"Madam, you'll have to wait a bit. The girl singing in the main hall won't be able to finish her task for another half an hour."
"Is there no one else who can sing? Are there any handsome young men?"
"There are no men singing songs here. But there are storytellers."
"Is he handsome? Is he old?"
"He's handsome, very young, only seventeen or eighteen. He just started working here a few days ago, and his reputation hasn't made a name for him yet. If you need him, Madam, I'll go and fetch him right away."
"Alright, go and invite them quickly. If there are any others, young and good-looking, invite them as well and bring them directly to my room."
A red carpet sprinkled with gold was laid at the entrance to the staircase.
A young woman was talking to a hanger-on at Fenglelou.
This is a private room; there are no other guests in the corridor. They speak without any restraint.
However, the content of their conversation drew attention from those who overheard it.
The two young men who had just come upstairs seemed to be attracted and glanced curiously in this direction.
A young man, slender in stature, seemed to want his face to be seen, and even inside the building, he wore a cloak.
The thick collar covered most of her face.
Another young man, dressed in a light blue robe, was as elegant and refined as the moon in a jade pavilion.
Hearing footsteps, the young woman turned around to look.
Her gaze swept over the handsome young man, and landed on the young man in the cloak, her eyes lighting up.
"This young master looks familiar, as if I've seen him somewhere before."
Hangman: ...Even wrapped up like that, you can still tell?
She walked over, fanning herself, her bright eyes scanning him up and down.
"Young master, would you like to come to my room to listen to a story? I have some warm wine there, perfect for a spring night like this."
The young man in the cloak remained silent.
But the young man in blue next to him laughed.
"I have something to do today, let's keep our appointment another day."
The young woman blocked their path with her fan and continued to strike up a conversation.
"Young gentlemen, what are your names? How old are you? Can you sing?"
The young man in blue smiled and said, "I don't know how to sing."
The young woman sighed.
"Why not learn it? It's always good to have more skills."
The young man in blue laughed and said, "Alright, I'll go learn it another day. Shall we go ahead?"
The young woman didn't press them any further, only showing a hint of reluctance in her eyes as she watched them leave.
He sidled up to them.
"My lady, I know a few of the good-looking guests as well."
The young woman smacked his forehead with her closed fan, making a loud thud.
With a stern face, he said, "That's different."
The hanger-on: "How is it different?"
The young woman said, "You can help me find someone for a fee. But for free services, I prefer to do it myself; I don't like others acting as pimps for me."
…
The young man in blue, who hadn't gone far, couldn't help but laugh.
"This young lady is quite interesting."
The people around remained silent.
The young man in blue looked at him and spoke leisurely.
"Zen Master, do you recognize this girl?"
"What do you mean by that?" the person under the cloak finally spoke.
The voice was deep and resonant, like the wind brushing against a frost-covered knife.
The young man in blue laughed, "It just feels like she knows you."
The person under the cloak did not respond further.
He simply said, "Let's go."
.
The Marquis of Changping's residence.
In Qi Wenlang's study, Aunt Ji sighed.
Qi Wenlang finished the lily and white fungus soup that his aunt had personally cooked, and put the clean white porcelain bowl aside.
Aunt Ji had thoughtfully handed him a handkerchief to wipe his mouth.
Qi Wenlang: "Why should you worry, Aunt? I've already seen her tonight. Leave the rest to me."
Aunt Ji smiled gently.
“My aunt is just a woman confined to the inner quarters, unlike you, who has the affairs of the capital on your mind. This small matter alone has already made my aunt restless. Today, Madam summoned me over to speak, and the Second Miss was also there.”
“Your third sister, she just returned to Ganjing and hasn’t even entered the manor yet, but she’s already gone to seduce the second young lady’s husband, that young master from the Duan family. Madam confronted me directly, asking if I knew anything about it. My face was burning with embarrassment, I was so ashamed I wanted to kill myself.”
As she spoke, she began to sob and cry.
Qi Wenlang frowned.
"He still has such a shameless nature."
His face was gloomy.
"She is like this now only because she has some money to rely on. Those shallow-minded people don't even think about whether a child carrying gold in the bustling market can keep his life."
Aunt Ji cried, "Don't say that, she is your sister. It's just that she wanted to come back to the Marquis's mansion, but I didn't agree because of your and Bao'er's reputation. Now she has done something outrageous outside, ruining the reputation of the Marquis's mansion, and it will affect my son. What should we do?"
Qi Wenlang pondered, "Auntie is right. We can't let her run wild outside anymore."
Aunt Ji said, "If she goes to meet with Young Master Duan again, and Madam comes to question me again, I'll really want to kill myself."
Qi Wenlang laughed and said, "Why is Auntie going to such lengths? Here's what we'll do: Auntie, go and tell Madam that you knew nothing about this. However, we can't let Third Sister continue to be so dissolute. We need to think of a way to arrest her. If this family scandal doesn't get out, then everything will be fine."
Aunt Ji raised her tearful eyes.
"Capture them?"
Qi Wenlang: "Isn't Third Sister reluctant to part with Young Master Duan? Why don't we set up a trap in Duan Ting's name to invite her here?"
The concubine went to the madam to borrow more men to find a convenient place to tie up Third Sister. Whether they then tie her up and marry her off, or throw her into a nunnery, depends entirely on the madam and the concubine's decision.
Aunt Ji hesitated, "But she is, after all, your sister."
Qi Wenlang sneered: "When she did those things, driving my aunt to her death, she didn't think of our own mother at all. Besides, doesn't she have money? If she took it out to bribe someone, would I, as her older brother, just watch her die?"
Aunt Ji sighed.
"Alright, for the sake of the Earl's family's reputation, and for the sake of you brothers, let's act quickly before things get out of hand. Third Miss... sigh, it's all my fault for spoiling her too much and raising her like this."
As Aunt Ji emerged from the second young master's study, the delicate expression between her brows gradually faded.
The little girl carrying a lantern stood by the roadside waiting for her.
"Auntie, shall we go back?"
Aunt Ji asked, "Where did Master go tonight?"
The little girl said, "I went to Aunt Qing's courtyard."
Aunt Ji brushed her hair back.
"Let's go to the madam's main courtyard."
.
Qi Su returned from outside carrying two bottles of wine.
The shopkeeper of the rouge shop called her over.
"Second Miss, there is a letter for you at Ciyun Temple."
Ciyun Temple?
Qi Su took the letter, went back to her room, and unfolded it under the lamp to read it.
It was written by Aunt Ji herself, saying that she missed her and wanted to talk and have a meal with her. In addition, the young master of the Duan family also wanted to talk to her about some private matters.
The following are the times and locations.
Here it comes, the invitation of family affection has arrived so quickly.
Not only Aunt Ji, but also her cheap, unmarried brother-in-law. The last two lines, in particular, are written with a sense of unspoken meaning, leaving a lingering impression.
—She had heard of Xiao Zhou Ya's Food Shop. It was known for its quiet atmosphere and high prices.
Right next to the Jinshui River is a riverside restaurant.
What a coincidence! It's convenient for killing someone and disposing of the body.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com