In the small courtyard, most people's minds were no longer on the game.
But there was still a small portion of people who knew they had no hope of being chosen by Qing Ya, so their gaze began to linger on the maids in the courtyard.
"Boss, should we go pick a maid or return tonight?"
Li Xi asked softly. It was almost Hai Shi, and curfew was approaching.
The three of them hadn't stood out at all. Qing Ya hadn't lingered on them throughout the entire time, which was why Li Xi asked such a question.
Xia Qian's face was flushed behind them. He had been at a loss all evening, as it was his first time in such a place, making him very uncomfortable.
"Let's wait and see!"
Xia Chen said calmly. Li Xi pondered, not saying anything more. Logically speaking, his boss should be visiting such a place for the first time, yet he appeared very natural, as if he were an old hand at this, performing with composure throughout, not at all like a novice.
——
Inside the room!
Behind the screen, steam rose, and mist filled the air.
A graceful figure entered the wooden tub. Hot water pressed against delicate, fair skin. Various flower petals floated on the water's surface, their fragrance filling the air.
Qing Ya's jade-like shoulders and collarbones were exposed to the air. Her hair was wet, and her exquisitely beautiful face held a hint of sorrow. This appearance made one want to cherish her even more.
At this moment, her expression held none of the radiant smiles she had displayed earlier outside.
Instead, she exuded a sacred aura, like a fairy from the Nine Heavens.
If Xia Chen were here now and saw Qing Ya in this state, he would surely exclaim, "What a woman of a hundred changing temperaments, suitable for role-playing!"
It would surely be very exciting!
At this moment, a woman dressed as a maid asked while adding water for Qing Ya.
"Young Miss, will you be keeping anyone overnight tonight?"
Qingya Abode offered overnight services, but Qing Ya didn't keep someone in her room every night, at most once or twice a week.
However, the rarer it was, the more sought after she became. There was even a wealthy man who offered over a thousand taels of silver for a night with Qing Ya, but she refused, which further boosted Qing Ya's reputation.
Upon hearing this, Qing Ya frowned slightly, then suddenly thought of something, and her eyes lit up abruptly.
"Invite that Young Master wearing the white mask, the one with the extraordinary demeanor, inside. He will stay overnight tonight!"
The maid was stunned, somewhat puzzled.
"He performed rather ordinarily tonight. There were several Young Masters who performed exceptionally well. Keeping him overnight might cause dissatisfaction among those people and damage Qingya Abode's reputation for fairness..."
"Keep him tonight. The troubles we've encountered these past few days might be resolved through him!"
Qing Ya's lips curved slightly, revealing a breathtakingly beautiful smile.
"Is this person's identity very special?"
The maid's eyes lit up at the words. Her own beauty was quite outstanding; in the outside world, she would definitely be considered a great beauty, but at this moment, she was still overshadowed by Qing Ya.
"He is Xia Chen, the legitimate son of the Zhendong Marquis Manor, who was betrothed to the Great Wu Second Imperial Princess some time ago. He is currently a captain in the Imperial Guards. I heard he expelled the son of Marquis Jinwu from the Imperial Guards yesterday, so he has probably established a firm foothold there."
Qing Ya smiled, appearing somewhat sweet, her temperament ever-changing.
The maid, Xiao Lian, was startled. She knew her Young Miss's eyes were very special and could see through masks.
"Alright, I'll go invite him in!"
Xiao Lian no longer hesitated and slowly exited the room.
Qing Ya sighed, then rose from the bathtub. Her flawless, art-like, graceful figure was fully exposed to the air.
Clean water droplets slid down her delicate skin, sparkling under the lamplight, making one's Bloodline surge. Unfortunately, no one was there to appreciate this scene.
...
Outside the courtyard!
"This Young Master!"
Just as Xia Chen and his two companions were quietly drinking and watching the dance, a young man wearing a white mask suddenly approached them.
"My father is Li Gang, a Minister of the Board of Revenue. I saw your extraordinary demeanor from over there just now, but judging by your posture, it seems this is your first time at Qingya Abode!"
The young man smiled, then quickly added, "My name is Li Kui, courtesy name Deshun."
The young man, dressed as a scholar, first bowed to Xia Chen, then opened his folding fan, speaking with considerable confidence.
After hearing Li Kui's name, Xia Chen's mouth twitched slightly. He wondered if there was a burly man with a full beard behind that mask who would call him 'Brother' as soon as he opened his mouth.
"Do you have a brother?"
Xia Chen couldn't resist asking.
"Why does Young Master say that? I am the only son in my Family!"
Li Kui said, fanning himself with his fan, as if this could show off his unique temperament.
"Oh, just curious. My name is Yang Xi, I don't have a courtesy name, just call me by my name!"
Xia Chen threw out a joke, but seeing that no one understood it, he felt bored and spoke seriously.
He immediately used an alias. When traveling, especially when going out to have fun, one naturally changes their name and surname. How could one use their real name?
"So it's Young Master Yang!"
Li Kui bowed again, but at the same time, his mind raced, trying to recall which Yang Family in the capital he hadn't interacted with.
But no matter how much he thought, he couldn't pinpoint a target. Seeing that Xia Chen had no intention of revealing his Family, he didn't press the matter.
"Could he be a descendant of Grand Secretary Yang?"
Suddenly, Li Kui thought of Yang Yanhe, Grand Secretary Yang in the cabinet, and his heart trembled, but then he felt it was unlikely. Grand Secretary Yang's Family discipline had always been very strict, and he had never heard of a Yang Family descendant coming to such a place.
Xia Chen had no idea that Li Kui was guessing his background, but even if he knew, he wouldn't care.
Just a Minister of the Board of Revenue, a fifth-rank official, was nothing special in the capital. At least, he didn't need to care too much.
Li Kui saw that Xia Chen wasn't very enthusiastic and couldn't quite figure out his background, but he assumed the other party's Family must be excellent, because that aura couldn't be faked.
He initiated conversation again.
"Brother Yang, it's probably impossible to get Qing Ya Guniang to stay tonight. How about we go to Su Yu Street instead? It's lively there. I know a brothel with incredibly beautiful girls. How about we go there for drinks and stay the night? My treat!"
Li Kui patted his chest, speaking with a hearty and generous expression.
As the saying goes, there are four types of strong male friendships: having studied together, having fought together, having shared ill-gotten gains, and having visited brothels together.
Li Kui considered his judgment to be good; he rarely misjudged people. Perhaps this Yang Xi came from a prominent Family in the capital. There were several influential Yang Families in the capital, and if he guessed correctly, he would profit immensely.
Li Xi, standing behind Xia Chen, heard this and looked at Li Kui with vigilance. 'Damn it, this guy wants to curry favor with his boss too?'
He had invited his boss to Qingya Abode tonight, but this guy wanted to poach him and take his boss to another brothel. Wasn't that implying that his arrangements for the night were inadequate and that his boss wasn't having enough fun?
Instantly, Li Xi's gaze towards Li Kui changed.