Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Feng Jin had an ominous feeling. Xiande was his father’s other name, and Feng Jin had heard about his acquaintance with Liu She.
Feng Jin had been startled when he heard Liu She mention “a daughter.”
Yet the clever boy soon understood that this was merely a vague reference. Liu She had no intention of revealing the secret about Liu Lanting’s sex. The only daughter he had at the moment was an illegitimate girl whose birth was too low to marry the second son of the Feng House.
Feng Jin had been relieved that he wouldn’t have to take a manly wife like Jiang Pengji. He did not have high expectations for his future bride. She didn’t have to be well-learned or tender, but he just didn’t want her to be violent. He didn’t want to be battered at home!
“Uncle, thank you for the opinion. Though I won’t have the privilege of marrying your daughter, I have the pleasure of befriending Lanting, who is like a brother to me.”
“Xiande always praises you and your two brothers. He says you all have immeasurable potential. I’d be glad if my son could learn a little from your talent.” Liu She, however, could not keep the proud look off his face as he thought of Jiang Pengji.
Feng Jin was not as sweet as his younger brother, but he was smooth enough to know how to reply. “Uncle, you are too kind. My father has been much displeased with my foolishness and stubbornness. Lanting, on the contrary, is the one with the immeasurable potential. Even though I haven’t known him for long, I can already tell. You, my uncle, must know it very well.”
By berating himself and praising Jiang Pengji, Feng Jin hoped to please Liu She and prevent him from informing his father about his visit to Yingchun Mansion.
Jiang Pengji lightly snorted as she observed Liu She and Feng Jin. She then turned to the uneasy Wuma Jun.
“Wuma Langjun, are you here for fun?”
Embarrassed, Wuma Jun had anticipated that Jiang Pengji would start a dialogue. Yet after hearing her question, he wished that she had just ignored him.
What should he say? Saying “yes” would ruin Liu She’s first impression of him, but denying it would be even worse. A man should be brave in admitting his own actions. If he evaded trivial questions like this one, how would he show that he was capable of grander ambitions?
But Wuma Jun diverted the subject. “I came with Huaiyu. What about you, Lanting? What are you doing here?”
He quickly glanced at the two girls, annoyed. It was not that he treasured them, but he thought they should seek his permission before pleasing others. Just because the girls knew their new guest was the son of Officer Liu did not make things any better.
He hid his feelings, but Jiang Pengji noticed.
“My father brought me here,” she replied honestly. “He’s afraid that others will persuade me to come, so he decided to bring me before someone else does.”
If something was forbidden, it would only make children want to rebel against their parents more. Bringing his daughter to Langlang Alley was Liu She’s way of satisfying her curiosity. Still, Wuma Jun could not understand the logic behind this.
“The Liu family could offer you any kind of women you want. What makes you want to visit such places yourself?” In his opinion, Liu She should have had his wife seek an attendant with experience to guide Liu Lanting for his first time. Most normal parents would never take their sons to a brothel.
Jiang Pengji grinned. “Langjun, why don’t you ask someone who knows better than I do? There are people richer and more influential than me, and their families can also fulfill their desires. Why are they addicted to Langlang Alley and seek pleasure here day and night?”
Wuma Jun’s expression froze.
Meanwhile, the girl who was leaning on Jiang Pengji gently asked, “What do you think, my Langjun?”
“That’s simple. Flowers on the street are always prettier than those at home. Wives and concubines are doomed to be a man’s possessions. It’s not challenging to gain their attention. Women who don’t belong to them, however, are outside their control, and therefore men want to pursue them.”
The smile on Jiang Pengji’s face gradually faded away, and she looked at Wuma Jun with derision.
He would have forgotten these girls completely within a month if they had waited solely for him. The only reason he was angry was because they were paying attention to someone else for a change.
“Am I right, Wuma Langjun?”
Liu She had kept an eye on the two and pretended to scold her. “Nonsense!”
“It actually makes sense, but not many accept it.”
Jiang Pengji then whispered in the girl’s ear, bringing pink flushes to her cheeks.
“Langjun, please follow me.”
Jiang Pengji straightened her sleeves as she turned to her father. “Father, enjoy your night. I’m leaving with the ladies.” The three moved to the girl’s bedroom.
“...”
Liu She was not the only one who was astonished. Feng Jin, too, was stunned. Were the three girls doing that together?
As Feng Jin tried to compose himself, he secretly observed Liu She, who was a master at concealing his thoughts. Liu She would not have survived the court for so long if he wasn’t good at disguising his feelings. But Feng Jin was still perplexed by Liu She’s ease.
Didn’t Officer Liu know about his child’s real gender?
Feng Jin felt his head begin to ache.
If Liu She didn’t know about Liu Lanting’s real gender, should he tell him the truth? Would it be improper to reveal Lanting’s secret? How would he even explain? He could not tell him that he had discovered Lanting’s gender during the night with the bandits when Feng Jin had noticed that Lanting was wearing womens’ underwear. If he spoke the truth, Liu She may punish him for ruining Lanting’s reputation by forcing him to marry her! That would be no different from killing himself!
But if Liu She was aware of Lanting’s real gender, maybe he permitted his daughter’s behavior to maintain her fake image...