Chapter 20: It Was Just A Minor Injury And A Fall. Crying And Whining—What Does That Look Like?

He just had a little scratch and fell. What’s with all the sniveling?

“Tsk, what an animal,” Ji Shuoting shook his head and sighed. “It’s one thing to be a good-for-nothing yourself, but why drag Lu Shujin into it? He was just punished with hand-slapping two days ago because of you. Now this happened. How could the master let him off so easily?”

Xiao Jin’s face was expressionless. He stretched his arms out as two of his followers put on his tea-white brocade outer robe. As they smoothed it out, the gold embroidery on it shimmered under the light.

“I have already explained everything to old Qiao,” he said slowly.

“He was caught in front of so many people. Even if you explain it clearly, he’ll still be punished.”

Xiao Jin slightly tilted his head and fastened the button of his robe himself. “My book was tampered with. Jiazi Hall isn’t clean. I could only inconvenience him by putting on a show with me.”

“Do you know who it is?” Ji Shuoting asked, fanning himself.

“I don’t,” Xiao Jin said. “But Lu Shujin does. I can’t ask him yet; it would alert the snake.”

“Could that person be Lu Shujin himself?” Ji Shuoting thought for a moment. “Didn’t he use you before? That’s very suspicious.”

Xiao Jin had already changed his clothes. The tea-white brocade robe complimented his skin tone perfectly. He was tall and handsome, and although he usually didn’t have a formal bearing, he was still the legitimate son of a prominent family, a world apart from a street ruffian.

He walked up to Ji Shuoting, reached out, and took his white jade fan. In the manner of a well-bred young master, he said, “He is innocent.”

“You look so proper. No wonder your reputation is so bad, and yet there are still blind girls who want to get engaged to you,” Ji Shuoting snorted.

Ji Shuoting had always been resentful about this. The Ji family was also an official family, one of the top families in Yuncheng. He himself was gentle, refined, and handsome. Aside from “hanging out with that little scoundrel from the Xiao family all day,” he didn’t have a bad reputation. Yet, girls in the city kept confessing their love to Xiao Jin.

Xiao Jin glanced at him, seemingly uninterested in this topic. “Let’s go. To the Yuhua Pavilion.”

—

Lu Shujin arrived at the Yuhua Pavilion before the appointed time because she was anxious.

Although being caught cheating on the test today had made her feel down, the priority was to save Yang Peier. Fortunately, even though Xiao Jin usually acted like a scoundrel, he seemed to have the good quality of keeping his promises, which was a great comfort to Lu Shujin.

Under the night sky, Yuncheng looked even more prosperous than it did during the day. Even in the northern part of the city, a gathering place for the poor and people from out of town, the streets were lit with lanterns and decorated with streamers, and the sounds of hawkers rose and fell.

If she had been out on a normal day and seen such a lively street, Lu Shujin would have definitely gone to browse. Even though she didn’t have much money and couldn’t buy anything, she never had the chance to go out and have fun on the streets when she lived with his aunt.

But tonight, she had serious business to attend to. She walked through the streets without looking sideways and arrived at the Yuhua Pavilion.

As usual, a few women stood at the entrance of the Yuhua Pavilion to attract customers. When they saw Lu Shujin, they threw handkerchiefs at his face. The cheap perfume was overpowering, making him sneeze as he walked in.

This time, the scene was different from a few days ago. The circular stage in the center of the hall was covered by layers of colorful gauze curtains, so the situation inside couldn’t be seen clearly. In the north corner of the hall, there was a square stage where a girl was dancing gracefully to the accompaniment of string and wind instruments. A circle of men sat below, clapping and cheering, making it very lively.

“Young master, are you here for a room or for fun?” a pimp quickly came up to greet her.

Lu Shujin pointed to the north corner and asked, “Why is everyone gathered there today?”

The pimp chuckled. “Today, a young master has paid for twenty girls from the pavilion to dance on the stage in turns. He also said that when the girls get tired of dancing, he will pick some and give them to the guests sitting below as a reward. You can also go and watch the fun, young master. If you’re lucky, you might meet a generous host today.”

Lu Shujin didn’t feel lucky at all and was even a little disgusted. Sje didn’t want to join the crowd.

