To outsiders, the Zui Long Lou appeared no different from other teahouses or pleasure quarters—merely a haven of gentle men's indulgences and luxury. Only the most closely held secrets within the Yu Ming Sect revealed that it was, in truth, the Sect's stronghold on the Central Plain. After An Zi yuan's decisive defeat of the Yu Ming Sect, the entire Sect had to withdraw from the Central Wulin. Yet Xiao Run remained resolute and established a base within the Zui Long Lou. Many of the red-clad performers were members of the Yu Ming Sect, and the guards, servants, and staff were all drawn from it. Yun Rao grew up within the Yu Ming Sect and shared an especially close bond with Xiao Run. Though she never actively participated in Sect affairs, Xiao Run granted her a special token for her convenience in traveling outside. Though she held no formal title and was merely addressed as "Miss" by others, her status within the Sect was equal to that of Xiao Mengyun—she reported directly only to Xiao Run. With Xiao Run's token in hand, she enjoyed the same authority as if Xiao Run himself were personally present, making it easy for her to enter and operate within the Zui Long Lou. Because her face was so prone to causing commotion, Yun Rao特意 altered her appearance before leaving, adopting a more ordinary look and dressing as a man. As soon as she arrived at Zui Lou Red Pavilion and took her seat, An Zi yuan and Su Yan came strolling in. Both were strikingly handsome, with refined demeanor and elegant attire—clearly from noble families. Their joint appearance at the teahouse naturally stirred a wave of excitement, drawing a crowd of young ladies rushing over. Worried that An Zi yuan might recognize her, Yun Rao remained hidden among the crowd, not daring to approach. She quietly presented her token to a serving maid, who looked at her with a puzzled expression before quickly rushing off to find a matron in charge. The matron arrived promptly, though there were two large, well-fed sheep to attend to—her mistress could not afford to ignore her, so she approached Yun Rao with a graceful, winning smile. The lady is Cold Yan, former Left Protector of the Yōming Sect, renowned for her graceful charm. Though called a "mamam" or "matron," she is only twenty-five—her poise and elegance at their peak. Simply by virtue of her alluring features and her steady, composed demeanor, she has flourished the business of Zui Louzhong to remarkable success. Cold Yan took over Zui Louzhong four years ago. During her earlier years in the valley, she had frequently interacted with Yun Rao. At that time, although Yun Rao was compelled to take medicine regularly, she only remembered certain gaps in her memory, and thus assumed she had accidentally ingested poison as a child—like Xiao Mengyun—thereby never harboring resentment toward Xiao Run or the entire Yōming Sect. She was still playful and mischievous, often teasing Cold Yan, who would grow exasperated, though Xiao Run often protected her and rendered her powerless. Cold Yan was well aware of Yun Rao’s constant carrying of Xiao Run’s token, so when the young attendant returned to report, she immediately recognized the visitor. In her gaze toward Yun Rao, there was clearly a hint of subtle, playful irritation. Watching the cold beauty’s smile deepen, Yun Rao felt her head grow heavier. Back when she was younger, she truly should have avoided offending this meticulous, fiery lady. Perhaps she had genuinely been lucky—having forgotten her past actions—and thus, the adults had overlooked her, treating her as a mere afterthought. But now, with such a grand display of coming to her, clearly setting up obstacles for her, it seemed she was deliberately creating trouble. Su Yan looked puzzled. An Ziyuan had merely gazed at the scene with a calm expression until their eyes met—then his elegant brows furrowed, and as he turned to look at Qu Xiaoman, who sat beside her, his brows tightened sharply. Two clear, piercing glances like arrows shot straight toward her. Yun Rao felt uneasy under the scrutiny, quickly shifting her gaze. Though Qu Xiaoman dressed in men’s attire, her face remained unmistakably the same—someone with a bit of awareness could easily recognize her. Especially not someone as sharp and composed as An Ziyuan. Unaware of the subtle currents between Yun Rao and An Ziyuan, the coldly graceful woman arched her slender waist, smiled seductively, and settled onto the armrest beside her. Her delicate fingers, now soft and frail, gently encircled Yun Rao’s neck, while one hand slowly lifted her chin. With a murmured