Qingyun Terrace (I) — Abducting a Virtuous Woman in Broad Daylight?

She turned toward the source of the voice and saw a stranger speaking to Zhou Yao, standing beside her.

"May I ask if you're looking for a suitable shop? I have a friend who can solve your current predicament." His hands were tucked inside his sleeves, and he made a money-gesture with his fingers, careful to keep it hidden from passersby.

Zhou Yao found him somewhat amusing. A closer look revealed that his features were crooked, and he had sanpaku eyes—the kind of man who was probably up to no good. She decided to see what tricks he was playing.

"Oh, that sounds wonderful. Then how much money would be appropriate?" Zhou Yao put on a delighted expression.

"Since you're a woman, I won't overcharge you. Two thousand wen will do." He smiled lewdly, keeping both hands hidden in his sleeves.

Zhou Yao's brows twitched again and again as her face contorted in apparent distress. Internally, she was practically stabbing him to death.

Two strings of cash, and he called that not overcharging.

She'd always known the common folk suffered hardship, but she'd never imagined she'd end up in such a desperate situation.

Zhou Yao turned her head slightly, lowering her eyes. She covered her mouth with her left hand, using her wide sleeve to hide the right hand pinching her arm.

She managed to force tears into her eyes through sheer pain, then put on a pitiful expression. "You see, I'm originally from the capital. My family fell on hard times all of a sudden. My eldest brother spends his days drinking and gambling. He's stolen all the money I had, and I've got nowhere left to turn, so I came out to find a way forward..."

Her words were earnest, like she was pouring out her sorrows. She really did look quite moving—little did she know this was exactly what the man had hoped for.

He feigned sympathy. "How tragic. In that case, I'll take no money from you today as a good deed. Come with me."

As he turned around, Zhou Yao stared suspiciously at his retreating figure. She didn't believe for a second that a strange man who'd stopped her in the street was up to any good.

Just now, when she'd lowered her eyes, she'd noticed a fine piece of Hetian jade hanging from his waist. Zhou Yao clicked her tongue in amazement.

Though such things were as common as fleas in the imperial treasury, they were a rare commodity among ordinary folk on the streets. Unless someone in the family held an official post or they'd been gifted by the rich and powerful, such a piece wouldn't come easily.

Given that this man was dressed like a commoner, there had to be something fishy going on.

Zhou Yao followed him, making casual inquiries with a lazy tone that sounded like small talk to pass the time.

"You've done me a great service, good sir. I haven't yet asked your name. If I ever have the chance in the future, I'll surely repay your kindness." Zhou Yao's voice was sugary sweet, the kind that could lift a person's spirits just by hearing it.

"It's nothing, nothing. My name is Liu Yun." Liu Yun led Zhou Yao deeper into the alley.

They wound through a maze of turns, Zhou Yao following behind, remaining vigilant. Fortunately, she rarely wore hairpins in her daily life—otherwise, the jingling would have been far too conspicuous.

Ahead was the end of the alley. Zhou Yao's mind conjured images of a gang of assassins suddenly leaping out to knock her out. But no—what lay ahead was just a crumbling wall that looked like it might collapse at any moment.

None of the scenes in her head actually happened. There was nothing here at all.

Liu Yun stopped and said, "We've arrived."

"We're here?" She looked at the wall in surprise, then turned to look at Liu Yun and found the man walking toward her step by step. The expression on Zhou Yao's face gradually twisted.

Zhou Yao's delicate brows knitted together. She pulled the small knife from her waist and hid it in her sleeve, planning to strike if he came any closer. She was so tense she could hear her heart pounding in her chest.

Rumble...

A gap opened in the wall, leading to a passage wide enough to reach the street beyond. Zhou Yao thought to herself: Even a rundown place like this has a hidden door. Are they trying to keep people from escaping?

"It's just ahead." Liu Yun continued leading the way in front. His demeanor was noticeably more relaxed than before.

The passage was only wide enough for one person to pass sideways. A thought settled in Zhou Yao's mind, and as she followed behind Liu Yun, she was gradually able to confirm it.

The narrow path beneath her feet slowly widened, and a courtyard appeared before her.

Liu Yun said, "Go sit over there and rest a moment. I'll go have a word with the boss."

Zhou Yao pretended to be an innocent girl who hadn't noticed a thing, offering a light smile. "I'll trouble you then, Mr. Liu."

The place looked like a backyard. It was square and open, with no decorations in the courtyard. Aside from the chair, everything else was empty, with no sign of anyone living here. More than a courtyard, it seemed like a decoy.

Looking up, all she could see were doors and stairways. Every door was hung with red lanterns, and behind those doors were probably the women who'd been tricked into coming here.

