Lanxiang was instantly stunned. She saw that the mouth of the glass bottle that Yi Junhao was holding high was immediately shrouded in a wisp of smoke as the stopper was opened, which seemed to have a strong corrosive effect.
However, as Yi Junhao slowly approached, Lanxiang, who was extremely at a loss, couldn't help but back away step by step.
Unexpectedly, she suddenly stumbled and, taking advantage of the momentum, slammed her arm open, knocking open the half-closed window behind her.
Just as her upper body was about to lean out of the window, she suddenly nimbly dodged to the side, preventing her small body from flying out of the window and landing steadily against the wall by the window.
After a moment, she finally breathed a sigh of relief. But in an instant, her eyes, still somewhat shaken, looked out the window and downstairs, only to see the backyard, empty and quiet under the inky darkness of the night.
As her eyes slowly returned upwards, she suddenly caught sight of the man who had rekindled her once lifeless heart and captivated her. He was standing at the window of the opposite attic, gazing out in a daze.
Unlike before, Lanxiang would do everything in her power to attract his attention whenever she saw him from afar. She would stand in the most conspicuous place and do the most conspicuous things, all in the hope that his gaze would linger on her for even a moment...
This time, when she saw the man's face, she was only slightly startled at first, and then with a "bang," she hurriedly and excitedly slammed the window shut.
The reason she was behaving so unusually today was not because there was another man in her room—Yi Junhao.
She couldn't quite figure out the exact reason for it, whether it was because of Yu Niang or that woman named Yun'er...
Seeing that he was about to fall out of the window, Yi Junhao shouted, "Watch out!"
But almost simultaneously, his outstretched hand, before it could even touch her soft body, was instantly stunned by her swift reaction. This woman was no ordinary, delicate courtesan.
As Yu Niang hurriedly closed the window, she slowly turned her head as if lost in thought. When she came to her senses, she looked up and saw Yi Junhao's angry eyes, which had already recovered and were still questioning her, but there seemed to be something else added to them.
After a moment's hesitation, Lanxiang suddenly exhaled a deep breath and then tightly closed her bright eyes, as if she had already made up her mind.
In any case, he had done too many wrong things in his life that made it impossible for her to turn back.
She knew that the man outside the window had never truly held a place for her in his heart. Everything she had done was merely her own obsession, something she had willingly accepted.
In fact, when she agreed to do this for the madam, she had already secretly decided that all of this would end with Yu Niang.
Therefore, she absolutely cannot cross her bottom line again and again, allowing herself to sink into an abyss of endless self-reproach and continue to betray her conscience.
She didn't want to owe any more people anything in the rest of her life. The debts she incurred in this life, even if there were a next life, she would still have to repay them.
She didn't want her life to end up being one of constant anxiety and unease.
Furthermore, who exactly was this person before her, and what was his purpose in seeking out Yun'er? Judging by his extremely seductive appearance and thin lips, he was probably a heartless playboy. How could she allow herself to help such a despicable stranger and harm another innocent woman?
So, Lanxiang said calmly, word by word, "Come on, let's get started!"
Seeing Lanxiang's fearlessness, Yi Junhao suddenly wondered to himself, "Judging from her appearance... could it be that I was wrong? Did I really miss my chance with the girl? Did she really go back to Ruyi Residence as she said?"
But when he came to his senses, he still seemed unable to find the answer and was still somewhat skeptical of Lanxiang's words. At the same time, he suddenly remembered another extremely puzzling thing that had happened in Wanjiao Pavilion that night.
So, he squinted his long, narrow eyes again and approached Lanxiang. Then, he gently dripped a drop of the transparent liquid, which was emitting wisps of mysterious smoke, from the glass bottle he was holding onto Lanxiang's fair face.
After a while, instead of feeling any discomfort, she suddenly felt an extremely pleasant orchid fragrance on her face and slowly opened her eyes in surprise. She wondered with great curiosity, "Who is this man before me? His poison-making skills are so superb, seemingly reaching a divine level, even surpassing that of the madam. There is someone in the world who can extract and refine this 'face-corroding water' from the poison sprayed by the sea unicorn, blending it as skillfully as rouge and powder. Just a drop of this water can completely ruin a beautiful face without causing any pain. My face must be completely ruined by now." As she spoke, she pretended to be calm, her hands trembling slightly as she slowly reached up to touch her face…
"What...what's going on?" Lanxiang carefully touched her face again and again, but she couldn't find any trace of the corrosive water. However, she could clearly feel that her face was smoother. So, she looked at Yi Junhao in front of her and asked in shock.
