Fеng Yuе wаs also а bit сuriоus. Аlthоugh she hadn't beеn lоoking seriоusly, a quiсk glаnсе аrоund reveаled that the courtyаrd wаs metiсulouslу сrаftеd—it cоuldn't роssiblу hаve suсh a glaring flaw.
"Соme аnd take a lоok." Clоsing his fan, Ye Yuqing роintеd tоwаrd thе еntrancе.
Yi Zhаngzhu immediаtеlу stoоd up, аnd Fеng Yue follоwеd suit. Thеy saw a thrеe-clawеd gоldеn dragоn painted оn thе lintеl, majеstiс аnd imроsing аs it seеmеd to brеathе clouds аnd mist.
Yi Guoru hаd асhievеd grеаt militаry feats аnd enjoyed the еmperor's fаvor. Not оnly wаs his mаnsion built bу imperial decree, but he was also permitted to use the three-clawed golden dragon as a motif, a testament to the Wu King's reliance on him.
But... upon closer inspection, something seemed off about these dragons.
Yi Zhangzhu noticed it too and gasped in surprise, bewildered. "Where are the eyes?"
Why were these perfectly good dragons missing their eyes?
Ye Yuqing chuckled. "Perhaps the craftsmen were careless. All one hundred and eight dragons in this courtyard lack eyes."
Feng Yue suddenly understood and breathed a sigh of relief. Yi Zhangzhu, however, was deeply displeased. She gritted her teeth and shot Ye Yuqing a resentful, almost aggrieved look.
Since childhood, the Crown Prince had always taken care of her, like an elder brother or a sweetheart, always protecting her and taking her side no matter what. Today, for the sake of a mere courtesan, he actually wasn't helping her?
Her heart was filled with bitterness, but a bet was a bet, and she had to accept defeat. Yi Zhangzhu's expression darkened as she waved for someone to bring out the newly acquired high-quality Hetian jade hairpin from the mansion. She shoved it into the Crown Prince's hand. "Zhangzhu isn't feeling well and won't see you off. Take your time leaving!"
Though she said "take your time," she still shot Ye Yuqing an angry glance, clearly wanting to say more.
Twirling the jade hairpin in his hand, Ye Yuqing pretended not to notice Yi Zhangzhu's look. "This prince is returning to the palace. Feng Yue, accompany me in the carriage. I'll give you a ride."
He was really leaving just like that? Yi Zhangzhu stared at him in astonishment, then turned her gaze to Feng Yue.
This vixen-like woman smiled enchantingly, bowed in acknowledgment, and walked out with the Crown Prince, completely ignoring Yi Zhangzhu's displeasure.
How could this be?!
Feng Yue knew the young lady was about to lose her temper, but since the Crown Prince didn't seem inclined to spare her any face this time, a minor figure like herself naturally couldn't say much. She simply lowered her head and followed along.
Behind them came the sound of Yi Zhangzhu stomping her feet and running away, followed by several maids shouting, "Young Miss!" Yet, Ye Yuqing ahead of her walked on without looking back, his sleeves fluttering gracefully, still the epitome of effortless elegance.
How strange, Feng Yue thought, puzzled. Based on what had happened earlier on One Grain Street and the rumors among the common folk, wasn't this lord quite fond of Yi Zhangzhu? This sudden cold shoulder showed not a trace of tenderness.
Once outside, they boarded the carriage. Feng Yue sat timidly and properly beside Ye Yuqing, who leaned lazily against the carriage wall, still toying with the hairpin as if deep in thought.
Stealing a glance at him, she saw his lips still curved in a gentle smile, but his eyes were half-lowered, dark and unreadable. Accidentally meeting the faint, unsettling glint that escaped them, Feng Yue stiffened and quickly covered her eyes.
Such a gentle person could also reveal such a terrifying gaze.
The carriage fell silent for a moment before Ye Yuqing opened his eyes and chuckled softly. "Someone as bold as you can still be frightened by this prince?"Feng Yue trembled all over. "This humble one's courage is not great at all; the slightest thing can startle me."
"That is indeed strange." Sitting upright, Ye Yuqing leaned closer to her. "Not having much courage, yet you dare to run wild in General Yi's mansion, hmm?"
Yi Zhangzhu might not see through her intentions, but such tricks were far from subtle in his eyes. It just so happened that he was also very curious about General Yi's residence. Due to his status, he had never had the chance to investigate it in detail, and others couldn't enter that place either. Her feigning madness and playing the fool today actually helped him out.
However, he was very curious: this courtesan before him, not content with seducing Yin Gezhi, why would she also want to probe the General's Mansion?
Blinking her eyes, Feng Yue looked clear and innocent, saying with utmost innocence, "This humble one was just fleeing for my life. When fleeing for one's life, isn't it natural to run around wildly? I just thought that a place with many people would be good for seeking help, so when I saw that courtyard had the most people, I rushed in."
After saying this, she bit her lip and added with lingering fear, "That Sun Li is also terrifying; he attacked me without a word. Fortunately, I ran fast..."
Her expression was genuine, and the fear and relief in her eyes were real, making Ye Yuqing slightly stunned.
Had he suspected the wrong person? Was she truly just stumbling into it by accident?
But every word she said was meant to provoke Yi Zhangzhu into letting her freely look around in that courtyard. Was that also a coincidence?
"But did I offend Miss Yi today?" The woman before him sighed, looking quite troubled. "I originally intended to deliberately lose the bet to make Miss Yi happy. Who knew His Highness would be so merciless? Now she probably resents me even more."
