Ye Lihen was about to speak again, but before he could say anything, Bai Jinshu raised a finger to signal for silence. Ye Lihen, due to his injuries, hadn’t noticed yet, but Bai Jinshu had immediately sensed someone moving across the rooftop. There were at least six or seven people, and their target was Yue Man Lou. After passing over Bai Jinshu’s courtyard, they headed straight for the main building of the brothel.
Given that Bai Jinshu was currently being hunted and that the person who had just visited the assassins’ stronghold was sitting beside him, it was hard to say if those people were here to search for them. After temporarily suppressing Ye Lihen’s internal energy, Bai Jinshu cautiously approached the window to take a look.
The masked figures, dressed similarly to the three assassins from before, may have been “sneaking” into Yue Man Lou, but they weren’t being particularly careful. From a distance, Bai Jinshu could hear cries of surprise from some of the rooms, suggesting that the masked men had barged into rooms where “business” was taking place. Bai Jinshu turned back to Ye Lihen, who was still seated on the floor, “I think they’re looking for us.”
“I can’t move” Ye Lihen said decisively.
Bai Jinshu didn’t expect the two of them to be able to leave Yue Man Lou easily. Exiting through the front door or climbing over the wall would definitely get them noticed. Even if his lightfoot skills were good enough to escape with Ye Lihen on his back, the latter’s injuries couldn’t withstand the jostling.
After thinking for a moment, Bai Jinshu let out a dry laugh. “Looks like I’ll have to show you that ‘fresh and interesting place you’ve never been to’ after all.” Not expecting Ye Lihen to say anything nice, Bai Jinshu didn’t wait for a reaction and immediately picked him up, slipping through the corridors toward the side entrance of the main building, where they could hide.
The earlier cries of surprise now served as a guide for Bai Jinshu. It was unlikely that the masked men would check the same rooms twice, so Bai Jinshu quietly pushed open the window of the nearest room that had already been searched and climbed inside.
The couple in the room, though previously interrupted, were clearly “in the heat of the moment” and completely unaware of Bai Jinshu and Ye Lihen hiding behind the screen by the bed. Though Bai Jinshu wasn’t particularly experienced, the sounds from behind the screen didn’t bother him.
What caught his attention, however, was Ye Lihen’s reddening ears and his attempt to appear calm despite the clear embarrassment. Bai Jinshu couldn’t resist the urge to tease him and leaned in to whisper with a chuckle, “You can’t blame me for this. You’re the one who chose to hide in a place you supposedly don’t like.”
Ye Lihen silently pointed to the other side of the screen. Understanding what he meant, Bai Jinshu reassured him in a low voice, “Don’t worry. No matter how loud we are, they won’t hear us.”
Ye Lihen remained silent, clearly unconvinced by Bai Jinshu’s words. He mouthed slowly, “You know a lot.”
“We can talk about this kind of adult stuff when you grow up,” Bai Jinshu teased, amused by the rare sight of the usually composed young master looking flustered.
Ye Lihen still didn’t say anything, but feeling that the situation wasn’t in his favor, he turned his head away, refusing to acknowledge Bai Jinshu.
Seeing that it was enough teasing for now, Bai Jinshu shifted his focus back to Ye Lihen’s sword wound. Although the bleeding had stopped earlier, their recent movements might have reopened the wound.
Speaking of which, Bai Jinshu couldn’t help but admire Ye Lihen. When he had examined the wound earlier, Bai Jinshu had noticed that this young master had smooth, delicate skin, completely unlike that of someone from the martial world, with no visible scars.
And yet, despite the deep sword wound, Ye Lihen hadn’t shown a single trace of pain from the beginning to the end. “Does it hurt?” Bai Jinshu couldn’t help but feel a bit sorry for him.
Ye Lihen kept silent but instinctively nodded.
Bai Jinshu hesitated for a moment. “Can you hold back from making any noise? I’m going to apply some medicine.”
Ye Lihen nodded again.
As the sounds from behind the screen grew louder and louder, Ye Lihen turned his back to Bai Jinshu, no longer looking at him. His clothing, which had never been fully adjusted, hung open slightly at the collar. Bai Jinshu gently pulled back the fabric from his shoulder, revealing the pale, delicate skin where the wound stood out in stark contrast.
Originally, Bai Jinshu had hoped to have the time to properly treat the injury, but to prevent it from worsening further, he took out the medicine he always carried and sprinkled it directly onto the wound, where dark red blood still oozed slightly.
As expected, Ye Lihen made no sound, though his body trembled slightly. Bai Jinshu quickly grabbed a silk scarf from the room and used it to loosely bandage the wound.
At that moment, the couple on the bed finally settled down after their passionate encounter. This wasn’t a lovers’ rendezvous, so there was no endless pillow talk. The customer quickly dressed and prepared to leave.
Bai Jinshu didn’t want to be so forceful and impolite, but after some hesitation, he decided not to hide. Instead, he flicked his fingers, knocking the man out. The man’s sudden collapse startled the woman, who rushed over to check on him. Bai Jinshu took the opportunity to knock her out as well.
With both of them unconscious on the floor, Bai Jinshu felt Ye Lihen finally relax in his arms. Honestly, that was the main reason he had made this choice. “You need proper rest.” Bai Jinshu said. “Do you want to lie down on the bed for a while?”
An injured person needed a comfortable environment, and Bai Jinshu was sure that the unconscious couple wouldn’t mind giving up the bed. However, the picky young master firmly shook his head in refusal.
Quickly changing the subject, Ye Lihen said, “Yun Zhong Shui Ji Jin Shu Lai, Yan Zi Hui Shi, Yue Man Xi Lou. The only thing we found was this brothel. Now, let me ask you: why did you choose a name associated with such a place?”
It took Bai Jinshu a while to realize what Ye Lihen was talking about. He had forgotten the earlier playful banter, but it seemed that the person who always appeared indifferent and pretended to be deep had actually been brooding over it. As soon as he had the chance, he retaliated in a childish manner. Bai Jinshu couldn’t help but laugh, “You’re right, it’s all my name’s fault.”
After finally relaxing, the severely injured Ye Lihen seemed even more fatigued. He leaned against Bai Jinshu’s shoulder, resting his head there as he closed his eyes in exhaustion.
Just as Bai Jinshu thought Ye Lihen had fallen asleep, the young master spoke again. “Have you ever been to a place like this?”
Bai Jinshu, both amused and exasperated, wondered where Ye Lihen found the energy to be curious about such things despite his injuries. “So you’re actually interested in this kind of place, huh?”
“I’m not interested in this place…” Ye Lihen’s voice grew softer and softer until it was barely audible.
Bai Jinshu looked down at the young master, who had finally fallen asleep, and gently adjusted his position so that the injured boy could rest more comfortably, even if he refused to lie on the bed.
