283: Chapter 283 The Moon Goddess Was Fooled and Became Incompetent

Xiao Yue stared stubbornly at Qin Ge, her clear, large eyes brimming with misty tears.

She had never been the type to cry; back home, no matter how much grievance she suffered or how harsh the beatings were, she never shed a tear.

But for some reason, facing Qin Ge's lack of trust...

Especially seeing Qin Ge dote on Lin Xiaojin so tenderly made her feel an indescribable sense of grievance and heartache!

"Why are you getting so worked up?"

"Mentioning Lin Xiaojin every other word!"

"Do you enjoy comparing yourself to Lin Xiaojin that much?"

Qin Ge narrowed his eyes, faintly sizing up Xiao Yue as she clenched her small fists. With a playful smirk, he teased, "Could it be that you're jealous because I've been spending all my time with Lin Xiaojin these past few days?"

"I... I..."

Xiao Yue shook her head frantically. "How could I possibly be jealous of Young Master Qin? You are my creditor, a Young Master, while I owe you money and am just a servant."

"How could I possibly be jealous of you?"

She shook her head vigorously, trying to cast that absurd thought from her mind.

Qin Ge reached out, grabbed Xiao Yue's arm, and with a slight tug, pulled her into his embrace.

He pinched Xiao Yue's delicate chin, tilting her face up slightly. Staring into her evasive eyes, he chuckled, "Not jealous?"

"Then why were you so worked up when you mentioned Lin Xiaojin?"

"Before, you didn't have the courage to talk back to me."

"Today, you're acting completely out of character, yet you still claim you don't have those kinds of thoughts?"

What young girl doesn't harbor romantic longings?

Not to mention, during this time, he had always looked for opportunities to take advantage of Xiao Yue!

One must understand that in the era Xiao Yue lived in, most people had never even seen their spouse before marriage, let alone had any intimate contact.

They didn't even lock eyes; holding hands or going on dates was like a fairy tale.

Xiao Yue's values were inherently extremely conservative.

Having been taken advantage of by him repeatedly, how could she not have unrealistic fantasies in her heart?

He had simply used the interval after soothing Lin Xiaojin's lovesickness to trigger the deep-seated desires in Xiao Yue's heart!

"Let me go!"

Xiao Yue struggled violently in Qin Ge's arms, biting her lip as she said in shame and anger, "I am not jealous!"

"And I never thought about becoming your concubine, Young Master Qin!"

"Even if I, Xiao Yue, never marry in this life, I will never become a concubine who can be given away to others at will!"

Qin Ge's arms were like iron pincers, firmly locking around Xiao Yue's slender waist. "So, you're admitting you have feelings for me?"

"You just don't want to be a concubine, right?"

Of course, Xiao Yue's resistance to being a concubine wasn't because she fantasized about becoming the primary wife.

Rather, in Xiao Yue's era, a so-called "concubine" didn't mean a secondary wife in the usual sense.

It was more akin to a kept performer or a prostitute within the household.

Concubines had no human rights; they were more like slaves who had signed a contract of indenture. They could be given away to friends at will, or if the master grew bored, kicked into a brothel.

It was roughly equivalent to using a public vehicle for private use—once tired of it, it could be rented out to continue making money.

"I don't!" Xiao Yue shook her head vigorously.

In her heart, she admitted she had indeed fantasized about something.

After all, Qin Ge was handsome and had a lean, well-built physique.

Moreover, he had helped her tremendously, providing her with food and a place to stay.

But she was absolutely unwilling to become Qin Ge's concubine.

Once she became a concubine, she would no longer have the confidence to talk back to him.

If one day Qin Ge, like Squire Wang, sold his household concubines into a brothel, what would she do?

She had heard before that after Squire Wang's concubine entered the brothel, she fell ill within two months. The madam of the brothel had her "fish mouth" clipped, causing her to faint from the excruciating pain.

She wasn't dead yet and still had a breath left, but the madam had her nailed into a coffin!

She would rather never marry in her life.

She would rather die than become a concubine with such a tragic and inhumane fate!

Tsk—

Looking at Xiao Yue's agitated state, Qin Ge couldn't help but shake his head.

Her experience in society was simply too shallow.

She had fallen right into the trap of trying to prove herself.

Actually, Xiao Yue wasn't even refuting the idea of being jealous anymore; instead, she was violently resisting the notion of being a concubine.

He had only used a basic attack, and Xiao Yue had already blown her ultimate!

"Who said I'm making you a concubine?"

Qin Ge rolled his eyes in annoyance. Pinching Xiao Yue's chin, he said with a straight face, "From start to finish, you're the one who's been bringing up the idea of being a concubine, aren't you?"

Xiao Yue's beautiful eyes were full of resentment as she muttered, "You already have Lin Xiaojin, yet you still want to be bad to me. If you don't want me to be a concubine, then you're just playing the rogue, bullying people without taking responsibility, right?"

"In the old days, if I reported this to the authorities, you would have been drowned in a pig cage!"

Qin Ge chuckled. "Would an 'Equal Wife' not work?"

An Equal Wife?

Xiao Yue's beautiful eyes widened.

Hearing this, her head started buzzing!

An Equal Wife—that was a status equivalent to a legally wed primary wife!

Even her offspring would have inheritance rights within the Family!

But she, Xiao Yue, had no Family status or background; she had only heard of the Three Obediences and Four Virtues from others.

She was just a destitute girl from a poor village; what right did she have to become the Equal Wife of a great figure like Young Master Qin?

To put it more bluntly, with her impoverished background, let alone an Equal Wife...

Even if Qin Ge were willing to take her as a concubine, in the eyes of outsiders, it would be considered a stroke of incredible luck for her ancestors!

"Young Master Qin, are... are you being serious?" Xiao Yue bit her moist lip and looked up with her bright, watery eyes. A flush appeared on her cheeks as she whispered shyly.

Unlike modern people, Xiao Yue didn't understand what it meant to be tsundere, nor did she know how to play hard to get.

She was just afraid—afraid that Qin Ge was lying or tricking her.

Qin Ge pushed Xiao Yue down and moved in.

He looked at Xiao Yue's exquisite face, so close to his own, and said playfully with a smile, "Why would I lie to you?"

Xiao Yue's small hands guarded the front of her black-and-white maid outfit. She looked away, her heart racing like a panicked deer as she whispered, "Young Master Qin, you really won't give me away to someone else?"

"I won't!" Qin Ge shook his head decisively.

Cut the crap.

He didn't have that kind of weird fetish!

Whether it was Lin Xiaojin or the Moon Goddess, they were both his treasures.

It was just that he cherished Lin Xiaojin a bit more.

Feeling a bit intruded upon, Xiao Yue quickly reached out and grabbed Qin Ge's arm. Shaking her head bashfully, she said, "Young Master Qin, can... can we wait until our wedding day for the consummation?"

"Sure!"

Qin Ge nodded without any hesitation.

He reached out and pointed at his own face. "However, you have to show me your sincerity first."

*Smack!*

Xiao Yue endured her inner bashfulness, summoned her courage, and gave Qin Ge's cheek a light, fleeting peck. Then, her face turning so red it looked like it might bleed, she ran out of the Private Room in utter embarrassment.