VBNWDW - Chapter 125

Chapter 125

"Pour the wine."

The little Daoist's reaction was sluggish; she turned her head a beat too late to look to the side.

The person next to her had one hand on the table, leaning obliquely against the low table in a posture both lazy and noble. A pair of phoenix eyes, holding a smile that wasn't quite a smile, gazed over.

Seeing Luo Yueqing remain silent, she added mockingly, "Why have you stopped looking downstairs? Am I such an eyesore, Master Daoist?"

Her voice, low and suppressing a furious rage, carried a faint hint of a threat.

"No, that's not it," the little Daoist managed to say, giving the correct answer despite her drunkenness. "Your Highness, how could you possibly be an eyesore?"

Zhong Jueyu let out a laugh, but the mirth didn't reach her eyes. "Is that so? I thought the little Daoist had grown tired of me and came here specifically to find a bit of novelty."

Li Shigui, who was trembling as she made her way out, shuddered. She froze, unsure how to even lift her foot. In an instant, a cold sweat had soaked through the back of her robes.

Standing at the door, Ruan He only offered a cold smile. She didn't lift a hand to help, just watched as Li Shigui stumbled her way over.

The door was carefully shut. Outside, someone gave an order, and soon after, the soldiers downstairs surrounded the small building.

But the little Daoist, still unaware of the impending danger, drunkenly replied, "How could I ever grow tired of Your Highness?"

Zhong Jueyu's lips curled. "Really? I was under the impression I couldn't compare to the people downstairs."

Under normal circumstances, Luo Yueqing would have realized something was wrong long ago. But at this moment, she had been plied with two cups of high-proof liquor. She was a lightweight to begin with—two cups of clear sake were more than enough to do her in, let alone hard liquor.

Otherwise, Li Shigui wouldn't have found a private room for her to sober up in before they returned.

And so, the intoxicated Luo Yueqing did something she would never have done otherwise. She actually turned her head back to look downstairs again.

The song and dance on the first floor continued unabated. The top courtesan, whom the crowd had been clamoring for, finally made her graceful entrance. She wore a fluttering white dress, and the musicians behind her—playing the pipa, the guzheng, the flute—all became her backdrop as the music rose with her dance steps.

A sudden silence fell over The Blissful Pavilion, followed by cheers that grew louder and louder. From every floor, people tossed silver and gold onto the stage, the clattering sounds seeming to echo the rhythm of her dance.

Though she wore a veil, it was clear from every angle that this top courtesan was an exquisitely graceful beauty.

Luo Yueqing slowly nodded her head in agreement.

The hand resting on the wooden table suddenly clenched into a fist, the veins on its back bulging with an unknown amount of fury.

Zhong Jueyu's words were squeezed through her teeth, one by one. "What? Does the little Daoist like her so much? Why don't I have someone buy her contract right now, so she can dance for you every day?"

If Ruan He and Li Shigui had been there, they would have found the princess's words unbearably sour, as if they had been steeped in ten-year-old vinegar.

But the little Daoist simply turned her head back and stared fixedly at her.

Because she had been busy outside all day, Zhong Jueyu was still dressed in her crimson python-patterned robe, her hair tied up with a golden pin in a simple bun. Unlike her elegant appearance at the temple, the Zhong Jueyu of this moment was more like the Grand Princess of Great Liang—dazzlingly beautiful, yet not without an air of authority.

Luo Yueqing finally spoke, her tone solemn. "She is not as good as you."

Due to her intoxication, the rims of her eyes were flushed red, and her eyes were veiled in a hazy mist. She looked innocent and pure, as if everything she said was completely sincere, making her inexplicably bewitching.

Zhong Jueyu paused for a moment before she realized what was happening. The girl was still fixated on her earlier question and was now giving her the result of a serious comparison.

For once, Luo Yueqing wasn't slow. Seeing Zhong Jueyu's silence, she assumed she wasn't believed.

So she said again, "The lamps on the ground are different from the bright moon in the sky."

Perhaps all drunk people were like this. If Zhong Jueyu hadn't been so quick-witted, she wouldn't have understood that the girl was praising her as the bright moon, someone no one else could ever hope to compare to.

Luo Yueqing grabbed her hand and added, "I don't want her."

Was that the answer to the previous question?

Zhong Jueyu didn't know whether to laugh or be angry. She had intended to punish this person, but now she was being placated by a drunkard's foolish, disjointed words, which left her no room to argue or find fault. It was utterly exasperating.

But the little Daoist wasn't finished. She thought for a moment, then said, "I don't want her to dance for me. I want Your Highness."

Zhong Jueyu raised an eyebrow, a laugh of pure exasperation escaping her. It was a wonder this girl had the nerve to say such a thing…

But Luo Yueqing was getting excited, as if she had suddenly found something of great interest. She grabbed the other's wrist again and said, "I want to see Your Highness dance."

"In your dreams," Zhong Jueyu retorted irritably. Making demands after doing something wrong—she had to be the only one in history.

