The brothels were always packed with customers, and whenever the prefect came, the procession was always quite grand.
He was a regular customer at the establishment, and every pretty girl had served him. Except for the aloof and cold Bai Cha, she didn't pay him any attention and didn't even take the tea offered to her.
The prefect's face turned cold. He didn't retract his hand holding the teacup, and his chilling gaze fell on the white tea. He said, "Drink this cup of tea, and you may leave."
The governor wasn't usually this kind; this cup of tea...
The white tea became suspicious. It glanced at the clear Tieguanyin tea, but dared not reach out to take it. After hesitating for a moment, it poured another cup from the teapot and drank it all in one gulp.
"Thank you for the tea, Prefect."
Bai Cha put down her cup, got up and went inside. The person next to her whispered, "Why make things difficult for the prefect? You're just making yourself suffer for nothing."
Bai Cha pursed her lips and said nothing.
The man had nothing more to say, and swayed his hips as he left.
White tea gently caressed the black hair that fell in front of her, and she smelled a faint fragrance in the room. It was not strong, but it was addictive, as if she were in a spring field with flowers in bloom, and the sun was shining on her body, bringing a little heat.
The charcoal fire burned brightly, making the whole room warm and cozy. Chang Lili held a teacup in both hands, swinging her feet, when Meng Yuxiu caught her and placed her on his abdomen to warm her up.
“In this world, where is there anyone like Brother Xu? You can like someone if you like them, and you can dislike someone if you don’t. Why make things so complicated?” Chang Lili shifted her feet and snuggled into Meng Yuxiu’s arms through the seam of his robe, their skin touching.
Meng Yuxiu said, "Perhaps it's due to some concerns."
Chang Lili muttered, "Miss Bai doesn't owe him anything, really..."
Meng Yuxiu remained noncommittal. Bai Chazi was arrogant and knowledgeable in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. It was hard to say what kind of identity he had ended up in a brothel.
The image of Bai Cha with tears in her eyes kept flashing through Chang Lili's mind. Suddenly, she pulled her foot away, put on her shoes, and hurriedly pulled Meng Yuxiu up, saying, "No, you have to come with me to the brothel. I'm worried about Miss Bai."
"Okay, okay."
Chang Lili half-dragged, half-pulled Meng Yuxiu across the street and headed straight for the brothel.
During the day, the building does not accept guests.
Chang Lili jogged forward and knocked on the carved door. After a while, the door opened a crack, and the person inside peeked out, looking at her with ill intent. What else could a woman be doing in a brothel?
Chang Lili immediately said, "I'm looking for white tea."
The pimp waved his hand: "White Tea is serving the prefect, don't cause trouble."
"Whom do you serve?"
Chang Lili's expression changed, and she quickly stuck her foot out and wedged it in the doorway before the pimp could even enter.
The pimp didn't notice and casually closed the door. Chang Lili's foot was pinched and she felt a sharp pain. Before she could say anything, the pimp and the door were thrown to the ground.
Meng Yuxiu, tall and imposing like a bronze statue, firmly protected the woman at the door. Chang Lili angrily said, "Bai Cha has never liked the prefect. How could she possibly serve him? What have you done!"
The pimp cowered in a ball; how could he dare to go against the prefect?
Chang Lili was even angrier. She pushed aside the people blocking her way, as well as the prefect's lackeys, and forced her way up to the second floor, where she heard Bai Cha's panicked voice.
"Get away! Don't touch me!"
Chang Lili kicked the door open, and upon seeing the scene before her, she was furious: "A dignified prefect, how dare you force yourself on a weak woman?! Do you have any shame?!"
Bai Cha leaned against the curtain pillar, her clothes disheveled, her body limp and powerless. Her tearful autumn eyes fell on Chang Lili. She took a step and fell to the ground.
"White tea!"
Chang Lili immediately stepped forward to help her up.
The prefect's face turned ashen, and he sneered, "It's you again! I wondered who it was that kept coming to me, but now that I look closely, you do have some good looks. How could I possibly turn down your kindness?"
