Third Round:

Luck was still with Third Master. He tossed his hand and threw a six.

Mama Xia must have been cursed—she rolled a one again.

Xie Zhifei looked at Mama Xia with a face full of sympathy. “That Shi Shui was redeemed and left early on, but why are you still here, Mama?”

Mama Xia’s expression changed slightly.

Young Lord Pei pretended to be angry. “Xie Fifty, are you even human? Why do you keep poking at our Mama Xia’s sore spots!”

You’re doing great, kid!

Young Lord Pei praised him in his heart, then also tapped the wine cup with a “ding.” “Say it, what dare do you want Mama Xia to do?”

Xie Zhifei looked remorseful. “It’s all my fault for being too curious. Mama, I’m sorry!”

Having said this, he picked up that pot of bamboo leaf green and had Zhu Qing bring over a large bowl, pouring all the wine into it.

He lifted the bowl and drank more than half in one go, then placed the remaining small portion in front of Mama Xia. “No need to answer—just drink the wine.”

“Oh my, Lord Xie is so good at cherishing and pitying beauties!” Fang Fei covered her mouth and laughed coquettishly.

Mama Xia had spent half her lifetime serving men. What kind of harsh words hadn’t she heard? What kind of humiliating things hadn’t she done?

Lord Xie’s question was nothing to her.

Something suddenly stirred in the depths of Mama Xia’s heart. She picked up the bowl, covered it delicately with her slender hand, and drank the remaining small portion of wine.

“How satisfying!”

Young Lord Pei made clicking sounds. “A hundred years of cultivation to ride the same boat, fifty years to drink from the same bowl—what kind of fate is this?”

“Get lost!”

Xie Zhifei picked up some food with chopsticks for her. “Mama, eat some food. Drinking on an empty stomach harms the body.”

The young, handsome man’s gaze was sincere, his voice deep and gentle. Though his arm was around her, he maintained a perfectly calibrated romance that was not at all objectionable.

Mama Xia laughed “oh my, oh my” twice. “What virtue do I have to deserve having the lord serve me food? I should be serving you. My lord, quick, try these bamboo shoots.”

Only now did Yan Sanhe fully understand—

What made Xie Zhifei truly popular among women wasn’t his face, but his skill at advancing and retreating, pushing and pulling, playing hard to get.

“Again, again!”

At this moment, Young Lord Pei picked up the dice and shouted, “I don’t believe I can’t roll a six.”

As soon as the words left his mouth, a six came. Young Lord Pei was as excited as could be.

Mama Xia had obviously gone to the toilet without washing her hands—her luck was so foul she rolled another one.

Fang Fei covered her lips and laughed, her tone so sour it could be smelled five miles away. “Who knows if this dice has a grudge or feelings for our Mama Xia!”

Why was it always her turn?

It was rare to meet such interesting clients, yet she was hogging all the attention. Didn’t she consider her own age?

Mama Xia had been complaining about her bad luck, but hearing these words, she suddenly felt competitive.

Little hussy, if you can’t keep a man’s heart, you blame me? Why don’t you piss and look at yourself in the reflection?

If I were twenty years younger, where would any of you stand?

“Young Lord Pei, come on, ask!”

Mama Xia twisted her slender waist, her tone like a young girl’s—coquettish and petulant, with a trembling lilt that made Young Lord Pei shiver.

Good heavens!

If my nemesis spoke to me like this, I’d probably forget even the ancestral family laws.

“Don’t ask our Mama Xia anything too difficult.”

Xie Zhifei deliberately pointed at Pei Xiao with a warning tone. “Know when to stop.”

“How can this be something to stop at!”

Young Lord Pei had a mischievous smile. “Mama Xia, which family’s young lady were you originally?”

Hearing this, Mama Xia’s expression changed dramatically.

Courtesans of the Jiaofang Bureau most dreaded being asked about their past—it was the period of good days in their lives they could never forget.

“My punishment is…”

Young Lord Pei pointed at Yan Sanhe: “She knows best.”

Yan Sanhe narrowed her eyes, glanced lightly at Xie Zhifei, and said flatly, “The punishment is to accompany our Lord Xie drinking for a night and chatting about romance for a night.”

Young Lord Pei: “…” That harsh?

Xie Zhifei: “…” Setting me up?

As the saying goes, if you don’t enter the tiger’s den, you can’t catch the tiger cub.

Yan Sanhe’s thinking was simple. Third Master had already laid so much groundwork—don’t waste it. One night was enough time for him to dig things out of Mama Xia.

Xie Zhifei had originally planned this.

But for some reason, hearing these words from Yan Sanhe’s mouth made him a bit uncomfortable, as if she were desperately pushing him out the door.

He looked at Yan Sanhe deeply: How can you do this? Shouldn’t you help guard your brother’s virtue?

This look made Yan Sanhe feel very guilty.

She helped the dead resolve their obsessions and demons, and it was always others who owed her. But with this person before her, she owed him more and more.

She had to investigate the Zheng family case properly and carefully—to repay the favor she owed him.

Xie Zhifei saw the guilt in Yan Sanhe’s eyes clearly. Still too soft-hearted!

He deliberately ignited a flame in his eyes. “Mama Xia, truth or dare—you choose.”

What kind of fierce character was Mama Xia? Her face had already regained composure. Her slender hand picked up the wine cup to feed Xie Zhifei.

“If Lord Xie doesn’t mind that I’m old and faded, I’ll accompany you until we’re both drunk.”

Pei Xiao acted like he was watching a good show. “Fifty, you’re in luck. Mama may be a bit old, but her skills in serving people don’t age!”

Fang Fei saw that Mama Xia, at her age, could still have clients stay overnight, and her sourness overflowed again. “Does Lord Pei dislike that I’m young and don’t serve well?”

Young Lord Pei glanced at Fang Fei and slowly replied with one word: “Yes!”

Fang Fei’s eyes widened in disbelief, and slowly tears welled up. “Since you dislike me, then find someone better!”

Having said this, she stood up abruptly, stamped her foot, turned her head, and ran out the door whimpering.

Yan Sanhe clearly knew that Pei Mingting was doing this to leave all the following time for Xie Zhifei, so she added fuel to the fire.

“Getting angry at the drop of a hat—who’s serving whom here?”

As soon as these words fell, the atmosphere in the room instantly became heavy.

Fang Ling was so frightened her face turned white, looking pitifully at Mama Xia, hoping she would smooth things over.

Mama Xia was seething inside.

Little hussy, do you even know who Lord Pei is? He has countless connections with the Crown Prince’s grandson. How dare you leave him—you’re asking for it!

“Oh dear, Lord Pei, Young Master Yan, the young lady doesn’t understand things. Please be magnanimous and don’t hold it against her.”

Young Master Yan kept a cold face, chin raised haughtily, saying nothing.

Lord Pei picked up another pot of bamboo leaf green, poured it into the empty large bowl, then pointed, showing his attitude.

Mama drinks this bowl of wine, and we won’t hold a grudge!

Mama Xia had already drunk half a pot. Another bowl would definitely make her drunk. She looked pleadingly at Xie Zhifei.

Xie Zhifei smiled lazily. “Alright, the old rule—you half, me half, how about it?”

Having said this, he lowered his head and whispered in Mama Xia’s ear: “Drinking wine this way has flavor, doesn’t it!”