Before Zhou Yao could take in more of the surroundings, someone kicked her hard in the back of the knee, sending her crashing to the ground. Before she could identify the face of her attacker, a white cloth was tied over her eyes.

Blinded, she could only slash at the person behind her with the knife hidden in her sleeve—but before she knew it, the man subdued her. The knife clattered to the floor, and her hands were bound behind her back, leaving her completely helpless.

Zhou Yao felt him take the small knife from her grip, and he chuckled. "Oho, hiding a blade, are we?"

Deprived of her sight, Zhou Yao's sense of touch and hearing grew especially sharp. The cold, rough side of the blade tapped against her cheek as the man warned, "Don't you dare try any funny business, or don't blame me for being heartless and not showing a lady any mercy."

From somewhere in the distance came a man's voice, and she could tell it was Liu Yun. Just as she'd suspected—he wasn't a good man.

"Alright, since I've brought the goods, my job's done. Remember to square away the tab you owe me." Liu Yun wore that same sloppy, carefree air as he gave an ingratiating smile to the man who had Zhou Yao in his grip.

Before she could hear the rest of the conversation, the man pressed a cloth over her mouth and nose. She was drugged unconscious, collapsing onto the brick floor.

When she opened her eyes, she saw that the pink gauze curtains of the bed were half-hanging, and seated beside the bed was a graceful woman with scant clothing, gently wiping her face.

This was...

"Awake?" The woman's voice was soft and sweet, like she had a lump of candy that wouldn't melt in her mouth.

"Since you're awake, get up quickly," the woman urged. "If they find us like this, we'll all be finished."

"Where is this place?" Zhou Yao's hoarse voice struggled to ask.

"This is Qingyun Terrace, a place of pleasure for the rich and powerful. Now that you're here, keeping your head down will save you plenty of pain."

Zhou Yao sat up and took in her surroundings. The room was the size of a pigeon cage. Liu Yun had indeed sold her to a brothel. Damn it.

She looked at the woman before her and frowned. "You just stay cooped up in a place like this every day?"

"What's wrong with it? If you're not used to it, you can add some things to make the room your own. Even though we're trapped here, the madam is generous. All the makeup and powder here are top quality, so there's no need to worry about your looks fading."

Zhou Yao took a deep breath. It felt absurd. The women here had been tamed by the rules, their claws filed down by the passing years, until even the idea of resistance was forgotten.

"Haven't you ever thought of buying your own freedom? Even if you never find a good man, you could go into business and support yourself."

The woman stared at Zhou Yao with pitiful eyes and forced a smile. "It's impossible."

"Why not?" Zhou Yao asked in puzzlement.

"Most of the women who come here are poor wretches. Setting aside the money needed for freedom, never mind the countless sisters who die right in these rooms. Leave? Hah, easier said than done."

The empire's law—how could it be a joke?!

"They're treating lives like grass!" Zhou Yao was shocked by those words. "This is a matter of life and death. How can no one do anything about it?"

Zhou Yao grabbed the woman's sleeve. "Why haven't you reported this truthfully to the authorities?"

"The law protects the rich and powerful. People like us, even if we die, we're just cheap lives."

In Zhou Yao's mind, Ling Long's words echoed again:

Women shouldn't end up like this. If women could be like men—take the imperial examinations, run households, rule their own fates...

"I want to see your boss." Zhou Yao looked seriously at the woman.

—

The sounds of pipes and strings interwove, and the women on the stage displayed every kind of beauty. Zhou Yao's clothes had been changed while she was unconscious into the standard uniform of Qingyun Terrace.

Here, only the top courtesans could wear clothes of their own choosing. There was no freedom at all—even more suffocating than the palace.

The woman in the room had pointed Zhou Yao the way, and she ran full speed toward the front.

Liu Yun, Liu Yun, Liu Yun! That murderous bastard. He looked perfectly presentable but went around doing the work of beasts.

She'd asked around. Nearly half the girls in this establishment had been tricked in by him. Many had been respectable daughters of good families, but after going through this, they'd become slaves at the mercy of others.

Those who came willingly were one thing, but even if the girls who'd been tricked and lost their innocence managed to buy their freedom, the eyes of the world would still stab them to death.

Guided by others, she went up the stairs. Zhou Yao noticed a lavishly decorated room with its door shut tight, flickering shadows moving behind the paper window, occasionally overlapping.

"Oh, now this one's pretty! Brother Qi, look—a fresh find in Qingyun Terrace. What an extraordinary woman, truly a beauty to rival Xi Shi."

The man's cheeks were flushed red. It was his 'Brother Qi'?

In the midst of the jostling, Zhou Yao looked up... and froze on the spot.

She sighed inwardly: It's him?! Since he's here, this'll be easy to handle.