Chapter 14: What’s the Point of Taking a Male Concubine Out?

The shopkeeper hadn’t dared to slack off for half a day, sitting upright with perfect posture and eyes gleaming with alertness.

Zhu Wansheng had just arrived, and Gu husband came along with the personal maid of the Zhu family’s person in power—although this Miss Yingshi was a maid, her status was extraordinary, and the elder Zhu highly valued her.

In the past, when Miss Yingshi came to pick up goods on behalf of Zhu Chidi, they would have to serve her with the utmost respect.

But now Miss Yingshi was sitting in the shop, though not speaking, she had been staring straight ahead since sitting down, neither asking nor moving, but her aura was still powerful.

Even the usually boisterous Lanfan was obediently standing behind her, much more subdued than usual.

Downstairs was calm and silent, but the shopkeeper’s heart was filled with mixed emotions. She was worried about her own future: if this young lady came every day, Gu husband would probably come along, and Miss Yingshi looked like she was here to keep an eye on things.

Her days wouldn’t be easy then, having to serve these important figures from the main family every day.

The shopkeeper gazed at the sparse pedestrians on the street holding paper umbrellas, sighing inwardly.

Without realizing it, it had already gotten dark outside. She got up to light the lamps, then walked further inside, one hand on her worried face, smiling as she said, “Ladies, would you like some more tea?”

Miss Yingshi slightly lifted her eyelids, her voice soft, “No need.”

Lanfan’s half-opened mouth obediently closed again.

Just as the shopkeeper was about to leave, there was a sound from upstairs. She looked up with a smile. Zhu Wansheng was holding the handrail, lifting her skirt as she slowly came down, followed by Gu husband, who was carrying some strange objects she had never seen before.

Lanfan moved extremely quickly, darting over to greet them, “My lady, are you finished?”

Yingshi also stood up, first bowing to Zhu Wansheng, then speaking in her usual cold tone, “My lady, Elder Zhu instructed that you two can have a meal before returning to the mansion.”

Zhu Wansheng was rubbing her shoulders while turning her head, “We’ll eat when we get back.”

Yingshi shook her head, “That’s not possible. The elder Madam Zhu has already instructed the kitchen not to prepare meals for you two. Also, Miss Lanfan will return home with me. Let’s go, Lanfan.”

Lanfan was completely stunned, not moving an inch. Yingshi reached out to grab her.

Lanfan seemed to wake from a dream, dodging backward, her voice rising several decibels: “It’s still raining outside. If I go with you, who will carry my lady? The carriage is parked quite far away.”

Yingshi glanced at her, her tone somewhat displeased, “With Gu husband here, there’s no need for you to worry about such small matters. The umbrella is outside the door. My lady, Gu husband, we’ll take our leave first. Apologies for any offense.”

With that, she pulled Lanfan along, intending to leave. Despite Lanfan’s tall and sturdy build, Yingshi’s grip and pull left her with no chance to resist, and she was dragged several steps away.

The whole way, Lanfan kept turning her head and howling, but with her neck in someone else’s grasp, all she could do was cry out.

Zhu Wansheng laughed in exasperation. Zhu Chidi really didn’t need to go this far, but she wasn’t angry and didn’t care either way. It didn’t matter where she ate.

The shopkeeper, who had been standing far away earlier, her eyes darting between the group, now approached, “My lady, I’ve prepared some boxed meals. If you don’t mind, you can stay and eat. It’s still raining heavily outside, and who knows when it will stop. You could rest here a while longer.”

Though the shopkeeper said this, in her heart, she hoped more than anyone that Zhu Wansheng would leave quickly.

Zhu Wansheng shook her head. She didn’t want to keep eating at the shopkeeper’s expense. “No need to trouble you, shopkeeper. I’ll figure something out myself. Oh, about today’s new product.” Zhu Wansheng opened her palm, revealing something like a small eyeshadow box, but it was a small blush. “Try this tomorrow and give me feedback on the effects, if you don’t mind.”

The shopkeeper couldn’t quite understand, holding it and examining it closely for a long time. “This is powder, do I use it directly?”

