"..."
Feeling the warmth in her hands and the faint scent of rouge from the brothel courtesan beside her, Shi Qingjun blinked.
Was she being held hands?
She didnât quite understand, but she supposed... it must have been a long time since sheâd interacted with anyone, so it should still be quite an important matter?
But Shi Qingjun didnât care about these things.
Yet, she somewhat knew that if the Lord of Qing Province was seen holding hands with a courtesan at this moment, it would cause quite a stir.
The esteemed Chaoyun Qiankun is here, holding hands with a courtesan... there should be nothing stranger under the heavens right now.
ââ
At this moment, Ah Qing, holding the girlâs face to gently cover her tear-swollen eyes with an eyebrow pencil, suddenly blinked.
"...?"
For some reason, she suddenly felt... not so great.
"Ms. Qing, whatâs wrong?" The yellow-clad girl, being cared for, asked with a flushed face.
"Nothing, just you... swollen eyes from crying, try to hold it in." Ah Qing said helplessly.
"Itâs fine... I love shedding these pearls, the sisters all know." The yellow-clad girl hesitated for a moment and said, "Ms. Qing, are you... not feeling down?"
"Me? Why would I feel down?" Ah Qing shook her head, she was now just waiting to perform a dance when the banquet began.
"Sister likes the Young Master..." The yellow-clad girl whispered, "I heard them say Pingniang is eating the supper prepared by the Young Master now."
She didnât think Ah Qing wouldnât want to taste it, but Ah Qingâs status wasnât high, and her poor relationships meant she couldnât play in the banquet hall with the other girls, so she could only apply cosmetics here.
No matter how you think about it, she should feel down.
"What you said does seem a bit of a pity." Ah Qing thought she indeed wanted to try it.
"Isnât it..." The yellow-clad girlâs thoughts darkened.
"Why are you feeling guilty?" Ah Qing looked at the guilty-looking girl, somewhat helpless.
Unable to eat the Young Masterâs supper, what was this girl feeling guilty about? Sometimes she truly didnât understand these worldly girlsâ thought processes.
She couldnât comprehend.
"Sister, arenât you planning to go to the banquet hall? Just take a look... playing some clever cards with them is also nice." The yellow-clad girl cautiously suggested, "Even if the atmosphere might be a bit awkward at first, still, Ms. Qing should adapt."
"Play cards? Not impossible." Ah Qing shook her head, "But I donât know how to play, Iâd be a wet blanket."
"Then... Iâll teach Sister later."
"Alright."
Lightly stroking the girlâs delicate eyebrows with her fingers, Ah Qing couldnât help but smile.
Qiankun Realm?
The Qiankun Realm is now beneath the Abyss Sea.
Currently, she is simply Ah Qing.
ââ
Banquet Hall.
As Shi Qingjun approached, she saw the crisp sound of clattering coming from the square table and blinked.
Clever cards, huh.
She only glanced briefly and completely understood its meaning, itâs just a pastime for the girls, a sort of gambling tool.
Betting?
She hadnât tried it, though she didnât believe in the saying about small bets being healthy, looking at girls with tags on their faces, she understood it was indeed for amusement.
Without even playing for silver coins, itâs hard to define it as a âgambling tool.â
"Sister, have a look." The woman seated Shi Qingjun and handed some exquisite wooden cards to her, asking, "Want to try?"
Shi Qingjun glanced at the high table.
The woman said, "Pingniang is still dining, she eats so slowly like grinding beans... we have time to wait until sheâs finished before the banquet starts."
Meanwhile, a woman nearby, with a tone of jealousy, echoed with muttering, "Yes, yes, she always eats slowly, and today the Young Master himself cooked, sheâs... sheâs just eating alone, oh I say... she should be called down to join us for cards."
"Alright, alright, donât be rude in front of the girl, sounding like a grievance wife." Someone lightly coughed, looking a bit embarrassed at Shi Qingjun, "Made you laugh."
"Itâs fine." Shi Qingjun asked, "Does the Pingniang you speak of also like to play this card game?"
"She knows, just doesnât win much, not good at playing." Someone said.
Shi Qingjun nodded.
So, Tong Jun even has the mood to play this, huh.
