Chapter 17 This is also my first time serving customers.
Lu Jinlan was trying to figure out how to start the conversation when a cup of hot tea was handed to her, and the person beside her broke through the safe distance and got very close.
Lu Jinlan subtly moved back, and Lou Yumin curled her lips into a smile, "Is this your first time visiting a brothel?"
"Hmm." Lu Jinlan sipped her tea silently.
"This is my first time serving customers."
"Cough." Lu Jinlan choked on her tea, coughing until her face turned as red as a sunset.
Lou Yumian smiled silently, the gloom dissipating from her cool features, just like the weather outside the window, where after the dark clouds gathered, a refreshing rain finally fell.
Lu Jinlan would glance at the rain outside the window for a while, then look at the people inside.
Lou Yumian was strikingly beautiful, like a rose in the rain. His melancholy eyes were like an endless rainy season. His sharp jawline was like a rose with thorns, stubborn yet aloof. His face was reflected in the bronze mirror, possessing a vague, damp, and fallen beauty.
Feeling her scrutinizing gaze, he couldn't help but ask her, "What are you thinking about?"
"Why is your name Yu Mian?"
“My mother said that I was born during a heavy rain, and I only cried once before falling asleep, so she named me Yumian (meaning ‘rain sleep’).
He said this with a gentle smile on his face, without a trace of resentment at being implicated by his family.
Lu Jinlan hesitated before speaking, "I've heard a bit about your story. When I saw you go on stage today, you looked so tragic. You really don't seem like a playboy."
Lou Yumin smiled wryly, "What does that look like?"
"Like soldiers forced to go to the battlefield."
Lou Yumin lowered her eyes. "The father here said that I don't have the talent to sell smiles, so I can only make some money while I'm young and have a good appearance. In the end, my fate will probably be like what you wrote in your poem: 'The gate is deserted and horses are few, and the eldest daughter marries a merchant.'"
Lu Jinlan quickly said, "Don't fall for Shiwen's tricks. He's too pessimistic. Who knows what the future holds? I know you have no choice in this. I won't force you to do anything tonight."
Lou Yumin shook her head repeatedly, "No, I am in the world of prostitution, and from tonight onwards I will live a life beyond my control, but tonight I am willing."
Lu Jinlan: "..."
Is my protagonist aura really that powerful?
The elderly customer service representative said, "They're willing, so what reason do you have to refuse?"
Lu Jinlan: "It's 9 PM now, you can go home. I don't need you to tell me what to do."
Customer service representative (elderly woman): "The system task has been triggered. You have to do it even after I get off work."
"We'll do it, we didn't say we wouldn't, so don't rush us."
Lu Jinlan felt agitated. The man knelt beside her, tentatively taking her fingertips in his hand, his words earnest, "Thank you for choosing me, otherwise I really don't know how I would have gotten through tonight. I will serve you well. Although I don't have any talent, I have learned everything taught here, and I have learned very well. I just pretended to be clumsy because I didn't want to be noticed by those vulgar customers. I can do very well, you can believe me."
As he spoke, he began to unbutton his outer robe, but Lu Jinlan quickly pressed his hand down, saying, "Don't do this."
His voice trembled slightly as he explained in a hoarse tone, "I just wanted to show you the cinnabar mark; I am pure."
Lu Jinlan's heart skipped a beat. She looked down at the man who was humbly pleading for her love, his melancholy eyes seeming to say, word by word, "Don't despise me." Her warm fingertips brushed against the corner of his eye, and an indescribable emotion welled up in her heart. She leaned down slightly and kissed his slightly cool lips.
Lou Yumian was stunned, seemingly forgetting even to breathe.
Lu Jinlan chuckled and pinched his cheek. "Were you pretending to be silly? It looks so real."
Lou Yumin was caught in an awkward moment of self-reflection, his heart pounding so hard he forgot to react.
Looking up again, Lu Jinlan was already leaning against the headboard. She patted the spot beside her and said, "Yumian, come here."
The rain on a summer night comes unusually fast, sometimes so fast it's chaotic, sometimes so long it's gentle and careful.
