Chapter 45: Duan Ling’s Ugliness (1/2)

When Duan Ling took the teacup, he immediately detected the presence of drugs. 

However, he knew the drug would have no effect on him—it was no different from ordinary tea. 

He also knew that Lin Ting was unaware of the drug and hadn’t intentionally laced the tea, so he drank it.

Strangely, he found himself less inclined to refuse anything she offered him now.

To his surprise, the drug triggered a surge of desire, heightened by Lin Ting’s straightforward gaze. 

She was looking at his ugliness… 

Though she hadn’t actually seen it, an inexplicable feeling still arose.

Before Duan Ling could think too deeply about it, the wave of desire overwhelmed him. 

A numbing sensation spread through his limbs, reaching the scars on his wrist, itching, then spreading to his fingertips, followed by an intense craving.

A fervent longing.

The feeling surged toward his heart, as if his ten fingers were connected to it. 

His embroidered spring knife slipped from his hand and fell onto the thick carpeted floor with a soft thud.

That sound snapped Lin Ting out of her thoughts. 

She quickly opened her eyes and saw the knife at her feet. 

Its blade was cold and gleaming, but the aura of its owner was scorching.

This was bad. 

She had made a huge mistake.

Lin Ting had poured the tea for Duan Ling because the princess had mentioned that the tea and snacks in the vacant private rooms of Moonlight Pavilion were always fresh. 

When they first entered the room, they had directly started drinking tea and eating snacks.

She also felt guilty for delaying his inspection and wanted to stall him a bit longer, so she poured him a cup of tea as a gesture of goodwill, hoping to keep him there for a little while and exchange a few more words.

Who would have thought that the room was vacant because the guests had canceled at the last minute?

Lin Ting didn’t know that Duan Ling had once been a test subject for drugs. 

Seeing him now, with a thin layer of sweat on his face and a flush at the corners of his eyes, she mistakenly thought the drug had taken effect. 

“I’ll go find the antidote for you, Lord Duan. Please wait for me.”

“I’ll definitely be back,” she said, then rushed out the door, opening and closing it in one swift motion. 

She went to find the madam, who was downstairs greeting guests, and asked if there was an antidote.

Downstairs, the atmosphere was lively, with the clinking of cups and the bustle of people everywhere.

The madam didn’t catch Lin Ting’s words at first. 

When she finally understood, she paused her fan-waving hand slightly. 

“You accidentally drank the tea from that room?”

Lin Ting was frantic, sweating profusely, and kept glancing upstairs. 

“Just tell me if there’s an antidote. If there is, give it to me immediately.”

The madam shook her head helplessly. 

“Miss, it’s not that I don’t want to help, but there’s no antidote for this. Even doctors can’t neutralize it. The only way is to… engage in intimate relations.”

Since she had been brought by the princess, the madam didn’t dare lie about this.

Lin Ting’s head throbbed. 

She wished she could go back in time and stop herself from pouring that tea for Duan Ling.

And why had he even drunk it? 

He usually refused her tea, so why had he accepted it this time? 

If only he had just set it aside like he always did.

But she couldn’t blame Duan Ling. 

She was the one who had poured the tea, so she couldn’t fault him for drinking it. 

“If there’s no antidote and doctors can’t help, what happens if he doesn’t… engage in intimate relations?”

The madam glanced at her. 

“It would definitely harm his body.”

Lin Ting didn’t have time to explain further. 

“Is there really no other way? Can he… handle it himself?”

“Generally, no. The guests who come to Moonlight Pavilion to use these drugs are here for entertainment.” 

“No one would handle it themselves. If a male entertainer is affected, and you don’t like him, you can just switch to another. I’ll arrange for someone to help him. It won’t cause any trouble.”

The madam didn’t know who Lin Ting had entered the room with. 

When Duan Ling had gone upstairs for the inspection, she had gone downstairs to deal with some troublemaking guests. 

