“It looks like the subject has fallen into our trap.” The Chief Steward, “Or is there still some sort of issue with this Official Huang? Should we send someone down to take care of it?”
“Wait for Xiao Mei’s signal.” The woman leans her head forward to glance down.
The two were in the middle of discussing when they suddenly heard a cry of alarm from Xiao Mei coming out of the hole!
In the darkness, Xiao Mei let out a cry of alarm. Her voice was filled with surprise and disbelief.
The cry of alarm was immediately followed by huffing and puffing gasps, not like those of passion but more like anger, it was then followed by Old Huang’s loud curses.
“Where did this lowly wench come from to be sprouting ridiculous nonsense!” Official Huang seems to be in the midst of a violent rage, as he viciously grabbed Xiao Mei’s hair and pushed the half-dressed woman to the side, “Xiao Mei? What Xiao Mei? When did Linglong Mansion (the playhouse/brothel) ever have a person like you? When did Hong Ru have such a close friend? Back then, it was me who saw her and insisted on having her! Which fox hole did you crawl out of, you wench, that you are trying to deceive me?”
“Shameless wench–” this side had not finished cruising when another storm came swooping in. In the storm, Madam Huang came ferociously in, stamping through the mud and water, fire seemingly bursting out of her eyes as she instantly saw the whole scene thanks to the lantern in the sedan carrier’s hands. Pouncing forward, Madam Huang is ready to tear apart Xiao Mei’s face, “Where did this fox wench come from? You are asking for death…”
Xiao Mei hastily dodged. Seeing Xiao Mei’s disheveled state, Madam Huang became even more enraged. She first pulled Xiao Mei’s clothes together so her husband couldn’t see the lovely view anymore before getting ready to use her trusty super kick …but was once again dragged away by the much-beleaguered sedan carrier.
Madam Huang cursed as she struggled, “What’s going on with this Shuyu Villa?! A nest of ghosts and foxes (a reference to women who like to seduce men). I want to talk to His Highness about this!”
Official Huang coughed and rebuked the sedan carrier with an air of righteousness, “Outrageous, and insulting!”
On one hand, with an expression of somberness, Official Huang caressed his wife’s hand and assured her, “Madam, don’t be angry. This husband of yours has a ruler of righteousness in his heart and will not be swayed by these foxy women.”
On the other hand, Official Huang secretly pulled Xiao Mei and whispered in her ear, “Miss Xiao Mei, I heard my wife’s footsteps just now and had no other choice but to offend…please forgive me, I know you have suffered…I know you really do like me. Later, if my wife is not around, you are welcome to come find me…ouch!”
The outwardly straitlaced but secretly sleazy Official Huang, was pinched hard by Xiao Mei who didn’t know if she should laugh or cry.
The husband and wife fussed some more before they could be pacified and convinced to go back to their own sedan chair. This time, they were able to make it all the way out of the cave without incident. At the cave entrance, the Chief Steward of the villa was waiting with a smile with words of apology as he led them inside, “The banquet is in the Jade Light Hall, it is the place with the best view of the mountain scenery. Official Xu and his group have already arrived. The villa is furnished simply but there are interesting worthy sceneries to be viewed. Official Huang and Madam Huang, be sure to enjoy yourself thoroughly tonight.”
He did not mention a word about what happened in the cave so Official Huang did not mention it either. Madam Huang followed them for a few steps before looking down with a troubled expression at her dress. Seeing Madam Huang’s pause out of the corner of his eyes, the Chief Steward hesitated for a moment before saying, “Madam’s clothes have been stained. Please allow the maid to take you to a side room to change.”
He also did not mention the matter of the hot springs. Feng Zhi Wei wasn’t interested in the hot spring anyway, especially since she had already been in two bathtubs that very night, she certainly wasn’t interested in getting into one for the third time. She was about to agree when she suddenly felt Ning Yi giving her hand a light squeeze.
Mildly surprised, Feng Zhi Wei glanced over at Ning Yi out of the corner of her eyes and discovered that while Ning Yi appeared to be completely focused ahead, but he was actually examining a certain direction with a thoughtful expression in his eyes as he slowly wrote the word “hot spring” in her hand.
Looks like he wants her to try for the hot spring. Feng Zhi Wei heart gave a small lurch, remembering how she herself had written in his palm back then when the two of them were fighting off their enemies together on Shouyang Mountain. Snapping back to attention, she smiled and turned to the Chief Steward and said, “My sedan carrier told me that there is a hot spring in the villa. You see, not only are my clothes dirty but there is some mud on my hair as well. This would truly be a disrespect to the villa’s master, so…”
The Chief Steward hesitated for another moment, looked toward a certain direction, thought a bit more before summoning a maid, and ordered her to take Madam Huang to go wash up. He particularly made sure to admonish the maid “To the west pool, remember?”
Listening to the maid’s answer, Feng Zhi Wei’s eyes flashed– if there is a west pool, then there is an east pool. Why can they not go to this east pool?”
“Husband, I will go and come back quickly.” She excused herself according to etiquette.
Ning Yi looked at her with Offical Huang’s face with a somber expression but there was a hint of laughter in his eyes as he held her hand and admonished her tenderly, “There will be a banquet later, so come once you’ve cleaned up a bit.”
The hand in her palm was writing, “If something is wrong, then withdraw right away, safety is the most important.”
“I understand.” Feng Zhi Wei curtsied delicately.
Ning Yi stared at the her she was at that moment, there was seemingly a hint of what looked like joy or regret in his eyes before he finally let go of her hand. Following the maid, Feng Zhi Wei hurriedly left. Even after she was a long way off, she could still feel those eyes sticking to her back. (Poor guy, he can only fantasize about married life with our heroine this way.)
All the way through the heavy corridors and pavilions, Feng Zhiwei found that while there were not many people in this villa, there were lots of secret guards posted about. Moreover, the women are indeed very beautiful. Even the maid in front of her who is leading the way has a slender waist and a voluptuous figure, her body swayed charmingly like a lotus leaf as she walked.
And it seemed that the hot springs were located in the interior of the villa. The more they walked, the less people there were. No wonder that steward just now was not willing to let her go to the hot springs. The two sedan carriers are, after all, the peripheral guards, thus not clear about the rules inside the core of the villa and had casually mentioned the hot springs. To not appear rude, the steward could only agree reluctantly when she brought up the hot springs.
Turning past a moon-shaped door, they were greeted by a path paved with white stone. At the end of the white-stoned path is a large stone screen with a majestic carving of a flying dancing dragon and phoenix. The pattern is ordinary but something seemed slightly off about the dragon and the phoenix’s posture. Feng Zhi Wei’s eyes swept past it at first glance, thought about it, and then turned back to look at it. Upon a closer look, Feng Zhi Wei couldn’t help but blush from her face to her ears.
This is not some flying dancing dragon and phoenix picture, but it is a picture of a dragon and phoenix engaging in the very act. On the four side corners, there were also some vague carvings of men and women, all engaging in various postures.
Looks like this place is not a simple bathhouse but a place to let the rich nobles have their fun. Feng Zhi Wei frowned, the thought of soaking in such a place intuitively sent a burst of nausea through her. However, it is too late to change her mind at this point.
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Oh myyy… what’s beyond these doors.
This is getting more and more interesting. The TV drama left out some wonderful scenes