She subconsciously glanced behind her. The door was shut tight, and the surrounding rooms had been cleared. This meant that no matter what the two of them did in here, they wouldn't be disturbed…

Luo Yueqing didn't notice the change in her expression. As if giving up, she shifted her gaze to the low table.

Though Luo Yueqing was drunk, she had only had those few drinks earlier. On the table now were a fruit platter and pastries. The Ruyi Cake she had been craving was among them, but the top two pieces had already been taken by someone.

Luo Yueqing released the hand she was holding and reached for a grape from the fruit platter. She popped it into her mouth but didn't eat it, instead holding it between her lips and teeth. She looked at the other woman with dark, moist, doe-like eyes, as if in invitation.

So she hadn't given up. She was trying to curry favor by mimicking what Zhong Jueyu had done before.

Zhong Jueyu looked up at this little troublemaker. In the past, when others tried to please her, they either went to great lengths to be clever or piled on extravagant luxuries. This one, however, had copied her own method and done it poorly, with not an ounce of sincerity.

She couldn't be bothered to forgive her. She didn't want to deal with this person.

Luo Yueqing just blinked, not understanding why the other wasn't accepting her offering.

A clamor arose from downstairs. The top courtesan had stopped on stage, her charming peach-blossom eyes smiling as she looked around. Then came the bids, one after another.

It was an "old tradition" in The Blissful Pavilion: the highest bidder could personally go on stage to remove the top courtesan's veil, after which she would return to her room with him to be his wife for a night.

The noise drew the attention of both of them, and they couldn't help but turn to look.

Zhong Jueyu frowned slightly. A couple of the voices sounded familiar, as if they belonged to a few ministers from the court, and even some of her former subordinates.

Meanwhile, Luo Yueqing bit down on the grape, finished it in a few bites, and then suddenly shouted, "Two thousand taels!"

The Blissful Pavilion fell silent. Zhong Jueyu's expression, which had just begun to soften, instantly turned cold and severe.

The only one unaffected was the little Daoist, who was still chewing her grape. She looked around, and seeing that no one else was bidding, she stood up and pattered downstairs.

The floor below was dead silent. For all their boisterous shouting, the actual bids hadn't exceeded five hundred taels. In Great Liang, one hundred taels was enough for a family of five to live comfortably for a lifetime, let alone two thousand.

Two thousand taels for one night with a courtesan?

Not even the most insane profligate would do such a thing!

Shocked and bewildered, the crowd watched the little Daoist approach, unconsciously parting to make a path for her.

The little Daoist's steps were unsteady. The wine jug she clutched in her arms was actually filled with sobering soup. Under the gazes of the entire crowd, she walked onto the high stage.

"Master Daoist?" The top courtesan was also in disbelief. She confirmed, "Master Daoist, you must have misspoken in your drunkenness. You can still take it back."

But the little Daoist ignored her, single-mindedly pulling a thick stack of silver notes from her robes.

Li Shigui had stuffed them into her hands, worried she might see something she liked and not have the money to buy it.

This wasn't particularly surprising. Li Shigui and Ruan He had followed the Grand Princess for so many years that all their living expenses were covered by the princess's estate. They also received a handsome salary. Moreover, when the emperor had recently bestowed new rewards, he hadn't promoted them further but had instead given them land, silver, and jewels.

So the two had amassed considerable savings. And since Li Shigui knew Luo Yueqing was the one Her Highness favored, she had been even more generous, stuffing two thousand taels into her hands at once. She had hoped to do her a favor, so that if she ever made a mistake and was punished, Luo Yueqing might remember this and put in a good word for her with some pillow talk.

But she never imagined the little Daoist would use it to throw at the top courtesan!

Standing not far away, Li Shigui watched with a look of utter despair and numbness in her eyes.

It seemed that pillow talk was out of the question. Her Highness's punishment, however, was likely coming soon.

Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, the little Daoist tossed the silver notes into the courtesan's arms and reached out to pull off her veil.

The red gauze was plucked away by her fingers, revealing the woman's delicate and movingly beautiful face.

The crowd forgot their shock, their gazes turning greedy as they stared, afraid to miss a single second.

But the little Daoist merely nodded, then turned and walked away. Her movements were crisp and decisive, without a hint of lingering.

The courtesan subconsciously tried to follow, but the little Daoist turned back and said, "Don't follow me."

She could only stand there, an unprecedented look of bewilderment on her face, unable to understand why this patron, who had spent two thousand taels—enough to buy her outright—had left after taking only a veil.

No one else understood either. It was something not even the biggest fool in the world would do, yet this drunken little Daoist had done it.

Could this be the unconventional freedom of a Daoist cultivator?

The crowd was baffled, unable to comprehend it.

The little Daoist pattered back up the stairs, pushed open the door with a bang, and looked inside.

The Grand Princess was still sitting there. At some point, she had poured herself a cup of tea and was sipping it leisurely.

