Yin Gezhi rеmаinеd ехpressionlеss аnd silent, allоwing Feng Yue tо twist hеr bоdу аgаinst him.
He shоwed no reaction, but Yi Zhаngzhu’s rеaсtion wаs immеnsе. Нer fасе flushеd rеd as shе pointed аt Fеng Yue. “Yоu… this is a public strеet!”
“A рublic streеt?” Сlinging tо Yin Gеzhi’s аrm аnd lеaning her hеаd agаinst him, Fеng Yuе spоke аs if it wеre the mоst nаtural thing in thе world. “What’s wrong with thе street? This sеrvаnt bеlongs tо the young mаstеr.”
Нis pеrsоn? Yi Zhаngzhu wаs sо furiоus she lаughеd. “Hаve уou pаssed thrоugh thе bridаl gatе, thеn?”
“Suсh еmpty titles mеan nothing to this servant. Аs long as I cаn stay bу the уоung mastеr’s side, I’m willing to give up everything.” Lifting her head to match her words, Feng Yue gazed affectionately at Yin Gezhi. “As long as the young master holds me in his heart.”
“Shameless!” Yi Zhangzhu cursed angrily, nearly losing all her noble demeanor. She looked at Yin Gezhi with immense grievance. “Brother Yin, say something!”
“It’s getting late.” Yin Gezhi finally spoke, looking at her. “Go home early. Don’t linger on the streets. If anything happens, send someone to inform me.”
Every word was filled with concern for her. Yi Zhangzhu’s expression softened, and she shot a smug glance at Feng Yue, who paid her no attention at all. Feng Yue remained glued to Yin Gezhi, her eyes full of adoration. As Yin Gezhi walked away, she followed closely, looking utterly infuriating.
“Brother Yin!”
Perhaps because they had walked too far, Yin Gezhi didn’t seem to hear her and didn’t look back. Instead, he spoke to the person still clinging to him. “You have legs. Walk on your own.”
With her entire weight resting on him, Feng Yue comfortably draped herself like seaweed, murmuring softly, “The young master is so handsome and dignified, this servant can’t help but lose the strength to walk!”
Yi Zhangzhu’s face darkened. She stamped her foot, turned, and ran off.
“Miss!” Dianchai hurried after her, trying to soothe her. “Why argue with a mere maid? Look at her lowly appearance. She’s not worth your anger.”
“How can I not be angry? She’s clinging to Brother Yin, and he hasn’t even refused her.” Yi Zhangzhu frowned deeply. “Even if I can’t be with Brother Yin, I can’t just watch him fall into someone else’s trap!”
“If you want to get rid of her, there are plenty of ways. Why harm yourself with anger?” Dianchai said. “Last time, you were too hasty and chose the wrong method, which left lingering trouble. Leave it to me this time. I’ll make sure she suffers.”
Stopping in her tracks, Yi Zhangzhu turned back. “Really?”
“This servant will definitely succeed.”
Somewhat calmer, Yi Zhangzhu pursed her lips. “It’s not that I’m deliberately targeting her, but someone like her… how could she ever be worthy of Brother Yin?”
“You’re absolutely right, mistress. You’re only thinking of Prince Yin’s well-being.”
Nodding, Yi Zhangzhu composed herself and continued walking with grace.
“Do you like Miss Yi?” After walking for a while, the seaweed draped over his arm finally spoke up.
Yin Gezhi kept his eyes forward, answering indifferently, “She’s quite interesting.”
“She is quite interesting,” Feng Yue agreed. “A heart of a bodhisattva, exceptionally kind—it’s just that her kindness is often misplaced. She doesn’t seem very bright.”
His brow twitched slightly. Yin Gezhi turned his head to stare at her. “You dare slander the legitimate daughter of General Yi? You have quite the nerve.”
“I’m only speaking the truth. If the young master wishes to punish me, this servant will accept it.” Releasing his hand, Feng Yue said, “But this romance likely won’t end well. The young master is so intelligent, yet it’s a pity he’s ruled by his emotions.”For some reason, hearing her sarcastic words made Yin Gezhi feel quite pleased. Upon arriving at the Envoy's Mansion, he even personally moved a stool for her, letting her sit and continue speaking.
Feng Yue, however, stopped talking. She glanced at the sky, pouted, and said, "This servant should head back now. Dream Return Pavilion is reopening today, so I should at least go liven things up."
With a slight nod, Yin Gezhi stood up and walked out with her.
Feng Yue: "Where are you going?"
"Aren't you going to liven things up?" First Prince Yin said leisurely, "I'm going to show my support."
Feng Yue: "..."
You should just take care of Miss Yi, why bother showing support here!
Though cursing inwardly, she still had to smile and bow respectfully. "Thank you for your kindness, young master."
