Under Bai Zheng's gesture, Zhu Ling opened the wooden box in her hand.
Everyone craned their necks curiously, eager to see what was inside.
Song Yiqing, who was the closest, caught a glimpse at once.
If he hadn't looked, it would have been fine. But once he did, even the always carefree and promiscuous Second Young Master Song, notorious for his amorous affairs, blushed to the roots of his neck.
Who could have imagined that inside the wooden box was a light purple woman's undergarment!
Even these playboys who frequented brothels on a regular basis dared not look directly at it in public.
On the contrary, the beauties in their arms were already used to such things. Some even stepped forward boldly to take a closer look.
The moment the wooden box was opened, Bai Zheng turned her head away to avoid suspicion and didn't look at the contents.
Naturally, the task of observation fell into the hands of these beauties present.
"Miss Bai, why did you show us this undergarment?" a woman's voice said coquettishly. "But the pattern on it is quite unique."
"Yes. Usually, the patterns embroidered on undergarments are things like magpies on plum blossoms, mandarin ducks playing in the water, or phoenixes passing through peonies. This is the first time I've seen a lotus flower embroidered on an undergarment, and it's a rare seven - petal water lily!" a woman exclaimed.
Hearing this, the beauty in Zhou Qi's arms pushed aside the sisters in front of her and leaned forward to take a closer look. Then she murmured, "This water lily looks a bit familiar."
Zhou Qi laughed. "What? Are all the people at the Bai Mansion your acquaintances? You find it familiar again?"
But the beauty frowned and ignored his teasing. "I seem to have seen this seven - petal water lily somewhere."
Bai Zheng had been standing slightly sideways, not looking at the undergarment in the wooden box and not answering the women's questions.
Now, hearing what the beauty said, she coughed lightly and praised, "You have sharp eyes."
"Did I really recognize it correctly?" the beauty was a bit unsure.
Bai Zheng nodded. "Think carefully. In your Yicui Pavilion, whose personal belongings have this kind of seven - petal water lily embroidered on them?"
"Lian Yi!" Almost the moment Bai Zheng gave this hint, the beauty suddenly realized.
With this exclamation, everyone once again turned their gazes to Lian Yi, who was being held completely immobile by the black - clothed man.
Lian Yi had seen the contents of the wooden box the moment it was opened.
She didn't care about everyone's gazes at all. She just stared fixedly at Bai Zheng.
That wasn't her undergarment!
She didn't have an undergarment of this color at all.
But the seven - petal water lily on the undergarment was exactly the same as the pattern on any of her personal clothes.
How was that possible!
The girl in front of her didn't know her at all. Today, she had caught the girl off guard. It was already not easy for the girl to obtain the stolen goods from the bandit mountain as evidence in such a short time.
But how did the girl manage to produce an undergarment embroidered with the same water lily as on her handkerchief in just about a moment since her appearance?
Moreover, at a cursory glance, the seven - petal water lily was almost indistinguishable from the one on her handkerchief.
How did she do it!
She shook her head fearfully. This Third Miss Bai was too terrifying!
The corners of Bai Zheng's lips curled slightly, and her tone was cold. "If my maid hadn't come to report that the woman causing trouble at the door had the exact same pattern as on this undergarment, as an unmarried girl, I really wouldn't have wanted to get involved in this matter.
This undergarment was found on the bandit leader when our Bai Mansion raided the bandit's den. I suppose the bandit leader was deeply in love with Miss Lian Yi.
No wonder Miss Lian Yi was willing to sacrifice her reputation and conscience just to splash this dirty water on our Bai Mansion for his sake."
As soon as these words were spoken, not only the young masters but also the women who sold their smiles and bodies in the brothels looked at Lian Yi with disdain.
The beauty in Zhou Qi's arms even sneered and said, "They all say that in our Yicui Pavilion, our top - ranking courtesan, Miss Luo, has the most enchanting figure, the most melodious singing voice, and the most excellent skills in playing the zither and dancing. But no matter how hard she tries, she can't hide that air of vulgarity.
Unlike Lian Yi. Although her appearance and talent are second only to Miss Luo, her temperament is outstanding, and she has always been chaste and aloof.
Who would have thought!
Who would have thought that this chaste and aloof Lian Yi was actually a woman who would give her personal undergarment to a man in private.
Whore!"
The last two words were bitten heavily by the beauty, one syllable at a time, like a boulder hitting the ground, shattering Lian Yi's last bit of self - esteem and pride.
Peer disdain exists in every profession.
This was also the powerful aspect of Bai Zheng's counter - attack.
She asked Song Yiqing to invite Lian Yi's peers - a group of courtesans.
Among them were even the beauties from Yicui Pavilion.
As courtesans and having been raised under the same madam, for so many years, they had been constantly overshadowed by Lian Yi and Miss Luo. Who wouldn't harbor some resentment in their hearts?
It was okay with Miss Luo. Her dancing, zither - playing, singing, and appearance were all superior to theirs. Knowing they couldn't compare, they simply didn't try.
But Lian Yi was different. She had built her reputation only on her beauty and the so - called reputation of being chaste.
The courtesans in the same courtyard couldn't stand Lian Yi's attitude the most.
Now that they finally had the opportunity, they wouldn't miss the chance to mock her mercilessly.
"That's right. We thought she was different from us sisters. In the end, she's just a whore."
"Sir, do you think the reason she refused to be with you back then was that in her eyes, you were not as good as that bandit leader?"
"Humph. With her kind of goods, she still had the nerve to look down on this young master? This young master will surely make sure she has nowhere to stand!"
Hearing these words, Lian Yi's body completely lost the strength to struggle. Her face was ashen, and she closed her eyes in despair.
She was finished.
"Zhu Ling, what are you still holding this dirty thing for? Give it back to her. Consider it a keepsake for Miss Lian Yi," Bai Zheng said.
Zhu Ling quickly responded with a "Yes" and disgustedly threw the undergarment and the wooden box at Lian Yi's feet.
Only then did Bai Zheng turn around and comfort Lian Yi kindly.
"Miss Lian Yi, now that the truth has come to light, there's no use in making a scene here. You might as well take your things and go back quickly. After all, this is not a glorious thing. It will surely damage your reputation in public."
After saying that, she didn't care about Lian Yi anymore. The black - clothed man could handle the rest.
Bai Zheng turned her head, smiled at Song Yiqing and the onlookers, and said apologetically, "Sorry for letting you watch such an unpleasant show."
The straightforward Zhou Qi was the first to say, "What does this have to do with Miss Bai? Miss Bai was just ridding the people of harm. Now she has been unjustly humiliated by that whore Lian Yi. This young master feels wronged on behalf of Miss Bai and the Bai Mansion."