Pei Ying instantly stiffened all over. Cringing, she turned around, head down, not daring to say a word.
Pei Zhaolin didn't rush over, nor did he look at Cui Jintang standing behind. He just reached out and grabbed Pei Ying in front of him.
His voice was as cold as ice: "Is this how the Pei family usually teaches you to make a ruckus? Visiting a brothel in the middle of the night. What a disgrace!"
Pei Ying had always been most afraid of Pei Zhaolin's unreadable expression. At this moment, she shrank her head like a quail.
But she still argued stubbornly: "I... I just came here for fun with Sister Jintang! Brother is scolding me, but isn't he here for fun too..."
Pei Zhaolin said indifferently: "Fun? Has the family discipline of the Pei family ever allowed you to seek fun here? Shameless."
"Go back and kneel in the ancestral hall for a whole night."
——Every word scolding his sister was actually a slap in Cui Jintang's face.
Cui Jintang, who was originally shocked by Pei Zhaolin's sudden appearance, was stunned for a moment, then burst out laughing and slowly walked closer.
"Lord Pei, what an odd thing to say. We just talked a few lines of lyrics with the young gentleman. How could that be considered shameless? Then what about you coming to the Golden Jade Square tonight? Are you a saint?"
Pei Zhaolin pursed his thin lips slightly. His gaze swept over her fingertips still resting on the young lute - player's shoulder, and his tone became even colder: "Lyrics? I think it's bewitching."
The word "bewitching" nailed all of Cui Jintang's jokes into everyone's ears.
Just as the situation was getting tense, Yan Liangwen came over fanning himself, smiling brightly.
But if you looked closely, there was a smug look in his eyes, eager to make trouble.
"Lord Pei, be careful with your words! Miss Cui was just kind enough to praise someone in my place. How could it be 'bewitching'? Perhaps—"
He deliberately paused, tapped his palm lightly with his fan, and looked shocked: "Perhaps Lord Pei can't even stand a little praise and is jealous?"
With this one sentence, he turned Pei Zhaolin's scolding back on him.
The male attendant who didn't know the situation and wanted to gain Cui Jintang's favor quickly picked up the conversation: "The boss is right. Some people are just narrow - minded and like to blame others for being sweet - tongued～"
As he said this, he tried to lean into Cui Jintang's arms, but was stopped by the young lute - player with her big round eyes glaring at him.
The male attendant rolled his eyes: It's so unlucky to compete for favor with a mute.
This really scared Pei Ying.
She had wanted her brother to be jealous because of their visit to the brothel tonight, but definitely not in this tense situation!
Pei Zhaolin's fingers tightened silently, but his face was extremely cold.
In an instant, his gaze towards Cui Jintang completely changed—
Whether it was Yan Liangwen or the lute - player just now.
Cui Jintang's skillful and teasing manner didn't seem to be fake.
Huang Zuoshi once said that he had raided a place thousands of miles away just to find a flower to please Cui Jintang.
Everyone in the Pei Mansion said that he had been madly in love with Cui Jintang before he lost his memory.
Now it seemed that perhaps all these were just Cui Jintang's means of bewitching people.
Making him before losing his memory go astray.
He looked at her like a seductive fairy who was good at deceiving and making others fall for her tricks.
Pei Zhaolin's tone became even colder: "Miss Cui's private affairs really have nothing to do with me. I'm sorry to have disturbed you tonight."
"Pei Ying, come back to the mansion with me."
Pei Ying didn't dare to say more. She could only lower her head and reply: "Yes, brother."
From beginning to end, Pei Zhaolin didn't even spare a glance at Cui Jintang.
Cui Jintang was also angry with Pei Zhaolin. She deliberately forced herself not to think about it, grabbed the young lute - player's hand, and left resolutely.
Only Yan Liangwen stood there, holding his fan, looking like he had enjoyed the show to the fullest.
He waved his fan, his tone extremely cheerful, and waved at the male attendants: "There's no more show. Everyone, disperse."
The male attendants left dejectedly.
——
In the private room, the young lute - player carefully played a tune. Finally, she opened her eyes wide and looked at Cui Jintang expectantly.
Cui Jintang stroked her face and smiled: "A Xun is playing better and better now."
The young lute - player blinked her eyes, rubbed against her hand, and looked a bit worried.
It seemed that she was worried about the big fight between Cui Jintang and Pei Zhaolin just now.
"It's really rare. The person who has disappeared for two or three years is finally willing to show up?"
Yan Liangwen lifted the beaded curtain and half - leaned beside, smiling and pointing at the young lute - player: "It's been a long time since you sent this little mute here. If she stays any longer, the guests coming and going here might take a fancy to her!"
Cui Jintang thought for a moment. Yan Liangwen was right.
A Xun had grown up. It wasn't a long - term solution for her to dress up as a boy all day.
She reached out and took off the butterfly hairpin from her hair bun and handed it to A Xun.
"If A Xun still wants to go to the academy to study, take this hairpin and go to Qingyun Academy to find a Mr. Lu. He will teach A Xun to become a talented person."
A Xun was overjoyed. She nodded repeatedly and carefully put the butterfly hairpin into her bosom.
Yan Liangwen, who was just joking: "..."
Yan Liangwen gritted his teeth: "… You even know someone in Qingyun Academy? Cui Jintang, you really have some skills!"
Cui Jintang stood up and took out the drawn blueprint from her sleeve and handed it to him.
She completely ignored the sarcasm in Yan Liangwen's words.
"What good does having skills do? When something really happens, I still have to come to Young Master Yan."
Yan Liangwen sneered. After being praised, he felt quite comfortable.
He took it obediently and shouted loudly: "You're not that great after all."
Then he carefully looked through the blueprint.
He pointed at the pattern: "This pattern is quite novel. Do you want me to investigate?"
Cui Jintang nodded: "There are many high - ranking officials and nobles coming and going here. Please help me keep an eye out and investigate."
Yan Liangwen didn't even raise his head. He slowly folded the blueprint and stuffed it back into his sleeve: "Either you don't show up for two or three years, or when you do, you give people things to do... Forget it. I'll just be kind - hearted."
After saying that, he stretched out two fingers at Cui Jintang.
Cui Jintang was extremely calm. She knew Yan Liangwen's money - loving nature well: "Two hundred taels? Okay."
But she saw Yan Liangwen wave his hand: "Others can buy a piece of information for two hundred taels. But for you, it has to be ten times that. Two thousand taels!"
Cui Jintang: "…?"
She had money, but she wasn't going to be taken advantage of like this.
She turned around and left: "Just pretend I wasn't here tonight."
Yan Liangwen immediately panicked and quickly said: "For the sake of our old friendship, one thousand nine hundred taels!"
Seeing that the "big spender" was determined to leave, Yan Liangwen gritted his teeth hard: "One thousand eight hundred taels! I'll definitely catch the person and bring them in front of you."
Cui Jintang looked back at him: "One thousand taels. If not, I'll find someone else."
Yan Liangwen: "… Fine!"
Meeting Cui Jintang, he Yan Liangwen was really out of luck for eight generations!
Just as he was about to get up and leave, he saw that Cui Jintang didn't leave this time.
Yan Liangwen: "?"
He looked at her warily: "Do you have something else?"
Cui Jintang asked awkwardly: "Did Pei Zhaolin come to the Golden Jade Square for something important tonight?"
"Although we have a friendship, it's not deep enough for us to confide in each other."
Yan Liangwen interrupted with a smile, fanning himself non - stop.
The next second, he saw Cui Jintang calmly take out a few silver notes from her sleeve.