Zhu Wansheng couldn’t explain clearly either, so she decided to teach the shopkeeper how to use it on the spot. The shopkeeper learned while nodding repeatedly like she was pounding garlic paste. Once Zhu Wansheng left, she finally let out several sighs of relief. This day was finally over.

Tomorrow… it would continue again…

***

Due to the rainy weather, there were few pedestrians on the street, and the lights were dim.

The rain slanted as it hit the ground, bringing a rush of cool and damp air. She was dressed lightly, and the wind pierced through the seams of her clothes onto her skin, making her shiver involuntarily from the cold.

Hugging her cloak tighter, her eyes caught sight of the umbrella Miss Yingshi had left, and her lips twitched: it was just a tiny paper umbrella, barely enough for one person, let alone the tall Gu Yingqing.

“What should we do? Where should we eat?” Zhu Wansheng touched her stomach, which had long since flattened from hunger. Zhu Chidi was truly a loving mother, not even letting them eat at home for the sake of romance.

In the original’s memories, there were countless taverns and entertainment houses, but very few places to eat.

Gu Yingqing stood behind her, “Is my lady asking me?”

Zhu Wansheng was speechless, “Who else? Is there anyone else here?”

Gu Yingqing smiled in confusion, “Doesn’t my lady usually eat all over Jiayu City? Surely you’re more familiar than I am, so why ask me?”

Zhu Wansheng turned to look at him.

He stood with the light from the cosmetics shop behind him, as if his whole body was coated in a layer of gold light. It looked warm, but his words carried no warmth. Though his lips were slightly curved, there was no emotion in his eyes.

She realized this person was somewhat childish. She was almost starving and just wanted to eat something, but he was fixating on such trivial matters.

Zhu Wansheng walked past him to take the umbrella, opening it. Before stepping down, she turned her head slightly and asked, “I’ll eat at the first place I find. Follow if you want, or don’t. It’s up to you.”

Without waiting for his response, she lifted her overly long skirt and stepped down.

As she reached the last step, her hand suddenly emptied, and darkness fell before her eyes.

Zhu Wansheng looked up. The umbrella had fallen into his hand, perfectly positioned over her head. In that brief moment, half of his clothes had already been invaded by the mischievous raindrops.

“Let’s go together. Elder Zhu still has orders.”

Zhu Wansheng didn’t respond. Under the night sky, the most prosperous shop was undoubtedly the Zuiyue Tower, a three-story wooden building fully lit, with the melancholic sound of the qin weaving through. It passed through the wooden windows, merging with the rain on the street before dissipating.

It seemed that even the rain couldn’t stop people from seeking pleasure and entertainment.

No matter the dynasty or the era, places of entertainment always thrived.

Gu Yingqing followed her gaze, then let out a cold laugh.

Zhu Wansheng withdrew her gaze, understanding the meaning behind his laugh, but too lazy to explain.

He deliberately walked half a step behind her, yet pushed the umbrella towards her. Water droplets clung to his hair, sliding down from his forehead. “Hold onto the umbrella yourself. It’s fine if your clothes get wet, but don’t let your head get rained on,” she said, stepping back half a step.

Gu Yingqing was taken aback.

She avoided his hand, grasping the umbrella handle and pushing the tilted umbrella to the center between them.

The rain beat down on both of them at an angle. Under the remaining warm light on the street, both of their clothes were gradually changing color from the rain. He moved slightly closer to her, their shoulder bones occasionally colliding and separating.

Her gaze moved left and right, her eyelashes gleaming. Perhaps from the cold, her face was slightly flushed. He said, “Let me carry you on my back, my lady.”

She didn’t hear him, her attention focused on the bright light in the distance. “Look, I found it!” Following the direction of her finger, he saw a restaurant called “Eight Flavors”. He had never eaten there before. The lantern with “Eight Flavors” written on it swayed in the wind, looking somewhat desolate.

The shop door was slightly ajar, probably to block the rain and cold air, leaving just a crack. The warm light from inside spilled out along with the aroma of food, causing Zhu Wansheng’s empty stomach to growl a few times.

Gu Yingqing opened the door for her, and their vision gradually widened. The inside was a completely different world from the outside. Although it was past mealtime, the inside was still bustling with noise. The drinkers had just finished a round and were in high spirits, laughing and shouting, truly lively.

