The Guard is closing in, and there’s no assurance that she will be discovered quickly, so it’s wise to prepare in advance.
Jing Hengbo stashed all the jewelry in the dresser drawer for easy retrieval when needed. While arranging the jewelry on the dresser, she deliberately applied oil to the edges of the brass mirror table.
The mirror is a concealed door, leading to a small hidden room.
This ingenious feature is part of Feng Laiqi’s special design and is present in every girl’s room. It’s specifically meant to handle situations where an enraged wife confronts them. Once the formidable wife arrives, the guest is swiftly guided into the secret door for concealment. This clever strategy, akin to a rabbit with three burrows, has boosted Feng Laiqi’s business by 30%.
As it is infrequently used, the mechanism is stiff and requires lubrication. Jing Hengbo doesn’t want any hitches when the critical moment arrives.
As night falls, a lavish carriage brings the esteemed guest, Mr. Yao, to the loft. The madam greets him warmly, ushering him into Jing Hengbo’s abode.
The silver-red gauze curtain was dyed with a faint yellow glow from the candles, creating a picturesque scene that reflected the undulating figure of the woman and the robust belly of the man. Jing Hengbo’s giggles echoed clearly amid the vibrant and noisy nightlife of Feng Laiqi. Her laughter, crisp and lively, filled the entire building with the beauty of her youth and an air of arrogance. Upstairs and downstairs, in every fragrant chamber, men couldn’t help but pause, prick up their ears, and envy as they listened intently.
The laughter didn’t last long; the lights were extinguished with a soft puff. Men in the corners shook their heads, muttering with envy and jealousy, ” Yao is quite fortunate…” Embracing their women, they continued their revelry.
The madam locked the door behind her with a satisfied smile, descending the stairs. She extinguished the lamps along the corridor, following Jing Hengbo’s rule that no light should be around when she entertained guests.
The top-floor loft fell into silence, devoid of any presence.
Inside Jing Hengbo’s room, there seemed to be some movement.
After a while, in the pitch-black corridor, a figure suddenly appeared.
If someone were present, they would likely be startled because this person seemed to appear out of nowhere, as if emerging magically from the floor.
The man was also holding someone, and judging from the hanging skirt, it was a woman.
The figure looked left and right and muttered: “I ran to the wrong place again…”
The dim light reflected from downstairs illuminated her cat-like fluorescent eyes. It was Jing Hengbo.
She gently set the woman down and nudged her toward her room. “Hurry, Yao is waiting.”
“Did you take all the money from his pockets?” the woman asked before entering the room.
“Don’t worry, I guarantee he won’t be able to afford even a pair of underwear when he leaves,” Jing Hengbo snapped her fingers, and she disappeared instantly.
The next moment, she found herself comfortably lying in a bedroom, ready to catch up on some much-needed sleep.
This had been the routine for the past half-month of her “entertaining” career. She would drug the guests, take their money, and as soon as the lights were out, she would feign going behind the curtain to remove her makeup. In that split second, she would teleport to another girl’s room without any business and bring her to replace herself. Afterward, all the gold and silver gifts obtained through deception would go to that girl, while Jing Hengbo would hide in their room to sleep. Everyone was happy.
This meant more business and unexpected income for the girls in the building. Naturally, they were grateful to Jing Hengbo. After witnessing her teleportation skills, they began to believe she possessed great supernatural powers, perhaps a high-ranking individual sponsored by the government or a disciple sent by some overseas sect to observe the customs. Over time, the girls subtly regarded Jing Hengbo as the leader of their romantic troupe.
Jing Hengbo took a short nap, then picked up a piece of caramelized sugar, reminiscing about a handsome young man she had seen in the lobby that afternoon. Assuming he had entered the room of Hong Xiang, she stealthily approached the door.
Listening for a while but hearing nothing interesting, she flashed through the door and crouched beside the dressing table, carefully observing.
“Ah… not enough time… not enough intensity… inadequate physique… what a waste of a good face, like silver but with the stiffness of wax!” She sighed, taking a discontented bite of caramelized sugar, producing a crisp sound. The man on the bed remained oblivious. Hong Xiang, annoyed, lifted her head and hurled a sock at him.