But her eyesight was excellent, and she thought she saw Yang Peier’s figure among the people.

To clear his confusion, she agreed to the pimp and walked to the north corner. Most of the men near the square stage were sitting on the ground. A chair was placed in the middle, and a group of men were standing behind it.

The person sitting in the chair was the generous young master who had paid for twenty girls.

Lu Shujin casually glanced around and, amid the men’s high-spirited cheers and whistles, walked to a diagonal corner from behind. She saw about seven or eight women standing behind the square stage.

One of them was wearing a light blue gauze-sleeved long dress, with her eyebrows drawn and her face powdered. Although she was wearing heavy makeup, Lu Shujin could still recognize her as Yang Peier.

Yang Peier seemed distracted, standing blankly at the back and not talking to anyone else.

Lu Shujin didn’t rush to find her. She first observed the surroundings for a long time and found that the madam was busy introducing the girls on the stage, and the men below were all absorbed in the show. No one would notice the back of the diagonal corner.

She carefully walked over, stood not far behind Yang Peier, and whispered, “Sister Pei’er.”

Yang Peier heard the voice almost immediately. She turned her head in surprise and saw Lu Shujin suddenly appear. She was startled and looked around frantically. Then she pushed him to the side and said in a panic, “Shujin, how did the matter I asked you to do turn out? Did the constable agree to help?”

Lu Shujin wanted to say that he hadn’t even met the constable, let alone had him agree to help.

“No,” Lu Shujin said.

Yang Peier’s face turned pale. “Did the constable think the money was too little or something? The Yuhua Pavilion is more dangerous than you think. If no one helps, not only can’t you save me, but you’ll get yourself into trouble. Before anyone finds you, leave quickly!”

Lu Shujin sensed her fear and said, “Sister Pei’er, don’t worry. Although the constable didn’t agree to help us, I’ve asked someone else to help. I didn’t come alone.”

“Who did you ask? Are you sure?” Yang Peier lowered her voice. “I just found out today that this Yuhua Pavilion might not be as simple as I thought. It doesn’t seem to be just a simple collusion with the constabulary.”

Lu Shujin thought of Xiao Jin and nodded. “I’m sure.”

Yang Peier’s face was full of worry. It wasn’t that she doubted Lu Shujin; she just knew that Lu Shujin had come to Yuncheng alone, with no family, living by himself in a rented house, and rarely going out. Yang Peier had a soft spot for her because she was so young and often cooked and invited her to eat with her.

Now that she was in this mess, she was already embarrassed to have dragged Lu Shujin into it. If she were to push Lu Shujin into a dangerous situation, how could she feel at peace?

Thinking of this, she became sad, her eyes welled up with tears, and she choked back a sob. “Shujin, I’ve dragged you down.”

The singing and dancing filled the air with a deafening noise. Yang Peier’s choked voice reached Lu Shujin’s ears, softening his heart. He said gently, “Sister Pei’er, don’t worry. Since I promised to save you, I will do my best. The matter is almost settled. I came to find you just to set your mind at ease. I will definitely get you out.”

“Good, good, good,” Yang Peier agreed three times. Before she could say her next sentence, a sharp shout interrupted her.

“Lu Shujin!” Amidst the commotion, someone angrily yelled his name.

Everyone was shocked. The cheering suddenly stopped. Lu Shujin turned his head in surprise and saw that the lavish young master sitting in the chair, who had paid for twenty girls, was none other than Liu Quan.

Talk about a small world! To run into him at the Yuhua Pavilion felt a bit fated.

Liu Quan’s arm had been broken before, and now his right arm was still in a sling and hanging around his neck. His bulky body was squeezed into the chair. He was gritting his teeth and glaring at Lu Shujin, the fat on his face trembling with anger.

Seeing this, the madam quickly waved for the music on the stage to stop. The Yuhua Pavilion suddenly became quiet, and everyone stared at Lu Shujin.

“How dare you come to a place like this?!” Liu Quan said hatefully. “The masters at Haizhou Academy must be blind to think you’re a student with good character and even have a soft spot for you. I never thought you were such a disgrace!”

Lu Shujin was startled at first, but his expression quickly returned to normal. He bowed respectfully to Liu Quan. “Young Master Liu, you’re wrong. If coming to the Yuhua Pavilion makes one a disgrace, then what are you doing here?”

