Chapter 65: Dreams

The madam frowned and quickly approached the corner of the wall. Suddenly, she heard the sound of something falling behind her. She was startled and turned around subconsciously. She saw the branch in the alley next to her shake and a cat fell from it.

The cat landed nimbly, arched its back, barked twice, and quickly ran away. The madam patted her chest and said, "It turned out to be a cat. I was scared to death."

She walked to the corner of the wall and found that there was no one behind the wall, only the rustling sound of the camphor tree.

The madam thought that she was probably too nervous and suspicious. The dumb slave stood behind her, looking at her nervously. The madam turned around and saw the dumb slave and became furious: "What are you looking at? Go back to work! I tell you, there are distinguished guests in the building now, you better hide far away and don't disturb the distinguished guests' interest!"

The madam walked out the back door, cursing, and her voice gradually faded away. Ming Huashang, who was hiding in the camphor tree, finally breathed a sigh of relief. She turned around and thanked him sincerely, "Thank you, brother. Thank you."

However, when she saw the appearance of the person next to her, she was a little stunned.

Xie Jichuan's eyelashes were slightly closed, and his eyes were fixed on the ground below. There was no warmth in the air. There was a silver needle between his slender fingers. He had just used this hidden weapon to scare the cat in front of him, divert the attention of the madam, and buy them time to evacuate.

Ming Huachang remembered that Xie Jichuan was always smiling, joking or being shameless, and definitely not the cold-eyed and heartless boy he was at the moment. Ming Huachang was confused for a moment, not knowing which one was the real him.

Ming Huazhang also gave people a cold feeling, but his sharp eyebrows, starry eyes, and straight bones made him look dignified, upright, noble, and arrogant. However, Xie Jichuan had a thin face, a narrow jaw, and a silent look, which made him look particularly cold-hearted.

If Minghuazhang is a glacier, it looks unattainable from a distance, but when you get closer you will find that the glacier melts into water and gathers into a river, and it is also the most gentle and kind existence; then Xiejichuan is a ball of blue fire, which is warm and friendly at first, but you will find that it is cold inside when you get closer.

In the blink of an eye, Xie Jichuan regained his familiar appearance. He looked back with a smile in his eyes and said, "Second sister, you are really brave. Your brother repeatedly warned you not to be alone, but you went to the East Market by yourself and followed the madam. You are quite creative."

His eyes were slightly curved, and he was teasing people with a smile. The smile in his eyes was within reach, but Ming Huashang felt that it was just an illusion that would disappear at the slightest touch.

Ming Huashang pursed her lips and did not respond with a joke as usual. Instead, she reached out and handed over the culprit who almost exposed her but still refused to give up.

Xie Jichuan glanced at it and asked in surprise: "What?"

"Let's eat breakfast." Ming Huashang said, "I don't know what Brother Xie likes, so I took the sugar-coated cookies that I like. The cookies here are crispy and sweet, and they should be just right for eating now. I know Brother Xie likes cleanliness, so I asked the shopkeeper to wrap them with a few more layers of paper. Don't worry, they won't get dirty."

Xie Jichuan was slightly startled, and found it unbelievable: "Give it to me?"

"Of course." Ming Huashang had just finished her words when she saw a speck of dust on the paper package. She wiped off the dust awkwardly and said, "It's really clean inside, and I don't know where this black spot came from. Forget it, I'll buy it next time..."

Unexpectedly, Xie Jichuan took the paper bag and said, contrary to his usual behavior, "It's okay. It won't affect you."

Ming Huashang breathed a sigh of relief and asked, "Xie Axiong, where did you stay yesterday? Did you sleep at night? Are you afraid of living alone? Is it hard to keep watch on your own?"

Xie Jichuan had some understanding of why Ming Huachang, who was so cold, was gradually conquered by Ming Huachang. She didn't often go out to socialize, but when she did, she was a real gangster.

Xie Jichuan said: "Thank you for your concern, my second sister. I have been alone since I was a child, and I don't think there is anything scary about living alone. Being followed is not hard, but it is true that I feel a little lonely."

Ming Huashang patted Xie Jichuan on the shoulder upon hearing that. Xie Jichuan seemed to see...encouragement in those eyes?

Ming Huashang said seriously, "I will work hard to find the murderer as soon as possible so that my second brother and Xie brother can sleep peacefully."

Xie Jichuan was both amused and confused: "Thank you, second sister?"

"You're welcome." Ming Huashang said, "Except for me, none of you four slept well last night. This is what I should do."

Xie Jichuan put away the paper bag, supported himself on the tree trunk, and jumped down to the ground lightly: "Sister Huachang, you seem very confident in solving the case. Are you so sure that your talent will not go wrong and that you can draw the murderer again?"

Ming Huashang shook her head. After Xie Jichuan went down, she realized that her hands were not hands and her feet were not feet. Ming Huashang held the tree trunk and climbed down with great difficulty in a very inelegant, turtle-like posture.

"If I was the only one on this mission, I wouldn't be able to guarantee it. But since you're all here, I believe in your strength."

