"……yes."
Lan Wuxie turned around and went back to the study.
Lan Cao paused for a moment, turned around, took a step, gritted her teeth, closed her eyes, and suddenly turned back:
"...Sect Master!"
Lan Wuxie turned around:
"What?"
"...Well, Miss Chongyang, Miss Chongyang is probably just being difficult."
Lan Wuxie frowned slightly, remaining silent.
Lan Cao carefully examined his expression and then continued cautiously:
"Your Excellency is a woman of unparalleled beauty; if you stood on the street, countless women would flock to you to curry favor. You've always been the one being fawned over by women, so naturally you don't understand women's psychology very well."
Lan Wuxie frowned even deeper, put his hands behind his back and looked at Lan Cao. Lan Cao stammered, cautiously, with a fawning expression:
"Whenever a woman falls for a man, she hopes that he only loves her. She'll get angry even if he glances at another woman. And you, Master, actually—you actually openly told her that you're never short of women! This is simply—"
He's courting death.
Lan Wuxie raised an eyebrow slightly. Lan Cao looked up, still stammering:
"It's like, uh, like that day when the Pavilion Master saw Miss Chongyang chatting and laughing with Situ Qingliu on the street--"
He immediately turned and stormed off, his face icy cold, ordering his men to "take care" of Situ Qingliu, and even smashed several thousand taels of silver worth of antiques in the process...
Hua Chongyang merely glanced at Situ Qingliu a few more times and smiled at him. Yet Situ Qingliu could still kill people so ruthlessly. In comparison, Hua Chongyang was just sulking and remaining silent... This should be considered a very insignificant display of jealousy, right?
Lan Cao was quite comforted; the girl her master had taken a liking to was rather mild-mannered. Seeing that Lan Wuxie didn't seem too averse to her words, she reached into her sleeve and pulled out a blue-covered book that looked like some kind of secret manual, handing it to Lan Wuxie.
"Master, take a look at this."
Lan Wuxie didn't reach out to take it, but only glanced at it with her eyes lowered:
"'The Three-Inch Secret Manual'?"
"Yes!" Lan Cao lowered her eyebrows and whispered gossipyly, "It's the secret manual for cultivating an eloquent tongue. The sect leader is exceptionally intelligent and possesses unparalleled martial arts skills. After reading it once, he'll definitely be able to completely win over Miss Chongyang!"
Lan Wuxie raised an eyebrow as she listened, paused by the door, then waved expressionlessly and turned around:
"boring."
Lan Cao's face fell at first, but seeing Lan Wuxie about to close the door, she quickly put away her book and stepped forward:
"Sect Master."
Lan Wuxie turned back again:
"how?"
Lan Cao squinted at him slightly before saying:
"Bo Jiang came to see me at noon."
"Give her the medicine. Then disappear."
"The medicine was given, but she asked me to tell the Pavilion Master that she wants to wait until the Pavilion Master is willing to see her."
Lan Wuxie raised an eyebrow almost imperceptibly, then turned around:
"Then let her wait."
"And the Pavilion Master!" Lan Cao whispered to Lan Wuxie's retreating figure, "'The Three-Inch Manual' is still in the hidden drawer of your desk. I didn't like you burning it so casually—"
"Bang!"
Waking up, Hua Chongyang stretched and sat up from the wooden couch. Lan Wuxie, holding a book in one hand and a teacup in the other, was sitting at the table. Hearing the sound, she turned around, smiled, put down her book, and stood up.
"You're up?"
Hua Chongyang wanted to continue ignoring him, but he couldn't take his eyes off him. Lan Wuxie had clearly washed up again, and he was still wearing a robe woven with gold and black silk threads. His hair, which was originally tied with a ribbon, was now tied with a gold ring, and a light blue pendant hung from his left ear, swaying with his steps and brushing against the long hair that fell down his temple, making his face look even more like snow. Hua Chongyang didn't know if it was because he had just woken up, but when he looked at him, he felt that he was in a particularly good mood with the corners of his mouth turned up. He rubbed his eyes and looked again, but he still felt that his smile was... aroused.
...It was like the look on his face after he had thoroughly ravaged her, a look of satisfaction and eroticism, so tender it could melt anyone's heart.
Thinking of this, Hua Chongyang felt a strong sense of crisis and couldn't help but cross his arms and shuffle back.
Lan Wuxie ignored her wariness, sat down on the wooden couch, and casually picked up a cup of tea from the small table:
"Have a sip of tea to soothe your throat."
Even his voice was exactly the same as when he coaxed her that night, so soft it could melt hearts, making Hua Chongyang's scalp tingle and her skin crawl. She took the teacup and took a sip, casually tidying her messy long hair. Just as she was about to look up and yell at him, she noticed Lan Wuxie looking down at her, his eyes misty. Following his gaze, Hua Chongyang slowly lowered her head and saw her exposed collarbone and the half-covered...breasts revealed by her undergarment.
She threw down the teacup, crossed her arms, and shrank back sharply.
"rogue!"
Lan Wuxie looked away, suppressing a laugh as she cleared her throat:
"Ahem. Chongyang, actually you're older than I thought—uh, older."
Hua Chongyang's cheeks flushed bright red in an instant, and he began to grind his teeth quietly.
When Ye Qinghua first saw her without clothes, her first reaction was to glance at Ye Laoqi, who was standing beside her helping her put on clothes, and then she sighed with her hand on her forehead:
"It's one thing to be tall and look like a man, but even your chest looks like a man's. Hua Chongyang, remember this: if you ever have the chance to seduce a man, just let him see your face, and whatever you do, never take your clothes off!"