“How dare you! It’s none of your business why I’m here. You’re so glib. I’ll pull out your clever tongue today!” He stood up abruptly from the chair, but because of his fat body, he got stuck. He looked clumsy and pathetic getting up, and two laughs were heard from the crowd.

Liu Quan became even angrier, his face turning red. He angrily peeled the chair off his body. The movement pulled his wound, and he looked ferocious from the pain. He hated Lu Shujin even more and shouted, “Seize him for me!”

A few of Liu Quan’s followers responded and grabbed Lu Shujin by the shoulders, twisting his arms back and forcing him to his knees.

Yang Peier shrieked and rushed up, shouting, “What are you doing!”

But one of the followers raised his hand and slapped her. He used so much force that it made a loud, clear sound, knocking Yang Peier to the ground where she fainted and didn’t move.

The girls shrieked and scrambled into a corner, quickly moving away from where Lu Shujin was. The men who had been laughing and having fun below also stood up and walked to the other side of the stage, quickly leaving a large empty space in the middle.

Lu Shujin glanced at the unconscious Yang Peier, feeling a surge of anger. She struggled with her arms, but they were held firmly. Both of her knees were aching.

When Liu Quan thought about the day Xiao Jin beat him, and Lu Shujin stood by, pretending not to see his pleas for help, he felt a fiery hatred that burned his insides. He wanted to personally grab a pair of pliers and break Lu Shujin’s teeth.

“Now that you’ve fallen into my hands in this brothel, even if I beat you to death, no one will come after me,” Liu Quan still wanted to see Lu Shujin bow her stubborn head and cry for mercy, so he said, “If you’re willing to kowtow and call me ‘Father’ a few times, I might be satisfied and spare your life!”

“My father died a long time ago,” Lu Shujin replied.

“You’re something else!” Liu Quan was so angry he paced back and forth. “Bring me a stick. I’ll beat him first!”

Lu Shujin looked at him as he paced around like a fat quail and said with a very serious expression, “Young Master Liu, is your right arm’s injury any better?”

Liu Quan said, “Even if I can’t use my right hand, I can still hit you with my left!”

Lu Shujin looked at him with his dark eyes. “Then if your right hand is useless, will you still need me to write your policy papers for you?”

“I don’t need your fake kindness!”

She wanted to laugh but held it in. “It seems that Young Master Liu still hasn’t figured out why he was beaten that day.”

When that day was mentioned, Liu Quan felt some fear in his heart. His expression froze for a moment, but he quickly realized he had lost face. He said angrily, “That day, I just ran into Xiao Jin by chance. It had nothing to do with you.”

“Was it really just a coincidence?” Lu Shujin said. “I didn’t think you were this stupid. Even after being beaten, you still don’t understand why you were beaten.”

“You!” Liu Quan was half-dead with anger. Unable to find anything else, he wanted to pull the wooden splint off his right arm to smash her head, but the movement pulled his wound, and he looked ferocious from the pain.

“Did you ever consider why Xiao Jin would appear at Baili Pond that day?” Lu Shujin took the opportunity to raise her voice and ask him.

Liu Quan’s movements paused. His mind replayed the encounter at Baili Pond. It had been like a nightmare, haunting him for days and keeping him awake at night.

“Baili Pond is in a remote area, and people rarely go there, let alone in the middle of a hot afternoon. Why do you think a young master like Xiao Jin would appear at that time?” Lu Shujin stared at him and said slowly, “It’s because he knew I was writing your policy papers for you, so he came to punish you for me. Both times you were beaten, I was there, so why was I perfectly fine? Xiao Jin has already said that he will protect me in Yuncheng from now on. If anyone dares to bully me, he will deal with them. Do you still dare to touch me?!”

In the second half of the sentence, his voice became louder, carrying a strong and imposing aura that heavily impacted Liu Quan’s heart.

“How could that be?! You have no family background. Why would that scoundrel meddle in your business?”

“Whether it’s true or not, you can find out with a little digging. Xiao Jin is now my deskmate in Jiazi Hall. I came to this Yuhua Pavilion today also because of his invitation for the hour of Xu.” Lu Shujin’s expression was stern and truly looked a bit fierce. “The time has come. If you don’t believe me, you can wait here for him.”