Startled, the man raised his head and asked, “Who?” Vaguely, he saw a dark figure in front of the bed for a moment, but in the blink of an eye, it disappeared. He rubbed his eyes, finding no one. On the floor, there was a sock and a half-eaten piece of caramelized sugar.
“There’s a ghost!” The man jumped out of bed, and his horrified screams echoed through the building.
Jing Hengbo had already changed places to peek out of boredom…
At dawn, when the work in her room was finished, she sent back the prostitute who had done the work for her, picked up Mr. Yao, who was limp to mud and sent him out. Change the sheets and continue to sleep contentedly.
While she was satisfied, Hong Xiang was feeling quite frustrated. The guest from last night was frightened and required a doctor’s attention all night, and when the guest’s wife arrived after hearing the news, she even rewarded Hong Xiang with a series of slaps.
With injuries on her face, Hong Xiang couldn’t entertain clients for a short period. She put on a veil and went out to see the doctor.
After the doctor’s visit, seeing the clear and sunny weather, she felt the urge to go for a stroll.
Courtesans in the brothel usually slept during the day and worked at night, leaving them with few opportunities for outdoor enjoyment.
The bustling market in the daytime, the rows of rouge stalls, and clothing shops in the lively district of Yu Shui Fang, always attracted women like a magnet. As Hong Xiang strolled along, amidst the fragrance of clothes and cosmetics, the flowing crowd suddenly seemed a bit strange to her.
Everyone, regardless of their activity or direction, turned their heads in the same direction. The atmosphere in the market seemed a bit off too, and it took Hong Xiang a moment to understand. The noise that had been constant a moment ago had gradually quieted down. The surging voices of the crowd were replaced by a hushed murmur, like rushing waves suddenly turning gentle on a soft, bright beach, continually joyfully swirling.
The gasps of the girls were evident, accompanied by faint, subdued screams.
Hong Xiang turned her head, surrounded by people on all sides, yet she immediately spotted a figure.
It was a silhouette, tall and elegant, dressed in clean white fabric without any dark patterns or embellishments. Yet, it shimmered with a strange, faint silver glow under the sunlight. A section of black hair hung down beneath the veil, adding to its luster.
Just a back view makes people unable to take their eyes away.
He moved slowly through the market, and the crowds on all sides welcomed him. People couldn’t help but scrutinize him, but they dared not approach him. Still, unable to resist, they found themselves compelled to steal another glance. There were constant exclamations as people, walking backward while looking at him, bumped into others or trees, causing a shower of pale pink peach blossoms to fall like gentle rain.
The delicate, light pink petals, radiant and unparalleled, landed on his shoulders. He didn’t reach to brush them off, nor did he pause in his stride. The flowers followed his steps, slowly lifting into the air as he walked forward, dancing gracefully like translucent threads pulling them along. They fluttered behind him like a peach blossom cape, contrasting with his garment that shimmered with a dark radiance, creating an obvious and stunning image.
The market fell silent, and even the whispers of amazement disappeared. People stared with wide-open mouths, overwhelmed by the dazzling scene at this moment, this instant of beauty.
To witness one person possessing such captivating beauty, with flowers drifting in the air and the city stirred by the spectacle, was akin to a celestial event.
Hong Xiang, too, was shaken to the point of forgetting to breathe. She had seen elegant young men of high-status visit Feng Laiqi, but none of them exuded such charisma. Just a silhouette was enough to enchant the masses.
She gazed, entranced, as the figure moved farther and farther away from the market, gradually becoming indistinct. At this moment, as if awakening from a dream, the market seemed to come back to life. People went about their business, each finding their way. Hong Xiang, as if dreaming, exhaled a long breath, unable to resist murmuring, “With such charisma, if given to Big Waves to behold, he would probably pounce immediately or maybe sneak in through the walls at midnight and abduct him directly…”
Before she could finish her words, she suddenly felt a bright light before her eyes, as if a white figure had darted towards her like a flash of lightning, bringing with it a refreshing breeze. Then, she suddenly felt her entire body immobilized.
As if in a dream, the surging crowd around her became static, and snowy garments were swirling around her, releasing a cold fragrance like an image of enlightenment.
