Stepping out through the splintered door, Lin Feng saw two young women standing in the center of the main hall. One wore a sheer black gauze dress, exuding elegance and a tall, graceful figure. The other was dressed in a light blue gown, her beauty clean and ethereal. Together, they were a stunning pair, their radiance instantly overshadowing all the women in the Spring Fragrance Pavilion, leaving them far behind in comparison.
The woman in the light blue gown was indeed the same girl Lin Feng had encountered in the Seven Peaks Forest—a girl named Tingting.
Around the hall, a few onlookers stood with curious expressions, whispering quietly among themselves. Judging by their faces, it was clear that everyone recognized the two women and knew their identities. Near the staircase stood the alluring and mature brothel madam, her face twisted in a helpless smile, unsure of how to handle the situation.
Kou Tingting frowned slightly, speaking in a low voice to Chang Gong Xiaojing. When she noticed someone stepping out of the room Xiaojing had just stormed into, her gaze shifted upward. Upon seeing Lin Feng, she froze slightly.
"Is that him?" Tingting murmured in surprise. "What's he doing here?"
Xiaojing, hearing this, turned back with a look of disdain. She shot Lin Feng a glare and scoffed, "Hmph! I didn't expect this man to be such a lowly lecherous thief. And to think he's in cahoots with Zheng Kai! Birds of a feather flock together, indeed."
"Hey, hey, miss," Lin Feng retorted, feeling a rising sense of irritation. "We're not even acquaintances, and even if we were, you can't just go around slandering me like this, calling me a 'lecherous thief.' I could sue you for defamation, you know!"
Xiaojing snorted again, her expression full of contempt, and didn't even bother to respond.
"What's going on here, what's going on?"
At that moment, Zheng Kai's voice called out from one of the nearby rooms. The door opened, and Zheng Kai stepped out, still adjusting his clothes. As he did, Lin Feng caught a glimpse of a woman lying on the bed behind him, her clothes half-removed, her figure temptingly exposed.
The commotion had also drawn the attention of many others. Zhang Fangzhou and Yao Wangtian emerged from their respective rooms almost simultaneously, their faces full of curiosity.
"What's going on? I think I heard someone calling my name just now?"
Zheng Kai, still looking a bit dissatisfied, stepped forward. Judging by his expression, he hadn't completely sobered up yet. However, when he looked up and saw the two stunning women standing in the middle of the hall, his face instantly drained of color.
"Chang Gong Xiaojing!! Ting... Tingting?!"
In that instant, Zheng Kai looked like a rat that had just seen a cat. His face turned pale as a sheet, and he shuddered violently. It seemed as though even without using his energy, his drunkenness had been scared away entirely. He stared at the two women in disbelief.
"Zheng Kai!! You shameless bastard!! How dare you sneak off to fool around behind Tingting's back! And you even had the audacity to bring Yuxuan here with you! Are you tired of living?!"
The moment Xiaojing saw Zheng Kai, her anger flared. Her beautiful eyes widened, and her delicate face turned icy as she reprimanded him sharply.
Kou Tingting, on the other hand, didn't seem particularly angry. Instead, her expression grew even colder, her gaze faintly disappointed as it swept over Zheng Kai.
"Big sister... Sister Xiaojing..."
A startled and nervous voice rang out from the side. Kou Yuxuan had stepped out of another room, his expression mirroring Zheng Kai's—except he looked even more fearful. It was the unmistakable look of a child caught red-handed doing something wrong.
"Yuxuan!!"
Xiaojing's fury only intensified upon seeing him. With an exasperated tone, she scolded, "Get over here! How dare you come to a place like this? Can't you learn to behave?!"
Kou Yuxuan, clearly intimidated, immediately lowered his head and shuffled over to the two women, his face filled with guilt and regret.
Kou Tingting cast a brief, indifferent glance at Yuxuan before turning her gaze to their surroundings. Her brows furrowed slightly, and she said to Xiaojing, "Xiaojing, let's go."