Zhu Wansheng’s eyes immediately caught sight of a pretty young woman sitting askew, one foot curled up on the chair, one hand resting on her knee, the other holding a wine bottle. She tilted her head back to drink, her sleeve falling to reveal fair skin and several silver bracelets.

As soon as the wine bottle left her hand, the two men beside her methodically took turns, one feeding her snacks, the other pouring more wine.

The young woman seemed to be only sixteen or seventeen years old. At her age, Zhu Wansheng would have been studying hard, with no chance to be so carefree.

A waiter ran over to greet them, smiling broadly, “Welcome, esteemed guests. Would you like a private room or anywhere? Are you here for drinks or a meal?”

“Do you have noodles?”

“Yes, we do.”

“Then we don’t need a private room. We’ll sit here. I want a bowl of noodles. What about you?”

Zhu Wansheng sat down at an empty table next to the young woman.

Gu Yingqing answered after sitting down across from her: “The same noodles will do.”

“Alright, please wait a moment, esteemed guests. It’ll be ready soon. Would you like any wine?” The waiter asked Zhu Wansheng again, but she shook her head.

While waiting for the noodles, Zhu Wansheng couldn’t help but look at the young woman at the next table again: her alcohol tolerance was really impressive, drinking one jar after another without pause, and her face hadn’t even turned red. She drank as if it were water.

Seeing her constantly looking at the next table, occasionally swallowing, looking quite envious, Gu Yingqing asked, “Does my lady want to drink too?”

Zhu Wansheng lowered her voice and said, “I don’t want to drink, I’m just impressed. Her alcohol tolerance is really good.”

“As far as I know, my lady’s alcohol tolerance is not bad either.” It’s just that she doesn’t remember the promises made when drunk.

Zhu Wansheng laughed awkwardly. Her own alcohol tolerance was indeed not bad, but in this body, saying the alcohol tolerance was not bad was an understatement. The addiction was strong but the skill was average.

In her family, she would only be fit to sit at the children’s table. After all, their ethnic minority feared nothing more than drinking.

“Here are the noodles for our esteemed guests!” The waiter brought two steaming bowls of noodles, first placing one in front of Zhu Wansheng and handing her chopsticks, then placing the other in front of Gu Yingqing. “Please enjoy your meal. Let me know if you need anything.”

The noodles were in a red soup, topped with a few substantial pieces of red meat, a handful of green onions, and some chili. The steam rose carrying the aroma of meat. Zhu Wansheng didn’t say much, just lowered her head and slurped.

As the noodles went down, a wave of heat traveled from her mouth to her stomach, finally neutralizing the cold air she had taken in outside. Zhu Wansheng happily shook her head, using her chopsticks to twirl and twirl, gathering a large mouthful of noodles just about to enter her mouth when the laughter from the table behind entered her ears without her permission.

Zhu Wansheng frowned and put down her chopsticks. It really ruined her appetite.

“Isn’t that the legitimate daughter of the Zhu family in front? Who’s sitting next to her?”

“Young Master Ji, right? Everyone knows about Lady Zhu pursuing Young Master Ji. Who else could she bring out? Her arranged husband? Don’t forget, that husband was sent to some remote corner of the Zhu family by Lady Zhu.”

He then let out a couple of lewd laughs. “You never know. Even if it’s an arranged marriage, he’s still the official husband. What kind of image does it give to bring a male concubine out in public…”

From the sound of it, the gossips were two men. Their voices were somewhat shrill, deliberately lowered, and had a strange quality that made Zhu Wansheng very uncomfortable.

Apparently, men could be just as gossipy and sharp-tongued, if not more so.

Zhu Wansheng looked at Gu Yingqing across the table. He had naturally heard it too, but his expression remained unchanged as he ate his noodles in small bites, not even sparing a glance for those idle words.

The people behind continued:

“What’s wrong with a male concubine? A satisfactory male concubine is certainly better than a useless husband. You and I learn all those ways to please people with all our hearts, isn’t it just so we won’t lose favor to those singing and dancing beauties out there?”

“But Young Master Ji is indeed more…”

At this moment, Zhu Wansheng turned her head, her fingers slightly curled, and knocked on the long chair. Two “knock knock” sounds, not small, but ensuring those two could hear.