My Wife’s Double Life – Daddi Tang, Sabrina Zhuang

The Baibao Pavilion was robbed. Xu Muchen was ordered to investigate thoroughly. Inside the pavilion, he found a suspicious golden bell tassel. By tracing the buyers of the golden bell, Xu Muchen deduced the entire process of how the thief used the golden bell to commit the crime and resolved to capture the culprit.

The Emperor personally arranged a marriage between Xu Muchen and Su Jinzhen. Upon learning this, Xu Muchen, troubled by Duke Su's handling of his father Xu Chengsi's corruption case in the past, was unwilling to marry a daughter of the Su family. He went to the Su Mansion to break off the engagement.

Just as he expressed his intention, he heard the golden bell on him ringing. It turned out that whenever there were similar bells nearby, it would ring incessantly. Therefore, Xu Muchen suspected that the thief was hiding in the Su Mansion. By mistake, he barged into Su Jinzhen's chamber and mistook Liu Rong inside as Su Jinzhen.

The two didn't recognize each other. Unexpectedly, within half a day, the story of "Xu Muchen's intrusion into the Su Mansion to meet Jinzhen" spread throughout the capital. Consequently, Xu Muchen had no way to break off the engagement and was forced to accept the marriage.

Master Yu Luocha told Liu Rong that the clue to the official silver was hidden in a jade pendant, and to find the official silver, she must first find the jade pendant. On the day of the grand wedding, Liu Rong was obsessed with finding the jade pendant but gained nothing.

On the wedding night, while pretending to serve Xu Muchen, Liu Rong searched him hoping to find the whereabouts of the jade pendant. Unable to drink alcohol, Liu Rong mistakenly consumed wine-infused dumplings and became too drunk to stand.

Xu Muchen went out at night to redeem the jade inlaid with gold from Master Lv. On the second day of the wedding, Xu Muchen and Liu Rong went to visit Mrs. Xu together. Mrs. Xu, fearing that Liu Rong might not be able to handle the Su family's daughter, deliberately tried to assert authority over her, but Liu Rong cleverly defused the situation.

After breakfast, Xu Muchen went to work, and Liu Rong took the opportunity to sneak into the study to find the jade pendant, but was caught red-handed by Xiao Qiu. Liu Rong quickly became acquainted with Xiao Qiu. During their conversation, Liu Rong learned that the most confidential place in the Xu Mansion was the ancestral hall.

Delighted, Liu Rong thought the jade pendant might be hidden there. She secretly sneaked into the ancestral hall to find the jade pendant but was caught by Xu Muchen and kicked out. On the way, Liu Rong met Mrs. Xu and inadvertently revealed the situation in the ancestral hall.

Mrs. Xu, upon learning that Xu Muchen secretly worshipped Xu Chengsi and still wanted to investigate the injustice of the past, became extremely angry and wanted to burn the memorial tablet to ashes. Liu Rong hurried over and resolved the conflict, saving the memorial tablet from destruction.

Back at his residence, Xu Muchen still wanted to separate from Liu Rong, but she insisted on staying at the Xu Mansion to continue searching for the jade pendant, firmly disagreeing. Therefore, the two made "three agreements" and divided the territory, hoping to peacefully coexist under the same roof.

While Xu Muchen was on duty, Liu Rong almost searched every corner of the Xu Mansion but still found no trace of the jade pendant. Inside the Zichen Bureau, Xu Muchen, who was on duty, was ordered by Lord Gu to return home for a wedding leave.

Upon returning home, Xu Muchen coincidentally encountered Liu Rong bathing, and both were embarrassed. The next day, the Xu Mansion held a spring banquet, meticulously prepared by Mrs. Xu. Mrs. Gongyang came to the mansion to attend the banquet and took the opportunity to mock Mrs. Xu.

Mrs. Xu didn't take it lying down, and the two engaged in a verbal battle. While the ladies were tasting tea, Mrs. Xu asked Liu Rong to taste it on her behalf, fearing that her identity as a rich young lady would be exposed, but luckily she managed to get away with it.

