Fallen blossoms in the rain, water threads and peach petals intertwined, filling the cool rain curtain with an overly strong fragrance.

  So fragrant it lost all restraint.

  The man rubbed his itchy nose, his brow furrowing slightly deeper.

  Standing by the window, his imposing figure, more than twice the size of an ordinary man, almost obscured the view outside the square window. Sunlight could only penetrate through the gaps at his shoulders, under his arms, and at his waist. His back was unusually straight, and even though he wore a scholar's robe common in Jiangnan, the soft fabric couldn't hide the contours of the muscles and bones beneath. The only soft element was his slightly curly hair, a bit too long, falling messily over his neck and shoulders.

  "Where is the calming incense?" His voice was low, and his thick fingers fiddled with his nose again.

  "...It's been lit for the young lady."

  "Was the amount precise?"

  "Yes... exactly as master instructed before, I wouldn't dare... wouldn't dare make a mistake..."

  The man nodded in thought, placing a palm on the windowsill, his index finger tapping lightly. The cool breeze ruffled his hair further.

  After a moment, he asked, "In these past few days, have you heard the young lady speak?"

  The small hall was quiet, the sound of rain outside exceptionally clear.

  Receiving no reply, he unconsciously shifted his gaze from the Jiangnan rain scene, turned, and glanced at the maidservant kneeling on the ground, trembling.

  The little maid was terribly frightened, her slender body almost pressed to the floor in a prostration, her forehead touching the ground. Her fingertips trembled, her shoulders shook, and the voice she had barely used to answer was also fragmented with fear.

  Her long hair, reaching past her waist, spread out with her humble posture. Her dark hair was soft and beautiful, so lustrous that anyone would want to see if the small face hidden beneath matched the flowing spring of her hair.

  It was a pity that the little maid's fear, like a startled bird, had completely dispelled the man's interest in seeing her face clearly.

  This really wasn't his place.

  The world he grew up in was vast and rugged, with whistling winds and biting frost. But the wind here was too soft, too fragrant; the water lacked a truly pure taste; the snacks here were too sweet, and the wine wasn't fiery enough; the singing and music were too flamboyant, and the gardens and pavilions too intricate; moreover, the men here were too timid, and the women too timid and frail, lacking any grace.

  He was out of place in this gentle and enchanting land of mist and rain.

  He was too tall, too strong, and his skin was too dark.

  His hair and eye color were too unusual, his voice too rough, and even the few subordinates who had followed him for a thousand miles were fierce and intimidating.

  The people here feared him. To be honest, he was accustomed to being revered, even numb to it. Although he disliked people shrinking away in fear or groveling when they saw him, he was too lazy to change anything.

  "Hmm?" He hummed indifferently, a hint of inquiry in his tone.

  The little maid clearly flinched, gasping as if she were about to cry. She forced out a sound with great difficulty.

  "No... the young lady is very well-behaved, she hasn't spoken... This servant combs her hair and bathes her, the young lady is so well-behaved... The young lady seems... seems to really like looking out the window, sometimes she sits by the window for two or three hours, like a statue of white porcelain... She drinks when given water, eats when fed, she's so well-behaved... doesn't make a fuss..."

  He wished she would make a fuss!

  His jaw tightened, and the man sighed inwardly, his fingers on the windowsill tightening slightly.

  "For these past two months, you have been responsible for the young lady's daily life. Do your best, take good care of her, and if you look after her well, I will reward you generously. I won't mistreat you."

  "No, no, no!" The little maid was terrified, her voice thick with a nasal tone. "Taking care of the young lady is... is this servant's duty! Master instructed that Mr. Leisalang, you are a guest from afar, a distinguished guest of the Zhou residence, a guest so important, so important it's bigger than the heavens! This servant wouldn't dare to ask for a reward... wouldn't dare..."

  She was so scared she almost curled into a ball.

  Leisalang was used to it.

  More than half of the servants and maids in this mansion looked like this when they saw him. The bolder ones dared to stand before him with their heads bowed, but there were more who lacked courage. In the first few days of his stay, some maids had even fainted before him, their faces ashen.

  However, the woman this little maid was now personally serving was the person he cherished most. He had to try and win her over... His gaze swept over her, and he couldn't help but notice her figure and posture.

  Hmm... Huh? Strange.

  His thick eyebrows furrowed. For a moment, he couldn't recall what the little maid should look like, even though she had been around for over two months. Her face remained blurry in his memory, as if always hidden by her long hair, never raised.

  "What is your name?"

