Qi Huan's voice quickly interrupted her thoughts.
"Tao Su, Aunt Shuang's true identity is the madam of the Intoxicated Flower House."
The Intoxicated Flower House was the most famous brothel in the Capital City. The women there were not simply selling their bodies; they had both talent and beauty. They could discuss poetry, ideals, and life philosophy, as well as which positions their clients preferred.
Although the imperial court strictly prohibited officials from visiting prostitutes, there were still some bold officials who succumbed to temptation.
However, what Qi Huan hadn't expected was that the Intoxicated Flower House also catered to eunuchs.
Was her knowledge limited?
According to Second Sister's report, a pale, beardless old eunuch was escorted in through the back door. Soon after, strange noises were heard coming from Aunt Shuang's room.
Just as Second Sister lifted a roof tile to take a peek, she was keenly detected by the old eunuch.
She quickly judged that the old eunuch's martial arts skills surpassed her own.
Without lingering to look further, she ran away at full speed, taking a detour to the Mansion of Prince Shun - her master's old rival - in an attempt to make the old eunuch think she was one of Prince Shun's people.
Finally, she jumped into a dry well, deliberately suppressing her breath. Only after the old eunuch had completely left did she cautiously make her way back.
"Although I only caught a glimpse, I saw three people in the room. A woman was lying alone on the bed, and the sounds were coming from her mouth. Aunt Shuang and the old eunuch were whispering to each other nearby. They seemed to be arguing and mentioned something about a consort..."
The imperial harem was full of consorts, almost to the point of overflowing. This was all thanks to the Longshun Emperor's efforts in recent years.
Originally, there were limited consort positions, and logically, there shouldn't have been so many.
But the Longshun Emperor didn't want to show favoritism.
Consort Li sang beautifully, Consort Rou danced gracefully, Consort Jia was stunningly beautiful, Consort Yu was as elegant as a chrysanthemum... he liked them all.
So he simply promoted them all to consort positions, just to see their smiles.
Qi Huan had to change the direction of her questioning to Second Sister: "Do you remember any distinguishing features of the old eunuch? Describe them to your master so he can investigate. I have a feeling the Intoxicated Flower House isn't as simple as it seems."
Initially, she was investigating Aunt Shuang just to protect one of her own - Tao Su.
Now that she knew Aunt Shuang had connections to the palace, and considering the many nobles who frequented the Intoxicated Flower House, she couldn't help but worry if there might be something threatening Shu.
As she pondered, Second Sister answered:
"My lady, his appearance was too ordinary. He had a slightly hunched back, a pale face without a beard, just like all the eunuchs in the palace. Other than that, two eyes, one nose, one mouth - there were no notable features to remember. Even if I described him, it would be difficult for our palace informants to identify him..."
At this moment, Tao Su stepped forward.
"I'll do it!"
"Aunt Shuang has gone to great lengths to get close to me. Whatever her purpose is, for us, this is a good opportunity to uncover the truth. I'll pretend to go along with her, and eventually, I'll be able to figure out her background."
"I'll go to the appointment tomorrow at noon."
After speaking resolutely, Tao Su winked at Second Sister: "Sister, please protect me!"
Second Sister looked at Qi Huan, waiting for her orders.
Qi Huan didn't answer immediately. After thinking for a moment, she said, "It's a bit risky."
"My lady, my mother used to say, 'You can't catch a tiger cub without entering the tiger's den.' As long as I can help you, I'm not afraid of anything."
"Is this what they call 'a loyal person would die for someone who understands them'? ... You rescued me from my father and stepmother, gave me food and shelter, and taught me to be self-reliant. Most importantly, you always agree with what my mother used to say. So, I'm willing to do this."
"Besides, I want to find out if I really have a sister. Why did my mother never mention her? Why did she abandon her? ... I have many questions."
Tao Su's eyes grew more determined: "Please, my lady, allow me to do this. I want to uncover these buried secrets and see the path my mother once walked."
