"Isn't it just 500 taels? I've got plenty of money," Su Yuanyuan said with a straight face as she pulled out two silver notes from her bosom and flung them over. "I'll double that, 1,000 taels. I'm booking Miss Yue Wu for tonight!"
After saying that, she shouldered past the madam and rushed upstairs in a huff.
The madam took the 1,000 - tael silver notes and grinned so widely that her eyes were just slits. She clicked her tongue and sighed, "Who would've thought Miss Yue Wu would be so popular? I'm making a fortune tonight!"
By the railing on the fourth floor, seeing a figure rushing up the stairs, Yue Wu covered her lips and laughed, "What a generous gesture. But it doesn't seem like she's here for me. I'm afraid it's a romantic debt the Pavilion Master has incurred."
Beside Yue Wu, Cang Xuan stood with his hands behind his back. His eyes closely followed that figure, filled with helplessness.
Coming to the brothel was originally meant to make Su Yuanyuan back off, but he never expected this young girl to be so persistent. Even after disguising herself as a man and enduring the women in this place, she still rushed in.
She was really willing to go to any lengths to achieve her goal.
Didn't she know that once a woman's identity was discovered here, it would be hard for her to get away?
Su Yuanyuan was bent on finding someone, so she headed straight for the fourth floor after going upstairs.
But when she reached the third floor, a woman's panicked scream suddenly came from a private room. Then the door was banged open, and a disheveled - haired and half - naked woman stumbled out.
"Help! Help!" the woman cried out as she ran.
Behind her, a lecherous - looking, slightly plump man chased after her with a twisted face.
Coincidentally, Su Yuanyuan wasn't a stranger to this man. He was one of the magistrates of the capital's administrative office, named Jing Li, who was rumored to be extremely hen - pecked.
She never thought that this hen - pecked Magistrate Jing would show up in such a place and act like this towards the brothel girls.
"You bitch, where do you think you're running? You're the one I paid for the night! You have to serve me well tonight!"
The woman saw Su Yuanyuan and rushed towards her in a panic. "Sir, save me!"
Su Yuanyuan couldn't dodge in time and was grabbed by the sleeve.
Taking a closer look, she found that the woman was covered in bruises, clearly having been beaten.
At this moment, Magistrate Jing caught up. He grabbed the woman's hair and slapped her twice across the face.
"Run? I'll let you run. You can't escape from my grasp!"
After the two slaps, the woman couldn't say anything more. Her hair was being tugged by Magistrate Jing, and as she was dragged backward, the pain contorted her face.
Su Yuanyuan didn't want to meddle in other people's business at first. After all, it was better to avoid trouble.
But when she met the woman's desperate and pleading eyes, she just couldn't lift her legs.
She took a quick step forward and grabbed the pressure point on Magistrate Jing's wrist. Su Yuanyuan said coldly, "Let go. Can't you see she doesn't want to?"
Magistrate Jing felt the pain from the pressure point and immediately let go. Seeing this, the woman immediately crawled behind Su Yuanyuan, shivering. "I don't want to go back with him. No..."
Magistrate Jing flew into a rage. "What's it to you, you green - horned brat? How dare you talk to your grandpa like this? Do you know who I am?"
A mere magistrate, calling himself "lord" all the time. Did he really think he was some big shot?
"I don't care who you are. It's just not right to beat someone, especially a woman," Su Yuanyuan sneered.
"I paid for her. She's mine. I can do whatever I want to her. She's just a whore. Even if I beat her to death..."
Before the man could finish his sentence, he was suddenly kicked hard in the stomach. He let out an "ow" and curled up on the ground in pain.
Su Yuanyuan stepped on the man's finger and ground it with her toe. Looking down on him, she said, "Oh, really? Then I can beat you if I want. It probably doesn't matter if I beat you to death. After all, this is a brothel."
"You little bastard, how dare you treat me like this! You wait for me!"
The man's eyes showed a fierce look. He gritted his teeth and said. As soon as the words left his mouth, he shouted at the top of his voice, "Someone! There's someone causing trouble here. Hurry up!"
To prevent guests from causing trouble and the girls from running away, there were thugs stationed everywhere in the brothel.
At the man's shout, the thugs hiding in the dark jumped out and rushed towards them.
"Who dares to cause trouble in our place? I'll teach you a lesson!"
"Go, grab those two puny ones and beat them up, then throw them out!"
"Sir, don't be afraid. A Cai will protect you!" Seeing this, Caiyun immediately stepped forward to fight the thugs.
Su Yuanyuan said to the woman hiding behind her, "Why aren't you leaving? Waiting to be caught?"
Unexpectedly, the woman hugged Su Yuanyuan's thigh and cried, "Sir, you're a good person. I, Zhuyu, have no way to repay your great kindness. Let me serve you tonight!"
Su Yuanyuan frowned and said, "I don't need that. You should leave quickly."
The woman shook her head, crying. "Sir, I've offended that guest. Even though you helped me today, after you leave, not only will I be punished by the madam, but I'll also be handed back to that guest. If I fall into his hands again, I'm afraid I'll lose my life."
She shouldn't have meddled in this business. Su Yuanyuan thought irritably.
She didn't come here for drinking and carousing tonight. She came for a certain big scoundrel. She was just one floor away from finding that person, but now she was in a difficult situation.
Su Yuanyuan was lowering her head, lost in thought, and didn't notice someone approaching from behind. It was not until a woman's scream and Xiao Ba's warning that she found that several thugs had quietly crept up behind her. They not only dragged the woman away but also rushed towards her with the maces in their hands.
Caiyun noticed the danger Su Yuanyuan was in. Her face immediately changed. "Sir!"
She wanted to go back to help Su Yuanyuan, but she was also entangled and couldn't get away for the moment.
Su Yuanyuan had Xiao Ba with her. With Xiao Ba's warning, she deftly dodged the thugs' clubs and fists. For the time being, she wasn't in any danger.
At this moment, Xiao Ba said in her mind, [Yuanbao, Cang Xuan has been watching you from upstairs. There's a woman standing beside him. I guess she's the so - called top courtesan.]
Su Yuanyuan was filled with anger. He was watching from upstairs? Was he just going to watch her get into danger like this?
Seeing the stairs beside her, Su Yuanyuan wanted to rush upstairs.
But there were people who didn't want her to escape smoothly.
The Magistrate Jing, who had been kicked to the ground by Su Yuanyuan before, rolled over and took the opportunity to tightly grab Su Yuanyuan's ankle. He laughed, "Hahaha, I've got you! Let's see where you can run now!"
With her ankle grabbed, Su Yuanyuan couldn't run and almost fell to the ground. Her movement was restricted. Seeing this, the two thugs laughed and said, "Little bastard, let's see where you can run now!"