WangXian Forever Book 8

Chapter 27 XiChen

The waiter came back with a couple of stamp blocks and ink pads.

"You pay first and finish what you owe before you can go up." He explained, looking at the staircase where people were being allowed to go up in controlled numbers.

"Alright...that sounds good." Wei Ying said.

Now that it came to it, he was feeling a little bit nervous. Still, he had called himself shameless many a time, and so had Lan Zhan. It was time to live up to the name.

"So preferences please?" The waiter continued.

There was an uncomfortable silence for a few minutes, while they looked at each other in growing tension. Nobody wanted to go through with this, but it would only be talking and they had to do it.

"Will it be easier if I explain?" The waiter had a soothing voice.

"Yes, please. As you can tell, we're all feeling a little bit nervous." Wei Ying replied, licking his lips.

No harm in telling the truth...and since it was true, it would give them credibility.

"That's okay, first time for everything." The waiter replied easily, as if he did this often. "Red for ladies, green for men. It's as simple as that. You pay extra for both."

Jiang Cheng's eyes widened.

Wei Ying let out a nervous laugh.

"Green for me please."

Lan Zhan squeezed his hand for courage, knowing how he felt.

This was the most awful of tests. And he had to do it as well.

"Green."

The waiter obliged and stamped the back of their hands.

"You two?" He looked expectantly at Jiang Cheng and XiChen.

"Red please." They said at the same time, and then they looked at each other, a silent communication of reassurance.

They were safe at least because both knew that neither was interested in females, and this was going to be purely an attempt to gain important information.

"Can we settle up?" Wei Ying asked.

The waiter looked surprised, especially when he saw the jars of wine they had consumed, but he agreed and gave them a total.

Lan Zhan got to his purse faster than XiChen and Wei Ying thought it was because his Jade had had the most practice.

"I will come and tell you when they're ready for you." He bowed and left.

A heavy silence descended upon them, no one willing to break it.

All of them were getting ready in their minds, on what questions they wanted to ask, and how to do it in a safe way without raising any suspicion.

"We can meet back here when we're done. I can’t imagine it'll take long though. Probably not more than an hour." Wei Ying finally said.

"Good plan."

XiChen was looking up at the sort of gallery adjacent to the stairs they would use. A group of beautifully dressed ladies in colourful gowns were watching them and the other customers, talking and laughing among themselves. His eyes fell upon the youngest one, perhaps no more than a child, she was maybe eighteen years old.

He wondered at what circumstances led her to be here, and whether or not she had chosen this profession. Was she forced into it? Who introduced her to this world? He felt a little sorry for her too.