Yunxiang Tower

As Lang Huan stepped through the gates of the Duke's mansion, the familiar scent of blooming flowers filled the air. A gentle breeze stirred the leaves, their soft rustling accompanying her footsteps. But her eyes immediately landed on Su Qing, who was sitting in the garden.

"Lang Huan, you're finally home." Su Qing stood up quickly, relief washing over her face. She stepped closer, her gaze sweeping over Lang Huan, searching for any sign of injury.

"What happened? Zhou Ming said you were taken to the Princess's Mansion. Are you alright?"

Lang Huan smiled faintly and brushed off her concern with a wave of her hand. "It was nothing. Just a misunderstanding. Don't worry about it.

 "But—"

"I'm fine," Lang Huan insisted, letting out a yawn halfway through her sentence. Her eyelids drooped slightly, betraying her exhaustion. "I didn't sleep much last night. I'll explain later, I promise. For now, I'm heading to bed."

She placed her hands gently on Su Qing's shoulders, trying to reassure her.

Without waiting for her response, Lang Huan quickly turned and made her way toward her room, leaving Su Qing standing in the garden with the faintest frown on her face.

Su Qing knew very well what kind of person Feng Yao was. She wouldn't release Lang Huan without a reason. There must be something planned, but what exactly, only Feng Yao herself knew.

After sleep so long Lang Huan bring her guitar and sat on the small pavilion at the front of her courtyard, her fingers lazily plucking the strings of her guitar as she sang a love song. The soft, rich melody echoed through the air, weaving into the quiet afternoon. Her voice was deep and sexy."

The song was… well, let's just say the lyrics were a bit too bold for the ancient world.

Lang Huan was halfway through the second verse when her gaze accidentally met Su Qing's, who had been looking for her. Su Qing stood a few steps away, seemingly lost in thought as she listened to Lang Huan sing. Was she unwell, or possessed by something? She often seemed to drift into a trance, and Lang Huan's expression darkened with worry.

She put down her guitar and approached Su Qing. "Mother," she called gently, "Are you looking for me?"

Su Qing blinked, snapping out of her trance. "I—No." She said no but nodded. Her ears reddened further as she quickly looked away. Changing the subject, she asked, "You're fighting with the Prince of Yan to marry the Eldest Princess? Don't tell me you've fallen for her?"

Lang Huan waved his hand lightly. "Of course not. How could I fall for her? I only just met her."

"The situation just... pushed things that way," Lang Huan said, not wanting to go into further detail, especially about being taken to the princess's mansion. She was afraid Su Qing would worry too much about her.

"Mother, I'm sorry. I didn't keep my promise to avoid causing a scene at the banquet, but I don't think Her Highness will hold it against me. She's not an ordinary woman... and His Majesty won't be interested in choosing me as his son-in-law. It's clear she seems to be turning her back on the Prince of Yan. So, nothing will happen to me." Lang Huan, feeling nervous, tried to reassure Su Qing, hoping everything would turn out as she had said.

She gave Lang Huan a pointed look. "Women like her aren't to be trifled with. One wrong move, and you might not walk away unscathed."

Lang Huan nodded like a Peking duck. She had already experienced how terrifying a woman like Feng Yao could be.

"Lang Huan felt completely stressed after her encounter with Feng Yao. She rubbed her hands together after hearing from A Cai that a courtesan in Yun Xiang Tower played the guqin so beautifully that her melodies could move the world. As a music enthusiast, Lang Huan wouldn't miss such an opportunity. Without informing Su Qing, she set off with Zhou Ming and Zhou An.

Yun Xiang Tower was one of the most famous brothels in Luo City, a high-class entertainment venue frequently visited by nobles, officials, and wealthy merchants. It was not only known for the beauty of its courtesans but also for its exceptional artistic performances, including music, dance, and poetry. Among them, Qing Meier stood out the most—her extraordinary guqin skills had earned her a reputation that extended far beyond the city.

When they arrived in front of Yun Xiang Tower, a large crowd had already gathered, eager to hear Qing Meier's performance. However, not everyone had the privilege of listening to her music—you needed to pay a large sum of money for the opportunity. Determined to get a seat, Lang Huan instructed Zhou Ming to pay a hefty sum to Madam Hua for a prime spot.

