Union

Chapter 36 Acting
Yunying had no idea that the dimple on her lower back was her sensitive spot.

When the Second Master squeezed and pinched her like that, her body trembled and she almost went limp. Fortunately, the Second Master's arm supported her, so she didn't embarrass herself.

Just as Yunying was wondering why the Second Master did this, a slick middle-aged man suddenly ran out of the Shang family's old house.

This middle-aged man was of average height and build, neither too fat nor too thin. He had an ordinary appearance, the kind of person you wouldn't notice in a crowd. But he did have a pair of sharp eyes; when he looked at people, his eyes gleamed with a keen, shrewd light, giving off an impression of being overly clever and cunning at first glance.

Yunying's initial impression of this man was not good, but the middle-aged man smiled before speaking and bowed to people, bending his waist lower than others, looking very respectful and polite, which immediately improved her impression of him.

From the middle-aged man's words, Yunying learned that the Second Master had come to look at the house.

And this middle-aged man was none other than Fang Ya, a renowned madam in the area.

A "house broker," also known as a real estate agent, is a middleman who specializes in buying and selling houses.

Second Master has a ready-made county government office to live in, so there is absolutely no need for him to buy another house, unless he wants to secretly have a mistress outside the home.

Of course, the Second Master didn't need to go through all this trouble. After all, if he really took a fancy to someone, he could just bring her to his mansion. Whether she became a concubine, a maidservant, or a noble concubine, the emperor was far away, and no one could control him.

There's no need to buy a house, and this house has no investment potential. So what exactly is Second Master planning by disguising himself and coming here?
On another note, she had just learned from Sui'er that the Shang family's house had been taken over by the county government. Logically, if there were to be a sale, it should be handled by the county government officials. Why was it that a brokerage firm was stepping in and providing personnel?

The matter was somewhat confusing, but it was clearly not the right time to ask. So Yunying pretended to be deaf and dumb, following closely behind the Second Master, listening to the broker talk about the situation of the house.

"Young Master Wang, please look over there," the broker, who identified himself as Chen, addressed the Second Master as "Young Master Wang," though this was, of course, an alias. It was quite a coincidence that this broker's surname was Chen; outsiders usually called him Chen Er, but some, out of respect, would address him as Master Chen Er...

Master Chen almost shared the same nickname as the county magistrate, but he didn't care.

Chen Er, the broker, led them inside, introducing the place at a leisurely pace: "The Shang family is a powerful clan in Yungui County. This is the Shang family's old residence, and you can imagine how much money it cost to build it. The house is made entirely of blue bricks, spacious and sturdy, and it can easily last for decades or even centuries. Young Master Wang, look at the layout: pavilions, terraces, and waterside pavilions, full of charm, elegant and airy… And look here, this Wangyue Lake draws its water from a tributary of the Yuntong River. Fresh water brings wealth and can also soothe the mind and cultivate one's character; this is truly a livable place."

Chen Er, true to his profession as a broker, was incredibly eloquent and persuasive. He praised the house to the skies, saying it was unparalleled, and even Yun Ying was tempted.

But...

Yunying felt a light pinch on her waist, and her back immediately straightened, her chest and abdomen subtly arching forward, hoping to get further away from those large, well-defined hands. At the same time, she couldn't help but look up at the Second Master. This Second Master was really into playing the playboy; ever since they got off the carriage, he hadn't let go of her waist.

At this moment, he was seen waving his folding fan with great flourish, perfectly embodying the carefree and unrestrained demeanor of a dashing young master. Coupled with his already handsome and dashing appearance, the unrestrained smile on his face further solidified his image as a dashing young master.

While patting Yunying's waist, the charming young master Wang lowered his head and asked her in an ambiguous tone, "Yingying, take a look. Is this house acceptable to you? Could it serve as my hiding place?"

Yunying felt a chill run down her spine at the mention of the name "Yingying." She wanted to complain about the Second Master's twisted sense of humor. Wouldn't "Ying'er" sound better? Yingying, Yingying—the mere mention of those two words made her think of Cui Yingying, and she felt completely disgusted.

Fortunately, the Second Master's gaze was quite meaningful, and the hand that was holding her waist tightened its grip, which quickly brought Yun Ying back to her senses.

Yunying understood what the Second Master meant. She immediately looked around with disgust and, in her somewhat clumsy acting, said in a high-pitched, arrogant voice, "What kind of nice house could there be in this remote, impoverished place? And you're praising this house so highly, aren't you just lying through your teeth? What's so good about the layout of this house? I don't see it at all. But this house is really dilapidated. The plaster is peeling off, the glazed tiles are broken beyond recognition, and there are mold and rust everywhere. Most importantly, there's a spider web in the corner, and the spider is as big as my palm."

She glanced at Wangyue Lake again, still shaken. "Is this lake really fed by fresh water? If it is, the water should be crystal clear. Why does it look so greenish, like there's a water ghost hiding in it? Oh dear, could there really be a water ghost in here..."

Yunying spoke with increasing ease, thoroughly examining the entire mansion. Finally, still shaken, she took Wang Gongzi's arm and said to Master Chen, "Look at this! You're selling houses, you should at least have tidied this place up beforehand. It's filthy and messy, the plants are overgrown. If you hadn't led us in, Master Chen, I would have thought we were in some deep mountain forest. Can anyone live in this house?"

Master Chen's face changed after being teased by Yun Ying. However, he was a man of many talents, and even after being humiliated by a lowly maid, he quickly regained his smile. He explained politely, "You see, this isn't my house. I'm just a house broker, showing people around. This house is registered with the government; we're just running errands for them, and we probably won't even get a commission..."

Upon hearing Chen Er's words, Yun Ying suddenly understood; so he was running errands for the government. However, the government officials were far too lazy. How could they let things collected by the county government end up in the hands of outsiders? Was that in accordance with regulations?
Yunying glanced at "Young Master Wang" without leaving a trace, and saw "Young Master Wang" smilingly point at her with a finger, "You, you are so picky, you have high standards. If you were in the manor, even if you wanted that golden house, I could get it for you. But in Yungui County, you can just make do with what you have."

Yunying suppressed the discomfort of having her nose touched. "Young Master Wang's" gesture was too intimate, and her heart trembled. Now she didn't even dare to look him in the eye.

"What are you saying, young master? You coaxed me to come here with you, saying you would give me whatever I wanted. But now, all I want is a decent house, and you're not happy about it."

He started to give her a cold shoulder while he was talking, and even turned around and left.

It's unclear whether Yingying didn't know the way or was so angry that she didn't pay attention to where she was going, but she ended up going further and further astray.

(End of this chapter)