Chapter 66
At night, a figure sneaked around the rockery of the prince's mansion.
Zhou Li heard the footsteps of the patrolling servants from the mansion and patted his chest behind the rockery. "What's there to be nervous about? I'm just visiting normally."
Because they were supposed to perform at the gate of the Prince's Mansion tomorrow and it was too late today, the housekeeper let them stay at the mansion and sent Zhou Li and the others to the guest room. The housekeeper found Zhou Li alone and said, "Mr. Feihua's performance today was truly wonderful. Many ladies in our courtyard are fascinated by him and want to invite him to be their guest tonight. The eldest lady saw that he was a woman, so she asked me to invite him to a family dinner tonight."
Seeing Zhou Li's doubts, the housekeeper said sympathetically, "Sir, don't be afraid. Since you are a female guest, the family banquet will naturally take place in the inner courtyard. There will be no one else disturbing the inner courtyard except for some young masters. The master is also drinking with guests in the front courtyard and will not easily go to the back courtyard. Please rest assured, sir."
Zhou Li laughed: "I have nothing to worry about. I just think this is a family dinner, and I am an outsider. I am afraid that my appearance will disturb your interest."
"It would be a great honor for the family dinner if you could be here."
Zhou Li nodded in agreement. The housekeeper possessed Zhou Li and went to get busy.
The entire troupe invited Zhou Li. Zhou Li asked someone to fetch some water, washed his face thoroughly, and changed into the clothes he had worn when he arrived. Someone knocked on the door, and when he opened it, he saw fashionable clothes sent by someone arranged by the housekeeper. Zhou Li took a look and said to the two maids who delivered the clothes, "Thank your housekeeper for my arrangement."
She had it placed on the table, but she didn't put it on. She still wore her usual shorts. Those clothes were obviously what the women in the backyard often wore. Zhou Li imagined herself wearing them and then sitting with the women in the mansion. It would be really hard to tell who was who. It was still more comfortable to wear her own clothes.
Although her clothes were not trimmed with gold thread or embroidered with brocade, they were clean and comfortable. Besides, Zhou Li had worn expensive clothes before, and every piece of her costume and headgear was worth more than others expected. She was not very interested in these external things.
Zhou Li came out with a plain face and a bowl of noodles in clear soup. She was the only one invited to the prince's mansion, while the others were having wine and food in the guest room. Zhou Li heard the commotion and called out to Dapeng twice. Seeing the joy on the others' faces, she whispered, "After all, we're in someone else's house, so don't make too much noise. And drink moderately. Don't say anything you shouldn't."
Dapeng nodded measuredly. Seeing Zhou Li dressed in her usual attire for the family dinner, he became anxious: "Boss, why don't you just wear your usual clothes? Didn't I see someone send you clothes earlier? The material of that dress is quite nice, and it even has a faint sheen under the light. Why don't you wear that?"
Zhou Li glared at him and snorted coldly, "We should be humble and have integrity. Even if our status is different, we are equal in character."
Dapeng scratched his head. The class owner was saying something he couldn't understand again. He smiled foolishly and said, "Is the class owner uncomfortable with the clothes he is wearing?"
Zhou Li sighed: "If you think so, then so be it. I'm leaving first. You keep an eye on them."
Dapeng nodded, and Zhou Li went out to meet the servants in the mansion and asked them to lead the way.
The prince's mansion covers a large area. Zhou Li heard that it is still expanding to the west. A prince's mansion is equivalent to a small garden, with pavilions, towers, waterside pavilions, rockery, flowers, birds and flowing water. By the time he reached the inner courtyard, Zhou Li's legs were sore.
Zhou Li almost got lost in this winding, five-courtyard mansion. It's easy to get lost without someone to lead you.
When Zhou Li arrived, each person had a small table, and there was a singing and dancing performance in the middle. Everyone was enjoying themselves. She went to visit the host first, sat down at the small table inconspicuously, and then looked to the side. Tang Jing was next to her.
Zhou Li was startled when he saw her, and then he looked away awkwardly, thinking of her previous invitation.
