Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Women working in a brothel had no way to become the mistress of a government official or a wealthy man’s wife. The fact that the madam was making a compromise and only asking for the position of mistress and even offering a grand dowry was very exciting! As the announcement was made, the crowd exploded in excitement. The gazes young Huan’er was receiving grew even more heated with desire.
Someone in the audience asked, “May I ask who Miss Huan’er took interest in?”
Just then, Huan’ er’s eyes shot a shy glance in Feng Zhen’s direction.
Feng Zhen trembled subconsciously, feeling uneasy about this whole situation.
He wasn’t fond of young girls like her. Back when he used to play around at night, he would always find mature and smart older women because they were experienced enough to not get too emotionally attached to their customers. On the other hand, a young courtesan like this girl was hard to judge. Feng Zhen doesn’t want to risk hurting her feelings.
Being young and naïve meant that a person was inexperienced in life, making them susceptible to growing emotional attachments to others.
Jiang Pengji was still teasing him off to the side. “Look, that little girl is staring at you. She clearly has an interest in you.”
Feng Zhen ground his teeth and lowered his voice as he said, “Please stop teasing me, my lord.”
“They don’t want your money and are instead sending her out with a handsome dowry! How can you not be tempted by this?”
Shao Guang was surprised, primarily at the fact that his master had already predicted this situation.
Feng Zhen said firmly and righteously, “I’m not tempted!”
While he rejected the good fortune that’d come his way, the other customers exploded into a mess.
They didn’t understand why a beautiful young courtesan like her would take interest in a plainly-dressed, middle-aged man who already had another woman with him.
To be brutally honest, the man’s eyes look tired and showed visible weariness, which meant that he certainly had weak kidneys. How could someone like him possibly satisfy a clean, young courtesan like her? The girl was young and naïve, how could they let her go with such a shady and unreliable man?
Someone finally stood up in opposition. They couldn’t tolerate that they were about to see a beautiful flower plant itself in cow poop.
“Miss Huan’er, you have the face of a national treasure. How could you take an interest in such a lowly and average man?”
“…That’s right, this man even has a female partner beside him. It’s clear that he isn’t someone you can give the rest of your life to…”
On the stage, Huan’er held up her circular fan and covered her face slightly as she walked elegantly toward Feng Zhen, crushing Feng Zhen’s dream of her taking interest in Shao Guang instead. She leaned in a little as she looked deeply into Feng Zhen’s eyes. “I come from a lowly background and know I am not fit to be the partner of a wealthy man like you. However, I still wish that you will accept my plea and make my dream come true. Even if I do not have a name or reputation, I will be satisfied just to be taken in.”
Feng Zhen let out a forced smile as he said in a quiet voice, “I cannot accept the mistress’s heartful request. I am almost 30 with a child at home. I’m unsuitable to take you in. Right now, you are still a blooming flower and will find someone who will truly love you in the future…”
Huan’er bit down on her glittery red lips and looked up at him with tears in her eyes. “I truly love you, sir… No matter how many wives or children you have at home, even if I must be a lowly concubine without a name, as long as I can stay by your side, I will not have any regrets for the rest of my life.”
Feng Zhen was confused.
There was something wrong with this script!
Jiang Pengji covered her mouth and laughed. “Since she fell in love with you at first sight and already has such affection, you should just accept it.”
Feng Zhen cursed in his mind. His master was clearly only here to be entertained at his expense!
Shao Guang was also fanning the fire as he watched Feng Zhen with a smile.
Feng Zhen quietly let out a sigh. Even though everyone else around him was jealous that he could take such a beautiful girl home, who could understand how displeased and aggrieved he was?
Just his own master’s part in this situation disturbed him very much, let alone everything else that was happening.
More importantly, this Huan’er girl was clearly prepared and was only targeting him.
Normally, even if it was love at first sight, seeing a woman with above-average looks with an average man would make people hesitate at least a little bit. Plus, Huan’er had never even taken a look at Jiang Pengji. It was as if she already knew who the others were.
Feng Zhen boldly assumed that this Huan’er girl already knew his master’s identity as well as his own.
A beauty willingly tossing herself at someone didn’t always mean good fortune.
Feng Zhen was secretly displeased, but when he saw Jiang Pengji’s gaze, he held it in and finally succumbed to reality.
“If that is the case, then I shall apologize for inconveniencing Miss Huan’er.”
This was clearly a form of silent acceptance.
Huan’er blushed shyly as she went upstairs to wait for Feng Zhen in a room under the madam’s escort.
As much as the other customers were unhappy with the result, they couldn’t act on their anger. As such, the brothel maintained a rather peaceful atmosphere.
Jiang Pengji took the other two back to the room they were in earlier. The madam sent someone in to deliver the dowry.
She opened the box with a cold smile on her face and took out some outstanding gold bullion.
“Off you go, tonight’s groom, your bride is waiting for you. You shouldn’t let her wait too long.”
Feng Zhen’s face darkened and he said with a low voice, “What is my lord’s plan?”
She’d known Huan’er’s intention from the start and had pushed him into the fire.
He clearly wasn’t going to be a groom. He was going to be a lab rat.
Jiang Pengji said, “Don’t worry, just think of it as a blessed fortune for you to enjoy.”
Feng Zhen may be a loafer, but that didn’t mean he had no standards.
Even if Huan’er had her own agenda, he couldn’t just walk in blind and enter the bridal chamber without a reason.
And now his own master was purposely being vague and wouldn’t tell him the truth!
“If you’re so curious, you should go ahead and discover the truth yourself…”
Feng Zhen took in a deep breath as he looked at the gold bullion with a complicated expression. “Aren’t I asking because I’m afraid that I will give in before I can find an answer?”
Jiang Pengji teased playfully, “Don’t worry, it’s your wedding night! I’ll watch the door for you. If she wants to hurt you, you just need to scream, and I’ll run in to protect your virginity…”
Feng Zhen’s mouth twitched as he held back the urge to kill his own master.
“Is this perhaps a beauty trap?” Shao Guang was eating peanuts. “Using this opportunity to drive a wedge between the lord and Zi Shi in order to gain profit elsewhere?”
Feng Zhen said, “No. If it really was a beauty trap, the cost would be too high.”
How could anyone waste a high-quality 28-year old beauty on someone like him?
“You’ll know when you go see.” Jiang Pengji continued to nudge him on. “I’ll disguise myself as a manservant and go in with you.”
Feng Zhen said resignedly, “Sure, I guess this is the only option we have now.”
With such an unreliable master, even the subordinate men must sometimes sell their bodies.
Feng Zhen changed clothes according to the rules of the brothel and looked almost as if he really was a groom.
Inside the bridal chamber, the bride had already combed her hair. The air was filled with a sweet scent.
Huan’er set her fan down and noticed Jiang Pengji beside Feng Zhen. Her facial expression hardened a little.
She said timidly, “Langjun, this person…”
Feng Zhen answered straightforwardly, “Just a servant. You need not to worry or we may delay the night.”
Jiang Pengji had made her face look very plain. The audience members of the livestream were all awed that she could change her whole face without doing makeup.
Huan’er didn’t bother with the small talk about the servant. She wanted tp complete the ceremony with Feng Zhen.
Just as they were about to drink the wine of the bridegroom, Feng Zhen felt something hit the weak spot of his waist. Feng Zhen was shocked and almost jumped up from his seat.
He frowned a little as he touched the edge of the cup with his lips. He didn’t touch the wine and proceeded to put down the cup.
Huan’er held up her own cup and was waiting for him to drink, only to see that the wine in his cup was untouched. A hint of worry appeared on her face.
“Why is Langjun not drinking?”