Chapter 92: Chapter 85: A Showdown at the Door

The people of the Lin Mansion were terrified, but the personal guards behind Chen Sheng unconsciously straightened their spines, their eyes shining with shared glory. ’Our commander is just that tough!’

"Chen Sheng, do not forget your station."

Lin Shou suppressed his fury, trying to use his rank to intimidate him. "I am a court-appointed official of the Standard Seventh Grade. You are merely an eighth-grade commander of the Military Preparation Camp. What authority do you have to investigate me?!"

"Oh?"

Chen Sheng raised an eyebrow, his tone still level, yet it carried an undeniable force:

"If County Magistrate Lin believes I have no authority to investigate, then so be it. I will simply compile the relevant ’evidence of crimes’ I have collected into a report and send it directly to the Ning’an Prefecture Government Office. We can let the Lord Prefect and the other superiors render a clear judgment.

But when that time comes... County Magistrate Lin had better not have any regrets."

Upon hearing this, Lin Shou’s expression changed in an instant.

He had indeed accepted a great deal of ’tributes’ from the Gao Family. Under normal circumstances, he might have been able to navigate the situation, but he had just been reprimanded by the Prefecture Government Office. This was a sensitive time.

If Chen Sheng truly had solid evidence and reported it to the higher-ups, his official’s hat would probably be in jeopardy.

For a moment, guilt and panic intertwined, causing his imposing demeanor to falter.

But with everyone watching, he absolutely could not back down easily. He could only glare viciously at Chen Sheng, holding his ground in a bluff of sternness.

Just as the tense atmosphere was about to snap, a gentle voice, tinged with urgency, rang out:

"Commander Chen, please calm your anger. Could there... be some sort of misunderstanding?"

Madam Yang, accompanied by her handmaid Lvxiu, hurried over from the inner courtyard.

She first glanced quickly at Chen Sheng. Seeing he was unharmed, she felt a small sense of relief. Then she stepped forward, attempting to de-escalate the charged atmosphere.

Her words seemed to be an attempt at mediation, but they concealed a hidden meaning. She knew Chen Sheng; if he truly had irrefutable evidence, he would never waste his breath here. He was either bluffing or leaving room for negotiation, unwilling to completely burn his bridges.

When Lin Shou saw Madam Yang step forward, a faint, inexplicable warmth rose in his heart.

Although he disliked this wife in name only, her mediating at this moment was indeed more appropriate than him stubbornly holding his ground.

Chen Sheng’s gaze fell upon Madam Yang, scrutinizing her carefully.

They hadn’t seen each other for a few days, and Madam Yang seemed even more beautiful and charming. Her graceful figure was as it always had been, but the gentle charm between her brows was now brighter, free from its usual hint of sorrow.

’I wonder if it was the nourishment from that one night of passion that’s making her radiate such a glow from within.’

He pondered for a few breaths, then went along with her words:

"Whether it’s a misunderstanding or not can only be determined after a clear inquiry and investigation."

Madam Yang, with her sharp mind, immediately understood the hidden meaning. She broke into a smile and proposed:

"Commander Chen has a point. In that case, blocking the entrance is no way to treat a guest, and it’s difficult to sort right from wrong out here. Why don’t we invite Commander Chen and my lord husband to move to the study to discuss this matter in detail?"

"County Magistrate Lin, what are your thoughts?"

Chen Sheng’s gaze shifted to Lin Shou. Although it was a question, his tone carried an air of being impossible to refuse.

Lin Shou’s mind raced as he weighed the pros and cons.

He figured that no matter how audacious Chen Sheng was, he wouldn’t dare to lay a hand on a court official like him in broad daylight and in front of everyone. Going to the study to talk in private might allow him to probe for the truth and save some face.

"Hmph!"

Lin Shou snorted coldly and flicked his sleeve. "I’d like to see what ’evidence of crimes’ you can produce!"

The surrounding crowd watched the three of them enter the mansion one after another, exchanging bewildered glances, completely baffled. The situation seemed to grow only more confusing.

---

Inside the study, sandalwood incense curled in the air.

Lin Shou walked straight behind the desk and sat down in the redwood Taishi Chair, trying to use it to establish a home-field advantage. 𝚏𝐫𝚎𝗲𝕨𝐞𝐛𝕟𝚘𝐯𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝗺

Then, he fixed his sharp gaze on the perfectly composed Chen Sheng and asked in a deep voice:

"Chen Sheng, there are no outsiders here now. What exactly are you up to?"

"What am I up to?"

Chen Sheng chuckled softly. He didn’t answer directly, but instead turned his head and gave Madam Yang, who was standing by his side, a meaningful look.