Gongyang Maocai rushed to the Zichen Bureau to retrieve the files related to the case involving the jade inlaid with gold and intentionally provoked, accusing Xu Muchen of corruption and injustice. Seeing that a conflict was about to erupt, Lord Gu timely intervened, and Xu Muchen returned home after his shift.

During the spring banquet, the ladies requested the renowned "Su Jinzhen," skilled in playing the qin, to perform. Liu Rong, who knew nothing about playing the qin, was panicking, afraid of exposing her false identity. At this critical moment, Xu Muchen returned.

After returning home, Xu Muchen publicly expressed his desire to perform a duet with Liu Rong, holding her hand to play a piece, successfully covering up the fact that Liu Rong couldn't play the qin. The female guests of the Xu Mansion sat down to play cards, but Mrs.

Xu was not good at it and lost every hand to Mrs. Gongyang. Seeing this, Liu Rong felt anxious and sat beside Mrs. Xu, silently strategizing. With Liu Rong's guidance, Mrs. Xu eventually won in a row, filling her pots with winnings. After the spring banquet, Mrs. Xu joyfully took out a jewelry box to reward Liu Rong, but upon inspection, there was no trace of the jade pendant.

However, she inadvertently learned that some of the Xu family's treasures were kept in the Baibao Pavilion. She thought to herself that perhaps the jade pendant was hidden there. Back at their residence, Xu Muchen questioned Liu Rong about her ability to play the qin.

Liu Rong pretended to be aggrieved, explaining that although she was a daughter of the Su family, she had been fostered in the countryside and therefore didn't learn the arts. Xu Muchen believed her without hesitation.

The envoy from the Nangxiang Kingdom arrived in the capital for tribute, and Xu Muchen was responsible for his safety. Knowing that Xu Muchen would be on duty at the Zichen Bureau, Liu Rong specially sent pastries to him and decided to take the opportunity to explore the Baibao Pavilion again at night. That night, according to plan, Liu Rong arrived at the Baibao Pavilion, only to witness a murder case firsthand.

Yu Luocha was enraged by the rumors about the Green Leaf Thief and specifically assigned the task to Qin Mumu. At this time, the relationship between the Nangxiang Kingdom and the Jing Dynasty was tense due to the death of the envoy, causing turmoil in the court.

Xu Muchen learned from Lord Gu that Duke Su strongly advocated for war. Under the guise of delivering pastries to Xu Muchen, Liu Rong went to the Zichen Bureau to inquire about the progress of the case. She seized the opportunity to help clear the suspicion against the Green Leaf Thief but inadvertently learned that the case had been transferred to the Ministry of Justice.

Therefore, Liu Rong decided to explore the Ministry of Justice at night. At the Ministry of Justice, the Liu Rong disguised as the Green Leaf Thief coincidentally encountered Xu Muchen secretly inspecting a corpse. They got into a fight, alerting the guards of the Ministry of Justice. Xu Muchen determined from the poison found on the body that the deceased was not the envoy but an assassin.

While evading capture, they formed an alliance, with Xu Muchen voluntarily protecting the Green Leaf Thief and helping her escape. While fleeing, Liu Rong collided with the son of Gongyang, and in desperation, she sought refuge in Qin Mumu's embroidery workshop. Gongyang pursued them, and Qin Mumu and Liu Rong staged a play together, but they couldn't deceive him.

Gongyang suspected that Mrs. Su Jinzhen of the Xu Mansion was the Green Leaf Thief and not a real rich young lady. The next day, Gongyang visited the embroidery workshop again to investigate the true identity of "Su Jinzhen." He fell in love with Qin Mumu at first sight, and she actively helped him with measurements while inquiring about the case.

Gongyang intentionally used a carriage to collide with Liu Rong on her way back to the mansion, trying to test her martial arts skills, but she remained unharmed and was rescued by Xu Muchen in public.

