Chapter 20 The Black Market (Part 1) A Night Visit to the Fragrant Pavilion
Li Chengyi stood there for a second, and seeing that Lin Yanshu didn't even turn her head, he walked out angrily.
As soon as he came out, he saw Lin Yanshu excitedly giving Xie Ciyan a thumbs-up and exchanging words with him.
Li Chengyi felt that Xie Ciyan's words were nothing more than empty talk, nothing special, and there was nothing for Lin Yanshu to admire about him.
Lin Yanshu had never praised himself like that before.
If Li Chengyi had seen the calligraphy plaque held by Lin Yanshu, he wouldn't have thought that way.
Lin Yanshu had never seen anyone like his master, so eloquent and full of nonsense.
She praised Xie Ciyan excitedly:
"You're the second person I've ever met who can talk such nonsense!"
"Xie Ciyan, you're amazing!"
When Xie Ciyan saw Lin Yanshu's praise, even someone as good at hiding his emotions couldn't help but freeze his smile.
Xie Ciyan helplessly took the nameplates from Lin Yanshu's hand, stacked them together, and stuffed them back into Lin Yanshu's small bag.
His tone carried a hint of helplessness:
"Miss Lin, I am very grateful for your compliment."
"But there's really no need for that."
Lin Yanshu blinked; she was genuinely praising Xie Ciyan!
She felt that with a friend like Xie Ciyan who could talk nonsense, if she encountered bad luck while out and about, others would only hit him, and no one would hit her.
Li Chengyi watched their exchange, strode forward, and said coldly:
"I imagine the Dali Temple still has a lot to do in this case."
"Young Master Xie, do you still have time to chat idly here?"
Xie Ciyan calmly withdrew.
Lin Yanshu watched Xie Ciyan's retreating figure and sighed regretfully.
Li Chengyi was about to explode with anger at Lin Yanshu's appearance.
Didn't you say you were best friends with him, the best in the world?
With such longing and tender gaze, anyone who didn't know better would think that Lin Yanshu was in love with Xie Ciyan!
Li Chengyi pinched Lin Yanshu's cheek and mumbled in a low voice:
"No one is as good-looking as me."
……………
Xie Ciyan had someone deliver a copy of the shopkeeper's confession to Li Chengyi.
The person they were looking for was not among the buyers.
The only clues we can find are in the black market where the goods originated.
Lin Yanshu asked Li Chengyi curiously:
"What's the black market like inside?"
Li Chengyi was still bothered by how Lin Yanshu had been so reluctant to part with Xie Ciyan a few days earlier.
He snorted coldly:
"I won't tell you."
Lin Yanshu glared at him angrily, stomped her foot, and was about to walk out.
Li Chengyi had hoped that Lin Yanshu would submit to him and beg him, but to his surprise, Lin Yanshu simply turned and left.
Li Chengyi strode after her, asking eagerly:
Where are you going?
Lin Yanshu turned around and glared at him, angrily using sign language:
I'll go ask Xie Ciyan.
Upon seeing the name Xie Ciyan, Li Chengyi felt a sudden, sharp pain in his temples.
He grabbed Lin Yanshu's wrist, his tone softening, with a hint of ingratiation:
"I'm telling you, don't go looking for him!"
Upon hearing this, Lin Yanshu immediately changed his expression and looked at Lin Yanshu expectantly.
"The black market is a place of murder and robbery; you can't go there."
Lin Yanshu understood that Li Chengyi did not intend to take her along.
She gave a teasing smirk:
"Then I'll go find Xie Ciyan and have him take me there."
Li Chengyi gritted his teeth, grabbed Lin Yanshu by the back of the neck, and stopped her from running away like a disobedient kitten.
He, the crown prince, had never been so openly provoked before, and the person who provoked him was none other than Lin Yanshu.
He simply couldn't bring himself to say anything harsh to her.
He said through gritted teeth:
"I'll take you there, but you're not allowed to go looking for Xie Ciyan!"
Lin Yanshu seemed to have discovered a pattern:
Li Chengyi would grant her request as long as she wanted to see Xie Ciyan.
This is probably what competition between men is like...
Discover the patterns, verify the patterns, and apply the patterns.
Li Chengyi kept his word; when he went to the black market, he really did bring Lin Yanshu with him.
In fact, Li Chengyi was afraid that he would not keep his promise, so Lin Yanshu turned around and went to find Xie Ciyan.
He earnestly instructed:
"Lin Yanshu, wherever we go, you must not leave my side for even a moment!"
"The black market is a mixed bag; you're a woman, and it's easy for you to get into trouble."
Lin Yanshu nodded as he listened to his words.
Listening to Li Chengyi's words, she changed into a similar dark-colored dress and followed him with her face covered.
…………
Lin Yanshu and his group arrived at the entrance to the black market under the cover of night, where Xie Ciyan was already waiting for them.
Tonight he dressed differently from his usual dignified gentleman; he was dressed very simply.
Lin Yanshu saw Xie Ciyan and waved excitedly, then took a step toward him, but was grabbed by the wrist by Li Chengyi.
Lin Yanshu glanced at him sideways, and Li Chengyi's smile was sinister:
"You promised me you would never leave my side."
Lin Yanshu shrugged awkwardly.
Xie Ciyan bowed to Li Chengyi and led them into the night market.
Lin Yanshu looked at the black market with curiosity.
The pedestrians were all wearing masks.
Lin Yanshu had assumed that people in the black market would all be burly, vicious, and desperate criminals.
But the vendors here are almost indistinguishable from those in ordinary markets.
The alluring beauty from the Western Regions stared at their group, as did the stall owner, who resembled a gentle and refined gentleman like Xie Ciyan.