Chang Lili glared at him, gritting her teeth in resentment.
Meng Yuxiu strolled over: "Lord Liu, three years have passed, and you're still quite capable."
The prefect stumbled back a few steps, his pupils contracting as he reflected the man's icy demeanor: "It was you! The news was indeed correct; you were hiding in Duanzhou!"
“Lord Liu, you’re over forty. It’s one thing to be fond of women, but to play such a risky game, be careful not to fall,” Meng Yuxiu blocked the prefect’s path, grabbed his neck with one hand, and pushed him toward the open window, “like this.”
Meng Yuxiu released his grip, and the prefect screamed, fell onto the stall, rolled twice, and landed heavily on the street. He couldn't get up for a long time, and a crowd of onlookers gathered in circles.
Chang Lili was dumbfounded, and admired Meng Yuxiu immensely: "You actually dared to kill him?"
Meng Yuxiu said, "No one will die from falling from the second floor. Let's go."
Chang Lili gave a disappointed "Oh" and helped Bai Cha up as they went downstairs.
The people in the building were terrified. They had no trouble getting through and no one dared to stop them. Chang Lili took them directly back to their residence and found a doctor to detoxify them from the muscle-relaxing powder.
Chang Lili sighed inwardly and quietly slipped out the door. She wanted to talk to Meng Yuxiu about the prefect, but found him and Xu Yuandao gathered in the hexagonal pavilion, talking seriously about something.
Xu Yuandao remained silent, seemingly deep in thought. He noticed Chang Lili approaching out of the corner of his eye and slowly said, "I will consider it."
Meng Yuxiu patted his shoulder twice, Xu Yuandao bowed and said goodbye, then walked away.
Xu Yuandao was heading in the wrong direction. Chang Lili frowned and couldn't help but ask, "Bai Cha was frightened and needs you to be with her right now. Aren't you going to see her?"
Xu Yuandao paused, said nothing, and walked away.
Chang Lili was so angry she laughed.
Meng Yuxiu kissed her forehead and asked gently, "What do you want?"
Meng Yuxiu's attitude clearly indicated his indifference, and Chang Lili was too lazy to care. She expressed her concerns: "The prefect is a local tyrant with great power. His relationship with the barbarians is not innocent. If you treat him like this, he will definitely not let it go. I'm afraid he will do something to harm you."
“If I show my face in Yanyun, Liu Li will find out I’m in Duanzhou sooner or later. He still remembers our connection from three years ago. Even if I don’t make a move, he will,” Meng Yuxiu said. “My main purpose in coming here this time is to intimidate the barbarians. Now that I’ve achieved my goal, the barbarians will think twice before helping him.”
Chang Lili murmured, "It seems you've already thought this through."
“I don’t do things I’m not sure I can do.” Meng Yuxiu ruffled her hair. “I will leave Duanzhou for a day or two, and set off in an hour. Just in case, I will place Liu Cheng in Duanzhou. They are all from the same family, so let’s see who can keep the other in check.”
"Are you leaving again?" Chang Lili gripped his robe tightly.
Meng Yuxiu said, "The disappearance of the woman from the Northern Border could be a big or small matter. I'm afraid that someone with ulterior motives might take advantage of it. I must give the barbarians a definite answer."
Chang Lili said, "I need to take care of Bai Cha, so I won't go with you. Go early and come back early, and be careful not to be ambushed."
Meng Yuxiu nodded with a smile.
After seeing Meng Yuxiu off, Chang Lili returned to the room where Bai Cha was, and sullenly drank her tea.
Bai Cha, still shaken, said, "Thank you for saving me."
Chang Lili waved her hand and said, "If I hadn't interfered, the prefect wouldn't have been driven to such a horrifying act."
Bai Cha shook his head: "If it weren't for the general's intervention back then, and the prefect's reservations, I would have lost my innocence long ago. Three years... is the limit."
Chang Lili gritted her teeth.
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