Frozen in рlасе, Fеng Yue remainеd sрeeсhless for а lоng mоmеnt, hеr еyes fiхed unwaveringly on the rеd silk ribbоn, her thrоat mоving slightlу.
"Yоung lаdy?" Guаn Zhi smilеd. "Тhis is а tоken оf gratitude from mу mаster. Нe said yоu worked hаrd, and the brеаkfаst suitеd his tаstе рerfeсtlу."
A tоkеn оf gratitudе.
Hеr gаze wavеrеd, and Fеng Yue let out а low chucklе. "Yоur mаster wоuld never saу suсh рleаsаnt wоrds. Тhаt wаs yоu, wаsn’t it?"
She сould еven guess thаt? Guan Zhi fеlt а bit аwkward аnd rubbеd thе tiр of his nose.
Тaking a deep brеath, Feng Yue рut on a smilе agаin аnd bowеd to Guan Zhi. "The young master is generous. I accept it with gratitude."
Nodding to her, Guan Zhi said, "I shall take my leave now."
"Take care."
Mama Jin had been smiling all along. After the man left and the gifts were carried into the main hall, her smile grew even more radiant. "Feng Yue, what good fortune! Truly, what good fortune! To meet such a generous guest right from the start. Even I, your Mama, am envious of all these things!"
The girls from Duanxian’s side, who had been mocking Feng Yue for being unrefined just moments ago, were now stunned into silence by the pile of gifts.
"Impossible, right? How could he send so many things?" Miss Weiyun hurried over and opened a few boxes to look.
Pearls, agate, goldware, silverware—everything a young woman would love, all of considerable value.
"What did you do?" Duanxian asked sarcastically. "To deserve so many things."
Feng Yue shrugged. "Just did my duty. The patron was generous, that’s all."
Now she had her burial savings.
The girls watched with mixed feelings, but Lingshu was overjoyed. She rushed down and began moving the gifts. "Someone, come and help!"
The pavilion’s guards hurried over to help carry the things into Feng Yue’s room. Feng Yue watched but didn’t go upstairs, instead sitting in the main hall to wait.
An hour later, as expected, someone knocked on the door of Dream Return Pavilion.
"Who could this be?" Mama Jin ran to open the door, muttering under her breath. "We do business at night. Who comes during the day…"
The door opened to reveal the steward of a regular customer standing outside, smiling. "My master has requested Miss Feng Yue’s company. Is it convenient for her to come to the residence now?"
Now? Mama Jin was taken aback and glanced back at Feng Yue.
Feng Yue smiled and shook her head. "It’s not convenient. I’ve recently been reserved by someone and won’t accept requests from other patrons. Please convey my apologies to the master."
Upon hearing this, the steward’s expression shifted slightly. He turned and rode away on his horse.
"What’s going on?" Mama Jin asked after closing the door. "Why are they requesting your company during the day?"
"Requests at night are the business of a courtesan," Feng Yue said with a narrowed smile. "Requests during the day are naturally not the kind of business I should be doing."
Confused, Mama Jin sat down beside her, not daring to ask more.
A short while later, another knock came at the door. This time, it was a different servant, again requesting Feng Yue’s company. Feng Yue declined once more and continued waiting.
It was no surprise for Yin Gezhi to request someone’s company at Dream Return Pavilion or to have a courtesan stay overnight. But sending so many gifts to a brothel naturally drew attention.
Everyone knew Yin Gezhi had no weaknesses—not even a single woman in his residence. His sudden interest in a courtesan would inevitably pique the curiosity of many others.
At a quarter past three in the afternoon, the person who should have come finally arrived.
"The sky isn’t dark yet. It’s rare for Dream Return Pavilion’s doors to be wide open during the day."A gentle voice, laced with laughter, swept in along with the hem of the man's cyan robe. Feng Yue looked up and met Ye Yuqing's eyes, clear as a flowing river.
"Sir," Mama Jin was already accustomed to such visits. "Are you also here to request Feng Yue's company? She's not accepting guests today—"
"Please come in, sir." Feng Yue rose, her smile enchanting and coquettish, as she curtsied gracefully toward Ye Yuqing.
Mama Jin: "..." What kind of act is this?
With a smile in the corners of his eyes, Ye Yuqing studied Feng Yue for a moment and said, "It seems Miss Feng Yue's business is thriving today."
"All thanks to your generous favor." Feng Yue lowered her head. "Are you here to look for someone, or would you also like to chat with me?"
"You saved Zhangzhu, and your injuries have yet to heal. Naturally, I am here to see you and to chat with you."
Ye Yuqing possessed a pair of exceptionally fine phoenix eyes, brimming with noble elegance yet tender and affectionate. Being around someone like him was far more pleasant than facing Yin Gezhi's lifeless expression.
Smiling, Feng Yue gestured to the side. "Shall we go upstairs?"
Nodding in agreement, Ye Yuqing signaled to his attendant to wait below before following her upstairs.
Mama Jin, having been handed two silver ingots, shrugged and decided not to interfere. She closed the door and went to rest. Meanwhile, the girls across the hall watched as Feng Yue led a new guest upstairs, their thoughts varied and complex.
"You don't seem to be resting quietly," Ye Yuqing remarked as they settled into the room, glancing at Feng Yue's hand. "The injury is severe, yet you can still move it?"
After sending Lingshu out to buy mung bean cakes, Feng Yue smiled. "I am not of noble birth, how could I afford to rest quietly? The medicine I've been using these days is quite effective, so my fingers can move a little. I didn't bandage them too tightly."