  Leaving the window where the rain pattered, the dimly lit small hall, not yet illuminated, seemed even more obscure. He stepped closer to her prostrate form, the tip of his boot almost stepping on her hair.

  "This servant is just a servant, my name doesn't matter, it's only right that master doesn't remember..."

  "Your name?" His voice was calm but coercive.

  "This servant... Da Xiang." She sniffled.

  "Da Xiang, you're not wearing shoes again."

  He squatted down, his hawk eyes glinting, staring intently at her small, delicate feet, revealed by her kneeling posture.

  "Hmm... I seem to have glimpsed you barefoot a few times. Do you dislike wearing shoes?" He couldn't recall her facial features, but he remembered her strange habit of going barefoot. Leisalang smiled thoughtfully and picked up a strand of her dark, soft hair with two fingers.

  The little maid's delicate feet recoiled slightly in annoyance, her body seeming to crawl backward, but she ultimately remained in place.

  "...This servant's family was poor since childhood, and there were many sisters at home. The wages from the accounts office each month were... all taken back to subsidize the household, so there wasn't any extra money to buy shoes..." Well, that excuse was a bit far-fetched. Her small lips, almost touching the ground, stuck out her tongue, silently chiding herself for the hundredth time for forgetting to put on her shoes again.

  "Although I am not Han, as far as I know, a Han girl's small feet are very private and should not be exposed casually. You don't have money for shoes, and you go around barefoot all the time. Aren't you afraid of ruining your reputation?" His questioning tone was strange, half-smiling.

  "...This servant has a pair of old shoes, patched and re-patched. This servant isn't barefoot all the time... Because master wanted to see this servant, someone was sent to deliver a message. This servant rushed to see you, and in my haste, I forgot to put on my shoes..." Oh dear, don't pull her hair!

  The force pulling her hair increased slightly, and he said indifferently, "Lift your head."

  With "this servant" this and "this servant" that, he wanted to get a clear look at this "servant's" true face.

  "Wuwu~~ Wuwah~~ Master, please spare this servant! This servant didn't do it on purpose. You don't like to see girls' feet. This servant will wear shoes from now on, properly, and will never offend your eyes. Please don't be angry! Please, please! Wuwuwu~~"

  Leisalang froze. He just wanted to see the little maid's appearance, but he didn't expect her to suddenly burst into tears in fright, even crawling to embrace his feet, as if she had been terribly abused.

  "I'm not—" As he parted his lips to speak, the two doors were violently pushed open from the outside.

  "Master Leisalang! What happened?" The short, middle-aged man in fine clothes who rushed in was the master of this mansion—Zhou Dafu.

  As he entered, Zhou Dafu's small eyes narrowed. He suddenly saw a lowly maidservant in his mansion touching the distinguished guest. He was greatly alarmed, his breath almost caught in his throat. He quickly rushed over to pull away the crying little maid, roughly tossing the disheveled girl to two attendants behind him, while shouting curses.

  "Blind fool! You don't know your place! Do you think you can afford to offend Master Leisalang? Keeping you, a useless lowly maid, you achieve nothing and ruin everything. Wait until I have someone teach you a lesson! Ah San, Ah Si, lock this stinky girl in the cellar and give her a few lashes—"

  "Let her go."

  Three deep words brought Zhou Dafu's booming curses to a halt.

  Leisalang glanced at Ah San and Ah Si. The two young servants' backs instantly felt cold. They flinched, their hands gripping the little maid like they were pricked by thorns, and they abruptly withdrew them.

  "Wuwu~~" The little maid covered her face and wept, then hastily fled the room, her posture extremely panicked.

  Through the open door and the two large windows, past the light drizzle, Leisalang glimpsed her running along the long corridor to the other end of the garden, then stumbling up the lacquered red wooden stairs to the pavilion.

  It seemed that despite being thoroughly frightened, she still knew to go back and serve the young lady well... He suddenly remembered the little maid's delicate feet. It turned out that when she stood up, her long skirt concealed everything that should be concealed.

  He clearly disliked women who cried incessantly and were as timid as mice, but this girl named "Da Xiang"... Hmm... He couldn't quite say what was strange about her.

  Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

  He was quite surprised that he hadn't paid attention to her all these days.

  Seeing the distinguished guest let the lowly maid flee without uttering a word, not even frowning, Zhou Dafu naturally swallowed the scolding that was about to come out. Suddenly, with a fawning smile, he approached.

  "Heh heh... The little girl is quite inexperienced! Green fruit tastes astringent and bitter, how could she understand... Heh heh heh, the joys and pleasures between men and women, don't you agree?" He understood now. The distinguished guest must have wanted to force himself on her, grabbing the lowly maid for "immediate justice," but the lowly maid was so tactless!

