Chapter 107

Chapter 107: Jealousy Gan Qiongying finally showed a bit of interest and asked Ding Doudou several more questions. One by one, people entered the hall. Many had assumed that Princess Duanrong had summoned them for nighttime service, and quite a few were flirting and showing off their charms. But Gan Qiongying remained "impartial and incorruptible," her face as stern as Gan Qingtian’s. Those who had intended to curry favor quickly gave up and answered her questions earnestly. Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, it was already afternoon. Gan Qiongying was growing weary. Most of the over one hundred male consorts seemed to serve little purpose, yet without exception, they were all exceptionally good-looking and came from tragic backgrounds—a group of hopeless individuals, much like Princess Duanrong herself, trapped in desperate circumstances. Some of them had likely been rescued by Princess Duanrong to be trained and placed near certain people, while others were probably saved out of compassion or to maintain appearances. Gan Qiongying interviewed and recorded each one, meeting people from morning until night. Every person she met reminded her of countless related matters. The more than one hundred individuals had turned her brain into mush, and now she felt a splitting headache. Gan Qiongying propped her head on her arm as she sat in the chair, her face weary, her eyes dull. Manyue silently went to refill Gan Qiongying’s tea for the third time. Everyone in the hall had been dismissed. They hadn’t managed to finish meeting everyone today, and getting rid of these people wasn’t as easy as Gan Qiongying had imagined. Most importantly, after calculating everything, she realized the money simply wasn’t enough. After having Manyue send everyone away, Gan Qiongying rested her head on her arm and closed her eyes to relax. Before long, light footsteps echoed in the hall. A pair of hands suddenly appeared on her shoulders, kneading and tapping with just the right pressure. Gan Qiongying thought to herself that she hadn’t doted on Manyue for nothing—Manyue truly was her considerate little confidante. Gradually, Gan Qiongying relaxed. With only two people in the room now, she was about to lean back in the chair and enjoy the moment when she felt warm breath against her neck. "Does the Princess find this satisfactory? Should I increase the pressure?" An unfamiliar voice spoke up. Gan Qiongying’s slightly relaxed spine instantly stiffened, and her neck twisted with a soft "crack." The voice was gentle, neither distinctly male nor female, making it hard for Gan Qiongying to tell. It sent shivers down her spine. "Fan Xi heard about the Princess’s recent affairs and assumed the Princess must be exhausted," the man leaned around to the side of Gan Qiongying’s face, his breath coming in an extremely suggestive whisper. "The Princess’s shoulders are so tense. Would Fan Xi like to help the Princess relax her entire body?" The man’s eyes were enchanting, the corners slightly upturned like hooks, and his voice carried a similarly seductive tone that made one’s hair stand on end. Without even getting a clear look at the person, Gan Qiongying realized it wasn’t Manyue and immediately snapped, "How dare you! Step back at once!" Gan Qiongying abruptly sat up from the chair and retreated several steps away. Only at this moment did she realize she couldn’t tolerate a man being so close to her. The only person she could accept was Lihua. But to Gan Qiongying’s surprise, the man took a few steps back, raised his voice, and began to cry. "The Princess has changed, she's completely different from before," the man wept bitterly, covering his face as he cried. "Back then, she sweet-talked me into coming here, but ever since I entered the estate, I haven't seen the Princess even once. I thought today I'd finally get to meet her, but it turned out like this..." The man cried even harder, while Gan Qiongying was left utterly bewildered. After getting a clear look at him, Gan Qiongying also recalled, based on Princess Duanrong's memories, exactly who this person was. His name was Fan Xi, born with a feminine appearance and a delicate, boneless frame. He came from a pleasure house, and was even the top courtesan of a male brothel. Princess Duanrong had spent a fortune to redeem him, causing quite a stir in the city. Half of her reputation for debauchery was thanks to him. And even after redeeming him, his lifestyle remained as lavish as before. Of course, such pampering came with ulterior motives. Regarding the plans for Zhangzhou, Duanrong had prepared two strategies. If Gu Qing and Gu Ming failed their mission, Fan Xi would be her second move. Moreover, Fan Xi was not as fragile as he appeared. His greatest skill was not in giving massages, but in tendon-severing and bone-dislocating. He was the son of a Martial Manor lord, whose entire family had been slaughtered by enemies. They forced him to take a body-destroying drug and, to humiliate the son of their foe, sold him into a pleasure house, intending for him to be ridden and trampled by countless men. On the day he was put up for sale, Duanrong spent a fortune to rescue him and even collected the remains of his parents. Knowing Fan Xi was of great use, Gan Qiongying couldn't simply brush him off. But his incessant crying was no solution either. Frowning deeply, she felt her head was about to split. "Consort is back!" Manyue entered with tea, shouting happily. Hearing this, Gan Qiongying's eyes immediately lit up. She stood up and ran out of the main hall. Halfway there, she turned back to look at Fan Xi. Remembering that Duanrong had kept his parents' ashes to threaten him, she said sternly, "Shut up! Get back the same way you sneaked in!" "Stay obediently in the rear courtyard. Tomorrow, I'll return your parents' remains to you." Fan Xi froze for a moment, his tear-streaked expression twisting into something between ferocity and ecstasy. He didn't know how to react and vanished from the spot almost instantly, as if afraid Gan Qiongying might change her mind the next moment. Gan Qiongying was stunned. No wonder Fan Xi had managed to slip into the main hall unnoticed—his movement technique... was somewhat similar to her shadow guards! But Lihua was back, and Gan Qiongying had no time to dwell on anything else. She ran out of the main hall and saw Lihua limping toward her. Gan Qiongying quickened her pace, lifting her skirt as she eagerly threw herself into Lihua's embrace. Lihua was, of course, happy. But just as he was about to return her embrace, his raised hands froze mid-air. He caught a scent on Gan Qiongying—a complex mix of fragrances. Throughout their marriage, Lihua had never noticed Gan Qiongying having a preference for perfumes. And with his involvement in the incense industry, a slight sniff told him it was the scent of osmanthus and gardenia, mixed with the smell of face powder. But that wasn't all—the floral and powder scents were only part of it. The warmth in Lihua's eyes instantly cooled. He remembered the male consorts in the rear courtyard and how Gan Qiongying had gone back on her word, insisting on handling those matters personally. Lihua pressed his hands on Gan Qiongying's shoulders and pushed her away, asking in a very soft, almost sarcastic tone, "The Princess must have been very busy today, right?" Gan Qiongying was pushed back, and due to the suddenness, the smile at the corner of her mouth had not yet faded. But when she looked up, she saw Lihua's expressionless face and icy gaze. Lihua did not want to act this way at all, but he couldn't control himself. Between them, it was always him alone who was in turmoil. The clearer Lihua saw, the more panicked and tormented he felt inside. Such a strong scent... it could only come from staying in one place for a long time, and it must have been acquired through intimate contact.