Chapter 12: The Opening Day (2)

Di Jiang’s body shivered, her lips slightly parted as her expression shifted rapidly. Like everyone else around her, she appeared genuinely surprised.

“Me?” Di Jiang pointed at herself, incredulous.

Jiang Qionglin smiled charmingly. “I find you quite pleasant to look at—it’s decided, it’ll be you.”

“Hahaha… Haha…” Di Jiang laughed awkwardly, then added, “I’m not worthy of being Master Peony’s intimate guest. Please don’t joke with me.”

“Qionglin is not joking. Or does the lady look down on me?”

“No, no, I admire you deeply, but…” Di Jiang waved her hands repeatedly, looking flustered. As she shook her head more, Jiang Qionglin’s bright eyes grew even more crystalline. Unable to bear his sorrowful gaze, she found herself inexplicably nodding. “Alright, Master Jiang, I accept your invitation.”

As she spoke, Di Jiang slipped her right hand into her sleeve, feeling the few remaining coins. Her heart sank. “They haven’t even warmed up yet, and now I have to give them away. How pitiful… If only I had more self-control, I wouldn’t have fallen for a beauty’s tears…”

Wu Rui’an’s face darkened, his chest roiling with thunderous anger. His heart felt as though it were being fried in oil, tormented by unrest, yet he couldn’t express his feelings.

He stared intently at Di Jiang, but she didn’t even glance at him—her eyes were fixed solely on Jiang Qionglin on the stage.

This was truly unbearable.

After speaking, Jiang Qionglin descended from the stage. The crowd automatically parted to make way for him, and he walked directly to Di Jiang.

Under his mesmerizing gaze, Di Jiang’s cheeks flushed instantly, and she felt an ethereal sensation wash over her. Perhaps it was because she had spent too long among mortals; seeing such an otherworldly man stirred an uncontrollable admiration within her.

Watching Di Jiang’s lovestruck expression, Wu Rui’an angrily grabbed Princess Tianxiang’s hand and stormed off.

“I haven’t seen enough yet!” Princess Tianxiang protested, but Wu Rui’an ignored her, marching ahead without a backward glance.

Reluctantly, Princess Tianxiang turned back repeatedly, watching helplessly as Jiang Qionglin extended his hand toward Di Jiang. She was utterly envious.

Unable to resist, Di Jiang placed her hand in Jiang Qionglin’s, and he led her toward the back hall.

Wen Yao excitedly followed them, her joy overflowing.

Only after the three disappeared from sight did the crowd erupt into a cacophony of complaints. Everyone expressed their dissatisfaction.

“This is the opening night?”

“Wasn’t there supposed to be bidding? I sold my house! And there wasn’t even an auction!”

“Lady Xu, what do you have to say for yourself?”

Lady Xu stepped forward immediately, smiling apologetically. “The terms of the opening night were clearly stated from the start—to merely admire Master Peony’s true appearance. There was never any mention of competitive bidding. It’s written on the sign outside.”

She clapped her hands, signaling a servant to bring in the sign. “See? It clearly states: ‘Final interpretation rights belong to Lady Xu of Huan Yi Pavilion.’“ Spreading her hands, she wore a smug expression that said, “Yes, I tricked you—what are you going to do about it?”

The crowd was furious, but Lady Xu continued, “Please calm yourselves. The opening night is merely the first day Master Peony officially begins receiving guests. From now on, he will be available every night for the ladies to summon. Why rush?”

Having said that, she brought out another sign. “These are the next thirty days. Those with money can bid, and those without can simply enjoy the spectacle. Today, we’ll decide who gets which nights. Come, come—the highest bidder wins.”

“Three hundred taels!”

“Five hundred taels!”

What happened afterward, Di Jiang didn’t know. The next day, hearing others recount the events, she realized just how fortunate she was.

Such a scene was unprecedented in all of Xuanwu Kingdom. Not only was a man publicly auctioned off, but he was also booked for an entire month—a truly unimaginable occurrence.