  He chuckled a couple of times. "Or perhaps... Master, you prefer this kind of taste, the more astringent the fruit, the more fragrant it is when you bite into it?"

  Leisalang's hawk eyes narrowed slightly, and he glanced sideways.

  Zhou Dafu instinctively lowered his gaze, swallowed, and his already short stature seemed to shrink further. He forced himself to continue,

  "...Everyone has their own preferences, and that's... that's understandable. If I had known earlier that you preferred this type of young girl, as the host, I could have arranged it for Master Leisalang! No wonder you didn't like any of the singing girls we sent before. You found them too experienced, all the sensitive parts were too mature, so you lost interest, right?"

  Damn it! This barbarian from beyond the borders was truly difficult to please. He brought chests of gold bars and silver coins and laid them before him, but his cold face always looked like it was carved from stone, his eyebrows never raised, his eyes icy and dead, truly disdainful.

  So, wouldn't the beauty trap work to some extent? Throwing fragrant, snow-white bodies into his arms, whether it was "Seven Fairies Descending to Earth," "Eight Immortals Crossing the Sea," or "Eighteen Snow Breasts Surging," to make him drunk and ecstatic, to make him feel like a god, and then to have a happy time like an immortal! But he was tough. This master of his had a discerning palate and a peculiar temper, driving away all the naked beauties he had brought into the garden!

  His own eager face, which Zhou Dafu had desperately tried to get close to, had been slapped hard several times!

  It was hateful! If it weren't for his greed for the barbarian's unique rare spices, especially that "Dragon's Charm Fragrance," which, after being smelled and consumed, was said to "resurrect the dead" and allow men to "fight for a thousand miles," why would he have gone to such lengths to welcome him into his mansion and treat him like a bodhisattva, groveling and daring not to fart?

  Enduring this dead barbarian's tantrums every day was one thing, but he also had to carefully serve his mute, idiotic sister. If he didn't get the barbarian's spices in the end, Zhou Dafu would have lost a fortune by now!

  He cursed inwardly, his thick lips secretly pursed, then deliberately stretched his mouth into a smile.

  "Haha, humph, hehe, heh heh... That's good, very good! I'll immediately order my subordinates to handle it. Is 'Four Joys Arriving' enough? Unspoiled young girls are a bit more expensive, but for you, a distinguished guest, it's worth it! How about buying a couple of pairs for your pleasure? With someone who knows the way to arrange it, the 'goods' tonight are guaranteed to satisfy you— Uh uh uh!" His... his... his toes were off the ground... I can't breathe...

  Annoying!

  Are all southern men this long-winded? Aren't they annoying?

  Leisalang flicked his hand away, his fingers impatiently gripping the noisy short man's throat and lifting him up.

  "What exactly do you want?"

  "Uh uh... Mmm mmm... Uh uh, mmm mmm mmm..." Wuwuwu~~ He just wanted to do a spice deal with this master...

  ***bbscn***bbscn***bbscn***

  In the end, Leisalang still choked the man unconscious.

  See, who's to blame? The men here are not like men. He only slightly tightened his fingers, not exerting any real force, and could easily choke the other party unconscious.

  In his eyes, Zhou Dafu was purely a merchant. Merchants are inherently cunning and greedy for money. He wasn't an utterly evil person, and Leisalang knew very well what the other party was after. If the terms could be negotiated and the benefits divided to his satisfaction, cooperation wouldn't be difficult.

  However, this nouveau riche named Zhou had better know his limits and speak concisely. If he continued to be so self-righteous and long-winded, it wouldn't be surprising if another "choking unconscious" incident occurred.

  At this point, two young servants, who were so scared they almost peed themselves, bravely endured their trembling legs and, with some effort, dragged their unconscious master out of the distinguished guest's sight.

  The excessively refined garden finally returned to its usual tranquility.

  The light rain continued endlessly, the sunset glow was faint, it must be time to light the lamps.

  Leisalang raised his eyebrows and looked out the window, habitually observing the movements at the other end of the garden. He noticed that the pavilion opposite seemed to remain very quiet, the window paper was dark, and no light shone through.

  Where did the little maid go?

  Was she scared? Why wasn't she serving inside?

  Leisalang's heart skipped a beat. He immediately stepped out of the room and walked along the corridor.

  His steps were quiet and steady as he ascended the lacquered red wooden stairs, step by step. In the cool, damp air, an atmosphere of increasing tension enveloped him.

