Chapter 62: Chopped Chili Fish Head (Part 13)
Jing Yi’s hands, which had been busy at his waist, paused abruptly. For a moment, he couldn’t decide whether to finish tying his belt or leave it undone.
“It’s not... I took off these clothes myself. It has nothing to do with the abbot.”
“...”
“No! I was just feeling sleepy and wanted to take a nap, so I took them off...”
“...”
“No, no... I took them off at the entrance!”
“...”
Watching Leng Yue’s face darken to an iron-gray hue, Jing Yi closed his mouth, feeling utterly helpless and on the verge of tears.
No matter how glib his tongue usually was, whenever he faced Leng Yue with that expression, his words would stiffen and feel completely foreign to him.
Whether it was an illusion or not, Jing Yi couldn’t help but feel that ever since he entered Anguo Temple, the sourness in Leng Yue’s gaze had grown more intense with each passing moment. If he stayed here for ten days or half a month, her glare might just pickle him into a jar of Laba garlic.
If she could get this jealous while he was staying in a monastery, what would happen if Prince An suddenly took a whim and sent him to live in the pleasure quarters? The consequences...
A chill ran down Jing Yi’s spine, and without thinking, he hastily finished tying his half-done belt.
Just as he finished and before he could adjust his collar, the courtesan who had been sitting with her back to him turned around slowly, a faint smile on her lips. In his panic, Jing Yi hurriedly crossed his arms over his chest, leaving the woman utterly stunned.
When his eyes fell on her face, Jing Yi was equally taken aback.
“Miss Hua Mei?”
“Jing...”
Hua Mei stared blankly at Jing Yi, who was bald and shielding his chest with his hands. After uttering the syllable “Jing,” her lips parted and closed several times, unable to decide what to say next.
Leng Yue had blindfolded her and carried her here. After sitting in the room for a while, she had noticed it didn’t resemble an ordinary inn or a typical residence. It was extremely simple yet elegant and otherworldly, leading her to assume it was a medicine room in Jing Bai’s estate. Hearing Jing Yi enter hadn’t struck her as odd—after all, a younger brother appearing in his elder brother’s home was normal. But seeing Jing Yi dressed like a monk suddenly made her realize the truth.
“This... this is a temple?”
Leng Yue didn’t answer. Instead, she stood up, pulled Jing Yi into the outer room, and began adjusting his open collar with clear irritation. In a hushed voice, she said, “His Highness wants me to extract some information from her. She’s being stubborn with me, and I can’t bring myself to use harsh methods, so I brought her here. Ask her for me...”
Jing Yi didn’t inquire about what Leng Yue wanted him to ask. Instead, he closed his eyes and offered his cheek.
“One kiss, and I’ll ask.”
Leng Yue’s lips twitched, and she had a strong urge to pinch that fair, tender cheek. But as her fingers brushed against Jing Yi’s face, she felt the scorching heat of his skin and found herself unable to follow through.
“We’ll talk after you’ve asked...” Leng Yue gently stroked his smooth yet slightly thinner cheek and lowered her voice even further. “Ask her three things: First, why did she leave Wise Prince Manor back then? Second, how did she leave Wise Prince Manor? And third, what is her current relationship with the Wise Prince?”
Jing Yi furrowed his brows in thought for a moment, then nodded. “Alright... but can I ask in any way I want?”
After all, asking questions only required using his mouth. However he phrased it, could he possibly make flowers bloom from his words? Without hesitation, Leng Yue nodded.Jing Yi's brow relaxed slightly as he pursed his lips gently, his eyelashes fluttering. "Then let me say this first—when I'm questioning her, you mustn't come in. No matter what I say, you can't interrupt... and you can't hit me either."
Leng Yue had only brought Hua Mei to see Jing Yi because she had run out of ideas herself. Since she had decided to let Jing Yi handle the interrogation, it was naturally his call. So Leng Yue nodded again.
After nodding, Leng Yue hesitated briefly but ultimately couldn't resist leaning closer to Jing Yi, whispering in a nearly inaudible voice, "Just ask your questions, but don't get too close to her... She's contracted syphilis. Earlier, she doused herself in ice water to induce a high fever, which helped her avoid your second brother's examination." After saying this, Leng Yue pressed her lips together slightly, adding with a hint of guilt, "I promised her I wouldn't tell anyone."
As a martial artist, though Leng Yue served in the official bureau, her constant travels had imbued her with a chivalrous spirit, making her particularly faithful to her word. Had she not been worried about Jing Yi, she would never have broken a promise she had made to Hua Mei.
Jing Yi knew this habit of hers well. Her slight guilt warmed his heart, and he nodded, gently kissing her forehead. "Don't worry."
Seeing that Leng Yue truly seemed reassured, Jing Yi finally raised a hand to rub his face, crafting a warm and friendly smile before unhurriedly walking back into the inner room.