After entering the back courtyard, Jiang Qionglin settled Di Jiang and her attendant in a guest room. He then addressed Di Jiang, “Please rest here for a moment. I’ll go change my clothes and remove my makeup. Someone will come to fetch you shortly.”

“Master, please proceed.” Wen Yao, standing on tiptoe, answered on Di Jiang’s behalf with a dreamy gaze.

Di Jiang shot her a glare but nodded at Jiang Qionglin.

Once he left, Wen Yao could no longer contain her excitement. “Boss! How did he pick you?”

Di Jiang thought for a moment, cleared her throat, and replied, “Everyone loves beauty. Perhaps he hopes his first night will be spent serving a beautiful woman?”

“Oh… That’s possible!” Wen Yao gazed wistfully. “Can I join you two? Please?”

Di Jiang glared at her and firmly refused. “Go. Do you even understand what the opening night entails?”

“Of course! It’s just consummation, isn’t it? He lifts your red veil, you share a cup of nuptial wine, and the night is over!”

Wen Yao was visibly thrilled, but Di Jiang shook her head and chuckled, knowing full well she had no idea what it meant. She instructed her to return home first.

Wen Yao stubbornly persisted, pleading endlessly, but Di Jiang remained unmoved. Finally, she resigned herself, saying, “Fine. Once Master Jiang is ready, I’ll leave.”

“Good girl.”

Half an hour later, a maid from Master Peony arrived at the guest room. “Lady, Master Jiang invites you to join him.”

“Thank you,” Di Jiang stood up, giving Wen Yao a meaningful glance to hurry home and relay a message to Shuxiang and Ping’an.

Wen Yao nodded vigorously. Before leaving, she clenched her fists and encouraged Di Jiang, “Boss, good luck!”

“I know. Go quickly.”

After Wen Yao left, Di Jiang followed the maid to Jiang Qionglin’s room. She knew what entering meant, but she also understood she harbored no inappropriate intentions toward Jiang Qionglin. She simply adored beauty and wanted to admire his brilliance up close.

Taking a deep breath, Di Jiang prepared to knock when suddenly a hand gripped her raised wrist tightly, leaving no room for resistance.

Di Jiang turned her head to see the figure entirely shrouded in a woman’s veil, obscuring their face. However, the silhouette beneath the veil was not that of a seductive woman but rather a strong, masculine man.

“Come with me,” he commanded in a low voice. Di Jiang immediately recognized him as Prince Wu Rui’an, who had earlier left with Princess Tianxiang.

“Why should I follow you?” Di Jiang shrugged, amused.

But Wu Rui’an, seething with rage, barked, “You’ll come whether you want to or not. This is non-negotiable.” With that, he wrapped an arm around her waist, hoisted her onto his shoulder, and leapt onto the roof.

“Put me down—I paid a lot of money! So much money! I didn’t even get to touch his sleeve!” Di Jiang fumed, pounding furiously on his back. But he seemed determined, refusing to let her down no matter how much she struggled.

They darted across rooftops until they were far from the red-light district. Wu Rui’an finally set her down by a picturesque lakeside.

Di Jiang struggled to compose herself, but eventually, she couldn’t help snapping, “Do you know how much money I spent?”

“I’ll repay you tenfold.”

After Wu Rui’an spoke, Di Jiang felt much better. Suddenly, she realized she hadn’t lost anything tonight—in fact, she had gained significantly. Her mood improved considerably.

“Why are you smiling?” Wu Rui’an asked, puzzled.

“I spent enough to book Jiang Qionglin for one night but earned enough to book him for ten. How could I not be happy?” Di Jiang’s tone was light, her demeanor cheerful, but Wu Rui’an’s face darkened like ink.

“You really like him?”

“Of course. Who wouldn’t? From his looks to his demeanor to his talent, he’s impeccable. And he treats women with utmost gentleness. Tell me, which woman wouldn’t adore him?”

