His words were utterly merciless, like picking through dishes on a plate—eating what’s good and throwing what’s bad on the ground.
Any self-respecting person would feel at least somewhat offended hearing such words. After all, weren’t they all human beings? This was supposed to be a mutually beneficial cooperation, so why make it a matter of life and death?
But as it happened, Feng Yue had no shame. No matter how fierce he was, she would press her face close with a bright smile and fawn, “Who else could this servant be loyal to if not you?”
No ice could freeze her fire. She smiled shamelessly, moved shamelessly, and even dared to hook his belt with her leg.
“Why aren’t you afraid of me?” After holding back for a long time, Yin Gezhi finally couldn’t help but ask.
Even someone as close as Guanzhi was often frightened by him. Yet here she was, after sleeping together just a few times, treating him like family. No matter how dark his expression or how menacing his aura, she could handle it. And she would smile at him without any shame.
“Afraid?”
Feng Yue wanted to tell the truth—of course, she was afraid! She just didn’t dare show it too obviously, worried that if she didn’t handle it well and he saw through her, she’d only have the yellow springs to fear then.
But with a light laugh, she turned her face and said, “How could I be afraid? Young Master is a dragon among men. Look at these features, this bearing—you’d make any girl blush just walking down the street. How fortunate am I to stay by your side? What is there to fear?”
Flattery never wears thin! Everyone likes to hear nice words, and hearing them puts one in a better mood. People in good moods generally don’t kill!
Since that was the case, she was willing to speak nice words to Yin Gezhi every day, stroking this master’s fur the right way, absolutely never offending him!
Yin Gezhi fell silent. Where he had been examining her with his gaze before, now he didn’t even have the interest to spare her a glance. He stood up to pour himself a cup of cold water, drinking it with lowered eyes.
Seeing that the master had no more interest in paying attention to her, Feng Yue tactfully withdrew her advances and rolled behind the screen.
“Master, the water.” Lingxu entered carrying a water bucket, struggling to walk toward the screen.
Watching from outside, Guanzhi felt somewhat pitiful and reached out his hand, saying, “Give it to me, I’ll do it.”
Having someone help save effort, Lingxu naturally didn’t refuse, letting go and handing it over before saying, “There’s more, I’ll go get it.”
Guanzhi nodded, carrying the water toward the screen, wondering what all this water was for. A bath?
Just as these two words crossed his mind, his eyes fell upon the scene of the beauty removing her clothes behind the screen.
Drawing in a sharp breath, Guanzhi’s face turned green, and the bucket of water nearly spilled with a “clang.”
Both Feng Yue standing behind the screen and Yin Gezhi sitting at the table snapped to attention—one quickly crouched behind the bath barrel, while the other wordlessly grabbed his attendant by the collar and threw him downstairs.
There was a loud “bang” that made people wince just hearing it.
The window was closed. The door was also closed, and Yin Gezhi stood by the screen with a gloomy expression, reaching out to pour that bucket of water in: “You really have no sense of propriety.”
Poking her head out to rest on the edge of the bath barrel, Feng Yue said pitifully, “This servant knew Lingxu was simple-minded, but didn’t know she was this lacking in sense!”
She had made it clear she was going to bathe, yet that little girl still let Guanzhi pour the water!
Squinting his eyes at her, Yin Gezhi suddenly said, “You lied earlier.”
“Hmm?” Continuing to remove her clothes, Feng Yue responded casually.
“You said you fell into prostitution and served people for a long time before being able to register at Menghui Tower.” Rolling his eyes, Yin Gezhi looked at her: “That was a lie.”
Obviously—if she hadn’t lied, how could someone who appeared out of nowhere qualify to register at Menghui Tower? Wouldn’t that be even more suspicious?
Stripped down to just her undergarments, Feng Yue turned her head and gave him a flirtatious look: “These things don’t seem very important, surely Young Master needn’t mind them?”
Not very important?
Furrowing his brow, Yin Gezhi was about to say something but then remembered that the first time they were intimate, the person before him was already not a virgin.
What did it matter whether she was a courtesan or not? They were doing the same things anyway, so why insist on a title?
He sneered, though it wasn’t clear whether he was disgusted with himself or her. The great Prince Yin had no interest in watching a beauty bathe, so he went back to recline on the soft couch and continue thinking.
The bath barrel was filled, and Lingxu, sporting a string of bumps on her head, withdrew pitifully and closed the door.
Feng Yue looked left and right, then wrapped herself in a thin gauze and went to bolt all the doors and windows. Then she took small steps, her long hair flowing, and swayed in front of the soft couch.
With skin like snow and hair like a waterfall, her body wrapped in red gauze was tantalizingly visible yet hidden—by all accounts, it should have been an alluring scene to make one’s blood rush.
But Yin Gezhi watched her expressionlessly for a long time before curling his lip and saying disdainfully, “You have a hobby of spirit dancing too?”
Her smiling face instantly crumpled as she looked down at herself, feeling wronged: “This servant thought she was dancing like a heavenly immortal.”
After staring at her in disbelief for a long while, Yin Gezhi pointed at the screen: “Get behind there.”
