Su Guniang suddenly lifted her head, her eyes wide open, staring in disbelief at the handsome “youth” before her.
Her lips trembled, her eyes filled with earthquake-like shock.
“Y-young master… what did you say?”
Su Guniang’s voice trembled too, as if she had heard something utterly preposterous.
“Even if the young master is unwilling to do that with me… there’s no need to slander yourself like this…”
“I’m the one who was too pushy…”
In truth, Su Guniang felt it was perfectly normal for Liu Yao to be lying.
After all, for a man to appear in this pleasure quarter to save Wang Chengle’s life—setting aside whether he was a proper person—at least it proved he must have had that kind of need to be here in the first place.
In short, she believed this Young Hero absolutely could not be a heaven-crippled person. Liu Yao must have just been trying to find an excuse to reject her without making her feel bad.
‘This young master is truly a gentle person…’
‘Just now downstairs, he was so considerate too…’
‘Surely a talented youth like him must have many close female friends out there?’
‘…Sigh, he must have his reasons…’
Su Guniang felt a pang of pity in her heart, while also being moved by the “youth’s” gentleness.
Unfortunately, Su Guniang had only guessed half right.
At this moment, Liu Yao’s face was like a red-hot iron pan—burning and flushed.
Hearing Su Guniang’s words, the girl thought her lie was so bad that the other had seen through it instantly. But Su Guniang’s touched expression left her momentarily speechless.
‘I really don’t have that ability!’
‘Big sis! I’m begging you, can you just leave!? I can’t hold on much longer!’
‘If I don’t fix this quickly, these binding cloth strips are really going to fall off!’
Liu Yao’s face was red from holding back, only hoping Su Guniang would hurry out and not interfere with her “breath regulation.”
“Su Guniang, I really am…” The girl shook her head, looking helpless. “Believe me or not, I truly am incapable. Please allow me some time alone.”
“After all, regulating one’s breath requires quiet. You wouldn’t want Uncle Wang to wait too long for me, would you?”
Seeing that the girl had already used Wang Chengle as a shield to reject her, Su Guniang felt she shouldn’t be so tactless anymore.
“…I have intruded too much.”
Su Guniang bowed slightly, then pulled open the door and left the room.
With the click of the door closing, Liu Yao’s hands and back, which had been tense, finally relaxed.
“Phew—that big sis was really hard to deal with…”
After confirming the door was tightly shut, she breathed a sigh of relief and immediately tore off the outer robe covering her.
What was wrapped under the outer robe was a pair of “steamed buns” bound with somewhat loose cloth strips—not too big, not too small, just right.
Although there was an inner garment beneath the bound area, it couldn’t hide the girl’s stunning figure.
Liu Yao pulled off the messy cloth strips, straightened them out, and began to wrap herself again.
“Hmph!”
“Why is this such a hassle…”
Sighing, her hands kept moving without stopping.
As she worked, her mind began to race.
‘In the end, I still couldn’t hold back…’
‘That tracking plan is ruined now. What should I do next?’
The girl frowned, and her hands slowed down slightly.
‘But luckily, I don’t have to pay for this fancy private room. That scumbag-looking guy actually did one good thing.’
‘Still, what does he want to talk to me about?’
‘He didn’t see through my disguise, did he?’
‘…Oh well, I’ll deal with it when it comes. If he dares to lay a hand on me, I’ll cripple him—his third leg!’
As she thought this, her hands sped up again, and she began humming an unknown tune.
Soon, the chest binding was redone. After confirming it was secure, Liu Yao nodded with satisfaction.
She straightened her clothes, and the clean, sharp young swordsman reappeared.
Pushing open the door, she saw Su Guniang standing right outside, clearly having stayed there the whole time.
Liu Yao looked at her awkwardly, but before she could say anything, Su Guniang stepped aside, raised one hand, and bowed to guide her.
“Young master, please come this way. Elder Master Wang instructed me to bring you to him.”
Seeing this, Liu Yao could only nod and say, “Please lead the way.”
The two walked one behind the other, once again passing through the crowd of singing and laughing women and rooms.
This time, perhaps because she was mentally prepared, Liu Yao didn’t get flustered again and remained much calmer.
Finally, after walking a path she hadn’t taken before, Su Guniang brought her to a private room even more luxurious than the one they had been in earlier and stopped.
“It’s here, young master.”
“Ah.”
After guiding her, Su Guniang left straight away. Liu Yao made no comment, only thinking nonstop about what to say and do next.
‘First, when I go in, I need to greet him politely.’
‘Right now, I’m playing the role of a young knight-errant new to the martial world, curious and accidentally wandering into Dawn Spring Courtyard. So I have to act a bit naive and innocent…’
‘Hah…’
‘Here goes!’
Taking a deep breath, the prepared girl pushed open the door. What came into view was—
“Master~ Keep drinking~!”
“Come on, ah~ Here comes a little flying stick~”
“How annoying! Master, go easy~”
Wang Chengle was immersed in this joyful scene, completely unaware that the door had opened and someone was standing there.
“Hahaha! Good! Good!” Wang Chengle raised his wine cup high while hugging a woman and laughing loudly.
“Tch.”
Although Liu Yao had mentally prepared herself, seeing this debauched and sensual sight still made her click her tongue involuntarily.
She spoke with an expressionless face, “Uncle Wang, I’ve come as promised.”
“Oh ho! Little Brother, you’re here?” Wang Chengle spotted Liu Yao at the door and immediately put on a warm face. “Good, good, good! Little Brother, come sit over here!”
As he spoke, he glanced at the women beside him and said, “Don’t you see I have important business to discuss with someone? No sense of the occasion!”
“Shoo, shoo, shoo! Get out!”
The women were reluctant but dared not defy Wang Chengle. One by one, they pouted and got up to leave.
But as they passed Liu Yao, they all shot her a glare, as if saying, ‘You ruined our fun!’
Liu Yao: ‘What does this have to do with me?’
She rubbed her nose, puzzled, didn’t pay it much mind, and walked straight to the chair opposite Wang Chengle to sit down.
Wang Chengle had already put on a warm, smiling face. He diligently poured her a cup of tea and offered it with both hands.
“Come, come, Little Brother, have some tea! This is top-quality pre-rain dragon well tea. I don’t bring it out for just anyone!”
Liu Yao took the teacup, nodded politely, and without bothering to savor the tea, got straight to the point. “Uncle Wang, you’re too kind. May I ask what business you wished to discuss?”
“Hahaha! Little Brother is indeed straightforward!” Wang Chengle rubbed his hands together, his smile deepening.
“Then I’ll speak plainly!
“I invited you here to ask you to be my bodyguard…”
“Pfft—!”
The tea Liu Yao had just drunk sprayed out in one go, landing squarely on Wang Chengle’s now still-smiling face.