I Am Immortal in Great Yu

Chapter 212: Chapter 88: Gloomy Dream (2)

"Pah! Why the hell would I want to know ’what color underwear that Flower Thief wears’? Are you trying to make me sick?!"

Fang Rui cursed with a laugh and waved his hand. "Just, take it easy on him. Don’t go too far."

With that, he turned to leave.

"Chief! Chief!"

Just then, Niu Bajin appeared, running over breathlessly.

"Bajin, where’d you disappear to? Don’t tell me you ran off to sleep with a woman?"

"Yeah, deserting your post like that isn’t a good look."

Xun Buhe and Li Dadan teased.

Fang Rui looked at Niu Bajin as well. He didn’t much care that the man had, in a sense, truly ’deserted his post’.

After all, the guy was just moral support on the battlefield. His combat prowess was a disgrace to the Seventh Grade. His presence made no difference, and in a real fight, Fang Rui might even have to waste effort looking out for him.

So, as long as this guy was good at brown-nosing and fetching food and drinks, that was all that mattered.

"Go on, get out of here!"

Niu Bajin shooed Li Dadan and Xun Buhe away, then sidled up to Fang Rui and said mysteriously, "Chief, that young lady you had your eye on earlier? I’ve already bought her freedom for you. She’s in your carriage right now."

"Oh, and I made sure to ask—she’s still a virgin... Here’s her deed of indenture..."

"Nonsense! When did I ever say I had my eye on a girl?"

Fang Rui smacked Niu Bajin on the back of the head.

’Honestly... Am I that kind of person?!’

Niu Bajin ducked his head. Even though he’d been hit, he was still grinning foolishly.

’Ah, forget it. Since he’s already bought her freedom, I can’t just send her back. That would just make the poor girl’s life difficult...’

Fang Rui wrestled with himself for a moment, remaining silent for a good while before suddenly asking out of the blue, "How much did it cost?"

"Heh heh, it didn’t cost much..."

Under Fang Rui’s unwavering stare, Niu Bajin finally came clean. "Originally, the old madam’s price was steep, but then there was that whole incident, right? She wanted to sweep it under the rug as quickly as possible, so she became much more accommodating... In the end, it was practically a giveaway..."

"Alright. When we divvy up the money we squeezed out of that Flower Thief, you can take an extra portion from my share."

There was an unwritten code for distributing this kind of illicit income. Who put in the most effort, who got injured... the intricacies were many!

This was Fang Rui’s way of covertly compensating Niu Bajin.

"Ah, Chief..." Niu Bajin started to say something else.

"That’s final." Fang Rui waved his hand dismissively and turned to walk away.

It wasn’t right to let a subordinate front the money for something like this; it would make him look incredibly cheap! Besides, it wasn’t like the man was rolling in money himself.

As for buying a girl from a brothel?

Was it really a big deal? As a member of Great Yu’s privileged class, what was wrong with buying a girl out of a brothel?

This is a charitable act, saving a poor girl from a pit of fire and contributing to the common prosperity of Great Yu...

Alright, enough of that nonsense.

In short, Fang Rui was no moral purist, much less a Saint. He wouldn’t force himself on anyone, but he also wasn’t about to refuse the conveniences that came with his status and privilege.

Follow your heart’s desires, but don’t cross your own lines. Have a clear conscience, and let fate handle the rest!

He got into the carriage.

Sure enough, the woman was already there. She stole a glance at Fang Rui before standing up and giving a graceful curtsy. "Master!"

To be honest, she was secretly delighted to see how young and handsome Fang Rui was. A brothel girl like her was bound to be deflowered and taken by someone eventually. Being the private favorite of one man was far better than having her "vermilion lips tasted by ten thousand men." And for her buyer to be young and handsome was certainly better than some pot-bellied, ugly merchant.

’I just wonder what this young master’s temperament is like,’ she thought.

"Mm,"

Fang Rui responded with a faint grunt, then extended two fingers to lift the woman’s chin. "What’s your name?"

"This servant is called Liu Pan’Er."

"Eyes bright and full of longing, a glance that stirs the heart. A fine name!"

Fang Rui nodded slightly.

Just then, the driver’s ill-timed voice called from outside, "Master, are we heading straight back to the manor?"

’Where else would we go? An outside residence? To keep a mistress in a golden nest?’

That being said, it was a viable option. The Fang Family did indeed have other properties, but he hadn’t kept their existence a secret from Third Lady. If he went to one, she would surely know.

’Besides, I have no intention of hiding this from Third Sister. There’s no point. It would just make me look guilty. Better to be upfront about it.’

Fang Rui thought to himself and called out the order, "Straight back to the manor!"

"Yes, Master!"

...

As always, Mrs. Xue of the Fang Family and Third Lady were at the entrance to greet him. It wasn’t just them; even Fang Ling and Nannan were there.

Fang Rui’s investigation... had taken some time, so the two little girls had returned home before him.

However, the atmosphere today was a little... off.

Because after Fang Rui stepped out of the carriage, Liu Pan’Er followed.

"Ahem. This is a beauty whose freedom I purchased," Fang Rui said awkwardly. "Third Sister, could you help get her settled?"

It was like a husband coming home from work to his waiting wife and mother, only to bring home a mistress and ask his wife to get her settled.

He felt like a complete scumbag.

But this was a necessary evil. Honesty was the best policy; resistance would only make things worse. This was his way of being upfront with Third Lady. Moreover, by stating the truth and defining Liu Pan’Er’s status, he was also trying to prevent Third Lady from feeling burdened.

"This big sister is so pretty!"

"Pretty!"

Fang Ling and Nannan, the two little girls, stared at Liu Pan’Er with curiosity, whispering to each other.

"Brother Rui, what have you done..."

Mrs. Xue of the Fang Family shot Fang Rui a glare and took Third Lady’s hand, as if to show she was on her side.

"Auntie, I’m alright."

Third Lady shook her head with an amused smile. The smile on her face didn’t waver; in fact, she almost seemed to let out a sigh of relief. She gave Fang Rui a reassuring look, then stepped forward, took Liu Pan’Er by the hand, and began introducing her to the senior and junior maids.

She had to admit, she was caught off guard at first, and even felt a pang of bitterness. But she was far from being unable to tolerate the new arrival. In fact, after a moment’s reflection, she actually felt somewhat relieved.

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