Yi Junhao snorted coldly and said leisurely, "Don't worry, what I just dripped on your face wasn't real beauty-enhancing water. It was just rose essential oil that I specially made for my own beauty and skincare. Just one drop will instantly make your face white, smooth, and delicate. How about that, not bad, right?!"
Upon hearing this, Lanxiang was instantly stunned, speechless with shock.
Seeing Lanxiang's stunned expression, Yi Junhao deliberately raised his voice and said to her, "Don't be grateful to me. I'm a businessman, and I never do unprofitable deals. So, since you used my treasure today, I naturally have conditions for you. However, we must first clarify the matter of the girl. I will believe what you say for now, but if I find out you are lying, I will make you repay me double in the future. Do you understand?"
"If you don't speak, I'll take that as a yes." Seeing that Lanxiang remained silent, Yi Junhao answered his own question.
"As payment for using this secret treasure that I never share with outsiders, I have a question for you, and you must answer truthfully. Otherwise... my methods are far more than just this tiny drop of the Poisonous Essence. I firmly believe that in this vast Spirit Void Continent, if I claim to be second in poison-making, there is absolutely no first. At that time, I will make you wish you were dead, crying out to heaven and earth in vain." Yi Junhao whispered in Lanxiang's ear.
Upon hearing this, Lanxiang was slightly moved. She immediately looked up into his eyes, paused for a moment, and then asked in a deep voice, "What does Young Master wish to ask Lanxiang?"
Yi Junhao didn't ask her directly. Instead, he began to slowly stroll through Lanxiang's room, his eyes fixed on the clean white walls, moving slowly as if searching for something.
But when he stepped into the inner room in front of a screen, he suddenly stopped. After a moment's hesitation, he strode forward and walked into the wall hidden behind the screen.
Lanxiang looked on with suspicion, wondering what this mysterious man was looking for, but she hurriedly followed him inside.
As soon as Yi Junhao entered, he stopped in his tracks, stunned, his gaze fixed on a painting hanging on the wall behind the screen.
Although this was the second time he had seen the painting tonight, it did not diminish his interest in the slightest; it was as if he were seeing it for the first time. In fact, his interest was even greater than when he first saw it, and he observed it with even greater detail.
In the painting, a blue fox, its fur color matching the blue sea, is running along a long coastline in a snowy landscape, chasing a butterfly that is fluttering in the air.
The butterfly was completely transparent, but the artist deliberately drew several black veins on its body to make its outline appear faintly. It was flapping its wings and showing its graceful dance. When it danced, the ice flowers scattered on the ground by its flapping wings presented a rainbow of light.
Looking at the blue fox and butterfly painting in front of him, Yi Junhao felt as if the painting was trying to suck in one's soul, making one deeply immersed in it and unable to extricate oneself.
So he couldn't help but reach out and gently touch every detail in the painting, studying it carefully, especially the transparent butterfly.
At first, he mistakenly thought he had entered the wrong room, but upon closer inspection, he noticed the subtle differences in the painting.
Finally, he noticed something amiss.
The paint used to create this painting of a blue fox and butterfly was rich and lustrous, clearly originating from his familiar homeland of Nan'an. However, upon closer inspection, the colors appeared to have faded and dimmed somewhat.
The painting of the blue fox and butterfly in the next room, judging from its colors, likely used pigments from a corner of the mysterious northern lands that produced the two beauties depicted in the painting. However, the painting produced there possesses a greater charm and lifelike quality than the richly colored work before us, with the colors remaining unchanged and showing no signs of fading.
It is obvious that this painting was actually copied from the painting in the next room.
But where did this painting come from, and who could possibly recognize such a rare and exquisite object...?
At this moment, Lanxiang saw that Yi Junhao was deep in thought, so she asked, "Young master, are you interested in this painting of a blue fox and butterfly?"
Hearing Lanxiang's words, Yi Junhao finally snapped out of his deep thoughts and slowly asked Lanxiang, who was standing behind him with an expectant look on her face, "What I want to ask you is this painting of blue fox and butterfly. Do you know who painted it? Are there many paintings like this in Wanjiao Pavilion? I think I have seen the same blue fox and butterfly painting in the next room?"
"The same?" Lanxiang exclaimed in surprise...
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