Even though she was used to being belittled by her, Hua Chongyang couldn't help but feel the urge to "go berserk" at that moment. Of all the people Ye Qinghua had to compare her to, why did she have to compare her to Ye Laoqi? Ye Laoqi was a well-known busty woman in the entire brothel. Even if she wasn't small to begin with, she probably wouldn't have any confidence compared to her.
Now that Lan Wuxie has once again hurt her, Hua Chongyang couldn't help but feel a surge of jealousy.
"If you think I'm too young, go find another woman! Suzhou and Hangzhou are famous for their beauties; any courtesan you pick will be more attractive than me!"
Lan Wuxie didn't hold back his laughter this time; he simply burst out laughing, stroking her hair with one hand and pinching her chin with the other.
Is Chongyang jealous?
"Pshaw, are you kidding me? What's there to be jealous of? I've been praised for my looks since I was little; given time, I'll be just like my mother!"
"You're jealous of me because I've had other women."
"Once?" Hua Chongyang pondered his words as he continued to retort:
"Please, Pavilion Master Lan, feel free to serve me three, four, or five teas. They'll be there serving you tea right after I arrive, and I'll be all smiles as they attend to you!"
Even when Chongyang is angry, he's still so handsome.
"It's a pity that Master Lan's eyes, having seen countless beauties, are still tainted by my slovenly appearance."
"When Chongyang gets angry, his lips turn as red as ripe cherries."
The more sarcastic Hua Chongyang's words became, the gentler Lan Wuxie's smile grew, but she didn't seem to notice as she continued to be jealous:
"Tch. How could I compare to those Red Maidens or Jade Maidens, who were treated like dirt by Pavilion Master Lan!"
Lan Wuxie sat down on the couch, easily pulling Hua Chongyang onto her lap. She spoke incredibly teasingly, yet her eyes held a pure tenderness that was utterly captivating.
"I don't know how many women I've slept with, but you're the only one who can make me slept with you."
"……"
Hua Chongyang's relentless tongue lost its edge, and she blushed deeply again in front of Lan Wuxie. She knew perfectly well that Lan Wuxie had uttered the very words Ye Qinghua had described—words that could "make a woman swoon, even if she were asked to eat dog poop, she'd find it delicious"—but upon hearing them, she still shamelessly felt the sourness in her chest evaporate completely, leaving no trace. Watching Lan Wuxie laugh, kiss, and undress her, Hua Chongyang finally realized a truth: she had been completely overwhelmed by this man, who was far more experienced than her, with an overwhelming advantage.
Two figures, one tall and one short, carrying clothes and hot water, silently turned and left beneath the window. Lan Shu, halfway there, touched her nose and paused:
"Since the Pavilion Master has said he wants to go out..."
The orchid rolled its eyes:
"Judging from the sounds inside, is it possible to get out?"
"But the Pavilion Master always keeps his word—"
"Lan Shu, you big idiot." Lan Cao shook her head and sighed, "When have you ever seen the Pavilion Master endure humiliation and impersonate someone else?"
"...When I went to see Miss Chongyang."
"That settles it then."
"Huh... um? What do you mean?"
"...Never mind what I said. But...something is a bit strange."
"how?"
"The Pavilion Master truly lives up to his reputation as a martial arts prodigy; he can draw inferences from one instance to another and apply his knowledge to new situations."
"What's the meaning?"
"Those few words we overheard just now, tsk tsk." Lan Cao clicked her tongue, lowered her voice, and shook her head in confusion, "You can't find a single word of them in that 'Three-Inch Manual'."
"……"
At dinner time, Hua Chongyang was awakened by a gentle knock on the door. Rubbing her eyes, she put on her clothes and sat up. In her dream, Lan Wuxie smiled and put his arm around her waist. She pushed him away and, with trembling steps, went to open the door. She saw Anping standing at the door, followed by a Lan Ying Palace disciple carrying medicine, their attitude respectful.
"Miss Chongyang, the master's medicine."
Perhaps it was because he had been trampled into a rag that he became smarter. For the first time, Hua Chongyang noticed that Lan Cao and Lan Shu always called Lan Wuxie "Pavilion Master", while An Ping always addressed him respectfully as "Master"... What's the difference?
She frowned, smiled, and took the bowl of medicine.
"Understood, Anping."
He closed the door, took the medicine, and went back inside. Using his good looks as bait, Hua Chongyang lured Lan Wuxie into drinking the medicine. He then hastily pulled on his robe from the ground, slipped on his shoes, and headed out. Lan Wuxie, lying lazily on the couch, asked:
"Double Ninth Festival?"
"I'm going to the restroom."
After leaving those words behind, Hua Chongyang dragged his shoes and rushed out the door without looking back.
As dusk settled and the sky cleared, she followed the path parallel to the corridor to the small lake, then turned and walked across the corridor to the kitchen, where she glanced casually inside:
Is there any water?
It was the Lan Ying Palace maid who had been holding the medicine and standing behind Anping, winking at her. She handed her a bowl of water, glancing around and lowering her voice:
"Ye Qinghua wishes to meet Miss Chongyang. She will be waiting for you at the brothel all day tomorrow."
32. Leafy Green Flower
Hua Chongyang left Banlianzui's kitchen nonchalantly, realizing at the same time that Lan Wuxie was isolating her from the surroundings; otherwise, she wouldn't have secretly come to find her through this Lanying Palace disciple named Lanxiang. Ye Qinghua wasn't a member of the Martial Alliance, and brothels in the martial world always operated in a gray area, blurring the lines between good and evil. Ye Qinghua had clearly allowed Lan Wuxie into the brothel at the last Heroes' Banquet, which at least indicated that the brothel and Lanying Palace didn't seem to have any major grudges.
Therefore, the reason why Ye Qinghua secretly came to find her, avoiding Lan Wuxie, should be related to Lan Wuxie.