HUS Chapter 43: Has Yang the Second Taken the Bait?
HUS Chapter 43: Has Yang the Second Taken the Bait?
Dec 21, 2025
Zhang Yunyi's inner residence had winding corridors and secluded paths.
The numerous pavilions, terraces, and covered walkways were arranged in intricate patterns.
Anyone unfamiliar with this place would easily get lost among these overlapping doors and passages.
A lamp stand with fine wood frame, delicately carved with patterns and uniquely elegant in design, stood beside the vanity.
This was an exquisite bedroom. Eight tallow candles on the lamp stand illuminated the room brightly.
A beautiful young married woman wore a semi-transparent gauze nightgown, sitting before the mirror.
Her full hips and slender waist created exaggerated curves.
Below the window stood a purple sandalwood table with curled edges, with tea and snacks on top.
In a round-backed chair beside it sat a middle-aged man in his thirties wearing a nightgown.
He was Zhang Yunyi's eldest son, Zhang Xinran.
Master Zhang had him when he was seventeen, so Young Master Zhang and his father weren't too far apart in age.
The beautiful young woman removing makeup before the mirror was his wife, Chen Wan.
Suddenly, a knocking sound came from outside.
Young Master Zhang, who had been eating snacks and drinking tea, immediately stood and walked over quickly.
He pulled open the door. The messenger servant stood outside, his face excited, "Young Master, it's done!"
Zhang Xinran said joyfully, "Steward Yang slept with her?"
The servant said, "The lantern has been hung up!"
"Haha, good, excellent!"
Young Master Zhang said triumphantly, "This time we've finally got him! I want to see how he'll make things difficult for my Zhang family now, haha..."
Young Master Zhang laughed a few times, then waved, "Go, keep watching. Report any news immediately."
The servant acknowledged and ran off quickly.
Young mistress Chen sat before the vanity and pursed her lips.
"Only you father and son would do such things. Sangzhi is your father's concubine, your young aunt. Sending her to sleep with someone for free, and you father and son are still so delighted. Really... I don't even know what to say."
Sangzhi was Zhang Yunyi's "concubine." Usually what was gifted or used to serve guests were "courtesans."
There was actually some distinction between the two.
For someone of Master Zhang's status, even what was used to entertain guests should be courtesans, not concubines.
Therefore, once Yang Can touched her, Master Zhang would have grounds to challenge him.
You came to inspect. Out of courtesy, I even had my own concubine serve tea!
But how did you pull my concubine onto your bed?
Once this matter got out, Yang Can would earn a mark with the Clan Head: This person is unworthy of important responsibilities!
Even if he fell for a honey trap, he'd still be unworthy of important responsibilities.
This price was enough to make Steward Yang reach some tacit understanding with him.
Young Master Zhang glared at his wife, "You're just a woman. What do you understand? This is called strategy. What's one concubine? Without sacrificing a beautiful concubine, could we trap Yang Can?"
"Hmph!" The young madam snorted disdainfully and gracefully rose to prepare for bed.
Young Master Zhang had just received such good news. A great weight had lifted from his heart, and his spirits were high.
Seeing Wan'er bend to spread the bedding, her slender waist folded, her body forming an extremely rounded curve.
Her undergarments were also pulled up by the movement, revealing a trace of snow-white skin on her lower back.
This created two very alluring small dimples where her hips met her slender waist.
Young Master Zhang's interest immediately surged. He chuckled and sidled up with a fawning expression.
"You're terrible, stop it!"
Young mistress Chen gave a coquettish reproach. The candles in the room extinguished one by one, gradually darkening.
...
Xiaotan's technique was extremely skilled, obviously having undergone strict training.
Scrubbing, massaging—she could attend to every area. However, she remained perfectly proper while maintaining just the right degree of restraint.
Yang Can couldn't help but sigh inwardly that he, a Second Steward, didn't live as well as that country landlord.
After Yang Can finished bathing, Xiaotan brought a dry kudzu cloth.
She spread the cloth with both hands, lowered her eyes and stood, saying respectfully, "Steward Yang, please dress."
She held the cloth very high, level with her eyebrows, so she wouldn't see Yang Can's body.
Yang Can took this thick, dry kudzu cloth and wrapped it around himself.
He didn't need to wipe much. The cloth's water absorption was excellent, absorbing all the water droplets from his body.
Xiaotan bowed slightly, "This servant will wait outside. If the steward has any instructions, just call."
Having said this, Xiaotan withdrew gracefully.
Yang Can had already prepared himself to sternly refuse seduction by beauty but she didn't give him the opportunity at all, leaving him feeling somewhat disappointed.
After he changed into fine cotton sleeping clothes, let his wet hair hang over his shoulders, and walked out of the bathroom, Xiaotan stood respectfully outside.
Seeing him emerge, she led him to the bedroom.
Yang Can entered the bedroom. Xiaotan stood at the door and said in a sweet voice, "This servant will rest in the side room. If Master has any instructions, just summon me anytime."
After speaking, she pulled the door closed for Yang Can.
Yang Can hummed a tune while loosening his belt and walking toward the bed.
Suddenly, he discovered that the already-made bed had a bulge.
Yang Can's heart filled with surprise. He quickly took two steps forward and reached to pull.
This time, he actually couldn't pull the blanket open.
Under the blanket, Miss Sangzhi lay within.
Very obviously, she wore nothing at this moment.