Xu Muchen discovered that the envoy from the Nangxiang Kingdom was hiding in the Sanqing Gambling Den, but Lord Gu was unwilling to involve the Zichen Bureau further. Liu Rong also learned from a little beggar that the envoy was in the gambling den, so she went to investigate, only to bump into Xu Muchen unexpectedly.

Using a ruse, Liu Rong tried to lure out the envoy but ended up getting kidnapped by him. Xu Muchen reacted quickly and successfully rescued Liu Rong, capturing the envoy in the process. Qin Mumu went to deliver the finished clothes to Gongyang, delaying him and causing him to be a step behind Xu Muchen.

Along the way, unidentified assassins attempted to kill the envoy, only to discover that the envoy on the carriage was Wu Zhao in disguise. It turned out that Xu Muchen had anticipated deception within the court and devised the plan to impersonate the envoy.

The real envoy had already been sent to the Ministry of Justice by him. After returning home, Liu Rong couldn't help but recall the scene when Xu Muchen saved her, and she couldn't help but feel a flutter of affection for him. Likewise, Xu Muchen also developed some unusual feelings for Liu Rong.

With the case of the envoy solved, Xu Muchen posted notices to clear the Green Leaf Thief's name. Relieved, Liu Rong went to Wenzhuang Pavilion to bring pastries to Xu Muchen. Because she had eaten a few, she put two white chrysanthemums in the food box as decoration.

Wu Zhao teased Xu Muchen, implying that white chrysanthemums were an aphrodisiac, suggesting that the young mistress was "hinting" at him. The next day at breakfast, Liu Rong noticed that all the white chrysanthemums in the courtyard had been plucked. Rumors spread throughout the Xu Mansion.

After hearing the rumors, Mrs. Xu brought a famous doctor to the Zichen Bureau to diagnose "hidden ailments" for Xu Muchen. Xu Muchen was immediately furious and annoyed, questioning Liu Rong when he returned home. After the misunderstanding was cleared up, Liu Rong apologized to Xu Muchen, and they reconciled.

During their visit to the Su Mansion, Liu Rong and Xu Muchen coincidentally encountered Su Jinning, the brother of Su Jinzhen, who had returned home from out of town. Seeing all the servants in the courtyard replaced by new ones raised his suspicions. Upon entering the mansion, he was shocked to discover that Liu Rong, whom he had admired all along, had married Xu Muchen instead of his sister, Jinzhen!

Just as Su Jinning was about to question this, he was stopped by a glance from Liu Rong. After some comforting words from her, he calmed down and accepted the reality. Duke Su brought up the old case involving Xu Chengsi again, which made Xu Muchen angry, although he didn't show it.

In the evening, Su Jinning didn't want Xu Muchen and Liu Rong to be alone, so he brought good wine and food and drank with them all night. Disturbed by this, Xu Muchen and Liu Rong left early in the morning.

A few days later, Su Jinning unexpectedly moved to the neighboring house of the Xu Mansion, claiming it was convenient to take care of his sister Jinzhen, and even dug a hole in the wall between the two houses for easy access.

Mrs. Xu wanted to improve the relationship between Xu Muchen and Liu Rong, so she arranged for a tailor to make clothes for them, and asked them to measure each other. At this moment, Su Jinning interfered again.

Since Su Jinning moved next to the Xu Mansion, he often took Liu Rong out for food and drinks. Xu Muchen vaguely felt his hostility and found the intimacy between the siblings suspicious.

During Miss Hu's wedding, Yu Luocha arranged for Liu Rong to sneak into the Hu Mansion and steal the ledger of Xu Chengsi's embezzlement of official silver. Coincidentally, Xu Muchen also received a task from the Zichen Bureau to lead the guards to protect the Hu Mansion that day.

Liu Rong, pretending to go to the embroidery workshop to learn embroidery, intended to familiarize herself with the terrain of the Hu Mansion in advance. However, Xu Muchen volunteered to accompany her, so Liu Rong had to give up the plan.

