59. Isn't that Xiangfei?

In the afternoon, along Yayun Street, Yue'er and the others wandered around for a while before setting up a small stall right across from a teahouse. To their surprise, someone actually came over for fortune-telling, though unfortunately, none of them were the target individuals they were looking for. Soon, another pair consisting of a master and a servant approached. Weiyu used his usual routine, asking, "Your troubles are related to Chinese roses, aren't they?" Weiyu asked every single person who came for a reading the exact same question, regardless of whether it fit or not, as long as it helped narrow down the target. The client looked confused, stood up, and walked away. Yue'er stood nearby, shaking her head with a smile. Weiyu turned around, looked at Yue'er's smiling face, and said, "This is the fastest method. If they aren't the target, they'll just leave. If they are the target and hear about Chinese roses, they will naturally show interest. This is also a form of investigative experience!"

Though it sounded somewhat reasonable, it still felt like Weiyu was merely trying to justify his own arbitrary methods. Yue'er held back her smile and nodded, pretending to understand completely, though she thought otherwise in her heart.

Just as Yue'er was dismissing Weiyu's method in her mind, she looked up and spotted a rather noble-looking woman. She seemed to recognize her and muttered softly, "Isn't this Consort Xiang from the Prince Jun Manor?" Seeing someone from the Prince Jun Manor here was hardly unusual since the manor itself was located on this very street, but it was somewhat strange for Consort Xiang to venture out without her personal maid. Not far behind, a man was tailing her. Consort Xiang seemed well aware of it, occasionally glancing back as if making sure the man wasn't losing her. Moreover, every time she looked back, she wore a coquettish expression—the kind of look a young woman reserves for the person she loves. The two of them entered the opposite teahouse one after the other.

Yue'er finally understood why Consort Xiang had always remained so lukewarm and indifferent toward the people and affairs of the Prince Jun Manor: she simply did not care about the manor, nor did she care about Zhao Chengxian. Yue'er believed that Consort Xiang was not a fickle or promiscuous woman; perhaps marrying Zhao Chengxian had never been her own choice, and she was merely bound by the commands of her parents and the arrangements of matchmakers.

Unexpectedly, Weiyu possessed exceptionally sharp ears and overheard Yue'er's self-talk. He sighed and remarked, "Sigh, Prince Jun is truly pitiful, having been cuckolded like that..." Weiyu felt a bit sympathetic toward Zhao Chengxian, considering it the ultimate humiliation for a man.

Yue'er, however, replied dismissively, "If Prince Jun doesn't care about Consort Xiang in the first place, then he probably wouldn't care if she cuckolded him, right?" Knowing who had occupied Zhao Chengxian's heart over the past two years, she still had that much confidence. Therefore, she figured that even if Zhao Chengxian learned of Consort Xiang's infidelity, he wouldn't be terribly upset. With this thought, Yue'er felt much more at ease.

Looking at Yue'er with great agitation, Weiyu demanded, "Are you even a man? Do you have any idea? Men don't care whether they care about the woman or not; being cuckolded is simply unacceptable! If it were me, even if I didn't care about her at all, I'd never let her and her lover off easily. I'd definitely have them caught and drowned in a pig cage!" Since he didn't know that Yue'er wasn't actually a man, naturally he couldn't understand a man's perspective. That era was terribly unfair to women: men were permitted to have wives and concubines, while women were expected to remain chaste to a single partner for life. At worst, a man could make the woman he loved a concubine, whereas a woman was forced to part ways with her true love. How pathetic and lamentable.

With righteous indignation, Yue'er retorted, "If he doesn't care, why not just let go? Wouldn't that be better for both of them? Why must they drive others to a dead end? After all, they were husband and wife!" At her core, Yue'er remained a woman, so she failed to grasp the immense importance men placed on pride and face. She merely viewed the issue from the standpoint of fairness. Yet, was there truly any fairness to be found in this era?

Weiyu chuckled mockingly and said, "That's only because it hasn't happened to you, which is why you speak so lightly. If your wife were seeing someone behind your back, could you actually do what you just said?" This highlighted the fundamental gap in mindset between men and women.

Yue'er smiled nonchalantly and replied, "Of course, if it's over, let's part on good terms!" Her words startled Weiyu. Ignoring his astonished expression, she simply uttered, "I'm going to borrow the outhouse!" and sprinted toward the teahouse, determined to verify her suspicions.

Inside the teahouse that afternoon, she didn't see anyone on the ground floor, which meant they had to be in a private room upstairs. Of course, a clandestine meeting naturally required the privacy of an upstairs parlor. A waiter hurried over, intending to greet her, but Yue'er quickly explained, "I'm just here looking for someone!" The waiter asked no further questions and simply made a polite gesture of invitation, allowing Yue'er to head straight up. To her amusement, she had run into two separate instances of infidelity in a single day. Alas, the actual case she was investigating had made no progress whatsoever, and she felt as though she had inadvertently become a specialized detective for marital affairs.

Walking openly down the corridor, Yue'er looked nothing like someone tailing a target. As she passed each private room, she glanced through the window until she spotted Consort Xiang and the man inside one of them. The two were simply seated at opposite ends of the tea table, engaging in no intimate gestures. Yue'er secured the adjacent private room and pressed her ear against the partition to eavesdrop.

The man asked Consort Xiang, "How does he treat you?" He was presumably referring to Zhao Chengxian. It seemed they hadn't seen each other in a long time.

Consort Xiang smiled and replied, "He has someone he loves, and he hasn't come to see any of us three secondary consorts for over two years. It's for the best; I enjoy the peace and quiet. How are you doing? Your child must be quite grown by now, right?" It was a profound misery to be forced to cater to someone you detested while your heart belonged entirely to another. Judging by their conversation, they were former sweethearts who hadn't met in a very long time. Yue'er felt reassured that her judgment of Consort Xiang had been correct, and a slight smile touched her lips.

The man chuckled, dismissing Consort Xiang's remark, "No, I suppose apart from a certain someone, I shall never love another soul in this lifetime!" Hearing those words, tears welled up in Consort Xiang's eyes, and she wept softly. At that moment, Yue'er was certain that Consort Xiang and the man were deeply and genuinely in love. She believed that if Zhao Chengxian were only willing to grant Consort Xiang a divorce, the two lovers could finally be together. Yue'er resolved to tell Zhao Chengxian about this by evening, knowing well that he would listen to her words. As she pondered this, she stepped out of the teahouse. Without a single clue regarding her own pressing matters, she was already eager to meddle in the affairs of others.

Curious about the unexpected reaction Zhao Chengxian would have upon learning the truth? Stay tuned for the next chapter!