Shen Mingzhu didn't know what was on the others' minds. She simply said, "Stay away from me, and keep your voices down."
"Yes," Qingzhu replied obediently. "I'll play music for Your Highness."
Actually, there was a veil separating Shen Mingzhu from the secret guards and Qingzhu, and they were quite far apart. They even had to raise their voices when talking. They hadn't noticed before, but when the sound of the zither started, the atmosphere suddenly turned a bit ambiguous.
Xiaofeng and the others felt as if their buttocks were on fire. Their ears reddened slightly, and they felt so ill at ease that they couldn't sit still.
Chuntao stood behind Shen Mingzhu. Seeing those usually poker - faced men showing a rare hint of shyness, she covered her mouth, gloating.
"Your Highness," another secret guard named Chenyun beside Xiaofeng said. "The capital has been bustling lately, especially..."
As he recounted bit by bit, Shen Mingzhu's expression remained unchanged.
The sound of the silk and bamboo instruments gradually filled the air, creating an ambiguous atmosphere, but the people inside were all discussing serious matters.
Downstairs in the room, Xie Lang looked at the madam. Wearing a mask, he coldly asked, "Who's upstairs?"
The madam changed her expression from when she was in front of Qingzhu. She knelt on the ground respectfully and replied, "My lord, it seems to be the Princess, but I can't confirm her identity for sure yet."
Shen Mingzhu!?
Xie Lang almost crushed the cup in his hand. His thin lips under the mask tightened, and the atmosphere around him suddenly turned cold.
Shen Mingzhu had left without a word this morning, only to come to a place like this to do such things? And she even came to his place!
What did she mean by wanting someone obedient?
Xie Lang remembered the words he had heard when he was standing at the door just now. He was eager to rush in and ask Shen Mingzhu for an explanation. He hoped to see her regretful face and hear her beg for mercy.
After a long train of thought, when Xie Lang came to his senses, he saw the madam kneeling on the ground shivering like a fallen leaf in the autumn wind. Her forehead was soaked with sweat.
"Ha," Xie Lang couldn't help but sneer as he thought of Shen Mingzhu upstairs. "Alright. Have the people been sent?"
"R...returning to my lord!" The madam's voice trembled so much that it was almost inaudible. "They...they've been sent. I wouldn't dare to neglect such an important guest."
The madam had thought that Xie Lang would appreciate her prudence after hearing this, but instead, he sneered again and said, "Good. If she comes again in the future, serve her properly."
"By the way, remember to find some obedient and sensible people. Don't be so handsy! Put away all your little tricks. This place only offers entertainment, not prostitution!"
"Yes!"
Only after Xie Lang left did the madam collapse onto the ground. She was relieved that the master hadn't been too strict this time.
She had been too careless. The master must have known about her private business, but he just didn't bother to care. It seemed that from today on, she had to stop all those things, or next time...
The madam broke out in a cold sweat and got up shakily.
After Xie Lang left, he felt extremely uncomfortable. Just thinking about Shen Mingzhu having fun upstairs made him angry all over.
No way! Last time he went to the brothel as a cover, but Shen Mingzhu had treated it like she was catching him in an affair. Not only had he lost face, but she had also pointed a sword at him!
This time, he had to make things difficult for her! Then they would be even!
With this thought in mind, Xie Lang left the building without a second thought. He gathered some men and rushed there.
When the madam heard someone causing a ruckus at the door, she immediately led some strong men out. She didn't expect that although there weren't many people at the door, there was a noble young man in a red brocade robe looking at her with a half - smile.
Forcing herself to suppress the fear and a sense of familiarity in her heart, the madam looked at the young man. She felt like she knew him, but she still stepped forward to stop him.
Seeing this, Xie Lang took out the mask and played with it for a while. Then he saw the madam retreat, sweating all over.
He had rarely shown his face while building his power over the years, but today, Shen Mingzhu had made him break this rule.
With this thought, Xie Lang gritted his teeth and went upstairs. The guards were stunned when they saw his face, and then they immediately reacted and tried to stop him.
Unexpectedly, the people around Xie Lang were extremely skilled, and Xie Lang himself was also very agile. Before they knew it, Xie Lang had kicked the door open and stood there, looking straight at Shen Mingzhu.
"Forgive us, Your Highness!"
Everyone on the ground knelt down in an instant. Shen Mingzhu was startled by the commotion at the door. Several shadow guards beside her immediately drew their swords and protected her, looking at Xie Lang warily.
"Xie Lang?"
Shen Mingzhu never expected that the person standing at the door would be Xie Lang. Her expression hesitated slightly before she continued, "What are you doing here?"
Hearing this, Xie Lang curled his lips and walked towards Shen Mingzhu. He stopped in front of her and said, "What? Your Highness can come for pleasure, but I can't?"
Shen Mingzhu: "..."
Xie Lang seemed to be acting strangely. He had gone to the brothel on their wedding night. She was just here to discuss business. What was wrong with that?
Thinking this way, Shen Mingzhu immediately felt justified. She even found Xie Lang's expression rather inexplicable.
The two stared at each other, and the atmosphere on the scene instantly froze. Only Qingzhu not far away was gently plucking the strings of the zither, producing elegant music.
The two accompanying people beside them were already covered in cold sweat. They knelt on the ground, not daring to make a sound or stop Qingzhu. They wished they could bury their heads in the ground.
This Qingzhu must have been carried away by seeing the noble guests. How could she still be trying to curry favor at this time!
Shen Mingzhu and Xie Lang stared at each other for a long time. Then she frowned slightly and asked, "Is there anything else?"
Xie Lang snorted and pulled over a chair to sit down. Looking at Shen Mingzhu eye - to - eye, he said, "Oh, nothing."
"I just saw that Your Highness was so generous as to rent out the whole building. So I'm just being cheeky and coming to enjoy it."
As he said this, Xie Lang leaned his arm on the small table, casually picked up a grape, and peeled it under everyone's different gazes. Just as he was about to put it into his mouth, he turned to look at Shen Mingzhu. Seeing her looking at him, he raised his eyebrows and said, "What, does Your Highness want to eat too?"
Then he pinched the grape between his thumb and index finger and held it in front of Shen Mingzhu's lips.
Shen Mingzhu was silent for a moment. She silently turned to look at Xie Lang, suspecting that there was something wrong with his mind.
"What? Is Your Highness afraid it's poisoned?"
Shen Mingzhu was really curious about what Xie Lang was thinking, so she opened her mouth and looked at him.
The grape tasted so sour that Shen Mingzhu almost couldn't control her expression.
[Hahaha, I'm dying of laughter. It's sour, isn't it? How could they get grapes at this season? Shen Mingzhu should have thought it through. Hahaha]
[Fortunately, the grapes were expensive at that time, but I still had to buy them to save face, so the people below told me. Tsk]
[I thought they were a bit pricey at that time, but looking at Shen Mingzhu's expression now! It was really worth it!]
Xie Lang!
Shen Mingzhu almost couldn't hold back her scream. Her expression when looking at Xie Lang was a bit distorted.
Shen Mingzhu took a deep breath and turned to look at the grapes on the table. They looked plump and juicy, but who would have thought they were so sour?
Gritting her teeth, Shen Mingzhu forced a gentle smile on her face. She picked up a few grapes and said to Xie Lang, "They're delicious. Please peel a few more for me, Young Master Xie."
Xie Lang: ???