Lanxiang pondered for a moment, then suddenly changed her tone, raising her voice and saying casually, "Don't worry, Yu Niang won't die anytime soon, but as for what happens after that..."
Yi Shangyun sensed the hidden meaning in her words and immediately felt a turmoil in her heart, her mind in turmoil. However, she eventually calmed down and asked with a puzzled look, "What do you mean by that?"
Lanxiang sighed softly, her eyes glazed over, and said, "In Wanjiao Pavilion, Yu Niang was always different from all of us. She never had to entertain guests or have to put up with anyone's attitude. Do you know how much I envied her?"
Yi Shangyun listened with skepticism and scoffed, "Hmph... Do you think she could be doing well in a place like this? What are you trying to say?"
Lanxiang glanced at her indifferently, seemingly not entirely understanding the reason herself. She chuckled softly, then said with a hint of resentment, "You find it hard to believe, don't you? Entering a brothel like this and still maintaining one's chastity—no one would believe it, but it's true. You saw it just now; my room is spacious, bright, and clean—the best room among all the girls in Wanjiao Pavilion. And not long ago, this room belonged to Yu Niang. But unlike me, once she entered Wanjiao Pavilion, she never left the room, living a life of luxury, pampered like a noble lady. The madam personally brought her three meals a day. She never had to serve those repulsive men. But me…"
Lanxiang suddenly stopped talking. She found it difficult to speak of the torment and cruelty of her past, and she didn't want to recall it again. In the end, she simply frowned her delicate eyebrows tightly, bit her bright red lips hard, and remained silent.
Watching Lanxiang recall her unbearable past with a heavy heart, Yi Shangyun suddenly felt the same sympathy and pity she had felt for this pitiful person.
But after a moment's thought, she suddenly seemed to have some doubts and asked, "Could it be that Yu Niang knew about your difficult situation and, out of consideration for your deep sisterly bond, gave you all of this? Now that you've gotten everything you wanted, what about Yu Niang? What have you done to her? She was so good to you, how could you repay kindness with enmity..."
For some reason, before Yi Shangyun could finish speaking, Lanxiang suddenly seemed to have been stepped on. She revealed a vicious look in her eyes, pointed her finger at Yi Shangyun's nose, and shouted at her in a hoarse voice, "Shut up! What do you know? All of this is what I deserve. Although Lanxiang has lost her virginity, she is definitely not reduced to relying on others' charity and pitiful existence. Over the years, I have suffered so much in Wanjiao Pavilion, endured so much hardship, received so many special guests for him, and done so many heinous things... I have been so devoted to him. That position was originally mine. Why should Yuniang take everything that belongs to me as soon as she comes? Even he... doesn't want to look at me anymore because of this."
Yi Shangyun was stunned by the suddenly appearing, incredibly ferocious face before her. After a long pause, she finally asked in confusion, "Him? Who is he?"
Lanxiang realized that she had almost let something slip and made a big mistake in her haste, so she quickly regained her composure and looked around nervously.
After a long silence, she suddenly said to Yi Shangyun, seemingly nonsensical yet meaningful, "You really shouldn't have come here. On the surface, Wanjiao Pavilion is just a magnificent brothel, but in reality, it's full of conspiracies. You've come, and I'm afraid you won't come back... I'm sorry, Lanxiang knows she shouldn't have fallen for such a heartless person. If Lanxiang hadn't ended up as a courtesan, with everything beyond her control, perhaps Lanxiang would have considered Yuniang and you, Miss, as her best confidantes for the rest of her life."
As Lanxiang spoke, she had quietly slipped behind Yi Shangyun without anyone noticing.
As Yi Shangyun listened to her heartfelt words, which seemed to be a genuine expression of emotion yet were also somewhat ambiguous, he frowned deeply, pondering them intently.
Suddenly, Lanxiang stepped behind her, extending a seemingly delicate but actually powerful hand, and struck down heavily on the back of her neck...
Suddenly, Yi Shangyun's entire body fell to the ground.
Lanxiang watched helplessly as Yi Shangyun collapsed at her feet, her face unusually calm. She looked at her and said leisurely, "Didn't you want to know where Yu Niang is? I'll tell you now, Yu Niang—she's both far away and right before your eyes."
......
Ruyi Residence is located near Wanjiao Pavilion.
Yi Junhao was sitting alone in an inconspicuous corner of the hall, with several small dishes and a pot of sake on the table in front of him.
He was staring blankly into space, slowly turning and toying with the cup in his hand.
After a while, those long, slender, and charming peach blossom eyes suddenly looked towards the door, as if waiting for something. But they quickly looked away in disappointment and sighed inwardly. Then they drank the wine in their cup in one gulp and picked up the wine pot again to refill it.
