Chapter 61: Two Male Guests
Xie Huailing took Gong Jiu away from the music hall. She did not return to Jin Feng Xi Yu Lou, as there was no way she could return to Jin Feng Xi Yu Lou with Gong Jiu in tow. Since she had asked him for help, she decided to pay him for the time she had spent. Xie Huailing took him to a small gambling den that Jin Feng Xi Yu Lou was currently negotiating with Liu Fen Ban Tang.
The premises were located in a relatively quiet area, consisting of several shops connected to a warehouse at the back. Liufenbantang had recently lost a considerable amount of goods in this area, so they decided to renovate the entire plot and sell it off. Although Jinfeng Xiyulou and Liufenbantang were longtime rivals who constantly sabotaged each other, as long as they hadn't completely broken off relations, overt transactions would naturally continue, so they planned to buy it.
Xie Huailing's original intention was simply to give Gong Jiu something to do, and he was determined to make this wealthy and powerful prince bleed a little. Dragging Gong Jiu into this matter was the perfect solution.
After getting off the carriage, Gong Jiu followed closely behind her, his gaze never leaving her back. As he walked with her, he asked again, "Will you be happy if I do this?"
Xie Huailing didn't stop walking, nor did she turn her head: "Maybe."
Gong Jiu then asked, "Did I help you?"
"Probably," Xie Huailing replied dismissively.
Even though it was just a perfunctory response, Gong Jiu seemed to have gained some satisfaction and pressed on, saying, "If you want these properties, shops, money, and the like, the Taiping Prince's Mansion has many similar properties in Bianjing and other places. Tomorrow, no, today, I can have someone deliver the land deeds and account books to you."
Xie Huailing recalled what Su Mengzhen had said. Her moral standards were certainly not that high, but her boss's were. So she refused directly, saying, "Then forget it. But I do have something to ask you. Just tell me if you know it or not."
She pretended not to care and asked him, "Have you heard about what happened in the court half a year ago? Several Taoist priests slandered court officials and were later beheaded."
Although Gong Jiu wasn't quite normal, he was essentially a rare intelligent person, and given his high position, he naturally understood what she was asking. He replied, "I've heard of it. Which aspect do you want to ask about?"
Xie Huailing replied, "In recent years, have there been many cases of former officials of the late emperor being impeached in the imperial court?"
“Not many.” Gong Jiu pondered for a moment and said, “There’s only been this one in the last three or four years. But you mentioned the former officials of the late emperor. One of them died in office while serving in a post outside the capital, and another one made enemies and lost his family. You might want to know about that.”
"How did you find out about this?"
“They all died on the fiefdom of the Prince of Taiping’s mansion. I must find out the truth.”
"Then they must all have made significant achievements in their political careers."
"Exactly. If nothing had gone wrong, returning to Beijing to take up a post would have been a matter of one or two years."
Gong Jiu walked to her side and said, "But there's nothing strange about this. That's how the court is. When someone dies, a position becomes vacant. If someone doesn't die, a position will be taken."
Xie Huailing spoke in a low voice, seemingly implying something: "Yes, if the old don't leave, how can the new come? If the old flowers don't wither, how can the new bloom?"
She had no other questions to ask, and Gong Jiu did all the talking for the rest of the journey. When they arrived at the negotiation venue, she pushed open the door and went in. No one dared to stop her. Inside, the manager of the gambling den was arguing heatedly with the representative sent by the Six and a Half Hall, their faces red and spittle flying. The moment she appeared, the scene fell silent. Everyone, whether from the Golden Wind and Fine Rain Pavilion or the Six and a Half Hall, stood up straight. Even their own people turned pale, and fear filled the air.
"Miss, Miss..." The steward's voice trembled, cold sweat soaking his back. It wasn't that Xie Huailing had a bad reputation, but rather that her status was too high. Her sudden arrival in such a small place—could it be that something important was about to happen today? As he thought this, his mind went blank, and he even forgot to greet her.
Xie Huailing found a fairly clean chair and sat down. She was trying to find something for Gong Jiu to do so that he wouldn't have too much energy and keep bothering her. She called the steward down and handed the task over to Gong Jiu.
The steward dared not disobey and immediately bowed to her side to serve her tea and water, which Gong Jiu gladly accepted. He was extremely skilled in this, but due to his status, he usually did not need to handle it personally.
After confirming that Xie Huailing wanted this deal, Gong Jiu quickly grasped the situation, took over the negotiations that were halfway through, and, disdaining any haggling, simply quoted a price that left the representative of Six and a Half Hall speechless and the manager of Golden Wind and Drizzle Pavilion terrified. He then paid for it himself, finalizing the deal on the spot. The whole process was astonishingly fast; Xie Huailing hadn't even figured out where he had gotten so much money from before the deal was in her hands.
The manager hurriedly agreed, and the representative of Liufenbantang signed the contract with a blank yet relieved expression, leaving Xie Huailing standing aside as if it had nothing to do with her, resting with her eyes closed the whole time.
