Zhu Yan had already made plans for this. They couldn’t leave empty-handed, so she had prepared disguises to ensure they could enter smoothly.
“We need to change not just our appearances, but also our names and identities. This way, they’ll have a hard time recognizing us,” Zhu Yan said thoughtfully, stroking her chin and looking at the distant teahouse. “You go find some clothes, and I’ll prepare some disguise materials.”
Zhu Yan’s division of labor was clear, and Pan Chi had no objections. Just as he was about to go find clothes, Shen Du appeared, having caught up with them.
Glancing at the distant teahouse, Zhu Yan had her back to him and didn’t notice his arrival.
“Are you sure it’s here?” Shen Du’s sudden question startled Zhu Yan.
She quickly turned around to see Shen Du standing behind her with a dark expression. “When did you get here? You walk so quietly, you could scare someone to death.”
Zhu Yan’s tone was full of reproach, but Shen Du paid no attention. He merely narrowed his eyes, staring at the distant teahouse, and asked, “This looks like an ordinary teahouse. How could you know there’s more to it inside?”
“Hehe…” Zhu Yan chuckled, “If they didn’t package themselves this way, did you expect them to openly run a gambling den?”
Shen Du lowered his gaze and gave Zhu Yan a light tap on the head. “Enough chatter. Have you figured out how to get in?”
“Mm.” Zhu Yan responded, rubbing her forehead with displeasure. “Be gentler, that hurt.”
Hearing Zhu Yan says this, Shen Du’s heart trembled, and concern seeped into his voice, “I barely used any strength. Did it hurt?”
Seeing Shen Du’s concern, Zhu Yan playfully pouted, “Of course it hurt. Would I joke about this?”
“I…” Shen Du was about to say something when Pan Chi’s voice interrupted.
“Alright, I’ve got the clothes,” Pan Chi said, approaching them and distributing the clothes he was carrying. “They’re all men’s clothes. Sorry about that, but women aren’t usually welcome in gambling dens.”
“Mm.” Zhu Yan didn’t mind and nodded quickly. She glanced at the clothes in her arms, then looked at Shen Du and said, “To avoid suspicion, we’ve decided to go in disguise. You should change quickly too. I’ll go find a household to change in.”
This time, Shen Du had no objections. He nodded slightly and watched Zhu Yan leave.
When Zhu Yan emerged from the farmhouse dressed as a dashing young gentleman, both men were stunned. How could this woman pull this off? Attractive as both a man and a woman?
She was captivating in women’s clothes, and now she looked elegant in men’s attire. It was truly a sight to behold.
Even Pan Chi, with his extraordinary looks, felt inferior to Zhu Yan’s male disguise.
“What a handsome young master indeed,” Pan Chi teased as he approached. Shen Du, however, looked displeased.
It wasn’t for any other reason than the fact that Zhu Yan’s outfit was the same color as Pan Chi’s, which irritated him greatly.
They looked like a matching pair, which was quite eye-catching.
Receiving Pan Chi’s praise, Zhu Yan beamed. She came to Shen Du, showing off, “How do I look? Handsome, right? Even more than you?”
Shen Du deliberately puffed out his chest and looked at Zhu Yan with disdain. “What use is looking good? A shorty like you, if you were a man, you probably couldn’t even find a wife.”
“…” Zhu Yan was nearly choked by Shen Du’s words, while Pan Chi couldn’t help but laugh.
Zhu Yan’s male disguise was indeed nearly perfect, except for her height.
Feeling indignant, Zhu Yan stomped her foot and walked towards the teahouse alone. The two men quickly followed.
“We can’t act rashly now. We need a foolproof plan to get in,” Pan Chi hurried to catch up with Zhu Yan, speaking in a low voice.
Zhu Yan had already planned everything in her mind. She pointed her left hand at Shen Du, “He’s Sun Daniu.”
Then she pointed her right hand at Pan Chi, “You’re…”
Pan Chi: “Liu Qingming.”
Zhu Yan paused, then nodded. Finally, she pointed to herself, “I’m Wan Erge.”
A flock of crows seemed to fly over the two men’s heads. This woman was indeed full of ideas, coming up with names so quickly.
But what Shen Du couldn’t understand was why their names had such meaning, while he was stuck with the common name Sun Daniu.
Before he could ask why, Zhu Yan continued, “We’re three merchants who’ve come here on business. We have nothing but money, and we’re just looking for a place to have some fun.”
It sounded well-arranged, but the two men had already made other plans in their minds.
After all, a gambling den was a chaotic place. Even though they had planned their identities, they would need to adapt once inside.
“We’ve overlooked the most important issue,” Shen Du, who had been quiet, suddenly spoke up, causing both of them to stop in their tracks.
“What issue?” The two looked at Shen Du, puzzled.
Shen Du’s expression was very profound, “We’re going to a gambling den. Which of you two is proficient in gambling?”
At the mention of gambling, all three naturally knew the rules, but when it came to proficiency, Zhu Yan was suddenly at a loss.
Shen Du’s concern wasn’t unfounded. They were going to a gambling den, and if they weren’t skilled at gambling, they’d just be throwing money away. No matter how much silver they had, it wouldn’t be enough.
Their goal was to win money and keep winning until the gambling den couldn’t cover their bets, forcing the person behind the scenes to come out.
If they weren’t proficient in gambling, wouldn’t this trip be futile? They might even lose more than they bargained for.
Just as Zhu Yan was struggling with this, Pan Chi confidently patted his chest, “You two probably haven’t been exposed to these things in the capital, but I’ve been all over and seen it all. Don’t worry, with me here, I guarantee we’ll win so much they’ll have to hand over the deed to the place.”
Hearing Pan Chi say this, the other two felt relieved. At least one of them was “proficient” in these matters.
They entered the teahouse and ordered a pot of tea. It wasn’t long before their conversation caught the attention of a waiter.
Zhu Yan deliberately spoke loudly about how they were rich but foolish, looking for a place to gamble big, but being new in town, they didn’t know where to go.
She wondered aloud if there was a place where they could have some fun. The waiter exchanged a glance with the shopkeeper, who understood immediately.
Sure enough, after half a cup of tea, the shopkeeper came to their table. He first casually glanced around, then leaned in and asked in a voice only they could hear, “Gentlemen, are you looking for a place to have some fun?”