Chapter 423
"We want Hua Gu Niang!"
Xie Xuan's voice came low from beneath his straw hat.
The matron shot him a glance but ignored him, turning her attention to Li Mo instead.
Li Mo cleared his throat lightly.
"Yes, let's find Hua Gu Niang."
The matron's expression turned difficult. "Young Master Li, since this is your first visit, we certainly wouldn't dare to neglect you. However, Ning Niang is different from the other girls; she only performs, she doesn't sell her body."
"Her tea session slots are quite precious, and today they are already fully booked."
"Oh? Then let's come back tomorrow."
Li Mo felt a bit disappointed.
Understanding the underlying nuances, Xie Xuan transmitted a message:
"What the matron means is, we need to pay extra."
"Why didn't you say so earlier..."
Li Mo thought to himself that the schemes in the imperial capital were far deeper than those in Ziyang Prefecture.
"Can we book the whole place?"
...
In a secluded chamber.
In the bronze mirror, a pair of starry peach blossom eyes and a face as delicate as spring were illuminated.
Just based on this intangible allure, she truly deserved her former rank as third on the list of the most beautiful women.
Of course, now she was ranked fourth.
"Niangzi, niangzi, someone wants to book the whole place!" a maid rushed in, breathless.
"Don't make a fuss."
Hua Nongying applied her lip balm, speaking softly, "No matter which nobleman it is, just refuse them."
Countless people had flocked to her, entranced, including high-ranking officials and powerful cultivators.
"Really? But it's Young Master Li who wants to book the whole place."
"Which Young Master Li?"
The maid paused, her fingers stilling.
"The one you often mentioned, the 'Divine Hammer Little Overlord,' the one who brings good fortune to his wife. They say he and Han Xianzi are a pair, but who knew he would..."
As the maid spoke, she suddenly fell silent and quickly knelt down.
"I deserve to die..."
Since the top three spots on the beauty list had been taken, the name Han Xianzi had become taboo here.
"Hehe... get up."
Hua Nongying seemed to be in a good mood today.
"You go personally and say that we've already promised the guest today and accepted the gift money, so we can't book the whole place again. Then invite him to the courtyard."
"Aren't you very interested in him? Mama seems eager for you to agree to the booking."
After all, the gifts from Little Li were simply too generous.
"You don't understand."
Hua Nongying picked up a jade hairpin, squinting her eyes with a charming smile.
"People, you know, those at home are not as good as those outside, and those outside are not as good as those stolen from others. And stealing from others is not as good as not being able to steal at all."
She cradled her face, a seductive rose hue appearing in her eyes.
Wasn't she just the same?
She particularly enjoyed ruining the hearts of others.
Just thinking about it being Han Xianzi's beloved, and still the fourth-ranked young hero of Qianlong, made her involuntarily squeeze her legs together.
---
Chapter 469: Human Stools, Tea Sessions
The spring breeze stirred the pearl curtains of the small courtyard, creating a lingering sound, like the fluttering of heartstrings.
There were thirteen guests, when usually there would only be ten.
But since Little Li had the cash, such rules were hardly significant; one couldn't expect the rules of a pleasure house to be very strict...
However, when Li Mo was led inside by the maid, he was taken aback.
Not for any other reason, but because of the furnishings in the room.
There were no stools in the courtyard, or rather, there were no normal stools; the guests were seated...
On beautiful women, each one supporting herself on the ground, arching her body like a bridge, as if trained in some form of martial arts like the Iron Bridge.
They wore ink-like makeup, yet their beautiful faces were visible, the kind that would turn heads on the street, but their expressions were numb, as if their faces were not skin but masks.
They were human stools.
Not just stools; many other items were similarly fashioned.
"This..."
Li Mo's brows furrowed deeply.
"Hehehe... Young Master Li hasn't been to the imperial capital, so you wouldn't know."
The matron waved her handkerchief, summoning a human stool.
"Just try it, you'll see. It's warm and soft to sit on, and you can play with them at will. The high-ranking officials in the capital keep quite a few at home."
"But they... are people!"
An unparalleled sense of absurdity surged within Li Mo.
Everything before him clashed with the worldview he had grown up with under the red flag.