The flame in the lamp flickered, causing the light in the room to waver between bright and dim.
Qi Huan picked up a pair of silver scissors nearby and trimmed the wick, making the candlelight instantly brighter.
She raised her eyes to look at Tao Su's small face illuminated by the light and carefully instructed, "Your safety comes first. Besides Second Sister, I'll hire more people to protect you secretly."
"It won't be Zhu Yan, will it?" Tao Su blurted out instinctively.
Last time, the lady had hired him to dispose of a body.
And he seemed to have impressive martial arts skills...
Qi Huan smiled gently, "We could hire him too."
The loving look in her eyes couldn't deceive anyone.
When Tao Su and Zhu Yan bickered, both their eyes sparkled, and their pupils were filled with each other's reflections.
Hiring Zhu Yan to protect Tao Su put her mind at ease.
Tao Su felt a bit embarrassed under her all-knowing gaze.
She responded shyly, "...Well, I could talk to him. I'm more familiar with him, so maybe I can get him to lower his price."
"...Alright," Qi Huan chuckled.
Her little maid was quite good, knowing to be considerate of her finances.
She'd save the money for now. When it came time for Tao Su to get married, she'd prepare a generous dowry for her, ensuring she'd never lack for Tao Su pastries for the rest of her life.
After settling this matter, Qi Huan went back to her room to fetch a hundred taels of silver and handed it to Tao Su: "Go back and rest early. Tomorrow when you go out, have Second Sister and Zhu Yan accompany you. Give this hundred taels to Zhu Yan first, and I'll pay more when the term is up."
"Alright!"
After Tao Su and Second Sister took their leave, the distant sound of the second night watch could be heard.
Without realizing it, it was time for the night curfew.
Qi Huan returned to her room and took out a table lamp. Under the bright light, she began to sew a pouch while waiting for Li Shuchen.
The pouch she had embroidered last time was used to trick Xiu Yuan, claiming it was a Universe Bag. So she had to make a new one for Li Shuchen.
To avoid the common scene in TV dramas where embroidering always results in pricked fingers, she sewed very slowly.
She was so focused on her battle with the needle and thread that she didn't even notice when Li Shuchen arrived.
It wasn't until Li Shuchen took the needle and thread from her hands and started sewing, albeit with slightly unfamiliar movements, that she realized.
Under the dazzling white light, the man's figure was as straight as bamboo, his features as fine as a painting.
And he could even sew pouches!
His stitches were even neater than hers.
Qi Huan's delighted gaze moved from his slender fingers to his calm and cool face, tracing every inch of his delicate features.
Her eyes brimmed with longing after days of separation.
"Shu, I missed you so much."
Li Shuchen gave a soft "Mm" in response, then tied off the string and attached the pouch to her waist. "If Huan doesn't like embroidery, there's no need to do it specially for me. More than a pouch, I prefer to see you carefree and worry-free."
When he had entered the room earlier, he had caught sight of Qi Huan's entire face scrunched up like a steamed bun, her lips pursed as she clumsily threaded the needle.
Because she was so close to her work, her eyes had nearly crossed, making him both amused and concerned.
Li Shuchen took her delicate fingers, as slender as spring onions, and began to massage them.
His pale, refined features contrasted yet harmonized with the extreme gentleness he exuded. In front of others, Li Shuchen was like snow on a mountain peak, cold and distant. But in front of her, he suddenly melted into a pool of spring water, making her willingly sink into its depths.
Qi Huan stood on her tiptoes, hooked her arms around his neck, puckered her red lips, and said softly, "Kiss me."
Invited by her, Li Shuchen's eyes darkened. His strong hands gripped her slender waist, lifting her up like a child, and he kissed her passionately and fervently.
In the midst of their fiery kiss, Qi Huan felt something cold and hard pressing against her.
She reached out and pulled it out.
It was a gun, about eight or nine tenths similar to the model she had given him.
This was a real gun.
