The eerie firewood room was pitch black, with only the occasional sound of mice scurrying by, seemingly gnawing at the wood. Paired with the noises of the night, it sent chills down one's spine.
Granny Gui huddled alone in the corner. Over the years, though she was merely a servant, her favored position in front of Shen Miao had earned her some respect from the second and third branches of the family. Within Shen Mansion, she had lived quite comfortably—sometimes even better than some well-off commoners. It was easy to grow accustomed to luxury, but hard to return to hardship. Having long since abandoned a life of struggle, she was utterly unprepared to be locked away in the firewood room like some lowly maid.
Her thin clothes offered no protection against the night’s cold, but what chilled her more was the fear in her heart. Of the four maids locked up with her, Shen Yue’s maid had been force-fed a potion that left her mute—whether she would survive was uncertain. Shen Qing’s maid had been sold off to a ninth-class brothel. Ren Wanyun’s ruthless methods filled Granny Gui with dread for her own fate.
She had no illusions that Ren Wanyun would let her off easily. Not only had she witnessed Shen Qing’s disgrace, but she had also played a crucial role in the affair. The scheme had been meant to ruin Shen Miao, yet in the end, it was Shen Qing who had suffered. Someone like Ren Wanyun would never simply forgive her.
Tap, tap, tap.
Just as she was lost in thought, the crisp sound of footsteps echoed from outside, unnervingly clear in the dead of night.
Granny Gui stiffened, her eyes wide with terror as she stared at the door in the darkness.
Was it hope? Or despair? What lay beyond that door—an assassin sent by Ren Wanyun to silence her? Or perhaps a slim chance of survival?
The footsteps, unhurried yet relentless, pounded against her heart like a death knell. Her plump body had already collapsed into a quivering heap, sweat beading on her forehead as she trembled uncontrollably.
Creak—
The door swung open.
The figure carried a jade-green lantern, its eerie glow casting an otherworldly pallor, like a vengeful spirit come to claim a life. Granny Gui shakily lifted her head and saw a person draped in a white cloak standing at the threshold. The figure stepped inside and slowly closed the door behind them.
Now, the only light in the room was the ghostly green radiance of the lantern. The visitor finally lowered the cloak, revealing a delicate, fair face—it was Shen Miao.
The slender young girl had soft, gentle features, but under the lantern’s green light, they took on an unsettling quality. Her calm, indifferent expression only made her seem more like a reaper emerging from the underworld, so chilling that one dared not meet her gaze.
Granny Gui froze for a moment before suddenly crying out in joy, "Young Miss!"
Shen Miao set the lantern on the ground and unhurriedly walked over, crouching before Granny Gui with a faint smile. "How are you holding up, Granny?"
"Young Miss, you’ve come! This old servant knew you would save me! You’ve always been kind-hearted—you wouldn’t abandon me!" Clutching at Shen Miao’s skirt like a drowning woman grasping at straws, Granny Gui burst into tears, as though she had suffered unimaginable torment and Shen Miao was her most trusted savior.
Shen Miao glanced at the hands gripping her skirt and smiled faintly. "It seems Granny has endured quite a bit here."Granny Gui was taken aback and finally took a closer look at Shen Miao's expression. Shen Miao wore a gentle smile and appeared calm, yet showed no reaction to her words. To Granny Gui's shock, she realized she could no longer discern what this young mistress—whom she had accompanied for years—was truly thinking. She said, "This old servant has devoted her life to serving you, remaining utterly loyal. That day at Crouching Dragon Temple was merely an accidental encounter. Young Miss, this servant is completely innocent!"
"It seems Granny Gui truly sees me as her only hope," Shen Miao sighed worriedly. "But how am I to save you? In this mansion, does anyone even listen to what I say? What power do I have to refuse orders from the East Courtyard?"
"No, no, Young Miss will surely find a way!" Granny Gui grew anxious. Though she knew Shen Miao's words held truth—the second and third branches of the Shen family only maintained superficial goodwill toward the main branch, and with Shen Xin and his wife often away from Fixed Capital, it was impossible for Shen Miao alone to make a difference—desperation drove her to cling to this last hope. "Young Miss could plead with the Old Madam! Failing that, you could write to the Master and have him send a letter to the mansion. They wouldn’t dare ignore the Master’s words!"
Seizing upon what she thought was a brilliant idea, Granny Gui's eyes lit up with hope as she gazed at Shen Miao.
