At this moment, Zhou Shengsheng looked somewhat tearfully at the heavily made-up woman standing before her.
"Do you see now? You've tied up the wrong person!" Du Sanniang, pointing at Zhou Shengsheng's face, burst out angrily at the servant behind her.
The servant shrank, saying aggrievedly, "They were both dressed alike, how was I to know I got the wrong person?"
His evasive demeanor irritated Du Sanniang so, she kicked him vigorously, "Out of my sight! You're more of a problem than you're worth!"
Du Sanniang was the madam of Yihong brothel, which outwardly conducted legitimate businesses, but was in fact a part of the human trade, always eyeing women of distinctive charm.
Yesterday, she had heard a rumor that two foreigners had arrived in town, one of whom was especially eye-catching, and she couldn't help but take a peek.
True enough, the girl in the white dress was probably one of the purest personalities Du Sanniang had encountered in all her years in this line of business.
Numerous rich merchants were notorious for their particular tastes, and couldn't help but harbor ill intentions toward the young maiden.
Now, her servant had mistakenly nabbed the wrong person, and she was livid.
However, when she raised her head to scrutinize Zhou Shengsheng's face more carefully, she scoffed, "Ordinary looking, but this red mole under your eye has some charm to it."
“From now on, you'll be called Little Red."
Zhou Shengsheng: ".........”
Screw Little Red! Others are named after flowers like Azalea, Green Lotus, Peony, and Paeonia.
Why was she stuck with Little Red!!??
"Don't even think about escaping. Now that you're in my hands, you'll spend the rest of your life here." Du Sanniang chuckled, walking away, swaying her hips.
Once the door was closed and locked, Zhou Shengsheng could only lament her misfortune.
"Pang, if you don’t come up with a plan soon, my name’s going to be Little Red for good." she spoke up.
A plump little panda, which had been hiding in her hair, flew out trying hard to suppress its laughter, especially tickled by Madame’s use of ‘Little Red’.
"Isn't Little Red nice, it sounds more exotic than Tails, hahaha!" Pang chuckled, spinning around in place.
"I'm really fed up, can you go look at the door, is anyone guarding it?"
Pang flew over, peeked through the door crack and reported: "Two of them."
"Do you have anything that can knock people out, a powder or something?"
After thinking for a moment, Pang produced a bottle of something called 'Drowsy Potion.'
Apparently, an import from the magical world.
After Pang helped Zhou Shengsheng untie the ropes, she held her breath, then began to move forcefully and loudly around the room.
Just as expected, it drew the guards' attention.
But as soon as the door was unlocked and they entered, before they could even respond, the guards suddenly passed out.
Zhou Shengsheng quickly shut the door and put the lock back on.
By the time she stepped out, it was already growing dark.
It seemed to be a small courtyard. As she snuck out, she began to hear the hearty laughter of women from the brightly lit Yihong brothel ahead.
If she wanted to get out of here, she would have to go through the front gate of the Yihong brothel.
The smell of rouge, the pale skin of the women, and the beautiful butterfly-like skirt hems were Zhou Shengsheng’s first impressions of the brothel.
There were women of all sorts of attire within the Yihong brothel, so her veiled face did not stand out as much.
Dodging the man who attempted to embrace her, Zhou Shengsheng had gone through endless hardships to reach the entrance.
This presented a problem.
The entrance was guarded by the old Madame and security. It was seemingly impossible for her to leave.
Gritting her teeth, Zhou Shengsheng hid beside a broad, overweight man, hoping to slip past unnoticed.
She was so close to the exit when she was abruptly pulled into a tender embrace.
A faint sandalwood fragrance emanated from his tall figure.
Zhou Shengsheng, suppressing a scream on the tip of her tongue, looked up in terror.
What met her gaze was a smooth chin as pure as jade, and a pair of eyes gleaming with mild laughter.
["Song Weiqing? The respectable prince is visiting Yihong brothel?"]
Song Weiqing: "......" so the surprise is about this?
Upon learning Zhou Shengsheng’s residence, Song Weiqing personally made his way there. Upon their encounter, he could sense her anxieties and fascinating heart pulses.
"My lady, may I know your name? The moment I saw you, I felt enamored." Beneath the old Madame’s suspicious and dubious gaze, Song Weiqing, cradling her in one arm, proceeded upstairs, asking for a private room.
Zhou Shengsheng did not resist, but kept her face buried in his chest, terrified that the old Madame may suspect something.
She had intentionally changed her clothing. Her current appearance made her easily pass as one of the brothel girls.
Without giving the old Madame a chance to inspect closely, Song Weiqing quickly shut the door.
She doubted whether he would recognize her or if this devious and lecherous man was having lustful intentions towards her.
A faint, elegant smile adorned Song Weiqing's lips. Maintaining his hold on Zhou Shengsheng, he gracefully sat on the bed after parting the curtains.
"Why doesn’t the lady answer my question?" He asked softly, gently stroking Zhou Shengsheng's hair.
Pretending to be shy, Zhou Shengsheng moved closer to hide from his grasp and feigned a melodramatic voice to say, "My Lord, my name is Xiaohong~"
["Xiaohong~ Xiaohong~ Yihong brothel's favorite~"]
Holding back laughter, Song Weiqing responded with a smile: "Nice name."
His words contained a heavy note of amusement, making them sound slightly insincere.
Zhou Shengsheng replied with a forced smile.
["Pang, do we have any sleeping potion left? Use it quickly. I can't escape if he isn't knocked out."]
With such a self-explanatory name, he understood the purpose of the sleeping potion almost instantly.
Song Weiqing swiftly set her down: "Miss Xiaohong, although I am fond of you, I will not force you to submit."
"How about this? Perform a talent for me and in return, I will grant you a wish. How does that sound?" He brought out a string of Bodhi beads with Kirin eyes and played with them absentmindedly while seeming disinterested.
Zhou Shengsheng hesitated for a moment then reluctantly said, "Since my Lord has proposed so, I shall perform a magic trick for you. Okay?"
Song Weiqing seemed intrigued, "What is a magic trick?"
She gave a slight chuckle, "It’s a stunt. However, my trick is different from those performed by the artists on the streets. For mine, I require your assistance."
Upon hearing it was just a trick, Song Weiqing lost some of his initial interest. Nevertheless, he wanted to see what novelty this little thing had in store.
So, he nodded in agreement.
“Please lie down, young master.” Zhou Shengsheng's tender hand gently rested on Song Weiqing's chest, coaxing him to lie down.
Song Weiqing raised an eyebrow, his gaze filled with ambiguity as he looked at her.
Did she regret it? Was she offering herself to him?
After all, she was born and raised in the palace, thus her limited perspective.
Impatience began to creep in and Song Weiqing was about to dismiss this conceited palace girl.
However, in the next moment, the young girl on top of him sweetly voiced--
"Don't blink, young master~"
【Your little red darling will perform a hypnotic act on you, the wicked pig's coward~】
Her words had barely faded when Song Weiqing suddenly detected a sweet and cloying aroma. It was not good, he had fallen into this maiden's trap!
Nevertheless, it was too late, he had already inhaled quite a bit.
Subsequently, he fell into a deep slumber.