sigh of admiration, she said, “What a handsome young gentleman! What kind of lady would you like today? Our pavilion boasts a variety of beauties—plump as well as slender—ensuring your comfort and delight.” As she spoke, she didn’t forget to gently pinch her cheeks. To outsiders, it seemed like she was being affectionate, but Yun Rao was actually being squeezed so hard that tears welled up in her eyes—so gentle a touch, yet with such firm pressure that it nearly tore her face off. With watery, wide eyes fixed on her, Yun Rao subtly tightened her grip on her thigh, and as she did, a slight furrow formed on Cold Yan’s brow, easing her frustration. Qu Xiao Man, observing the growing tension between the two, cleared her throat lightly. "Madam Guan, could you please tell us who the young ladies are in this building? Would you mind showing us around?" Cold Yan had adopted the name Madam Guan at Zhui Lou Red Pavilion. "Of course, of course," Cold Yan replied with a winning smile, her seemingly delicate hands gently patting Yun Rao’s chest in a rhythmic, steady motion. Yun Rao let out a stifled gasp, a sweet, blood-tinged sensation rising to her lips, and a small trickle of blood escaped from her corner of the mouth—she had to sip her tea to mask it. Though she carefully concealed it, her steady gaze still caught the attention of An Zi Yuan, who had been intently observing the scene Leng Yan noticed the crimson at Yun Rao's lips, her expression slightly changed, immediately withdrawing her hands and subtly taking hold of Yun Rao's. Though they had not seen each other in four years and were unaware of Yun Rao's frequent minor injuries, Leng Yan had pressed a bit too firmly upon her first touch—yet given Yun Rao's constitution, such pressure should not have caused her to vomit, as they had always done in the past. Leng Yan's hand holding Yun Rao's pulse was gently separated by Yun Rao's own hand. Yun Rao suppressed the metallic taste in her throat, smiled gently at Leng Yan, "Madam Guan, I've heard that your young lady, Mingye, is as beautiful as a blossom, breathtaking in grace. We have come to admire her. Could you kindly introduce us?" Leng Yan gave her a quiet glance, then withdrew her hand, rising with a graceful, seductive smile, "Master, as long as you're willing to pay, it's no trouble at all to have a night with our Mingye—let alone a full night of intimacy." A clear, refined voice interrupted, "Could you tell us, Madam Guan, what is the price of This young lord probably can't afford it—why don't Madam Guan let me have this opportunity instead?" Yun Rao silently scowled, lifting her gaze to An Ziyuan's refined, elegant face, and the faint smile playing at his lips only made her feel more helpless. He had come here just to watch the show. An Ziyuan now looked at her, his expression now deeper and more serious, with a subtle undercurrent of warning coldness. Yun Rao pursed her lips. This was her own doorstep—as long as Xiao Run wasn't present, or hadn't set up an elaborate network of arrangements for her, she would be safe. Based on her understanding of Xiao Run, he wouldn't be here at all, nor would he have set such elaborate plans for her. He hadn't even imagined that a young lady like her would come to such a place—beyond the constant medicine, he hadn't pressured her in any way. An Ziyuan's sudden appearance had momentarily stiffened her composed demeanor, but she quickly regained her composure, offering a graceful smile and bowing gently, "Young lord, I'm truly sorry—but Madam Mingye has already been reserved for this young lord. Shall I recommend another young lady Our Ming Fei lady is so graceful and charming, with her subtle charm...” “Mamam,” An Ziyuan calmly interrupted, “I believe Lady Ming Ye wouldn’t mind attending to two guests at once.” A gleaming piece of gold, spun smoothly between the jade-like fingers, landed with a crisp *thud* on the table. Yun Rao, however, let out a startled *pffft*, spilling her clear tea—*he, he, he*... Is this truly the celestial being, radiating such purity and grace? She quickly wiped the tea from her lips, rising with a swift motion and adding, “Lady Ming Ye may not mind, but I do.” Then, turning to the composed, reserved Mamam, she said, “Since this young lord is so deeply fond of Lady Ming Ye, a gentleman should make others’ wishes come true. I suggest you allow her to attend to him instead. I’ll go to Lady Ming Fei’s chamber with you.” “Very well,” the composed Mamam smiled lightly, calling for a maid to escort An Ziyuan to Lady Ming Ye’s room. Yun Rao followed the Mamam, pausing to