Chapter 12 Drunken Immortal Pavilion: She was the bait for bailing.
Jin Suiqing jumped out of bed like a cat that had been stepped on: "I'm going, I want to go!"
Just when I was wondering how to go to Zuixianlou to investigate, the opportunity came knocking on my door!
She was so excited that her scumbag father and brother both looked at her with surprise.
Jin Suiqing realized she had overreacted and needed to make amends. Quick as a flash, she rushed over and hugged Jin Guizhong's waist: "Father, please let me go. I'm so bored staying at home every day."
Jin Guizhong: "Didn't you say you were going to look for your brother?"
Jin Suiqing said seriously, "Brother is brother, and attending a banquet is attending a banquet. They cannot be confused."
Jin Guizhong pinched Jin Suiqing's nose and laughed loudly, "I think you're just greedy, you little glutton."
Jin Suiqing, hands on her hips, declared confidently, "I'm craving it; I want to eat at the banquet."
Ideally, one should be able to eat at the banquet hosted by the mastermind behind the scenes.
Jin Suiqing's rant.
Jin Guizhong agreed, and Jin Shiyu naturally couldn't refuse, so he asked to accompany Jin Suiqing.
“I’ll go with my sister,” Jin Shiyu said calmly, “just for safety reasons.”
Suddenly, Jin Suiqing's face fell.
Given the precedent that suggests he knew about the cheating, who knows why he wanted to go to Zuixianlou with her?
It certainly wasn't for her safety.
Upon reflection, however, she seemed to have no reason to refute it, so she could only give up.
Go with him if you want. We'll deal with whatever comes our way. If things get desperate, we can even use him as a scapegoat. It's not a bad deal.
After Jin Guizhong granted Jin Shiyu permission to accompany Jin Suiqing, he led his men away from the small, gloomy courtyard.
Jin Shiyu closed the door expressionlessly and turned to look at Jin Suiqing.
Jin Suiqing was on high alert. She quickly jumped back onto his bed, wrapped herself up in the blanket, and squinted her eyes: "Father promised, so I'm going to sleep here tonight. Brother, you can't send me away."
Jin Shiyu didn't say anything, but walked to the bedside with the lamp in hand.
Jin Suiqing shuffled back, about to blurt out, "Don't throw me out!" when she heard Jin Shiyu ask her, "Are you cold?"
Jin Suiqing didn't react in time.
More accurately, Jin Suiqing was completely baffled by Jin Shiyu's unpredictable moods.
Is he concerned about her?
Does he really care about her?
Jin Suiqing clutched the blanket and shook her head: "I'm not cold." Don't send her away, anything is negotiable.
Jin Shiyu nodded, placed the lamp at the foot of the bed, lit another lamp, and returned to the table to continue reading.
After a short while, Jin Suiqing said weakly, "Brother, it's starting to get cold now."
Jin Shiyu, engrossed in his book, didn't turn his head: "Endure it."
Jin Suiqing was on the verge of tears. What had he just asked her about?
Even if she's being delusional, she still believes that Kim Shi-ok cares about her.
The little house was rather gloomy. Jin Suiqing looked up at the roof beams and thought of how Gu Hanjiang had hanged himself here, and how Jin Shiyu had lived there for six years without batting an eye.
Today she discovered that he also takes cold showers.
No wonder my hands are cold all year round.
In modern times, you not only need to see a psychologist, but also a traditional Chinese medicine doctor to treat your cold constitution.
Jin Suiqing was afraid of the cold but not ghosts. She thought to herself that she was innocent and that the cause and effect had nothing to do with her. She curled up and tucked the blanket in so that there was no gap.
It doesn't matter. The place she lived when she was six years old wasn't much different from here.
Soon, soft snoring could be heard from under the covers.
Jin Shiyu was somewhat dazed. The room was clearly quiet, but he couldn't concentrate on his book. It sounded like five hundred mechanical birds were flapping their wings in his ears.
My younger sister is very noisy.
He slowly put away the books, got up, and moved quietly toward the bed.
Halfway there, he stopped and looked at the ball on the bed. He stood there for a while before Jin Shiyu walked forward, his footsteps deliberately stomping and making quite a noise.
Upon reaching the bedside, Jin Shiyu grabbed a loose corner of the blanket, gently lifted it, and revealed Jin Suiqing inside.
The younger sister, with her hair still in place and her clothes still on, slept soundly on the broken bed, showing no signs of being a high-ranking princess.
