“Young Master, my establishment here… is a brothel meant for men’s entertainment.”
Barely managing to comprehend Li Jian’s statement that he wanted to become the head courtesan, the proprietress spoke with a hint of hesitation.
Changle Pavilion was filled entirely with young women from top to bottom, and its patrons all came for the female entertainers. It was the first time she had ever heard of a man wanting to work as a head courtesan in a brothel, which genuinely shocked the proprietress.
She felt somewhat conflicted, yet she couldn’t bear to part with the gold ingot Li Jian had just shoved into her hands.
After a moment of thought, looking at Li Jian’s handsome face, the proprietress’s meager conscience—the kind only possessed by business people finally stirred.
“Don’t blame me for being a busybody, Young Master. If you truly have… that sort of preference, you could simply seek out several young masters from wealthy families in the city. Given your appearance, there are plenty of people who would gladly offer themselves for you to choose from. Whatever kind you want, you could easily find, so why put yourself through suffering in my establishment and let lecherous men stare at you?”
As she spoke, the proprietress deliberately lowered her voice so the passing footmen wouldn’t hear, sparing Li Jian any damage to his reputation.
It wasn’t as though she didn’t know among the women who ended up in brothels, how many actually entered willingly to live in luxury? Most were driven there by various forms of coercion. What respectable family’s daughter would ever willingly step foot in a place like this?
Someone like Li Jian, who actively delivered silver and demanded to enter, was truly the very first of his kind.
The moment Li Jian heard this, he knew the proprietress had undoubtedly misunderstood, assuming he had some peculiar preference and that was why he insisted on coming here.
“No, you’ve probably misunderstood,” Li Jian explained helplessly. “I don’t actually want to be the head courtesan, nor do I have ‘that sort’ of preference. I—”
“Immortal… older brother.” Xuan Lang spoke up, cutting him off.
Li Jian wanted to offer a few more explanations to prove he was entirely normal, but Xuan Lang gently tugged at him from behind, shaking his head to signal that he shouldn’t say too much right now.
They still lacked understanding of the affairs within Changle Pavilion, could not yet fathom the background of the fierce-faced female demon, and had no idea which individuals were working for her. If they accidentally exposed their plan and alerted the demon, wouldn’t they miss a wonderful opportunity?
The proprietress furrowed her brows, eyeing their intimate little interaction with a look of half-understanding, and comprehension dawned on her instantly.
“Oh… so you don’t actually want to be the head courtesan? In that case, is this some kind of playful banter between the two of you?”
“Huh?” Li Jian was once again at a loss.
What playful banter could they possibly have?
“I understand, don’t worry. Mama has seen plenty of things. Even though I run a business dealing with men and women, I quite understand the little affairs between you young gentlemen.”
Among the wealthy young masters in Yangyang City, such matters were hardly rare. Whether carried out in secret or out in the open, it had long since ceased to be astonishing.
Take the most famous Song family young master, Song Zhiyuan, for instance. He had always shown little interest in women, refusing even to spare a glance for those who threw themselves at him. There were even rumors circulating that he preferred men, which was why he looked down upon those prominent young ladies of good standing.
Unable to withstand Li Jian’s demands and even less able to resist the gold ingot in his hand the proprietress led him into Changle Pavilion and arranged for people to help him wash up and dress.
Since he was aiming to be the head courtesan, dressing as a woman would naturally make things much more convenient. Li Jian had originally intended for Xuan Lang to do it; since the fierce-faced female demon favored his face, disguising him would make it much easier to draw the demon out.
Yet, no matter how Li Jian looked at it, Xuan Lang’s excessively rugged face didn’t seem quite suitable. His lean cheeks had sharp, defined angles, bearing the unmistakable look of a man.
Moreover, what kind of head courtesan stands six feet tall?
While Li Jian was busy dressing and grooming inside, Xuan Lang could only wait outside. The proprietress refused to let him enter, declaring, “A woman’s boudoir is not somewhere men can wander into casually.”
If those words had come from a young lady of a respectable household, they would have carried absolute credibility. But in a place like a brothel, it was blatantly obvious that the proprietress simply wanted more silver.
As long as you gave her enough silver, let alone a maiden’s boudoir, she’d happily wait hand and foot even if you wanted to march straight into her own room.
Unfortunately, Xuan Lang was a block of wood who couldn’t read between the lines at all. He simply stood stock-still right outside the doorway, angering the proprietress so much she turned on her heel ready to leave.
