Across from the gambling house?

The spectators were momentarily puzzled.

What was across from the gambling house that could be used to earn money?

A pawnshop?

No pawnshop would be that conscientious. Even though Young Master Xu’s clothes and accessories were decent, if he truly went to a pawnshop he wouldn’t get much money for them.

Someone who had been to Qianjin Pavilion suddenly realized: “Oh my! Across from Qianjin Pavilion is a male brothel!”

With these words, like hot oil splashing into water droplets, the atmosphere immediately boiled over.

Good heavens, Young Master Xu was going to be sold into a male brothel to repay his gambling debts!

Did the Changchun Marquis Estate know?

The Changchun Marquis Estate servant who had run back to report hadn’t returned yet. The other servant mixed in the crowd also couldn’t stay put and took off running back.

Xu Xi’s face changed drastically as he shouted hoarsely: “You wouldn’t dare!”

The palm-leaf-fan-like large hand leisurely patted his cheeks. The rough hand was like tree bark, scraping against the young man’s tender skin.

“Young Master Xu, tell me why we wouldn’t dare? Do you think you’re still a marquis estate’s young master? Tsk tsk, the dream hasn’t ended yet?”

The others burst into mocking laughter.

“The grand marquis estate’s young master sent off with five hundred taels—truly eye-opening!”

“Isn’t it though? I heard that in those princely and marquis households, silver is piled up like snowflakes, pearls are used as marbles. When even a somewhat presentable maid gets married, the master’s reward is more than this amount…”

Among the spectators were servants from noble households who silently twitched their lips at these words.

These ruffians definitely had some misconceptions about princely and marquis families!

They wouldn’t expose it though—who didn’t want to save face?

Yet these words became countless sharp blades, all stabbing into Xu Xi’s heart. He even forgot to dodge that insulting hand slapping his cheeks.

The leader clasped his hands behind his back: “Take him away!”

Xu Xi was shoved into a stumble and came to his senses, beginning to struggle violently.

“Gag him!”

Following the boss’s order, one man immediately pulled out a sweat cloth, wadded it up, and stuffed it into Xu Xi’s mouth.

Xu Xi’s eyes nearly split with rage, yet he couldn’t shout a single word.

He desperately cast pleading looks toward the crowd of spectators.

At this moment, the young man’s heart no longer held any extravagant hope that the Changchun Marquis Estate would protect him.

The spectators continued to uphold their duty as spectators.

Three hundred taels—who could afford that!

Besides, this wasn’t some young girl selling herself to bury her father being dragged away by local thugs and bullies to be forcibly sold. It was this wastrel who’d gambled it away himself.

The despair in Xu Xi’s eyes deepened. Subconsciously searching around, suddenly a figure crashed into his line of sight.

In the crowd, the young woman in a blue cloak appeared plain and understated, yet it couldn’t suppress that bright and radiant face.

It was a face that could make one think of sunny March days.

Xu Xi’s eyes suddenly brightened. He stared intently in that direction, making muffled sounds.

Then he saw the young woman turn her head to the side, smiling as she said something to the little maid in a red vest beside her.

The little maid looked cheerful, her smile no different from the surrounding spectators watching the excitement.

Xu Xi’s eyes widened further. He stared intently in that direction for another moment, and the light that had kindled in his eyes dimmed.

Luo Sheng lightly curved the corners of her lips.

She had once rescued Xu Xi from the encirclement of several young men. Although at that time Xu Xi had been completely ungrateful, sure enough, when facing desperate circumstances he would subconsciously assume she should save him.

She wouldn’t indulge this bad habit.

Luo Sheng watched expressionlessly as Xu Xi was dragged away by several burly men, then lifted her skirt and silently followed.

The Marquis of Changchun’s anger hadn’t subsided when he received another report from his servant.

“What? Sold to a male brothel?” Following the Marquis of Changchun’s furious roar came the sound of a teacup shattering to pieces.

The servant kept his head lowered, not daring to breathe loudly.

The Marquis of Changchun was so angry he paced back and forth in the room, cursing Madam Yang to death again in his heart.

If that vicious woman’s heart hadn’t been so poisonous, if she’d given Xu Xi more silver, none of this would have happened!

Right now, the Marquis Estate was truly caught in a dilemma.

If they intervened to rescue Xu Xi, people would assume Xu Xi still had inseparable ties to the Marquis Estate, and in the future that scoundrel could act recklessly under the Marquis Estate’s banner.

But if they didn’t intervene, no matter what, Xu Xi was still his son. He’d rather this expelled son freeze or starve to death than endure him being sold to a male brothel.

After walking a few steps, the Marquis of Changchun came to an abrupt halt and said in a low voice: “Find a way to let Young Master Lin know about Xu Xi’s current situation.”

Since it was inconvenient for him to rescue the person, let the Lin family step forward.

Lin Shu was Xu Xi’s maternal cousin. Over these years, the Xu and Lin families had no obvious contact, but he knew these cousins maintained private connections.

Since that was the case, with a cousin in distress, how could the elder cousin stand by and watch?

Having found a solution, the Marquis of Changchun relaxed slightly and urged: “Go quickly!”

The servant acknowledged and hurried off.

By this time, Xu Xi had been brought to the male brothel’s entrance.

The sky had already darkened. The red lanterns before the male brothel were large and bright, somehow rather ostentatious.

At the entrance stood two particularly delicate-looking young men, wearing neat padded jackets, as if completely unafraid of this snowy weather.

Yet their cheeks were tinged with a blush from the cold, giving them a somewhat pitiable appearance.

Seeing a mass of dark figures approaching, the two delicate young men widened their eyes in bewilderment, looking even more pitiful.

What was this situation?

Their establishment wasn’t like others—the vast majority of visitors came alone. Even those who came together numbered at most three to five people. This looked like over a hundred people!

The two young men looked at each other.

In an inconspicuous corner stood several large men, also from the male brothel. When troublemakers appeared, it was their turn to take action.

Seeing the situation, several men walked over.

They naturally recognized the enforcers from Qianjin Pavilion.

“Brother Wang, what’s going on?”

The leader pushed Xu Xi before them, chuckling: “Delivering goods. Take a look—how is it?”

“Hey, isn’t this Young Master Xu from the Changchun Marquis Estate? The goods are good goods, but will there be trouble?”

“No trouble. He’s already been expelled from the family and still owes our gambling house silver…”

Only then did the other party step aside, smiling warmly: “Then come in quickly. Our top attraction is getting old—we’re just short of good seedlings right now.”

Xu Xi felt his internal organs burning with rage upon hearing this. Unable to move as he was restrained, he could only desperately brace his feet against the threshold.

However, this was merely the desperate struggle of a cornered beast. The young man was quickly dragged inside, leaving only a solitary shoe outside the door.

The spectators were momentarily silent.

The Changchun Marquis Estate—no, the former Young Master of the Changchun Marquis Estate, had just been sold into a male brothel like this?

Life truly was… unpredictable!

At this moment, Luo Sheng stepped out from the crowd and walked toward the male brothel.

In the crowd, Shi Yan was the first to react to Luo Sheng’s action: Miss Luo was going to buy Young Master Xu from the male brothel!

He knew Miss Luo felt differently about Xu Xi.

When the master first sent him to raise geese for Miss Luo, before he’d even reached the Grand Commander’s Estate, the first thing he did was help Miss Luo carry Xu Xi back to the estate.

Of course, it was Hong Dou who carried him, but he’d also served as an enforcer.

No, he had to go tell the master!