.
Meanwhile, just across the street, at another stronghold of the Six and a Half Hall, the atmosphere was as heavy as still water.
This was a dimly lit accounting office. The servant cautiously knocked on the door and hurried to the head of the department. He said eagerly, in a tone that seemed to be seeking praise, "Head of the department, it seems that the person in charge on the other side has changed. For some reason, Miss Xie has come in person."
The steward's expression changed, and without paying attention to what the servant was saying, he gave him a stern look. Only then did the servant belatedly realize the suffocating atmosphere in the room, and following the steward's gaze, he immediately trembled like a leaf.
In a corner of the room sat a tall, burly man with a fierce face like a tiger. He crossed his arms, his large, bell-like eyes fixed on them, exuding an imposing aura, like a ruthless killer. The servant didn't recognize him, but he remembered that recently a valuable shipment had gone missing from the branch, infuriating the head of the department, who said he would send people down to investigate. Could this man be...?
Recalling his earlier actions, the servant's legs went weak with fear, and he almost collapsed to the ground. However, the fierce deity didn't even glance at the servant; he said nothing and simply sat there majestically.
Beside the fierce-looking figure was the darkest part of the room, where a large expanse of darkness could conceal many things even in daylight. The servant was suddenly startled to discover that there was another person sitting in the corner.
He was an exceptionally handsome young man, so strikingly good-looking that it was impossible to look away. He wore a slightly worn blue robe, his head slightly bowed, intently studying the thick ledger in his hands, so quiet he seemed almost invisible. He lacked the air of a superior; in fact, he appeared somewhat frail. His long, pale neck was bent at a serene angle, like a crane with a broken neck, and at that moment, it seemed to carry a hint of melancholy, or perhaps, a touch of loneliness.
Was it an attendant, or someone else? The servant wasn't sure. Just as he was filled with trepidation, the young man raised his head. He had eyes that were always shrouded in mist and rain. The incessant rain made his emotions as hazy as it was. He looked at the servant and his voice was as gentle as his appearance: "Which Miss Xie are you talking about?"
The servant's heart skipped a beat when he was stared at, and the fierce-looking man also looked over. He didn't dare to breathe and hurriedly replied, "It's the one from the Golden Wind and Fine Rain Pavilion, the one with 'Slender Hands Cutting the Sky'..."
The young man pressed further, "Are you sure it's her?"
The servant stammered, the young man didn't intimidate him at all, yet he felt inexplicably uneasy: "Absolutely! Such appearance and bearing, you won't find another like him in Bianjing City, I would never mistake him!"
The young man closed the ledger in his hand after hearing this. He stood up, his demeanor humble yet composed. He walked out of the room, his expression seemingly tinged with sorrow. The servants were unsure and dared not look. The young man remained silent for a while, his thoughts racing. Then he said to the man beside him, "You look after things here for now. I'll be right back."
.
Snow began to fall sporadically again. The sky was neither too dark nor too late, a gray, oppressive blanket pressing down, trying to fill the cracks left by people's footsteps. Two lines of footprints were left in the snow, tracing the direction people had traveled. Occasionally, snowflakes would fall from the trees, covering the traces. At this time, when dusk should have fallen and the evening light was hanging low, the back street was still illuminated as if it were dawn, making it impossible to distinguish.
After buying the betting odds, the two came out through the back door and stopped in this alley. Xie Huailing didn't want to go far; she was there to get rid of Gong Jiu, and simply said, "Someone will come to pick me up; I'll make the arrangements myself."
Gong Jiu stood beside her, and in the snowy light, he removed his mask, revealing a strikingly handsome profile: "I can also take you home. It's on my way."
Xie Huailing would never believe him. She glared at him and said, "What kind of route are you following?"
Gong Jiu wasn't offended by her gaze, and he replied frankly, "It's all on the way, it's up to you."
"Then let's not go that way," Xie Huailing said. "I already told you someone is coming to pick me up, you go first."
Gong Jiu, however, was still relentless. He wasn't a particularly enthusiastic person, and he kept trying to strike up a conversation: "I'll wait and see if you leave first."
This clingy guy was as annoying as working overtime, thankfully it wasn't just anyone but Xie Huailing, otherwise she really would have wanted to kill him. Not even interested in being sarcastic, Xie Huailing stopped under a tree, sometimes wondering which circle she'd ended up in, sometimes mentally calculating her day's achievements, finding them not too bad, and said, "Don't you think you talk too much? I'll call you next time I need you."
Gong Jiu gazed at her and pressed, "It's normal to talk a lot. Because I admire you."
The alley was silent except for the soft patter of falling snow. He felt this wasn't enough and added, "Because I admire you, I want to talk to you, to tell you everything. If you say you need me next time, then you must call me next time. But..." He paused, then sharply turned to an inconspicuous corner deep within the alley, "Before I say more, there's one small matter to settle."