It was common for the Imperial Guards to conduct inspections, so the madam didn’t need to accompany them.

Later, the princess had sent a maid to inform the madam that the adjacent room had also been reserved.

It was for the young lady she had brought, and no one was to disturb or intrude. 

The madam assumed that the young lady had chosen a male entertainer and was preparing to use the room for that purpose. 

She remembered that the tea in the room had been laced with drugs but didn’t think much of it, though she had still sent someone to inform her.

After all, some guests liked to use drugs for fun, while others didn’t.

Seeing Lin Ting silent, the madam called out a few times, 

“Miss, miss? Was it the male entertainer who drank the tea, or was it you?”

Lin Ting didn’t answer but instead asked, 

“If we do nothing, could he die?”

The madam couldn’t guarantee that no harm would come. 

“If nothing is done, it’s possible he could die. We must find a way to relieve him. Miss, if you drank the tea, don’t try to endure it.”

“It’s fine. You can go back to your work,” 

Lin Ting said, snapping out of her thoughts. 

She wanted to rush back upstairs to find him, but on the stairs, she ran into the princess, who was holding a letter.

Lin Ting’s eyes inadvertently glanced at the unaddressed letter. 

“Princess.”

The princess tucked the letter into her sleeve. 

“Miss Lin Qi? Weren’t you in the private room upstairs? Why are you downstairs? Has Lord Duan left?”

“I came down to see Lord Duan off. He just left,” Lin Ting said, stopping in her tracks and wiping sweat from her brow. 

If word got out that an Imperial Guard had been drugged while on duty, it would damage his reputation. 

Since this was her fault, she had to help cover it up. 

“Are you leaving Moonlight Pavilion, Princess?”

The princess smiled. 

“Someone sent me a letter inviting me to meet. I’m about to leave. Miss Lin Qi, do you want to stay and play a bit longer, or should I have someone take you back now?”

“I’d like to stay a bit longer. You don’t need to worry about me, Princess. Go ahead and attend your meeting.”

Lin Ting was worried about how to avoid the princess and help Duan Ling with the drugged tea situation. 

Now that the princess had something to attend to and was leaving Moonlight Pavilion, it was perfect timing.

The princess was in high spirits, walking briskly down the stairs, eager to attend her meeting.

“Miss Lin Qi, don’t hold back. Play whatever you like, and it’ll be on my tab.”

Lin Ting could see the princess was in a hurry and stepped aside to let her pass. 

“Take care, Princess.”

Once the princess had descended the stairs, Lin Ting sprinted back upstairs. 

Tao Zhu, who was guarding the door of the private room, saw her and approached. 

“Miss Qi, the princess just asked me to tell you that she has to leave early. You can stay or leave as you please. We can go back now.”

Lin Ting glanced at the adjacent room. 

“I know. I ran into the princess on the stairs.”

Tao Zhu was puzzled. 

“Why did you go downstairs just now? I thought you were trying to sneak away and leave me here to deceive the princess.” 

The soundproofing in Moonlight Pavilion was excellent. 

Standing in the hallway, Lin Ting couldn’t hear any noise from the private room. 

“I wouldn’t leave you alone to face the princess. I had something urgent to ask the madam.”

“What was so urgent?”

Lin Ting hesitated, glancing at the adjacent room again. 

She felt guilty and spoke without confidence. 

“I’ll handle it. Don’t worry.”

She didn’t want to explain, so Tao Zhu didn’t press further, trusting that Lin Ting could manage.

Tao Zhu remembered Duan Ling, who had entered the room with Lin Ting to discuss matters, and also glanced at the adjacent room. 

“Where did Lord Duan go? Is he still in the room?”

“He left.”

“Really?” Tao Zhu was puzzled. 

“I didn’t see him come out.”

Lin Ting lied without batting an eye. 

“He left through the other staircase. You probably missed him.” 

Moonlight Pavilion had staircases on both sides.

