"I'm back." Zhu walked in holding an oil-paper package.
It smelled good. When opened, it was a roasted chicken, browned and crispy. "Eat," Zhu urged.
Aenwyn asked, "How did you have money to buy roast chicken?" She thought at most it would be something like a baked bun. After all, the kid looked very poor.
Zhu's eyelashes fluttered slightly. "A kind person gave it to me today." He pretended to grab it back. "What, not eating? Then give it back."
Aenwyn looked at his puffed-up face and shook her head. He really was jumpy. A kid this age would just be in middle school in the modern world.
"Not giving it back," Aenwyn said, smiling as she started eating. He responded with a cold snort.
The roast chicken looked good, but the taste was so-so. Some feathers hadn't been cleaned off properly. She only ate a little before stopping.
"Aren't you eating?" Aenwyn asked, seeing him busy since he returned.
"You eat. Why bother about me?"
Aenwyn smiled again. He really reminded her of her younger cousin. As she smiled, her head suddenly felt dizzy.
And it was getting worse. She shook her head groggily.
Oh no.
Aenwyn immediately realized something was wrong with the chicken.
She looked at Zhu with a complicated expression. Kids couldn't be trusted in times like this. "You..." She opened her mouth to ask, but collapsed to the ground.
With a loud thud, her body hit the floor. Zhu turned around with a complicated expression. "Don't blame me. If I hadn't saved you, Wen would've killed you already."
"Come in," he called out.
The broken door creaked open. Rong walked in with two lackeys, impatient. "What took so long? This isn't your brother, is it?"
Zhu argued, "He doesn't have a tag, so it's fine."
Rong didn't bother replying.
As she entered, she saw the slender figure lying on the floor and nodded in satisfaction. Good body, once cleaned up, could be a goldmine.
But what about the face?
She squatted down to remove Aenwyn's mask. But before her fingers touched it, the person on the floor suddenly shoved her away.
Fiery one, Rong was a little displeased.
Aenwyn still had some awareness. After realizing something was wrong, she had pretended to collapse, just to observe the situation. But when she felt someone tug at her mask, she pushed back. Then she tried to escape.
As soon as she got up, the man in front of her grabbed her shoulder.
Aenwyn struggled, but his hand didn't move. It felt like claws, gripping so hard it hurt.
She'd run into serious trouble today.
Anger blazed in Aenwyn's heart. She looked up to see a man with painted face, looking strange and eerie.
"Let me go," she growled, trying to struggle free, while kicking out with her leg.
Rong reached out and blocked her leg. No good, no good.
"Too fierce," Rong said, turning to Zhu. "I can't take this one." He was older now and hadn't broken anyone in years.
Zhu panicked. "You promised. A hundred taels."
Aenwyn finally understood. This brat had saved her, then turned around and sold her. She laughed in disbelief. "What right do you have to sell me?"
Rong said, "He said you were his brother."
"Bullshit brother. We just met today," she snapped, glaring at Rong.
Those eyes were truly beautiful. Under long black lashes were clear, striking eyes. Even in rage, they were captivating. He reached to remove her mask.
Fear flashed in Aenwyn's eyes, but his movement was too quick.
The black mask fell off, revealing a delicate, fair face. Her features were bright and elegant, an extraordinarily beautiful face.
The two lackeys gasped. A treasure. They'd struck gold this time.
Zhu was stunned. That good-looking? He had only said she looked better than a woman to sell her for more. He didn't expect it to be true. He'd never even seen a real woman before.
Rong smiled, still in awe. "Pay up. A hundred taels." He changed his mind. That face was too much like a woman's. No matter the trouble, it was worth it.
Zhu snapped out of it. "No, I'm selling."
"Not your choice," Rong sneered at him.
"Think I'm dead or what?" Aenwyn was furious. These people were discussing selling her right in front of her. A hundred taels?
No way. Spit. She wasn't for sale. Not for any amount. The response was a chop from the strange man. She blacked out completely.
Damn it, this society had no human rights. As she lost consciousness, Aenwyn cursed.
But did they really not realize she was a woman?
No way their eyes were that bad. Indigo had seen it at a glance.
It was no wonder Aenwyn had such ridiculous thoughts when she fainted. It was really a blow to her pride that someone could look at her face and still not realize she was a woman.
