Chapter 513 – Post-Wedding Extra Chapter: A Dance That Captivated the City and Spread Across the World – Two Extremes (05)
The imperial palace had a curfew. By the time they left Wanhua Pavilion, the palace gates had already been locked for the night, so they couldn’t enter.
Although Jiang Liangwu’s predecessor in this world had been bedridden with illness for years, he had been quite favored before falling ill and owned several residences outside the palace. Going to one of them to rest for the night was the most convenient option.
Gou Ziming was escorted by the guards to a private room, while Jiang Liangwu took Bai Tang to his residence. The servants had already prepared hot water and sent it to the bathing room.
Bai Tang followed Jiang Liangwu uneasily. Whenever the servants they passed saw them, they would bow and greet them respectfully. The contrast made Bai Tang feel a sense of unfamiliarity he had never experienced before.
A Wu was the lofty Third Prince, while he was someone who had come out of Wanhua Pavilion.
Could I really stand by A Wu’s side?
It wasn’t until Jiang Liangwu brought Bai Tang into the room and began helping him undress that Bai Tang came back to his senses. He jumped in surprise, his little face instantly turning red.
“I-I can do it myself.”
His senior had taught him many things. The moment it came to undressing, all sorts of suggestive thoughts began popping into Bai Tang’s mind.
Could it be… could it be that things are moving too quickly?
“Okay. Tang Tang can do it himself.”
Jiang Liangwu released him and watched with a smile as the little squirrel slowly began taking off his clothes.
Bai Tang turned his back to him, foolishly convincing himself that if he couldn’t see Jiang Liangwu, then Jiang Liangwu couldn’t see him either.
But the scorching gaze fixed on his back was impossible to ignore.
His movements could no longer even be described as slow. A tortoise would have been faster.
His little hands trembled as they struggled with the ties, and it took him a long time before he finally managed to undo the inner garment.
“Tang Tang…”
The man’s voice came from behind him.
Bai Tang’s heart jolted. Thinking that Jiang Liangwu was annoyed by how slow he was and might send him back to Wanhua Pavilion, his eyes immediately filled with tears.
“I-I’ll be quick… I’ll be quick…”
The more anxious he became, the more flustered he got, and the more flustered he got, the harder it was to do anything properly.
Just as Bai Tang was fumbling helplessly with his clothes, the man embraced him from behind. His breath brushed against Bai Tang’s ear, slightly heavier than before.
“The water is going to get cold. Let me help Tang Tang.”
Jiang Liangwu quickly undid his clothes in just a few movements, and soon, a completely naked, fair-skinned little squirrel stood before him.
The night breeze slipped through the gaps in the window, and the young man’s fair skin flushed an alluring pink from the cold.
Bai Tang stood there shyly, trying to get into the wooden tub to cover himself.
“I’ll help you.”
Jiang Liangwu wrapped one arm around Bai Tang’s waist while swiftly removing his own clothes with the other. The wooden tub was too deep; if Bai Tang sat inside on his own, the water would come up over his head.
As their bodies sank into the warm water, both of them let out a soft sigh of relief.
Bai Tang sat in front of Jiang Liangwu, who gently washed the young man’s rounded shoulders with a cloth.
“Don’t move. Be good, Tang Tang. As long as you don’t agree, I won’t do anything.”
Jiang Liangwu’s fingers brushed lightly across Bai Tang’s back, making him shiver. His entire body went weak, and he could only helplessly lean against Jiang Liangwu’s chest.
“A-A Wu…”
Bai Tang had never known that his body could be so sensitive. Even Jiang Liangwu was slightly surprised.
This was all because of Wanhua Pavilion. A place devoted to pleasure and entertainment like Wanhua Pavilion naturally had various aphrodisiac ingredients mixed into its food. Before going onstage, Bai Tang had eaten several extra pastries to fill his stomach. Combined with the stimulation from the hot water, the effects of the drug quickly intensified.
“A Wu… A Wu…”
Bai Tang clung tightly to Jiang Liangwu’s hand, desperately wanting to be closer to him.
“Tang Tang.” The man’s voice was hoarse, and his breathing had become uneven, but he still maintained his composure. “Do you know what you’re doing? Bear with it for a while. I’ll have someone prepare a bowl of something to clear your head.”
