If shе hаd knоwn thаt eating mеаt fоr twо еxtra daуs wоuld causе the silk suspеnding hеr tо snар, Guаn Fengyuе would have starved hersеlf fоr thosе two dауs withоut hеsitatiоn!
Вut thеrе wеre nо "ifs" in this world. She had аlrеadу eaten thе meat, thе ropе hаd аlrеаdу brоken, and shе hаd alrеаdу fallеn—now shе wаs staring wide-еуed аt the man holding hеr.
His eyеs wеrе so dеep, like bоttоmlеss river саvеs swirling with iсу wаter. Тhе lashеs on his еyelids wеre thiсk аnd lоng, droорing dоwn in аn even morе bewitching manner. His swоrd-like brows cаrried sevеn pаrts оf herоic spirit, his straight nose bridge held three parts of proud dignity, but his thin lips were pressed into a strange curve, as if he were somewhat angry.
Nonsense! How could he not be angry? Judging by his clothing, he was clearly a young master from a wealthy family, yet here he was, in front of everyone, being smashed into by a courtesan wearing only a bellyband, falling from the sky and turning his face green with shock!
If it were her, she’d be angry too! She’d probably jump up and smash herself into a meat pancake!
Looking at the livid face before her, the meat pancake giggled twice, trying to lighten the mood. She clung to his lapels, her hand slipping inside, and pressed against his chest, giving it a good rub!
"Did you suffer any internal injuries?"
His face, already green, turned completely black from the rubbing. The young master in white shoved her to the ground and angrily rebuked, "How dare you!"
With a "thud," Fengyue hit the floor, truly becoming a meat pancake.
The meat pancake felt a bit wronged. Damn it, coming to a brothel and complaining about a courtesan being presumptuous—did he come to the wrong place? He should go to the temple on the next street and copy Buddhist scriptures!
Mama Jin behind her looked extremely displeased, as if she were the one who had been smashed. She stepped forward, bumping Fengyue aside with her large rear, then smiled apologetically at the young master in white. "Young Master, please don’t take it to heart. She doesn’t know any better—she just arrived!"
Yin Gezhi sneered, brushing off the rouge-stained lapels of his robe. His frosty eyes seemed capable of burning a hole through the back of Fengyue’s head!
"I heard that Dream Return Pavilion prides itself on the 'seven arts of zither, chess, calligraphy, painting, poetry, song, dance, and tea.' I thought the women here would surely be different from the vulgar creatures elsewhere. Little did I expect that the ladies here would be even more shameless in their seduction than those standing on the streets outside!"
His words were harsh, but most of the guests present were high-ranking officials and nobles who could well understand Yin Gezhi’s sentiments, as the woman’s behavior had indeed been excessively wanton.
What kind of place was Dream Return Pavilion? A refined and unpretentious high-class brothel. Others performed by playing the zither, reciting poetry, or painting, but she? She went up there dancing and stripping off her clothes. Though it was indeed quite captivating, her movements were extremely bold and vulgar, unlike the refined offerings of Dream Return Pavilion, but more like the finest among the flesh-selling enchantresses from outside.
The trashiest of the seductive trash!
Hearing the scornful remarks from the onlookers, Fengyue curled her lip.
Dream Return Pavilion, no matter how extravagantly praised, was still a brothel! No matter how demurely dressed, the clothes would still have to come off! Since they had to come off sooner or later, doing it herself saved trouble—why should she be looked down upon for that?
Getting up from the floor, Fengyue draped the red silk around herself, swayed her hips to bump Mama Jin aside, and with a flirtatious glance and a light touch of her arm, hooked them around the neck of the young master in white, smiling. "Young Master, if you want to hear the zither, I can play! If you want to play chess, I’ll keep you company! Whatever it is—poetry, calligraphy, painting, song, dance, or tea—whatever you desire, this humble servant can provide it! Ten taels of silver for a night, but since you’re so handsome, I’ll give you a twenty percent discount!"His unfathomably deep eyes met hers once more. Feng Yue’s smile gradually faded as she squinted, studying him intently for a long moment, her gaze flickering slightly.
Everything had happened so suddenly earlier that she hadn’t paid much attention, but now, upon closer inspection, why did this face seem so familiar?
Disdainfully brushing her hand away and kicking aside the leg she had wrapped around him, Yin Gezhi sneered repeatedly, “Someone like you shouldn’t insult the arts of qin, chess, calligraphy, and painting.”
Someone like you.
As Feng Yue listened, she felt as though her surroundings had turned illusory. The light faded, and in the darkness, a voice drifted from afar, whispering gently in her ear:
“Someone like you should be on the battlefield, fighting and killing. Look at these hands—they don’t feel soft and delicate like a young lady’s at all.”
“Someone like you, how could you offer yourself to someone? You’re clearly so inexperienced… hmm, a virgin?”
“Someone like you… truly heartless. You’re leaving without even letting me see what you look like?”
The bold, reckless infatuation of her youth, the spirited secret pledge of lifelong commitment, the endless intimacy in the darkness—all of it felt like a fleeting, beautiful spring dream she had once had. Amidst the tragedy of her family’s massacre and the years of wandering that followed, it had scattered into nothingness, not even a fragment remaining.
The spring dream was gone, but the object of that dream was still here. Looking at the disdain in his eyes, Feng Yue sighed, unable to stop herself from regretting once again.
Why had she only eaten meat for two extra days? She should have eaten it for two hundred days! Then she could have crushed this beast to death with a single sitting!
Lost in her thoughts, someone suddenly grabbed her arm from behind and flung her over their shoulder in a swift throw! The world spun, and Feng Yue found herself flattened like a pancake once again.