Xiaojing wasn't fond of being the center of attention, especially in a brothel where everyone was whispering and staring. She shot Zheng Kai a glare that seemed to promise "I'll deal with you later" before suddenly remembering something. Turning to Lin Feng, she glared at him as well.
"But Tingting, I haven't settled the score with him yet!"
Tingting paused, her expression calm as she glanced at Lin Feng. "Xiaojing, didn't we agree that there's no need to dwell on what happened that day? Just leave it. I don't like being here... Let's go."
"But..." Xiaojing hesitated, then huffed, "Fine! I'll let this damn thief off the hook for now! Let's go!!"
Though reluctant, Xiaojing couldn't bear the uncomfortable stares of those around her. She nodded and then glared at the surrounding onlookers.
"What are you looking at?! Keep staring, and I'll gouge your eyes out!!"
Though her beauty was undeniable, Xiaojing's fiery temper made her quite intimidating. The men around her quickly averted their gazes, pretending to focus on anything else. None of them dared provoke the young lady of the Chang Gong family—someone who could easily issue a city-wide bounty on their heads.
"..."
With that, Xiaojing and Tingting left with Yuxuan in tow, their figures vanishing into the night. Those left in the hall exchanged awkward glances before Zheng Kai, unable to endure the gossiping whispers any longer, turned to Lin Feng and the others.
"Lin Feng, I think... we should leave too. Sorry for ruining the mood, everyone. Next time, I promise we'll really enjoy ourselves!"
Lin Feng, already eager to leave, nodded immediately. After Xiaojing's intrusion, all his earlier thoughts had vanished completely. He had sobered up fully and silently vowed never to waste such a significant "first time" in a brothel again.
"Alright! Let's go!" Lin Feng said, glancing at Zhang Fangzhou and the others.
Though the three brothers seemed reluctant to leave, they had no choice but to follow Lin Feng and Zheng Kai.
...
The group walked out of the Spring Fragrance Pavilion and onto the bustling, lantern-lit streets of the city. Zheng Kai apologized once again.
"Guys, I'm really sorry about tonight. Next time, I'll—"
"No, Zheng Kai," Lin Feng cut in quickly. "Let's not have a 'next time.' If we're going to gather, let's just do it at Zhenwei Restaurant instead."
Not giving Zheng Kai a chance to protest, Lin Feng immediately changed the subject. "By the way, what was all that about earlier? Who were those two girls, and why did they storm in like that?"
The memory of Xiaojing barging into his room still sent a chill down Lin Feng's spine. He couldn't help but feel relieved that he hadn't been caught in a compromising position.
Zheng Kai gave a wry smile. "That fiery girl is Chang Gong Xiaojing, the eldest daughter of the Chang Gong family. You've heard of them, right? Our families are close allies, and we co-founded the Task Guild. The other girl, Kou Tingting, is the eldest daughter of the Kou family. Their family's strength rivals that of ours and the Chang Gong family. They own the Xiangdan Alchemy Pavilion."
He hesitated, then added sheepishly, "Oh, and... Kou Tingting is my fiancée."
"What?!"
The group stared at him in shock. Lin Feng couldn't believe it.
"She's your fiancée? Then why are you... coming to a brothel?!"
Zheng Kai shrugged. "So what? She's my fiancée, not my wife. I haven't even held her hand yet! And besides, even if I were married, it's not like I couldn't come here. A man has his needs, you know."
"Don't drag me into this!" Lin Feng quickly interjected. "I'm not like you. I'm a respectable young man. After tonight, I'm never coming to a place like this again."
"Come on, Lin Feng. It's just for fun! Don't take it so seriously. Unless... you plan to stay a virgin forever?"
"Say that word one more time, and I'll draw my sword!"
"Ahem... fine, fine, I won't mention it again..."
The conversation shifted, but Lin Feng couldn't help but reflect on how chaotic the night had been. He silently vowed to avoid such situations in the future.