Madam Yang understood instantly. She pursed her lips, stepped forward, and gently closed and latched the study door.

Watching this, Lin Shou’s brows furrowed tightly. The suspicion in his heart grew, and he had absolutely no idea what trick Chen Sheng had up his sleeve.

However, the next scene struck him like a bolt of lightning, and his eyes instantly widened into perfect circles!

He watched as Chen Sheng, as if no one else were there, sat down in a guest chair and then casually beckoned to Madam Yang.

Madam Yang received the signal and shot Chen Sheng a playfully reproachful glance, her beautiful eyes holding a trace of questioning and shyness. ’Lin Shou is still here!’

But seeing Chen Sheng give her a slight, firm nod, Madam Yang’s heart settled. She bit her lip and hesitated no longer.

She immediately walked over to Chen Sheng with light yet determined steps and then, under Lin Shou’s gaze that was practically spitting fire, she nestled meekly into Chen Sheng’s embrace.

Only, her slender hand, hidden in her sleeve, gave his waist an imperceptible pinch, a gesture of both playful complaint and resentment, blaming him for forcing this confrontation in such a direct and embarrassing manner.

"Now, does County Magistrate Lin understand why I have come today?"

Chen Sheng naturally wrapped one arm around Madam Yang’s slender waist, his calm gaze meeting Lin Shou’s face, which was twisted in shock. He asked, enunciating each word with perfect clarity.

Lin Shou froze completely. His mind went blank, as if unable to process the utterly absurd scene before him.

What was he seeing?

His officially and properly wed wife, his wife in name, was right now, in front of his face, throwing herself into another man’s arms—and that man was Chen Sheng, whom he hated to the bone!

After the extreme shock came a towering inferno of rage that shot straight to his head.

Lin Shou sprang up from the Taishi Chair. His finger trembled as he pointed at Chen Sheng, his voice distorted with extreme anger. "Chen Sheng, you... you have some fucking nerve!!"

He could never have imagined that Chen Sheng’s arrogance and insolence could reach such lawless extremes!

’If he acts like this to my face, what must he be doing behind my back...?’ He didn’t dare to imagine.

"I’ve always had plenty of nerve."

The mocking smile on Chen Sheng’s lips grew more pronounced. "Is County Magistrate Lin only now truly learning this lesson?"

"You... you... you’ve gone too far!"

Lin Shou trembled with rage, his words becoming incoherent. He then turned his spearhead on Madam Yang, his face contorted as he roared, "And you, you shameless bitch! You’ve abandoned your wifely duties, daring to commit such a sordid affair and disgrace my family’s name! I will make the Yang Family pay! I’ll have you, you slut, die without a proper burial!!"

After the initial shock and fear, nestled in Chen Sheng’s firm, warm embrace and feeling that reassuring strength, an unprecedented courage suddenly rose in Madam Yang’s heart.

Facing Lin Shou’s venomous curses, not only did she show no fear, but she lifted her head, gave a cold laugh, and her voice, clear and sharp, spoke words that were each a stab to the heart:

"I’ve abandoned my wifely duties? The one who has truly disgraced our family name and lost all face is you, Lin Shou! A dignified Standard Seventh Grade County Magistrate who, instead of thinking about serving the court and pacifying the people, willingly becomes another man’s plaything, engaging in the filthy act of Longyang!

You even wanted to give away your own wedded wife like a piece of merchandise to curry favor! Lin Shou, I have tolerated you for long enough over these years! In the past, I was concerned about the Yang Family and didn’t dare to tear all pretenses down with you, but now..."

Madam Yang paused, glanced gently at Chen Sheng, then fixed her gaze back on Lin Shou, her voice filled with resolute catharsis:

"Now that I have Chen Lang to protect me, why should I fear your threats in the slightest? Married to you for years, we were husband and wife in name but strangers in reality, and I suffered endless coldness and humiliation!

These years of torment don’t even compare to one night of bliss with Chen Lang! Lin Shou, ask yourself, if you’re not a useless waste of a man, then what are you?!"

This torrent of resentment and grievance, pent up for years, burst forth like a flood from a broken dam.

Every sentence was like a sharp dagger, stabbing viciously into Lin Shou’s most hypocritical and vulnerable spots.

Being scolded like this, Lin Shou’s face turned from red to green, then from green to white. His arm, pointing at Madam Yang, trembled violently. His chest heaved, a guttural "HCKK... HCKK..." sound came from his throat, and he couldn’t manage to refute a single word.

Only his murderous gaze remained, locked dead on the embracing couple.

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