An elegant horse carriage slowly entered the streets of Lian’an Town, accompanied by as many as ten guards. The carriage was large and imposing, clearly belonging to a wealthy family.
The streets of Lian’an Town were not as wide as those in the capital, and it happened to be the morning market, making the streets quite congested. When the carriage passed by, people in the crowd couldn’t help but stop and step aside to take a look at this somewhat unfamiliar carriage.
There were quite a few wealthy people in Lian’an Town, so at first, the commoners didn’t pay too much attention. However, as the carriage passed by, a lingering fragrance caught their attention, making them take another look.
Whispers began to spread through the crowd: "This carriage looks really grand, I wonder which young lady it belongs to."
"I don’t know, but the family must be quite well-off. The carriage seems to be coming from outside the town, could it be someone visiting from far away?"
"I’ve never smelled such a fragrance before! I really want to ask her where she bought it so I can use it too!" Several young girls chattered excitedly.
"Yeah, it smells so good, and somehow familiar..." A girl paused for a moment, thinking, before suddenly exclaiming, "Ah! I remember now! My cousin once brought me a scented powder from the capital city, and it smelled just like this!"
"From the capital city? No wonder it’s so unfamiliar to us. What a pity. So, is this person from the capital city?"
As they discussed, Ah Lian lifted the carriage curtain. In the capital, boudoir daughters had to wear veils when going out, as the customs of Da Qian were quite conservative.
However, as a promiscuous woman, Ah Lian did not need to follow such rules. She was curious about Lian’an Town, which she had never seen before, so she casually pulled up the curtain to take a look outside.
The moment she lifted the curtain, there was a collective gasp from the crowd, and people stared at her stunning beauty, almost unable to move.
Ah Lian was used to such reactions and, far from feeling embarrassed, she responded with a seductive smile. The man in front of her felt his bones turn to mush and nearly collapsed.
Ah Lian laughed once more before letting the curtain fall, and the carriage continued onward without stopping.
It wasn’t until the carriage had passed that the crowd seemed to react, and their conversations erupted like a boiling pot, "Who is this girl? She is... so beautiful." 𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺
The man had wanted to find a more stunning word to describe her beauty, but with limited vocabulary and no time for reflection, all he could muster was "truly beautiful."
"Such a beauty, I’ve never seen her in Lian’an Town before. Just now, I heard someone say that the carriage came from outside the city, so she must not be a local!"
"If our town had such a beauty, her reputation would have spread far and wide! I wonder which wealthy young lady she is, truly... a heavenly beauty."
The man who had been smiled at by Ah Lian still stood dumbfounded, staring blankly in the direction the carriage had gone, with his mouth agape.
Hearing that Ah Lian’s carriage had arrived, Xin He had been waiting early at the door.
As expected, Ah Lian’s carriage soon arrived at his doorstep.
Two maids jumped down from the carriage first, one with a footstool and the other to lift the curtain, and they efficiently helped Ah Lian disembark.
Seeing the beautiful woman stepping gracefully out of the carriage, Xin He smiled, "It’s been a long time, Miss Ah Lian. I hope your journey wasn’t too tiring."
Ah Lian curved the corner of her mouth, "It wasn’t tiring at all. I saw some scenery I’d never seen before and found it quite enjoyable."
From her words, there was no hint of reluctance or longing for the prestige she had left behind in the capital city. Instead, she seemed carefree and at ease. Xin He couldn’t help but be a little amazed at her ability to let go so easily.
Xin He welcomed her inside, "Let’s talk inside."
Once they were seated in the flower hall, Shulan quickly brought up some tea.
Only then did Xin He start the conversation, "When I first wrote to you, I didn’t have a hundred percent hope that you would agree to come. However, your decisiveness surprised me."
Ah Lian simply smiled, "Miss Ji, you’re too kind. While I, Ah Lian, may not be a great talent, I always keep my word. When you helped me before in the capital, you gave me another chance at life, for which I am eternally grateful. I also said that if you ever face difficulties, you need only come to me, and I will repay your kindness."
Pausing for a moment, Ah Lian’s smile deepened, "Furthermore, I have faith in Miss Ji’s abilities. That’s why, even if I had to leave behind everything and travel thousands of miles to join you, I think it’s worth it. I believe that my achievements today are thanks to you, Miss Ji, and if I want to go further, only you can help me."
Xin He raised an eyebrow, impressed. It was no wonder that this smart woman had held the title of top courtesan in the capital city for ten years, an achievement not just any ordinary beauty could attain.
Xin He smiled, "Miss Ah Lian, rest assured, since I invited you here, I have every intention of helping you reach even greater heights! As long as you trust me, I will not disappoint you!"
"So, where is the flower house you opened for me? Will you take me there to get familiar with the place?" Ah Lian laughed.
"I can take you there now if you like. The room prepared for you is ready. It’s the perfect time to show you around and let you get acquainted with the place," Xin He assured her with a smile.
Ah Lian thought it would be more interesting than just sitting around, so she nodded.
"I heard that when you arrived in Lian’an Town, you caused quite a stir. It seems that the title of the Capital’s Number One Courtesan is well-deserved. Shulan told me that many people in the town are already speculating about your identity."
With such an ace under their sleeve, how could they worry that their Flower House wouldn’t attract customers when they reopened?
Ah Lian just smiled, not at all surprised. She was always confident in her own beauty and ability to captivate people, which was certainly not inferior to any bystander.
The Flower House.
When Xin He entered, the Flower House was bustling, with the music teachers busy preparing sheet music, Madam Chen ordering servants to set up a stage, and the girls all hard at work practicing. It was a lively scene.
Ah Lian was slightly surprised. Normally the girls in the flower house would be asleep at this time. Were the girls at the Flower House unusually diligent?
Xin He laughed, "My Flower House is closed right now, not officially open for business. The girls are all in training."
Ah Lian immediately understood, naturally knowing what kind of training Xin He was referring to.
As Xin He walked in, Madam Chen spotted her and hurried over, all smiles.
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