Yet Shen Miao only chuckled softly, shaking her head before meeting her gaze and saying slowly, "Father’s words could indeed save you. But... why should I?"
Granny Gui froze.
"Why should I exhaust myself running around for the sake of a mere servant?" Her voice carried faint mockery, and under the flickering lamplight, she seemed to regard the woman before her with utter indifference.
Granny Gui panicked. She hadn’t expected Shen Miao to respond this way. She had watched Shen Miao grow up, and though the girl had been cold toward her recently, she had assumed it was merely childish temper. Granny Gui knew Shen Miao was soft-hearted—hadn’t she even confided in her at Crouching Dragon Temple just days ago? It had seemed like she was regaining her trust. So why this sudden change?
Had someone spoken ill of her to Shen Miao? Granny Gui’s mind raced—it must have been those maids, Gu Yu and Jing Zhe. They had always opposed her, and now that she was in trouble, they must have seized the chance to slander her.
Frantic, she cried, "Young Miss, this servant has been with you for so long—I’ve watched you grow since birth! All these years, with the Master and Madam often away, it’s just been you and me relying on each other..." Here, she choked up, feigning deep sorrow. "Didn’t you say just the other day that when you fell ill with fever as a child and the physician was delayed, I braved the rain to fetch one for you... and even developed chronic ailments because of it..."
Every word was a plea, invoking past bonds. As she spoke, Granny Gui stole glances at Shen Miao. The main branch of the Shen family—whether Shen Xin and his wife or Shen Qiu and his sister—valued gratitude deeply, a trait perhaps inherited from their military aristocratic lineage. Now, Granny Gui sought to exploit that very sense of obligation, hoping to sway Shen Miao.Yet in the flickering lamplight, the young girl lowered her head with a faint smile, showing not a trace of emotion, as if listening to some amusing tale. She said softly, "Granny Gui, you did treat me well before. But how did the eldest branch of the Shen family—how did I—treat you in return?"
Granny Gui hesitated for a moment before replying, "The mistress and master treated this old servant exceedingly well, and so did the young lady. You gave me face in all matters, provided generous monthly allowances, and never once scolded me..."
"Not only that," Shen Miao continued her words, "but I also helped your son and grandson whenever I could. In the entire West Courtyard, you held the highest position. I never treated you as just a servant, but as family—trusting you, drawing close to you, always thinking of you. Isn't that so?"
"Yes," Granny Gui admitted. Indeed, because Shen Miao was young and easily swayed, she had managed to coax the girl into complete obedience. Whatever she said, Shen Miao believed, and in the West Courtyard, she was practically half the master.
"Then, since I treated you so well, why did you betray me?"
That light, airy sentence struck Granny Gui like a thunderbolt, shattering her as she was lost in reminiscence. She looked up at Shen Miao in shock. "What?!"
"There's no need for such a surprised expression, Granny," Shen Miao said with a smile. "When I first learned of your betrayal, I was a thousand—no, ten thousand—times more shocked than you are now."
"Young lady, someone must be trying to drive a wedge between us! This old servant has never betrayed you—how could I ever betray you? Young lady, you must believe me!" Granny Gui reacted swiftly. After a brief moment of panic, she adopted an expression of utmost grievance, protesting her innocence as if the heavens themselves bore witness to her loyalty.
"Enough." Shen Miao waved her hand, a faint trace of impatience surfacing on her face. "At the Crouching Dragon Temple, the vegetarian meals, the scented incense—my second aunt's methods have always been impeccable. To think she truly regarded you as a trusted confidant when she enlisted your help."
As Shen Miao spoke each word deliberately, Granny Gui's initial urge to defend herself faded, leaving her utterly speechless by the last syllable.
She stared blankly at Shen Miao, her eyes filled with indescribable horror.
"Granny, you probably aren't literate, so you might not know the phrase 'the mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind.' You've served two masters now. I'd like to hear—in your eyes, was my second aunt's scheme more cunning, or was mine superior?"
"You... you couldn't have—" Granny Gui forced out the words with difficulty.
"Ah, but I did," Shen Miao's voice dropped to a whisper, so low only Granny Gui could hear. "The one who should have been ruined was me. So why did it end up being my elder sister? It was no coincidence. I orchestrated it all."