Someone who had seen Lang Huan at the banquet greeted her. "Ah, I was wondering who was being so extravagant—pleasure to meet you, Young Master Ye."

Lang Huan didn't recognize the man and eyed him suspiciously, but he soon introduced himself as Wei Yanzhou, the son of Prime Minister Wei.

The people in the crowd who heard Wei Yanzhou's words—and had been curious about the son of the Duke of Huguo since the banquet—couldn't help but steal glances at Lang Huan, especially the women.

Wei Yanzhou, who had always been hailed as the most handsome scholar in the city, couldn't hide his annoyance when he saw the women looking at Lang Huan with admiration. Wanting to put her in her place, he stepped forward, ready to embarrass her.

Lang Huan, feeling uncomfortable under the gaze of so many people, gave a faint smile and waved him off. "Sorry, I'm just here to listen to the song. I'm not in the mood to talk," she said casually before walking past him. Without sparing Wei Yanzhou another glance, she made her way to a corner table, Zhou Ming and Zhou An silently following behind her.

Wei Yanzhou's face darkened as he watched Lang Huan walk away. With a scornful tone, he muttered under his breath, "Hah, a weak little pretty boy like that? I don't see what's so special."

Qing Meier's gaze lingered on Lang Huan as her fingers danced over the strings of the guqin, but her focus had long since drifted from the music. Among the countless guests at Yun Xiang Tower, Lang Huan's appearance was striking. Her features were so delicate, as if heaven itself couldn't decide whether to sculpt a man or a woman—too beautiful to ignore.

For a brief moment, Qing Meier's hands faltered, her heartbeat quickening as she realized that, for the first time, she was the one watching a guest instead of being watched.

At the table next to Wei Yanzhou, a young man was causing a scene, drunk and crying uncontrollably. Clearly irritated, Wei Yanzhou picked a fight with him, and before long, they were throwing punches at each other.

The guests, who had been enjoying the guqin performance, turned their attention to the commotion. The Yun Xiang Tower bodyguards quickly stepped in, grabbing the drunk man and tossing him out onto the street.

Wei Yanzhou, having taken a hit himself, cursed the man with harsh words before angrily sitting back down. Annoyed by the lingering stares, he snapped at the onlookers, "What the hell are you looking at?!" Then, turning to Qing Meier, he shouted, "Hurry up and continue playing!"

After the incident, the guests started whispering among themselves, clearly discussing what had just happened. Zhou Ming let out a sigh, followed by Zhou An.

Lang Huan glanced at them and asked, "What's wrong?"

Zhou Ming hesitated for a moment before explaining, "That drunk man just now… he's the fiancé of Mu Lian, the only daughter of Mu Heng, the salt merchant."

Lang Huan frowned as Zhou Ming continued, "Mu Lian went missing a month ago, and just yesterday, her body was found inside a carriage in Shuangyue Forest. When they found her… she was half-dressed. She had been assaulted and showed clear signs of physical violence."

Lang Huan covered her mouth in shock upon hearing the story.

Zhou An leaned in closer and lowered his voice. "A lot of people say this is connected to the Jade Flower Kidnapping Case."

"What is that?" Lang Huan asked.

"Last year, many beautiful women vanished without a trace," Zhou An explained, his expression tense. "They came from all kinds of backgrounds—even the daughter of a high-ranking official was among the victims. Whoever is behind this… doesn't seem to fear anyone."

Zhou An continued, his voice dropping even lower. "And in the past few months, it seems like the kidnapper has started again..."

Lang Huan clenched her robe. "No one has any idea who's behind this?"

Zhou Ming shook his head grimly. "Not a single clue. The authorities have found nothing, and anyone who digs too deep either goes missing or ends up dead."

Lang Huan broke into a cold sweat at Zhou An's words. Su Qing crossed her mind—then, Feng Yao. A chilling thought settled in her chest. What if someone she knew was next?

Then, as if sensing something, Lang Huan glanced up at the second floor. Her eyes landed on a familiar figure in an elegant purple skirt. Her heart skipped a beat.

 She blinked.

When she looked again, the figure was gone.

Lang Huan frowned and muttered, "What's she doing here?"