Bai Tang had never experienced such things himself, but he had certainly heard enough about them. Right now, he didn’t want any kind of medicinal soup. He only wanted to be closer to Jiang Liangwu.
He had nothing of his own. Even the money to redeem him had been paid by Jiang Liangwu. Aside from his feelings and himself, there was nothing else he could give Jiang Liangwu.
“A Wu, hold me. Hold me…”
As he gradually lost his reason, Bai Tang turned around and wrapped his arms around Jiang Liangwu, pressing his lips against Jiang Liangwu’s chest.
Jiang Liangwu’s eyes darkened. The veins standing out on his forehead showed just how hard he was struggling to maintain control.
The young man’s eyes were hazy with desire, and his soft, sweet voice was filled with endless grievance.
“Does A Wu not like me? Why won’t you touch me~?”
The last thread of what was called reason finally snapped.
With his beloved in his arms and Bai Tang taking the initiative, continuing to resist was no longer possible.
Embarrassing sounds came from the bathing room, gradually fading into the deep darkness of the night.
…
Wanhua Pavilion
Sang Tiantian’s situation was far from good.
She had become overly pleased with herself after stealing the spotlight and being crowned Top Courtesan, only to be bought by a fat, middle-aged man.
The moment Sang Tiantian saw the greasy-looking man, she felt like vomiting. She turned around and tried to run, but because she had eaten too many of the drug-laced pastries from Wanhua Pavilion, her limbs were gradually losing their strength.
“Beautiful lady, I’m coming.”
The fat man lunged toward her with a lecherous grin. Sang Tiantian screamed at the top of her lungs as he tackled her onto the table.
“You filthy pig! Let go of me! You piece of trash! Scum!”
Sang Tiantian hurled every insult she could think of at him, venting her anger and fear.
When had the middle-aged man ever been cursed at like this—especially by a woman from Wanhua Pavilion?
He slapped her across the face.
Sang Tiantian’s fair cheek instantly swelled and reddened.
“You stinking wh*re! Don’t know what’s good for you, do you? I paid a high price to buy you, and you refuse to serve me properly? Tomorrow, I’ll have you sold to the dark quarters!”
Sang Tiantian had grown up in a peaceful modern society and had never suffered this kind of hardship in her entire life, let alone been slapped in the face.
Her face was the thing she treasured most.
And now, she had been struck.
“I’ll fight you!”
Sang Tiantian grabbed a vase from the table and swung it at the man’s head.
The man was caught off guard, and Sang Tiantian actually succeeded in ambushing him. Blood splattered across the vase, and the man collapsed to the floor, motionless.
Her courage had lasted only for that single moment. Now that it was gone, fear began to overwhelm Sang Tiantian.
I-I killed someone!
Blood spread across the floor.
In Sang Tiantian’s mind, there was no possibility that the man was still alive.
He must be dead.
Dead.
If you kill someone, you pay with your life.
She was still young.
She didn’t want to die.
She didn’t want to die.
Only then did Sang Tiantian begin to regret it. Wanhua Pavilion was not nearly as simple as she had imagined. She should have listened to Bai Tang and left. Leaving this place would have meant freedom, and she would have been able to take control of her own life. But now, it was too late for regrets.
Suddenly, she began blaming Bai Tang again. She was just an innocent girl; how could she have known about all the schemes and complications inside Wanhua Pavilion? It wasn’t as though she were unreasonable. If he had simply explained everything to her properly, wouldn’t she have followed him out? Instead, he had only spoken halfway before asking whether she wanted to leave. Considering his past actions, how was she supposed to know whether he had ulterior motives? Perhaps he had deliberately spoken so ambiguously because he wanted to watch her fall into the life of a courtesan and make a fool of herself.
After blaming Bai Tang for a while, Sang Tiantian finally felt a little better.
After thinking it over from every angle, she endured her fear and disgust and reached around the man’s waist, feeling for his money pouch. There were singing and dancing performances going on outside, so no one would notice what was happening inside the private room.
The private room had been specially arranged for her, and the things she normally used had also been moved here. That made things considerably more convenient now.
Sang Tiantian quickly changed into a neat maid’s outfit, packed up her belongings, and climbed out through the window.