In the shadows around the corner, a figure stood quietly, dressed in a disheveled blue robe, head bowed, almost blending into the mottled gray wall.
It's true what they say, you never know where you might meet someone again. Xie Huailing felt nothing at all; she even wanted to drink this pot of porridge. She thought that the next time she met the person in front of her, it would be a life-or-death struggle. But she never expected that since the transmigration had happened to her, then perhaps the heavens, like her, had a wicked expectation for her life.
Thinking back to what happened at the opera house now feels like a lifetime ago. She left him behind and never thought of him again. His pain was none of her concern, and his longing for her was just a question she should mention to Su Mengzhen. Now he stands at the corner, neither too close nor too far, and she doesn't even want to ask how he's spent the past two weeks.
She didn't care about him; you could say she didn't think much of him. After he fell in love with her, he wasn't even a rival anymore.
He knew perfectly well that mentioning her indifference and her attitude would only bring him humiliation.
So, what else will happen?
Di Fei took a few steps forward, his dark eyes slowly rolling upward, revealing a hint of loneliness. He hadn't expected that Xie Huailing would have someone else by her side. He only wanted to see her briefly, using the excuse of having some official business to cover up some personal matters: "Miss Xie, what a coincidence."
When Xie Huailing heard this for the second time, he thought, "What a coincidence! It's all just human will." He looked at him calmly and said, "Is it really a coincidence, Master Di? I'm afraid we're not that destined to meet."
Di Feijing was silent for a moment before slowly saying, "I happened to be inspecting the gambling dens in this area today, and I heard from my subordinates that Miss Xie was here, so I came over to say hello."
"There's no need." Xie Huailing was colder than the wind and snow pouring down on him, her expression indifferent. "You don't need to explain anything to me."
Di Fei lowered his head even further, his knuckles clenching tightly beneath his wide sleeves—a gesture he couldn't let anyone see. He then looked at Gong Jiu beside Xie Huailing; he had never seen her before, nor had he ever heard of such a person from the Golden Wind and Fine Rain Pavilion.
Gong Jiu keenly sensed the complex aura emanating from the bowed man opposite him, but he didn't seem to care much and asked, "And who is this?"
Before Xie Huailing could introduce him, Di Feijing briefly replied, "My surname is Di."
"So it's Young Master Di." Upon hearing this address, Gong Jiu glanced between Di Feijing and Xie Huailing, but didn't find anything worth investigating. Gong Jiu's personality was rather detached in a sense; his love and hate were only particularly intense in matters he couldn't discuss.
Forget about investigating, Gong Jiu didn't care about Di Feijing or his relationship with Xie Huailing. He just asked Di Feijing, "Is Young Master Di a friend of Miss Xie?"
Di Fei was speechless with surprise. Friends? They certainly couldn't be called friends. They were enemies, that was an undeniable fact, and nothing could change it. They could never be friends, they would never have any connection. As long as his life lasted, their distance would be just as great.
But, but, is he willing to admit it?
He remained silent, a silence that seemed to weigh a ton, making his already bowed neck appear to bend even more. After a few breaths, Di Feijing spoke clearly in a flat tone, "No. It's just that there are some things we didn't finish discussing last time, and I'd like to ask Miss Xie to come and talk about them later."
Gong Jiu said, "She wants to see me off, but I'm afraid she won't have time."
In reality, Gong Jiu himself harbored no hostility and was not particularly interested in the delicate situation. He possessed a self-confidence that could be described as arrogant, which was simply due to his unconventional way of thinking, but his words were extremely provocative, especially to Di Feijing.
"Is that so? Not necessarily." Di Feijing was neither humble nor arrogant, nor hurried nor slow. Xie Huailing's indifference towards Gong Jiu was even greater than towards him, which was one of the few reasons for his confidence. "Miss Xie said she doesn't want to see you off."
Wait a minute, what does this scene mean? Xie Huailing's radar clicked.
As someone who's watched countless bad movies and read countless cheesy novels, she's quite familiar with this kind of scene. Frankly, she even enjoys it when watching anime or reading novels. Supporting characters who like the male or female lead meet on some occasion, and love becomes a war, a chaotic battleground for victory. In the end, there's inevitably a loser, usually a blonde, who cries and gets soaked in the rain after his defeat, marking the end of their love and leaving behind a memorable scene in anime history. This twisted relationship is what makes it truly captivating.
But, but, isn't this wrong?
Xie Huailing glanced at Gong Jiu, then at Di Feijing.
She calmly suggested, "Don't talk here. I'll go book a private room. You two can talk in the private room if you want."
————————
Gong Jiu genuinely didn't care much; that's just how he was. But Di Feijing did care a lot, because although he was restrained, patient, and calm, he truly couldn't even become Gong Jiu's rival in love. In addition, he did have official business to attend to, and in his view, Gong Jiu was bothering Ms. Xie.
so--
Gong Jiu: That's how people talk; it's just like breathing.
Di Feijing: He's been provoking me all along.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com