Fortune Across the World

Chapter 22: An Encounter at the Brothel and an Unexpected Injury

Thus, a month passed in a busy yet peaceful manner. Ding Qiyu methodically inspected the shops listed in her roster daily. One routine she never skipped was her midday visit to Yaolu Residence to listen to the zither. The lady in the lakeside pavilion seemed to have a tacit understanding with Ding Qiyu, as the music played at the same time every day. However, aside from their meeting and conversation a month earlier, they hadn't seen each other since.

Ding Qiyu treated the zither sessions as a form of afternoon relaxation. Miss Lu's music was captivating, and the emotions embedded in her melodies were deeply moving. Through the music, Ding Qiyu felt as though she was gradually drawing closer to Miss Lu's inner world.

On the other side, Qing'er, the maid, would notice Ding Qiyu at Yaolu Residence each day and casually mention it to her mistress, Lu Weixi, though Lu Weixi never responded to these mentions.

During her free time, Ding Qiyu sometimes chatted with Lu Weiming, and over the month, they had become friends.

One evening, as Ding Qiyu prepared for the next day's inspections, she glanced at her roster and sighed, covering her face with it. "Ugh... it's the only one left," she lamented, resigned to her fate. She consoled herself, "Fine, I'll just go. Going in the morning should be fine, right?"

She had almost completed her inspections of the shops in Xingcheng's northern district, leaving only a few, including the "Xunfang Courtyard" brothel, which she had intentionally skipped. As the "most diligent inspector," Ding Qiyu felt she had to visit Xunfang Courtyard. However, as a young person from the 21st century, she felt uneasy about such places, despite a slight curiosity. The elegant and refined brothels depicted in novels seemed fictional. She wasn't expecting to encounter an ethereal, stunning courtesan there. Aside from a bit of curiosity, she mostly felt apprehension, internally grumbling about why the General's Mansion would operate a brothel and who had decided to open Xunfang Courtyard in the first place.

After placing the roster aside and going to bed, Ding Qiyu tossed and turned for a while, deciding she would head into the city early the next morning. Rumor had it that brothels didn't conduct business in the morning, so it should be safe. She consoled the little part of herself that was trembling with fear until she finally fell asleep.

The next day, Ding Qiyu indeed set out early and began her work promptly. After inspecting two ordinary shops, she hesitated but eventually made her way toward Xunfang Courtyard. It was better to get it over with now than to wait until the afternoon. With that thought, she quickened her pace.

Standing before the building with the bold characters "Xunfang Courtyard," Ding Qiyu checked the time—it was the hour of Si, very safe. Xunfang Courtyard, the largest brothel in Xingcheng, exuded wealth and grandeur. Its carved wooden entrance was wide and tall, looking very impressive. The doors were open, but no one was at the entrance to greet guests. Peering inside, Ding Qiyu saw a spacious hall with a few guests from the previous night leaving and some servants, known as "tortoise slaves," doing chores.

Seeing nothing untoward, Ding Qiyu straightened her back and walked inside. One of the tortoise slaves noticed her, saw her fine clothing and distinguished appearance, and approached with a sycophantic smile, "You're early, sir. We haven't started business yet, but you can wait in the hall. The girls will be out soon."

That would be terrible! Hearing this, Ding Qiyu quickly produced her official badge and explained her identity. Realizing she was an official representative, the tortoise slave's demeanor became extremely respectful and he led her to meet the madam of Xunfang Courtyard.

Brothels probably didn't have many regulations anyway, Ding Qiyu thought, and after listening to the madam's introduction of their operations, she was ready to leave. However, the madam, seeing the handsome and charming inspector, hoped to keep her longer and offered to show her around. Alarmed, Ding Qiyu refused immediately—what was there to see in a brothel?!