Chapter Sixty: That’s the Short One

Gifting her to you?

As soon as Dongmen Qing said these words, both Su Yang and Jin Ping’er, who was sitting to the side, widened their eyes in utter disbelief, staring at Dongmen Qing as if he were mad.

It was hard to believe, or perhaps they simply didn’t dare to believe it.

Who could utter such words so easily?

“Haha, Brother Su, why are you so surprised? What’s the harm in it?” Seeing Su Yang’s stunned expression, Dongmen Qing burst into hearty laughter. “I have too many women at home, more than I can handle, so I’ll gift one to you. Women are like clothes, after all.”

“Brother Dongmen, this doesn’t seem quite right,” Su Yang replied, still finding it hard to accept and feeling that Dongmen Qing had ulterior motives.

“If you refuse, then you’re no brother of mine. Back to where you came from!” Dongmen Qing’s face grew cold and imperious, leaving no room for refusal.

“If that’s the case, then I suppose I have no choice but to accept it with a smile?” Su Yang ventured tentatively.

“Haha, now that’s what makes a good brother!” Dongmen Qing laughed heartily, then turned his gaze toward Jin Ping’er. “Go pack your things now. I’ll have the servants send you directly to Brother Su’s residence.”

“Husband, Ping’er—!”

“Shut up. You’re nothing more than a garment to me, a piece of property. Whatever I tell you to do, you do—who are you to argue?”

“Go pack your things.”

Dongmen Qing was clearly displeased. Turning to Su Yang, he said, “Forgive my poor discipline at home, Brother Su.”

There was sorrow on Jin Ping’er’s face, yet her heart brimmed with joy. She hurried to gather her belongings, never expecting to escape this pit of fire so easily. To enter Young Master Su’s household—such a fate was the best she could have hoped for in this life.

Looking at Dongmen Qing before him, Su Yang could only think:

What a magnanimous man.

“Brother Su, how are your mother-in-law and sister-in-law these days?” Dongmen Qing’s eyes flashed with a hint of cunning and greed as he asked.

“Oh, they’re quite well.”

At first, Su Yang felt a bit moved—perhaps he should reconsider scheming against Dongmen Qing. He seemed like a decent fellow.

He had hardly been here half an hour.

Slap! “Here, take my concubine…”

If someone this generous became a close friend, wouldn’t he be sending women over every day?

Yet, as soon as Dongmen Qing mentioned his mother-in-law and sister-in-law, whatever soft-heartedness remained in Su Yang vanished. He himself was not so generous.

“Brother Su, be honest with me—have you had your way with your mother-in-law or your sister-in-law yet?”

“A widow, newly bereaved and at the prime of her desires—surely she can’t bear to let you out of her bed, can she?” Dongmen Qing raised his brows, dragged his chair closer, and a lascivious smile flickered at his lips.

“Well… I’m not so skilled at the game yet. I haven’t succeeded,” Su Yang replied with feigned embarrassment.

“With your looks, Brother Su, it’s hard to believe you haven’t succeeded yet.”

“You must understand—at different stages of life, women need different kinds of men. Unmarried girls and those who’ve already married, happy women and those whose families have fallen on hard times…”

For the next two hours, Dongmen Qing expounded on his techniques for seducing respectable women into disrepute. It had to be said, Dongmen Qing was truly a master in this field.

Fortunately, Su Yang had plenty of experience from his previous life and knew many stories. He managed to keep Dongmen Qing thoroughly entertained and even astonished at times.

When Su Yang boasted that he dared to make moves on Miss Wang, the eldest daughter of the Wang family, Dongmen Qing was left speechless, utterly in awe. “You’re not picky at all, brother. Is someone like her even considered a woman?”

Meanwhile, Jin Ping’er had already packed her things and been escorted by Dongmen Qing’s servants to Su Yang’s residence.

After having dinner at Dongmen Qing's house, Su Yang suggested they visit Cuiqing Pavilion for some amusement. Dongmen Qing readily agreed, loudly proposing a contest to see who was more capable.

Yet, throughout their conversation, Dongmen Qing kept steering the topic back to Su Yang’s mother-in-law and sister-in-law, making it clear he hadn’t given up on seducing them himself.

If that was his intent, Su Yang knew he had to be ruthless.

“Brother Su, isn’t going down this street taking a detour?” Dongmen Qing asked.

“To be honest, Brother Dongmen, I passed by this street a few days ago and saw a goddess of a woman on the second floor of a local flatbread shop. I wanted to try my luck and see if I might catch another glimpse,” Su Yang replied with a mischievous grin.

“Oh? Then I must see what sort of beauty could so captivate you, Brother Su,” Dongmen Qing said with interest, following Su Yang along the street. As they passed by the Wu family’s flatbread shop, he glanced up to the second floor.

On the second floor, the window propped open with a bamboo pole, sat a woman whose allure seemed etched into her very bones, gazing down at the street.

When Pan Yinlian spotted Su Yang below, she was delighted. Standing up, she covered her mouth with her sleeve and laughed softly, exuding endless charm.

Dongmen Qing, standing beside Su Yang, also looked up. The moment he laid eyes on Pan Yinlian, it was as if his soul left his body. He stood rooted to the spot, entranced.

It took several nudges from Su Yang before Dongmen Qing snapped out of it and followed him down the street, his face still dazed with infatuation.

“Brother Dongmen, what do you think of that goddess?” Su Yang asked.

“A goddess… truly a goddess descended to earth.” Dongmen Qing could barely get the words out. “Brother Su, I must have this woman. I must have her!”

“If I, Dongmen Qing, could spend my life with a woman like that, I’d have no regrets.”

At that moment, it was as if fate had summoned him. Dongmen Qing had fallen for Pan Yinlian at first sight, utterly ensnared by the longing in her eyes.

“Then I wish you every success, Brother Dongmen. May you seize the prize with ease.”

“Brother Su, you are my lucky star! To encounter such a beauty today—what a blessing, what fortune!”

Elated, Dongmen Qing accompanied Su Yang to Cuiqing Pavilion. They summoned several girls to drink with them, and the revelry lasted until nightfall, with Su Yang keeping him company.

Cuiqing Pavilion was bustling, frequented by the prominent families of Yanggu County. The girls, all fresh and inexperienced, had just been purchased and were sent up to entertain guests immediately. Many wealthy patrons enjoyed their innocence, untainted by the world.

Though their lack of training sometimes led to awkward moments, the thought of holding such a pure, untouched girl in their arms made the guests all the more pleased.

Night deepened.

“Brother Dongmen, do you know that the woman you saw on the second floor today is already married?” Su Yang said, shooing away the serving girl.

Dongmen Qing was startled, pain flickering in his eyes. “Married? To whom?”

“Look over there,” Su Yang said, pointing at Wu Dalang, who was entering from outside. “That short fellow.”

“What?” Dongmen Qing exclaimed, springing up from his seat, eyes wide with shock and disbelief. “How could that be?”