Liu Quan had already developed a psychological trauma from being beaten by Xiao Jin. Now, hearing the name, his legs couldn’t help but tremble, and his right arm ached with a deadly pain. He quickly hissed and instructed his followers, “Go to the door and see if he’s here!”

The follower took the order and ran out of the Yuhua Pavilion’s main door under everyone’s gaze.

He had been out for less than a moment when the follower fell into the pavilion, doing two somersaults on the ground. A gray footprint was on the front of his clothes. He knelt and begged, “Young master, please spare me! Young master, please spare me!”

A low murmur of discussion immediately erupted around them. Liu Quan’s face turned pale with fright as he stared intently at the door.

Then, Xiao Jin, in his tea-white brocade robe, strode in. He was leisurely fanning himself with his white jade fan and pointed at the follower on the ground, saying fiercely, “You saw me and turned to run. How can you say you have nothing to hide? Take him away!”

The guards behind him immediately stepped forward and lifted the follower with two long swords.

Xiao Jin then turned to the side and saw that everyone had gathered in the north corner of the hall. He glanced over and first saw Liu Quan, and then he saw Lu Shujin kneeling on the ground, pressed down by two people, as if asking for his help with her ink-black eyes.

His handsome face immediately sank and became cold.

“Liu Quan,” Xiao Jin’s voice crossed half the hall and reached the ears of the people in the north corner. “Are you looking for a fight?”

At this moment, Liu Quan seeing Xiao Jin was truly like seeing the King of Hell himself. His whole body couldn’t stop trembling. He knew Xiao Jin would come to the Yuhua Pavilion again, but he didn’t expect it to be today, and he didn’t expect him to come so quickly! He thought he could secretly leave after moving everything, but now he didn’t even have a chance to escape!

Xiao Jin choosing to come with his guards today was no coincidence. If he didn’t think of a solution quickly, the Liu family might be completely ruined!

“What, what do you want?” Liu Quan tried hard to suppress the fear in his heart, shouting to embolden himself. “I just came here to have fun. What’s it to you?!”

Xiao Jin was the one who was truly about to die of anger. He had agreed with Lu Shujin to meet at the hour of Xu, and the city’s bell for the hour of the dog had just rung. He had just walked into the Yuhua Pavilion, and he saw Lu Shujin being forced to kneel on the ground. He didn’t know how long Liu Quan had been tormenting her.

He closed his fan and pointed fiercely at Liu Quan. “I just want to hit you when I see that pig-like face of yours. What about it?”

Liu Quan was scared half to death and shrieked, “Call the officials! Go and report to the officials!”

“Close the door!” Xiao Jin ordered in a cold voice. After that, a large group of guards with swords came in, quickly divided into two rows, and heavily closed the door of the Yuhua Pavilion.

The people Xiao Jin brought this time were not the same group of young masters he usually had fun with, but a group of strong and healthy guards. Just standing there, they were terrifying. There were still many men in the hall who had come to have fun, and they were all panicked, huddling in a corner and not daring to speak.

Seeing that things had gone wrong, the madam quickly walked over, fanning herself, and said with a chuckle, “Young Master Xiao, please calm down. Please calm down. This is just a small squabble. There’s no need to get so angry. Besides, my pavilion still has business to do. If you surround the place with your people, who would dare to come in the future? Young Master Xiao, please give us poor people a way to live!”

“Why don’t the two young masters each take a step back?” she said, trying to please both sides. She winked at Liu Quan and gave Lu Shujin a meaningful look. “Young Master Liu can return this gentleman, and Young Master Xiao can be the bigger person…”

Although Liu Quan was scared to death at this moment, he still managed to get his muddled brain to work and shrilly refused, “No way!”

When Xiao Jin first entered, his expression wasn’t this bad; he was clearly not angry. But when he saw Lu Shujin forced to kneel on the ground, his expression changed instantly. Even if Liu Quan was a pig, he could tell why he was angry.

If it was truly as Lu Shujin said, that Xiao Jin was now protecting him, then Lu Shujin was someone he couldn’t easily hand over. Holding on to him was a bargaining chip. As long as he could safely leave the Yuhua Pavilion and get home, there might still be a turning point.