But then he realized that he had unknowingly drunk another pot of wine, so he glanced at the counter behind him and called out, "Manager, another pot of wine, please."
"Sir, this is your third jug already. This wine is the finest sake in Ruyiju. Please take care of your health," the innkeeper said with concern as soon as he arrived.
However, Yi Junhao seemed quite dissatisfied with the innkeeper's well-intentioned advice, and impatiently shouted at him, "What? Are you afraid that I can't afford the wine?"
As he spoke, he pulled the entire money pouch from his waist and threw it on the table. Upon seeing this, the innkeeper immediately explained, "Look at what you're saying, sir. We're in business, how can we not make money? Besides, those who can afford to stay at Ruyi Residence are all very wealthy and powerful people, how could I dare to look down on you? However, a little wine is pleasant, but too much is harmful. Although the wine is good, sir, you should drink less. I'm just thinking of you."
However, Yi Junhao was completely deaf to any advice at this point. "Enough nonsense, go and get the wine."
In the end, the shopkeeper could only sigh and shake his head. He quickly brought out another pot of sake of the same quality and gently placed it on the table. "Please enjoy, sir."
After saying that, he turned and hurriedly left.
Just as Yi Junhao was about to continue pouring himself a drink, he suddenly seemed to remember something and said urgently, "Shopkeeper, please wait."
Upon hearing the sound, the innkeeper immediately stopped and turned around, a slight displeasure appearing on his face. He asked, "Is there anything else you need, sir?"
"I was waiting for an old friend, and she hasn't arrived for a long time. I got anxious and said something inappropriate. Please forgive me, shopkeeper. If you're not busy, shopkeeper, may I sit here for a while?" Yi Junhao explained.
Upon hearing this, the shopkeeper was momentarily stunned, and it took him a while to react. He then slowly walked over to Yi Junhao, lifted the hem of his robe, and sat down.
As they were talking, Yi Junhao had already poured two cups of sake. He pushed one cup toward the shopkeeper, who quickly reached out and smiled as he declined, saying, "Thank you, young master, but I never drink."
Yi Junhao smiled and exclaimed in surprise, "Oh? Is that so? Shopkeeper, you are truly a rare sight. This wine seller doesn't drink alcohol, yet he sells the finest wine in the entire Western Qin Kingdom!"
As he spoke, he tilted his head back and downed another glass of wine in one gulp.
Upon seeing this, the shopkeeper still smiled and shook his head, saying leisurely, "A wine seller doesn't necessarily have to know how to drink, but he must understand wine. A good wine requires careful brewing, and only by carefully savoring it can one appreciate its infinite pleasure. It's like pursuing a beautiful lady; only by being attentive can one win her heart. I wonder if you, sir, find my words reasonable?"
Suddenly, their eyes met, and they burst into hearty laughter at the same time, as if they had met a kindred spirit in some way.
The shopkeeper seemed to have read Yi Junhao's thoughts, so with a slight smile, he glanced at the sky outside the door and tentatively asked, "Is the young master waiting for a young lady? It's already so late, I'm afraid she won't be able to keep our appointment?"
"No, she will come. She told me that she would come back to find me as soon as she finished her business, and that she would not be late. Moreover, she is also a guest of this Ruyi Residence." Yi Junhao thought of how Yi Shangyun spoke to him when she left, and his eyes, which were already as warm as a spring breeze, softened even more.
"Oh? Your old friend is also a guest of my Ruyi Residence. May I ask which gentleman it is?" the innkeeper asked curiously.
Yi Junhao then came to his senses and asked, "By the way, I was just about to ask the manager, has a woman who wears a veil and is very slender and tall come to Ruyi Residence these past two days?"
After a moment's thought, the innkeeper said, "Yes, yesterday a woman who was wearing a veil and was very slender and tall did arrive. But she didn't come alone; she was accompanied by a man who also seemed to have an extraordinary background and an attendant. However, the man was also wearing a mask. The three of them came to stay at the inn together and booked two top-class rooms. But for some reason, in the evening, while having dinner downstairs, the woman changed into men's clothing."
"The innkeeper is saying that there were two men who came to stay with her? Did they register at the counter? May I take a look?" Yi Junhao asked anxiously.
"Registration is definitely possible, but we are supposed to keep this information confidential for our customers, but..." the shopkeeper said with a troubled expression.
Yi Junhao quickly said, "To be honest, that woman is my younger sister. She came here alone without telling our parents. I had just found her, but she insisted on going out with a stranger for a while. Perhaps he is the person who stayed at the inn with her. We had arranged to meet here, but it's almost midnight. Could something have happened?"
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