Do you want the gold?
"Brother Xiaoshun, it's been a long time."
Wen Ruo greeted him as if he were a family member, calling him "brother" with great affection. Xiao Shun, who had been standing at the door since he came in, like an evergreen pine, immediately fell silent upon seeing Wen Ruo and said sarcastically, "I thought you had made it somewhere great."
"How could that be? I've been sick for a few days, look how thin I've become." Wen Ruo turned around, noticing how much thinner she'd gotten from running around these past few days. "Is Young Master in a bad mood?"
"You figured it out again?"
"Brother Shun's mouth is practically hanging to the ground, how could I not know? Who offended the young master? I think I'd better not go in!" Wen Ruo hesitated, her tentative words tinged with genuine fear. It was all because of the rumors; the young master was still angry. You can't mess with a tiger's tail.
The servant ignored her, staring intently at her, almost pressing his eyes against her face, as if he was about to touch her. "What's wrong? Is there something dirty on my face?"
Wen Ruo dodged his hand, groped her own fingers haphazardly, and looked at her clean fingers with a puzzled expression, "Nothing!"
The servant shook his head and pushed her inside, saying, "Whether it's a blessing or a curse depends on your fate."
Where the hell have you been?
Wen Ruo tiptoed to the table, bent down and placed the wine on it. It was as if a thousand-year-old vengeful ghost was whispering in her ear, its voice eerie and terrifying, sending chills down one's spine.
Faced with this familiar question, Wen Ruo skillfully slid to her knees on the floor, opened her innocent eyes, and repeated the same reason.
Seeing his expression soften, he fawned over the table, poured a cup for the young master, and eagerly brought it to his lips, saying, "I heard that the young master's wish has come true, and I came to congratulate him as soon as I recovered."
Hearing the familiar flattery, Qi Guanlan felt a surge of joy, and his face darkened. But when he saw her face again, the smile on his lips froze, and his eyes became conflicted.
Looking down at the reflection in the wine glass, he paused briefly, and in a daze, a commanding whisper suddenly rang out: "Go wash your face!"
"Huh?" Wen Ruo's pupils contracted slightly. She lost her grip on the wine glass, spilling wine onto the floor and splashing it onto Qi Guanlan's brocade robe. She quickly put it down. "Young Master, I'm sorry. I was just surprised. I'll clean it up right away. Perhaps you could change your clothes first?"
Qi Guanlan frowned. Surprisingly, contrary to his usual behavior, he didn't tell her to change her clothes or leave. Instead, he lifted her by the collar with two fingers and dragged her to the washstand. Wen Ruo glanced down and was surprised that she would be washing her face with gold. Did the young master suspect her?
"wash!"
Wen Ruo trembled and splashed water, clearly terrified. Qi Guanlan, however, was getting impatient. Fine, this young master will do it himself.
then.
She watched helplessly as Qi Guanlan's delicate hands, which had never served anyone before, personally wet a handkerchief and threw it at her face, vigorously wiping it. "Young Master, this is my face, not the floor. If I've made a mistake, you can beat me, but don't do this?"
It hurts so much! Even if she were a stone, she shouldn't be tortured like this. Wen Ruo closed her eyes, stubbornly believing Yu Niang's words a little more. Doesn't she know how to cherish a beautiful woman? No wonder her child's mother is suffering so much.
"You should be secretly happy that I'm washing your face."
Clearly afraid of getting water in her eyes, she kept them tightly closed, and pulled back the handkerchief covering the upper half of her face, revealing a plain expression below, with her pale lips glistening with moisture.
Qi Guanlan was stunned for a moment, then suddenly noticed the golden basin with a grayish line gathered at the edge. He took a deep breath, threw away the handkerchief, and cursed, "What kind of cheap paint did you use? Why are you putting on paint for no reason?"
Once the eyes were closed, this face bore no resemblance to Xi You. Just as a hint of annoyance flashed through his mind, he heard a sentence that made him want to vomit blood, "Ten coins for three boxes, cheap and effective. I'll learn it before I get married so as not to embarrass myself. Young master, what's wrong?" Wen Ruo said incoherently with her eyes closed.
