Song Lianzhou’s voice had not yet faded when he spun around and dove into the carriage, his bright yellow hem brushing against the back of Ye Xisheng’s hand, looking just like a tail-flicking, flustered cat.
A moment later, he suddenly lifted the curtain again: “Why are the two of you still standing there? Why aren’t you getting on yet?”
This was directed at Feiyi and Qing Miao. The two little ones, standing not far away, had long since been watching in a daze. Only when called by Song Lianzhou did they snap out of it as if waking from a dream, getting onto the carriage in a daze.
Ye Xisheng flicked the whip, and the carriage quickly set into motion, leaving the group of people behind.
Song Lianzhou sat in the carriage for a while but still couldn’t sit still, so he simply lifted the curtain and went outside, sitting beside Ye Xisheng.
The system sat on his shoulder, highly approving of him: [To actually be able to come up with a method of utilizing the male lead to enter the city, as expected of my host!]
Song Lianzhou ignored it, looking straight ahead with a taut face.
Ye Xisheng turned his head to glance at him, slightly hooking his lips: “Senior Brother should go inside; the wind is strong out here.”
Song Lianzhou’s hand shaking the fan paused slightly, then he shook it even more vigorously.
He did not reply, and Ye Xisheng was not angry, continuing to drive the carriage leisurely while asking: “Senior Brother, why have you come outside Qishan City?”
“That’s a question I should be asking you!” Song Lianzhou “swished” his fan shut. “Why are you here? And how did you recognize at a glance that it was me, Song Lianzhou?”
Song Lianzhou and the others’ disguise was clever, but in Ye Xisheng’s eyes, it could be seen through at a glance. However, he couldn’t say it directly, only saying: “Senior Brother’s cultivation cave often burns sinking-water incense, which is very pleasant. Today when Senior Brother went out, your body was also trailing some sinking-water incense scent. Moreover, the Song family token is not something an ordinary person can obtain.”
“As for why I appeared here, I am entrusted by others to investigate some matters.”
Ye Xisheng answered everything point by point with a good temper before saying: “How is it, Senior Brother, are you appeased?”
Song Lianzhou: “…”
He was not angry at all!! He was just, just… “Those people were pulling and tugging at you just now, why didn’t you dodge?”
Song Lianzhou used his folding fan to rap Ye Xisheng’s head in exasperation.
Ye Xisheng didn’t dodge or evade, taking the hit. It felt like being scratched by a flustered cat, and he couldn’t help but laugh: “Senior Brother, are you worried about me?”
“Slick-tongued, answer my question properly.”
“I was visiting the area nearby before and got to know several of them. They have always felt that I am a cowardly waiter working in Flower Pavilion, and they have no guard against me, so I’ve also gathered a lot of intelligence because of this.”
“This time they sought me out again, and I had no choice but to deal with them using my former persona. However, Senior Brother, rest assured, I was also prepared to take action before you arrived.” Ye Xisheng’s eyes curled into crescents as he smiled. “Ah, but Senior Brother arrived just in time, saving me from fire and water.”
So it was to maintain a persona. The anger in Song Lianzhou’s heart finally dissipated a little, and he didn’t forget to counterattack: “If I had known, I wouldn’t have bothered with you next time.”
“Don’t do that, Senior Brother, I was wrong.” Ye Xisheng hurriedly begged for mercy.
The carriage speed slowed down, gradually joining the queue of people entering the city.
Song Lianzhou asked curiously: “Do you have the customs pass to enter Qishan City?”
“No, but I am a person from Flower Pavilion. The city guards will naturally let me pass when they see me.”
“What kind of place is Flower Pavilion, anyway?”
Ye Xisheng looked at him with some surprise: “Senior Brother doesn’t know?”
Song Lianzhou looked blank.
“It seems Senior Brother truly is immersed in cultivation, with ears deaf to matters outside.” Ye Xisheng tightened the reins, turned his head to look at him carefully for a while, and then laughed, “This Flower Pavilion is a brothel.”
Song Lianzhou said, “You are tricking me.”
“Senior Brother, please witness; I am not. It is just that although this Flower Pavilion does business as a brothel, behind the scenes, it is an extremely massive intelligence organization. I followed them for several years before finally passing through numerous trials to become a杂役 (miscellaneous) disciple.”
Song Lianzhou was somewhat surprised: While practicing in Cangling Sect, he actually still found time to infiltrate Flower Pavilion.
“The commission I accepted requires investigating some information, which is why I came here today,” Ye Xisheng said.
Song Lianzhou suddenly remembered again: “Earlier I heard you talking to them; didn’t you say you were waiting for someone? Who? You just left like this, and you’re not waiting for this person anymore?”
Ye Xisheng suddenly burst into laughter, his eyes looking at Song Lianzhou full of helplessness and unfathomable mirth: “Senior Brother truly wants to know?”
“…” Song Lianzhou felt prickly from his smile, “…Am I not allowed to know?” Song Lianzhou thought about the consequences of this matter as he looked at him with wide eyes, “Doesn’t that mean I caused the person you were pretending to have as a companion to be unable to show up according to your plan?”
“Yes,” Ye Xisheng said, seemingly troubled, “What should we do about this?”
Song Lianzhou’s fingers tightened around the edge of his folding fan: “…I’m sorry, I didn’t know…”
“If there’s any other way to remedy it, I will definitely…”
“Senior Brother, you don’t need to apologize to me all the time.” Ye Xisheng was between laughter and tears.
The other person was actually a puppet he had made, and he only needed to disable his control. He had only wanted to tease Song Lianzhou, yet the other party actually felt guilty.
“There actually is a remedy. It just depends on whether Senior Brother is willing to be inconvenienced and pretend to be my Taoist companion for a day?”
Ye Xisheng could not help but bring a bit of temptation into his voice: The flustered companion ready-made before me is much more vivid than a dead object.
“Me?” Song Lianzhou was somewhat worried: “Can someone like me, who has rashly joined your plan, cooperate well with you? Won’t I be found out?”
“Set your mind at ease, Senior Brother, just come with me. Besides, I am not familiar with that pup… with that person, in the first place.”
“That’s good then.” Song Lianzhou was visibly relieved.
The carriage moved slowly forward following the line. Song Lianzhou hung his head and said no more.
Ye Xisheng waited for a while and was just about to turn his head to look at him, when suddenly he felt someone nudge up to his side, their upper body almost leaning against him, followed by Song Lianzhou’s voice: “How should I pretend? Like this?”