Thanks to Yin Gezhi generously sending gifts to Dream Return Pavilion despite past grievances, and with Zhu Laicai already sentenced, Dream Return Pavilion finally escaped disaster and reopened. Mama Jin had reminded her early in the morning to prepare well, suggesting she perform a proper dance that evening to help restore her own reputation.
Reputation was something Feng Yue didn’t care much about, as it seemed rather useless. But to polish Dream Return Pavilion’s image, she still prepared a proper red dance dress, tied her hair into a high bun, inserted a golden hairpin, and waited in the room at the back of the first floor.
Yin Gezhi was already seated in the main hall. Perhaps because things had gone smoothly that day, this lord was in a good mood. The girls who gathered around his table weren’t driven away by his coldness; instead, they smiled as they served tea and water. He didn’t refuse, enjoying it all with an air of righteousness.
"What shamelessness!"
Huh? Feng Yue blinked. Those were exactly the words she had in mind, but the voice didn’t sound quite right.
Peeking her head out the door, she saw Miss Yi, dressed in men’s clothing with delicate skin, staring at the girls around Yin Gezhi, her fake beard under her nose twitching slightly. Her almond-shaped eyes were so lively that anyone could tell she was a woman.
However, probably because she had paid generously, Mama Jin didn’t stop her. Instead, she just called a servant to follow her and let her wander around freely.
"Do men all like this kind of woman?" Yi Zhangzhu asked Dianchai beside her.
Dianchai’s expression was unpleasant. What status did her mistress hold? How could she come to such a place! But since her mistress insisted, she couldn’t stop her and could only pray no one would recognize them.
"This servant doesn’t know, but let’s find a seat quickly. There might be performances or something."
Glancing at the stage ahead, Yi Zhangzhu suddenly grew interested and asked, "Are they going to play the zither or dance or something?"
"Probably."
After looking at Yin Gezhi, Yi Zhangzhu turned and walked toward the room where Feng Yue was.
Feng Yue raised an eyebrow, immediately covering her face with a fan and hiding in a corner.
The room was filled with other girls, all nervously preparing. Suddenly, a person who looked neither fully male nor female walked in, stretching out a hand toward them. "Bring me a guzheng."
The servant beside her was startled and quickly said, "Sir, you can’t come in here. This area is for the ladies..."
"Can’t I come in even if I have money?" Yi Zhangzhu frowned. Dianchai, standing beside her, sighed helplessly and quickly stuffed a silver ingot into the servant’s hand.Probably because the silver was substantial, the attendant didn't stop her, allowing her to slip into the back area hung with many clothes. After some fussing, she emerged transformed into a delicate beauty.
To be honest, girls from noble families have a different kind of aura. Even wearing a green gauze dress, she still carried an air of elegance. It was just that her behavior was too reckless, earning her unfriendly looks from all the girls in the room.
Yi Zhangzhu didn't mind. She picked up the guqin that someone had left nearby and prepared to go out.
"Everyone," Mama Jin stood on the stage, beaming brightly. "Our Dream Return Pavilion has reopened. To celebrate, the girls have brought out their best skills today. We hope you'll continue to support us here in the future."
The world never lacks lustful men. Scare one group away, and another arrives, shouting at the top of their lungs, "Mama Jin, hurry up and bring out the beauties!"
"Yes, yes! The courtesan was redeemed, so you need to find even prettier girls. Otherwise, who are we supposed to look at?"
Mama Jin smiled, waving her handkerchief. "Everyone, please be patient. The girls will be up shortly."
As she spoke, she turned and gave Feng Yue a meaningful glance.
Leaning against the doorframe with her arms crossed, Feng Yue had originally intended to go up first but now had no interest. She just wanted to see what tricks this Miss Yi was planning.
How blissful it must be to be coddled in someone's palm. Many girls dream of escaping this fiery pit, yet here she was, walking right in.
Seeing no one else move, Yi Zhangzhu naturally took the initiative. Ignoring Dianchai's attempts to dissuade her, she adjusted her veil and stepped onto the stage.
Mama Jin was startled. Taking a closer look at the face, she hurried over to Feng Yue in alarm, pointing at the stage. "What's going on there?"
"Don't panic, Mama," Feng Yue said. "We don't have her contract here. If she wants to volunteer to liven things up, we can't exactly refuse."
"I'm not worried about her livening things up, but what if she ruins the show?" Unaware of Yi Zhangzhu's identity, Mama Jin frowned anxiously. "We've just managed to survive; we can't let things fall apart because of some unknown girl."
"Don't worry," Feng Yue reassured her. "She's from a noble family. Since childhood, she's been skilled in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. She won't ruin the show."
However, this spoiled young lady acted without considering the consequences. Performing so rashly on a brothel stage was truly improper. But since she didn't mind, Feng Yue, as the behind-the-scenes owner, had even less reason to worry.