What's wrong? Why did you paint your face like that? Don't you have a mirror at home? If not, why don't you go look by the water? Qi Guanlan was speechless. Out of sight, out of mind, he sat back down without saying a word, too lazy to deal with this stingy person.
With no more breathing beside her, Wen Ruo quietly opened one eye and found the young master drinking alone again. She curled her lips into a smile and deliberately asked, "Young master, may I open my eyes now?"
Qi Guanlan: "..."
"Why are you drinking alone, young master? Isn't Young Master Yang coming to congratulate you?"
Qi Guanlan: "He's helping me find someone."
"That person is truly despicable, making it so difficult for the young master to find him," Wen Ruo scolded without any mercy. Standing in front of the basin, she glanced down and saw herself. She quickly wiped her face and changed her tone, asking:
"Young master, who are you looking for? I'm fast and know a lot of people. I can keep an eye out for you. It only costs a little bit of silver. Do I still need to continue washing clothes?"
"Get over here, what's wrong with you? You're short of money again?"
Wen Ruozai carefully dried the tiny water droplets from her hair, slowly walked up to her, and said cautiously, "Young master is too kind. I'm never short of anything. Do you still remember the steamed bun shop?"
"You have a good memory," Qi Guanlan said, toying with his wine glass. "Aren't golden walnuts enough for you?"
"I spent a lot of money on medicine, and I need to save up for my dowry. I'll be short of money if I don't buy a shop." Her words were half true and half false, but Qi Guanlan didn't bother to tell. He raised an eyebrow and threw out a question to tease her: "I just got a shop. I'll give it to you. Do you want it?"
Qi Guanlan has one good point: she acts on her own whims and doesn't distinguish between people as clearly as others. Perhaps this is related to her father's humble background, which is why the princess is so strict with her. After all, if someone is too easy to talk to, they will be taken advantage of, like her.
"Young master is truly a savior. What do you need me for? I will go through fire and water for you."
Qi Guanlan shielded his eyes from her burning gaze with one hand. He must be blind to mistake someone else for Xiao Qiang, causing himself immense trouble. Yet, he was still thinking that the two looked somewhat alike.
"Similar my foot!" Qi Guanlan lifted her chin. One was a two-faced sly fox, the other a sycophantic money-grubber—neither was good. "Find a woman whose back view is similar to yours. This young master will take her..."
"Torn to pieces?"
Wen Ruo said with difficulty that this posture was too much of a test for her brain, and she was even speaking slowly.
"Not really," Qi Guanlan loosened his fingers, raised his eyebrows, and said in an unfriendly tone, "Do I look like someone who knowingly breaks the law?"
"That was a mistake on my part. But I haven't seen what her back looked like. What did she look like, young master? Could you describe her in more detail? Is there anything about her that you can recognize at a glance?"
Qi Guanlan thought for a moment, then his face suddenly darkened. He retorted in a defiant tone, "No! Just like you, one nose, two eyes, and can't say anything nice." He then pulled out a golden walnut, held it up in front of Wen Ruo, and waved it back and forth, his voice light and seductive: "Do you believe in fate?"
Wen Ruo nodded, looking puzzled.
"I also believe that if you find the person, the shop will be yours; if you don't, it will be gone."
Isn't this forcing me to deliver myself to their doorstep? What kind of sucker is this who's met a stingy person like me? Wen Ru clenched her fist and said with a determined look, "Even if I don't eat or drink, I will definitely find it for you!"
Qi Guanlan chuckled, "Very well, I'll be watching."
Wen Ruo searched for two sleepless nights, and every time she gave up, Qi Guanlan would appear before her like a ghost, his head radiating golden light, holding a walnut in his left hand and a land deed in his right, his voice deafening.
"You don't want the gold anymore?"
"You don't want the shop anymore?"
"Yes, yes, yes!" Wen Ruo nodded eagerly. She wanted it. The servant waved his hand helplessly. "Are you out of your mind?" he sighed. "Is the young master playing you for a fool? Young Master Yang has searched everywhere and can't find you. You can outrun dozens of people by yourself. It's been three days. Just give up."
