Девять песен - Глава 9
The thugs roared in agreement, their faces gleaming with lust. They threw down their clubs and knives and prepared to rush upstairs.
"Ugh, it's so noisy! What's all this noise about?"
"Mr. Jin, you've arrived?"
"Oh dear, who is it?"
"Master Jin, you've finally remembered me! I've missed you so much!"
A large group of brightly dressed and beautiful women emerged from the building entrance, waving handkerchiefs, half-covering their mouths, their eyes alluring, giggling, blocking the thugs' way upstairs.
Madam Rong snapped out of her despair, wiped away a cold sweat, gave her daughters an approving look, and with a sly smile, approached Jin San, saying ingratiatingly, "Master Jin, these are the daughters of my family. Which one do you fancy? May I have her accompany you?"
All anyone knew was that Zi Ruji had already been booked, and Rong Mama couldn't break the rules. Even Jin San was only deliberately making things difficult for Rong Mama because she couldn't afford the protection fee.
Only Rong's mother knew that if Zi Ruo were taken away, it wouldn't just be a matter of money. She feared that if that person got angry, the entire Zhongfang Garden would be reduced to dust, and no one would survive.
Jin San glanced at the entrance of the building and sneered, "Perhaps, if you give them all to me, I won't take Ziru with me."
Madam Rong's face changed, her heart burning with rage, but she dared not reveal the truth, nor dared she vent her anger on Jin San. She could only force a smile, her face contorted in a grimace, as she pondered how to begin. Just then, Jin San's cold voice rang out, "Make your move!"
Mother Rong couldn't catch her breath, tripped and fell, her face ashen.
The thugs pushed aside the prostitutes blocking their way, grinning as they casually groped and uttered flirtatious remarks. For a moment, all that could be heard at the entrance of the building were screams and giggles, some genuine and some feigned.
Seeing that the thugs were about to enter Ziyan's room, Madam Rong jumped up from the ground, ready to rush upstairs without a care in the world.
"stop!"
Chapter 24 Snow-Clad Butterfly Embroidery
Amidst the commotion, a clear shout was suddenly heard. From behind the layers of gauze curtains, a beautiful woman dressed in white with butterfly embroidery gracefully stepped out.
Kim Jong-un was the first to see it; a slight look of surprise appeared in his eyes, and he clapped his hands.
The noise in the building subsided. The thugs all looked over, their eyes filled with infatuation, their mouths agape as they stared dumbfounded at the stunningly beautiful Zi Ru.
Wherever Zi Ru's gaze fell, everyone seemed to hear the sound of flowers blooming.
The woman in white, with a delicate face, smiled slightly, bowed gracefully to Jin Sanwei, and then spoke softly. Her voice was gentle and slow, and her tone was calm and composed.
"Master Jin, would it be alright if Zi Rulai moved the stone lion out?"
A moment of silence fell over the building.
*********************
The hall was filled with gasps of disbelief. Countless gaping mouths, like ducks scrambling for food in a shovel, remained open for a long, long time. Everyone was dumbfounded, staring blankly at the figure in the center of the hall, embroidered with butterflies in a snow-white dress, unable to believe it, still unable to believe it.
until﹏﹏
Hurried footsteps sounded, and several little girls, sweating profusely and with flushed faces from excitement, ran in from outside. They dropped their long sticks, crowded around Ziru, and cheered loudly, "Sister Ziru, we've already moved out...hehehe...we really have moved out!" As they spoke, they proudly turned back to look at the several dumbfounded hooligans, their little faces beaming with pride.
Zi Ru smiled and stepped outside.
Everyone followed behind.
Outside the main gate of Zhongfang Garden, the stone lion that Jin Sanyi, who had once been lifted into the hall by his innate superhuman strength, has now returned to its place, standing majestically alongside another stone lion, coldly facing the street and watching the crowd.
No one spoke.
Still, no one spoke.
Even though they saw it with their own eyes, everyone still couldn't help but be skeptical. No one dared to believe that a few petite and delicate young girls from a brothel could actually move a massive stone lion, weighing probably over a thousand pounds, away step by step using only a few large sticks and a half-sized stone. It would take several strong men to lift it together!
After an unknown amount of time, everyone finally recovered from the great shock and disorientation. When they looked at Zi Ru, the person in charge of everything, their eyes showed awe for the first time, and their behavior became more restrained and disciplined.
Humans are inherently subservient to the strong.
"Hahaha, brilliant, truly brilliant." Jin San laughed heartily, looking at Zi Ru with undisguised interest in his eyes. "I never imagined that Miss Zi Ru would be so clever, able to make such ingenious use of a few small sticks. Jin San is impressed."
Zi Ru was no less shocked than the others. She smiled wistfully, feeling the respect and reverence she had never experienced before. Before her eyes was that lively, energetic girl.
"You flatter me, Mr. Jin," she replied.
Jin San stared intently at Zi Ru for a long while, but she was lost in her own thoughts and absentmindedness, her expression changing constantly, unaware of his gaze.
"In that case, let's call it a day. Kim Jong-un, farewell." Kim Jong-un finally spoke.
Overjoyed, Mrs. Rong quickly came out, waving her handkerchief and giggling, "Take care, Mr. Jin, come visit often!"
Jin San stared meaningfully at Zi Ru, who was lost in thought, then suddenly smiled and said, "Yes."
Chapter 25 Long-Awaited Warmth
The crisp morning light streamed in through the window.
Ziru hugged the quilt, leaning against the headboard, her face still dazed. Everything yesterday was like a beautiful dream that she longed for her whole life but never came true. She couldn't help but recall it, yet dared not recall it; she couldn't help but yearn for it, yet dared not yearn for it.
Yesterday, she stood in the center of the crowd, the center of attention, but for the first time, she was not there for her beauty, for her singing and dancing, or for the sake of being sold, but as a person, a person of high status, receiving gazes of equality, respect, and reverence.
Although it was only a brief moment, the feeling was real and intense. Because it was something I had never experienced before, it came all the more abruptly and caught me off guard, leaving me flustered and at a loss.
She didn't know when Master Jin left. It wasn't until she was being pampered and chattered away to her room by the overjoyed Madam Rong that she came to her senses. Suppressing her excitement, she blocked Madam Rong and her sisters outside the hall, saying she wanted to rest, then closed the door and rushed into her inner room.
The room was silent, save for the soft sound of breathing.