She turned to look at Yin Gezhi. The gentleman had already noticed Yi Zhangzhu, frowning as he watched, clearly displeased.
Yi Zhangzhu was determined to show him how unrefined courtesans were. Without a second thought, her hands descended, and a smooth, flowing melody poured forth, filling the entire Dream Return Pavilion.
The audience below listened in stunned silence. Seeing that the girl's figure and features were not bad, they immediately erupted into thunderous applause.
Duanxian, returning from the restroom, couldn't find her guqin and was just wondering about it when she heard the music. Her face darkened as she stood before Feng Yue and asked, "Has your guest come to ruin my show again?"
"It's not him," Feng Yue replied with a smile. "See for yourself."
Puzzled, Duanxian looked over and saw the captivated expressions of the guests all around. On stage, a delicate beauty gently plucked the strings, her music ethereal and deeply moving.
As the piece ended, applause erupted like thunder, with cheers and praises echoing endlessly. Those who recognized her whispered in surprise, while those who didn't boldly stepped forward to ask for her price.Mama Jin wiped her sweat and stepped onto the stage, asking softly, "Are you here to register, miss?"
"No." With an arrogant smile, Yi Zhangzhu said, "I just heard the girls here are talented, so I came to give it a try."
Her expression changed, Mama Jin replied, "Miss, we run a business here. We can't let you cause trouble like this."
"A business?" Yi Zhangzhu sneered, standing up to look at the group of girls standing by the stage. Indignantly, she said, "You take money but force these innocent girls to sell their bodies for you. What kind of proper business is that? Even if I wreck this place today, what can you do?"
Everyone was stunned, not quite understanding the situation. Yin Gezhi stood up, expressionless, and said, "If you're done making a scene, get out."
Hearing his words, Yi Zhangzhu felt deeply wronged. She wasn't here to cause trouble—why should she leave?
"No, I want to save these innocent girls!" Stubbornly, Yi Zhangzhu glared at Mama Jin and said, "Either you let them go, or I'll shut down this brothel!"
Young but bold. Mama Jin gave a forced smile, eyeing her disdainfully. "Miss, everyone here has signed a contract of servitude. Even if this goes to the authorities, we're not in the wrong, and the brothel won't be shut down. If you want me to release them, why not redeem all the girls?"
Yi Zhangzhu was stunned. "Redeem them?"
"They all received my silver when they came here. If they want to leave, they naturally need to be redeemed." Seeing that the performance couldn't continue, Mama Jin snorted coldly, immediately pulling Yi Zhangzhu off the stage. She went to the side, took an abacus, and started calculating. "The redemption price for each girl here is one hundred taels of silver. Including the maids, there are a hundred people in total—ten thousand taels. If you can produce that, Mama will tear up their contracts."
Ten thousand taels? Yi Zhangzhu's face turned pale with fright. Angrily, she said, "You're robbing me! You're already doing something immoral, and you have the nerve to ask me for silver?"
"You want to do good deeds, but I have no reason to join you in charity. Businesspeople talk about money." Mama Jin sneered. "Otherwise, why should I lose so much silver just because you say a few words?"
"You..." Yi Zhangzhu was truly furious. "In all my years of doing good deeds, this is the first time I've met someone so unreasonable. No wonder this place breeds no decent people!"
"Hey!" Mama Jin was also angry. In all her years of doing business, this was the first time she'd met someone so shameless. Did she think other people's silver fell from the sky?
Just as she was about to argue further, Feng Yue, standing behind her, pulled her aside.
"Jin Ling, go up first." Calling to the person behind her, Feng Yue smiled and said, "Mama, don't be angry. This young lady just doesn't understand the rules."
Seeing her, Yi Zhangzhu was slightly taken aback, then her eyes lit up. "You're not at the Envoy's Mansion?"
Smiling at her, Feng Yue, with her red lips and white teeth, said, "I'll return in the evening."
Her expression darkened instantly. Yi Zhangzhu said, "There are many respectable people here. Why must you cling to Brother Yin?"
"There are plenty of people who like you too." Feng Yue smiled. "Why must you only focus on him?"
"I..."
Too angry to continue, Yi Zhangzhu turned to look in Yin Gezhi's direction, only to find his seat already empty.
Where did he go?"Master," Dianchai whispered, "Prince Yin has already left."
Left?! Yi Zhangzhu frowned, immediately threw down the guqin, and chased after him.
Many patrons were still waiting for her to return to the stage, but who knew that the figure in green would head straight out. Numerous patrons followed her out, and onlookers joined in the commotion, leaving the main hall of Dream Return Pavilion instantly deserted.
"What a great skill!" Picking up the guqin from the floor, Duanxian trembled with anger: "Strutting in to play the hero, then leaving for no reason at all—what kind of behavior is that!"
What kind indeed? Feng Yue pondered but couldn't think of an exact description. Giving up, she lifted her skirt and went upstairs.
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