The sun was gradually setting in the west. This is the westernmost part of the country, where the temperature difference between morning and evening is extreme. Just a moment ago, it was so hot that I was sweating, but now there is a cool breeze.
Shi Lan pulled out a slightly less revealing scholar's robe and put it on. A maidservant outside the door announced, "Madam, it's time for dinner."
Shi Lan tugged at her collar to make sure it covered most of her exposed chest before raising her voice, "Okay, bring it in."
The tall, carved doors creaked softly, and the little maid who had brought her there at noon came in carrying a large lacquered wooden food box.
"My lady, my husband is in a good mood today and has ordered the kitchen to prepare more dishes. Here you have sweet bean flatbread and honey-roasted lamb chops," the maid said, setting out the cups and bowing.
Having received the memories, Shi Lan now knows that this was the little maid who served her, named Zhu'er. At that time, the mansion was in chaos, and she was killed by the Turkic soldiers who came to visit her on the way out with the original owner.
Composing herself, Shi Lan walked over, her long skirt trailing behind her. She sat on the round, ornate crescent-shaped stool and looked up to see a bowl of steamed meat, a few unrecognizable green vegetables, several golden-brown, slightly charred pork chops, and two stuffed flatbreads.
Zhu'er took out a small pot with a faint aroma of wine from the food box. Just as she was about to pour the wine, Shi Lan raised her hand to stop her. "No need for wine. You can go down now."
Being a maid isn't easy. You have to serve your master your meals first. If someone with a bad heart drags things out, the maid might not even get a leftover meal when she gets to the kitchen.
Pearl nodded obediently and quietly retreated.
Shi Lan picked up a piece of lamb chop with her chopsticks, bit down with her pearly teeth, and with a skillful pull, the chewy piece of meat immediately separated from the bone. A wisp of heat rose from the bone and vanished in an instant.
Shi Lan ground her pearly teeth, chewing the meat bit by bit, slowly savoring its flavor.
It has a subtle sweetness and a rich aroma. The outer skin is crispy, while the inside is tender and juicy. The best part is that the sweet aroma blends perfectly with the meat. Although there is still a slight gamey smell and it is not completely infused with flavor, it is still quite remarkable.
She swallowed the meat and nodded in satisfaction. It had been a long time since she had tasted this flavor. Although it was still far from being as good as what Tianguo made, it was already much better than what the so-called chefs in the restaurants of the last world made.
After eating two more pieces, she tore off a piece of sesame flatbread and tentatively took a small bite. Surprisingly, it had a glutinous texture inside, and she wondered what was added to it.
With the flatbread, Shi Lan ate a few more pieces of lamb chops until she was quite full before stopping.
After quickly filling her stomach, Zhu'er hurried over to serve. When she turned back, she found that there was no one at the table. Zhu'er quickly tidied up and, taking advantage of the opportunity to light the candlestick, quietly turned around and peeked inside. She saw a beautiful woman looking at herself in the mirror next to the large bronze mirror by the gauze curtain.
The door closed again. Shi Lan glanced at it casually and continued looking at the mirror.
In the dim mirror, there was a woman with a face like a silver plate, eyes like autumn water, long eyelashes, and moist lips. Shi Lan turned her face back and forth, looking at the woman in the bronze mirror. She raised her slender neck like a proud swan looking around at the water, and her soft, high breasts trembled and shimmered like full peaches.
Under the flickering lamplight and in the hazy light, Shi Lan inexplicably thought of Yang Guifei, whom she had once read about in history books. She must have had a similar appearance.
As night deepened, Zhu'er prepared bath water and came over to greet Shi Lan. Shi Lan was used to taking a bath every day in the previous world and didn't feel anything unusual.
Shedding her gossamer-thin ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress), Shi Lan slipped into the bathtub, which was almost as tall as her. The warm water carried a faint fragrance. Shi Lan leaned back slightly, resting her head against the side of the tub, and sighed contentedly.
To be honest, in the last world, she sometimes missed tub baths. Soaking in them, washing slowly, and then slowly adding water herself when the water cooled down was really nice. Every time she finished washing like that, she felt like she had lost at least two pounds.
After washing for a long time, Shi Lan felt her bones were about to melt. Zhu'er put away her clean undergarments and said softly, "My lady, we're out of lip rouge and face powder. I'll go get some and be back in a moment."
Shi Lan lazily hummed in agreement, not paying any attention. After drying off the water droplets and putting on her bra, which barely covered her soft chest, and thin silk skirt, she tugged at them uncomfortably and involuntarily shivered.
It was so thin that she felt completely insecure. She felt like she wasn't wearing any clothes at all. If she hadn't known there were no men outside, she probably would have stayed there and waited for Zhu'er to come back and bring her a thicker coat.
The door was gently pushed open, and Shi Lan, like a thief, crouched low and carefully made her way through the corridor. Her dark eyes darted around. It was pitch black all around, and apart from the tall pillars, there seemed to be nothing else.
Shi Lan let out a soft sigh.
The inner room is just ten feet away, separated only by a few curtains. If you're fast enough, you can run there in one go.
Shi Lan tapped her feet, took a deep breath, mustered all her strength, and ran forward with her head down. She successfully passed through two curtains, and Shi Lan felt a little relieved. After passing through one more curtain, she would be in her house.
As Shi Lan tilted her head slightly, preparing to walk around the curtained path, something suddenly bumped into her.
Caught off guard, Shi Lan stumbled, flailing her arms wildly and letting out a startled cry.
An arm suddenly appeared, gripping her waist firmly like an iron clamp.
But she used too much force, and although her waist was held, her upper body still fell backward uncontrollably.
As a result, Shi Lan performed a perfectly executed backbend.
A deep, magnetic laugh came from beside him, “There’s no wine or music here, so dancing might be a bit too lonely.”
The voice carried a hint of teasing. Shi Lan was startled and quickly straightened up, frantically covering her chest, which she could barely conceal, her face burning hot.
"Ah Lang, what are you doing here?"
Shi Lan's eyes darted around furtively, and when she spotted the curtain swaying gently to the side, she quickly took a step to the side and moved closer.
Yue Zhan raised his eyebrows slightly, his dark eyes looking at her as if she were a kitten, hiding her body as much as possible when she sensed danger, her little neck straight, her eyes wide open warily, staring at what was in front of her.
"If this is just a pretense to pique my interest, then let me tell you, you've succeeded."
Yue Zhan smiled, stepped forward, and stretched out his arms to hug her.
Having learned her lesson from being easily swayed by smell, Shi Lan quickly took a half step back and looked up to see Yue Zhan with a dark expression.
Shi Lan chuckled twice, pulled the curtain over her chest, and said, "Please forgive me, my lord, I'm not feeling well today. Perhaps... we could do it another day?"
Shi Lan was calculating her options. If she had some time to find a fake mother and resolve her embarrassing condition, she would no longer be afraid of any man.
Unfortunately, Yue Zhan didn't see the need to accommodate a mere courtesan. He snorted coldly and said, "Do I need your permission to come and go?"
Before he finished speaking, he reached out and roughly pulled Shi Lan into his arms, forcefully dragging her into the house.
(To be continued.)
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