Upon seeing the light for a moment, Jin Suiqing seemed half-awake, covering his eyes and softly calling out, "Brother?"
"Hmm." Kim Shi-ok paused slightly, then said softly, "It's okay, go to sleep."
"Oh." Jin Suiqing frowned, curled up into a ball, covered her eyes, and continued to sleep.
Jin Shiyu looked at her for a while, hesitated for a moment, then carefully took her hands and started to untangle Jin Suiqing's hair, separating the twisted and knotted strands.
Jin Suiqing shivered when her hand touched her scalp.
Kim Si-ok paused, then placed his hand on his neck.
For the first time, Kim Si-ok felt that his hands were cold.
He pressed his hands against his neck until they were warm before Kim Shi-ok started to disassemble the garment.
After going back and forth several times, he took it apart. His neck was cold, so he wrapped his hands around the dim oil lamp to warm them. Once they were warm, he supported Jin Suiqing's neck and swept all her hair to one side.
Then tuck the blanket in again, pushing it further inside.
After that, he turned off all the lights and returned to the table.
*
Jin Suiqing, holding Jin Shiyu's hand, jumped off the rhinoceros carriage. Upon seeing the building in front of them, she couldn't help but widen her eyes.
Zuixianlou is the best tavern in the capital.
In just ten years of operation, its scale far surpasses that of century-old shops in the capital.
The owner of Zuixianlou Restaurant is named Qin Xianglan.
She's elusive and rarely seen; few people have actually met the boss, and there's no shortage of gossip about her.
It is said that Boss Qin is as beautiful as a fairy, and that everyone who has seen her, regardless of gender, will fall at her feet.
Boss Qin relied on his good looks to thrive in the capital, where no one could rival him.
Although Jin Suiqing had never met her, judging from the Zuixianlou restaurant, Boss Qin must have excellent taste.
Zuixianlou is like a physical embodiment of "Fanlou," with three stories high and five floors facing each other, flying bridges and railings, light and shadow connecting the two, beaded curtains and embroidered lintels, and flickering lamps and candles.
No, it's even worse!
On the spire, a Kui dragon magical weapon hovered and flew around.
Just then, the waiter overheard the visitor asking about the Kui dragon and said, "Oh, you're in luck. The owner used that Kui dragon to invite distinguished guests, but we don't have any appointments today."
Sky suites!
Jin Suiqing couldn't stop staring at the steaming Kui dragon. Even the waiter couldn't help but lean over and ask, "May I ask, are these the young princess and young master Jin?"
Jin Suiqing quickly snapped out of her daze, nodded in agreement, and the waiter who had been waiting for a long time led them up to the third floor: "The Duke of England has booked the Zuixianlou Restaurant to hold a flower appreciation banquet, where guests can eat and drink, and watch and appreciate music."
It's a buffet!
As Jin Suiqing pulled Jin Shiyu around the screen, the waiter stopped her: "Hey, wait, Princess, you can come in, but Young Master Jin can't."
Jin Suiqing protested, "Why? He's my brother."
"The British government has made arrangements that only those whose names are on the invitation are allowed on the third floor. As for the servants and family members who are not on the invitation... don't worry, the British government has prepared other places where they can eat and rest."
Although he had guessed that today's feast was a trap, and being alone would make it easier for Jin Suiqing to move around.
You can act but not go all the way; otherwise, you'll lose favor with Kim Si-ok.
Jin Suiqing's chubby face changed, and he turned to leave.
Jin Shiyu grabbed her arm: "I'll wait for you, it's okay."
He chuckled, Jin Suiqing showing no outward expression but secretly rejoicing.
Sure enough, neither of the two people present actually wanted to leave.
She wanted to investigate Zuixianlou, and Jin Shiyu also had important matters concerning Zuixianlou.
Jin Suiqing became wary. The situation was still unclear, and for her, the only clue she had was the Drunken Immortal Restaurant, which she had overheard.
Where did Jin Shiyu get the clues about Zuixianlou from?
Jin Suiqing glanced at Jin Shiyu, a question nagging at him.
Which side does Kim Si-ok belong to?
“Brother,” Jin Suiqing said in a feigned tone, “we clearly came together, I don’t want you to leave.”
Kim Shi-ok replied absentmindedly, "It's alright, go ahead."
Jin Suiqing clicked her tongue in amazement; her brother was so anxious that he couldn't even give a proper answer.