As the torrential rain and thunder gradually subsided, the breathing inside the house also gradually calmed down.
After her initial excitement, Lu Jinlan experienced a brief period of fatigue. She dozed off for a while, then opened her eyes again. Outside the window, the rain was still drizzling. A warm body was pressed close to her side, and a strong arm was wrapped around her waist, holding her affectionately.
Seeing that she was awake, the man quickly asked, "Are you cold?"
"Aren't you cold? Why aren't you sleeping?"
He paused for a moment, then answered tactfully, "I don't want to open my eyes to find it's already dawn."
Lu Jinlan's heart softened. She stroked his eyebrows and eyes, her voice gentle: "Is there anything I can do for you?"
Lou Yumin's eyes welled up with tears upon hearing this. "Your words are enough. I know you are a loyal and righteous heroine who would risk your life for your friends. But with my background, I dare not ask for any favor from you. I have no regrets even if I die for this one night. My only wish is... that you will still remember me when the rainy season comes again."
He held Lu Jinlan's hand. "When it rains again, will you still remember me?"
Lu Jinlan answered firmly, "Of course, I will never forget you."
Lou Yumin smiled and shook her head, "I bet you've said that to many men, but I'm still happy to hear it."
Lu Jinlan was puzzled. "I don't have many men, at least not now."
Lou Yumin didn't believe it. "Who in the world doesn't know you're a romantic and talented woman? Even if you're not married, you've probably had your fair share of casual affairs. Otherwise, where did all those poems come from? What about those 'dream meetings'? Aren't they just secret rendezvous?"
"Poetry? So that's what everyone thinks? No wonder..." Lu Jinlan suddenly realized.
She always wondered why everyone called her a womanizer when she only glanced at men a few more times than others. It turned out everyone had misunderstood; they thought those poems were mementos of their trysts. She had a habit of marking the original author on her poems, writing, "A casual work written during a dream meeting with so-and-so."
She imagined that she was sitting and chatting with the original author, but everyone thought she was lying down with that person, oblivious to the world around her.
It's a real injustice! Although, at this moment, it's not so injustice anymore.
Lou Yumin nuzzled against her neck and pleaded softly, "Write me a line too. Just one line, I won't tell anyone, I'll keep it for myself to appreciate."
Lu Jinlan laughed and said, "Let me tell you a secret: only the poems I write in my dreams are good poems. The ones I write when I'm awake are not very good."
"What you wrote is a good poem, I'm telling you."
Seeing his pleading, Lu Jinlan had no choice but to sit up and say, "Bring me pen and ink."
In truth, the moment she first saw Lou Yumin, she sensed that he must have his own story. When she actually heard it, she couldn't help but sigh at the unpredictable nature of life. Without hesitation, she picked up her pen and wrote down the sorrows he was unwilling to share.
By the dim candlelight, Lou Yumin hugged her from behind, his outer robe wrapped around them both. "Really writing this for me?"
Yes, it was made for you.
A hint of joy flashed in Lou Yumin's eyes as she read: "Having lived in this mortal world for so many years, only today do I truly understand the hardships of life. My brows are furrowed with endless sorrow; I lean against the high tower at night, listening to the rain in my sleep."
The title was "First Encounter with Rainy Nights," and it was dated and stamped with an official seal.
Lou Yumin was startled: "Aren't you afraid I'll show it to others?"
Lu Jinlan said earnestly, "I was afraid that if you showed it to others, they wouldn't believe it, so I left the seal so that you wouldn't be wronged without proof."
Lou Yumin stood there, tears and laughter welling up on her face at the same time. "You really are... a true heroine, the first person to dare to do what you have to do."
"Why are you crying?" Lu Jinlan smiled as she wiped away his tears, teasing him on purpose. "It's still early, how about..."
Before he could finish speaking, the person had already pounced on him.
In the midst of a passionate kiss, Lu Jinlan suddenly received a system notification: "Ding! You have captured my heart, your health points have increased by 9999."
Does this mean he has real feelings for me?