In the dream, a voice sounded near her ear, clear and calm, asking, “Where is she?”
…
Shaking, Hong Xiang approached Feng Laiqi with a visibly pale face.
It was just an unintentional murmur, but it caused the man in white who had left the market to suddenly appear in front of her.
She was muttering unintentionally from a distance of more than ten feet. Could this person hear her? Is it a human or a ghost?
The man in white appeared next to her like a ghost, and in the next moment, he had led her across the market. No one in the market noticed him.
What happened next was even stranger. The man in white took her to a secluded place, only asked her three questions in total, and then told her one thing before letting her come back.
Hong Xiang slowly let go of her sweaty palm, and a ruby gleamed in her palm.
It is not an exaggeration to say that it is worth thousands of gold. This mysterious beauty can be rewarded as soon as it is said to be rewarded.
She never dared to look up, not even to look at the man’s veil hanging down his chin. She only saw his tightly buttoned collar, with a silver pearl on the collar that was as big as a dragon’s eye. It was shiny, beautiful, and noble.
That was the only adornment on his entire person. Even someone like Hong Xiang, a woman of the world, couldn’t help but feel that this minimal decoration was just right. It was just enough to support his refined aura; any more would be a kind of sacrilege.
That single pearl might be valued even higher than the gemstone.
As the person asked questions, guards stood at both ends of the alley, ensuring security. She stole a glance at them, feeling a chilling aura that sent shivers down her spine.
Thinking about the instructions she had received, Hong Xiang shivered and hugged herself tightly.
Bo, please wish yourself well…
…
It was dusk again.
Tonight, Jing Hengbo was hosting the son of the city’s northern garrison commander.
After three rounds of drinking with the weak and skinny son of the noble, Jing Hengbo successfully got him drunk and thoroughly searched him for gold and silver, half of which she stuffed into her private box and the other half she left on the table.
She then blew out the candle flame, swayed her figure, and appeared in front of Hong Xiang’s door.
Earlier in the evening, Hong Xiang had mentioned to her that she had encountered a knowledgeable and interested young man. She expressed her desire to reform her life and was saving money for her redemption. She pleaded for more opportunities. Jing Hengbo, always easygoing, agreed on the spot.
There was no light in Hong Xiang’s room, and someone could be vaguely seen on the bed. The room was filled with a fragrance, not the usual strong scent of the Happy Union fragrance that Hong Xiang often used, but an exceptionally elegant one.
Jing Hengbo took a sniff, finding it pleasant but not dwelling on it too much. She chuckled and pounced onto the bed, reaching out to hug Hong Xiang, “Xiang, my obedient girl, my little fragrant sister. Sister ruined your good deeds yesterday, so today, I’ll take you to fleece the fat lamb…”
Assigning her such a degrading pos
The person on the bed sat up, waved their sleeves, and the window on the back wall suddenly opened, letting in a gust of fresh air.
The person on the bed lifted a finger, and the red incense in the cinnabar incense burner on the table lit up faintly, spreading a refined fragrance.
Observing his movements, Jing Hengbo suddenly understood. It seemed that this person found her scent too strong, so he pushed her away and then opened the window to diffuse incense!
Every action of this person, from the moment of appearance until now, conveyed a specific emotion.
Disapproval! Rejection!
Jing Hengbo had no time to be angry because the person on the bed sat up.
With this move, she realized that the bed was all white, and Hong Xiang’s peach-pink bedsheet and bedding were all crumpled on the floor. This fellow didn’t sleep on Hong Xiang’s bedsheet at all; he just borrowed the bed and brought his cushion.
Such airs!
The person sat cross-legged on the bed, with a dignified posture. A corner of the snowy-colored garment flowed like a moonbeam. Suddenly, Jing Hengbo’s heart skipped a beat, feeling as if she was facing an emperor on a throne, about to coldly inquire about her.
The man’s aura…
She suddenly held her breath.
He didn’t look at her, lifting his face slightly, with his hand resting on his knee. The moonlight cast a slanting glow, illuminating only his jaw, radiating a cold jade-like brilliance. His voice was also as cool and clear as cold jade, each word freezing like ice and shattering like snow.
He said:
“You are allowed to escape three times. Your Majesty.”
