The Ruanhong Pavilion was abuzz with voices, yet somehow Cui Jintang managed to catch every word of their conversation.
She concealed herself in the shadows, her fingertips digging into the carved wooden railing.
She watched as that familiar figure was supported into a private room.
Five years had passed, and his features were still as handsome as ever, but there was a hint of ruthlessness between his brows.
He was also much thinner than before, now like a bow drawn to its limit.
The madam smiled obsequiously and led a dozen or so girls in one by one.
Amid the tinkling of jade pendants, she heard Fu Li's urgent urging.
"None of these will do. Find a girl with a clean background to serve our young master!"
The madam had just shown a hint of hesitation when Fu Li took out a gold ingot from his sleeve.
"Don't worry, young master. I'll make the arrangements right away!"
The madam led the reluctant girls away happily. Cui Jintang quickly stepped aside and hid in a nearby private room.
An'er, who had been holding Cui Jintang's hand all the time, looked up at her curiously and asked, "Auntie, do you know that person just now?"
Cui Jintang was stunned for a moment, then bent down and stroked his fair little face. "Auntie has something to take care of. An'er, go back with Uncle Zhu Er first, okay?"
An'er blinked his big round eyes and obediently placed his small hand in Zhu Er's large one.
He nodded very obediently and said, "Auntie, go ahead. An'er can take good care of himself and Uncle Zhu Er!"
Zhu Er curled his lips. "? That's not right, young master. It's me who takes care of you!"
An'er tried hard to stand on tiptoe and patted Zhu Er's knee reluctantly. "But Uncle Zhu Er can't even understand what Sister Yuli said. Sister Yinglan said that this is the fate of being single for life.
"Although An'er doesn't quite understand yet, from now on, An'er will try his best to be responsible for the rest of Uncle Zhu Er's lonely life!"
"..." Zhu Er's mouth twitched violently.
Seeing this scene, Cui Jintang couldn't help laughing.
Suddenly, the madam's happy voice rang out again outside.
After seeing the two of them off, Cui Jintang turned back and eavesdropped.
Realizing what she was doing, Cui Jintang hesitated for a moment.
Then she heard Fu Li stutter in amazement.
"So alike... She's so alike!"
Cui Jintang frowned slightly and poked a hole in the partition.
It was a girl in a cyan dress, but with her back to Cui Jintang, her face couldn't be seen.
Who was she like, as Fu Li said?
The madam lifted her chin proudly and pushed the cyan - dressed girl out like a piece of goods.
"She just came to the Ruanhong Pavilion ten days ago. I guarantee her background is clean! Before entering the pavilion, she was a young lady from a noble family, proficient in all the four arts of the Chinese scholars.
"She's still innocent when it comes to the matter of love between men and women. The young master will have to be more patient with her."
The madam giggled.
After the initial shock, Fu Li quickly regained his composure.
He looked at Qing Ruo's face with a complicated look in his eyes.
He took out another gold ingot from his sleeve and gave it to the madam. Ignoring the madam's delighted flattery, he pointed at Qing Ruo.
"You come in with me."
Inside the room.
Qing Ruo had never been so nervous in her life.
When she came, the sisters in the pavilion all said that she was so lucky to meet such a handsome and generous young master on her first time.
Qing Ruo was extremely uneasy and kept feeling restless.
When she saw the man with his eyes closed in the pool, her heart started beating even faster.
It seemed that he had been drugged with a strong aphrodisiac.
His every breath was filled with suppressed moans.
After staying in the Ruanhong Pavilion for half a month, Qing Ruo could more or less tell that if this man didn't have sex in time, he might...
After leading the girl in, Fu Li quickly backed out.
Qing Ruo stood by the pool, her whole body trembling.
She bit her lower lip tightly and slowly undid her dress.
A fierce heat wave hit Pei Zhaolin one after another.
His brows furrowed even deeper.
Suddenly, he felt a pair of trembling hands touch his shoulders and neck.
A sweet breath whispered in his ear, "Young master."
Instantly, Pei Zhaolin suddenly opened his scarlet eyes.
His eyes were as fierce as a hawk's.
After seeing Qing Ruo's face clearly, his expression became even more ferocious.
The tide of lust in Pei Zhaolin's eyes suddenly froze into ice. His five fingers tightened like iron pincers around her throat.
"Who gave you the guts to pretend to be her?"
His voice was hoarse, but it made Qing Ruo feel as if a snake was crawling across her heart.
Tears immediately welled up in Qing Ruo's eyes. She trembled and reached out to touch Pei Zhaolin's hand. "Young master, I'm here to serve you—"
Before she could finish her sentence, the killing intent in Pei Zhaolin's eyes flared up. "You're not even worthy to have this face!"
The next moment, he tightened his grip on Qing Ruo's neck slightly. All the sad expressions on her face immediately faded away like the ebbing tide.
Pei Zhaolin disgustedly shook off his hand and slowly got up from the pool, letting Qing Ruo's body float in the pool.
He kicked away the tables and chairs in his way.
In an instant, the room was filled with a series of crashing sounds.
His eyes were scarlet as he stared at the crescent moon outside the window. The killing intent in his heart was surging like a tide.
"Today is her memorial day... How dare you defile her soul with this face!"
The ice - cold water failed to suppress the effect of the drug on Pei Zhaolin. Coupled with his outburst of anger just now, the restlessness turned into a ball of fire that burned along his bones and blood all the way to his heart.
"Pfft—"
Pei Zhaolin couldn't hold back and suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood.
The screen worth a hundred taels of silver was instantly ruined by the bloodstain.
His knees couldn't bear the weight, and he fell onto the screen with a loud crash.
Pei Zhaolin felt that everything in front of him was starting to become unreal.
Everything was shaking and spinning, as if shrouded in a mist, becoming extremely hazy and unreal.
He supported himself on the ground with both hands. A drop of hot sweat dripped from his forehead to the ground.
The next moment, a pair of blue embroidered shoes appeared in front of him.
A rare look of confusion welled up in Pei Zhaolin's eyes.
He slowly looked up. As if in a dream, a woman in white appeared in front of him.
She was wearing a white veil hat. She slightly lifted it, revealing only a fair section of her jaw.
She stepped over the pool of blood. The soles of her shoes crushed the broken porcelain, making a creaking sound.
One step, two steps—
Each step seemed to step on the most sensitive part of Pei Zhaolin's heart.
He raised his scarlet eyes, and his pupils suddenly shrank.
"... Tangtang?"
His voice was extremely hoarse because of the drug.
But at this moment, he showed a gentle smile to her.
A gentle smile that was almost hideous.
"Five years have passed. You've finally come to see me in my dream."
Without waiting for an answer, Pei Zhaolin staggered forward and pounced on her. His knees hit the ground, splashing water everywhere.
His fingers stopped an inch away from her skirt hem as she easily dodged.
Pei Zhaolin's hand hung in the air. He slowly looked up, his expression full of affection.
"I miss you so much."
He raised his face. The corners of his eyes were red enough to drip blood, but the corners of his mouth curved into the most obedient arc.
"Punish me, okay? No matter what it is, a knife, a sword, a whip, a hot charcoal... Anything is fine. Just please don't leave."
Under the veil hat, Cui Jintang's eyes flickered slightly.
Silently, she looked down at the man kneeling beside her feet.