Lin Yanshu's gaze was involuntarily drawn to them.
Following Lin Yanshu's gaze, the beautiful woman and handsome man winked at her.
Lin Yanshu was mesmerized.
Li Chengyi squeezed her wrist, and Lin Yanshu came back to her senses.
Lin Yanshu thought to himself:
The people here are really handsome, each with their own unique charm.
Looking at Lin Yanshu's intoxicated expression, Li Chengyi secretly thought that after this was over, he would send someone to arrest these flirtatious vendors and teach them a lesson about propriety, righteousness, integrity, and shame.
Li Chengyi urged Xie Ciyan to hurry up:
How much longer until we arrive?
Xie Ciyan pointed to the brightly lit brothel not far away and said:
"Your Highness, it's just ahead."
The group entered the brothel, sat on the first floor, and watched the dancers on the stage sway to the music.
After the dance ended, several robust young men dressed in light gauze joined the dance troupe.
A man and a woman joined together and danced passionately.
The dancer's slender hand rested on her male partner's firm chest, and the light gauze swayed up and down with their movements.
The dancers' skirts, like themselves, flowed and leaped gracefully, a breathtaking sight that stirred the soul.
Petals fell from the sky, filling the air with fragrance.
Lin Yanshu stared wide-eyed at the dance music on stage.
Lee Seung-ik asked in a slightly sarcastic tone:
Is it pretty?
Lin Yanshu nodded blankly.
Li Chengyi gritted his teeth, turned Lin Yanshu's face away, and glared at her:
"What's so interesting about this! A bunch of men and women, indecent and immoral!"
Lin Yanshu looked at Li Chengyi with wide eyes and used sign language:
"But they danced very well, didn't A-Zhao like it?"
Li Chengyi's eyes were filled with anger as he gritted his teeth and said:
"I don't like it. Especially those men with their chests exposed, it's indecent!"
Lin Yanshu nodded, coaxing Li Chengyi:
"Then I don't like it anymore!"
Li Chengyi subtly curled the corners of his lips; he knew it all along.
Lin Yanshu loves herself so much, she would never be interested in these ordinary people.
It was just a little trick she used to get his attention.
Fine, he'll play along with her; it's a kind of fun too.
Lin Yanshu reached out and caught a petal in mid-air, brought it to her nose and smelled it, then offered it to Li Chengyi:
"Ah Zhao, incense."
Li Chengyi lowered his head and smelled it, but he felt that it didn't smell as good as the medicinal scent on Lin Yanshu.
As the song ended, a veiled woman walked onto the stage, her eyes crinkling with a smile, and said:
"Dear customers, our shop has a new fragrance, which has been applied to the flower petals."
"The highest bidder wins."
As soon as the woman finished speaking, people in the room began to bid against each other.
Lin Yanshu held the flower petal and smelled it.
This incense... is a combination of several rare ingredients; if burned, it can kill without leaving a trace.
It smelled like the tea in the teahouse that day, but it was also somewhat different.
Lee Seung-ik raised the price to the highest level in the entire event:
"Five hundred taels of gold."
All eyes were on Lee Seung-ik, the new guest who had never appeared before.
If anyone present raises the price, Lee Seung-ik will double it.
After several rounds of competition, no one dared to challenge Li Chengyi anymore.
The woman smiled and invited Li Chengyi into the private room:
"Congratulations, young master. Please move to the private room on the second floor."
Li Chengyi got up, took Lin Yanshu's hand, and walked upstairs.
The woman quickly stopped her, explaining with a smile:
"Young master, those who are not authorized to do so must wait downstairs."
Li Chengyi coldly stared at the alluring woman before him:
"She's not an outsider, so this deal is off."
The woman's face stiffened, and she gave an awkward smile:
"It was my fault for not recognizing your greatness, sir. Please."
Lin Yanshu was pulled upstairs by Li Chengyi.
As is customary, once someone enters a private room, the establishment will arrange for a dancer to perform there.
But since Li Chengyi had brought Lin Yanshu with him, the woman dismissed the waiting dancers.
Meanwhile, Xie Ciyan downstairs and his subordinates, who were lying in ambush in the shop, were already prepared to raid the entire shop once the time was right.
The woman carried the spices into the cubicle.
Li Chengyi glanced at her expressionlessly:
"Summon your master to see me so we can discuss a big deal."
The woman waved her hand and smiled charmingly:
"Young master, are you unwilling to discuss this deal with me?"
"I am truly saddened."
Her eyes sparkled, and every gesture she made exuded charm and allure.
The woman raised her hand and poured Li Chengyi a cup of tea, presenting it to him with her delicate fingers.
Lin Yanshu felt that the woman was surrounded by a strange fragrance.
The enticing fragrance made Lin Yan unconsciously linger and stare at the woman for a while longer.
Seeing Lin Yanshu's dazed expression, Li Chengyi couldn't help but curl the corners of his lips, thinking to himself:
Lin Yanshu, that idiot, is starting to panic now.
He leaned close to Lin Yanshu's ear and whispered:
I don't like her.
Li Chengyi's thin lips brushed against Lin Yanshu's earlobe, and Lin Yanshu felt a little itchy. Her earlobe instantly became congested with blood and turned pink.
She turned her head and stared at Li Chengyi with wide eyes.
Li Chengyi felt that Lin Yanshu's silly appearance made him want to bully her.
He suppressed his mischievous urge to tease Lin Yanshu and sat back down.
Seeing the two exchanging glances, the woman awkwardly drank the tea herself.
Li Chengyi raised his eyes and looked coldly at the woman:
“I said I want to see your master.”
There was absolutely no room for discussion in their words.
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