“Cough! Uncle Wang, my apologies. I was careless and was ambushed by those two scoundrels. I let them escape.”
“Little Brother, what are you saying! I’m already grateful that you came to my rescue! Let those two bastards run away. I’ll get to the bottom of this later!”
As he spoke, Wang Chengle grunted unconvincedly, then moved closer to check on his savior, this “young man.”
“But Little Brother, you were hit by them. Are you injured? Should I call a physician?”
Liu Yao saw Wang Chengle approaching and quickly stepped back two paces to keep distance, so as not to reveal anything.
‘Get away! You old lecher! Damn those two bastards! If I ever catch them…! Hiss—! Damn, don’t let it drop again!!’
The girl’s face twitched, but she still chose to pull at her clothes with her hand behind her back, hoping that this old pervert wasn’t focusing on her chest where she was hit.
Hitt… She took a deep breath to calm herself, then spoke up.
“By the way, Uncle Wang, have you offended someone? They dared to hire assassins in broad daylight.”
Wang Chengle was originally worried about the “young man’s” injuries, but hearing Liu Yao’s words, his attention shifted as he stroked his chin in thought.
‘Could it be Liu Ma from the Liu family? Hiss… no, no. I drank with that guy just yesterday. The matter with his wife shouldn’t have been exposed yet. Or is it Zhang Mangzi from the Zhang family?’
‘No… I just paid him back the money he covered for me at Dawn Spring Courtyard a couple of months ago! What reason would he have to kill me? …Could it be my eldest niece?’
The more he thought, the more he couldn’t figure it out. Wang Chengle had no idea who would want him dead. He could only shake his head and sigh:
“This… I’m sorry. Although I’m usually a bit ostentatious, I don’t think anyone would hire a killer for me. I really have no clue.”
“I see…” The girl also knew it would be like this, so she just sighed.
***
After that, no one spoke. The air was filled with awkwardness.
Thick scent of makeup permeated the air, and Miss Su, who had been sitting on the ground in shock from the attack, finally came to her senses.
“Uncle Wang, what just happened?” Miss Su swallowed her saliva and asked nervously.
Wang Chengle glanced at this brothel girl, who was his favorite, but now his eyes were full of disgust.
“Are you blind? Didn’t you see those two beasts you brought here trying to assassinate me?”
“Damn it, you idiot! I’ve wasted so much money on you!”
Wang Chengle was already frustrated by the lack of clues about his enemy. Seeing Miss Su daring to ask him at such a time, he vented all his anger on her.
Miss Su’s eyes turned red, her lips trembled, but she didn’t dare to talk back. She knew that offending this Second Master of the Wang family meant the end of her good days at Dawn Spring Courtyard.
“I… I didn’t know it would be like this… That man gave me money and just said he had business with you…” Miss Su muttered quietly, but her voice faded until it was silent.
“Ha! He gives you money and you listen? I give you money and you don’t go die? Useless goods!” Wang Chengle laughed in anger, his words full of humiliation.
Liu Yao stood to the side, half-bent, watching Wang Chengle’s unreasonable behavior. Her expression was hidden under her hat, dark and unreadable.
“Ahem! Um…” Liu Yao interrupted them. She scratched her head, her tone deliberately awkward. “Uncle Wang, could I ask a favor?”
“I need a quiet place to regulate my internal breath. I might have overdone it just now…”
Wang Chengle, who was still in the middle of his rant, paused, then burst into laughter.
“Hahaha! Little Brother, what are you saying! You saved my life; it’s nothing to help with such a small matter!”
After speaking, he turned to Miss Su, who was kneeling and looking down, and ordered impatiently:
“You! Take this young master to the best private room here. Tell the madam to put it on the Wang family’s tab.”
He turned back, his face changing as quickly as turning a page. The impatient expression softened into a gentle one when he looked at Liu Yao.
“Little Brother, I’ll take my leave first! When you’re feeling better, please come find me. I have something to discuss.”
“I’ll trouble you, Uncle Wang.” “No trouble at all! Haha!”
With that, Wang Chengle left with a chuckle.
Only after Wang Chengle was completely out of sight did Miss Su stand up and walk to Liu Yao’s side.
She bowed, expressionless, and said with a hint of dejection: “Thank you, young master, for intervening.” Liu Yao didn’t say much, just nodded and indicated for Miss Su to lead the way.
Miss Su lowered her head and silently walked ahead. Liu Yao followed behind, passing through the winding corridors of Dawn Spring Courtyard.
Along the way, Liu Yao’s eyes were opened wide. The doors on both sides of the corridor were either ajar or half-open, and sounds from within were indecent.
Men’s heavy breathing, women’s giggles, the creaking of bed boards, all mixed together. Occasionally, drunk guests stumbled past, their eyes roving over her.
Liu Yao kept her head down, her hat brim pulled low, but her ears uncontrollably burned.
‘Th-this… what kind of place is this?! So wanton! Bah! I’ve decided… if Zhao Yi’an ever dares to come to a place like this for pleasure, I’ll break his legs! All three!’
She had lived eighteen years and had heard plenty of crude Jianghu talk, but this kind of unashamed scene was her first time experiencing firsthand.
After finally enduring the corridor to the end, Miss Su pushed open a door and stepped aside.
“Young master, this is the room.” “Ah… oh, oh, oh!”
Liu Yao almost fled inside. Just as she entered and was about to sigh in relief, she heard the door close behind her. She turned around and saw Miss Su also enter and close the door.
“…Miss Su, what is the meaning of this? You only needed to bring me here.” Liu Yao was stunned and looked up at her.
Miss Su stood there, head down, fingers twisting the hem of her clothes. Her lips moved but nothing came out.
After a few moments of silence, Liu Yao suddenly understood.
Publicly scolded and abandoned by Wang Chengle, Miss Su’s days at Dawn Spring Courtyard would be difficult. And for a courtesan, the worst thing is to lose her patron.
Liu Yao opened her mouth, wanting to say that she was just passing through, wouldn’t stay long, and couldn’t help.
But looking at Miss Su’s downcast eyes and slightly trembling fingertips, the words got stuck in her throat.
Liu Yao scratched her head irritably, pacing around the room. Miss Su stood quietly to the side, a look of dejection in her eyes.
“…Would the young master…?” Before she could finish, Liu Yao, as if having made a decision, stepped forward and placed both hands heavily on Miss Su’s shoulders.
“Miss Su… to be honest, it’s not that I’m not tempted, but…”
“The truth is… I don’t have the ability…”
Silence, prolonged silence. At this moment, Liu Yao felt like crying. Tears seemed to streak past her eyes.
‘It’s over… My innocence…’
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