Turning reluctantly, Feng Yue went behind the screen, thought for a moment, and then pushed the folded screen to one side. Gripping the edge of the bath barrel, she cast a seductive glance in the direction of the soft couch.
Yin Gezhi: “…”
The little demon probably thought dying slowly wasn’t interesting enough, so now she dared to be so bold even while bathing—extending her legs, waving her arms, clothes half-fallen, unlimited scenery on display.
Yin Gezhi watched with a cold smile, just leaning against the soft cushions with his arms crossed, waiting to see what kind of spectacle she could make.
Feng Yue was truly trying her best to make a spectacle! After all, the person sitting in the room still had an aura of wariness that hadn’t retreated at all. They were about to be partners—this kind of attitude didn’t give one any sense of security!
Since proper conversation wouldn’t work, she could only resort to seduction. Between men and women, it was still most suitable to talk in bed.
So now, Miss Feng Yue was fully utilizing her bathing time to try to enchant that person with her beauty.
But while she tried her best, it seemed to have no effect. Her hands were practically spinning like windmills, yet she hadn’t seen that lord smile even once.
He was truly difficult to serve!
Stepping on the edge of the bath barrel while still watching Yin Gezhi, Feng Yue wasn’t paying attention. Her foot slipped, and with a “splash,” her whole body fell into the barrel, sending up a huge spray of water.
The coldly observing Prince Yin watched as a duck-like creature tumbled down in a strange posture! The person who had been full of charm moments ago now had only a pair of snow-white feet left visible, frantically waving outside.
Unable to hold back, he burst out laughing. The ice in his eyes completely melted away, light flowing through them, boundlessly beautiful.
After struggling for a while, Feng Yue finally managed to switch the positions of her head and bottom. As soon as she surfaced, she spat out water, blinking her eyes trying to see clearly what was before her.
The sprayed water mist slowly settled. With water in her eyes, she blinked hard. Through the haze, she seemed to see a divine-like person on the soft couch, with gentle features, smiling incredibly beautifully.
However, when she wiped her face and looked carefully again, the divine being was gone. What remained was a master looking at her with complete disdain.
Had she been seeing things?
After staring at him in confusion for a while, upon seeing the mockery in his eyes, Feng Yue finally found some sense of shame. She stopped her antics and turned around to properly wash herself clean.
“What are you doing?” Seeing her dress and sit at the dressing table after coming out, Yin Gezhi frowned.
“Applying makeup,” Feng Yue said while holding eyebrow pigment and looking in the mirror. “Mama Jin said a face is a woman’s greatest weapon. To enter battle, one must first prepare their weapons.”
Rising to grab what was in her hand, he threw it out the window. Yin Gezhi picked her up and said flatly, “A face is a weapon, makeup isn’t—at least not for you.”
Feng Yue was stunned. After thinking for a long while, she remembered—ah yes, this lord had unique tastes. He didn’t like stunning beauties but rather preferred rough and unrefined girls.
So her face was quite suitable.
The bed curtains fell, and as Yin Gezhi pulled at her loose clothing ties, he suddenly asked, “If I wanted to find someone, could you find them too?”
Find someone?
She recalled what Guanzhi had said earlier—his master seemed to be looking for a man.
“As long as they’re from Wu Country and have been to my Menghui Tower, they can all be found,” Feng Yue smiled and said. “But if they’re from elsewhere, this servant’s influence doesn’t reach that far.”
Speaking like this meant she couldn’t find the person he was looking for.
His gaze dimmed slightly, Yin Gezhi lowered his eyes and captured her lips.
Hmm? He was still willing to stay here. Did that mean her performance tonight wasn’t bad, and she could temporarily keep her life?
The stone hanging in her heart finally fell away. Feng Yue smiled, twisting her body to respond to him, giving him the most passion. Like a demon feeding on yang energy, she clung to him and entangled wildly.
Yin Gezhi didn’t refuse, still acting as if nothing had happened, letting her serve him quite comfortably. Afterward, he even stuffed silver notes into her undergarments, like a satisfied customer paying after a meal. “Not bad,” he said contentedly.
Feng Yue ground her teeth, wrapped up the silver notes, and rolled into bed to sleep.
The moonlight was bright and clear. By its light, Yin Gezhi seriously examined this person’s body for the first time.
Just on her back, there were many scars of varying depths. If someone said she was an honest farmer, he wouldn’t believe it. However, after repeatedly checking her meridians, they were weak and difficult to fill, with multiple acupoints blocked throughout her body—pressing them would cause her slight pain.
Such a person had no martial arts skills.
No martial arts, yet carrying a body full of scars. Controlling all of Menghui Tower, yet seeming like an ordinary courtesan easy to manipulate. Using women to gather intelligence wasn’t the mark of a good person, yet his always loyal general would betray him for her.
Most of what she said today was true, he knew, but not the complete truth.
The rest, she wouldn’t say more—he would have to find out himself.
The next morning at daybreak, Mama Jin called an emergency self-rescue meeting for Menghui Tower in the main hall, inviting everyone staying at Menghui Tower except Yin Gezhi to participate.