Chapter 72: The Young Maiden's Intentions

The morning streets were quite lively.

Yet at this time, the Tianxian Pavilion had shed the prosperity and clamor of the night, appearing exceptionally quiet.

At the entrance, and upstairs.

Those gaudily dressed young women had also suddenly vanished.

Luo Zijun arrived at the entrance, feeling somewhat hesitant.

Coming here now was indeed a bit too early, but he was truly anxious to sign up for martial arts training.

Time waits for no one.

After a moment's thought, he turned into the small alleyway to the side.

At the end of the alleyway was a back door; Bi'er had led him through it that night.

"Knock knock!"

Arriving at the back door, he knocked directly.

Inside the door, there was silence.

After waiting a while longer, seeing no one come to open the door, he prepared to go to the front entrance.

At this moment, a woman's voice suddenly came from inside: "Who is it?"

The voice was somewhat familiar.

Luo Zijun hurriedly said: "Is that Miss Shui Shui? It's me, Luo Zijun."

"Eh?"

Soon, the sound of footsteps approached.

Then, with a "creak," the wooden door opened.

Shui Shui was wearing a goose-yellow long dress, her hair messy and her eyes bleary with sleep; she had clearly just gotten out of bed.

She looked at the person outside the door and said in surprise: "Young Master Luo, why have you come now?"

Luo Zijun said: "Can I not come now?"

Shui Shui let out a snicker and said: "It's not that you can't come, it's just very strange; who visits a Brothel early in the morning?"

As she spoke, she grabbed his hand and pulled him inside.

"But it doesn't matter. Come, go to my room; my quilt is still warm, and my body is very warm too, oh."

Luo Zijun hurriedly said: "I have business with Miss Liu Chujian."

"Hmph, looking for her again!"

Shui Shui pouted her little lips, pretending to be angry.

"Can't Young Master Luo come to look for me just once? I've already said, the first time is free. Whatever the Young Master wants to do, he can do; is the Young Master still unwilling?"

Luo Zijun helped her close the back door and casually wrapped his arm around her slender waist, saying: "It's not that I'm unwilling, it's just that my body has been too weak lately, I can't move."

"Pfft..."

Shui Shui let out a snicker, her smile as bright as a flower: "Is that true or false?"

Luo Zijun said: "Absolutely true."

Shui Shui, however, snorted and said: "I don't believe it, unless you come to the room with me and let me test it with my own hands. If it really can't move, I will spare you."

Luo Zijun thought for a moment and said: "Fine. But I still have things to do; I need to see Miss Liu Chujian first."

"Really? How long does Young Master Luo need?"

Upon hearing this, Shui Shui's eyes immediately lit up. She tilted her charming little face, her eyes already brimming with desire: "I can't wait anymore."

Luo Zijun said: "At most a quarter of an hour."

"Really?"

"Really."

Shui Shui immediately beamed with joy, took his arm, and led him to the third floor. She pointed to the corridor on the right and said: "I'm in the last room there; my name is on the door. When the Young Master comes later, just knock."

Then she let go of him and giggled: "I need to go back and get dressed; I still have to change into a beautiful dress."

Immediately after, she suddenly blinked and whispered: "By the way, does the Young Master like me to wear a bodice, or not wear one?"

Luo Zijun thought about it seriously and said: "Wear one; that way there's a sense of accomplishment when taking it off."

"Giggle giggle giggle..."

Shui Shui immediately laughed until she shook, and she playfully patted his chest, saying: "Young Master is so lecherous."

"Likewise."

"Hahahaha... then I'm leaving first, oh! The Young Master must come later, oh!"

"Fine, a gentleman's word is his bond!"

Only then did Shui Shui leave happily.

Luo Zijun turned and walked toward the other side.

A Young Maid had already seen him and hurried to the innermost room to knock on the door.

"Sister Bi'er! Sister Bi'er! Young Master Luo is here!"

Bi'er had been sleeping soundly, but upon hearing the voice, she sat up from the bed in one motion. After a few seconds of confusion, she immediately woke up!

"Ah? Which Young Master Luo?"

She hurriedly got up to put on her clothes.

The Young Maid outside said: "It's that Young Master Luo, Luo Zijun!"

"Ah!"

Bi'er was startled. While putting on her clothes, she said urgently: "Miss! Miss! The Frequent-Urination Young Master is here!"

Liu Chujian woke up immediately.

The mistress and servant hurriedly put on their clothes.

Bi'er held a comb, helping her comb her hair, while saying toward the outside: "Xiao Mei, tell that fellow to wait outside for a moment."

At this moment, footsteps were already approaching.

From outside came Xiao Mei's voice: "Young Master Luo, please wait outside for a moment; Miss Liu Chujian has not yet risen."

"Not yet risen? Oh, then... sorry for the disturbance."

"Young Master Luo, where are you going?"

"I came too early today; I shall come again tomorrow."

Once these words were spoken, Liu Chujian, who was sitting before the vanity, hurriedly stood up and shouted toward the outside: "Young Master Luo, I... I am up."

Luo Zijun stopped his footsteps and said toward the room: "Apologies, I have disturbed Miss Liu Chujian's rest." "No... I, I woke up long ago..."

Liu Chujian hurriedly put on her shoes and socks, saying: "Could Young Master Luo wait a moment? This young lady will be ready immediately."

"Mm."

Luo Zijun stopped outside.

Liu Chujian hurriedly went to wash up, then sat down at the vanity.

A moment later.

The room door opened with a "creak."

Bi'er rubbed her eyes, looked outside, and said with some displeasure: "Young Master Luo, come in."

Seeing her sleepy-eyed appearance, Luo Zijun said with some embarrassment: "I had something to do today, so I came a bit early."

"Isn't it the case that every day you come, Young Master, you have something to do? You leave immediately once you finish speaking about it."

