sneer. She offered a hurried, perfunctory bow and, flustered and panicked, rushed back to Tingyu Garden.

She never expected this. She truly never expected it!

"I should have realized it sooner!"

Liu Xin’er’s heart raced, and she patted her chest. "Fourteen years of widowhood—she must have been unable to endure the loneliness. This adulterer must have been entangled with Dou Hongyan for a long time!"

She struggled to calm herself, and by the time she found Shen Yishu, she had resumed her gentle and attentive facade. She cautiously brought up her suspicions.

Rage flared in Shen Yishu’s heart. Before she could even finish, he slammed his hand against the table, his face turning a furious shade of red as he paced the room.

"Those adulterous wretches!"

"And Shen Yuhang—he must be the spawn of that adulterer! I will kill that bastard!"

"Husband, husband!" Liu Xin’er hurriedly stopped him, whispering soothingly, "Do not be rash. We have no evidence yet. You know that to catch an adulterer, one must catch them in the act. Only then will it be settled."

"How am I supposed to find her lover?"

"Husband! Look at you, getting anxious again."

Liu Xin’er frowned, feigning comfort, then her eyes darted as she said, "Since we already know she is unfaithful, she will surely be feeling guilty. We need only lure a man to be with the Lady Dou, and then we can catch them red-handed, can we not?"