Xie Jichuan raised his eyebrows, seeming to find it funny: "Everyone's power? Do you mean the Wuhe Clan?"

"Our team is not a mob." Ming Huashang finally stood up and hurriedly pulled his clothes on. His eyes were still dark and shiny. He said stubbornly, "We have the best captain. We will definitely succeed."

Xie Jichuan looked at her for a long while and chuckled softly: "He is really lucky. There is always someone who is wholeheartedly devoted to him at all times. If he knew that you believed in him so much..."

Ming Huashang was waiting for him to finish his words, but Xie Jichuan stopped again and said, "Okay, I saved the person and accepted the gift. Sister, now you can tell me what you just heard. You'd better listen to it even if it means exposing yourself, right?"

Ming Huashang immediately shifted her focus and said, "I was just about to tell you that I just heard the madam ask the dumb slave about the drug."

Xie Jichuan raised his eyebrows: "What medicine?"

"It seems to be called Dream Powder." Ming Huashang said, "The madam asked the slave how much he put in, and she looked very nervous. I guessed right, they did add something to the wine they sent to Zhang Ziyun. Thank you, brother, while the slave is cleaning outside, let's go to his room to look for evidence, maybe there will be some unexpected gains."

Xie Jichuan crossed his arms and looked down at her, a faint smile in his eyes: "You are really very courageous."

The dumb slave brought a bucket of clean water and scrubbed the hall for the second time; the old brothel owner was still muttering, standing on the third floor and complaining; the other girls either covered their heads in sleep or turned a deaf ear to her. No one paid attention to the dark and messy servant room in the backyard, and naturally no one saw two figures circling the sunlight, stopping in front of a door and banging on it for a while, and easily pried the door open.

Xie Jichuan closed the door and stared outside while saying, "Many people have woken up. There will be more and more people in the backyard. Hurry up and look for them."

Ming Huashang did not answer and started searching for things.

The room was small and easy to see. There were only a few places to hide things. Ming Huashang was the first to search around the bed. She lifted the pillow and immediately saw a carefully folded purse.

Ming Huashang untied it carefully and saw a faded velvet flower and a yellowed small portrait.

Xie Jichuan came over and asked, "What is this?"

"He puts it under his pillow so he can see it every night when he goes to sleep. This must be the person he loves."

Xie Jichuan raised his eyebrows: "Why can't it be my mother or sister?"

Ming Huashang pointed to the old velvet flower and said, "If you miss your mother and sister, you won't keep their hair flowers with you. Thank you, brother, do you think this portrait looks familiar?"

Xie Jichuan was an expert in calligraphy and painting, and he recognized it at a glance: "This is a picture of a brothel owner, or more precisely, a young brothel owner."

"That's right." Ming Huashang carefully restored the purse to its original shape and put it back under the pillow. "I heard that the madam was the most popular courtesan in Pingkangfang when she was young. It seems that she is not exaggerating. In the eyes of this dumb slave, she is still as graceful and beautiful as she was back then."

Xie Jichuan was not interested in this and said coldly: "Don't pay attention to these useless things, find medicine."

Ming Huashang pulled out a small box from under the bed, complaining: "Who said this is useless? No matter how complicated things are, aren't they the accumulation of every little person and every little emotion? There is a lock on this box, and I can't open it."

Xie Jichuan secretly said "trouble", squatted down to help her unlock the door. Xie Jichuan took out a thin long wire from somewhere, hooked it in the keyhole, and both of them heard a very light click.

The lock was unlocked. Xie Jichuan opened the wooden box and when he saw the scene inside, he raised his eyebrows and said with a half-smile, "It really is worthy of being a brothel."

The small wooden box was filled with all kinds of medicines, including bottles and cans, and also paper-wrapped powders. Worse still, there were no names written on them. Ming Huashang was shocked: "There are so many, how did they identify them?"

"If you use it more often, you can tell them apart with your eyes." The footsteps outside became more frequent. Xie Jichuan gave up trying to identify them and put a portion of each item into a special medicine box. He said, "Keep an eye on the door. If there's anything wrong, leave first."

Ming Huashang hurried to the door to keep an eye on the situation. It was their bad luck that the servants' room, which was usually unattended, was constantly visited by visitors today. A maid walked straight to the dumb slave's room and asked, "Is Uncle Mu here?"

Ming Huashang couldn't help but clench her fingers. Why did someone come at this moment? If the maid came closer, she would find that the door was unlocked. How would she save the situation then?

When Ming Huashang was in a dilemma, there was a sudden bang outside. The maid screamed and walked quickly in another direction: "What's going on? These are freshly washed clothes!"

Ming Huachang's fingers relaxed secretly. By this time, Xie Jichuan was also fine. He pushed the wooden box back to its original place and whispered, "Let's go."

Xie Jichuan went out first, followed by Ming Huashang. As she slipped out, she quickly glanced back and found that the bamboo pole for hanging clothes had fallen down for some reason. The maid picked up the muddy clothes and felt very distressed. She had no time to pay attention to the chores room she was originally going to.

