Chapter 54

Xie Yun Tower was the largest brothel in Shengjing City.

Even though it was already night, Xie Yun Tower was still lively and bustling. Those who came were either rich or noble, each capable of spending a fortune.

Li Jifeng had spent half the day coaxing Xie Tingzhou out of the mansion.

Li Jifeng was a regular here, often coming in disguise.

As soon as the madam saw him, she warmly greeted him, “Young Master Feng, it’s been a while since you last visited. What brings you here today?”

Everyone here was shrewd, and the madam was a smart woman who never inquired about the identity of her guests. As long as they could afford it, they were treated as nobility, regardless of who they were.

Even on such a cold winter day, Li Jifeng wasn’t bothered. He elegantly waved a folding fan and said, “I brought my brother here today. Look, he’s today’s distinguished guest.”

He stepped aside, revealing Xie Tingzhou behind him, leaving the madam momentarily stunned.

Li Jifeng closed the fan, “What are you staring at? Hurry up and welcome him in!”

The madam snapped out of it and quickly ushered them in, “A few young masters are waiting for you in the room. Look at me, I was momentarily stunned. Young Master, your appearance… I suppose it’s no match for Young Master Lan Yue.”

Li Jifeng chuckled, “That’s for sure. They’re definitely on par.”

Speaking of the nickname “Young Master Lan Yue,” it was Li Jifeng who first spread it.

Xie Tingzhou cast a sidelong glance at Li Jifeng.

The reason he came today was because he couldn’t continue staying in the mansion like this.

Firstly, he felt restless, and secondly, over the past few years, in order to make Emperor Tongxu relax his vigilance, he had crafted an image of a playboy in Beilin. He hadn’t visited a brothel or tavern since arriving in the capital for several days. Emperor Tongxu would definitely become suspicious.

The madam personally led them to the best room.

As soon as Li Jifeng and Xie Tingzhou entered, the group of young masters who were lounging around immediately stood up.

They were all from noble families and knew about the Xie family’s formidable power in Beilin. Beilin Wang was about to conquer the world, and then there was the Crown Prince, Xie Tingzhou, who followed in his father’s footsteps.

Xie Tingzhou had become famous at a young age, but unexpectedly, he had an accident on the battlefield. Perhaps due to the shock, he began living a dissolute life ever since.

Compared to these playboys, Xie Tingzhou was even more dissolute.

Xie Tingzhou nodded in greeting.

“It takes Ninth Prince to be able to invite His Excellency the Crown Prince. I sent many invitations before but got no response,” one of the young masters said.

“That’s right,” Li Jifeng said proudly, “What’s my relationship with him?”

In no time, gorgeously dressed girls entered the room, some carrying qin, some holding fans.

Seeing the new arrivals in the room, the girls were both admiring and secretly delighted.

With the melodious music, Li Jifeng tapped his folding fan in time with the rhythm. Several young masters chatted with the beautiful women.

Xie Tingzhou leaned against the wall, playing with the wine glass in his hand.

After finishing a glass, a woman kneeling next to him reached out with the jug to pour him another glass. He moved his hand to the side, avoiding her. When she leaned over, she lost her balance and fell onto him.

“Hahaha,” Li Jifeng burst into laughter, “She knows what she’s doing.”

The woman’s behavior of throwing herself at him was exposed on the spot, and she blushed, unable to speak, and softly called out, “Young Master.”

Xie Tingzhou looked down, expressionless, picked up Li Jifeng’s fan from the table, and lifted the woman’s chin to inspect her.

The woman looked at the face before her, with its otherworldly features, and felt suddenly ashamed, fearing that her status and beauty would taint the eyes of a celestial being.

Feeling indifferent, Xie Tingzhou tossed the fan back onto the table.

The woman’s face immediately paled because she saw the lack of interest in the young master’s face.

Li Jifeng drank his wine, occasionally glancing at Xie Tingzhou’s expression.

Xie Tingzhou knew Li Jifeng was observing him, so he still had to maintain his facade.

“You,” he pointed to the woman playing the qin, “come here.”

The music abruptly stopped, and the woman gracefully walked over to him, kneeling down at his side.

But he only glanced at her twice and said, “Pour the wine.”

Li Jifeng pondered, “What’s wrong? Don’t the girls here match the beauty of those in Beilin? They don’t suit your taste?”

Xie Tingzhou smiled lightly, “Tired of them.”

Li Jifeng thought of the person in the cell and schemed in his

mind.

Suddenly, he asked one of the young masters, “Chao Heng, how’s the new servant you recently took in at the mansion?”

Rich families keeping male pets in the Zhou Dynasty was not uncommon.

Zhao Heng glanced at Xie Tingzhou and, seeing no disgust in his expression, spoke up, “He’s indeed young, but very delicate. He’s also quite bold. Just a trip to my concubine’s courtyard and he’ll throw a tantrum at me. It’s the first time I’ve ever had to coax someone.”

Next to him, a man named Xue Jin, whose mother was the Emperor’s sister, asked, “So how did you coax him?”

Zhao Heng chuckled, “How else? I called him by his childhood name and spent a night with him. Then I gave him some rare gifts later on.”

Xie Tingzhou inexplicably thought of Shi Yu. He remembered his childhood name was Shan Pao’er, right? During that arena fight, at least that’s what the people below called him.

Li Jifeng had been observing him all along. Seeing him holding the cup with a slight smile on his lips, he leaned over and asked, “What are you thinking about?”

Xie Tingzhou was startled.

Why would he think of Shi Yu?

When did he ever have the opportunity to call someone by their childhood name and coax them? Besides, if anyone dared to call him Shan Pao’er and ask him to behave, he’d probably explode on the spot.

From their conversation earlier, it seemed Xie Tingzhou didn’t dislike having male pets, and he even seemed a bit absent-minded at the time.

Li Jifeng seemed to have discovered something extraordinary and was excited all night.

Li Jifeng spared no effort, pouring many drinks for Xie Tingzhou throughout the night, and ended up staying in the top-floor elegant room of Xie Yun Tower.

The sky began to lighten.

Xie Tingzhou suddenly woke up from his dream.

He bent his legs, propping his forehead with his palm. The lingering warmth from the dream still hadn’t dissipated, and his sweaty back felt like it was still being caressed by soft hands.

He had dreamt of someone he never expected to dream of.

Or rather, he had considered it but refused to acknowledge it in his heart.

The erotic scene from the dream hadn’t dispersed yet. The person’s long hair was spread out on the bed, cheeks flushed, fingers clutching the bedsheet, and the curtains swaying with the breeze.

Xie Tingzhou closed his eyes and let out a heavy sigh, throwing off the covers and getting out of bed.

As soon as he moved, his whole body froze. The sticky wetness on his undergarments met the cold air, sending a chill straight to his heart.

This was an inevitable event for teenagers.

It was something that hadn’t happened to him since he was sixteen, but now, it had happened for real.