Seems...
In reclaiming the mind of a woman, Zhu Tongjun has surpassed her.
As for saying Zhu Pingniang isnât good at playing, Shi Qingjun just smiled, knowing Zhu Pingniang was merely treating herself like an ordinary girl to play with them.
If she did, she would deliberately maintain the level of an ordinary girl... so if it were her, she would lose too.
Just...
Shi Qingjun suddenly found it strange.
From her arrival, the girls kept glancing at her lower abdomen, not sure what they were looking at.
"Cough." Several girls who were eating all noticed the surprise in each otherâs eyes.
The sister before them ate so much, yet her lower abdomen remained flat... where did she eat it all?
Honestly asking, if they ate as much, they would probably begin loosening their belts, if not looking like they were with child given their weak bodies.
"Cough. So, sister wants to try, huh."
"I donât know these." Shi Qingjun said.
"Sister is so interesting, I asked if you wanted, yet you respond... can you?" The woman laughed covering her face.
Shi Qingjun, hearing this, seriously glanced at the woman before her, and smiled, "Can you teach me?"
"Of course, this is very simple, let me teach you, Sister." The woman said, beginning to explain the rules to Shi Qingjun, during which someone said, "Sister, we usually play with silver coins, but since itâs your first time, we wonât use money."
Play is merely play, for excitement, touching money changes its taste.
"All fine." Shi Qingjun nodded.
The woman continued, "Weâll use paper slips as silver coins as weâve always done."
"Paper slips?" Shi Qingjun tilted her head.
ââ
When Xu Changâan carried a plate of crystal-clear shrimp dumplings while passing through the high table corridor, he glanced downward instinctively.
What he saw was quite curious, somewhat strange.
He saw a woman surrounded by a group of girls, her face covered with festive red paper strips, because it was a side view, it wasnât too clear.
Only, Xu Changâan vaguely felt that woman... looked somewhat familiar?
Although the âSenior Sister Shiâ in his impression was Qing Junâs change, not her true appearance, Xu Changâan had seen the true face of Shi Qingjun in a red dress during the Thunder Tribulation.
But without seeing clearly, and since he really wasnât thinking in that direction, he simply regarded her as a girl from the Flower Moon Building, being familiar was normal.
What actually drew his attention was the girlâs behavior of sticking paper strips... quite interesting.
If given the chance, he would also like to play, losing and sticking strips with Yun Qian.
Xu Changâan wanted to smile, but... his smile quickly froze.
Thinking about the stiff atmosphere at the banquet, Xu Changâan twitched the corners of his eyes.
Teacher, Senior Sister...
Sigh.
Just now, he escaped that suffocating atmosphere by serving the next dish, he really did not expect such a small banquet, even the teacher would be present.
Thinking this way, he somewhat envied the girls below gathering around, leisurely and carefree.
With this in mind, Xu Changâan took a deep breath, holding the plate, and went to the banquet.
ââ
Below the stage.
Sensing something, Shi Qingjun glanced up diagonally.
Indeed, she couldnât sense Xu Changâanâs aura, if not for perceiving a gaze and glancing over, Xu Changâan could be right in front of her, and her Divine Sense wouldnât detect him.
This young man was like a black hole, all the understanding Shi Qingjun had traveled over the years, the comprehension of Dao Rhyme rules after the Qiankun Realm... everything lost meaning upon encountering Xu Changâan.
In front of him, applying logic is simply a mistake.
Indeed, the matter of Wen Liâs Divine Soul is related to him.
Hmm... Shi Qingjun now looked quite peculiarâher slight breathing caused the red strips on her face to tremble slightly.
Looking at the red strips on Shi Qingjunâs forehead, a woman nudged the girl covered with strips and complained, "Who told you to stick strips on the ladyâs face."
The lady is a guest.
She said stick, and you really stick?
The girl stuck out her tongue.
Plan successful.
Indeed, with a sister who doesnât know how to play joining in, she wouldnât be the one at the bottom anymore.
Shi Qingjun of course didnât care about these.
Only, she understood a bit more about the "joys of life" Xu Changâan mentioned.
"Letâs play another round, Iâve learned it now."
Shi Qingjun said this.