Chapter 30 Hypocrisy

Ye Wanning couldn't find the right words to describe the person in front of her. She was truly a fairy descended to earth, a sight rarely seen in the mortal world! When she saw the peony, she couldn't take her eyes off it.

Seeing Ye Wanning practically drooling, Cui'er felt a little embarrassed. While the peony was indeed stunningly beautiful, this young lady was also quite a beauty herself! Even if she couldn't compare to the peony, there was no need to act so exaggeratedly! She feigned surprise and touched Ye Wanning's head, "Oh dear! Cousin, your hair is crooked!"

Ye Wanning snapped out of her daze, turned her head and smiled at Cui'er, "It's alright, no need for my cousin to worry."

Cui'er covered her mouth and chuckled, "I'm not worried about that. I'm just afraid that if Miss Shaoyao sees this, my cousin will lose face."

"Ahem." Ye Wanning turned her head and coughed awkwardly twice. *You brat, just wait till we get back, I'll teach you a lesson!* She grinned at Shaoyao, "Miss... how old are you this year?"

Peony was taken aback, looking at Ye Wanning with some confusion, "Young Master... what does this mean?"

"I'm just asking how old you are!" Cui'er teased with a smile. "My cousin talks like that, and I often can't understand what he's saying. You'll get used to it, Miss Peony!"

Ye Wanning's face darkened, and she gave Shaoyao an awkward smile. "Hehe...yes...you'll get used to it, Miss..." Cui'er's audacity is growing. She glanced at Cui'er, then at Shaoyao, and asked with a grin, "Um...I wonder what brings you here, Miss?"

Hearing this, Peony couldn't help but cover her mouth and chuckle. This young master was truly interesting. Although he had been staring at her the whole time, there was only admiration in his eyes, unlike other men whose eyes were full of ulterior motives. Then he bickered with his cousin, and now... She looked at Ye Wanning, her eyebrows curving upwards, "It was you who came to find me, so why are you asking what I'm here for? You're quite amusing!"

Ye Wanning was taken aback, then lowered her head awkwardly. Sure enough, the sight of such beauty made her lose her composure! Although Shaoyao was a woman… After a pause, her face flushed slightly, and she looked at Shaoyao, saying, “It was I who didn’t think things through just now, I’m sorry for offending you…”

"That's not true at all," Peony said with a smile, her tone unusually gentle. "I just don't know what young master likes? Peony is proficient in all the arts, including music, chess, calligraphy, and painting!"

Proficient in all the arts: music, chess, calligraphy, and painting? Ye Wanning looked at Shaoyao and suddenly felt a pang of pity for her. So beautiful and talented, yet she ended up in a brothel... Thinking of this, she couldn't help but sigh.

Seeing Ye Wanning sigh, Shaoyao looked at her with some confusion, "What's wrong, young master?"

"It's nothing, it's nothing..." Ye Wanning waved her hand, "I just didn't expect that Shaoyao could do everything. I don't know what to do now."

Upon hearing this, Peony chuckled. "Young Master, you..." Cui'er rolled her eyes, genuinely not wanting to admit that she knew her.

Ye Wanning scratched her head, saying somewhat helplessly, "Why are you always laughing..."

“No, that’s not true.” Peony shook her head. “I just think that you are unusually innocent. Since you don’t know what to do, I’ll play a tune to liven things up for you.”

Ye Wanning nodded. That was good, so she wouldn't say the wrong thing again.

As the song ended, the atmosphere eased. After chatting with Shaoyao for a while, Ye Wanning discovered that Shaoyao was truly a woman of both talent and beauty. In this murky place, she had not been lost in the decadent pleasures, but simply sold her art without selling her body. Although her life was a bit harder than that of other girls, she was happy and carefree, just like the saying, "rising from the mud unsullied, cleansed by the clear ripples without being seductive."

"You mean you want to redeem me?" Peony looked at the person in front of her in disbelief. This young master she had just met actually said he wanted to redeem her.

Ye Wanning opened her fan and fanned herself a couple of times, pretending to do so. "What, is that not allowed?"

