Chapter Fifty-Four: An Unexpected Encounter at the Brothel

Update Time: 2013-06-22

Everyone around was stunned by her action. In the end, it was the woman in green, who had taken the slap, who recovered first. Whether she had been knocked out by Lian Yue's slap and missed what happened next, or was simply foolish, was unclear. She held her face with one hand while kicking the burly man kneeling by her side. “What are you all standing around for? Hurry and stop her! She thinks she can just leave after slapping me? Not so easy!”

Her commotion finally pulled the crowd out of their shock, but no one moved. Instead, all looked at her with deep contempt.

“What are you staring at me for? Go after her!” The woman in green lashed out again, aiming a kick at the burly man. This time, however, she was not successful; before her foot could land, the man caught her ankle with a disdainful grip. His fierce, dark eyes bulged, and from his thick lips he squeezed out, “Idiot.” He released her foot with distaste, even wiping his hands on his clothes as if he’d touched something filthy.

“You—!” Humiliated, her swollen face flushed red, making her look all the more unsightly. Glancing at the bystanders, who were pointing and whispering in schadenfreude, she finally fixed her tearful gaze on Qiao Zhi, whose expression was far from pleasant. She grabbed his sleeve, sobbing, “My lord, you must help me get justice…”

But Qiao Zhi’s mind was filled with the memory of Lian Yue’s decisive departing figure, and the words: “We’ll never meet again!” Feeling his sleeve tugged, he turned to see what looked like a pig’s face—then realized it was the troublemaker herself.

Though the Carefree Prince was known for his fondness for beauty, it depended on who was before him. With this pig-faced woman, he had not a shred of patience. With a flick of his sleeve, he ruthlessly threw her aside. The crowd obligingly parted, and the unfortunate woman in green crashed heavily onto the flagstone floor.

“What’s going on here… Well, well, isn’t this the Prince of Heluo? What brings you here today?” A slightly plump but flamboyantly dressed woman pushed through the crowd, swaying her hips as she entered. Her thick makeup was flaking, her red silk scarf waving as shrewd eyes darted about. After a quick glance at her own people, her gaze landed on the angry Qiao Zhi. In a tone full of flattery, she cooed, “Who dared offend our prince? Come in for some tea, let Qingru play you a tune…”

At the mention of Qingru, the men in the crowd all brightened. Clearly, this Qingru was a beauty of some renown.

Qiao Zhi’s face eased a little, though he remained vexed. Lian Yue was nowhere to be seen in the crowd. Fine, he thought—perhaps a song would do. He followed the procuress inside, casting a dissatisfied glance at the woman in green still lying on the ground, and remarked to the air, “Cuiwei House is really going downhill, taking in all kinds of riffraff. It’s tarnishing Qingru’s reputation.”

The shrewd procuress, ever the diplomat, shot a fierce glare at the troublemaker and barked at the guards, “What are you waiting for? Didn’t you hear the prince? Drag this fool to the backyard. She’s forbidden from the front of the house from now on!”

Without another glance at the ashen-faced woman, she quickly pasted on a fawning smile. “Prince, please, this way.” Her sharp voice rang out, “Quick, tell Qingru the prince is here—have her get ready!”

As the crowd realized the spectacle was over, they dispersed. Two burly men picked up the struggling woman in green. When she tried to fight, the one she’d kicked earlier struck the back of her head, knocking her out. Spitting, he muttered, “Rubbish dares to fight me?”

In the Clear Moon Pavilion of Cuiwei House, a young woman sat with her eyes lowered, lost in her own world. Her slender, elegant fingers danced across the zither strings like flowing water. Her thick lashes curled upward, casting a tempting arc. Her movements followed the music, and every so often, she lifted her face, leaving onlookers breathless—what a face to topple kingdoms! Her brows were as graceful as willow, a touch of red adorned her forehead, and her enchanting phoenix eyes sparkled with shifting light. A dusting of pink rouge gave her skin a rosy glow, while a hint of red on her lips made them all the more inviting.

Facing her, Qiao Zhi leaned back, his peach blossom eyes half-closed in lazy delight, lips curved in a faint smile. One hand rested on his raised knee, moving in time with the music—an image of effortless elegance.

Suddenly, a loud smack came from the next room, shattering the tranquil scene. Qiao Zhi’s brows furrowed, and with a slight gesture, the music ceased.

The stillness inside only made the chaos next door more apparent—muffled shouts and the sounds of dispute. The musician parted her lips, her voice as melodious as an oriole, “Your Highness, shall I play another piece?”