Luo Yueqing walked in, clutching the wine jug in one arm and the two-thousand-tael veil in the other, and sat down right next to the Grand Princess.

Zhong Jueyu spoke. "Had enough fun?"

Her tone was the same as ever, seemingly unchanged, and her expression was just as faint.

The little Daoist nodded and said with righteous conviction, "See? She's not as good as you."

So it was still about the first question. It was hard to follow a drunkard's logic. To her, Zhong Jueyu's silence meant the previous issue hadn't been resolved, so she had actually spent two thousand taels to prove her point.

Zhong Jueyu lowered her head to sip her tea, her downcast eyes dark and inscrutable.

The person beside her, still oblivious, leaned happily against the Grand Princess and mumbled, "I told you. How could she possibly compare to you?"

Perhaps because of the alcohol, the little Daoist's words were slurred, the syllables sticking together with a drowsy feeling.

But Zhong Jueyu repeated, "Had enough fun?"

Luo Yueqing couldn't follow her train of thought. Thinking the other wanted to take her home, she nodded dumbly.

Zhong Jueyu tilted her head slightly, her gaze falling on the wine jug in her arms. "Want more to drink?" she asked.

Her emotions were unreadable, her tone calm and considerate.

Luo Yueqing blinked. She vaguely remembered Li Shigui telling her that they would go back once she finished the entire jug of sobering soup. Misunderstanding once again, Luo Yueqing lifted the jug with one hand and began to chug it straight from the spout.

Since she had already drunk most of it, it didn't take much effort to finish it off. She then set it aside and beamed at Zhong Jueyu. "Finished."

She looked like she was seeking praise, with a touch of childish pride.

Zhong Jueyu smiled, as if in response. She reached out, took the veil Luo Yueqing was still clutching, and asked, "Do you like it?"

Luo Yueqing was still confused. She looked at the veil and actually gave it serious thought before replying, "It's alright."

It was, after all, the veil of the top courtesan. It wasn't ordinary gauze but a vibrant red silk, embroidered with a blooming peony in gold thread. It was quite beautiful.

Zhong Jueyu chuckled lightly, then said with an ambiguous tone, "Then why don't you wear it?"

"Huh?" Luo Yueqing was a little dazed, but she nodded anyway. She didn't think much of it; she couldn't think much of it.

The next second, she saw Zhong Jueyu fold the veil into a strip, cover Luo Yueqing's eyes with it, and tie a dead knot behind her head.

Blinded, Luo Yueqing could only see a field of red. The loss of her most important sense was terrifying. She subconsciously raised her hands to tear it off, but they were intercepted midway. Her wrists were seized and pressed down.

She couldn't help but fall backward, landing on the bamboo-matted floor. Before she could react, she felt the other's body cover hers. She instinctively tried to raise her hands to support the other's waist, but Zhong Jueyu grabbed her wrists and pinned them above her head.

"Mmph…"

A muffled sound escaped her blocked lips, followed immediately by a cry of pain.

The little Daoist felt terribly wronged and quickly cried out, "It hurts…"

But the force didn't lessen. At this moment, Zhong Jueyu was like a reckless brute who knew nothing, devoid of any gentleness. Teeth clashed, sharp edges scraped against lips, and then she bit down hard.

Red marks formed on her wrists, and no amount of struggling could free them. Her bent legs were forcefully pressed back down.

The metallic taste of blood filled her mouth.

Luo Yueqing arched her back, trying to breathe, but her mouth was covered again, leaving her with nothing but a world of red.

Her arched back slammed against the floor. Their clothes, pressed together, tangled, the crimson robe and the azure Daoist robe becoming a mess in the struggle.

When one loses their sight, their other senses become exceptionally sharp, especially hearing.

Luo Yueqing could hear the chaotic sounds from downstairs starting up again, the rustling of the bamboo mat as they struggled, and the other's increasingly heavy breathing.

Even in her drunken state, the little Daoist sensed danger, like prey targeted by a hunter who had drawn their bow and taken aim.

She couldn't help but try to retreat, but there was only the cool mat behind her.

Her bitten lip beaded with blood, which was then smeared everywhere.

The lack of oxygen made her mind go blank, and in her drunkenness, she found a brief moment of clarity.

Luo Yueqing mumbled, "Zhong Jinyan, it hurts."

Her voice was laced with tears; she was truly in pain.

The other person finally slowed down, pulling back slightly before pressing close again, as if she had actually listened.

Thinking this method worked, the girl cried out again, "It's broken, it hurts."

Her voice was so aggrieved she sounded like she was about to burst into tears. Normally, Zhong Jueyu's heart would have softened, and she would have started cooing gentle reassurances.

But this time, Zhong Jueyu didn't respond. She simply moved slightly lower and bit down on the other's neck.

So she hadn't been forgiven. She had just changed her target.

"Hiss!" The little Daoist cried out in pain, her entire back tensing up.

And Zhong Jueyu still hadn't let go…

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