Liu Quan made up his mind and ordered, “Tell him to get up.”

The pressure on Lu Shujin’s shoulders instantly disappeared, and he was pulled up. She didn’t want to cause Xiao Jin unnecessary trouble, but she never expected to run into Liu Quan here tonight.

As she was thinking, a cold sensation suddenly pressed against her neck. Her body stiffened, and she instinctively raised her head and moved back slightly, immediately guessing that a knife was held against her neck.

“Xiao Jin, let me leave the Yuhua Pavilion, and I will return Lu Shujin to you safe and sound,” Liu Quan’s voice sounded much calmer as he negotiated with Xiao Jin.

Xiao Jin’s eyes were dark as he stared at Liu Quan and said, “If you touch him, don’t even think about walking out of this building.”

“Then Lu Shujin can’t walk out either,” Liu Quan said viciously. “You rely on your family background to bully me, and I can learn from you. At any rate, I’ll have this top scholar candidate to keep me company, so it’s not a loss.”

Seeing the situation escalate to this point, the brothel madam was sweating profusely. “Two young masters, we can sit down and talk it out. There’s no need for someone to die!”

Liu Quan had a man hold a knife to Lu Shujin’s neck, using him to demand that Xiao Jin let him leave. Everyone was watching with wide eyes, waiting to see what Xiao Jin would do.

But Xiao Jin just let out a cold laugh and ignored Liu Quan’s move. Instead, he walked a few steps, found a chair, and sat down. He took out a jade pendant, which was warm and pure in color, and the carving was lifelike. Even an amateur could see how valuable it was.

He held it between his fingers and showed it to the madam. “This jade pendant was originally a pair. I lost one when I came to the Yuhua Pavilion a few days ago. Today, I’ve brought people to find it.”

The madam was so shocked she was incoherent. “This, this, this, Young Master Xiao must be joking. The Yuhua Pavilion has countless guests every day, and it’s been several days. If it really fell in the building, it would have been picked up long ago! My people here are all honest; they would never dare to hide something so valuable!”

“Do I have to listen to your one-sided story about whether they dare to hide it?” Xiao Jin slapped the table and said sternly, “Go search!”

The guards behind him moved at his command, immediately spreading out and starting a rough search, tearing down all the tables and chairs in the lobby and the gauze curtains hanging from the ceiling. Another group went straight to the second floor, kicking down doors and searching one by one. The commotion was as loud as if bandits had entered the city.

The madam’s face was pale, and she rushed to Xiao Jin’s feet, pleading bitterly, “You can’t do this! Young Master Xiao, please give us a way to live!”

But Xiao Jin disgustedly kicked her away. “Get lost!”

Liu Quan also became anxious when he saw this. “Xiao Jin, did you hear what I said?!”

His voice was sharp and agitated. Unless Xiao Jin was deaf, he could definitely hear him.

But he just pretended to be deaf, completely ignoring Liu Quan. He played with a white jade fan with his slender fingers, twirling it lightly, and watched with cold eyes as the things in the first-floor lobby were smashed to pieces, acting like a complete bully.

Liu Quan shouted twice, but he didn’t pay any attention. Sweat beaded on his forehead, and his face was flushed red. He glared at Lu Shujin several times.

Seeing his gnashed teeth and the way he looked like he wanted to grab the knife and kill her on the spot, Lu Shujin also felt a chill. She could only try to talk to Liu Quan. “It’s no use how loudly you shout. He doesn’t want to deal with you; he’s not deaf.”

Liu Quan was almost faint with anger. “I know, do you have to tell me that?!”

“I have a method that might help you leave this building,” she said.

Liu Quan wasn’t so mad that he lost his mind. He glared at her and said fiercely, “Don’t try to bewitch me with your glib tongue. If I can’t get out, you won’t live either!”

“Young Master Liu, you know perfectly well that Young Master Xiao won’t kill you here, but he said he won’t let you walk out of this building. This isn’t a threat. I’m afraid he will break your legs, and you won’t be able to walk for the rest of your life.” A knife was at Lu Shujin’s neck, her life on the line, but her voice was still incredibly calm and composed.

Liu Quan’s eyes widened as if they were about to bleed. He wanted to stab Lu Shujin with the knife, and the veins on his forehead pulsed, but in the end, he didn’t make a move.