"What are you talking about? Many lowly folks would love to suffer this fate but have no chance."
The matron couldn't understand Li Mo's shock and indignation. She said,
"Being a stool, a chamber pot, or a spittoon for a few years can earn enough money for a lifetime, allowing them to find a good family to marry into."
"How expensive are houses in the imperial capital? It's better than dying without a place to be buried."
"......."
A surge of unnamed anger rose within Li Mo, but he also felt a sense of helplessness.
This wasn't right, but they were doing it willingly, for a better life.
But...
At that moment, a guest dressed in fine silk laughed, "Hey, Young Master, if you can't even handle this, don't go to the restroom later. I’m afraid you’ll be scared; if you need to pee, just hold it in!"
"One night, don’t let anything go wrong!"
"Hahaha..."
As soon as these words were spoken, the other guests laughed mockingly, and the small courtyard suddenly filled with a cheerful atmosphere.
Li Mo realized that the people of the imperial capital seemed to have grown accustomed to this.
Those sitting on human stools and those being used as stools didn't see anything wrong with what they had always accepted.
Xie Xuan opened his mouth but felt as if something invisible was blocking it, unsure of what to say.
"Shut up."
A cold voice suddenly came from beside him, brief yet commanding.
The room fell silent.
The icy figure's cold gaze turned to the matron, who shrank back, feeling a chill. This young master exuded an air of nobility, suggesting a significant background.
A few normal stools were brought out.
Once seated, a graceful figure emerged from behind the courtyard's screen. Before she arrived, her voice was heard:
"Who is so disrespectful as to trouble my guests here?"
The few guests who had just been cowed by the 'Han surname young master' immediately straightened up; they were all regulars.
Though they hadn’t enjoyed the services, there was still a sense of camaraderie in business.
As the owner of this place, Nongying Niangzi would surely stand by their side...
"Ah, it’s actually Young Master Li visiting! Had I known, I would have gone to greet you personally..."
Hua Nongying's watery eyes looked at Li Mo, her surprised expression perfectly mingled with a hint of shyness.
The other guests: "?"
They had never seen this guest before; wasn’t he just a bit handsome? Why the fuss!
Xie Xuan: "????"
Seeing those expressive eyes, his gaze momentarily lost focus beneath his straw hat, but soon turned complex.
After all, she wasn’t sending him flirtatious glances.
No, something was off.
Could it be that Nongying already knew Li Mo? Surely Li Mo couldn’t have come here on his own accord!
He felt a bit disheveled, but fortunately, though he was a backup love-struck fool, he wasn’t completely clueless. Li Mo had just arrived in the imperial capital, and today he had brought Han Xianzi along; it was impossible for him to have known Hua Nongying beforehand.
"?"
The icy figure narrowed her serene eyes, her smile appearing somewhat gentle.
The foot wrapped in boots under the table lightly stepped on Little Li's foot.
"I'm a bit hungry."
"What do you want to eat?"
Li Mo sat up straight.
To be fair, was Hua Nongying beautiful? Yes, she was indeed beautiful, and her charm could turn steel into softness; her rank as the fourth on the beauty list was well-deserved.
But to be fair, she was not the type that the upright Li Mo would like!
Having experienced the harsh realities of the previous life, Little Li could confidently say, "I can tell at a glance that you’re a bad woman..."
"Xiao Long Bao, with extra seasoning," Han Bing said softly.
"Eat less; too much vinegar is bad for your stomach."
Li Mo quietly took out a dish of vinegar from his system space.
"?"
Hua Nongying was taken aback.
In her life, she had never seen a man—or rather, a male creature—who wouldn’t even glance at her.
That was one thing, but his attention was entirely focused on another man accompanying him.
Excuse me?
But someone with such a preference shouldn’t come to a brothel, especially since Li Mo was known as the 'Fortunate Wife Duel Spirit'...
It couldn’t just be that he was simply... not interested in her, right?
Her eyelids twitched, but she quickly regained her charming demeanor, smiling at everyone:
"Then let today’s tea session begin."
The tea session involved drinking games or poetry and song, a time for merriment.
In the end, whoever pleased Hua Nongying would be allowed to stay the night.
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