When Jing Yi entered, Hua Mei was still staring in astonishment at the monk's quarters, as if unable to believe Leng Yue had brought her to a temple. Hearing Jing Yi's footsteps, she turned her gaze to his head, her expression growing even more incredulous.
"Sit, sit, sit... no need to stand on ceremony. Xiao Yue has some matters to attend to and will be back later." Jing Yi smiled warmly at the somewhat bewildered Hua Mei, pouring tea as he spoke cordially. "I didn't know Miss Hua Mei was coming, so I didn't prepare any fine tea. Please have a couple of sips to moisten your throat."
Hua Mei glanced toward the doorway, but her view was empty.
Assuming Leng Yue had slipped away to fetch the elusive Jing Bai, Hua Mei sat down dazedly, staring blankly at Jing Yi—whose face was the same but whose head was now shaved—so stunned that her voice became faint and unsteady. "Young... Master Jing, forgive my rudeness, but may I ask why you have suddenly taken monastic vows?"
Jing Yi placed the poured tea before Hua Mei, toning down his smile slightly as he replied gently, "Miss Hua Mei, do you still remember Feng Si'er?"
Hua Mei started slightly, then nodded. "Of course I remember. She was once a high-class courtesan at the Sparrow Nest Brothel, promoted single-handedly by you, Young Master, before finding a home... However, I heard from Constable Leng recently that, for some reason, she was killed by the steward of your household?"
Jing Yi's body stiffened imperceptibly, and he frowned without realizing it.
Regarding Feng Si'er's death, he had only heard Prince An mention it casually—that she was involved in a case and had met her end.
The official bureau had its rules. Since Prince An didn't elaborate and Leng Yue was unwilling to discuss it, Jing Yi hadn't asked a single word. But in his spare time, he had pondered it privately: there were plenty of people with motives and means to harm Feng Si'er, yet the steward Cheng Xun had brought from his hometown in Suzhou shouldn't have been among them...
Jing Yi nodded lightly, his expression unchanged, and smiled faintly. "She lived a hard life and died unjustly. Someone ought to perform rites for her soul."
Hua Mei stared at Jing Yi in astonishment. "Young Master, you took monastic vows to perform rites for Si'er?"
Jing Yi nodded gracefully."Then... does Constable Leng know about this matter?"
Seeing Jing Yi only smile without answering, Hua Mei shook her head with a sigh. Accompanied by the delicate sound of hairpins swaying, her sigh carried profound bitterness. Just as she was about to speak, Jing Yi preempted her with a smile, "I remember Sier once told me that you entered Sparrow Nest Brothel also for someone?"
Before Jing Yi finished speaking, Hua Mei's gently swaying head and neck had already stiffened. The dangling hairpin ornaments swayed weakly a few times before falling silent. Her exquisitely made-up face turned slightly pale, and the faint smile perpetually gracing her lips stiffened into disappearance. She only murmured vaguely, "Young master jokes..."Jing Yi seemed not to hear Hua Mei's soft protest, continuing casually and unabashedly as if making small talk, 'If I recall correctly, it was someone Hua Mei deeply loved?""
Hua Mei pressed her crimson lips tightly together, her slender hands clasped firmly beneath the table until her knuckles turned white.
"If I remember correctly," Jing Yi said slowly and gently while observing Hua Mei's gradually paling complexion, "that person's identity..."
Hua Mei stood up abruptly like a cat whose tail had been stepped on while sleeping soundly. Her beautiful eyes widened as a sharp exclamation escaped her lips, "Young master!"
Jing Yi narrowed his eyes slightly, watching Hua Mei tremble uncontrollably, and gently waved his hand. "Don't worry, don't worry, I won't say anything... If the madam finds out you shouted at me like that, you'll inevitably face punishment, won't you?"
The reason Sparrow Nest Brothel could become the capital's premier brothel wasn't just because its visible aspects were three parts more respectable than others, but more because its hidden aspects were seven parts more sordid. Hua Mei naturally understood better than Jing Yi what "punishment" meant at Sparrow Nest. Her heart panicked, her legs weakened, and she knelt down. "Hua Mei has been rude, please forgive me, young master!"
Jing Yi sat lazily by the table, not rising to help her up, speaking with his usual gentle tone, "According to Sparrow Nest's rules then - three pots as punishment. There's no wine in the temple, so you may drink tea instead."
Hua Mei's mind was in turmoil, unable to decipher Jing Yi's intentions, but not daring to delay. She quickly expressed gratitude, stood up, lifted the teapot, and began pouring tea directly into her mouth.
The tea was neither hot nor cold, making it easy to drink. Jing Yi didn't hurry her or watch her, only waiting until she finished and set down the teapot before refilling it with hot water from the copper kettle.
"Wait a moment," Jing Yi stopped Hua Mei from reaching for the pot again, smiling good-naturedly, "I just poured it - it's a bit hot. Let it cool before drinking."