Jin Suiqing simply went along with it and let go of Jin Shiyu's hand: "Alright, brother, I'll eat faster and come find you sooner."
"Don't worry about me, have fun." Jin Shiyu followed the waiter first.
Jin Suiqing chuckled awkwardly and muttered under her breath, "Jin Suiqing, what a character you are. You're thinking about your good brother, but your good brother doesn't care about you at all."
She turned and passed through the screen, taking in the entire view of the three floors of Zuixianlou.
Beneath the coffered ceiling, one can directly access a stage on the first floor. In front of the mahogany railing, light gauze curtains sway in the wind, and guests chat and drink indistinctly.
Suddenly, a stirring sound of a pipa arose, like shattered pearls. From the opposite corner of the gold and green area, a performer leaped out into the air, carrying a flying rope for viewing. He performed several somersaults, landed on the stage, and with a spring in his foot, leaped into the air again.
The stuntman throws ziplines with his left and right hands, the mechanical hooks grabbing the railings, swinging between buildings like Spider-Man, performing a variety of highly entertaining aerial maneuvers.
People would occasionally throw money as tips, and the performer would leap in like a seagull to catch the food, ensuring none fell to the ground.
Jin Suiqing couldn't help but clap his hands in admiration.
Just as she was about to take out her money, she thought for a moment, then pulled hard and tightened the drawstring.
Let's forget about it.
In order to live a better life after leaving the Jin family, I still can't develop a habit of spending money recklessly.
With lightning speed, the acrobat who had already swung in front of her saw her move, scoffed, and flipped away, disappearing elsewhere.
Gold shattered, green sweat dripped down.
Jin Suiqing stopped looking, slipped back into the banquet hall, avoided the group of classmates, found a secluded corner, and began to eat a handful of melons and candied fruits while observing the furnishings.
She was waiting for someone.
As she expected, a short while later, a kind-looking, plump old woman appeared in the crowd, clearly looking for someone.
Jin Suiqing put down the plate and moved to the corner between the curtains and the screen.
The old woman couldn't find her, her face turned pale, and she disappeared again. Looking at the direction she was heading, it wasn't downstairs, but upstairs.
This is the top floor of Zuixianlou. Going up any further, there are no more floors; it's like going to heaven. There's no place for people to stay in heaven.
Wait, in the sky?
Upstairs at Zuixianlou, there is a Kui dragon flying in the sky. Before entering the building, the waiter said that the boss uses it to entertain distinguished guests.
As Jin Suiqing pondered whether to risk going upstairs to take a look, the performance by the acrobats on the first floor ended. The next performer was a young man who was performing Pingtan (a type of storytelling and ballad singing in Suzhou dialect). He sounded extremely unskilled, speaking haltingly, as if he had never learned it at all.
Soon after, booing and jeers could be heard from downstairs.
After listening for a while, Jin Suiqing gave up the idea of going out.
The man spoke haltingly, but her voice was familiar.
He was the person who spoke with Young Master Li in the Jingxie Hall that day.
Jin Suiqing was puzzled. Wasn't this person a fugitive from justice? How could he appear at Zuixianlou and perform Pingtan, a craft he didn't know at all?
After a moment of thought, a certain fishing expert's term suddenly flashed into Jin Suiqing's mind.
Dig a nest.
A note from the author:
Thank you for your comments, little ones!
The list update has reached the word limit. I'm trying to keep the word count low and save this post for later. Updates will be postponed this week.
I have plenty of drafts saved up, so I won't abandon the project.
There are twenty little red envelopes in this chapter! Dear readers, please add this to your favorites! Thank you! (Kneels and kowtows.)
Includes a mini-drama:
My little sister ran over with her hair down: "Brother, do you know how to comb hair?"
My brother shook his head.
Meibao shoved the comb into her brother's hand: "That's perfect, brother, comb my hair, I can learn how to comb my hair."
elder brother:……
Seeing that her brother hadn't moved for a while, Meibao turned her head and pouted, "Hurry up and comb your hair! If you learn how, you can comb your sister-in-law's hair in the future. How romantic!"
The brother paused for a moment, then slowly gathered his sister's hair.
Unsurprisingly, my comb was crooked.
Meibao frowned as she held up the mirror: "Brother will definitely not find a sister-in-law in the future."
The brother ignored his sister and whispered, "Yeah, I won't look for her."
Meibao: ?
Is that what she meant?
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