raise an eyebrow "An Zi-yuan gave a slight smile," "Thank you, sir, for letting me have this." Yet she remained behind, following the man. Cold and composed as she was, she had long weathered storms—just by observing the situation, she sensed something was amiss between the two. Though she dared not ask outright, she gently said, "This young lord, Miss Mingye's chamber is at the far end." She had been so focused on Yun Rao earlier that she had completely forgotten to inquire about An Zi-yuan's surname. Now, calling him by title felt awkward and cumbersome. An Zi-yuan glanced at Yun Rao, "No problem—I'll just take a stroll." "...Ah," Cold Yan looked slightly embarrassed, "Then, may I wish you a pleasant walk." Yun Rao also turned to look at An Zi-yuan, noticing the subtle warning in his eyes. She managed a stiff, dry smile and, with a determined effort, followed Cold Yan into a room. An Zi-yuan had not been entirely at ease and had intended to accompany her inside, but Cold Yan gently stopped him. "Sir," she said, "We'll only be a moment—there will be no issue at all An Zi yuan looked at her, "Were you all right just now?" Yun Rao was momentarily startled, then recalled the bleeding incident, and smiled gently, "I'm fine." An Zi yuan watched her smile, his expression still somewhat uncertain. He simply reached out and said, "Give me your hand." "I really—" Before she could finish, An Zi yuan had leaned in, taken her hand, and checked her pulse, confirming that she indeed had no serious issues, before releasing it. "I'll wait outside for you," he said, not pressing her to enter immediately. Yun Rao couldn't help but smile, "Alright." As she stepped inside, still without speaking, Cold Yan suddenly reached out and twisted her ear. "You've been out of the valley for two years now, and yet you haven't come to see me once!" Yun Rao winced under the pressure, afraid that the noise might cause An Zi yuan to suddenly burst through the door. She quickly apologized, "Cold Yan sister, I'm sorry, I'm sorry! Please let go! It hurts so much!" Qu Xiao-man, seeing Cold-Yan's pained expression, quickly interjected, "Cold-Yan, please loosen your grip—Miss Yun Rao still has injuries." With that single sentence, Cold-Yan released her hold, though she remained somewhat resentful, eyes fixed on Yun Rao as she sniffed, "Why did you come today? What business brings you here?" Yun Rao carefully observed Cold-Yan's demeanor, offering a polite, forced smile and asking, "Cold-Yan sister, have you been keeping any young ladies confined in your building recently?" As soon as she finished speaking, Cold-Yan gave her a sharp, critical glance. "I have quite a number of young ladies here—many of them sold to me. Could you please specify which one you mean?" "One whose height and build are similar to mine, around fifteen or sixteen years old, delicate and charming." Yun Rao tried to illustrate with gestures, but found she couldn't clearly convey the point. "How about if you simply take me to where she's being held?" The Zui Lou Building specialized in the traditional courtesan business, not particularly refined compared to other establishments. Whether willingly or sold, as long as the young ladies' backgrounds were clear and respectable, Zui Coldly glanced at her, she lifted the teacup from the table and took a long, full swallow. "Last night, there was indeed a young girl here who matched your description quite well—she came to complain, claiming she wanted to become our head attraction, someone no man could overlook. She was just a wild child, really, and I had to give her a good scolding before locking her up." Upon hearing this, Yun Rao's eyes sparkled with delight, and she immediately rose. "Where is she held?" "Wait," Cold Yan stopped her. "Who is she to you? You're so eager to find her—perhaps she's seen something she shouldn't have. If so, we can't keep her here." Yun Rao felt a weight settle in her chest, furrowed her brow, and though she didn't ask what exactly she'd seen, she knew now that this matter must remain private. She quickly asked, "Must she be killed?" "Only a dead person won't spill the secrets," Cold Yan said coldly. "If she's not closely connected to you, I'd advise you not to get involved. She's been detained by the Master. Without his explicit order, I won't dare to act." "Chun Rao felt her heart grow heavier," "Is Xiao Run still here?" Cold and elegant nodded, "Yes, he's been here these days. When Xiao Cui came to inform me a moment ago, I asked her to also deliver a message to the Master. He might have already come this way. What's wrong?"