Chapter 120: The Wrong Bridal Chamber

The young maid led a group of intoxicated guests toward the bridal chamber. Those who had been clamoring to "tease the bride and groom" earlier had inexplicably vanished from the crowd.

The young master leading the group clutched a small wine flagon. "My, I must say, this wine today is truly excellent."

"Indeed, Brother Liang. My head is spinning quite delightfully."

"I wonder what stage the bride and groom have reached by now, ha ha!"

...

"How much further is it?"

"Exactly, why haven't we arrived yet?"

As they moved further away from the lively main hall and into more secluded paths, some began to grow impatient.

The maid smiled and said, "Just around this small path, we’ll be there in a moment."

She led the way, and after a short while, she pointed to a building ahead with lights inside. "It is right there. It seems the Heir and his wife have already retired, and even the servants have been dismissed. They likely do not wish to be disturbed. Perhaps you gentlemen should head back to the hall instead?"

The group looked at the house ahead. The light inside was indeed dim, with only one or two candles flickering.

Several men exchanged glances and began to grin with malicious intent.

"That just means we’ve arrived at the perfect time."

"Ha ha, exactly, exactly!"

"It’s still early; surely Brother Jiang Lin isn't finished already, ha ha!"

"Well, who knows? Come, let’s go and see."

Heated by alcohol and naturally prone to causing trouble, the group of young noblemen used the excuse of "joining the fun" to press forward.

The maid appeared hesitant. "Then please, everyone, be quiet. If the Heir and his wife are disturbed, I shall be punished."

With that, appearing fearful of being implicated, she bowed and scurried away.

The group didn't bother with her, but driven by curiosity, they crept forward on tiptoe.

Inside the room, Shen Zhifeng held the Marchioness of Jiang in his arms, his right hand slowly stroking her belly. "Weiwei, now you can finally rest easy and bear my child, can't you?"

The Marchioness, her expression alluring and secretly delighted, could not help but voice her concern. "You must make proper arrangements, then."

"Rest assured. Would I not take care of my own son? In a while, I will send someone to bring you to the county."

"Enough, you must leave quickly. What if someone sees us? My heart is beating so fast."

"What are you afraid of? Everyone is drinking and eating in the front hall. The stars of today are Sisi and Lin'er. Even if they don't see us for a moment, you can just say I drank too much and took me to the guest room to rest."

"Fine, you are far too bold."

"I only did it because I missed you."

The two flirted, and Shen Zhifeng could not help but kiss the Marchioness's cheeks and neck repeatedly.

The Marchioness giggled, lightly punching him. "Annoying, you are truly wicked."

"My little heart, don't move. Let me kiss you."

...

The group outside had drawn closer. Hearing these sounds from within, they couldn't help but cover their mouths to stifle their laughter.

A few of the bolder ones crouched down by the door, pressing their ears against it to listen to the commotion inside.

One whispered, "I heard the Heir of Jiang and his wife were childhood sweethearts. It seems their affection is indeed deeper than that of an ordinary couple."

"Indeed. At this rate, I suspect the Marquis’s estate will have more happy news in a few months."

Before he could finish his sentence, the sound of a woman’s coquettish voice came from inside.

"Be careful, don't hurt the child."

The crowd outside stared at each other in shock. This was explosive news.

Could it be that they had been intimate before marriage and were rushing the wedding because she was already pregnant?

A young nobleman laughed, "It’s normal for young people to be head over heels and unable to restrain themselves."

"No wonder. I heard that when the Marquis's estate first learned of Shen Sisi's background, they wanted to break off the engagement."

"Could it be that they only went through with it because Shen Sisi was already pregnant?"

"In my opinion, that is highly likely."

They lowered their voices and mocked the situation, having initially thought it was a display of deep love, only to discover a scandalous secret.

Inside, the sounds of the man and woman became increasingly heated, further fueling the curiosity of those outside.

"My, I never would have guessed. Jiang Lin usually appears so refined, yet even with his wife pregnant, he is still..."

"Let me see."

Under the influence of alcohol, someone grew bold enough to crack the door open and peek inside. The sounds became even clearer, but because a screen blocked the view, they could only see two silhouettes entwined behind it.

"Let me look, too."

"Don't push, don't push."

Suddenly, the last man felt a gust of wind strike him; he lost control and lunged forward, shoving the others into the door, which flew open with a loud "bang" as they all tumbled to the floor.

"Who is it!" Shen Zhifeng roared in fury upon hearing the commotion at the door.

The group panicked, scrambling to apologize while frantically trying to close the door. "Ha ha, excuse us! Brother Jiang Lin, don't be angry, carry on, carry on!"

At that moment, something struck the screen, and the entire piece of furniture toppled outward. The Marchioness screamed.

The screen crashed to the floor, kicking up a cloud of dust that sent the intruders into a coughing fit.

One man squinted through the dust toward the fallen screen, frozen in place, rubbing his eyes in disbelief. Even the one trapped at the bottom, still sitting on the floor, forgot to stand up.

"Ah! Ah!" As if struck by lightning, the Marchioness desperately covered her face and shrieked in helpless terror.

Shen Zhifeng’s eyes turned red with rage, his expression murderous. "Get out! Who are you people? Get out of here!"

Those with quick reflexes, their drunkenness instantly replaced by terror, scrambled to run away. Seeing this, the others followed suit, fearing that if they were too slow, Shen Zhifeng would kill them to silence them in his blind fury.

In an instant, the doorway was empty. The Marchioness, trembling violently, gripped Shen Zhifeng’s sleeve. "What do we do? We were seen! What do we do?"

Shen Zhifeng’s mind was a chaotic blur. He realized what had happened and ran out to chase them, but there was no one left to be seen.

It was over. Everything was over.

He slumped to the ground, staring into the pitch-black Marquis's estate, which now seemed like a monster lurking in the night, ready to swallow him whole.

It was over. Both the Duke's estate and the Marquis's estate would have their reputations ruined. This would be the greatest scandal in the capital.

The young noblemen ran a long distance before stopping, panting for breath.

Looking back and seeing that Shen Zhifeng was not pursuing them, they flagged down a maid from the roadside to escort them back to the banquet hall.

Most of the guests had already departed, but some who were close to Jiang Lin had just arrived from the bridal chamber area, laughing about how Jiang Lin was a poor host for chasing them away when they had so many tricks prepared for the wedding night.

Brother Liang and his group looked at one another, and only then did they realize they had gone to the wrong place!