When the song and dance performance was over, the first and second wives sitting in the main seats signaled everyone to raise their glasses and wish the old prince a long life in the direction of the male guests in the east.
Zhou Li also raised her glass and took a sip. She heard the person next to her gently put down his glass. Her eyes were focused on the speech of the eldest lady in front of her, but her mind was involuntarily focused on the person next to her. She pricked up her ears to listen to what Tang Jing was doing.
She moved very quietly, as if she was eating, and had no intention of listening to what others were saying. Occasionally, there was a rustling sound of cloth rubbing against the table.
The first lady Jiang Wan spoke, and then the second lady spoke. Finally, they invited Zhou Li to say a few words. Zhou Li humbly said a few auspicious and polite words, and it finally passed.
She sat down and breathed a sigh of relief. Just as she picked up the kettle to pour water, she heard a chuckle from next door. Tang Jing rested his head on his hand and looked at Zhou Li for an unknown period of time. His fair face was filled with a gentle smile, like a lotus pond under the night sky, with quiet water flowing deep.
Tang Jing: "Are you not used to it?"
Zhou Li nodded slightly and picked up the cup to drink water.
Tang Jing's lips moved slightly. "That plate of sweet-scented osmanthus crisps isn't too sweet, but it's still edible. The other dishes are all warm and not very tasty. The Yun elbow dish is pretty good, it was just served a while ago, you can have it with some wine."
Zhou Li picked up the chopsticks, looked at the dishes on the table, then looked at other people, chatting from time to time. She was the only one concentrating on tasting the dishes. According to what Tang Jing said, Zhou Li tasted everything. It was just as Tang Jing said, there was nothing delicious. The dishes she recommended were all very good.
Tang Jing sat next to her and said gently, "You don't believe what I said." It was like a gust of wind blowing in front of Zhou Li's eyes, making her feel uncomfortable.
Perhaps it was because the moonlight tonight was too gentle, or perhaps it was because the lantern beside Tang Jing was too bright, but her body was a mixture of frosty white and warm yellow, and she looked extremely gentle, like a soft and sticky glutinous rice cake, making people want to take a bite and try to feel the trembling sound rolling between their teeth.
Zhou Li licked his lips unconsciously. Tang Jing asked, "What are you thinking about? Why are you ignoring me?"
Zhou Li pursed her lips, "Nothing."
The song and dance changed again. Tang Jing stood up and walked over, sitting next to Zhou Li and pouring her some wine.
She changed out of her daytime clothes and put on a snow-white dress with wide sleeves. When she poured wine for Zhou Li, a fragrant breeze blew towards her, almost making Zhou Li dizzy.
In front of Zhou Li was Tang Jing's snow-white chin and her slender neck that folded into her collar. She knelt at Zhou Li's table and poured wine from the pot. The clear wine fell into the cup. Tang Jing raised it and said to Zhou Li, "I toast you a glass."
"Hey!" Before Zhou Li finished speaking, Tang Jing raised his head and drank the wine in the glass.
Zhou Li stared wide-eyed. That was the cup she had just drunk from.
Zhou Li's face flushed slightly, but it was dark at night, so it was hard for anyone to notice. She whispered, "Why are you toasting me?"
Tang Jing sat down and gave Zhou Li a lazy smile. A glass of wine made her relax. She said, "For my previous offense, we should turn the page."
Zhou Li muttered: "It's nothing."
"The boss is generous." Tang Jing smiled.
Zhou Li turned his head away, not daring to look at Tang Jing again.
She was like a piece of snow tonight. Her slender white fingers and the lazy aura on her body just touched Zhou Li's heart, making Zhou Li feel pity for her.
Thinking of Tang Jing being bound by his identity, Zhou Li's worries disappeared.
There was a smile in Tang Jing's eyes. Zhou Li was the most soft-hearted person. She always had an overwhelming desire to protect the weak. Although she said that she was afraid of trouble, she would not hesitate when it was time to take action.