“You!” Wu Rui’an watched her lips move, consumed by fury.

He could no longer restrain himself. Suddenly stepping forward, he pulled her flush against him with his left hand while tilting her head back with his right. Then, without warning, he pressed his lips to hers.

Slap!

A sharp sound echoed through the air as Di Jiang’s palm connected with Wu Rui’an’s cheek.

The slap jolted him out of his rage.

“I’m sorry… I… I don’t know what came over me…” Wu Rui’an released Di Jiang, lowering his head, unable to meet her gaze.

After recovering from her shock, Di Jiang chose not to scold him—it would serve no purpose. She took a moment to steady her breathing. Once calm, she crossed her arms, leaning against a tree trunk in deep thought.

For a time, neither of them spoke.

No one knew how long the silence stretched. Wu Rui’an finally raised his hand, intending to break the awkwardness by reaching for Di Jiang’s hand. But before he could, she subtly turned away, gazing at the willows by the river.

“Your Highness, I heard you’re getting married soon. Yet after a few days apart, you’re still the same as ever.” She paused, then added, “Still a lecher.”

Wu Rui’an’s hand froze mid-air, stiffening momentarily before he withdrew it, seemingly accustomed to Di Jiang’s barbs.

Smiling faintly, he shook his head. “You’re right, it was presumptuous of me.”

“If you understand, that’s good,” Di Jiang coughed lightly, her tone serious. “We shouldn’t see each other again.”

“Is Master Di truly so heartless?”

“It’s not that I’m heartless. It’s that I never had a heart to begin with.”

“Yes… Otherwise, with how I’ve treated you, even if your heart were made of stone, it should have warmed by now.” Wu Rui’an’s expression dimmed, his energy drained. Knowing his rash actions today were futile, he turned to leave.

“Wait.” Di Jiang called out to him.

Surprised, Wu Rui’an turned back, about to speak, when Di Jiang tossed him a small cloth pouch.

Catching it with both hands, he saw it was a gold-thread embroidered pouch containing the jade bracelet he had once given her.

“Since Your Highness has already compensated me, this commoner no longer needs it. Please take it back.”

“Take it back? To give to someone else? Or to keep as a memento?” Wu Rui’an forced a bitter laugh. “No one else deserves my feelings. Keeping it would only irritate me, so I’ll throw it away.” With that, he hurled the pouch into the lake. A splash sounded as it sank to the bottom.

Di Jiang didn’t bat an eyelash, merely smiling faintly. “Your Highness may dispose of your belongings however you wish. I take my leave.” Turning, she walked away.

“Di Jiang.”

This time, it was Wu Rui’an who stopped her.

“What else does Your Highness need?” Di Jiang asked softly, her back still turned.

“I just want to ask you one thing. Seeing you today—was it spontaneous? You carrying the jade bracelet with you—does it mean you think of me daily?”

“Your Highness worries too much,” Di Jiang interrupted. “I simply carry random things with me. Look, I have plenty of miscellaneous items.” As she spoke, she pulled a pair of scissors, a ruler, the rules of Wutong Academy, a green glass cup, and finally, two salted fish nearly half a foot long from her sleeves. Their pungent smell lingered heavily in the air, invigorating yet overwhelming.

“How could you carry these things?” Wu Rui’an stared in disbelief, now regarding her as some kind of bizarre creature.

Di Jiang’s back trembled slightly, suppressing laughter. After a long pause, she replied seriously, “Because I like them.” Stuffing everything back into her sleeves, she turned and left without a backward glance.

Watching her retreating figure, Wu Rui’an finally understood why her sleeves were wider than others—they held all sorts of random objects.

Amidst the overpowering stench of salted fish, Wu Rui’an suddenly realized something. In the past, he had admired her graceful charm. Now… it was her salty-fish charm. And it seemed this scent would linger for a long time.

Reflecting on everything, he deeply questioned his own sanity. Had a donkey kicked him in the head sometime in the past?