Chapter 271: The Sickly Liu Churan [Part 7]
Being alone is easy, but the loneliness that follows can be much harder to bear. As Ye Wenxin walked through the bustling streets, she found herself wandering into the red-light district. Her presence in such attire seemed odd to the passersby.
The scene was familiar: women enticing potential customers, young men advertising services. After some thought, Ye Wenxin entered a brothel that promised female companionship, spending the night there before leisurely moving on.
To maintain her persona as a scoundrel, Ye Wenxin bribed the woman accompanying her. She spent the day indulging in food and drink, arriving at the inn late the following evening.
The inn's doors were tightly shut, which felt strange to Ye Wenxin. After a moment's hesitation, she pushed them open. Instantly, a figure darted past her—it was Jin Xiaoqin with a feather duster in hand.
Dressed in a plain long dress, Jin Xiaoqin didn't hesitate to swing the duster at Ye Wenxin upon seeing her.
"Master, why are you hitting me?" Ye Wenxin laughed, dodging the strikes.
Jin Xiaoqin looked displeased. "Who else should I hit if not you?" she retorted, infusing her strikes with qi, forcing Ye Wenxin to awkwardly evade.
Getting smacked by that duster would be no joke, yet Ye Wenxin couldn't shake the feeling that Jin Xiaoqin's fury was oddly intense and somewhat unfounded.
Drawn by the commotion, others appeared, including the green-clad Liu Churan, who should have still been at Green Island Manor. Her presence here, as if she belonged, left Ye Wenxin bemused.
Even if Liu Churan was a former saintess, her sudden appearance seemed too conspicuous. As Ye Wenxin pondered this, Jin Xiaoqin continued, "You've become wild, staying out all night is one thing, but going to a brothel!"
"Master, how did you know?" Ye Wenxin felt wronged; her brothel visit was purely to maintain her scoundrel persona.
Jin Xiaoqin's expression darkened further, pointing to Liu Churan. "This young lady came to collect your debt. How could I not know?" With that, she struck Ye Wenxin again, making her wince in pain.
"Master, even my parents never hit me," Ye Wenxin complained, feeling unjustly treated. Jin Xiaoqin, looking exasperated, replied, "Then I must discipline you for not paying at the brothel."
"But I don't even know her. Did you consider she might be a scammer?" Ye Wenxin retorted, feeling increasingly wronged.
Jin Xiaoqin paused, glancing at Liu Churan.
"I am genuine," Liu Churan said, feigning pitiful innocence, nearly driving Ye Wenxin to madness. She had thought she'd shaken off this troublesome woman, yet here she was, creating more trouble.
"Master, she's lying. She's actually..." Ye Wenxin wanted to reveal Liu Churan as Lady Yu's sister but remembered that everyone knew Lady Yu had no relatives. She changed her words, "She's a courtesan."
Jin Xiaoqin hesitated, then struck Ye Wenxin again after hearing her response. Tears welled up in Ye Wenxin's eyes, but she vowed to repay this someday.
