Yin Yin ordered a whole table full of dishes, then winked at Helian Kong across from her. “You said earlier that if we met again, you’d treat us to a meal.”

Helian Kong: “……”

He himself had only been willing to order a single drunken chicken!  Q口Q

Helian Kong’s pitiful expression only fueled Yin Yin’s urge to tease him further, “Hey, Er^[1]second…… huo^[2]goods. You said you ran away from a marriage?”

Helian Kong blinked his large, tear-brimmed eyes and looked at Yin Yin with dissatisfaction. “I’m not called Erhou^[3]dumbass. My name is Kongkong.”

……

Damn it, wasn’t Kongkong already dumb enough?!

“Kongkong,” Yin Yin forced out the two words with difficulty. “So what’s your plan now?”

Helian Kong tilted his head and thought for a moment. “I want to go to a brothel.”

=A=!!!

Even if you’re going to sell yourself, you should go to a male brothel, not a female brothel! No wait— don’t sell yourself at all! What’s with this self-destructive attitude?! You’re the second prince, for heaven’s sake! Have some dignity!

Yin Yin wiped the sweat off her forehead and asked with a forced smile, “What are you going to a brothel for?”

Helian Kong gave her a strange look. “To find women, of course. What else would I go there for, food?”

Yin Yin: “……”

Why did she feel like she was being looked down on? And by this idiot second prince, who probably couldn’t even pay for this meal?

“Do you even have money?” Ling Long asked coolly.

Helian Kong: “……Q口Q”

A single coin could crush a hero.

Helian Kong looked at Ling Long, and suddenly his eyes lit up. “Young Master, are you interested in coming with me?”

“Screw your sister!!!” Yin Yin slammed the table and stood up.

Helian Kong was startled by her outburst and pitifully fiddled with his fingers. “My sister would never go to a place like that……”

He glanced at the person across the table, who was glaring at him, her eyes filled with fury, then silently continued picking at the plain rice in his bowl.

Still pretending to be pitiful?! Don’t think that trick works on me!

……

Okay, fine, it kind of worked. Yin Yin couldn’t stay angry anymore.

Helian Kong ate the entire meal in complete silence, occasionally sneaking cautious glances at Yin Yin, making her feel like some villain bullying an innocent young lady.

In the end, it was Ling Long who paid the bill. Helian Kong tearfully thanked him for a full hour, then eagerly invited Ling Long once again to join his brothel-hopping adventure— only to be smacked on the head by Yin Yin.

Helian Kong went off to the brothel all alone, saying that even without a coin to his name, he could rely on his beauty and wits to escape danger. Yin Yin, hearing such baseless confidence, silently wished him a smooth journey^[4]rest in peace.

Just as Yin Yin and Ling Long returned to Zhuwang’s headquarters, a lackey came running over. “Leader, someone from the palace is here looking for you!”

The palace? Could this be related to that idiot prince?

Yin Yin looked at Ling Long beside her. His expression hadn’t changed, but he gave the person a nod and headed toward the inner hall. Yin Yin blinked and cheerfully trotted after him.

Inside the room stood a eunuch pacing back and forth anxiously, like an ant on a hot pan.

“Oh, thank goodness, Young Master Ling Long, you’re finally back!” The eunuch’s eyes lit up like a starving wolf seeing a plump sheep, and he rushed toward him.

Ling Long calmly took a few steps back and asked, “Eunuch Li, is the second prince asking for more recipes again?”

Eunuch Li wiped the sweat from his forehead. “Who has time to worry about recipes now? The second prince is missing!”

“Missing?” Ling Long frowned. “The palace is heavily guarded. How did he go missing?”

Yin Yin silently gave Ling Long a thumbs-up in her heart. What an actor!

“I don’t know either!” Eunuch Li was nearly in tears. “By the time I noticed, the second prince had already disappeared! Luckily, we discovered it early, so the news hasn’t spread yet. But if we don’t find him soon and His Majesty finds out……”

Eunuch Li looked at Ling Long as if he were his last hope. “Young Master Ling Long, please help me find the second prince.”

Ling Long originally hadn’t intended to get involved in palace affairs, but if he left that idiot prince unattended, it would definitely lead to disaster. After considering for a moment, he said, “I might know where he is.”

“Where?!”

“The brothel.”

……

Yin Yin almost burst out laughing at the sight of Eunuch Li’s thunderstruck expression.

But Eunuch Li wasn’t in the mood to laugh. Their delicate, fair-skinned second prince had run off to a brothel! He might as well have fed himself to the wolves!

If the emperor found out about this, even ten heads wouldn’t be enough to keep his job!  TAT

“Young Master Ling Long, please, you must save our second prince!”

The way he said it, it sounded like the prince had gone to be used by the women, not the other way around. What exactly was he worried about? ╮(╯_╰)╭

Then again, Yin Yin reconsidered. With how Helian Kong looked…… the odds of him being the one used were probably high.

Women these days were more powerful than ever.