“You are weak and timid. Don’t even mention my life; even if it were ten lives, you wouldn’t dare and wouldn’t be willing to trade your legs for it,” Lu Shujin continued. “So on the surface, you are forcing Young Master Xiao to make a choice, but in reality, you have no choice at all. This choice isn’t about whether to save my life, but whether he is willing to let you off the hook.”

“Young Master Xiao naturally saw this, which is why he is ignoring you now.”

Liu Quan’s face was extremely ugly. He knew that everything Lu Shujin said was true.

“But,” Lu Shujin changed her tone and glanced around. “Young Master Xiao ordered people to search the building, but those guards didn’t come to this area. This means that your hostage-taking is indeed useful. At the very least, he has some reservations. His intention is to put you on hold, not to force you into a corner and harm me. This shows that I have some weight in Young Master Xiao’s heart.”

“What exactly are you trying to say?” Liu Quan didn’t understand her meaning.

“He won’t pay attention to you until the search of the building is over. This is your best time to leave. If you wait for the search to end and he finishes his business, you won’t have a chance,” Lu Shujin said. “Whether you want to listen to my method is up to you, Young Master Liu.”

Young Master Liu had been tricked by her cunning tongue before, and he learned his lesson. He didn’t dare to trust her easily.

But the group of guards moved very quickly. In a moment, they had turned the two-story, simple building upside down. It was like a house raid; not a single thing was left intact. They even presented a wooden box and placed it on the table next to Xiao Jin.

Xiao Jin opened the box, and inside was a stack of papers. When he picked them up, he saw they were all deeds of sale with signatures and fingerprints.

He took the stack of papers and said to the madam, “I didn’t find the jade pendant, so these deeds of sale will have to serve as compensation.”

The madam immediately started wailing, clinging to Xiao Jin’s leg. “These are all the girls in our building!”

Xiao Jin shook his leg a few times but couldn’t shake her off. Getting tangled up, he said, “Hey! Let go!”

Lu Shujin retracted her gaze from the noisy scene and said to Liu Quan, “You’re running out of time.”

Liu Quan paced around anxiously, wiping the sweat from his forehead. He said viciously, “If you’re lying to me, I’ll kill you even if I have to be a cripple for the rest of my life!”

Lu Shujin wasn’t scared by his threat at all. She pointed behind Liu Quan. “I’ve looked before; all the hanging curtains and lanterns in this building are symmetrical. All the furnishings in the north corner are exactly the same as in the west corner, but the gauze curtain behind you is the only extra one. I guess there should be a side door behind that curtain. Most brothels will have a side door not facing the street to allow some officials and dignitaries to enter quietly, for the sake of their reputation. Even though this Yuhua Pavilion is old and cheap, it should have a side door as well.”

When Liu Quan heard this, he looked at Xiao Jin like a thief several times. Seeing that Xiao Jin was still wrestling with the madam and wasn’t paying attention, he quickly took a few big steps forward and lifted the dark green gauze curtain. Sure enough, there was a narrow door behind it. Although it wasn’t half the size of the Yuhua Pavilion’s main entrance, a person could still pass through.

He turned back, pointed a finger at Lu Shujin, and said, “You’re smart!”

Then he quickly opened the door and slipped out the side door, with his few followers following closely behind.

At the same time, the men gathered in the north corner no longer dared to watch the show and scrambled to leave through the side door.

Xiao Jin couldn’t shake off the madam, so he called two guards to hold her arms and forcefully pull her away from his leg, taking off one of his brocade boots in the process.

Xiao Jin put on his shoe while cursing. He looked up and saw that the people in the north corner were almost all gone, leaving only a group of girls huddled together and Lu Shujin, with a knife at her neck.

He was very puzzled and asked the man, “Your master ran away. Why are you still holding him hostage?”

Lu Shujin also wanted to ask this question. Didn’t all of Liu Quan’s followers run away? Why didn’t the man with the knife to her neck leave? Did she offer Liu Quan the plan for nothing?

She then saw the man grab her by the back of her neck and turn her around halfway, his face directly facing Xiao Jin. He sneered, “That idiot isn’t my master.”

