Chapter 245 The Naked Male Prostitute

He didn't plan to ride a horse today, but instead chose to sit in the spacious carriage with his young wife.

The two sat side by side on one side. After the carriage set off, Lu Yunqi tilted his head and carefully admired his little wife sitting next to him.

Today, attending a wedding banquet, she was dressed in a festive manner. Her bright red silk brocade gown with peony patterns accentuated her fair skin, which was as white as snow. She wore light makeup, her thin lips were bright red, and a gold and kingfisher feather hairpin with delicate tassels swayed gently as the carriage moved.

Lu Yunqi admired the scenery intently, and suddenly recalled a famous line: "If you want to compare West Lake to Xi Shi, it is beautiful whether it is lightly or heavily made up."

I think this line of poetry is the perfect description of the beautiful woman before me.

Yu Qingci's face flushed under his gaze, and she turned her head slightly and said:

"Have you seen enough, my husband?"

Looking at his wife's shy profile, Lu Yunqi suddenly felt his throat tighten, and he said in a low, hoarse voice:

"No, my lady, you are dressed so beautifully today, it's hard to take your eyes off you."

With a deep, amused voice, Lu Yunqi simply grabbed her soft little hand and gently stroked the smooth skin on her wrist with his fingertips.

Seeing the pair of exquisite jade bracelets on her wrist, which he had specially sought out the other day, Lu Yunqi's smile deepened.

Yu Qingci gave him a coquettish look and changed the subject:

"When I get to the Earl's mansion, I'll just visit my second sister's place for a bit, just to make the occasion, and then I'll go see my mother. I heard from Granny Pei that my mother's cold hasn't gotten better yet, and I've been thinking of going to see her for a while, but I've been too busy with things at the mansion to go, so it's been delayed until today. I'm really worried."

Mentioning her mother-in-law's illness, Lu Yun Chu's romantic thoughts vanished, and she said solemnly:

"The Marquis's residence must be crowded and noisy today. After I've seen my father-in-law, I'll accompany you to see my mother-in-law. If her cold is severe, I'll ask Chief Physician Liu from the Imperial Hospital to diagnose her. Chief Physician Liu is most skilled at treating colds and should be able to handle it easily."

Yu Qingci: "Thank you for your trouble, my husband. But my father has already consulted the doctor you mentioned, Dr. Liu, and he even prescribed medicine for my mother. My mother is currently taking the medicine prescribed by Dr. Liu."

After talking for a while, Yu Qingci was attracted by the sounds of vendors hawking their wares on the street outside. She could feel how lively it was through the gauze curtain and couldn't help but feel curious. She reached out and gently lifted a corner of the gauze curtain on the car window to look outside.

At this moment, the carriage was traveling on the most bustling commercial street in the capital, with shops of all kinds lined both sides and pedestrians constantly passing by.

Yu Qingci casually looked outside, when suddenly her gaze fell on several people carrying bundles by the roadside.

The man in tattered clothes looked up at the same time. Their eyes met, and Yu Qingci immediately recognized that the hunched-over, dejected man opposite her was none other than Qiao Yuantao, whom she hadn't seen in a long time.

Qiao Yuantao recognized her in the carriage at this moment.

"Yu Qingci?"

Qiao Yuantao recognized Yu Qingci at a glance and blurted out her name, staring at her with a dazed look.

Yu Qingci felt no emotion upon seeing this person. She withdrew her gaze with disgust, her expression instantly turning icy as she lowered the gauze curtain.

Lu Yunqi sensed the change in his wife's emotions and asked, puzzled:

"What's wrong?"

Yu Qingci said calmly, "It's nothing, I'm just a little tired and don't want to watch anymore."

A smile appeared on Lu Yunqi's lips as he reached out and pulled his wife's shoulder close, letting her lean against him.

"Then sleep for a while, and I'll wake you up when it's time."

The two were deeply in love inside the carriage, unseen by those outside. Qiao Yuantao stood there, still staring blankly as the carriage passed by.

He didn't know how he could recognize the third young lady of the Earl's Mansion in the carriage at a glance, and even blurt out her name, as if he had often mentioned this name in his dreams.

Suddenly, a dull pain shot through his heart, a pain so intense it felt as if someone was digging into it with a knife, peeling something away from him, making it hard to breathe. He clutched his chest, struggling to breathe.

As the carriage gradually disappeared into the distance, Qiao Yuantao clutched his chest, still trying to look up and stare intently at the vanishing shadow of the carriage.

Liao, standing to the side, looked over blankly. Seeing that her eldest son hadn't moved for a long time, she couldn't help but urge him:

"Yuantao, what are you standing there for? Hurry up and let's go! Let's leave the city early while it's still early so we can travel further."

Qiao Yuantao snapped out of his reverie and responded softly, "I understand."

Liao took out a few copper coins from her bosom and handed them to him: "Go buy some sesame cakes for us to eat on the road. They won't be as easy to buy once we leave the city."

Qiao Yuantao took the copper coin, walked to the pancake stall next to him, and handed it over.

"Boss, four sesame seed cakes, please."

The pancake stall owner took the money, quickly wrapped four pancakes in oil paper, and was about to hand them to him when he saw his face and exclaimed in surprise:

"You look so familiar. Right, aren't you that... that male prostitute who stripped naked on stage?"

Qiao Yuantao covered his face with his sleeve in a panic: "You've mistaken me for someone else!"

After confirming the sight with his eyes, the shop owner shouted in his loud voice, "Everyone come quick! This is the male prostitute who took off his clothes on the stage!"

The boss's shout immediately attracted the attention of the people around. Just then, a few idle street thugs heard it and quickly surrounded Qiao Yuantao.

"Oh, it really is him. You have to admit he's a scholar who once passed the imperial examinations. Look at his fair skin and tender flesh, he's so lewd to the core. No wonder he jumped onto the platform and stripped naked."

"It's such a pity that the brothers didn't like it that day. Why don't you perform for us again today? If you strip naked, the brothers will reward you handsomely."

Qiao Yuantao was so frightened that he dropped his pancake and covered his head with both hands, trying to squeeze through the crowd. However, the onlookers were not going to let him go so easily, and the thugs even pushed and shoved him while laughing.

The Liao family and others were startled by the commotion. Old Man Qiao quickly hid to the side, protecting his two young children, afraid of being discovered.

Liao took off her shoe soles and rushed forward like a shrew, pushing through the crowd. While shouting and cursing, she grabbed her son and tried to rush out. The crowd became even more agitated and refused to let them go, pushing and shoving and uttering all sorts of vulgar words.

Liao pulled the disheveled Qiao Yuantao and desperately squeezed through the crowd, hurrying towards the city gate. The onlookers chased after them, laughing and having fun along the way.

Qiao Yuantao, head bowed and numb, was dragged forward by his mother. He had experienced this scene of being watched and jeered countless times in recent days. From the initial fear and avoidance, to his current dazed state, he seemed deaf and blind to everything around him, like a trembling puppet. He mechanically followed behind Liao Shi, his blood as cold as ice, unable to comprehend how he had ended up in such a state.

He became the lowest of the low, a male prostitute, utterly disgraced, stripped of his official rank, and forced to hide like a stray dog.