Suspecting something was one thing, but hearing it confirmed was another. Granny Gui stared in terror at the girl before her, who knelt slightly with a smile. In the jade-green glow of the lamplight, her clear eyes gleamed like those of a beast—unnaturally bright in the darkness, unnaturally terrifying. How could someone with such an innocent, delicate appearance be so horrifying?As for why Shen Miao and Shen Qing had completely changed in the end, Granny Gui had been pondering this question ever since she was thrown into the firewood room. She had even wondered if Shen Miao had played a part in it, but quickly dismissed the absurd thought. Shen Miao had grown up under her watch, and Granny Gui knew her inside out. She had always been foolish and soft-hearted—there was no way she could have done such a thing. Yet now, Shen Miao had openly admitted it to her face without even bothering to conceal it. If it were anyone else, Granny Gui would have thought them too arrogant and stupid, but now, she no longer dared to view Shen Miao through ordinary eyes.
"Miss…" She opened her mouth but didn’t know what to say. Since Shen Miao already knew about this, there was no chance she would come to rescue her.
"Aunt has always been ruthless. Though she values you, after this incident, you’ll have no future left. What a pity." Her tone was full of regret, as if she truly sympathized with Granny Gui’s plight.
Terrified of Ren Wanyun’s methods and stirred by Shen Miao’s words, Granny Gui felt a flicker of hope. She immediately dropped to her knees, kowtowing frantically to Shen Miao. "Miss, please save this old servant! I never meant to harm you! The Second Madam threatened my children and grandchildren—I had no choice! For the sake of the master and mistress, for the sake of the years I’ve served you, please save me!"
Her forehead struck the ground with loud thuds. In the past, Shen Miao, who had always respected her, would never have allowed Granny Gui to lower herself like this. But now… she was Empress Shen of Ming Qi, before whom even the highest officials had knelt. A disloyal servant like this—she absolutely deserved it!
"Actually, I came here tonight to repay the kindness you’ve shown me over the years," Shen Miao suddenly said.
Granny Gui’s face lit up with joy. "This old servant always knew the young miss was kind-hearted! Such loyalty and righteousness—the Bodhisattva will surely bless you with a smooth life, and all those who wish you harm will meet a terrible end!"
Shen Miao nearly laughed inwardly. Granny Gui’s ability to switch sides was truly breathtaking.
She raised her voice slightly. "And not just that. That day at Crouching Dragon Temple, didn’t you confide in me? From then on, I knew you were the only one who truly cared for me in this world."
Granny Gui was bewildered, unsure what Shen Miao meant. Just moments ago, she had seemed to hate her intensely—why was she now speaking so soothingly? Regardless, Granny Gui felt hope surging within her and eagerly played along. "Yes! This old servant has always stood by your side! You are my only mistress, and I will remain loyal to you for the rest of my life!"
A strange noise suddenly came from outside the window, as if something had been knocked over. Startled, Granny Gui turned to look, but the room was pitch black—she couldn’t see a thing.
Finding nothing, she turned back to Shen Miao with a pitiful expression. "Miss, can you get me out of here now? It’s so dark and damp—this old servant’s bones won’t last much longer…"
"Don’t worry. You won’t have to last much longer. After all… you’re about to die.""What?" Granny Gui abruptly looked up, staring at Shen Miao in bewilderment. "This old servant doesn't understand what the young miss means..."
"The people outside just now were sent by Second Aunt. I imagine they've already noticed my visit to you, Granny Gui." Shen Miao smiled. "In that case, what chance of survival do you still have?"
"This old servant... doesn't understand..." Granny Gui instinctively straightened her back. A sense of unease was growing in her heart, but she couldn't grasp what Shen Miao truly meant.
"Don't understand?" Shen Miao tilted her head thoughtfully. "Do you remember what you shouted just now?"
Upon hearing this, Granny Gui indeed tried to recall, and her face instantly turned deathly pale.
She had loudly declared: From beginning to end, she had always stood by Shen Miao's side, that Shen Miao alone was her true master.
Admittedly, these words were meant to deceive Shen Miao, to feign loyalty in hopes that Shen Miao would rescue her. But how would Ren Wanyun's people interpret such words? That day when Shen Qing inexplicably switched places with Shen Miao, they had already suspected Shen Miao's involvement but couldn't believe it because they didn't understand how Shen Miao could have foreseen events.
But if Granny Gui had informed Shen Miao and conspired with her to scheme against Shen Qing? That would explain everything perfectly.
This wasn't the truth, but to Ren Wanyun's ears, this would be the truth!