After about the time it takes to burn an incense stick, Li Jian finally stepped out of the room.
The tall, handsome youth stood in the corridor with a stern expression, looking somewhat restrained. Within moments, he attracted a crowd of curious maidens who gathered around, chattering away to ask where such a dashing young master had come from.
Too timid to meet their gazes and with nowhere else to go, Xuan Lang could only stand passively as they inspected him from all sides, completely surrounded by their simultaneous stares.
Sensing that enough time had passed, the proprietress strolled back over, just in time to shoo the lingering maidens away. At that moment, the bedchamber door swung open, and a maid lifted the beaded curtain, leading Li Jian out by the hand.
“Mama, take a look.”
The young maid’s bright, clear voice drew everyone’s attention. Not only the proprietress, but even Xuan Lang couldn’t help turning his head at the sound.
A striking, crimson silk dress crossed the threshold, with a shawl of fine, snow-white gauze draped over the shoulders. Though her face was heavily made-up, it lacked any sense of vulgarity; instead, it accentuated her flawless skin and elegant, graceful posture.
The ” maiden” raised her gaze, fixing a pair of smiling eyes upon Xuan Lang. The tips of her slender eyes upturned slightly, and her long eyelashes fluttered as if silently asking him how he liked it.
Xuan Lang straightened his posture, his eyes locked firmly onto the slightly altered visage of Li Jian. His heart gave a violent jolt, leaving him momentarily at a loss for how to react.
Previously, he had only known that Li Jian looked handsome with the ethereal beauty of a clear breeze and a bright moon, like a detached celestial being.
Seeing him now in disguise, he surprisingly outshone ordinary women by a wide margin.
“It looks like the young master has stared so hard he’s dazed,” the nearby maidens couldn’t help teasing.
Indeed, the appearance of the “maiden” before them was simply too striking. With slightly upturned eyes and bright, clear pupils, she carried no trace of servile allure despite being inside a brothel. Even accustomed as they were to beauties, they couldn’t help but look Li Jian up and down with renewed appraisal.
Li Jian was tall and slender, leaner than the average man due to the light, agile physique maintained by years of cultivation. Yet amidst this flock of willow-waisted maidens, it gave him an air of heroic beauty—a uniquely striking presence they had never witnessed before.
“This girl is truly stunning. In my eyes, she even surpasses our head courtesan.”
Earlier, no one had dared to speak up, but once someone voiced the thought, the others chimed in with enthusiastic agreement.
“Truly. Even her stature is exceptional an absolute beauty at first glance. Where did Mama ever find such a peerless gem? I’ve certainly never seen her before.”
The proprietress remained dazed. Leaving aside the fact that these maidens had never seen such a face, even having run Changle Pavilion for over a decade, she had never laid eyes on anyone this breathtaking. It wasn’t just good features; her extraordinary aura made her appearance all the more striking.
Her previous agreement with Li Jian had simply stemmed from thinking that although he was handsome, he undeniably had the facial structure of a man. If his disguise turned out unsatisfactory, it would give her a convenient excuse to dismiss the pair without needing to return the gold.
Never could she have anticipated that he would genuinely look this gorgeous, eclipsing even actual women.
“Splendid, simply splendid! Mama almost misjudged you earlier. Li…”
She paused just in time to swallow the word “Young Master” before it slipped out. “With such wonderful looks and figure, a talent like Li’s [TN: Gender-neutral placeholder for the surname/name suffix] cannot be allowed to go to waste.”
With that, the proprietress led Li Jian forward and instructed the other maidens, “Starting today, Miss Li is a part of Changle Pavilion. If there is anything she doesn’t understand, you must all guide her well. Whoever dares to throw tantrums or play petty tricks, don’t blame Mama for being merciless.”
The spoiled maidens flicked their handkerchiefs and scoffed softly, clearly dissatisfied with the preferential treatment the proprietress showed Li Jian, muttering complaints under their breath.
“Mama is being terribly partial. Why show such attentive care to this newly arrived younger sister? Could it simply because she’s pretty?”
The proprietress stroked the gold ingot hidden inside her sleeve, flashing her bright red lips as her long fingernails tapped the forehead of the complaining maiden with a triumphant smile.
“This right here is Mama’s cash cow, and she is going to be our new head courtesan. Do you understand?”
With those words, everyone present understood Li Jian’s standing in the proprietress’s eyes—he was someone capable of replacing the head courtesan at any moment. And the girl who secured the position of head courtesan would always be the most favored in this establishment, a spot no one else dared to contend for.