On the day of the wedding, Liu Rong accompanied Mrs. Xu to the Hu Mansion. During a card game, Liu Rong pretended to have an urgent need to use the restroom and slipped out to discuss with Qin Mumu how to steal the ledger. During their conversation, she learned that the ledger was hidden in the study in the backyard.

After Qin Mumu left, Liu Rong planned to jump into the pool to create the illusion of falling into the water, giving her the chance to steal the ledger. However, Hu Shanshan, the second Miss of the Hu Mansion, suddenly came over and engaged Liu Rong in conversation. At that moment, Xu Muchen arrived to inspect the area, and Hu Shanshan intentionally tried to make Liu Rong misunderstand their relationship.

Despite Liu Rong's mission, she pretended to be jealous and deliberately fell into the pool during a struggle with Xu Muchen. Xu Muchen immediately jumped into the water to rescue her. After being rescued, Hu Shanshan took Liu Rong to her room to rest, and Liu Rong instructed her not to let anyone disturb her.

In the evening, Liu Rong changed into the disguise of the Willow Leaf Thief and stole the ledger from the study. During her retreat, she was pursued by Gongyang's son and Xu Muchen.

Liu Rong went to the study to bring Xu Muchen some peppermint cakes, but Xu Muchen was busy reviewing documents and somewhat neglected her. This made Liu Rong both angry and upset, so she took away all the blankets during the night, leaving Xu Muchen without a single one.

On the third day, Su Jinning brought a clue to Liu Rong, saying that on the day of the murder at the Hu Mansion, bloodstains were found in the adjacent room to the bridal chamber, but later the bloodstains disappeared. Liu Rong told Xu Muchen about this, hoping he could solve the case smoothly.

Xu Muchen went to investigate the Hu Mansion at night, reconstructing the shape of the murder weapon based on the traces at the crime scene, and using it as a clue to track down the real culprit. While Liu Rong tried to gather information from Xu Muchen, he remained tight-lipped, but she inadvertently saw the blueprint of the murder weapon. Relying on her memory, Liu Rong drew another copy of the blueprint and, through her senior brother Mo Yan, found out that it was the exclusive weapon of the assassin Black Cat.

Xu Muchen discovered Black Cat's whereabouts, in a cabin on the back mountain of the Temple of Ten Thousand Buddhas, and ordered Wu Zhao to lead the Zichen Bureau to lay siege. Liu Rong wanted to investigate Black Cat, so she pretended to want to pray for Xu Muchen at the Temple of Ten Thousand Buddhas. Xu Muchen, upon hearing this, requested to accompany her.

In a small cabin on the back mountain, Black Cat heard movement outside the door, only to find out that Xu Muchen and Willow Leaf Thief had unexpectedly come to capture him. Black Cat leaped out, feigned during the escape, and caused both Liu Rong and Xu Muchen to fall into a trap.

Willow Leaf Thief and Xu Muchen were trapped in a trap set by Black Cat and decided to find a way out together. After escaping, the guards of the Zichen Bureau captured Black Cat, but Willow Leaf Thief took the opportunity to flee. Xu Muchen wanted to interrogate Black Cat but found that Black Cat had already taken poison and committed suicide.

Returning to the temple, Xu Muchen found that Liu Rong was not there. Mrs. Wang told him that Liu Rong was feeling unwell and had returned to the mansion early. Xu Muchen immediately rushed back to the mansion, only to learn that Liu Rong had encountered bandits on the back mountain and was scolded by Mrs. Xu. Xu Muchen had been pondering whether Willow Leaf Thief was the little girl who had saved him.

Back home, Xu Muchen took care of the sick Liu Rong, sleeping on the floor beside her bed all night. The next day, when Liu Rong woke up, she found a plate of pastries by her pillow, knowing that it was left by Xu Muchen, which made her feel sweet.

With the case of Black Cat solved, Xu Muchen was reinstated to his position. Su Jinning brought pastries and medicine to Liu Rong, advising her not to get involved in these troubles anymore, but Liu Rong refused. Although the pastries were bought from the same shop, Liu Rong felt that the plate Su Jinning brought was not as delicious as the one Xu Muchen brought.