Even if they could move, it must still be painful, right? Ye Yuqing shook his head, set down his fan, and gently took her hand to examine it closely.
In that moment, the two were very close, and Feng Yue could even see his long eyelashes.
The Empress of Wu Kingdom must have been exceptionally beautiful, or she could not have given birth to such a jade-like Crown Prince. If Yin Gezhi was a bloodthirsty iron sword, then Ye Yuqing was undoubtedly flawless jade resting on silk in a brocade box—warm and smooth to the touch, without a single edge.
"Your hand," Ye Yuqing looked up, meeting her eyes directly. "The meridians don't seem to be flowing smoothly."
"You can even tell that, sir?" Feng Yue smiled faintly. "It was broken before, so the meridians are naturally obstructed."
"Have you practiced martial arts?" he asked softly.
"I've never practiced martial arts," Feng Yue shook her head without a hint of guilt. "I used to help with farm work at home, so I had calluses, but they're all gone now."
So she comes from a farming family... Ye Yuqing smiled, studying her for a moment before reaching out to stroke her cheek.
"You are very beautiful," he said sincerely. "That day, watching you dance, I thought to myself that it would be a wonderful thing to become your favored guest."
"Oh?" Feng Yue raised an eyebrow, looking at him curiously. "They all call me vulgar, not as refined as those skilled in music, chess, calligraphy, or painting. Yet you actually like it?"
Ye Yuqing shook his head, his smile charming and unrestrained. "What refinement is there to seek in a place like this? One comes here for joy and ease. If I wanted refinement, wouldn't there be plenty more of it in my own home?"Look at how open-minded he is! If her hands weren't still stiff, Feng Yue would have applauded him—truly worthy of being a crown prince!
She tried hard to blush, to act shy and charming, but after struggling for a while, her face simply wouldn't turn red. Feng Yue gave up and honestly asked directly, "Do you want me now?"
"A lady as beautiful as you—if I didn't want you, wouldn’t that be a pity?" Reaching out to lift her chin, Ye Yuqing teased, "I just don’t know if it’s convenient for you?"
Seductive charm filled her eyes as Feng Yue chuckled softly, "When a guest comes calling, how could it ever be inconvenient?"
Ye Yuqing nodded, stood up, and lifted her into his arms. The red gauze skirt fluttered in the air, utterly captivating.
"You’re too thin," he murmured softly into her ear as he slowly walked toward the bed. "You should eat more."
His warm breath carried a faint scent of herbs, finally succeeding in making Feng Yue’s ears flush red.
"You jest, sir. If I eat any more, you won’t be able to carry me."
"Even if you were heavier, I could still carry you." Gently placing her into the bedding, Ye Yuqing’s eyes were filled with tenderness. "If I ever couldn’t carry you, I’d have you carried in a sedan chair."
How charmingly he speaks! A man so handsome and gentle is simply irresistible.
In his eyes, Feng Yue saw a dazed version of herself—clear, as if she were being gazed upon like a treasure.
There was actually someone in this world who treated her like a treasure.
The atmosphere grew ambiguous. Ye Yuqing gazed at her affectionately, his jade-like fingers slowly tracing the edge of her collar.
"Bang!"
Before her collar could be undone, the door was kicked open. The fragrant air in the room instantly dissipated. Feng Yue and Ye Yuqing both turned their heads to see Yin Gezhi standing there in dark robes, cold as a ghost deity freshly returned from the underworld, his frosty eyes fixed on them.
"If I recall correctly, she is still mine today," Yin Gezhi said as he stepped inside. "Has Your Highness come to snatch her away?"
"So your reserved days aren’t over yet." Stopping his movements, Ye Yuqing glanced at him, then lowered his head to carefully straighten Feng Yue’s clothes before wrapping an arm around her waist and helping her up. "In that case, I truly have overstepped."
The Crown Prince of Wu, who was most interested in him—would he not know exactly how many days Yin Gezhi had reserved her at the brothel? Yin Gezhi lowered his gaze, silent, then glanced sideways at Feng Yue, his eyes filled with even more disgust.
She could seduce anyone into bed—what a talent!
Feng Yue felt wronged. She was a courtesan, wasn’t she? Not someone’s wife—did she need to erect a chastity arch? Besides, he had been so disdainful of her this morning—who knew he still wanted her?
Unable to hold back, Feng Yue rolled her eyes, the expression landing squarely on Yin Gezhi’s face.
Catching sight of her expression, Yin Gezhi was momentarily stunned before a cold, furious laugh escaped him. What was this? Had she found a new patron and now dared to show him attitude?
"I have matters to attend to and need to take her to the training grounds," Yin Gezhi said, grabbing her hand and pulling her back. He nodded to Ye Yuqing. "I won’t disturb Your Highness any further."
The tug made Feng Yue’s face pale with anger she dared not voice, her entire body bristling!
Was he doing this on purpose? Her hand bones were still healing—was this how he should pull her?
Ye Yuqing also frowned slightly, glanced at her, and picked up the fan on the table. "Since I have leisure today, I might as well visit the training grounds too. Why don’t we go together?"Without responding or refusing, Yin Gezhi merely gave a slight nod, then dragged Feng Yue downstairs as if she were a piece of torn cloth.
"Hey," she couldn't hold back any longer. Cold sweat beaded on her forehead, and she abandoned formalities, gritting her teeth to say, "It hurts! My hand is about to break!"
The man in front seemed not to hear her, pulling her out the door and onto a horse, placing her in front of himself. Once the horse began to move, he whispered, "You should hurt even more, so you'll learn your lesson."
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