The moment Ye Xi received the news, she sent a letter to Qiao Yan.
Qiao Yan had been beaten with a cane. Although Yun Qi had inexplicably given her a special wound - medicine made in the Yun family's army, she was still listless after this ordeal. But as soon as she heard that Luo Ji finally couldn't resist going to that shady place again, she immediately sprang out of bed full of energy, vowing to avenge her previous humiliation and catch Luo Ji's dirty little secret.
Ye Xi thought her Taoist robe was too eye - catching. So she and Ling Yan changed into ordinary clothes, put on their veiled hats as usual, and went with Qiao Yan to "catch the adulterer".
Sure enough, Luo Ji had changed to a new place, in the opposite direction of the old wine shop.
The group followed the scout through a winding and hidden alley. They saw an unassuming wooden door tightly closed, but the faint sound of silk and bamboo music still seeped through the gaps in the wall and gently reached their ears.
Having suffered a setback before, Qiao Yan was much more cautious and didn't rush in head - on as usual.
She just slowed her breathing and quietly climbed over the wall with Ling Yan.
The wooden door looked shabby, with the painted lacquer peeling off. But once inside the small courtyard, it was a whole new world. There were rows of houses, winding corridors, a faint fragrance in the air, and the continuous sound of music. From time to time, there were lewd whispers that made people blush.
Since Ye Xi didn't know martial arts and the incense inside was extremely strong, the scout got lost as soon as they came in. Ling Yan first took Ye Xi to a hidden place that was convenient to leave and hid her there, then split up with Qiao Yan to search for Luo Ji.
Ye Xi was in a storage room full of miscellaneous items, which was convenient for hiding. It was close to the courtyard gate and had a window, so it would be easy to escape in case of trouble.
Ling Yan and Qiao Yan left silently, but the sound of lovemaking in the next room didn't stop at all. Ye Xi, an unmarried girl, couldn't bear to listen. She covered her ears, blushing, and started looking around the room to distract herself.
Just as she was looking, the moans of the two people finally stopped, and they started talking affectionately.
The woman's voice sounded a bit familiar, and Ye Xi gradually concentrated to listen.
She heard the man's gentle voice, which was not like an ordinary man's:
"Qingniang, has the Luo family noticed anything strange?"
Ye Xi was stunned. Why was it related to the Luo family?
The woman immediately replied:
"Don't worry. The whole Luo family has been kept in the dark. They haven't suspected a thing."
This voice was clearly that of Zhou Qingqing, Luo Ji's favorite concubine!
Ye Xi didn't recognize her voice when they were moaning passionately just now, but now that they were talking normally, she recognized it at once.
She never expected that while looking for evidence against Luo Ji, she would stumble upon Zhou Qingqing having an affair!
Ye Xi was shocked and opened her eyes wide. She was very puzzled. With Zhou Qingqing's current status in the Luo family, why would she take the risk to do such a dirty thing?
Just as she was wondering, the man said again:
"That's good. There's a longevity lock in this purse. It's my token of love. Remember to take it away carefully after we're done. Don't let Luo Ji find out."
"I know,"
Zhou Qingqing's voice clearly showed a smile,
"It's not the first time. He won't find out. But judging from the time, he'll be here soon. Let's tidy up first. Otherwise, if he sees us like this, he'll definitely be angry."
The man responded, and then there was a rustling sound as they really started to clean up.
Ye Xi was completely stunned.
What did it mean that Luo Ji was coming soon? Why didn't Zhou Qingqing run away quickly after having an affair when she knew Luo Ji was coming?
And that man. Judging from his voice, he was obviously a trained gigolo. Why was it that nowadays gigolos were giving gifts to their customers?
Was the prostitution business that hard?
Ye Xi's mind was in a complete mess. She felt something was wrong but couldn't grasp the fleeting thought. Before she could figure it out, the door of the room creaked. Then came Luo Ji's lewd laughter:
"Hehe... Yuquan, it's been a long time. Your figure has become even more charming. Qingqing, help me take off my clothes."
"Yuquan, come here. Give me a taste of your special skill first."
Both of them responded coquettishly. Immediately afterwards, there were ambiguous and lingering gasps and inexplicable smacking sounds.
It was the first time Ye Xi had eavesdropped on something like this. She really wished she could cut off her own ears to avoid this disgusting torture.
No wonder Zhou Qingqing wasn't afraid of her affair being discovered by Luo Ji. Ye Xi finally understood why she was so favored by Luo Ji. No proper girl or young lady would do such a thing as having sex with a man and a woman together.
As for Luo Ji, bringing his own concubine to do such a thing. Was he afraid that if he found other women, they would expose his homosexual preference?
Ye Xi was so disgusted that she couldn't hide anymore. She tiptoed out.
Coincidentally, Ling Yan had searched around but didn't find Luo Ji. Worried about Ye Xi's safety, she quickly came back. Just as she saw Ye Xi coming out while holding her veiled hat, she immediately rushed up.
"Stop looking,"
Ye Xi waved her hand with a complicated expression and whispered,
"Find Qiao Yan and let's get out of here first."
Ling Yan was very efficient. The three of them quickly climbed over the wall again and walked far away from the alley.
"How about it, Immortal Maiden?"
Qiao Yan had been impatient for a long time. She had wanted to ask about the situation all the way but was stopped by Ye Xi. As soon as they reached the main street, Qiao Yan immediately asked.
"Did you see Luo Ji? He was really whoring, right?"
Ye Xi hesitated. She tried to find the right words but couldn't open her mouth. She could only say vaguely:
"There are indeed some shady things. But this kind of immoral place is not suitable for anyone to come to. It's also not good for us to bring people here."
"Since we've already found out the situation today, let's make preparations first. You go back and find some reliable people, servants or relatives. These days, everyone is waiting for the release of the imperial examination results. Many ladies and young misses will go to Sheng Guo Temple to offer incense, and the Luo family is no exception."
"Let's come up with a plan..."
Thinking of the disgusting things she had heard just now, Ye Xi couldn't help blushing. Fortunately, the veiled hat covered her face, so no one else could see it.
She coughed lightly and continued:
"If we can catch him red - handed in a solemn place like a temple and expose it, it will ruin his reputation even more. We'll have a better chance of winning."
Qiao Yan was overjoyed and said with a smile:
"Okay, I'll do as the Immortal Maiden says. I'll go back and arrange people right away."
"Miss, wait a minute."
Ye Xi quickly stopped her. She was always a bit worried about Qiao Yan's impulsive nature.
"The main purpose of our action is to help Miss Su and Lian Yi get a smooth divorce from Luo Ji. Exposing his disgusting face is secondary. The people you find should preferably be the trusted servants of the Qiao or Su family. Others must be the ones you trust the most."
"Otherwise, if his dirty deeds are exposed before the divorce, the Luo family might just act recklessly, which will only damage Miss Su and Lian Yi's reputations. They might be trapped in the Luo family for the rest of their lives."
Qiao Yan was shocked. Just as she was about to reply seriously, she heard Ye Xi continue:
"Also, besides arranging people, the most important thing for you now is to go to the Su family first."