Peony smiled bitterly, "It's not that it's impossible, it's just...it's impossible..." As she spoke, she slowly stood up, her eyes filled with desolation, "Leaving aside the amount, I was the top courtesan in this brothel. Although I didn't engage in any illicit transactions, my name still attracted a lot of business. How could Madam release me so easily? Even if I were redeemed, I would be all alone, and I wouldn't know what to do..."

Ye Wanning looked at Shaoyao with some doubt, "Shayao, since you entered this Yichun Courtyard, has no one mentioned wanting to redeem you?"

“Well… there are some…” Peony looked at Ye Wanning, then lowered her head and said with some sorrow, “Many high-ranking officials and nobles want to redeem me, but I know perfectly well why. I would rather stay here than degrade myself.”

She's quite a proud woman. Ye Wanning looked at Shaoyao and suddenly realized something. Could it be that there were no cases of women being forcibly taken from people here? Thinking of this, she looked at Shaoyao suspiciously, "Shaoyao... if you don't want to be redeemed... then they won't redeem you?"

Peony was taken aback and immediately realized she had misspoke. She glanced at Ye Wanning cautiously. Although this young master Ye claimed to be a businessman, his meticulous mind suggested he was not simple. She took out a handkerchief to wipe the sweat from her forehead and gave Ye Wanning a charming look. "These are things I don't know. Mother handled them all."

Ye Wanning sneered. It seemed this Yichun Courtyard was no simple place. She glanced at Shaoyao, dismissing the matter entirely with a single sentence. After a long silence, she smiled at Shaoyao again, "Miss Shaoyao, you don't need to worry about these things. After all, my Ye family has been in business for generations; we can afford this. Besides..." She stepped forward and gently took Shaoyao's hand, "I, Ye Ning, always keep my word. If you're willing to come with me, I..."

“Eh…” Peony reached out and covered Ye Wanning’s mouth. “Young Master Ye, there’s no need to say such things.” She frowned. “I’m just afraid your family won’t approve…”

“There’s no need to worry about that!” Cui’er, who had been silent for a long time, interjected.

"Oh?" Peony was taken aback, looking at Cui'er with some confusion. "What... does this mean..."

Ye Wanning lowered her head, her voice somewhat low, "My father once said that as long as I make a name for myself... everything else is up to me..."

“That’s right,” Cui’er added, “Since Sister Peony and Cousin have fallen for each other at first sight…” As she spoke, she looked at Ye Wanning, “Cousin, why don’t you ask Sister Peony to help you? If this endeavor succeeds, it will also help you two get together!”

"Nonsense!" Ye Wanning snapped, "How can I, a dignified eight-foot-tall man, trouble peony!"

"I did all this for you!" Cui'er muttered softly, sounding somewhat resentful.

"Don't blame him," Peony said with a hint of coquettishness. "Since you said you would redeem me, what can't you tell me?"

Seeing the way Peony was acting coquettishly towards her, Ye Wanning couldn't help but feel a chill. Although she liked looking at beautiful women, it didn't mean she liked being flirted with by them... She paused, then said with a smile, "I'm just worried about tiring you out. Besides, I really can't bring myself to ask about that stuff..."

"Oh?" Peony looked at her in confusion. "What is it?"

"It's just..." Ye Wanning lowered her head, feigning embarrassment, "It's just... I don't know what kind of undergarments you're wearing, Peony..."

Hearing this, Peony looked at her in surprise, then her eyes became a little wet, and her voice became choked, "I thought... I thought... I thought you were different from others... but... but... but you are also..." As she spoke, Peony wiped away her tears and looked at Ye Wanning with great grievance.

If it had been before she entered, and Peony had looked at her like this, she would definitely have felt sorry for her. But now… Ye Wanning sneered. She was indeed too naive; how could there be a true white lotus in this quagmire? She feigned panic, “Peony, please don’t overthink it! I…I…”

“If my cousin were really that kind of person, why would he make a promise to Sister Peony? Although the Ye family has been in business for generations, I don’t know how much money they would charge you to redeem you! Doesn’t that money count as money?” Cui’er said coldly from the side.

“If that’s the case…” Peony looked at Ye Wanning with red eyes, “Then why are you asking these questions?”

Cui'er pulled a small package from her chest and threw it in front of Shaoyao, "Isn't it all for this!"

Peony was taken aback. "What is this?"