Chapter 014

Chapter 014

"Young master, maybe we should still take the carriage," Yun Xiu tugged at Su Yi's sleeve from behind.

She was secretly relieved that her young lady had changed into male attire, otherwise, how conspicuous would she be? But even now, it wasn't exactly low-key.

Su Yi handled the gazes of the crowd with a calm demeanor, holding a folding fan.

"Don't panic, it's just a minor scene."

Even some bold women came forward to speak, asking which family's young master he was.

At this time, it was quite common for Manchu ladies to be out on the streets, and their personalities were more straightforward and bold.

Yun Xiu initially wanted to step forward to help her young lady out of the situation, but Su Yi seemed very adept, which made Yun Xiu feel a bit careless.

How could the young lady not handle it? She clearly was very capable.

When the young lady in front of her was politely turned away, she still had a smile on her face, her cheeks flushed.

Yun Xiu: ...

Su Yi shrugged, looking innocently at Yun Xiu. She had already mentioned that she was dressed as a man and hadn't intentionally hidden it.

Seeing more people approaching, Yun Xiu quickly pulled her away. The streets were too dangerous; it was better to go to a private room in a teahouse.

Su Yi lowered her head and chuckled, obediently letting Yun Xiu pull her away.

The sunlight bathed her face, giving her a faint golden glow, and the smile at the corner of her mouth seemed both charming and affectionate.

The ladies around who had been watching for a while and wanted to muster the courage to approach were gritting their teeth, wishing they had acted faster.

Upon entering the teahouse, a waiter immediately came to greet them. The waiter's demeanor was noticeably warm and respectful, as Su Yi's attire suggested she was a young master from a wealthy family. Ordinary people couldn't afford such fine fabric.

Su Yi stood quietly beside Yun Xiu, not speaking, as if she was fine with whatever arrangements were made.

But Yun Xiu knew her young lady was just too lazy to speak. She had been quite willing to chat with other ladies earlier. If Yun Xiu hadn't pulled her away, she might have been surrounded on the street and still be enjoying herself. Now, seeing the waiter, she was suddenly quiet.

"Please arrange a private room for us."

"Of course, esteemed guests, please follow me upstairs," the waiter eagerly led the way, thinking that there were quite a few distinguished guests today. Earlier, a group of obviously high-status gentlemen had arrived.

Now, here was a young master, looking exceptionally handsome, and even the maid beside him was a beauty. As he pondered, he led them to one of the best private rooms, stopping right next to the group from earlier.

At the same time, Kangxi also heard the commotion next door. Liang Jiugong frowned, about to go out and ask the waiter to move the people next door to another room, but Kangxi waved his hand, "No need, it's rare to be out."

"Yes, master," Liang Jiugong could only comply since the emperor had spoken.

He should have reserved the adjacent rooms earlier.

It didn't affect their conversation much, but now they had to be a bit more cautious.

One of the teahouse's specialties, the storyteller, made Su Yi feel a bit drowsy. The names of the dishes sounded fancy, but the taste wasn't as good as the chef's back home. Fortunately, they hadn't ordered too much.

Suddenly, the storytelling outside changed to the sound of a pipa playing.

Su Yi immediately perked up, sensing the lively atmosphere. "Yun Xiu, keep eating. I'll go out and take a look." She opened the door and left so quickly that Yun Xiu barely had time to swallow her food and couldn't stop her.

She had lost the bet with Xiu Jin today, and it was her miscalculation. She should have let Xiu Jin come instead; she couldn't control the young lady at all.

As soon as the private room door opened, there was a railing. Su Yi leaned against it and looked down. The elderly storyteller with a goatee had been replaced by a woman dressed in plain white clothes, wearing a white silk flower on her head, her brows slightly furrowed with a touch of melancholy and sorrow, enhancing her delicate and poignant beauty. She was holding a pipa and playing it.

This quickly drew a crowd.

At this moment, the waiter who had served them earlier passed by and saw Su Yi outside. He immediately understood, thinking that this young master was interested in the beauty, and came over to tell her about the origins of the pipa player downstairs.

Su Yi: Why does it seem like her intentions are so obvious?

She was just there for the spectacle.

"Young master, you may not know, but the young lady downstairs has recently had a tragedy in her family. Both her parents have passed away. She used to accompany her father here to perform and earn some tips. Now, with her recent bereavement and her father not yet buried, she has come to sell herself to fund her father's burial."

Su Yi looked enlightened, "Oh, I see."

Then she dismissed the waiter.

She kept watching, realizing that the story of selling herself for her father's burial was a ruse, but the unfolding drama was intriguing.

The calluses on the pipa player's hands were not just from playing the pipa. Some people around, pretending to be customers, showed no interest in her but occasionally glanced at a certain spot, exchanging subtle glances with each other, their eyes occasionally flashing with a hint of killing intent.

Tsk, this waiter really knows how to pick a private room, placing trouble right next door.

"Young master." Yun Xiu, seeing that her mistress had been outside for a while and hadn't returned, couldn't sit still and came out.

Actually, she was thinking that her mistress had been dazzled by someone again, and she needed to keep an eye on her to make sure she didn't get pulled away unnoticed.

Seeing the pipa player, Yun Xiu's look at Su Yi immediately conveyed, "I knew it."

Su Yi: Why is she giving me that look? Is she someone who can be easily swayed by any little beauty?

"Why did you come out too? You should eat more." Su Yi said calmly.

"No, young master, I'm afraid you'll take the young lady downstairs back with you later."

"How could that be? Your young master isn’t so easily swayed." Su Yi said confidently, hearing the movement from next door, she reached out and put her arm around Yun Xiu's shoulder, leading her back into the private room, "Alright, I won't watch anymore, let's go back and sit in the private room."

Yun Xiu cooperated, but she was still a step too slow. The door of the adjacent private room opened.

Someone had already stepped forward to clear the way, and now they could only wait for the people from the private room to pass before they could go back.

A very familiar figure to Su Yi walked out of the private room, wearing a stone-blue long gown paired with a black mandarin jacket, one hand in front with a green jade ring on his finger, the other hand behind his back, walking over with a cold expression. Even though Su Yi only glanced at him briefly, he immediately and keenly caught her gaze.

Even though he had restrained himself a lot, Kangxi's gaze was not something ordinary people could meet.

Su Yi, however, smiled calmly and naturally shifted her gaze to the somewhat nervous Yun Xiu.

She also realized that this group of people was not simple. The man following the master, with a pale, beardless face, might not be associated with anything by ordinary people, but Yun Xiu, having sometimes seen the eunuchs who came to the mansion, quickly associated such features with those of a palace eunuch.

Someone who could bring eunuchs out must be from the palace. Thinking this, she immediately dared not think further, lowering her head and not daring to look around. She regretted bringing her mistress to this teahouse.

She hoped they were merely passing through.

Kangxi's gaze lingered on Su Yi for a moment before he prepared to leave. As he passed by the two, his steps slightly paused, and his previously calm and indifferent expression flickered with a subtle change.