Although the maidens felt a tinge of jealousy inwardly, none dared to cross Li Jian on the surface. They offered him insincere, smiling greetings right in front of the proprietress, and scattered the moment she turned to leave.
Once the crowd dispersed, Li Jian let out a long breath. His face felt stiff from smiling; it seemed he would have to keep playing the silent role within the brothel for a little longer.
Xuan Lang remained steadfastly behind him, keeping his gaze locked on him without moving away even an inch.
Li Jian turned his head to look, suddenly struck by the urge to tease him, and asked, “How does this look of mine suit you?”
At that, Xuan Lang froze for a second, clearly not expecting him to ask such a question. After a brief internal pause, he answered, “The Immortal Master possesses a peerless countenance.”
Not even the most breathtaking courtesan in the mortal realm could compare to even a ten-thousandth of him.
“Then, does it measure up to the title of head courtesan?”
“Naturally.”
Xuan Lang replied instantaneously, almost without thinking, letting his innermost thoughts slip out directly.
Hearing this, Li Jian burst into amusement, chuckling that he was a block of wood for praising someone with such utter directness.
Still, a bit of directness wasn’t a bad thing; he rather liked straightforward people.
Following the earlier commotion, the news of Li Jian’s arrival spread rapidly throughout Changle Pavilion. Rumors in a brothel always traveled fast, especially since Li Jian had clearly been ushered in under the proprietress’s direct patronage, naturally leading the gossips to exaggerate his story.
Xuan Lang had initially worried that Li Jian’s high-profile entrance and the proprietress’s grandiose declarations might provoke jealousy and bring him unnecessary harm.
Yet Li Jian simply waved the concern away, seating himself before the mirror to let Xuan Lang help him remove the heavy pearl hairpins. “I want everyone to know that I am about to take the head courtesan’s place.”
If everyone knew, it meant the head courtesan herself would know as well.
If she truly turned out to be the fierce-faced female demon they were hunting, then before Li Jian officially claimed the title of head courtesan, she would undoubtedly pay a personal visit to inspect this alluring appearance that was about to fall into her clutches.
Sure enough, word soon reached outside Li Jian’s doorway. The proprietress instructed everyone that starting tomorrow, Li Jian’s nameplate would be hung up for guests to freely choose from, making his ascension to head courtesan merely a matter of time.
More people than usual loitered outside the doorway, all craning their necks to peer inside the room, eager to see what the next head courtesan touted by the proprietress actually looked like.
Downstairs in Changle Pavilion, song and dance continued in full swing, but Li Jian’s quarters remained exceptionally quiet. Xuan Lang had already departed when the establishment opened its doors to guests; he couldn’t linger here indefinitely, especially since this was a “maiden’s” boudoir.
Li Jian had already sensed that something was amiss. An invisible, subtle barrier seemed to envelop him not overly conspicuous, faint and light like a cage loosely thrown over a small beast to keep it from wandering off without worrying that it could actually escape.
It appeared the female demon’s cultivation was not low at all; she simply hadn’t taken him seriously in the slightest.
Li Jian sat quietly inside the room waiting. Closing his eyes, he sat cross-legged upon the couch, his consciousness drifting outward through meditation.
The first floor of Changle Pavilion was livelier than the second. With plenty of patrons downstairs watching singing and dancing or drinking for amusement, and no head courtesan performing today, the number of guests was relatively modest.
To his surprise, Li Jian spotted Song Zhiyuan.
He appeared to be searching for someone, accompanied by two attendants. Glancing around the entrance, he remained unfazed even as several maidens flocked around him.
Failing to find the person he sought, Song Zhiyuan looked somewhat disappointed. He casually stopped a familiar-looking maiden and asked if she had seen the young master who had been sitting at that particular table yesterday.
Li Jian followed the direction of his pointing finger—wasn’t that the exact spot where he and Xuan Lang had sat yesterday?
Was Song Zhiyuan looking for him?
Stopping to answer, Xuemei shook her head and replied regretfully, “That young master didn’t come today.”
Perhaps assuming that since Li Jian had come yesterday, he might show up again today, Song Zhiyuan had deliberately come to try his luck, little knowing that the target of his search was already upstairs.
Li Jian’s consciousness continued to drift upward, preparing to move to the upper floor, when suddenly, a knock on the door abruptly severed his straying thoughts.