“Let’s end it here for today. I’ll return another time,” Qiao Zhi replied, shaking out his robe and rising to leave. The woman called Qingru, with tact, did not try to detain him but gracefully opened the door for him.

From the next room, the procuress’s shrill voice cut through, “You think Cuiwei House is a charity? Coming here to freeload off me? Tie her up and send her to the authorities!”

Qiao Zhi shook his head, entirely uninterested. Passing through the gawking crowd, he headed downstairs.

“Don’t come any closer! I’m not a beggar—I was just curious and came in to look around. You’re the ones robbing me! Mmph…” Inside, a petite, handsome young man in green had his hands and feet bound by four strong men, one of whom was gagging him. He glared furiously at the procuress.

“If you don’t want to be sent to the authorities, I have another idea. I think this young master is actually a young lady in disguise.” The procuress twirled her red scarf, reaching out to grope the youth’s chest. The girl’s cheeks flushed in angry embarrassment.

The procuress was delighted. She’d just received a message from the Tian family, who wanted an untouched maiden sent to their house, but there were none available. Now, a perfect candidate had landed in her lap. “Just as I thought—such a pretty girl, even in men’s clothes. You’re dressed well enough but clearly out of money. How about you stay here and entertain guests? I’ll make sure you’re well cared for.”

Hiss—!

It was the youth—no, the young woman—who seized her chance, biting the dark hand that covered her mouth. Freed, she shouted, “You disgusting spider hag, dream on! If you try anything, once I find Sister Yue, I’ll burn this brothel to the ground!” So, this cross-dressed girl was Yao Yao. No one knew how she’d escaped from Phoenix Ridge and ended up in Heluo.

The procuress’s face twisted in rage. “Spider hag”—what an apt description! The onlookers inside and out burst into laughter at her expense.

Qiao Zhi, descending the stairs, suddenly paused. Sister Yue? Yao Yao? That sounded familiar. A flash of realization struck him—could it be…? He turned and strode quickly back upstairs.

From the landing, he glimpsed the procuress’s hand raised high. “Stop!” he commanded.

The crowd turned, and upon seeing him, immediately parted to make way. The procuress, recognizing Qiao Zhi, forced an awkward smile and lowered her hand. “Your Highness, what brings you here? Did we disturb you?”

Qiao Zhi ignored her, his gaze landing on the young woman in green, studying her. Yao Yao hadn’t changed much in the past years—apart from her deliberately thickened brows, she was easily recognizable. He didn’t know why she was here, but knowing her connection to Yue, he couldn’t just stand by.

“Let her go,” he said, his tone quiet but commanding. The four men looked to the procuress, then released her obediently.

Freed, Yao Yao stretched her sore arms and legs, her large eyes curiously studying Qiao Zhi. Clearly, she didn’t recognize him, but she could tell friend from foe. Her clear, bright eyes curved into a lovely arc. “Handsome sir, thank you!”

The words “handsome sir” made Qiao Zhi’s brow twitch. “You don’t remember me?”

“Should I?” Yao Yao asked, puzzled.

“I’m Qiao Zhi. Three years ago, at the Hidden Sect…”

Suddenly, Yao Yao’s memory was jogged. “Oh, now I remember! Thank you so much! Do you have any money? Lend me some for now.”

Qiao Zhi handed her his purse. Yao Yao beamed, rummaged through it, and picked out the largest silver piece, which she offered to the procuress. “This is enough, right? I told you, I was just out of money for the moment.” As if she hadn’t just threatened to burn the place down.

The procuress, with Qiao Zhi watching, dared not accept. “It was all a misunderstanding! A misunderstanding!”

Yao Yao shoved the silver into her arms, then returned the purse to Qiao Zhi. “I’ll pay you back once I find Sister Yue.”

Qiao Zhi took in her every move, marveling at her innocence. “Are you looking for Lian Yue?”

Yao Yao nodded earnestly and began to babble, “That’s right! You have no idea how hard it’s been. I chased her all the way to this city, but they’d just left. Then I hurried to the next city—just missed them again. Finally, I made it to Heluo. The city gate guard said they were still here, so I finally relaxed. But I searched every inn in town and couldn’t find them. Then I wandered into this brothel out of curiosity, got lured inside, and when I tried to leave, they stopped me. I wanted to pay, but my purse was gone. No one believed me. I almost got in big trouble! Isn’t that pitiful? Anyway, I have to keep searching for Sister Yue—if I don’t find her, I’ll starve. Thanks again!” She waved to Qiao Zhi and turned to go.

Qiao Zhi knew her character well, but after three years, her torrent of words still left him dazed. As Yao Yao stepped over the threshold, he finally spoke up. “I know where they’re staying.”