"Yes..." Hua Mei carefully sat back down. Seeing no trace of displeasure on Jing Yi's face, she relaxed slightly, and the charming faint smile naturally returned to her lips. "Young Master Jing is truly a man of exquisite taste, still drinking such precious tea even within temple grounds... Hua Mei benefits from this."
Jing Yi was momentarily stunned by her words, unconsciously taking a subtle breath and savoring the curling tea fragrance.
Having been accustomed to luxury since childhood, Jing Yi was indeed particular about daily comforts. However, his visit to Anguo Temple had been rushed this time - he hadn't managed to bring any of the things he wanted, let alone something as dispensable as tea leaves.
The tea in the pot was the same batch Shenxiu had brewed early that morning. Jing Yi had only added some hot water before going out. After just one sip of this tea, Jing Yi had decided to spend the remainder of his days at Anguo Temple drinking plain boiled water.He had rarely tasted tea this crude in his entire life.
If Leng Yue had called it good, Jing Yi wouldn’t have found it strange at all—after all, in his wife’s mouth, any type or grade of tea only differed in strength. But Hua Mei was the top courtesan of the capital’s number one brothel; tea appreciation was a basic skill of hers. She had already downed an entire pot of this tea, which tasted as awful as boiled river water with tree leaves, and still claimed the tea leaves were precious…
Could it be that syphilis had even affected her tongue?
Jing Yi reached out and lifted the lid of the teapot, glancing at the leaves that had been steeping for nearly half a day. With keen interest, he said, “You say these tea leaves are precious—do you know what kind of tea this is?”
Hua Mei’s brows relaxed slightly, and a faint smile spread across her lips. “Thanks to Constable Leng, I once had the honor of tasting this tea. Unfortunately, I lack the fortune to fully appreciate its subtleties even now. I hope Young Master Jing can enlighten me… If my palate serves me right, this flavor is unique to Suzhou’s Cheng Family Tea House, with no other source.”
Jing Yi was so stunned he nearly dropped the teapot lid in his hand.
Cheng Family’s tea…
Master Jing was fond of Cheng Family’s tea. Jing Yi had only tasted it once at home, and perhaps because it had been so long, he remembered finding it merely a bit unpleasant back then—not nearly as dreadful as this.
Even then, Jing Yi had found it hard to understand why Master Jing, with his refined tastes, had inexplicably taken a liking to Cheng Family’s tea.
In Jing Yi’s view, Master Jing’s obsession with Cheng Family’s tea was no less intense than his persistence when courting Madam Jing. The whole family agreed that keeping such tea in the Jing household was an embarrassment even to the leaves themselves, yet Master Jing insisted on drinking it.
If it were just a matter of insistence, Jing Yi could have understood—after all, the tea Master Jing drank was bestowed by the emperor, and not drinking it would be disrespectful. But Master Jing not only drank it with evident enjoyment, he also seized every opportunity to praise it to his court colleagues. This led to a craze among the capital’s trend-following elites for Cheng Family’s tea, with even the most fastidious Prince Rui and the least particular Prince An joining the trend. It left Jing Yi bewildered for a long time, until he finally resigned himself to the idea that there’s no accounting for taste.
Now, if Shenxiu claimed to like Cheng Family’s tea, Jing Yi would hardly bat an eye. But for Shenxiu, a monk who avoided worldly riches, to drink such exorbitantly priced, wretched tea, there could only be one explanation.
It must have been a gift.
From whom?
Jing Yi frowned slightly and responded absently, replacing the teapot lid.
“How about this,” Jing Yi said gently, looking up at the now-relaxed Hua Mei with a faint smile. “There are two things I’ve long been curious about, related to your… condition. If you answer me honestly, I’ll excuse you from the remaining two pots of punishment. We can take our time drinking, so as not to waste such precious tea. What do you say?”
His tone was tender yet carried a hint of flirtation, like a spring breeze rippling across still water, stirring an indescribable turbulence deep within Hua Mei.Jing Yi was a regular patron at the brothel. Countless courtesans had been chosen by him, yet all they ever did was accompany him in dining, drinking, cricket fights, dice games, and mahjong. There was even a top courtesan from another establishment who, despite taking a handful of aphrodisiacs, ended up trembling on the bed, spending the entire night playing cat's cradle with him. She exhausted all her charms without even touching a single finger of Young Master Jing Yi, leaving her so humiliated and enraged she nearly took her own life.
Even now, though Young Master Jing Yi was already a married man, winning his favor remained the ultimate aspiration for the courtesans in the capital's pleasure district.
Suddenly hearing Jing Yi express curiosity about her body, Hua Mei felt a fleeting sense of triumph, as if she had topped the imperial examinations.
"Yes..." Hua Mei instinctively lowered her head slightly, her eyelids drooping. Her previously pale cheeks instantly flushed with an alluring rosy hue, and her voice softened like a dream. "Young Master, please ask. Hua Mei will hold nothing back."
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