Before fear could fully take hold, Shen Miao spoke again, her voice soft: "This is the grand gift I'm giving you in return, Granny. How do you find it?"
Granny Gui stared fixedly at Shen Miao. Only now did she realize that from start to finish today, she had been led by the nose by Shen Miao. Whatever Shen Miao said, she believed. Their positions had completely reversed. But Shen Miao was far more unpredictable than her—capable of turning hostile in an instant—and she couldn't begin to guess Shen Miao's true intentions.
"My purpose in coming has only one goal: to send you on your final journey." As if reading Granny Gui's thoughts, Shen Miao spoke with a smile.
Granny Gui trembled violently. She wanted to cry out, to scream, but no sound would come. The infant she once held in swaddling clothes had somehow transformed into this young woman whose other face no one had ever seen before—not even her. She wanted to resist fiercely, to curse, but when she met those beast-like eyes, she could only tremble uncontrollably.
"The Shen family doesn't keep faithless and disloyal servants. Even if you become a vengeful ghost seeking retribution against me in the underworld, I won't fear you. Perhaps I'll even spar with you again there." Her words were colder than her smile. "It's not I who betrayed you, Granny, but you who betrayed me."
"What a pity about your grandson and son. Second Aunt always cuts off all loose ends—you'll probably reunite with them soon enough."
"No..." Granny Gui's body shook as tears and snot mingled on her face, her weeping pitiful. "Please... save them..."
"I told you before—a disloyal servant isn't worth my attention." Shen Miao's words were cruel and merciless. "Standing by and doing nothing is the greatest mercy I can offer."
She leaned forward slowly, as if sharing childhood secrets with Granny Gui, and said quietly: "It's only for the sake of our master-servant bond over these ten-odd years that I came to see you one last time, Granny Gui."
"Granny Gui, have a safe journey."A charming smile bloomed on her delicate little face, transforming her cute and refined features into something cruelly heart-stopping.
Granny Gui was about to say something more when she saw Shen Miao stand up and put her cloak back on. The hem of the cloak cut a ghastly white arc in the darkness, like the fluttering white funeral paper money on a coffin. The emerald-green lantern was carried out as she left the room, and the moment the door closed, everything plunged back into darkness as despair surged overwhelmingly from all directions.
Outside, Bailu and Shuangjiang, seeing Shen Miao emerge, finally let out a collective sigh of relief and helped her turn to leave.
After they had gone, a woman's figure emerged from the flower bushes. She gazed at Shen Miao's retreating back, then at the tightly shut door of the firewood room, her expression twisting with resentment.
...
After several days of autumn rain, the sky finally cleared.
Everything in the general's mansion seemed to have returned to its usual calm, but the scent of medicine wafting intermittently from the East Courtyard still served as a reminder of the recent upheaval in the Shen Mansion.
Shen Qing's sanity appeared to be gradually returning—at least she no longer flew into a frenzy at the sight of people as she had before. However, Ren Wanyun, fearing further agitation, had confined her to the Colorful Cloud Courtyard these past days, forbidding her from leaving. Worried that Shen Qing might attempt suicide, Ren Wanyun kept constant watch over her. As a result, all household affairs were handed over to Chen Ruoqiu to manage. With Ren Wanyun rarely leaving her courtyard, Shen Miao enjoyed a rare few days of peace.
But that didn’t mean nothing had happened. A few days later, Granny Gui was finally executed. The charge was secretly colluding with evildoers in an attempt to harm Shen Qing. Now, no one in the Shen Mansion dared to bring up Shen Qing’s affairs in front of Shen Miao—not because the matter had been settled, but because Shen Miao’s words in the Hall of Glory and Scenery had made them think twice before acting rashly.
Though they dared not touch Shen Miao, they still had the audacity to target her wet nurse, Granny Gui.
According to the mansion’s laws, Granny Gui was to be beaten to death with rods. Generally, when servants committed offenses warranting execution, the more serious cases were dealt with by beating, while the more ordinary ones were simply given a fatal dose of poison. After all, with their indentures held by their masters, no one cared whether they lived or died.
But Granny Gui’s death was particularly gruesome. Her limbs seemed to have been broken alive, and not a single bone in her body remained intact. Blood seeped from all seven orifices, making the sight horrifying. Even the servants tasked with carrying the corpse couldn’t bear to look at it. Yet Ren Wanyun deliberately ordered Shen Miao to handle the burial.