“This time it must be true,” Wen Ruo said stubbornly. “This girl was deeply impressed by Xiyou from the Hundred Flowers Garden to the city gate. What she said must be true.”
"Really?" Qi Guanlan opened the door, his black robe loosely draped over his body. He seemed to have just woken up, his eyes still sleepy and he was yawning. The marks on his face were clearly visible.
"Really? I'll go with you." Yang Cong came to find her because of this. He boasted that he would find her within three days, but Xi You mysteriously disappeared. They couldn't even find a trace of her. Wen Ruo shrank her head and nodded with a wronged expression.
"It's true, but she's asking for an exorbitant amount. I've given her all my possessions, and she still isn't satisfied, so I had no choice but to come and warn her!"
Inside the Hundred Flowers Garden, Wen Ruo led the way, followed only by Qi Guanlan and Yang Cong. They didn't even bring any servants, saying they were afraid.
As they walked closer to the place where the game of pitch-pot was played, it became clear that the person in charge was indeed an insider. In the distance stood a woman in green, the lower half of her face covered by a yellow veil, revealing only a pair of bright, clear eyes like autumn water, filled with unknown emotions. The purple jade thumb ring on her thumb, held in front of her, was particularly noticeable, making Qi Guanlan feel slightly uncomfortable.
Wen Ruo ignored her and walked straight towards the pavilion. Qi Guanlan paused. Was it just her imagination? A person was sitting by the pavilion. She must be the so-called informant. When she saw Xiao Qiang and the person behind him, a greedy glint flashed in her eyes.
Qi Guanlan threw down his money pouch, his voice laced with threat, "Do you know the consequences of lying to me?" The woman immediately nodded like a chicken pecking at rice, "I saw her at the Red Robe Pavilion." The Red Robe Pavilion? Wasn't that a brothel? Qi Guanlan suppressed the inexplicable surge of anger within him, "What was she dressed like?"
"She was dressed very nicely, but her face was as cold as ice. I don't know anything else about her."
The surroundings were silent. Qi Guanlan's face was ashen, Yang Cong's expression was subtle. The informant took the money and ran away. Only Wen Ruo stood to one side, keeping a close eye on everything. The woman in green had unknowingly arrived at the pavilion, her hurried breathing clearly audible.
"Who are you looking for, young lady?" Wen Ruo stood in front of the two, blocking their view. The woman in green glanced at them one by one, her gaze complex, and said wistfully, "Qi Lang," she slowly removed her veil, "It's been many days since we last met. I hope you are well."
The three of them were taken aback. Yang Cong grabbed the furious young master and hugged him tightly. Wen Ruo's expression changed several times. She cleverly chose to keep watch. She stood solemnly under the pavilion, but her mind was preoccupied with what the three of them were talking about.
After an incense stick had burned, the two descended the stone steps. She looked back and saw that the woman in green was no longer in the pavilion. Yang Cong said that the person had been found and that he needed to rest and recuperate to deal with family matters. These days, he had been frequently visiting Miss Zhou, and his family thought that the two were getting along well and were about to discuss marriage.
Qi Guanlan had already composed himself, revealing no hint of his thoughts. Wen Ruo followed behind him, "Young Master, are we just going to abandon this? Are we going back to Yun Jin Lou?"
A street vendor suddenly appeared from another intersection. Wen Ruo tugged at his arm, and Qi Guanlan, who had been standing idly by, turned a corner as if possessed. "Young Master, that's the direction of Red Robe Pavilion. Are you going there...?"
Before they knew it, the person was already standing at the entrance of the Red Robe Pavilion. The madam, who had come out to see the guest off, brightened up. Qi Guanlan looked slightly angry and glared at Wen Ruo, "Why didn't you remind me?"
Wen Ruo felt wronged. "I told you, but you didn't hear me." She regretted it now. She should have known better than to make up this story. But the brothel was the best excuse to get away. Other excuses were really hard to come up with. She originally thought that the combination of her ex-lover and her identity as a prostitute would make the young master avoid her like the plague. But she had miscalculated.
The young master had already been half-pushed and half-pulled inside, leaving her standing at the door, dressed in a drab gray linen outfit and inconspicuous attire, so poor that no one paid her any attention.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com