The female protagonist’s halo came into play at this moment. Her escape from Wanhua Pavilion went incredibly smoothly. Even the servant guarding the back entrance had gone off to get some wine because of the Top Courtesan Competition, making things even easier for Sang Tiantian. She didn’t even need to climb over the wall.
Sang Tiantian wandered aimlessly through the streets. She walked for a long time, until she was completely exhausted, before finding an inn to stay at. She planned to rest for the night and leave the city at dawn tomorrow. As long as she got away from this place and changed her name, she would be far beyond the emperor’s reach. Who would be able to bother her then?
Sang Tiantian lacked common sense and did not know that people in ancient times also had household registrations and ancestral origins recorded in official documents. After making her plans and convincing herself that everything was Bai Tang’s fault, she settled down at the inn without a care.
In the middle of the night, she was startled awake when someone suddenly broke in through the window. Afraid that she would scream, the intruder rushed to the bedside and clamped a hand tightly over Sang Tiantian’s mouth. Sang Tiantian stared at him with terrified eyes. Before long, another figure dressed in black broke into the room and immediately began fighting the first intruder. Amid the flash of swords, she screamed at the top of her lungs. In the end, perhaps because she was making too much noise, one of the two struck her unconscious with a single palm strike.
Wanhua Pavilion did business at night and rested during the day. Madam and the others had no idea that anything had happened in the private room throughout the entire night. It was only when the middle-aged man, who had narrowly escaped death, woke up and staggered out while clutching his dizzy head that the guests and courtesans saw him, causing a huge commotion.
After learning what had happened, Madam cursed Sang Tiantian inwardly for being a troublemaker. However, she kept a smile on her face and hoped that the middle-aged man would be magnanimous. Wanhua Pavilion was willing to compensate him, hoping to settle the matter before it became any bigger.
The middle-aged man refused to take the loss. It wasn’t as though he had no backing. “My cousin is a favored consort of the current emperor. Madam, I know Wanhua Pavilion has powerful people behind it, but can you really stand against the imperial family?”
The middle-aged man snorted coldly. He would not let Wanhua Pavilion off the hook.
The middle-aged man insisted on reporting the matter to the authorities. He was already injured, and his anger had put tremendous strain on him. Once the constables arrived, he could no longer hold himself together. Before he even had a chance to speak, he collapsed face-first onto the ground and breathed his last.
It’s over. Someone is dead.
That was the Madam’s last thought before she fainted.
If the man had died while enjoying himself at Wanhua Pavilion, she could have claimed that his health had simply been poor. But now, this was clearly murder. Everyone knew about it, and the constables had already arrived. The favored consort’s relative was not someone she could afford to offend. It was over. Completely over.
After the Madam fainted, Wanhua Pavilion was left without anyone in charge. The middle-aged man’s family refused to let the matter go, and all the girls were taken back to the authorities in miserable circumstances to be interrogated about the real culprit and her accomplices.
Wanhua Pavilion closed amid the discussions of passersby. Wives whose husbands often went there to fool around openly cheered, while some of the men lamented its closure. But more people simply gathered to watch the spectacle, coming up with all sorts of conspiracy theories and wild guesses.
By the time Bai Tang heard the news, it was already evening.
He sat up and drank the porridge Jiang Liangwu was feeding him, feeling both comforted and alarmed. It was only when Gou Ziming came looking for him that he learned something had happened at Wanhua Pavilion—Sang Tiantian had killed someone and fled.
Bai Tang froze when he heard the news. How had so many things happened in just one night? Sang Tiantian had killed someone? Why had she killed him? Where had she gone?
Countless questions kept spinning through Bai Tang’s mind. Jiang Liangwu was also surprised when he heard the news, but what he was thinking was completely different from Bai Tang.
Tang Tang’s indenture contract was in his possession, but his household registration had not yet been changed. Wanhua Pavilion had gotten itself involved with a favored consort’s relative. He absolutely could not let Tang Tang get dragged into this.
Jiang Liangwu summoned a trusted attendant and ordered him to go to the authorities and change Bai Tang’s household registration. He glanced at Gou Ziming, who had brought them the news, and before the attendant left, he casually arranged for Gou Ziming’s household registration to be changed as well.
Anyone who had helped Tang Tang was someone he didn’t mind repaying.