"Um?"
Ban Lan looked up at the sky and said, "Haven't you heard the rumors about Kongshan Ridge?"
*******
Zhai Huan yawned as she walked out of the house. Seeing that it was Ban Lan and Cen Ji again, she said, "Why bother?"
Cen Ji suppressed the urge to resort to violence, "...If we had other options, we wouldn't want to bother you."
Zhai Huan glanced at Ban Lan and said, "Oh, so this girl ruined things yesterday and I forgot to tell you. No wonder you looked like you wanted to swing your arm."
Ban Lan treated his words as nothing more than a burp after a meal, a way to vent her frustration.
Seeing that Ban Lan had shifted her gaze elsewhere, Zhai Huan chuckled and said, "Why owe me money and not pay it back? You two can go and collect it for me."
Cen Ji frowned for a long while before saying, "Why... is it a person?"
Zhai Huan rolled her eyes.
Cen Ji asked, "How much did he owe you? I paid it off for him."
Zhai Huan snorted, "I'm going to pluck the feathers from that miserly man's head, what's it to you?"
Cen Ji paused for a moment, then said, "Why bother? Where are we now?"
This time, Zhai Huan didn't make things difficult for him. "Changchun Garden."
Silent and still.
Changchun Garden was the largest brothel. In other words, He Bi was probably a prostitute.
Just as he was thinking about whether to pretend to collect the debt and then pay for it himself to make sure He Bi paid it back, Zhai Huan suddenly said, "When you get the money back, bring the person back with you too."
Cen Ji could only submit completely.
He nodded, turned and walked out. Ban Lan, who was following behind him, suddenly spoke up: "Hey, you surnamed Zhai, how much money does that person owe you?"
Zhai Huan was sleepy again, and said while yawning, "Three liang."
*******
When they found He Bi, he was dancing.
Ban Lan crossed her arms and said, "Zhai Huan has very unique tastes."
Cen Ji knew what she meant.
Whether it's Xiong San Niang or He Bi, they are both men of unparalleled beauty...
He was a very good dancer, so he was leading a group of men who were also very good dancers, moving gracefully to the tune of "Butterfly Loves Flowers".
Cen Ji watched for a while, seeing that the dance showed no sign of stopping. So he couldn't hold back any longer and made his move.
He provides the money, he robs the person—is that acceptable?
As Cen Ji thought this, He Bi vanished the instant his hand touched He Bi's clothes.
A person who knows martial arts and dances well must have a beautiful sense of lightness in their movements.
Why be that kind of person?
Ban Lan moved a stool over to the side, sat down, grabbed a handful of sunflower seeds, and watched the two sparring while cracking them open.
Cen Ji cannot be taken away by He Bi, nor can He Bi do anything to Cen Ji.
Seeing that the two had exchanged seventy or eighty moves and still hadn't stopped, Ban Lan turned to a male dancer and said, "Go make a pot of tea. They'll naturally want some when they're tired of fighting."
The male prostitute obediently went to make tea, and Ban Lan smiled and nodded, saying, "Much more obedient than Cen Ji."
"Are you coming with me or not?" Cen Ji asked as he hit him.
"I won't go along," He Bi said calmly.
"I'll pay back the three taels of silver for you," Cen Ji said impatiently.
Why suddenly stop? Jump seven steps away and say, "A male prostitute caught a cold today. If you take his place, I'll go with you."
Cen Ji suddenly felt a chill.
Ban Lan laughed so hard she fell to the side.
Cen Ji pointed at Ban Lan and asked, "Could she be allowed to?"
Why shake his head and say, "How can we keep a woman when we only have male prostitutes?"
Cen Ji blurted out, "How does she resemble a woman?"
Ban Lan's smile vanished, and she looked coldly at Cen Ji.
Why look at Ban Lan? His gaze was ambiguous.
Ban Lan suddenly realized that if Xiong San Niang and He Bi stood together, she was more convinced that Xiong San Niang could dance well. Because when He Bi wasn't dancing, he was just like a handsome young gentleman.
Ban Lan looked at He Bi standing there, looking elegant and refreshed.
She tossed aside the handful of sunflower seeds in her hand.
She felt somewhat helpless. She realized that no matter how beautiful Xiong San Niang was, or how handsome he was, she still only liked Cen Ji's slender profile, the few unruly strands of hair at his temples, his small but deep and bright eyes, and the silent aura he exuded.