Chapter 947: Chapter 945: Jiang Yifan Is in a Dilemma
Jinrong’s question left Jiang Yifan feeling quite embarrassed.
He smiled helplessly and said, "We’re still keeping Big Brother Zheng hanging. Ah Yan said it would be today or tomorrow; we’ll wait until the story in the book reaches a critical point where he can’t bear to stop reading, and then we’ll talk to Big Brother Zheng."
He truly felt a bit of sympathy for Zheng Pengfei, as he had been targeted by Ah Yan. Over the past few days, he had watched Zheng Pengfei struggle each time he received a new volume of the book, feeling conflicted yet eagerly anticipating the next one.
Jinrong’s expression was also peculiar, and after a long pause, he said, "Is that book really that good? Bring it over one day, and I’ll have a look too."
Jiang Yifan spread his hands, "I bet Ah Yan won’t let you read it. To increase its value, she intends to entrust the entire book to Big Brother Zheng. If Big Brother Zheng wants to enjoy it himself without sharing, Ah Yan will fully support him."
This! Jinrong gave Jiang Yifan a glare, "For a man like you to reach this level is quite shameful!"
Jiang Yifan looked up at the sky, "It’s so shameful that some people can’t even compete for it."
"You’re so arrogant now, just wait until I manage you in the future!" Jinrong was choked on his words and had to leave with a stern warning before he remembered the real business, "Have you planned everything out?"
"Yes, when the time comes, as long as Elder Master Ye cooperates a bit, everything will succeed."
......
The next evening, it wasn’t Shi Shu delivering the volume to Zheng Pengfei but Ye Xinyan instead.
Accompanied by Jiang Yifan, the couple entered Zheng Pengfei’s room together.
Jiang Yifan was no longer embarrassed as before. After greeting Zheng Pengfei, he and Ye Xinyan sat in the same spots as during their previous visit.
Zheng Pengfei, having dealt with Ye Xinyan for several months on the railway site, was quite familiar with her. Nonetheless, he was an outsider, and although they both lived at the Jiang Family Residence, this was only Ye Xinyan’s second visit to Zheng Pengfei’s room.
The three of them sat in the reception hall, with Zheng Pengfei’s bedroom in the inner room.
This was within their own residence, with Jiang Yifan accompanying her, so Ye Xinyan didn’t have anyone else following her.
The servant who managed Zheng Pengfei’s daily life served tea and then left the room.
According to this servant, yesterday, when Zheng Pengfei was reading the book, right at the critical moment recounted by the young nun, he couldn’t help but exclaim, "A true hero."
This was precisely the moment Ye Xinyan had timed.
The novel Ye Xinyan brought in today consisted of ten Chapters, bound into a single volume, looking much thicker than the previous ones.
Zheng Pengfei indeed loved this book, loved it tremendously. He also admitted that Ye Xinyan was right—compared to this novel, the stories he’d heard in various teahouses during his travels weren’t even on the same level.
However, as an experienced wanderer of the Jianghu for over twenty years, Zheng Pengfei wasn’t so easily seen through by Ye Xinyan when it came to his inner urgency.
Thus, Zheng Pengfei politely offered Jiang Yifan and his wife a seat, leisurely sipping his tea while making small talk with Jiang Yifan, as if ignoring the enticing volume placed in front of Ye Xinyan.
Ye Xinyan reluctantly rolled her eyes for a while, and finally, during a pause between the two men’s conversation, she pushed the storybook in Zheng Pengfei’s direction.
"Big Brother Zheng, I wonder what you’ve considered regarding the matter I mentioned before?"
Although Jiang Yifan had already discussed his plan with Zheng Pengfei, the plan wouldn’t necessarily require sneaking into the Grand Tutor’s Mansion to steal the girls’ undergarments, as there were other ways to clear his name from being suspected as a top-level Flying Thief.
It now only depended on whether Zheng Pengfei agreed to what Ye Xinyan proposed.
If he didn’t agree, Jiang Yifan would adjust the plan, having Zheng Pengfei make a move elsewhere to divert attention from his previous infiltration of Hao Ruhai’s mansion to steal account books, shifting the focus away from the capital.
In doing so, Zheng Pengfei would maintain his moral boundary, but he would also miss out on a masterpiece that could be considered legendary in the martial arts genre.
Ye Xinyan would have to abandon the original plan and find another way to secure that unique military book from the Grand Tutor’s Mansion for Duke An. Meanwhile, letting Grand Tutor Xing know that Duke An’s granddaughter was still that unrestrained and unruly girl.
During these days, Zheng Pengfei, while reading a daily portion of the novel, contemplated the future plot. He also spent a lot of mental energy wondering whether holding those backroom women’s undergarments in his hand would cast a shadow over his future life.
Yesterday, while reading the book, when the distinguished senior brother was severely injured by the flower thief but managed to save the young nun, he found himself deeply engrossed in the book, his situation neatly planned by Jiang Yifan’s wife.
This book was indeed astonishingly captivating, and Jiang Yifan’s shrewd wife truly lived up to her word. Once she said she would not continue writing, she absolutely wouldn’t continue, which was exasperatingly ruthless!
Zheng Pengfei decided that this book, worthy of a master, justified him in breaching his moral boundaries once.
The senior brother in the story, rumored to be the central character, could act out of the norm, so he, being just a small thief, had no need for all those pretentious formalities.
Although Zheng Pengfei maintained his demeanor in front of Ye Xinyan, not showing his desire for those ten Chapters, his response to Ye Xinyan’s question wasn’t hesitating: "When does the younger sister-in-law need these items?"
Ye Xinyan had no intention of maintaining a facade like Zheng Pengfei; she didn’t plan to hide her excitement at all. Zheng Pengfei’s answer was a straightforward agreement.
She immediately beamed at Jiang Yifan, "Didn’t you say you wanted to do something during this opportunity? Then let’s follow your idea, make the arrangements, and just get me those few pieces of undergarments."
Zheng Pengfei’s face darkened a bit upon hearing the word undergarments.
Jiang Yifan, however, let out a long sigh of relief. Damn, this matter was finally resolved. On one side was his brother, and on the other was his wife, putting him in a truly awkward position.
In his view, his wife was of course the most important. However, his brother was entirely a victim of unwarranted calamity, and he couldn’t simply favor his wife blindly at the cost of his conscience, could he?
Now that it was finally settled, he just needed to use his strengths to handle the rest. Compared to being stuck between his wife and brother, the task left ... was practically kids’ play as his wife would say.
......
At the first quarter of the Early Yin Hour on the third day, a shadow barely visible darted into the Grand Tutor’s Mansion.
Ancient people had the habit of going to bed early and rising early, and logically speaking, this time wasn’t when ancient people slept the most soundly. However, Jiang Yifan chose this moment to sneak into the Grand Tutor’s Mansion, and it was Zheng Pengfei in full black attire, face covered.
Zheng Pengfei had already reviewed the map of the Grand Tutor’s Mansion given by Jiang Yifan, and he confirmed the location to act. Yesterday, he had also surveyed the place, and as soon as he entered the Grand Tutor’s Mansion, he silently moved towards the concubine’s courtyard and sneaked in.
He didn’t seem to make any movement, not even disturbing the maidservant on night duty outside. In a flash, Zheng Pengfei opened the door and entered the inner chamber where Grand Tutor Xing and his beloved concubine were resting.