Lu Shujin couldn’t see the man’s face, but she saw Xiao Jin’s expression instantly change. He frowned tightly as if the situation had suddenly become serious. A chill went down her spine.

Liu Quan was easy to trick and control, so Xiao Jin was just angry before, but he didn’t take him seriously. But now, the person holding Lu Shujin hostage made Xiao Jin look solemn, which likely meant this person was a desperate criminal who could kill her with a single swing of the knife.

“What do you want?” he asked in a low voice.

“Give me the deed of sale,” the man said.

“There are many here. Which one do you want?” Xiao Jin raised his hand, and a guard immediately brought the stack of deeds to him.

“Xing’er’s,” he said.

Xiao Jin looked down, a look of extreme mockery on his handsome face. He sneered, “You are quite the romantic. The several women you lured into this place were to redeem her?”

“I was planning to wait until I brought five people to the brothel and then take Xing’er and leave to live a stable life,” his tone was cold and hard. He suddenly exerted force on the hand gripping the back of Lu Shujin’s neck. A sharp pain instantly came, “If it weren’t for this brat investigating Yang Peier, he wouldn’t have led you here and completely ruined my plans! I wouldn’t have a clear mind even if I killed him ten times!”

Lu Shujin winced, biting her teeth to hold back a cry of pain.

Xiao Jin was still flipping through the deeds without looking up. “Then you’ve really wronged him.”

With that, he pulled out a paper, held it between his fingers, and raised it for the man, who was named Qing Wu, to see. “Here’s what you want. Let him go.”

Qing Wu said, “Give me the paper first.”

“How do I know you won’t break your promise?” Xiao Jin had now put away his usual playfulness. His handsome face was like a storm cloud, radiating a fierce aura. He said to Qing Wu with a serious expression, “I, Xiao Jin, always keep my word. You let him go, and I’ll give you the deed of sale and let you and your sweetheart leave this building.”

Qing Wu was very cautious and not easy to trick. When he heard this, he immediately became agitated. “I’m not negotiating with you! And I didn’t plan on leaving here alive. Don’t waste my time, or I’ll stab this brat in the neck with one stroke!”

As he spoke, he pushed the blade in a little. The extremely sharp blade immediately cut Lu Shujin’s neck, and blood seeped out instantly. Lu Shujin instinctively flinched back but was held tight by Qing Wu’s hand. For the first time, she felt death was so close. The pain from her neck was so strong and impossible to ignore. She became uncontrollably frightened.

This person seemed to have come with the determination to die. Now, anything she said would be a trigger for him to act. Lu Shujin didn’t dare to move recklessly and stared at Xiao Jin, at a loss.

Xiao Jin’s gaze swept over her neck. He finally took a step back and said, “I’ll throw the deed to you, and you have to let him go at the same time.”

Qing Wu accepted the proposal and nodded.

But a piece of paper was too thin. Even if it was crumpled into a ball, it would be difficult to throw over. Xiao Jin simply took a cup from the table, folded the paper, put it inside, and asked a guard for a square silk handkerchief to stuff into the cup to seal it. Then he held up the cup and said, “I’ll count to three.”

“Three, two, one!”

As the last number fell, Xiao Jin threw the cup, and at the same time, Lu Shujin was violently shoved, falling heavily to the ground with a thud.

Qing Wu caught the cup, eagerly took out the deed of sale, and unfolded it. It was indeed Xing’er’s. He was overjoyed and turned to the girl Xing’er standing among the crowd, smiling. “Xing’er, I promised you that I would set you free. Now I’ve done it!”

As he spoke, he tore the deed to shreds. When he looked at Xing’er again, his eyes were full of tenderness, no longer as fierce as before. “I’ve also left you some money. You’ll be free from now on. Take the money and live a good life.”

Xing’er stood in the crowd, looking at him, tears streaming down her eyes. She said sadly, “Brother Qing Wu, why did you have to go to such trouble?”

Lu Shujin fell heavily, and her knees and elbows were numb for a while. She couldn’t get up immediately. As she struggled, a pair of black brocade boots came into her sight and stopped in front of her.

Then, a pair of hands grabbed her arms and, with a very steady and easy force, pulled her straight up from the ground, and she stood up accordingly.