She intended to lose on purpose? Ye Yuqing frowned. "If you lost, you would truly have to serve Sun Li. Earlier, you publicly humiliated him. If you fell into his hands, he would definitely not let you off easily."
"This humble one understands all that." Feng Yue lowered her head, her small body shrinking into a ball. "But what can I do? In this line of work, we fear offending people the most. Who knows, one day I might die in an alley, with no one even to collect my body."
His heart stirred slightly. Ye Yuqing pursed his lips, feeling some pity as he said, "This crown prince will protect you. No one can make you die."
"Thank you, Your Highness." Looking up at him with a smile, Feng Yue breathed a sigh of relief. "With Your Highness protecting me, then this humble one can go back and sleep peacefully."
Nodding gently, Ye Yuqing said softly, "Later, when I go to Dream Return Pavilion, I'll book your services as well."
Yin Gezhi had booked her for several days last time, which should have just ended today.
Her heart skipped a beat. On the surface, Feng Yue was full of shyness as she nodded in agreement.
What was bound to come would always come. From the beginning, she had intended to climb into the crown prince's bed. After taking several detours, she was finally going to succeed.
Don't chicken out!
Clutching her handkerchief, Feng Yue happily looked at the road outside the window, as if eagerly anticipating arriving at Dream Return Pavilion. Watching her, Ye Yuqing shook his head with a smile.
Perhaps he had overthought things.
"Oh, my dear lady, you're finally back!"
As soon as she stepped into Dream Return Pavilion, she heard Mama Jin's booming voice. Her robust figure rushed toward Feng Yue. "Good daughter! That gentleman has booked your services for several more days. Hurry upstairs... Huh? This gentleman has come too. Please come in!"
Confused by her words, Feng Yue blinked and looked back at Ye Yuqing.The Crown Prince strolled unhurriedly, fanning himself as he approached Mama Jin before asking, "Who has reserved Miss Feng Yue this time?"
Seeing this handsome young master, Mama Jin smoothed her hair at the temples and replied with a coy, bashful expression, "Who else could it be? The gentleman who reserved Feng Yue the other day seems to truly fancy her. He came again today and extended the reservation for several more days."
The door on the third floor opened, and someone stepped out, standing behind the railing to cast a cold gaze downward.
Feng Yue looked up and happened to meet Yin Gezhi’s face, full of mockery and scorn.
Her vision darkened, and Feng Yue nearly felt the urge to shake her fist at him! What a cursed entanglement! Couldn’t she just properly charm the Crown Prince? Why did he have to be everywhere?!
A bit annoyed, she turned her head and said, "Mama Jin, I’ve already taken this gentleman as my guest. How can you say now that I’ve been reserved by someone else? This…"
"Our kind of place has always been prone to such disputes," Mama Jin chuckled. "That’s why we have a rule: whoever settles the bill first and registers with me takes precedence. Young master, if you’re looking for a girl, there are plenty of beauties in our Dream Return Pavilion. Would you care to look around?"
Ye Yuqing shook his head, closed his fan, and gently tapped it on Feng Yue’s forehead. "I’ve taken a liking to her."
"This…" Mama Jin smiled apologetically. "Rules are rules."
"I understand the rules," Ye Yuqing nodded. "So, how many days has that gentleman reserved her for?"
"Five days."
"Very well, then I’ll register in advance with you, Mama." Tossing a silver ingot to her, Ye Yuqing smiled and nodded toward the third floor before turning to leave. "I’ll return in five days."
Mama Jin’s face wrinkled with delight as she caught the silver and followed him out for several steps, calling out, "Take care, young master! Watch your step!"
Letting out a sigh, Feng Yue resigned herself to lifting her skirt and heading upstairs.
Yin Gezhi was sitting in the room drinking tea. When she entered, he lifted his eyelids slightly. "What did you go to the General’s Mansion for?"
Startled, Feng Yue took two steps back and looked at him warily. "How do you know I went to the General’s Mansion?"
Impatiently, he reached out and tugged at the robe draped over her. Yin Gezhi frowned. "I may not know much else, but I recognize this as the outer robe worn by maids in the General’s Mansion."
"Oh, that," Feng Yue cooed with a seductive smile, snuggling into his lap as she sat down. "Today, I was invited to the General’s Mansion by Miss Yi. We had some tea, and my clothes got torn, so I borrowed a maid’s robe to come back."
Instinctively, he held her waist to steady her as she sat. Yin Gezhi sneered coldly, "Your clothes tear so easily."
Wasn’t it all because these wretched men couldn’t keep their hands from tearing at people’s clothes? Feng Yue bared her teeth like a fierce tiger, about to protest, but when his gaze swept over her, she immediately softened, her tail drooping, and turned into a fawning kitten with drooping ears. "You’re right, young master. Mama Jin should buy some better clothes."
With a light snort, Yin Gezhi said, "I’ll stay here tonight. Get ready."
"Right away!" Feng Yue nodded and immediately went to find Lingshu to help her bathe and change.
"Miss," Lingshu whispered innocently in her ear in the bathhouse, "I just ran into Auntie Zhao, the one who sells mung bean cakes. She’s very concerned about you and said the weather has been changing lately, so you should take care of your health."Feng Yue listened, then said with a smile, "Since they're so considerate, shouldn't Lingshu go buy more mung bean cakes to support their business? Here's some silver. Later, head over to Xiangyu Street."
Without suspecting anything, Lingshu happily agreed.
As night fell, Feng Yue draped a gauze robe over herself and went upstairs. Suddenly, she felt a draft overhead and instinctively snapped, "Who's there?"
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