The girl Cui Sheng had been injured, so Shen Lang didn't forget to make it up to her. After having her bone set, she brought her along to find some little officials.
Upon arriving, the young maid was so distraught her eyes filled with tears. She started muttering nonsense, so flustered she lost all sense of direction, and began pulling Shen Lang toward the exit.
How could Shen Lang let her drag her away?
She arched a brow and grinned. "Once you find a Flower of Understanding, you won't object to this place anymore. Just relax..."
Cui Sheng trembled uncontrollably.
'She desperately wanted to say that Her Highness, acting like this, was just like a madam who tricks innocent girls into brothels.'
"Oh, look. There's a beauty over there." The corners of Shen Lang's captivating eyes crinkled upward as her red lips curved into a dazzling smile.
Cui Sheng kept her head down, refusing to look up no matter what, and remained completely silent.
Shen Lang was a bit disappointed. Shaking her head, she sighed, "Ah, and here I thought you were finally seeing the light."
'Different strokes for different folks, I suppose.'
"Fine, you can head back. I'll go have fun on my own."
Cui Sheng looked at her princess worriedly. "But, Your Highness..."
"Just don't tell the old man, and we're good."
"Understood."
Cui Sheng left, sighing in relief as she went.
Shen Lang suddenly felt terribly bored. She scanned the room but saw no one truly stunning.
She hadn't bothered with a disguise when she left—that's right, she was brazenly frequenting a place like this as none other than Princess Yu Yin of the Chen Prince Mansion.
Most of the men here were exceptionally handsome; even the plainest among them were still quite comely. There were the elegant types and the icily beautiful types, each possessing their own unique allure.
But none of them managed to catch Shen Lang's eye.
Her standards were far higher.
After dismissing yet another handsome man who approached her, Shen Lang sighed softly. She was about to turn and leave when a figure caught her eye.
...
'Holy shit.'
'It's that heart-stopping feeling.'
Shen Lang's eyes lit up, and a seductive smile played on her red lips.
"Sir, a moment please."
The man paused briefly before turning around.
His face certainly didn't disappoint.
His face was a masterpiece, as if divinely sculpted—a gift from the heavens. His lips were a touch pale, his nose high and straight. His eyes were like snow-dusted glass, as remote and beautiful as a painting.
He wore moon-white robes, utterly unstained by the grime of the world.
"...What business?" the man uttered faintly, just two words.
Shen Lang froze for a second, suddenly unsure how to respond.
'In a place like this... what else could it be about?'
'But it would be so embarrassing to just spell it out...'
"I wish to speak with you, sir, of romance and pleasantries. Would that be acceptable?" Shen Lang lowered her gaze demurely, hiding a smile behind her sleeve.
The man stared at her silently, his expression unreadable. He then parted his lips and said coolly, "Follow me."
A gleam instantly filled Shen Lang's eyes.
'Heh heh, my beauty.'
And then.
Shen Lang was led to the beauty's room, where she stared at the chessboard before her, utterly speechless.
"You asked me to follow you... just to play chess?"
The man looked up in confusion. "Did you not say you wished to discuss pleasantries?"
Shen Lang was speechless. 'No, what I meant was... I...'
'Fuck.'
'You know what?'
'It's pure agony when a beauty is right in front of you and you can't even choke out a single pickup line.'
'How can such a pure, naive soul exist in a place like this? You've got to be kidding me!'
But the beauty before her truly didn't seem to understand her implication. His eyes were clear, fixed on the chessboard, and it was obvious he had nothing on his mind besides the game.
Shen Lang felt even more stifled. "..."
'A vibrant, alluring beauty like her was sitting right across from him, and all he could think about was chess?'
"Beauty," Shen Lang said, lifting her delicate chin, her tone languid. "What's your name?"
The beauty paused for a moment. "Qing Mei."