  Creak~~

  He pushed the door open and entered. The pavilion was dim. Even though the light tried its best to flood in, the sky was gradually darkening, and the light's force was no longer sufficient to dispel the gloom of the room.

  Strange sounds emanated from the inner room. His heart leaped. He strode forward, and after passing the jade tooth screen, he saw the most soul-stirring scene of his life—

  On the incense couch set at the far end of the inner room, the red gauze bed curtains were conspicuously rolled up.

  On the couch, two women were entwined... No, one woman was on top of another.

  The girl named "Da Xiang" was straddling her young lady, who was completely unable to resist. Their faces were pressed together intimately, their cheeks touching, their hair intertwined, their four lips almost sticking together...

  He gasped in astonishment, and the little maid looked up upon hearing the sound.

  Clearly disturbed, her eyes shot towards him, shining brightly, glaring at him as if... he were incredibly tactless!

  ***bbscn***bbscn***bbscn***

  To put it bluntly, one shouldn't be too soft-hearted. If the heart softens, one will suffer.

  With her legs spread wide, straddling the young lady's soft belly, Da Xiang slowly straightened her waist. She sighed inwardly, her face, obscured by her dark hair, seemed to smile or not smile, blurred in the dimness of the room, except for those bright eyes, filled with equal parts wariness and provocation, glaring at the "intruder" and igniting a fire in his heart.

  Leisalang didn't ask a word. He lunged forward, immediately launching a fierce attack.

  Da Xiang gave a slight "oh," intending to jump off the couch and flee. The man's heavy palm wind forced her back, and the red gauze bed curtains on either side were swept about by the fierce force.

  The couch was so small, there was nowhere to hide.

  Damn! Come on! He wants to catch a turtle in a jar, but he'll have to see if she's willing to comply willingly!

  The palm wind followed closely behind her. She barely dodged two blows and, as she turned, pulled the rigidly lying young lady into her arms, pushing her forward like a shield.

  "Hmph!" Leisalang's heart constricted, his eyes about to split. The palm force, which was about to strike, was abruptly withdrawn, smashing the entire carved bedhead into pieces.

  "Hee~~" A delicate laugh mixed with a hint of triumph.

  His anger intensified, but he didn't stop.

  However, alas, alas, no matter where he attacked, he was controlled. The other party fully utilized the "trump card" they held in their hands, disrupting his formation.

  "Doesn't Master Leisalang cherish his precious sister the most? If you continue to be so relentless and unreasonable, and you injure this dear darling, I can bear it, but can you?"

  Crouching in the corner of the couch, Da Xiang held the silent young lady in front of her. The latter's watery eyes were wide open, not unconscious, but seemingly completely unaware of the tense atmosphere, letting others manipulate her.

  His jaw tightened, and the tall, robust figure finally took a small step back.

  At this moment, he calmed down. Although he still couldn't see Da Xiang's face clearly, Leisalang had glimpsed his sister Lan Qier's disheveled state. She was only wearing a silk undergarment, her belt loose, her front opening naturally loose, revealing the bodice underneath, and the ties of that garment were also loosened, about to fall off.

  The image of the two women intertwined flashed through his mind.

  Even though the "lecher" who had violated his sister was also a girl, he still wouldn't let her off lightly.

  Thinking that this "fake maid" had been lurking by Lan Qier's side for over two months, and he didn't know how many "dirty things" she had done, like the one just now, he suddenly clenched his fists, and his anger flared up again, annoyed by his lack of awareness during this time.

  "Who exactly are you? What do you intend to do?"

  Leisalang heard a string of bell-like laughter.

  "I already said my name is Da Xiang, how many times do you want to ask, Master?" She rested her chin on Lan Qier's shoulder, rubbing it coquettishly. "As for my intentions... hmm, hmph hmph, I have many things I want to do. If I were to explain them one by one, I would truly become hoarse, so I won't say!"

  He took a deep breath, calming the turmoil in his chest, and said in a low voice, "First, let go of my sister. If you want to do something, we can sit down and talk. There's no need for these underhanded tricks."

  She still laughed, scattering pearls of laughter generously.

  Her eyes, exceptionally clear in the dimness, were locked on the man blocking the couch, not looking away for a moment. She tilted her head slightly, her cheek rubbing against his fragrant cheek. She spoke to the person in her arms—

  "Lan Qier, look, you have a good brother. He really cherishes you like his 'heart's flesh'! Hee~~ He says he wants to sit down and talk with me. What do you think, can this be trusted? If I let you go, will he pounce on me and finish me off without a second word? If that happens, I'll be wronged!"