*
The next morning, Lu Jinlan and Yan Wuxin boarded a carriage together and headed back to their estate on the outskirts of the capital.
In the car, Yan Wuxin was drowsy, while Lu Jinlan, though she hadn't slept for long either, was wide awake.
"Hey, wake up, I have something to ask you."
"Hmm?" Yan Wuxin opened his eyes a crack.
Have you ever thought about helping Fang Qing redeem herself?
Yan Wuxin immediately sat up. "Am I crazy? I brought a courtesan home! My mother would beat me to death if she found out. My family is very strict. If my mother hadn't gone out of town recently, I wouldn't have had the chance to come to a place like this. Why are you suddenly bringing this up? Do you want to help Lou Yumin redeem herself?"
Lu Jinlan immediately retorted, "I didn't. I'm talking to you, don't try to pin this on me."
She's learned from experience that saying things rashly without consulting customer service can easily get her beaten up. She's now very skilled at the art of language, and is forced to be cautious in her words.
Yan Wuxin didn't believe it. "Lou Yumin begged you to redeem him?"
"No, he didn't say anything. He was so well-behaved, it was almost heartbreaking."
"Could this be a ploy to lure you in?"
"No way. Do you know how much silver it costs to redeem someone like them from slavery?"
"A few thousand taels, at most less than ten thousand taels."
Lu Jinlan exclaimed in surprise, "So cheap?"
"Men are worthless after their first time. Sigh, do you really want to buy his freedom?"
Lu Jinlan said cautiously, "Let me think about it before I answer you."
She immediately consulted the elderly customer service representative who had just started work: "If I redeem Lou Yumin from her servitude, would that violate the spirit of male-oriented fiction?"
Customer service: "It's hard to say, no one has ever done that before. The male-oriented platform won't redeem a brothel woman for a past relationship without a reason, unless she has special skills or a special background that can be exploited. In general, unless you have ulterior motives, redeeming someone without a reason will easily be judged by the system as having an excessively high sense of morality and responsibility, seriously violating the spirit of the male-oriented platform, and you will definitely be severely punished."
Lu Jinlan took a deep breath and replied to Yan Wuxin, "I don't want to redeem him."
The two returned to the manor and bumped into Xiang Ruzhen, who was looking for them, as soon as they entered.
"Where did you go last night? Why weren't you in your room?"
"Stargazing".
"Wild fishing".
The two spoke at the same time, giving completely different answers. Yan Wuxin quickly considered them and replied again, "Stargazing and wild fishing at the same time."
Xiang Ruzhen asked in surprise, "But it rained last night, where did the stars come from?"
Lu Jinlan blinked: "Yeah, we couldn't see the stars because of the rain, and we couldn't fish, so we made do in the cave for the night. Anyway, with all the thunder and rain, I didn't sleep well all night. I'm going back to catch up on my sleep."
Xiang Ruzhen reminded everyone: "We're going to register at the college tomorrow. With the start of the semester just around the corner, everyone should focus and not wander off."
The two gave a guilty "hmm" and went back to their rooms.
As Lu Jinlan lay in bed, she couldn't help but think: It was just a one-night stand, a fleeting affair, and the sun would dry it all without a trace.
Reason told her she should act like a man, not doing anything without a reason, and not engaging in pointless activities. But the thought of those melancholy eyes still kept her tossing and turning at night.
Lu Jinlan gritted his teeth inwardly: I am not a despicable man after all.
Just after midnight that evening, Yan Wuxin was preparing to retire for the night. Lu Jinlan anxiously pushed open the door and came in. Yan Wuxin hurriedly asked, "What's wrong?"
"Shh!" Lu Jinlan mysteriously prevented her from speaking, holding up a piece of paper in front of her.
A note from the author:
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"First Encounter with Rainy Nights" is something I wrote on behalf of Lu Jinlan, and it doesn't represent the true level of the talented Lu. After all, she had been drinking and was half asleep... The line "Having been in the mortal world for so many years" is adapted from "Dream of the Red Chamber," the original line being: "Having been in the mortal world for so many years in vain."
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