Such a person is really good, and it is good for Tang Jing's heart. The original one point of love gradually turned into two points. Tang Jing slid down the table and grabbed Zhou Li's left hand.
Her hands were cold, not like the hands of someone who had killed someone.
Zhou Li's hands were warm. She had just drunk a few glasses of wine, and she was drunk from head to toe. She was a little dazed when her wrist was grabbed. Before she could react, Tang Jing crossed his fingers with hers.
The other person's fingers were stuck in between her fingers. Such an intimate action made Zhou Li's face hot, her ears buzzing, and her mind confused.
After the family dinner, seeing Tang Jing and Zhou Li sitting together, the eldest lady smiled and said, "You two seem to hit it off."
Tang Jing's hand had long since been released. She sat up straight, her expression less icy, and replied, "When I was little, my father loved listening to opera, and I learned a few lines from him. I wasn't very happy to see Mr. Feihua today, and I was hoping we could sleep side by side today."
Tang Jing glanced at Zhou Li, his pupils as dark as the midnight sky.
The eldest lady smiled and said, "You just came into the mansion, and the master is busy, so he hasn't been to see you. Some of the sisters said that you are always frowning and don't get close to them. It's rare that you like someone so much. Anyway, I have agreed to this matter. It depends on Mr. Feihua's wishes."
Before Zhou Li could react, Tang Jing answered for her.
"Sir, you and I hit it off right away. I'm sure you're willing."
The eldest lady shook her head and smiled, "That's good." After a few words, the banquet ended.
Tang Jing and Zhou Li embraced each other, and she leaned close to Zhou Li's ear and said, "I'll go back and wait for you, you think about it carefully." Then she got up and left, leaving Zhou Li standing there in a daze.
Zhou Li knew that this was an opportunity, and she might not have the chance to see Tang Jing again in the future. Tang Jing would surely tell her the answers to the things she wanted to know, but Tang Jing's actions were too ambiguous, and Zhou Li was afraid of what to say.
She stood behind the rockery in a daze for a while, gritted her teeth and said, "Can't she eat me?" She took a deep breath and walked towards Tang Jing's courtyard.
Around the rockery is Tang Jing's courtyard. A servant brought Zhou Li in front, who was called away for something urgent. Zhou Li stood in front of the courtyard, took a deep breath and knocked on the gate. The door creaked open and the servant welcomed Zhou Li in. The courtyard was not big, with only two side rooms, one for the servants to sleep and the other for the master bedroom. Tang Jing had instructed before that Zhou Li should be let in directly. Zhou Li stood in front of the main side room and pushed open the door.
Tang Jing didn't light many lights in the room, only one on the table. The door was open and the candlelight flickered. Zhou Li looked towards the window. Tang Jing was sitting on a small couch with a piece of clothing draped over her. The window behind her was propped up. She was leaning against it, staring at a place in a daze.
When she saw Zhou Li, a soft smile appeared on her lips, "You're here." After that, she took down the stick that supported the window and closed the window.
The candles in the room went out and the door was closed at some point.
Zhou Li stared at the bed curtain dizzily, her hands still on Tang Jing's waist. Tang Jing closed his eyes and buried his head in her arms. Zhou Li really wanted to slap herself. Why was she so dizzy?
She closed her eyes for a moment, smelling the faint fragrance floating in the room. Just as she was about to take a deep breath, Tang Jing squirmed in her arms and bit her collarbone, gnawing slowly as if grinding his teeth, muttering between his lips: "Mr. Feihua is not a gentleman at all. He actually slept with someone else's wife in a guest's house."
Zhou Li sighed: "I am a woman, not a gentleman."
Tang Jing smiled: "That's perfect, I like women."
Zhou Li lowered her chin, Tang Jing looked up, and took the initiative to kiss Zhou Li's mouth. She asked Zhou Li: "Boss, do you like me a little bit?"
Zhou Li frowned, feeling complicated.
Seeing her awkward expression, Tang Jing lowered his head and bit Zhou Li's arm in displeasure. He said in a low voice, "It doesn't matter whether you like me or not. I just want to know if I die, can you collect my body for me?"
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