“Young master, please don’t be angry! Everyone’s here to have fun. If you don’t like this girl, we can find you another. Please, don’t be upset!” Waving for someone to carry Feng Yue away, Mama Jin turned to Yin Gezhi with a radiant, spring-like smile. “Please, continue looking at the others. Today’s expenses will be half off for you!”
Yin Gezhi frowned.
The disheveled woman was being lifted up by others, the red silk barely covering her, revealing her snow-white shoulders and slender waist. The red strings of her undergarment were tied tightly across her chest, contrasting starkly with her pale skin, stirring a reaction in him.
“What is that girl’s name?” someone suddenly asked softly from behind.
Yin Gezhi paused and glanced back at the speaker.
The Crown Prince of Wu Kingdom, Ye Yuqing, dressed in a green gauze robe over a snow-white brocade gown, sat at the table behind him, gently fanning himself with a folding fan. His eyes were fixed on Yin Gezhi, a faint smile playing at the corners of his mouth.
Looking up at the half-torn silk hanging from the rafters, then measuring the distance between himself and Ye Yuqing, Yin Gezhi pondered for a moment before raising his hand to block Feng Yue’s path.
“No need for discounts or compensation. You’ll serve me tonight.”
What?
Mama Jin was stunned. She had already been thinking about how to deal with that little wretch to recoup her losses, but who would have thought that this handsome young master, who had been livid with anger just moments ago, now wanted Feng Yue to serve him?
Men truly were fickle creatures.
“Alright… alright, I’ll make the arrangements right away!” An opportunity handed to her on a silver platter—why refuse? Feng Yue had only just been listed, and her worth wasn’t even as high as the entrance fee to the Dream Return Pavilion. If she could offset the compensation, then so be it!
With that, Mama Jin waved her hand, and the servants carrying Feng Yue instantly turned in unison, heading cheerfully toward the bathhouse."Hey hey hey, what are you doing!" Feng Yue, her neck stiff from the pain, howled at the guards: "Can't you be a bit gentler?"
Mama Jin slapped the back of her head, glaring and gritting her teeth as she said, "You behave yourself! How dare you make such a racket after causing such a huge mess? You almost ruined the reputation of my Dream Return Pavilion! Now that the young master wants you to serve him, you better serve him well, you hear me?"
Her whole body stiffened. Feng Yue looked up, the corner of her eye twitching violently. She glanced back at Yin Gezhi and muttered quietly, "Is he crazy? He was so disgusted with me just now, and now he's picking me?"
"The thoughts of guests are for you to figure out. Mama only cares about collecting money!" Mama Jin pinched her with a fake smile and whispered, "I don't care about anything else. If you don't make this young master happy, don't even think about staying in Dream Return Pavilion any longer!"
Make him happy? Feng Yue rolled her eyes as soon as she heard that.
Who was Yin Gezhi? The First Prince of the Wei Kingdom, famously known as the cold-faced King of Hell, always wearing a sour expression as if the whole world owed him money. She had secretly watched him at least eight hundred times since she was little, and not once had she seen him happy. From receiving rewards from the Wei Emperor to being voted the most beloved man by women in Lidu, he had all sorts of good things happen to him, but she had never seen him smile anywhere.
Feng Yue had analyzed the reason and thought he might be born without the ability to smile. So, if she had to make him look happy, it would be easier for her to just leave Dream Return Pavilion.
However, Mama Jin gave her no chance to protest. After tossing her into the bathhouse for a quick scrub, she was fished out and carried to the third floor. At the Vermilion Bird Room, a forceful kick sent her flying inside.
With a loud "thud," Feng Yue tumbled like a lion rolling a silk ball. After a few dizzying spins, she found herself facing a pair of exquisitely crafted white boots embroidered with clouds.
White was a color that easily got dirty and was hard to wash—only those with too much time on their hands and a desire to show off liked to wear it. It seemed that even as a hostage in the Wu Kingdom, Yin Gezhi was living quite comfortably.
Sniffling, Feng Yue obediently got up and knelt before him, pretending to know nothing as she smiled and asked, "What instructions do you have for me, young master?"
Yin Gezhi snapped out of his thoughts, glanced at the person before him, and said expressionlessly, "Who are you?"
Her whole body tensed, as if a thread had been pulled from her toes to her heart. Feng Yue's pupils contracted slightly as she looked up at him.
Was he... onto something?
Seeing her expression, Yin Gezhi understood: "So there really is something fishy. Speak, which side are you from?"
Which side? Blinking, Feng Yue thought about the meaning of his words, and a wave of relief washed over her. A heavy stone seemed to drop in her heart, making her laugh involuntarily: "Young master must be joking. I'm just a newly listed courtesan. Which side could I possibly be from?"
She thought to herself, with Yin Gezhi having countless beauties around him, how could he possibly remember her, an unidentified woman he had only slept with for half a month?
She had overthought it, overestimated her own importance.
"That indecent dance you performed earlier—wasn't it meant to seduce the Crown Prince?" Yin Gezhi stared at her. "If nothing had gone wrong, you should be lying in his arms right now."
"Wow, that person was the Crown Prince?" Feng Yue covered her mouth in surprise. "This humble servant just picked a particularly handsome young master to greet, that's all!"If she hadn't shown that complicated expression just now, Yin Gezhi would have believed her words. Unfortunately...
Moving like lightning, he seized her throat in an instant. The man before her looked down from above, his eyes flashing with a ruthless light: "If you don't want to tell the truth, you can keep it to yourself forever."
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