I Am This Type of Woman

75.1

Daughters of respectable families did not normally use gauze-covered palanquin, this was the means of transportation for working girls such as singers and dancers.

The palanquin stopping in front of him, Rong Xia patted his horse impassively to let it pass around the palanquin.

"Nujia Yunniang greets Count Cheng'an." A woman clothed in snow-white gauze stepped out, her figure was voluptuous like a fully ripen honeydew, exuding the sort of feminine charm attractive to men, her face was slightly not as outstanding in comparison to the figure. The whole person was filled with the air of a working girl, but she was thoroughly reserved in front of Rong Xia.

* nujia 奴家 = Your Servant (humble self-reference by young female)

Rong Xia silently faced the unfamiliar woman in front of him.

Du Jiu still had an impression of this woman but last time Yunniang was dressed like an ordinary woman with her hair simply wrapped in cloth. She had changed to different person in just a few months, a plain camellia transformed into a bewitching snake girl.

"Miss," Du Jiu spoke up, "Is there an urgent matter?"

"Nujia is returning from offering incense at the temple. Having met Count Cheng'an by chance, Nujia wishes to pay a respect." Yunniang gently curtseyed to Rong Xia, "Thanking Master Count for helping Yunniang last time."

The last time she was in the Capital, after waiting for Xie Qilin for over a month, she tried to visit Xie residence but the guards wouldn't let her in, even ridiculed her as a cheap working girl who dreamt of marrying into Xie family.

Yes, she was ridiculous, she was deluded. But wasn't it Xie Second Gongzi who had led her on?

Yes, she was a working girl, she was not worthy of entering Xie family door. But wasn't it Xie Second Gongzi who had asked to elope, it wasn't her who begged him. So who was more shameless, who was more ridiculous?

That was why she was unreconciled, she wanted to talk it out clearly with Xie Qilin. But as a working woman with no support, no backer, who had left the Capital for years, every door was shut to her, where else could she find Xie Qilin?

Just as she lost all hope, a guard from Count Cheng'an residence took her to meet Xie Er-lang.

That time in memory, when he painted her eyebrows, when she called him Er-lang, that time he said she was a fresh lotus, the most beautiful and pure one. This man whose mouth was full of honeyed words had turned a deaf ear when Xie family servants humiliated her, as if the feelings in the past had been a passing fog.

T/N – Xie Er-lang is Xie Qilin. Er-lang means the second boy.

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When they met again, he was in a poetry gathering with some literati, he wore a silver mask which didn't lessen his elegant air even a bit.

He seemed to never expect that she would appear. After a long time of being stunned, he walked up to her but his gaze was unfamiliar.

There was annoyance and some guilt, but more was awkwardness.

"Yunniang," The first thing he said was, "How come you are in the Capital?"

Yes, a woman with noone to lead her way, who had limited money on her, how did she get to reach the Capital?

Yunniang laughed coldly, "Er-lang, as a woman, what else do you say I should do?" She could see his face worsened upon hearing these words. Then he seemed to worry that other scholars would see her, he took her to a secluded place.

"Yunniang, I have wronged you." Xie Qilin gave her a purse. Plenty of broken silver and a few banknotes in the purse, it was enough for a few years of comfortable life including the purchase of a small one house courtyard in the Capital.