Chapter 3: A Chatterbox Beauty

Meng Yangqiu knew him well and was naturally aware of all his romantic affairs. Hearing him say this, his brows relaxed: “In that case, I will have them just go through the motions.”

“Good.”

The two strolled through the courtyard. Seeing no one around, Meng Yangqiu could not help lowering his voice: “Muxing City has been busy lately, so be careful too. Those women at the banquet are not the kind you should bring home.”

Ji Bozai was unconcerned: “Women are weak by nature. With willow waists so graceful and gentle, delicate heads, how could they carry out a vicious deed that takes a life?”

Meng Yangqiu glanced at him sideways: “Careful, or your boat will capsize in a gutter.”

“May your words come true.” He yawned sleepily. “I would actually welcome a bewitching beauty who could topple a city. Then I could throw myself into her alone and spare everyone else.”

“Keep running your mouth.”

After a round of laughing curses, the palace guards formed up and left his villa.

Ji Bozai stood in the courtyard for a while before going back inside.

Incense curled through the bed curtains, and the beauty slept soundly with her eyes closed. He lowered his eyes and studied her for a moment. He was no longer in any hurry for the matter of phoenix and mate. He only took her hand and idly stroked the slightly hard pads of her fingers.

Ming Yi simply did not wake all night.

She slept sweetly in the haze of wine until noon the next day, when she let out a low groan, clutched her head, and sat up.

The room was empty. The golden gauze curtains hung low, the rosewood bed was wide, and the silk quilt still carried the scent of a strange man.

Ming Yi was startled. She quickly knelt upright and began recalling the events of last night.

She seemed to have followed Lord Ji back to his residence.

And after that?

“Miss, you are quite blessed. The whole world is turned upside down outside, and you are still not up.” A nanny came in and lifted the bed curtain.

Ming Yi spun around, pressed her back against the bedpost, and stared at her helplessly.

Seeing this, Nanny Xun gave a faint, mocking smile: “Why is this one a timid mouse this time?”

She briskly tidied the messy bedding, then reached out and yanked Ming Yi off the bed: “The lord went into the inner court early this morning and will not return for the midday meal, but he will certainly come over in the evening. You need to get yourself ready.”

Ming Yi stumbled from the pull, and her knee knocked against the bed frame. The pain drained the color from her face. But not knowing this woman’s standing, she dared not act rashly. She could only let herself be seated before the dressing table.

One look at what lay on the dressing table, and she was suddenly much more awake.

Red jadeite drop-bead earrings, a black-gold hairpin of entwined branches, a sapphire-blue and emerald-green peacock gold crown, a green jade double-ring pendant… All sorts of rare treasures were laid out in a row, waiting for her to choose.

Every piece was solid goods and worth a great deal.

Nanny Xun looked down most on this moneygrubbing, sheltered type who had never seen the world. Her face darkened a couple of shades: “These are all things the young lady may wear.”

The implication was that they did not belong to her. She was merely allowed to use them.

Ming Yi lowered her head.

When she thought about it, that was right. She was only a plaything he brought back, a vase-like role, and not yet worth that much money.

Rousing her spirits, she began to dress.

As a dancer, having delicate makeup and a charming appearance was her duty. On the first day of being brought back, she had to leave a good impression on the lord no matter what.

From what she saw last night, Ji Bozai matched the rumors. He had a profound fondness for beauty most of all, and especially delicate, pitiable beauties. So Ming Yi did not even think twice before choosing light-colored, small jewelry. She lightly brushed her moth brows and dabbed a little color on her tender cheeks, making herself as slender and graceful as a young girl.

She glanced at the bookshelf in the room, lifted her gauze skirt, picked out the oldest book, and lay on her side on the soft couch that anyone entering would see at first glance, holding the book in one hand and twirling incense in the other.

Nanny Xun swept the room and, passing by her, said curtly: “It is upside down.”

Ming Yi stiffened slightly, then calmly flipped the book the right way around and went on pretending to be absorbed.

“You need not waste the effort. Our lord only stays interested for two or three days. While he is in a good mood, ask him for more reward money to support yourself later, and that is that.”

Ming Yi understood. This nanny had been at Ji Bozai’s side for some years, and her heart was not bad. She had simply seen too many women come and go in this house and could not be bothered to humor them anymore.

With a small smile, she said: “Of course I want money to support myself. I am only trying to make the lord give it more happily, am I not?”

She had not expected the girl to answer back. Nanny Xun paused, then rolled her eyes again: “Shameless.”

Those words might work on other people. To Ming Yi, the moment she entered the inner court as a dancer, shame was thrown out along with her old clothes, and it was of no importance.

So she finished twirling the incense and asked with a grin: “Nanny, does the lord like his tastes heavy or light? Does he prefer women who are more literary or more martial?”

“No comment.”

“Then Nanny, do you like sweet things or salty ones? There are cashews here. May I eat them?”

“Miss, you talk too much. My lord does not like noisy people.”

“…Oh.” She obediently reached up and pinched her own mouth shut.

But before a single stick of incense finished burning, Ming Yi spoke again: “Nanny, where did you buy the fabric you are wearing? The pattern is lovely. I want to make an outfit for my mother.”

Ming Yi’s chatter made Nanny Xun’s temples throb, and the corners of her eyes twitched along with them.

She watched over all kinds of women for the lord, but she never met one this noisy. The girl seemed like a parrot turned spirit. With the lord’s love of quiet, she could not imagine how he picked her.

From the corner of her eye, she saw Ming Yi looking left and right so pitifully, seemingly so bored she could only talk to her. Nanny Xun softened for an instant and gave one answer: “This fabric is not for sale. It was a reward from the inner court.”

It would have been better not to answer. The moment she did, the girl’s eyes lit up, and she grabbed her sleeve like a drowning person catching a straw: “Then are these cashews also a reward from the inner court? They look better than the ones in the dancers’ quarters.”

“This residence has such flat ground. If I did somersaults, I wonder how many it would take to get from the back gate to the front gate.”

“That golden gauze curtain is so beautiful, and the pattern is embroidered in hidden thread. It must have taken a lot of effort.”

“Nanny, want some cashews, hm? I will peel them for you. I am good at this. Back when I was chosen as a dancer…”

Nanny Xun felt she should never have opened her mouth.

Once this girl started chattering, there was no end to it. From how she became a dancer to how she went to the palace banquet, nearly the whole afternoon went to her talking Nanny Xun’s ear off.

Rubbing her ears, she looked toward the door, and for the first time wished her lord would hurry back and take over this scourge.