Xiao Jin stood in front of her and looked down. “You just got a little hurt and fell. Why are you crying like this? It’s not manly at all.”

Lu Shujin covered the wound on her neck with one hand and reached up to touch her face with the other. She then realized her face was wet and she had started crying without knowing it.

Although she wasn’t raised in a delicate way, if she had a scratch or got sick at her aunt’s house, she always endured it on her own. No one ever called for a doctor. So for more than a decade, she had been very cautious, rarely getting injured. Now, suddenly being cut by a sharp knife and falling so hard, her whole body hurt.

She sniffled, and tears rolled down her fair cheeks without a word.

“Let me see the wound,” Xiao Jin gently pushed her wrist away from the wound. Lu Shujin obediently removed her hand, revealing the injury.

He tilted his head to look and said, “It’s not deep. It should stop bleeding if you cover it for a while.”

He then took out his own brocade handkerchief and pressed it against Lu Shujin’s wound.

The handkerchief had been in his chest pocket and seemed to have absorbed the warmth from his body. It transmitted a warm feeling to her neck, along with a faint scent of sandalwood.

Lu Shujin pressed the soft and expensive handkerchief, feeling the fear and turbulent emotions in her heart being slowly and gently soothed by this warmth and sandalwood. This unfamiliar and somewhat unaccustomed care gave her a strange sense of security.

“What’s going on, huh?” Xiao Jin’s voice was low as he asked her, “I told you to come in the evening. Why did you come early?”

“I didn’t come much earlier. I just didn’t expect to run into Liu Quan here,” Lu Shujin said, her eyebrows drooped. “I’m sorry, I let him get away.”

She was referring to Liu Quan.

“It would be strange if that stupid pig could escape,” Xiao Jin became irritable at the mention of him.

He knew that this was not Lu Shujin’s fault at all, but he was still angry. After all, he had just decided to take Lu Shujin in as his little brother and protect her from being bullied, but it hadn’t been long, and she already had a knife cut on her neck.

Qing Wu, who was comforting the crying Xing’er, interrupted their conversation and asked Xiao Jin, “Young Master Xiao, did you say you would let us both leave? Does that still stand?”

Xiao Jin had been holding in his anger with nowhere to vent. He said irritably, “Just get lost.”

“Young Master Xiao really keeps his word. You are so reasonable and graceful; the rumors must be mostly false,” Qing Wu had originally planned to die, but he didn’t expect to save Xing’er and still have a way to live. He was so happy that he praised Xiao Jin even with his terrible attitude.

Lu Shujin suddenly became anxious and grabbed Xiao Jin’s sleeve. “He lured women into brothels. He must have several lives on his hands. You absolutely cannot let him go easily!”

Xiao Jin clicked his tongue. “Keep your wound covered.”

Lu Shujin covered her wound again, still staring at him anxiously.

“This is none of your business,” Xiao Jin said to her, then ordered his guards, “Go get a doctor.”

Lu Shujin wanted to get involved, but she couldn’t. She could only watch helplessly as Qing Wu and Xing’er left the Yuhua Pavilion through the side door. Even though she was extremely unwilling, there was nothing she could do. She saw Yang Peier, who had fainted on the ground, being helped up by a few other girls and wanted to go check on her condition.

But Xiao Jin grabbed her arm and said, “What’s the rush? Do you think I’d let you suffer by following me? We still have to settle the scores, one by one.”

Lu Shujin’s cheeks flushed instantly, and she said in surprise, “What do you mean, ‘following you’?”

Xiao Jin didn’t think there was anything wrong with his wording. He only thought this bookworm was still stubbornly trying to chase after Xing’er, so he forcefully pulled her and made her sit in a chair. “Just watch.”

Lu Shujin was bewildered. Then she heard him say to the guards, “Bring them in.”

The main door of the Yuhua Pavilion was then pushed open. The guards were holding a struggling Liu Quan and his followers. Behind them were Qing Wu and Xing’er. All of them were lined up and pushed into the hall. Not a single one got away.

Liu Quan was pushed to the front. As soon as he reached the center of the hall, Xiao Jin started hitting his fat face with his fan, making him howl.

Xiao Jin then felt some of his pent-up anger dissipate. He sighed, “Hitting people is the only way to feel better.”

Previous

Next