Because although Yang Can failed to pull the blanket open, that was because Sangzhi held it, the blanket was still pulled back at one corner, revealing a trace of soft, rounded, rosy shoulder.
Yang Can exclaimed, "Miss Sangzhi?"
Sangzhi smiled charmingly, lowered her eyebrows, and said shyly, "Please have mercy, Master."
...
Qingmei wore a round-collared robe with her hair simply tied in a ponytail.
She had just bathed. Her hair was shiny black.
With her cheerful steps, the ponytail bounced lightly, radiating youthful spirits.
This was her first time on an external steward mission, and she was quite excited.
Precisely because it was her first time, she wasn't clear how to proceed.
Though she quite wanted to surpass Yang Can, after thinking it over, she was still clueless.
So she decided to cooperate with Yang Can. At most, she'd share some credit with him.
Therefore, she rushed over eagerly.
Madam Sangzhi was Master Zhang's favorite concubine. Master Zhang disguised her as a maid to trap Yang Can.
After this happened, he wouldn't expose it immediately.
As long as Yang Can's visit was just going through the motions, he'd treat this as if it never happened.
If Yang Can really wanted to deal with him, then he'd bring up this matter to accuse Yang Can of forcing his favorite concubine.
Xiaotan was originally Madam Sangzhi's personal maid and still attended to her now.
It was just that the "male master" had temporarily changed to someone else.
Actually, Xiaotan was quite interested in her mistress's "temporary male master."
After all, Yang Can was young and handsome. Which girl didn't love a handsome man?
Therefore, after entering the side room, Xiaotan didn't go to bed but pressed her ear against the wall... However, before she could hear any interesting sounds, a series of quick footsteps approached.
Xiaotan was slightly startled. Who would barge in at this time?
Wouldn't this ruin our master's grand plan?
Xiaotan quickly opened the door to intercept, seeing a bouncing ponytail running up the stairs.
"Who is it? Ah! Miss Qingmei?"
Qingmei ran upstairs. All along the way, no one came out to receive her, making her secretly purse her lips.
After all, this was a village estate. No matter how wealthy they pretended to be, they simply had no rules.
I, a guest, have already come upstairs, yet no one comes out to greet me.
As a result, upon reaching the top, she saw Xiaotan in undergarments with hair down, approaching somewhat flustered.
Qingmei immediately grew suspicious, "You're a maid. Why aren't you sleeping downstairs? With this appearance, you..."
Suddenly, Qingmei's eyes flashed with "thieving light":
You, Yang Can, dare to cheat behind my young lady's back!
For a moment, Qingmei's heart filled with excitement, anger, and a bit of something indescribable—sourness.
She put on a stern face, pushed Xiaotan aside, and barged into the room.
In the room, Yang Can saw the maid Sangzhi lying in the bedding and quickly tied his belt.
"Miss Sangzhi, what are you doing? I don't need bed service."
Mm, the psychological preparation for sternly refusing seduction he'd been building up finally had a use.
Sangzhi giggled, cupped her fragrant cheeks, full of charm.
"Serving the steward was arranged by the estate master, but this servant herself is more than willing. It's just a night's tenderness. Spring dreams leave no trace. Master needn't take it to heart."
Yang Can said seriously, "Stop talking!"
He feared if this girl continued, his resolve would waver.
This woman was sent by Master Zhang. He dared not touch her.
Did he really choose Feng'an Estate as the first stop just because it was closest to Phoenix Mountain Manor?
Couldn't he first go to the farthest one, then check them one by one on the way back?
Choosing Feng'an Estate was of course because he'd discovered something while organizing the accounts.
Therefore, this Master Zhang was a target he must take down.
Zhang Yunyi would be the sacrifice for Steward Yang to make his name.
Having decided to use Zhang Yunyi to establish authority, how could he possibly accept Zhang Yunyi's favors?
Though he'd accepted gold cakes before, that was different.
He'd already quietly handed those gold cakes to Butler Deng and explained the reason.
Dirty money was easy to hand over, but if he slept with the beauty someone sent, how could that be handed over?
But... sternly refusing would make Master Zhang more alert to me, right?
How could he refuse discreetly and tactfully?
Just as Yang Can's mind was racing, the door was pulled open with a "whoosh" by an indignant Xiao Qingmei.
"Surnamed Yang, you have such nerve..."
As soon as the door opened, Xiao Qingmei put both hands on her hips, forming the teapot pose.
At the same time, her eyes widened like saucers.
Previously, she'd only stood guard for her young lady. Hearing without seeing was frustrating.
Today I can openly look clearly!
Hmm?
The situation in the room seemed somewhat different from what she imagined?
Xiao Qingmei stood there with hands on hips, stunned.
Her large eyes looked at Sangzhi on the bed, tightly wrapped in bedding with a horrified expression, then at Yang Can in his nightgown with a righteous bearing. Qingmei felt something wasn't quite right.
Seeing Xiao Qingmei, Yang Can's eyes immediately lit up. Finally, a suitable reason!
Yang Can leaped to Xiao Qingmei in one bound, reached out and pulled her waist-grasping arms into his embrace.
"Qingmei, listen to me. I didn't summon her to my bed. Actually, I had no idea she was here. I just took a bath. When I came back, she was already lying there 'stark naked.'"
The corners of Qingmei's lips twitched a few times. She really did want to hear Yang Can explain, sincerely repent and admit his mistake. However, what's with this guilty appearance of a husband caught by his wife?
Xiao Qingmei vaguely felt that the situation was developing in a direction she couldn't predict.
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