The maid Xiang Lan, sent by Ren Wanyun, announced, "Madam says that although Granny Gui was executed for her crimes, she was still Fifth Miss’s servant. Therefore, the arrangements for her burial fall to Fifth Miss. Granny Gui’s body has been placed in the West Courtyard. Fifth Miss should go and see to it."
Likely, everyone wanted to witness Shen Miao’s panic and distress. After all, the servants of the Shen Mansion all knew that Granny Gui was Shen Miao’s confidante. Now that she had met such a tragic end, they expected Shen Miao to be heartbroken.
Ren Wanyun probably thought the same, assuming Shen Miao would blame herself for Granny Gui’s death. But to everyone’s surprise, that day, in front of all the servants of the West Courtyard, Shen Miao walked up to Granny Gui’s corpse, lifted the white shroud, and examined the horrifically mangled body without so much as a flinch or a furrowed brow.Xiang Lan was surprised by Shen Miao's calmness, only to hear her coldly declare: "Granny Gui has long been domineering in the West Courtyard, deceiving superiors and bullying inferiors, acting arrogantly as a servant who oversteps her position. Even if such a servant hadn't made any mistakes, the West Courtyard wouldn't tolerate them. Today, you shall all witness this clearly - anyone who follows Granny Gui's example in the future will meet the same end!"
Most of those in the West Courtyard were originally spies planted by the second and third branches of the family. Having witnessed Granny Gui's former dominance and now seeing her miserable death, they couldn't help but feel fearful at Shen Miao's chilling indifference.
Xiang Lan, seeing the situation, thought to herself that things had gone awry. Originally intending to frighten Shen Miao, she hadn’t expected Shen Miao to instead use Granny Gui’s death to assert her authority. She immediately returned to Colorful Cloud Courtyard to report the matter to Ren Wanyun.
“This is bad! We’ve fallen into a trap!” Upon hearing this, Ren Wanyun’s grip loosened, and the teacup in her hand fell to the ground, shattering into pieces.
“Madam…” Cai Ju looked puzzled.
Ren Wanyun gritted her teeth. “Granny Gui was just a pawn. That little wretch must have long wanted to get rid of her but deliberately used our hands to do it. Now she’s even used this to establish her authority in the West Courtyard. That little wretch—her schemes are truly cunning!”
Ren Wanyun was not foolish, but as a mother, she had inevitably lost some of her usual composure over the matter concerning Shen Qing. That night, the person sent to find Granny Gui had seen Shen Miao visiting her and overheard fragments of their conversation—Granny Gui seemed utterly loyal to Shen Miao. When this was reported back to Ren Wanyun, she became convinced that the reason Shen Qing had suffered misfortune was because Granny Gui and Shen Miao had conspired to switch the targets.
With this thought in mind, her hatred for Shen Miao and Granny Gui surged like a raging flood. Shen Miao was untouchable for now, but Granny Gui, a mere servant, was fair game. Thus, she employed the cruelest methods to ensure Granny Gui died in agony. She had assumed Shen Miao would be heartbroken upon seeing Granny Gui’s fate. But now, hearing Xiang Lan’s account, Ren Wanyun realized she had been played by Shen Miao.
It was all part of Shen Miao’s scheme—using others to eliminate her enemies. Shen Miao played this game better than anyone.
Ren Wanyun gnashed her teeth in fury. For years, she had reigned unchallenged in the inner household, taming every one of Shen Gui’s concubines into submission. Yet now, she had repeatedly been bested by a mere slip of a girl. Her rage was indescribable.
“Has the letter to Prince Yu been delivered?” Ren Wanyun asked.
“It has, but Madam, if the master finds out, he will surely be furious,” Cai Ju replied cautiously.
At present, Shen Gui was doing everything possible to keep Prince Yu in the dark about Shen Qing’s situation, hoping the prince would never discover the truth. But Ren Wanyun wished for nothing more than Prince Yu’s immediate discovery, for given the prince’s temperament, anyone who dared scheme under his nose would meet a gruesome end.
Even if it meant quarreling with Shen Gui, she would avenge Shen Qing. If Shen Miao dared threaten the entire Shen family, would she dare threaten Prince Yu?
“I want her to die without a grave to bury her!” Ren Wanyun hissed through clenched teeth.
“The young miss is playing chess again,” Bailu murmured, shaking her head in puzzlement. “What’s the fun in playing alone?”
