Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
Mu Junze had been gone for several days, leaving Su Che alone in the Wangfu, furrowing his brow in worry. He wondered if he had done something to upset Mu Junze.
During these days, Su Che attended court in the mornings and took care of the Su Family in the afternoons. Occasionally, he would inquire about Mu Junze, only to learn that he had not yet returned. As the selection day approached, Su Che grew increasingly anxious, pacing back and forth in his room. Although the Su Family was gradually getting back on track, it was still not as it used to be, and the group that had been oppressing them continued their pressure.
The Su Family was nearly losing money in their business. Just as Su Che was feeling despondent, a sharp arrow suddenly flew through the air and struck a pillar. Attached to it was a note that read:
"To obtain the method to break the deadlock of the Su Family, meet at Fragrant Pavilion, Tian Zi Yi Hao, promptly!"
Su Che examined the note but could not discern anything significant from its writing. Xiao Tao, standing nearby, expressed concern.
"Young Master, this letter comes from an unknown source, and we do not know the identity of this person. It would be better to wait for the prince's return before making any decisions."
Su Che glanced at the date and then at the note again. He asked about Mu Junze's whereabouts but received news that not only had Mu Junze not returned, but there was also no word from him.
Grinding his teeth, Su Che decided to go see for himself; after all, he had already died once and had nothing left to fear.
Before long, he arrived at Fragrant Pavilion. It was as lively as ever, with guests coming and going. The women of the brothel, dressed provocatively and exuding charm, worked hard to attract every customer.
Su Che looked up and turned to Xiao Tao.
"If I am not out within half an hour, return to Su Mansion immediately and inform my father to leave as far away as possible."
"…If the prince returns, remember to tell him that meeting him in this lifetime has been no regret for me," Su Che added hesitantly.
Seeing Su Che appear as if he were leaving a last message, Xiao Tao initially wanted to follow him inside but suddenly realized he was of no help. Even if he went in, he might only be a burden; it would be safer for him to stay by the entrance.
If anything were to happen, he could not let down his master's trust. With his mind in turmoil, Xiao Tao paced nervously beside the carriage, glancing inside occasionally for fear of missing something.
He reassured himself that nothing bad would happen; perhaps it was just a noble who preferred not to show themselves.
As soon as Su Che entered, he was surrounded by a group of young women. His brow furrowed slightly as his body involuntarily trembled—especially when he saw a woman walking toward him.
She appeared to be around thirty years old but bore no wrinkles on her face. Her beauty was captivating; her skin smooth and fair. Her ample bosom swayed with each step she took, and her headpiece jingled softly with delicate sounds. The men present were instantly captivated but none dared approach her.
She walked toward him with a graceful sway of her hips, lightly waving her fan as she flashed a flirtatious smile at Su Che. It seemed she was coming to his rescue; the young women who had surrounded him instantly dispersed as if it had all been a mere performance.
Noticing his pale complexion and that he stood frozen in place, she covered her mouth with her fan and let out a soft laugh.
“Ah? Is this your first time here, my lord?”
The woman leaned in seductively, her delicate hand resting on Su Che's shoulder as she circled around him, her eyes filled with interest.
However, Su Che's face turned even paler, feeling a wave of nausea rising in his stomach, and he couldn't help but vomit.
“Ugh…”
The woman's expression immediately soured as she recoiled in disgust. Noticing the murmurs around them, a flash of anger crossed her eyes as she looked at Su Che.
Does this little thing find me repulsive?
“What are you staring at? Hurry up and clean this up!”
She barked orders sharply, and just as she was about to suppress her irritation and approach to help Su Che, he unexpectedly vomited again as she drew near. This infuriated her even more.
She glanced upstairs but ultimately held back her frustration, leaning closer to Su Che and asking softly, “What does this mean, my lord?!”
The words were nearly spat out through gritted teeth. Hearing her displeasure, Su Che quickly adjusted himself, forcing a smile and apologizing.
“I’m sorry, Aunt Xiang. I must have eaten something bad today; I truly apologize.”
Indeed, this woman was Aunt Xiang, another madam from the Fragrant Pavilion, renowned alongside Aunty Qing. She was one of the decision-makers at the Fragrant Pavilion. In his previous life, Aunt Xiang had dominated the scene and had helped Xu Mu trap him in the brothel, causing him considerable suffering—all thanks to her. Now seeing her with a disgusted frown made Su Che's stomach churn again.
Memories from his previous life flashed vividly before his eyes, making him feel queasy once more. Fortunately, he quickly managed to regain his composure.
Aunt Xiang noticed Su Che’s response and chose not to press further. She shot him a sidelong glance and thought to herself.
“It makes sense; not to mention the past, even now many men lose their senses upon seeing her. No matter how different Su Che is, he shouldn’t be repulsed by other girls while feeling sick around me…”
She reassured herself that she wasn’t unattractive and hadn’t done anything wrong to him. Soon enough, she accepted Su Che’s explanation and glanced up at him again.
“My lord, please follow me. The guests upstairs have been waiting for you for quite some time.”
Su Che followed her gaze and caught sight of a burly man with a sword stationed on each level, positioned in different spots. One of them met his eyes for a brief moment before quickly averting his gaze and disappearing from view.
He glanced at the staircase before him, covered in a red carpet, and felt as if each step was floating, his feet heavy as if weighed down by lead.
Taking a deep breath, he pressed on, feeling that this was the longest staircase he had ever climbed, seemingly endless. The surrounding sounds faded into silence, leaving him in a tranquil bubble.
After an indeterminate amount of time, Aunt Xiang halted and turned to the dazed Su Che.
"My lord, we have arrived. The esteemed guest is inside, my lord, my lord?"
Only then did Su Che snap back to reality. Ignoring Aunt Xiang's strange expression, he stepped into Tian Zi Yi Hao.
As he passed through the screen at the entrance, he was enveloped in swirling mist accompanied by the sound of flowing water. Sheer silk draped down from above, and a faint fragrance wafted through the air—strangely cool with hints of woodiness.
Su Che cautiously surveyed his surroundings without venturing deeper. Clearing his throat, he called out.
"Your Excellency, why not come out for a meeting?!"
His voice rang clear and strong; he was certain that the person inside could hear him. However, after waiting for quite some time without any response or sound from within, doubt crept in—had he mistakenly entered the wrong room?
Uncertainly, he took a few steps further inside when suddenly his expression changed. He quickly turned to hide to the side.
Regaining his composure, he noticed that indeed a man had appeared behind him. However, due to the mist and sheer fabric, along with the distance between them, it was difficult to discern his features.
"Ah, your vigilance is quite commendable."
Comment 0 Comment Count