Ling Long glanced at the sky and said, “The brothels aren’t open yet. We’ll go after dark.”

The heavens, ever cooperative, quickly turned dark.

Yin Yin followed Ling Long to the capital’s famous red-light district.

At this point, she had changed into men’s clothing and tied her hair up high. She actually looked rather dashing.

She was visibly excited. Finally, she was going to a brothel! She was finally becoming a real man!

……

Wait, something didn’t feel right.

Ling Long had originally not wanted Yin Yin to come along, but knowing she would just sneak after him anyway, he figured it was better to let her stay close.

“Caiqing Garden?” Yin Yin blinked up at the sign overhead.

“Mm. This is the most famous brothel in the capital.” Ling Long said as he walked in.

Yin Yin frowned and caught up. “You seem familiar with this place. Do you come often?”

Ling Long pinched her soft cheek. “Don’t overthink it.”

Hmm, it felt nice. He couldn’t help but pinch again.

Yin Yin clutched her freshly pinched face but still pressed on, “So…… have you been here before?”

Ling Long gave her a look. “Yes.”

Aaaah! He actually admitted it!!!

……

Yin Yin felt utterly crushed. She seriously considered burning the whole Caiqing Garden to the ground.

“Well, if it isn’t Young Master Ling Long! What wind blows you here today?” A coquettish woman welcomed them at the door, leaning bonelessly against Ling Long and fluttering her lashes at him like spinach in autumn.

Yin Yin’s rage +1000.

She shoved the woman off Ling Long with a fake smile. “What, you only see Young Master Ling Long? Am I invisible?”

The woman smiled prettily and clung to Yin Yin’s arm. “Now, now, don’t be angry, Young Master. It was my fault.”

“Hmph!” Yin Yin snorted.

“I’ll drink three cups as an apology, alright?” The girl, Jiu’er, rubbed against Yin Yin, looking pitiful.

“Hmph, hmph!” Like hell I’m drinking with you!

Jiu’er paused. This one…… was adorable~

Ling Long looked at the two of them and almost laughed.

He scanned the brothel and quickly spotted Helian Kong, surrounded by a horde of women and struggling for dear life.

Yin Yin followed Ling Long toward him. Along the way, many women tried to flirt with Ling Long, only to be glared away by Yin Yin. Jiu’er alone stayed close to them.

After sending away all the women surrounding Helian Kong, his face finally appeared fully before everyone. “That was close! I thought I was going to be eaten alive!”

Still shaken, he patted his chest in lingering fear, then got a clearer look at his two rescuers. “Hm? This young master, didn’t you say you weren’t coming?”

Jiu’er looked at Helian Kong curiously and asked, “Young Master Ling Long, do you know this gentleman?”

“Young Master Ling Long?!” Helian Kong’s eyes went wide. “You’re Ling Long?!”

Ling Long nodded.

Helian Kong swallowed hard. “You wouldn’t happen to also be the leader of Zhuwang, would you?”

“Hey, would you believe it? He actually is!” Yin Yin grinned and plopped into a chair beside him.

Helian Kong: “……”

Jiu’er chimed in, “Young Master Ling Long occasionally comes here for information.”

Yin Yin’s eyes sparkled. “So you come here to gather intel?”

Ling Long smiled at her. “What else did you think?”

“I thought that too!” Look at my sincere eyes.

Ling Long shook his head and sat beside Helian Kong. “The secret is out.”

Just four words, but the meaning was clear.

Helian Kong instantly went pale and looked at Ling Long, his expression more aggrieved than any of the brothel women. “You’re not here to arrest me, are you?”

“Hey, would you believe it? He actually is!” Yin Yin smoothly stabbed again.

Helian Kong: “……”

He stayed quiet for five seconds, then looked at Ling Long with resolute eyes. “I won’t leave until I meet Miss Haitang!”

Yin Yin: “……”

Can’t you channel that fighting spirit into something more useful? You’re the future of the country, you idiot prince!

Jiu’er poured herself a drink and turned to Yin Yin. “Young Master, forgive me for earlier. I’ll drink first to apologize.”

She downed it in one gulp, then refilled Yin Yin’s cup.

Yin Yin stared at the wine. She couldn’t lose to a girl! She imitated Jiu’er’s boldness and gulped it down.

And then—

“Cough, cough, cough, cough, cough, cough!”

Yin Yin nearly coughed her soul out.

So spicy!!!

“You okay?” Ling Long held her shoulder as she weakly clutched his arm and croaked, “Help…… me……^[5]in English”

Ling Long: “……”

“Heipumi?” Helian Kong looked confused. “Is that a new type of rice?”

“Hahahaha!” Jiu’er laughed until her eyes watered. “This young master is too adorable~ Young Master Ling Long, where did you meet such a fun friend?”

Adorable your ass! Fun your ass! This is murder, you know?!

Yin Yin sipped some tea and finally calmed down, only to hear someone in the crowd shout, “Miss Haitang is here!”