"The first time I saw her play the piano was just like today, under a sky full of stars. She was sitting in the courtyard, dressed in a light veil that fluttered in the wind." The guard lay on the bed in the dark cell, with the three Huo sisters, Huo Xiaolong, beside him, bringing fruit to listen to the story—no, to watch the drama unfold.

"And then?" Huo Xiaolong asked.

"So, which of you started the conversation?" Miss Hou Xiangxiang wanted to hear more details.

"Do you want some?" Da Ni'er felt that the guard lying on the bed needed some fruit; his lips were chapped.

"No need, thank you. Could you please get me a glass of water?" The guard tried to get up, but couldn't. The gauze on his chest ached terribly with every movement.

"Here you go." Huo Xiaolong poured a glass of water from the table and handed it to him.

"Then I would go to listen to her play the piano from time to time, and one day she asked me to come down from the tree," the guard continued.

"So you're going down now?" Huo Xiaolong thought to himself that this bodyguard was a bit too easy to fool.

"How did she know? Are you not very capable?" Hou Xiangxiang questioned the man in front of her. It was clear that the martial arts master from the brothel was staying at her house. If he hadn't said anything, none of her family members would have known.

“You’re such a lecher,” Da Ni’er said, hitting the nail on the head and making the guard blush.

"She said she had been practicing piano since she was a child and had a better ear than others."

That year, in seasons like today, spring was in full bloom, and the courtyard was filled with vibrant colors, surrounding the girl beneath the tree. The girl's eyes were bright and lively, and with just a smile, she captivated the man's heart.

"Then she talked to me a lot, including about her family."

The little girl crunched loudly as she ate the apple. She thought this bodyguard wasn't very bright, much like her father. It was obvious that the eldest daughter of the Ye family was trying to lure him in; why was he blushing so easily when he was so innocently thinking about it?

"What's your name?" Huo Xiaolong asked.

"My name is Wen Shiqi."

"A code name?"

"Yes, we don't have names, only code names."

"Then let your sweetheart help you choose one."

"Do you think she likes me?" The man on the bed asked the five-year-old girl beside him. Huo Xiaolong pondered for a while, then looked at Hou Xiangxiang. Miss Hou didn't know how to answer either, so she looked at Dani'er.

"Whether you like her or not, you've risked your life for her, so she definitely won't want to lose you."

Da Ni'er is telling the truth. So what if you don't like it? In this world, how many people are willing to give up their lives for others?

"You rest well, the three of us will come over tomorrow to listen to your story."

Fengyue Tower has been very busy these past few days. Madam Zhang is pregnant and wants to look beautiful when she gives birth, but her family is worried and doesn't want her to run around all the time. So Chunying can only take Ping'er to the Zhang residence to get her beauty treatments.

With Xiao Lanyi's rewards also being distributed, the Huo family has been in complete chaos these past few days.

"Mother, do you think two thousand taels of silver is enough?" Huo Xiaocheng asked, holding the reward given to him by the marshal.

"If it's not enough, Mom will fill it up for you. We have some at home, or Long'er has some too."

The boy shook his head.

"It's too embarrassing, I can't take money from Long'er."

Then he sighed and said cautiously.

"Everything else is fine, but I mainly want to make the wedding bigger so that everyone in Pingyang knows that Chunying is the general's wife."

"Brother! You're finally going to marry Chunying?"

Huo Xiaolong was overjoyed. Whether Chunying lived at home or not, she would be happy. As long as she was with her, that was enough. If her brother didn't cooperate, they would be doomed.

The courtesan was beautiful and capable. After Pingyang County was secured, even wealthy families from the border town came to propose marriage, but they were all turned away by Cen's mother.

"Long'er, when are you going to start calling me sister-in-law?" Huo Xiaocheng thought. If Long'er could talk, his wife might already be living with him by now.

"Dream on! You didn't even give me a change of address fee!"

The little boy put his hands on his hips, pointed a small crossbow at his older brother, and said...

"Tell me how much the 'change of address' fee is, and I'll give it to you."

The young man's face now radiated smug satisfaction. He had a bright future ahead of him, and a wife was on the horizon. But dreams are just dreams, not reality.

"At least this number!" Huo Xiaolong said, holding up one finger.

"Ten taels?"

"Brother, do you think your little sister is a beggar?!" The little dumpling rolled her eyes at her brother and said.

"One hundred taels?"

The young man was met with a denial from his younger sister, who shook her finger.

"One! Thousand! Taels!" Huo Xiaolong shouted loudly in his ear, word by word.

The young man suddenly felt that his younger sister was no longer close to him. He put the little dumpling on the kang (a heated brick bed) and looked at her at eye level, saying...

"Huo Xiaolong! Are you taking advantage of our misfortune?"

"That's right! You think you can just marry her like that? She's my sister! The most beautiful courtesan in the brothel, the most, most beautiful girl in the border town. If it weren't for the fact that you're my brother, I wouldn't even take your money. If you stepped into the brothel, I would have thrown you out!"

Huo Xiaocheng pinched his younger sister's chubby cheeks with both hands, making the little dumpling stammer when she spoke.

"You're really heartless, little sister."

"A woman who isn't ruthless won't have a stable position! Do you understand?!"

Watching the siblings playfully fighting, He Yi laughed out loud on the kang (a heated brick bed).

"for you!"

Before the money was even warm in his hands, Huo Xiaolong had already swindled half of it away. The little dumpling, now with the silver notes in hand, happily waved the papers and went to Chunying to do something for him.

"Mother, where did Long'er learn that money-grubbing attitude from?"

The young man turned around and saw He Yi rapidly calculating on the abacus at the kang table; the answer was self-evident.

Madam Cen of Fengyue Tower also uses an abacus every day, just like her own family. It's no wonder that the girls raised like that are greedy for money.

This chapter is not finished yet. Please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content!