Ming Huachang didn’t know if it was an illusion, but she seemed to see a slender figure passing by at the corner, and the figure looked strangely familiar.

Under normal circumstances, Ming Huashang would not have recognized her after just a quick glance, but that person was so special that Ming Huashang could not help but secretly pay attention to her and was extremely familiar with her figure and behavior.

Ming Huachang frowned, quite surprised. Is that Su Yuji?

Was it Su Yuji who helped her lure the maid away?

Ming Huachang was at a loss when she suddenly felt a chill on her hand. She looked up and saw Xie Jichuan staring at her coldly: "How dare you be in a daze? Go away."

If Ming Huazhang were here, he would definitely scold Ming Huashang and Xie Jichuan for being so reckless and daring to enter the house and steal things without any plan or retreat. However, the two gamblers really made the right bet. Xie Jichuan took the powder sample and sent it to the base of Xuanxiaowei for identification, while Ming Huashang stayed in Tianxianglou to continue to gather information.

Ming Huashang pretended to walk around outside for a while before returning to the lobby as if nothing had happened. There were more and more maids walking around in Tianxiang Tower. Ming Huashang strolled around and accidentally caught a glimpse of a familiar face.

It was the maid who argued with Shancha and spoke up for Yuqiong yesterday. She was cleaning the screen. Ming Huashang naturally leaned over and said, "I couldn't see it clearly last night, but I took a closer look at it today. This landscape screen is really lifelike."

The maid turned around and saw Ming Huashang, and said awkwardly, "I pay my respects to you, sir."

Ming Huashang waved her hands: "Don't bother, I'm just taking a look. You continue to do your thing, don't worry about me."

The maid bowed, rolled up her sleeves, and carefully wiped the edge of the screen: "Of course, it was painted by Sister Yuqiong herself, how could it be bad? It's a pity that those men are so pretentious and vulgar that they can't recognize the uniqueness of this screen at all."

This little maidservant is really a loyal fan of Yuqiong, she is so indignant even about a painting. Ming Huashang smiled awkwardly, thinking that although she is not a man, she is also a vulgar person who is vulgar and ignorant in the maidservant's words.

If I had known, I would have let Xie Jichuan to ask questions. Ming Huashang searched her heart and echoed a few words, praising Yuqiong's talent, and the maid slowly smiled. Ming Huashang felt that she had almost done enough to get her to talk, so she asked in a roundabout way: "I was walking in Pingkangfang just now, and I heard people talking about Dimengsan, and they even added it to wine to increase the excitement. Is this the wine in your fang?"

The maid's face changed when she heard this. She looked around and lowered her voice to Ming Huashang, "Sir, you can't drink the wine from Pingkangfang casually. If someone offers you wine, you must not accept it."

Ming Huashang pretended not to understand and asked with wide eyes, "Why?"

The maid hesitated to speak, and finally said cryptically: "How do you think these women in Pingkangfang come from? Are they born to like serving men? Take our building for example, less than 30% are born prostitutes, and the rest are sold by their families, kidnapped by traffickers, or even forced to be conscripted after their homes are confiscated. These women were unwilling to sell their bodies at the beginning, and many of them tried to commit suicide, but there are many ways to tame them in the brothel. Anyway, in the end, those who can't stand it die, and those who survive just accept their fate."

Ming Huashang actually understood, but she still pretended to be confused and asked, "Why?"

"Oh my!" The maid was a little anxious. How could such a clever girl have such a dull head? The maid simply said, "It's drugs! There are many such drugs in brothels. They are put in wine, food, and incense. You can't guard against them. You will be unconscious without anyone noticing. If you are lucky, you will fall into coma directly. If you are unlucky, you will be awake but unable to move. After being... that, you will lose your virginity. Most women will cry and accept their fate."

Ming Huashang felt uncomfortable after hearing this, and she asked, "Is Dimengsan also this kind of medicine?"

"Yes." The maid said, "This medicine is a rare and strong medicine. It is usually used to tame the most stubborn women. If the dosage is not controlled properly, it is easy to cause trouble. A sister who was sold to a brothel at the same time as me, she was unlucky. She was much prettier than me. She was favored by the madam and asked to entertain customers. She was unwilling. I heard that she took the dream powder and accidentally took too much. She died of convulsions in a coma."

Ming Huashang sighed, not knowing what to say. They came to the brothel to investigate a murder case, but there were many more murder cases in the brothel.

Perhaps Zhang Ziyun took the dream-inducing powder that the madam put in his wine, but died accidentally due to an overdose? Then who took the blood from his body?

Ming Huashang wanted to go to the madam to steal something, but she was afraid of alerting the enemy. The maid washed it and went to the backyard to change the water. Ming Huashang was hesitant, and suddenly she exclaimed and squatted down to look.

For some reason, there are many cracks on the base of the screen, and water has seeped through the cracks. What is this?

Ming Huashang was puzzled. At this moment, a familiar bird call came from outside the window.

His voice was clear and powerful, and his breath was long, just like the feeling he gave people. Ming Huashang recognized him almost instantly. This was Ming Huazhang!

Second brother is back!