Shui Ling'er stared intently at Hu Feifan, her watery eyes brimming with unspoken words. Her fingers unconsciously began to pluck the strings of her zither.

Hu Feifan's smile slowly faded, and his gaze, which had been fixed on Shui Ling'er, gradually became calm and unfathomable, like the sea.

The piano music started again, and it was a melody that no one had ever heard before.

Qin Kou'er led Lan Linxue into the house. Lan Linxue turned around to kill her, but Qin Kou'er grabbed his hand and locked it behind his back, pressing him against the table. The distance between the two was so intimate that it made people blush.

"What are you doing? Don't rape me!" Lan Linxue stared at the pretty face so close to hers, and that was the only thought on her mind. After saying that, Lan Linxue immediately pursed her lips tightly to avoid being violated again.

He knew he was no match for Qin Kou'er in a fight, and he couldn't make too much noise, so he could only try his best to escape Qin Kou'er's clutches and protect himself.

It's embarrassing even for Lan Linxue herself to admit that a prince as a prince is constantly on guard against being assaulted by a woman.

"Shh!" Qin Kou'er gave Lan Linxue a particularly serious look, then focused on listening to the music outside.

Sure enough, Zhao Ling'er was playing that very tune.

Seeing Qin Kou'er's solemn expression, Lan Linxue stopped struggling, but still kept her lips tightly closed and listened to the music outside.

Qin Kou'er frowned slightly, then whispered to Lan Linxue, "Don't cause trouble! I'll deal with Hu Feifan!"

As she spoke, Qin Kou'er released Lan Linxue, turned around and stood still to look at Hu Feifan, who was still standing by the railing.

At this moment, Hu Feifan was listening intently to the piece, but his brows slowly furrowed as he stared intently at Zhao Ling'er, refusing to relax his gaze. What kind of music was this? Why was she playing such an unfamiliar tune while staring at him? Was she trying to tell him something?

Qin Kou'er glanced at Zhao Ling'er again and sneered. Sure enough, this woman was extraordinary; she was actually using music to transmit messages. Luckily, she knew Shi Mengjian well enough, otherwise she would have really suffered tonight.

Without a second thought, Qin Kou'er instantly spat out a gold ingot from her sleeve, flicked her wrist, and slammed it down on Zhao Ling'er below.

The gold seemed to have eyes; it passed directly through layers of gauze curtains and landed on the zither in front of Zhao Ling'er.

"A gentle reminder—"

With a sharp crack, the string snapped, and the music stopped abruptly.

Zhao Ling'er suddenly looked up, her face turning pale instantly.

She looked at Qin Kou'er, who was expressionless behind the gauze curtain, and her whole body began to tremble uncontrollably.

Hu Feifan frowned and turned to look at Qin Kou'er.

Qin Kou'er sat down without a care, picked up her teacup, and said calmly, "Miss Ling'er's zither music is indeed exceptionally beautiful. Consider this gold ingot a small gift for our first meeting!"

Whispers immediately broke out around them: This woman actually used gold as a reward, how incredibly extravagant! The generosity of the Pavilion Master of Qin Tian Pavilion is indeed beyond the reach of ordinary people.

Hearing Qin Kou'er say this, Hu Feifan relaxed his expression and said with a smile, "Kou'er, you're so naughty. Even if you want to give a reward, you should wait until you've listened to the whole piece!"

Qin Kou'er immediately looked up and smiled sweetly at Hu Feifan, "If you get to hear all these wonderful pieces, what am I going to serve you next time you come?! Alright, let's hurry up and start the auction! I can't wait to take Ling'er back and tune my instrument!"

Hu Feifan nodded upon hearing Qin Kou'er's words, glanced thoughtfully at Zhao Ling'er again, then turned and went inside. "Tell the others to begin the auction!"

"yes!"

Qin Kou'er breathed a sigh of relief and took a sip of tea after seeing that Hu Feifan was no longer pursuing the matter.

At this moment, Lan Linxue had already realized that there was something fishy about Zhao Ling'er's zither playing. She couldn't help but lean closer to Qin Kou'er and whisper, "What trick is that prostitute playing? How did you know Shi Mengjian was at Anren Temple outside the city?"

Qin Kou'er glanced at Lan Linxue, raised an eyebrow, and said with a smile, "Are you really that curious?"

Lan Linxue immediately became impatient, "Say it or don't!" and then turned her body to the other side.

This time, Qin Kou'er didn't tease him. She pointed to Zhao Ling'er outside with the finger holding the tea lid and said, "Zhao Ling'er is a well-known talent in Yangzhou. However, the one who made her so valuable today is none other than Shi Mengjian, the Salt Commissioner."

Shi Mengjian was renowned for his love of playing the zither. When he first arrived in Yangzhou, he was penniless. The salt merchants of Yangzhou, eager to ensnare him, arranged a lavish zither performance at Anren Temple, a perfect match between a talented scholar and a beautiful woman. From then on, Shi Mengjian became Zhao Ling'er's devoted follower. The Yangzhou salt merchants' businesses flourished in those years, and Shi Mengjian rightfully became a favorite student of Prime Minister Hu Tianyong, managing the private accounts collected from the salt merchants.

The story of Shi Mengjian and Zhao Ling'er became a popular tale within two years. Hearing Zhao Ling'er play the zither just now immediately reminded me of this, so I'm certain Shi Mengjian is hiding inside Anren Temple!

After listening to Qin Kou'er finish speaking, Lan Linxue slowly turned around, coldly looking at Zhao Ling'er below, and said with a sneer, "I didn't expect this prostitute to be so cunning, able to use this method to pass messages! It seems I really underestimated her!"

At this point, Lan Linxue turned to look at Qin Kou'er, "However, I seem to have underestimated you even more! Did you interrupt Zhao Ling'er's zither just now to prevent Hu Feifan from discovering the secret? But don't forget, Hu Feifan isn't stupid either. Judging from his expression just now, he must have already become suspicious. You couldn't stop him."

Qin Kou'er smiled, lowered her head to straighten her clothes, and then touched her hair. She said with a nonchalant smile, "Why would I stop him? I just want a little more time! Whether he burns incense or prays to Buddha is none of my business once I've gotten what I want!"

Looking at Qin Kou'er, Lan Linxue became even more vigilant. This woman in front of her was definitely a wolf in sheep's clothing; one bite from her could be fatal!

Just then, the waiters below began to shout: "Dear patrons, sirs, the red candles are high and the moon is full, let's enjoy the romance! Get your gold ingots and silver coins ready, the initiation ceremony of Miss Ling'er is about to begin!"

With a gong sound, the bidding began.

"One hundred thousand!"

Two hundred thousand!

"Two hundred and fifty thousand!"

...

People kept calling out new prices, but Qin Kou'er and Hu Feifan remained calm and didn't make a move.

"One million taels!"

A clear, childlike voice rang out amidst the noise.

The surroundings suddenly became quiet.