Bi'er huffed, turned her body, and let him in.

!

Luo Zijun entered the door, took out a hairpin, inserted it into her hair, and said: "A gift for you."

Bi'er was stunned; she raised her hand to touch it and was immediately frozen in place.

Luo Zijun rubbed her head again, then entered the room, bowed to the young lady inside, and said: "My sudden visit today is somewhat abrupt; I hope Miss Liu Chujian will not take offense."

Liu Chujian was wearing a pink dress, her hands folded at her waist; she lowered her head, curtsied, and said softly: "Young Master Luo, you are too kind."

Luo Zijun took out a jade bracelet and handed it over: "I bought it on the street just now; it is a bit cheap, I hope you will not mind, Miss."

He had said last time that he would give her a gift.

Liu Chujian was slightly startled; she glanced at him with her water-like eyes before looking at the jade bracelet in his hand. After a pause, she reached out her slender, fair hand to take it. A faint blush immediately appeared on her clear, fair cheeks, and she said with a soft smile: "Many thanks, Young Master. That you could think of this young lady is something I am already too grateful for; how could I possibly mind?"

Luo Zijun looked at the jade bracelet in her hand and said: "I saw that your skin was fair and your wrists were slender, Miss; if you wore this jade bracelet, it would surely be very beautiful, so I bought it."

Liu Chujian's cheeks flushed slightly, and her pair of slender, jade-like hands dropped unnaturally, her wide sleeves covering her White Jade-like arms inside.

Luo Zijun brought up the main business.

"Has the manuscript I wrote recently been read by you, Miss?"

Suddenly, Bi'er's voice came from behind: "My mistress finished reading it long ago; she has been waiting every night..."

"Bi'er."

Liu Chujian hurriedly stopped her, her pink, tender cheeks becoming even more flushed: "Pour the tea."

"Oh."

Bi'er put away the hairpin, glanced at someone, and went to pour tea.

Liu Chujian carefully placed the jade bracelet on the vanity, then brought over the manuscript. She looked at him with a complex gaze before saying softly: "This new book of yours, Young Master... is written truly well. These past few days, this young lady has read it over and over again many times; every time I read it, I cannot help but shed tears..."

Luo Zijun said: "Then... how much money can it sell for?"

Liu Chujian did not answer immediately; she lowered her head to flip through a few pages again, then raised her eyes and looked at him with rippling waves in her gaze: "I suggest that you do not sell it for now, Young Master. Wait until the sales of the first book pick up, then go to discuss the price. That way, you can raise the price higher, Young Master."

"How long will that take?"

Luo Zijun asked.

Liu Chujian pondered for a moment and said: "Your first book, Young Master, should already be out in these two days. It will take at least more than a month to see the effect."

"More than a month?"

Luo Zijun frowned and said immediately: "Then I cannot wait. Let us just sell this second book directly; as long as the price is higher than the first book, that will do."

He was now in urgent need of money to sign up for martial arts training.

Liu Chujian looked at him with soft eyes and said: "Are you in urgent need of money, Young Master?"

Luo Zijun nodded: "Very urgent."

Liu Chujian said nothing more; after a pause, she went over, placed the manuscript on the table, and then went into the inner room.

Bi'er's expression changed: "Mistress!"

Luo Zijun was puzzled in his heart, and just as he was about to speak, he saw the young lady bring out a money bag from the inner room.

She counted it, and a look of embarrassment appeared on her clear and beautiful cheeks: "There are only one hundred and twenty taels left; please take this to use, Young Master."

Bi'er pouted, on the verge of tears.

Luo Zijun stared blankly at the young lady before him and did not reach out to take it.

Liu Chujian paused, placed the silver on the table, and turned to go into the room again. After a long while, she carried out a box and placed it on the table.

At this, Bi'er was truly crying: "Mistress..."

Liu Chujian slowly opened the box; inside were actually some gold and silver jewelry, as well as some letters and a girl's accessories.

After thinking for a moment, she took off the gold hairpin from her head and placed it into the box.

Then, she took out all the letters and accessories from the box and went over to place them carefully on the vanity.

"Young Master Luo, these gold and silver ornaments can be taken to a pawnshop to be pawned; they should be worth quite a bit of money. These... are all things this young lady has no use for."

She came over, picked up the bag of silver and the brocade box, and handed them together to Luo Zijun, her eyes as clear as a spring, her voice as gentle as water.

Inside the room, it suddenly became quiet.

To the side, Bi'er bit her lip, her eyes red, yet she did not make a sound.

"Young Master Luo, take it. Chujian can earn more silver later, and jewelry can be bought again. Besides, once Young Master Luo sells the books next month, you should be able to pay me back."

The young girl's gaze was sincere as she pushed the items in her hand forward once more, extending them toward him.

Her frame was slender and her jade-like hands delicate; it seemed she could barely hold them anymore.

Luo Zijun remained silent for a moment longer, then slowly reached out, took one ingot of silver from the money bag, and said, "This is enough."

The young girl was slightly startled and blinked her eyes: "Is it enough?"

"It is enough."

Luo Zijun accepted the silver, looked into her clear, gentle eyes, and moved his lips as if wanting to say something, but swallowed the words back, only saying, "Many thanks, Miss Chujian. Once I have money, I will return it to you immediately."

The young girl smiled slightly, her eyes brimming with ripples of autumn water.

The room fell silent again, and Luo Zijun cupped his hands to take his leave: "Then I shall not disturb your rest any further, Miss."

Without waiting for a reply, he immediately turned around and exited the room.

As if trying to escape something.

Upon reaching the corridor, he unconsciously let out a breath, then looked down at the silver in his hand, his expression complex.

Outside the window, the sunlight was brilliant and somewhat blinding.

(End of chapter)