  Leisalang pursed his lips and remained silent. He did want to pounce and break her neck, but before finishing her off, he would definitely extract the cause and effect of everything from that smiling little mouth.

  "So, so, one always has to learn to protect oneself, to plan for oneself, don't you agree?"

  She asked this question to the man standing unmoving before the couch. After a slight pause, she added, "In my opinion, it's best for you to make a little space. My sister will go with me. After all, I've been serving her for over two months. Without me by her side, if she really has an attack, becomes dazed and restless, you know that."

  "She's not sick!" His voice deepened, his thick eyebrows raised.

  "Is that so? Then why do you bother me, this pitiful 'little maid,' day and night to light that so-called 'calming incense' for the young lady? It's called calming the mind, but... hmph hmph, that aphrodisiac is actually used to suppress the demonic poison in her body! It's just that you don't understand. There is another way to deal with her sudden demonic illness, not by containment and suppression, but by dredging and draining... As long as it's drained, the bad things will leave the flesh and bones, and her spirit will be strong! Do you understand?" Her voice at the end was soft and seductive, still seeming to giggle, revealing a strange pride.

  What nonsense!

  The veins on Leisalang's forehead bulged, and he stared at her with wide eyes.

  Da Xiang sighed softly. "Alas, I knew you had no wisdom. Forget it, forget it. Since that's the case, if we don't agree, we shouldn't talk too much. Lan Qier and I should go!"

  Although she spoke casually, she carefully moved out from the corner, still using the man's "heart's flesh" as a shield, guarding against his sudden attack.

  Outside the building, the sound of rain was exceptionally clear, pattering. The fragrance of peach blossoms seemed to intensify.

  She noticed the man slightly turn his body as if to retreat. Suddenly, a rich, sweet fragrance assailed her nostrils—

  Not good!

  Her heart trembled violently. She tried to hold her breath, but it was too late. As his wide sleeve swept down, a musky scent mixed with the original peach fragrance and quickly spread before her nose.

  As soon as the scent entered her nostrils, her scalp tingled. She knew she was in trouble now.

  This aphrodisiac was very different from the "calming incense." Lan Qier, whom she held hostage, had already fainted, her body limp, making it even harder for her to move.

  She struggled, forcing herself to take a step, but the man, as if knowing she had no strength left to escape, didn't rush to attack, but quietly watched from the side.

  "Mmm... Damn..." She couldn't hold on any longer, her head spinning.

  She softened, feeling her waist tighten.

  Barely lifting her eyelashes, Da Xiang was startled to find herself hanging from a strong arm, pressed tightly against the man's waist, while his other strong arm still held his precious sister.

  Effortlessly lifting both women onto the couch and setting them down, Leisalang laid Lan Qier on the inner couch and pulled a silk quilt over his sister. After arranging everything, he sat on the edge of the bed and glanced at the girl lying on the outer side. She hadn't completely fainted yet and was still stubbornly blinking her eyes.

  He lowered his head to look at her, forcing his gaze onto her gradually blurring eyes, a look of deep inquiry.

  This unknown "little maid" seemed to know a lot, but he knew nothing about her.

  "Who are you?"

  She curved her lips into a smile. "Da Xiang..."

  His eyebrows furrowed imperceptibly, and he asked in a low voice, "And who is Da Xiang?"

  Smiling. "...Not a fairy, nor a saint... Da Xiang... I, I... I just like to take what others love, and never fulfill others' wishes... You dare to scheme against me, next time you fall into my hands, you'll regret it..."

  The one who "schemes" against others will be "schemed" against by others. She seemed to have truly forgotten that she was the one who had been lurking here, secretly "scheming" against someone for two whole months.

  Perhaps remembering something, she frowned, shaking her head and muttering vaguely. "...Damn it... I could have left on time, why was I soft-hearted? Let her have her seizures... I was almost exposed, why did I stay to comfort her... That's someone else's sister, not mine... Like I said, soft-heartedness is incurable, asking for trouble... Damn it..."

  Muttering, she finally couldn't hold on any longer. Her consciousness plunged into a daze. Her slightly parted lips fell silent.

  The man's face was thoughtful. The small world within the couch was immeasurably deep and remote.

  He stared at her, his large, calloused hand reaching towards the face of the woman who had just closed her eyes. He brushed aside the hair by her cheek, and with slightly rough force, hooked her chin. A strange and inexplicable sense of excitement throbbed in his left chest.

  The gentle and annoying misty rain outside also seemed to become more interesting...