“What else can she do?” Shuangjiang shot a glance at the figure at the table and said indignantly, “Confined all day, not even allowed to leave the courtyard—what’s left to do during the day?”
“Shh—” Bailu hushed her. “Don’t say that. The young miss is already upset about the confinement. Don’t bring it up and make her angrier.”
Shuangjiang pouted. “Our young miss has a gentle temper—she won’t get angry.”
Truth be told, it had been a long time since anyone had seen Shen Miao angry. In fact, she hardly showed any emotion at all. The old Shen Miao, though incompetent and timid, had been transparent—happy when happy, sad when sad. Now, even her closest maids couldn’t read her. If most people matured gradually, Shen Miao’s transformation seemed to have happened overnight.
From naive and weak to calm and unreadable—how had she changed so drastically? No one knew.
“Bailu.” Just then, Shen Miao called her name, and Bailu hurried forward to answer.
“Take the gold jewelry from the silver case in the cabinet and pawn it when you have the chance,” Shen Miao said without turning around.
“Yes,” Bailu replied promptly, then hesitated. “But young miss, we just pawned a case of jewelry yesterday. This is the last one.”
“It’s fine,” Shen Miao set down a chess piece. “I won’t need it anyway. After pawning it, give the silver notes to Jing Zhe and call Gu Yu in.”
Bailu obeyed and left, though she couldn’t help but wonder—Shen Miao seemed in a hurry to pawn her jewelry, as if she urgently needed money. What was she planning to do with it?
Pleasure Tower was the grandest restaurant in Fixed Capital, situated at the heart of the bustling city. Across from it stood a row of brothels and pleasure houses. After feasting at Pleasure Tower, the nobility and wealthy patrons would often cross the street to seek entertainment in the flower houses. Brothels were ranked by class—the higher the status, the higher the floor. The top levels housed courtesans who sold their art, not their bodies, while the lower floors hosted renowned beauties. The very bottom belonged to the Ninth-class brothels, establishments so lowly they weren’t even called “towers” or “courtyards,” but merely “classes” or “dens.”
Sanfu Class was one such den, the lowest of the low across from Pleasure Tower. Its patrons were laborers and the destitute, and it was common for diseased or dying girls to be thrown out onto the streets. Vagrant beggars would drag them away—perhaps to vent their frustrations, or perhaps because their clothes could fetch a copper coin. Compared to the refinement of Pleasure Tower, Sanfu Class was nothing short of hell on earth.
By the window of Pleasure Tower, a young man in pristine white sleeves frowned as he watched the scene across the street. Another new girl was being thrown into Sanfu Class, struggling and wailing—likely a servant sold off by her master. Some young maids were pretty, and jealous mistresses, fearing they might seduce their husbands, would sell them into such places.
“How cruel,” the white-robed gentleman sighed. Though his tone was pitying, he made no move to intervene.
Opposite him, a young man in a striking purple robe poured himself wine, his demeanor noble and aloof. “The person has already entered Prince Yu’s Manor. Whether we can find them remains to be seen.”
“And if we can’t?” the white-robed man turned to him.
“Then we keep looking.” The purple-clad youth smirked, his roguish charm so dazzling that even the courtesan playing the zither nearby faltered, striking a wrong note.
The white-robed man chuckled. “Xie San, your allure grows ever stronger. Even the fair maiden is smitten—how am I to compete?”
He sighed dramatically, though he himself was quite handsome. But next to the purple-clad youth, he paled in comparison. The young man exuded a lazy nobility, his sharp eyes like the blazing sun—naturally radiant, eclipsing all around him.
“Gao Yang, if you like her, I’ll… gift you a houseful of them later,” Xie Jingxing said drily.
“No, no,” Gao Yang waved his hands with a wry smile. “Fair maidens are best admired from afar. I lack the energy for more. But you—” He took a sip of wine. “—are at the age of wild abandon. How can you lack a red-sleeved confidante? In Ming Qi, if you so desired, crowds would throw themselves at you.”
“Red-sleeved confidante?” Xie Jingxing smirked. “Who’s to say they aren’t just pretty skeletons?”
“Don’t be so grim,” Gao Yang pointed at the brothels across the street. “Look at those lovely ladies upstairs. Skeletons? How dull.”
Xie Jingxing followed his gaze, then suddenly paused, his dark eyes flickering with surprise.
“Why is he here?”
Author’s Note:
The old bitch is dead—who’s next? (:3 」∠)
...
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