Chapter 38
When Ling Huanchen awoke, he was greeted by an unfamiliar room. Gauze curtains hung on either side, and smoke curled from the incense burner, adding a touch of ethereal illusion. He rubbed his temples and unsteadily got off the bed.
Before he fell asleep, he was watching a magic show in the crowd, then he was bumped into by someone, and then his vision went black, and when he woke up, he found himself here.
Looking at the furnishings inside the room, several landscape scrolls hung on the wall, and a desk fully equipped with brushes, inkstones, and paper gave it a certain literary air. However, the brightly colored curtains and the image of mandarin ducks playing in the water on the crimson brocade quilt seemed somewhat out of place.
Ling Huanchen walked to the door, raised his hand to push it, but found that it would not open.
It was most likely that I was kidnapped.
Was he just unlucky and was targeted, or did the other party know his identity and have been planning this for a long time?
Just as Ling Huanchen was lost in thought, the door suddenly burst open, and in walked a burly man with a broad face and a thick neck, whip in hand. Seeing Ling Huanchen, he looked him up and down with ill intent and whistled, "Don't waste your energy. Once you enter this place, there's no getting out, unless someone comes to buy you free, or you're carried out sideways. The boss will be here soon, so behave yourself."
Ling Huanchen was completely confused. "What is this place?"
The sturdy man snorted, "This is Nanfeng Tower. It seems you have never seen the world, and your family doesn't know how to take good care of you. Forget it, I feel sorry for you, so I'll tell you. This place is for you to serve guests, play the piano and dance with them, drink and write poetry with them, and meet their every need, including on the couch."
Ling Huanchen instantly recalled the storybook that Xiaoqi had shown him, which contained many similar references.
Seeing that he was in a daze, the strong man thought that he was scared silly, so he went out and closed the door.
The sound of the door closing brought Ling Huanchen back to his senses. If he waited for Yu Xi and the others to come to the rescue, he would have to buy time. If he forced his way in, he would definitely be no match for them, and compromise was out of the question.
All the thoughts converged into one idea: he had to put on a show.
At this time, the dungeon was filled with all kinds of strange movements, the sound of whips lashing, and the howling of ghosts and wolves.
After Yu Xi got the news, he no longer cared about whether he was a virtuous minister or not. On the one hand, he sent people to continue searching, and on the other hand, he went to the dungeon in person to interrogate the suspected suspect.
The leader of the circus troupe was tied to an iron frame, his clothes were already torn to pieces. A whip dipped in salt water was used to hit him, but only a few muffled grunts were heard before nothing happened.
Yun He was standing beside Prefect Xu, frowning at him. Seeing that the man was reluctant to speak, he went up to him, grabbed the whip and lashed him twice, harder than ten lashes by others. After two lashes, the man had already vomited large mouthfuls of blood.
"Tell me! Where did you hide him?"
Facing Yun He's harsh words, the class leader spat out a mouthful of blood, but showed no fear. "What, who is it? I don't know."
Just as Yun He was about to swing the whip, she heard a cold voice suddenly, which made her stop immediately.
Everyone bowed their heads and made way for him. Yu Xi walked up to the iron frame and glanced at the person being interrogated. "Where are the other accomplices?"
Xu Zhifu hurriedly said, "Imprison him somewhere else."
"Bring them all up."
At the command, the entire troupe was brought to the interrogation room, where they knelt one by one. Unlike the troupe leader's arrogance, they all lowered their heads, their bodies trembling slightly, like frightened birds.
Yu Xi watched coldly. The most urgent task was to find out Ling Huanchen's whereabouts. Everything else was unimportant. "Drag them out one by one and ask them. There is only one question. If I'm not satisfied, you will lose your lives."
As he was speaking, the guard grabbed a young man and threw him in front of Yu Xi. The young man had his hands on the ground and didn't dare to look up.
"answer."
Just these two simple words frightened the young man beyond belief. A cold light flashed from above, and the young man suddenly screamed, "I say! I know where he is, in... in Nanfeng Tower!"
Ling Huanchen, who was trapped in Nanfeng Tower, had recalled the contents about Qinlou and Chuguan in the storybook five or six times. When the strong man opened the door and rushed in, he immediately put on a completely different demeanor.
The burly man didn't come in alone this time; he brought five or six young men dressed in fancy clothes with him. He put them in the room and said in a gruff voice, "You're lucky! The boss told us before he left to treat this young man well and let him know the rules of the building."
There have long been established rules in Nanfeng Tower, where senior masters can discipline those with less experience, especially newcomers who have no one to rely on and can only be bullied.
When the young masters saw Ling Huanchen, they all expressed admiration, but once they entered the building, they had to abide by the rules, and no one was an exception.
Just as the five of them approached, Ling Huanchen suddenly walked over to the table and sat down. He picked up the wine cup on the table and turned it slightly, his eyebrows raised slightly, "What did your boss say? Why don't you come and serve me?"
The five people were stunned. They looked at each other. They had been in Nanfeng Tower for quite a while, but had never seen a newcomer as arrogant as Ling Huanchen.
One of the older young men asked, "We are here..."