Tao Zhu didn’t dwell on it. 

“Let’s go back. If Madam finds out you came to Moonlight Pavilion with the princess, she’ll be furious.”

Lin Ting understood. 

“You go back first. I need to take care of that urgent matter.”

Tao Zhu was surprised. 

“It’s that urgent?”

She pushed Tao Zhu toward the stairs. 

“Yes, it’s that urgent. I need to find a way to handle this quickly, so you go back first. As for coming to Moonlight Pavilion, you must keep it a secret from my mother.”

Tao Zhu noticed that Lin Ting didn’t plan to leave Moonlight Pavilion with her and looked worried. 

“Are you saying the urgent matter needs to be handled here?”

An urgent matter at Moonlight Pavilion? 

Besides female entertainers and male escorts, what else was there?

Could Miss Qi’s urgent matter involve a male escort? 

Had she been charmed by the beauty of Moonlight Pavilion’s escorts? 

She had seen Lord Duan, whose looks were once in a century, yet she still found the escorts appealing?

What was so great about escorts? 

They cost money, while Lord Duan didn’t require any. 

Why was Miss Qi so intent on seeking pleasure? 

Couldn’t she find someone who didn’t charge and was still good-looking?

Tao Zhu’s thoughts ran wild as she discreetly glanced at a few passing escorts.

They did have some charm, but they were nowhere near as handsome as Lord Duan. 

Most importantly, these escorts were expensive. 

It was said that they would squeeze every last penny from their clients and then ruthlessly discard them once the money ran out.

Thinking of this, Tao Zhu didn’t wait for Lin Ting’s response and asked nervously, 

“Miss Qi, you’re not planning to engage with an escort from Moonlight Pavilion, are you?”

“No, I just have something to ask the madam. It’s not related to the escorts.”

Tao Zhu was only half-convinced and whispered a reminder, 

“Miss Qi, you only have a few hundred taels of silver left in your private savings. A night with a Moonlight Pavilion escort costs ten taels, and after that, they’ll still ask for tips. Please don’t fall for them.”

Lin Ting, anxious to return to the room and check on Duan Ling, absentmindedly replied, 

“I know.”

Tao Zhu left, looking back every few steps.

Lin Ting practically rushed into the room, then closed and locked the door to prevent anyone from entering and seeing Duan Ling in disarray. 

She hurried inside, barely able to make out the figure behind the gauzy curtain.

This was one of Moonlight Pavilion’s top-tier private rooms reserved for distinguished guests.

The bathtub, bedding, and pillows were replaced daily and were always new, discarded after use.

At this moment, Duan Ling was sitting on a red quilt, his back to the door.

Half-hidden by the curtain, his tall figure was even more alluring. 

The sash around his waist accentuated his narrow waist and long legs. 

His crimson official robe contrasted with his pale, jade-like skin. 

Beneath his black official hat, his face was sharply defined, with a few drops of sweat rolling down his jaw.

Lin Ting stopped outside the curtain, full of regret. 

“Lord Duan, the madam said there’s no antidote, and doctors won’t be able to help. I’m sorry.” 

Duan Ling gripped the quilt embroidered with lotus flowers, his breathing uneven. 

“You should go.”

Since this was her fault, Lin Ting couldn’t possibly leave him alone. 

She struggled to speak. 

“Lord Duan, maybe you could… Try handling it yourself? I’ll guard the door. No one will come in.”

Duan Ling remained silent.

Lin Ting took his silence as agreement. 

“If you don’t say anything, I’ll take it as a yes.” 

She couldn’t leave him, but she also couldn’t stay in the room and watch. 

The best option was to guard the door.

Although the madam had said that those who took this drug usually couldn’t handle it themselves, Lin Ting still held onto a sliver of hope that he could manage. 

If not, they would have to think of another solution.

Without delay, she stepped out of the room and closed the door, standing guard like a sentinel.