On the Day of the Grand Wedding, My Wife Was Acting Strange - Chapter 20:

Chapter 20: Soaring Together, What Joy That Would Be

The two left the mansion, one in front and one behind, boarding the carriage and heading straight to the casino.

This news was quickly seen by Xiao Cui and reported to Liu Shuyao.

Still kneeling outside Lin Zhenxian’s door, Liu Shuyao was already on the verge of collapse. Hearing Xiao Cui’s words, she immediately perked up.

“What did you say? Lin Zhen went out with that woman?”

“Yes, the female manager from the casino. The two of them got into the carriage together, chatting and laughing!”

Shocked, Liu Shuyao’s mind began to whirl.

She never loved Lin Zhen. All her current suffering was entirely because of him.

He had taken her by force, snatched her from Gu Beichen’s side, and now, because of him, she had to kneel before that smelly old man.

Everything was Lin Zhen’s fault!

If it weren’t for him, she and Gu Beichen would have been soaring together in bliss. How happy that would have been!

Xiao Cui glanced at the brightness in Liu Shuyao’s eyes and softly suggested, “Madam, should we tell the old master about this? He hates those kinds of women the most. Maybe he’ll punish Lin Zhen.”

“Yes, yes!” Liu Shuyao, not the brightest, immediately shouted toward the main door, “Grandfather! Your granddaughter-in-law has something to say!”

“Grandfather, please open the door!”

Creak—

The door actually opened.

Steward Lin An came out and said, “Young Madam, the old master has ordered that if you have something to say, say it here.”

With that, Lin An brushed past her and walked away.

Liu Shuyao didn’t suspect anything and immediately cried out, “Grandfather! Lin Zhen is bringing disgrace to the family, bringing a woman of the streets into the mansion, and now he’s gone out with her for who knows what shady deeds! Grandfather, compared to what Lin Zhen has done, my mistake is nothing at all!”

“Please, Grandfather, give me a chance to catch them in the act. I guarantee I’ll bring them back with evidence!”

“Silence!”

Lin Zhenxian appeared, his white brows almost twisted into knots, his face burning with fury.

He had just learned about Lin Zhen wanting money to do business.

Though happy about his grandson’s change, before he could even enjoy it, Liu Shuyao had to cause a scene, how could he not be angry?

“Even if Zhen’er did something wrong, he is still your husband. How can you slander him like this behind his back? Moreover, it’s nothing for a man to keep a few concubines. But you seducing that Gu family brat is an unforgivable crime! If not for the sake of Liu Hanyang, do you think I would tolerate a woman like you in this mansion?”

Knowing her low status, Liu Shuyao dared not speak further, only hoping Lin Zhenxian would get angry enough to have Lin Zhen divorce her.

“Then… please, Grandfather, order to annul the marriage…”

“Annul you? Hahaha.” Lin Zhenxian laughed heartily, “Our Lin family already has the stain of corruption hanging over us. Now if we annul you, wouldn’t that cheapen you and Gu Beichen? Don’t worry, Zhen’er will have his ways to deal with you.”

Waving his hand, Lin Zhenxian barked, “Don’t stay here and dirty my sight. Go back to where you belong.”

With that, he turned and left, and Lin An closed the door behind him.

Liu Shuyao felt like her soul had been drained, collapsing to the ground. Xiao Cui hurriedly helped her up, “Madam!”

“Xiao Cui, quickly tell my father about this. Otherwise… it’ll be too late…”

“Yes! This servant will go at once!”

…

The Regent’s Mansion’s carriage moved slowly, its style far beyond ordinary residences. The carriage body was adorned with elegant and exquisite totems, every detail exuding understated luxury, neither flashy nor vulgar, just the right amount of nobility.

Inside the carriage, the space was spacious and tasteful, with a tea table arranged in the center.

Lin Zhen sat upright in the middle, calm and relaxed, while Zhang Li sat quietly at his right. With the carriage swaying, their knees occasionally brushed, sparking subtle ripples.

Zhang Li felt uneasy at the accidental touch, yet she couldn’t speak up, only frowning secretly.

Looking up, she saw Lin Zhen lifting the curtain, looking outside, not appearing like he was taking advantage.

Hmph, pretending to be proper.

“Hey, did Her Majesty really order the Gu family to give you the Yuanda Casino?”

Actually, when they left the mansion, Zhang Li already believed it seventy or eighty percent. Seeing Lin Zhen’s confident demeanor now only strengthened her belief.

Lin Zhen looked outside without answering, suddenly asking out of nowhere, “Do you know any carpenters?”

“What are you planning?”

“I need to build some carriages.”

“For that kind of work, you don’t need master craftsmen. Any apprentice can do it.”

“I need a large quantity, and I need them fast.”

Zhang Li was puzzled but didn’t press.

“How many? I can find someone to handle it.”

“About three hundred.”

“What?” Zhang Li couldn’t sit still now.

Three hundred carriages!

What did that even mean?

All the carriages in the entire capital added together barely reached fifty, and they were all for officials’ families.

Was he planning to start a rebellion?

“Lin Zhen, what exactly are you planning? That’s not a small number. Besides, do you even have that many horses?”

“Don’t worry about the horses, I have my ways. Just tell me how long it would take and roughly how much it will cost.”

Zhang Li lowered her head to calculate, “Without the horses, around seven hundred taels. It would take about half a month.”

Lin Zhen shook his head, “Half a month is too long. Ten days.”

“Big Brother, even if you gathered all the carpenters in the city, they couldn’t make thirty carriages a day!”

“Then have them work day and night. Tell them money is no object. It must be done in ten days.”

Lin Zhen turned to look at the beautiful woman, his tone leaving no room for negotiation.

“I’ll give you the money tomorrow. Go handle it.”

“You’re ordering me now?” Zhang Li frowned, “Hmph, we haven’t even reached the casino yet, and you’re so sure I’ll lose?”

Lin Zhen’s lips curled into a meaningful smile, “You will lose for sure.”

“Hmph~” Zhang Li snorted lightly, rolling her eyes, hiding a trace of defiance.

At this moment, she was brimming with charm.

To be honest, Zhang Li’s beauty was not something ordinary girls could compare to. Hers was a kind of allure polished by time, like a beauty stepping out of an ancient painting, every detail just right.

Her long dress swayed gently, every fold exuding feminine elegance and allure, making it hard for anyone to resist being drawn in by the femininity that radiated from within.

When reading this book in his past life, Lin Zhen had fantasized about Zhang Li’s beauty, and today, he finally experienced it firsthand.

The carriage stopped at the entrance of Yuanda Casino.

It was already under Fatty’s personal guard, with dozens of soldiers in black armor patrolling and standing guard.

The two got off the carriage, and Lin Zhen said, “How about it? Didn’t I tell you the casino is already mine?”

Looking at the broken doors and the blood on the ground, in just one afternoon, Zhang Li felt as if it was a world away. She turned and knelt before Lin Zhen.

“Yuanda Casino’s manager Zhang Li, greets the master.”

“Good girl.” Lin Zhen helped Zhang Li up, “I’ll leave the casino to you. I won’t interfere, won’t ask questions. Just one thing.”

Zhang Li’s beautiful eyes showed she was all ears.

Lin Zhen raised three fingers, “Within three months, I want one hundred thousand taels of silver.”