Chapter 120: Preparing to Strike

"Young Master, our sister is truly soul-stirring. Did you see that young nobleman in the group just now? His eyes were practically popping out of his head. What a pity, though; he doesn't have the good fortune to claim her, does he? Right, sister?"

In a group of five, a slightly plump, middle-aged man spoke with a teasing tone. The others were accustomed to his lack of decorum and merely smiled without responding, but the person in question was different. Hearing this, the woman in white blushed deeply and said with annoyance, "Third Brother Bao, if you keep spouting such nonsense, I shall ignore you from now on."

Her words revealed the identities of the group. The three men were Murong Fu, Bao Butong, and Feng Bo'e, while the two women were Wang Yuyan and Abi.

"Alright, alright, your brother was wrong. You know how my mouth is—I simply can't help myself. Take heart; if you are to marry into the Murong family, the two of us will be seeing each other every day. You had best get used to it early, sister."

Bao Butong had intended to apologize, but once he had prepared his thoughts and spoken them aloud, the words took on a different flavor. Wang Yuyan was genuinely angry this time. She ignored him and continued walking, her face still flushed, though her gaze drifted involuntarily toward the back of her cousin, Murong Fu, who was leading the way. On the surface, she was embarrassed and irritated by Bao Butong’s words, but in her heart, a sense of sweetness had blossomed.

However, this sweetness did not last long before Wang Yuyan sighed in disappointment, "Cousin, oh cousin, the whole world knows my heart. Are you truly unable to see it, or do you simply choose not to?"

The exchange between Bao Butong and Wang Yuyan stirred the thoughts of those present, yet no one spoke. Thus, each lost in their own reflections, the group continued toward their planned destination.

On the other side, the entire entourage had turned back. Though everyone was puzzled by the sudden change in direction, an order was absolute. No one dared to show any hesitation, and the procession moved fluidly back the way they had come. By the time they returned to the inn, the sky had already darkened.

After seeing Zhu Yu settled, Jiang Yuyan made an excuse about washing up and went to find Cao Zhengchun, who had not yet retired.

"My Lady—no, excuse me, Madam—why have you come to see this old servant so late?" Cao Zhengchun was quite surprised to see Jiang Yuyan at such an hour. "Weren't we returning to the palace today? Why the sudden return? Has something happened?"

Although the title of "Madam" pleased her, Jiang Yuyan went straight to the point. "You weren't planning to tell me, were you? Why did you send people to inquire about a woman before dinner? Since I have already heard of it, you had best tell me the truth."

Cao Zhengchun had not expected his lie to backfire so quickly. Since it was nothing shameful, he had no choice but to lay out the events of the day in full. Upon hearing that Zhu Yu had been captivated by a woman he had only seen once and never spoken to, the smile that Jiang Yuyan usually wore for others began to twist.

"Oh, so that’s how it is. In that case, she must be quite beautiful. I am curious myself—what kind of person could captivate the Young Master at a single glance? Once you have gathered the information on her, give me a copy as well."

With that, Jiang Yuyan turned and left. When she was in a bad mood, she needed an outlet, and unfortunately for him, that fell upon Zhu Yu.

Half-asleep and half-awake, the persistent sensations of pleasure spreading through his body brought Zhu Yu back to consciousness. He looked up at the diligently working Jiang Yuyan, feeling both astonished and bewildered.

"What are you doing... um... steady... ah... no!"

By the time the sky began to brighten, Zhu Yu looked at the sleeping Jiang Yuyan, who wore a satisfied smile, and then at the pale window. He could not help but shed tears of humiliation. Amidst a cocktail of complicated emotions, he eventually drifted back into a slumber.

It was near noon when the two finally woke. Watching Jiang Yuyan, who had consumed precious medicinal tonics, dressing in the sunlight, her skin appeared translucent and even more radiant than usual. Had it been yesterday, Zhu Yu would have been stirred, but now, seeing this scene, he only felt a lingering ache in his waist.

*This shouldn't be,* he thought. *I am a master-level fighter too. Yes, it was only because I was caught by a sneak attack yesterday. Nothing more.*

After their meal, while Jiang Yuyan was not looking, Cao Zhengchun presented the collected intelligence to Zhu Yu. Later, without Zhu Yu knowing, he gave an identical report to Jiang Yuyan. Of course, he had already subtly hinted to Zhu Yu that Jiang Yuyan was aware of the matter.

Looking at the dossier, Zhu Yu felt it was both expected and disappointing. Expected because of Wang Yuyan—such beauty was truly worthy of the title "fairy." Disappointing, also because of her. He knew that Wang Yuyan’s heart was deeply set on Murong Fu. Trying to win her over through genuine emotion would be incredibly difficult, yet he did not want to be a pathetic sycophant like Duan Yu.

It is worth noting that Zhu Yu had long wanted to meet Wang Yuyan, but because he knew it was nearly impossible to win her through normal means, he had kept this desire hidden. But now, seeing her, he felt that such a beauty was too wasted on Murong Fu or the Prince of Dali. They could not handle such a woman—let him take over.

He realized he had been trapped in a dead end. What he craved was her body; winning her heart was hard, but obtaining her body was easy. Of course, putting it that way sounded slightly improper, and he was not typically that kind of person, but if he reframed it—making her offer herself willingly—that did not seem so difficult.

As for Murong Fu, although he was a villain, his life was a tragedy when viewed in its entirety. As this thought struck him, a flash of inspiration crossed his mind, and a rudimentary plan began to take shape.

Three days later, by the Suzhou River.

Zhu Yu and his party waited on a large ship for Murong Fu’s group. Before long, an Eastern Depot spy reported that they were less than a mile away. Soon, those on the deck could see their figures in the distance. Seeing this, Jiang Yuyan adjusted her appearance and stepped off the ship with grace.

Logically, this task should have fallen to Cao Zhengchun, but Jiang Yuyan had insisted in bed that she wanted to see her "new sister" in advance, and Zhu Yu had not dared to refuse. In other places, he was the one in charge, but in bed... he was genuinely afraid of