She was, after all, a great beauty. She had forgotten she had drawn fierce demon-like eyebrows on herself before leaving the house.
Rong mama carefully supported her limp body and hoisted her onto her shoulder like a baby chick.
"I said I'm not selling anymore." Zhu Liu blocked their way, full of regret.
Before the master even gave the order, two servants shoved him aside and pulled out one hundred taels of silver from their chests. "Take it. Don't be shameless when someone shows you kindness."
When Aenwyn woke up again, she was in a private room. The decor was elegant. The moment she opened her eyes, she tried to run.
She remembered very clearly that she had been sold for one hundred taels by that wild brat.
Don't let her see him again, or she would teach him a lesson on how to behave.
"I suggest you behave yourself." said the man sitting at the nearby desk sipping tea when he saw she was awake.
It was that demon-like man. Aenwyn became alert. This guy had great martial skills.
"Where is this place?"
"Spring Breeze Courtyard."
Spring Breeze Courtyard? That sounded familiar. "What do they do here?"
Rong mama smiled and slowly said, "Naturally, it's a flesh trade business for receiving and sending off guests."
Aenwyn was shocked. A brothel??
"No need to panic, miss. Our Spring Breeze Courtyard only has men." Rong mama set down his teacup and came over. Looking at her face, his eyes filled with awe and admiration.
Aenwyn: A male escort club?
Rong mama came closer and looked at her clear, awake face as if in worship.
Beautiful, truly beautiful. That skin, those features. No matter how gentle a man is, he could never have this kind of watery grace. No wonder his Spring Breeze Courtyard never grew big. Men, no matter how pretty, couldn't compare to a woman like her.
He never imagined he'd ever meet a woman at the level of a sovereign consort. With such appearance and bearing, she could only be of that class. He came to this conclusion and withdrew his gaze under Aenwyn's angry glare.
He had thought she was just a man who looked extremely like a woman. But after cleaning her face, he realized she was a woman, and those bold brows had been drawn on. If she were a man, he would've made her famous across the Eastern Realm.
"What a pity, what a pity."
Aenwyn: Pity what??
But Rong mama did find it strange that she had no cinnabar mark on her forehead and no identity engraving on her hand.
"Have you stared enough?" If he kept looking, she would start charging him.
"How could it ever be enough?" He hadn't seen a woman in over ten years. But she felt like a hot potato in his hands. With looks like hers, he didn't dare touch. He could only feast his eyes.
If he were twenty years younger and she was just an ordinary woman, maybe he would've hidden her away.
But now, nearing fifty, he valued his life more. He just wanted to make a little honest money. Someone of unknown background like her, he dared not touch or keep. He had to get rid of her quickly.
Who knew, she might even be the private plaything of some noble in the royal city. "Who was your original master?" Rong mama suddenly asked.
What??
Master?
Who had the right to be her master? Spit!
But then she quickly caught on. Could it be they thought she already had a master? After thinking for a bit, she said, "You can't afford to mess with him. I suggest you let me go quickly."
Aenwyn started making things up.
Rong mama ignored her threat and sighed. "Just look at you, so delicate and noble."
"Truly, I hate to let you go." He reached out to touch her face again, but Aenwyn dodged.
"Tonight at the hour of the dog, Spring Breeze Courtyard will hold a sale. No matter who your master is, Rong is going to earn this money." He withdrew his hand and said, "I advise you not to struggle. No one escapes from my Spring Breeze Courtyard."
He pointed outside the door as he spoke. Outside stood a row of burly men, packed tight.
Aenwyn stared coldly at him.
Rong mama met her icy gaze and took a deep breath. Doing this kind of business, he knew well the power of pillow talk. A girl this pretty shouldn't be pushed too far.
"After tonight's sale, whether you run or not is no longer my problem." He hinted at her.
Aenwyn understood. "I don't have a name tag," she said.
Her biggest problem was that she had no identity plate.
Rong mama paused, then pulled out a small green plate from the drawer beside him. "As long as you cooperate with tonight's sale, this is yours."
Aenwyn looked at the small green plate in his hand. It seemed to be made of some kind of mineral, carved with writing. So this was an ID here? Before she could get a good look, he had already put it away.