Cao Xiaohan exposed only half of his head from beneath the thin quilt, his round eyes darting left and right before he finally mumbled in embarrassment, “Thank you.” He had truly made a fool of himself this time.
Bai Yiyan placed his clothes by the bedside, though Cao Xiaohan’s fair and unblemished body remained vividly imprinted in his mind.
“I am going out to gather some information. Rest for a bit. I will have the attendant come up and clean this up shortly.” With that, Bai Yiyan walked out.
Seeing him leave, Cao Xiaohan immediately got up and put on his clothes. He had just finished dressing when he heard a knock on the door.
“Patron, I am here to collect the wooden tub,” the attendant called out from the doorway.
“Come in.”
Cao Xiaohan opened the door to let him in. When Bai Yiyan had left, he had only pulled the door shut; fearing someone might suddenly barge in while he was getting dressed, Cao Xiaohan had bolted it. Once the attendant finished tidying up the room, Cao Xiaohan used a dry cotton cloth to dry his hair. Feeling a wave of drowsiness washing over him, he crawled back into bed and drifted off into a hazy sleep.
After heading out, Bai Yiyan made his way to the most bustling teahouse in Ami County, knowing full well that such a place was the prime spot for gathering information.
Stepping into the teahouse, Bai Yiyan chose a seat by the window, and the waiter warmly hurried over to greet him.
“Esteemed sir, what would you like to order?”
“Bring me a pot of your finest tea and some specialty pastries.”
“Right away, sir, please hold on for just a moment!” Realizing he was dealing with a wealthy patron, the waiter’s attitude turned overwhelmingly obsequious.
Listening in on the conversations around him to pick out the information he needed, Bai Yiyan had barely waited a moment before the waiter brought out the items. Bai Yiyan pulled out a piece of fragmented silver, causing the waiter’s eyes to light up.
“Waiter, I have a question for you. If you answer well, this is yours.”
“Please go ahead and ask, sir.” The waiter could hardly tear his gaze away from the silver; it was a whole tael of silver, more than his monthly wages combined.
“I just heard people discussing that there is quite a spectacle happening in the county town recently. What is that about?”
“Ah, esteemed sir, you might not know this, but we have a Wealthy Patron Niu here who is lustful and greedy, yet terribly afraid of his wife. Ever since his wife gave birth to a daughter who became the beloved concubine of the prefect, he has dared even less to go against his wife’s wishes. However, not long ago, a peerless courtesan who sells only her art came to Cuiyi Pavilion, completely bewitching Wealthy Patron Niu. Every day, Wealthy Patron Niu sneaks behind his wife’s back to visit Cuiyi Pavilion. Everyone is just waiting for the good show when his wife finds out.” The waiter whispered mysteriously to Bai Yiyan.
Upon hearing that the brothel shared a character with his own name, Bai Yiyan felt a slight discomfort in his heart. After the waiter finished speaking, Bai Yiyan handed him the silver, intending to visit Cuiyi Pavilion that night to encounter this Wealthy Patron Niu firsthand. He spent the entire morning at the teahouse, learning that the magistrate was currently offering a bounty on the escaped convicts, though the search had yielded no results and he had been docked three years of salary for his failure, a punishment that held zero practical significance for him.
By lunchtime, Bai Yiyan returned to the inn. Cao Xiaohan was still taking a nap, dreaming that he was with a group of hiking friends equipped for camping in the notorious Ghost Village. Upon entering the village, they went to inspect the legendary Master’s Chair, where paranormal encounters supposedly occurred whenever someone sat on it, and he eagerly climbed onto it himself. The moment he sat down, the surrounding scenery abruptly shifted, placing him inside a pitch-black stone room. Suddenly, a bizarre mask materialized in the darkness, advancing toward him step by step while he tried desperately to run but found himself unable to move. Just as the pale mask was about to reach him, he heard a rapid knocking at the door. He bolted upright in bed, looked around to realize he was still safely in the inn, and let out a massive sigh of relief. So it was just a dream; it had scared him half to death.
The knocking persisted, and listening closely, Cao Xiaohan realized someone was genuinely rapping on the door. He got up and opened it to find Bai Yiyan standing there.
Seeing the boy looking dazed from sleep, Bai Yiyan told him to freshen up so they could go out for lunch. Once Cao Xiaohan washed up, the two headed out to grab a midday meal. Realizing he needed to source and prepare his own seasonings, Cao Xiaohan asked Bai Yiyan for some money and went out to purchase them himself. He wanted to check for any ingredients that could enhance flavor, as well as pick up spices for roasting meat. In historical dramas, travelers on the road frequently camped out in the wild and roasted whatever game they managed to hunt, and he wanted to be prepared. After spending the afternoon running errands, his harvest was quite decent: he successfully acquired cinnamon, black pepper, Sichuan peppercorns, star anise, cloves, tangerine peel, cumin, fennel, and cardamom, most of which he managed to procure from local apothecary shops. Back at the inn, he sorted and packed the newly purchased spices into his bundle.
When night fell, Cao Xiaohan saw that Bai Yiyan was dressed neatly and preparing to go out, and insisted on tagging along.
“That place is not suitable for you.” Bai Yiyan had no desire to bring an innocent, silly rabbit to a brothel, but the more he tried to refuse, the more curious Cao Xiaohan became.
“What kind of place is it?” Cao Xiaohan asked with innocent wide eyes.
“A brothel.”
“Take me with you, I want to go see what it is like.” For reasons unknown, upon hearing that Bai Yiyan was heading to a brothel, Cao Xiaohan felt a strange tightness in his chest, though he quickly brushed the feeling aside. A brothel! That was a premier sightseeing hotspot for transmigrators; how could he possibly miss it?
“I am going there to handle official business.” Bai Yiyan sighed inwardly, genuinely trying to look out for the silly rabbit.
“I can handle myself just fine, I promise I will not get in your way.” There was no way Cao Xiaohan would easily pass up a sightseeing opportunity. In the end, unable to win against his persistence, Bai Yiyan brought him along anyway.
Cuiyi Pavilion stood with lanterns hanging high, illuminated brilliantly and buzzing with a lively crowd whose din could be heard from far away. As they drew closer, the occasional strains of zither music and singing drifted through the air. Cao Xiaohan followed closely behind Bai Yiyan, curiously eyeing this otherworldly brothel. It did not seem all that different from the ones in historical TV dramas, leaving him a little disappointed. Right at the entrance, a male brothel attendant hurried forward to welcome them.
“Esteemed guest, you look quite unfamiliar. Is this your first time here?” The attendant ushered the two inside.
“Indeed it is.” Bai Yiyan offered no further elaboration, and the attendant did not mind.
Stepping inside, they found the main hall already packed to the brim with patrons. A heavily made-up madam, looking around forty years old, noticed Bai Yiyan’s extraordinary bearing and walked over with a beaming smile. Cao Xiaohan felt as though the thick layer of powder on the madam’s face was peeling off like a crumbling city wall with every movement of her smile, and even before she drew close, a thick, pungent fragrance washed over them. As she approached, Cao Xiaohan instinctively shrank back behind Bai Yiyan.
“Is this the young master’s first time visiting? You picked a wonderful day; tonight is the debut performance of our Cuiyi Pavilion’s top courtesan, Lady Shuangxue.” The madam lightly covered the corner of her mouth with a silk handkerchief, smiling with meaningful intent.
“Being new to these parts, I heard the house has a peerless courtesan who sells only her art, so I came specifically to witness it. I certainly did not expect our timing to be such a coincidence.” Bai Yiyan smiled with equal ulterior motive; on a night like this, Wealthy Patron Niu was bound to show up.