Before he could finish his words, Ling Huanchen spoke first, "Your boss told you to treat him well, didn't he?"
Seeing the five people opposite nodding blankly, Ling Huanchen curled the corners of his lips, took out some jade accessories from his waist and threw them casually on the table, "These are rewards for you. Serve them well. I won't treat you unfairly."
The people across from him all stared with wide eyes. Even the clerks who often came to look after the business in the building only gave small gifts, never such a generous gift. They looked Ling Huanchen up and down. Could it be that they had misunderstood and that the boss had asked them to entertain the guests?
Ling Huanchen pressed on, pouring himself a drink, and surprisingly portrayed the seasoned playboy perfectly. "What are you all standing there for? Why don't you come and serve me?"
When they heard this, they no longer remembered what they had been thinking when they first came here. They immediately rushed forward like moths, surrounded Ling Huanchen, and rushed to pour wine, massage his legs, and knead his shoulders.
"Young Master, drink."
"Sir, I will dance for you to liven up your mood."
The five of them pulled out all the stops, just to get Ling Huanchen to give them the beautiful jade on the table. Soon, the room was filled with melodious music and graceful dancing. On either side, a man poured wine and peeled melon seeds, while another knelt behind Ling Huanchen, expertly massaging his shoulders.
So this is what it feels like to be a guest.
Ling Huanchen did not reveal any flaws and accepted everything with a smile. However, he was thinking in his heart when Yu Xi and the others would arrive so that he could escape. Otherwise, it would be difficult to deal with that boss when he came back.
The dancing man flicked his long sleeves, gently brushing Ling Huanchen's shoulders and casting a coquettish glance at him. Forgetting these precious gems, even if they were asked to spend a night with the man before them for free, they would be willing. After all, this exiled immortal was a thousand times more powerful than those slick-faced gentlemen of the day.
After three cups of wine, Ling Huanchen felt a little tipsy. He deliberately recited poems with a few people to keep the wine away.
Suddenly, there was a loud bang, and the door fell to the ground. The music of the piano stopped abruptly, and the dancing young man was hit on the ankle by the door and lay on the ground, unable to get up.
Yu Xi and his group stood at the door and exchanged glances with Ling Huanchen. Time seemed to stand still.
After a while, Prefect Xu was the first to speak, "Your Majesty, are you still going to save people?" The current situation did not look like anyone needed to be rescued.
Yu Xi strode towards Ling Huanchen, brushed away the colorful things beside him, and hugged him in her arms, "Don't be afraid, I'm here."
Ling Huanchen was feeling a little dizzy, so he let himself lean against Yu Xi's arms and called softly, "Yu Xi."
This cry was terrible. Yu Xi felt heartbroken. His little mermaid must have been frightened, otherwise why would she call him like that.
"Lord Xu."
Prefect Xu immediately stood up and responded, "I'm here!"
"Seal off this building. All unrelated personnel will be dismissed. Anyone involved in this incident will be detained and await punishment."
The implication is that everyone who has come into contact with Ling Huanchen must keep their mouths shut, and how to do it is entirely up to him.
After giving some instructions, Yu Xi wrapped the man in his cloak, picked him up horizontally, and walked away in front of everyone.
Yun He was left behind to deal with the people in Nanfeng Tower together with Xu Zhifu. He ordered the guards to escort them in batches. After selecting the people, Xu Zhifu wanted to report to Yu Xi, but Yun He stopped him.
Seeing the bewildered look on Prefect Xu's face, she casually explained, "The master has been frightened. It's best not to bother the king right now."
Prefect Xu nodded as if he understood, but he was wondering in his heart how he could tell that the prince was frightened, as he was clearly enjoying himself.
Until they returned to the wing of Xu's house, Yu Xi never left his side for a moment, as if she was afraid that he would disappear if she let go even a little.
"Your Majesty, I'm back. Look, I'm not fine."
Ling Huanchen raised his head, originally trying to catch Yu Xi's gaze, but was caught off guard and kissed.
Yu Xi stared at her lips, which she had rubbed hard, and sighed softly, "If Huanchen was only the size of a palm, I would tie you to my waist all the time."
Ling Huanchen laughed, "Your Majesty is absolutely right. I was inconsiderate." He was so focused on protecting the child that he forgot about his own big goal.
After hearing about the troupe being arrested, he suddenly realized, "So they wanted to attack the young master of the Xu Mansion. What is their feud with the Xu Mansion? Why did they suddenly change their mind and kidnap me?"
"You disrupted their original plan." Yu Xi was unhappy when she mentioned this. Ling Huanchen suffered this hardship on behalf of the young master of the Xu family.
Ling Huanchen still couldn't figure it out. They couldn't hate him just because he disrupted the troupe's plan.
"Your Majesty, what exactly happened?"
The more he wanted to know, the more Yu Xi kept him in suspense. He gritted his teeth and directly rested his head on Yu Xi's legs, as if he would not get up until she told him. This was exactly what Yu Xi wanted, and she caught him and continued the kiss.
The author has something to say:
Ling Huanchen: (Difficulties are like springs, the weaker you are, the stronger they are) Come and serve me!
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