Immortal Travel of Longevity

"Aunt... Sister, when do you plan to leave?"

"Although Li Linheng is dead, His Majesty is still hunting for the assassin," Tang Yuerong said with some concern. "They have already begun searching house to house, and someone has already followed the clues to find traces of the Tang Manor. It might not be long before they come knocking on our door."

"I know," Ruyi said. "What's the rush? I'm already here, so of course I'm going to have a couple of days of fun before I go. Do you have any idea how far it is from Qingshan City to Shangjing? I've been traveling non-stop without a moment to rest."

Tang Yuerong looked like she wanted to say more, but after a moment of hesitation, she simply nodded.

Ruyi shot her a look and said, "Women are such a hassle. You're always so hesitant to speak."

"Huh?" Tang Yuerong froze.

Ruyi popped the freshly peeled tangerine into her mouth and clapped her hands clean. She didn't press the matter, promptly taking Lihua and heading out to the streets to have some fun.

She had always been carefree, daring to stroll the streets even under such tense circumstances.

She had a wonderful time exploring here and there. She visited a tea house, a Wine Tavern, and even took a spin through a brothel. She had to admit, the women inside were undeniably beautiful and spoke pleasantly, though their excessively soft tones left her feeling a bit cloyed.

"M-Miss, have you seen enough?"

The brothel girl's cheeks flushed crimson under the other woman's scrutiny.

Ruyi continued her appraisal and said, "Look at you. All I did was lift your chin, and you're already blushing. You certainly weren't acting like this when you were flirting with all those men downstairs."

The girl's face grew even redder. "That's..."

"That's..."

She didn't know what to say. She felt absolutely nothing for those stinky men, but she had never had her chin tilted up and scrutinized by another woman before. Ultimately, she couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed.

Ruyi withdrew her hand, walked over to a chair in the room, and sat down.

Lihua leaned in close to Ruyi's ear and whispered, "Ruyi is a lecher."

Ruyi reached out and rapped it on the head. "What are you thinking? I'm just curious. I came to broaden my horizons."

Lihua merely repeated a single word: "Lecher!"

The Mao'er deeply condemned such behavior.

Unexpectedly, it received three swift raps on the head from Ruyi in return.

"Hey, speaking of which," Ruyi asked, "are there any other girls around?"

The girl paused. Already flushed with embarrassment from Ruyi's teasing, she hurriedly replied, "I'll go get the madam."

It wasn't long before a woman in a long red dress arrived, leading several young women into the room.

"Miss, I wonder..."

Ruyi froze the moment she laid eyes on the woman.

"It's you!"

Ruyi immediately sat up straight, staring at the madam standing at the front—a woman who no longer looked young, her face bearing the faint, weathered wrinkles of time.

Her words cut off, Chunxiu faltered for a moment, then took a careful, appraising look at the young woman.

She had been wondering which family's daughter could be so careless with her reputation.

Chunxiu paused. "Do we know each other, Miss? Could it be you aren't here to seek entertainment, but came specifically looking for me?"

Ruyi paused and said, "You're wrong, I really am here for fun. I just didn't expect to run into you. Speaking of which, you certainly didn't look like this years ago. It hasn't been that many years, yet you've grown old. Your face is covered in wrinkles, and your former charm is gone."

Chunxiu raised a hand, dismissing the women behind her.

Once the others had withdrawn, Chunxiu closed the door.

She took a seat and said, "It seems we do know each other, though I can't recall when we might have met. I have no impression of it."

"Back when Uncle Chen came to the Capital City, you delivered food to Mister Chen once," Ruyi said. "I saw it. The look in your eyes back then was practically dripping with affection."

Chunxiu jolted, realization finally dawning. "Are you talking about... Mister Chen?" she asked.

Ruyi nodded.

"You're Mister Chen's niece?"

"That's right."

Chunxiu fell into a momentary daze and said, "I never imagined that after all these years, I would still hear my benefactor's name from someone else."

She paused, then asked, "Has Benefactor Chen been well all these years?"

Ruyi blinked in surprise. "Benefactor?"

"Should I know something?" Ruyi asked, somewhat curious. "Tell me about it."

With that, Chunxiu began recounting the past events in Mangxue City.

It wasn't a long story—just a few fragmented details—but it fully captured the myriad hardships of the Mortal World.

"Later, I came to Shangjing City. I didn't expect to hear news of Mister Chen so soon after arriving."

Understanding finally dawned on Ruyi. "So it was to repay a debt of gratitude!"

Chunxiu nodded with a smile. "That's the gist of it."

"I don't believe you."

A smile tugged at the corners of Ruyi's lips as she said, "Can you honestly say you didn't harbor a single covetous thought back then?"

At that, Chunxiu laughed aloud and admitted candidly, "Of course I did. With a man of Benefactor Chen's dashing presence, there's actually no shame in a woman coveting his good looks."

Ruyi scoffed and said, "I knew it. Vixens never harbor good intentions."

Chunxiu said, "Miss, a woman like me who lingers in brothels has seen enough false affection for a lifetime. For our hearts to genuinely flutter is actually a very rare thing. I coveted Benefactor Chen, but I harbored absolutely no ill intentions."

Ruyi paused after hearing this and asked, "Doesn't that mean you've never had feelings for another man besides Uncle Chen?"

Chunxiu opened her mouth, only to suddenly freeze.

Perhaps it was a difficult question to answer.

Because in her memories, only that single person existed. It was likely because those recollections were so distant yet so profound; whenever she thought back on them, she always felt swept into a daze.

Chunxiu let out a long breath and said, "Brothel women like me have always lived carefully. In this life, we're bound to meet a man who makes our hearts race, but in the end... we can only admire them from afar..."

"Didn't you bring a meal to Uncle Chen that one time?"

"Yes..."

Chunxiu murmured, "Acting purely on that single feeling, I did such an impulsive thing, but on the walk back, I regretted it. I realized just how shameless I was. My own body was unclean, yet I risked tarnishing the Mister's reputation. After that, I only dared to watch him from a distance. I never took another step closer."

Listening to her words, Ruyi dropped her cheeky, smiling demeanor.

The Mao'er stared at this slightly aging woman. It sensed many emotions in her eyes, but they were all made of regret, without any joy.

Ruyi opened her mouth, but couldn't find the words to say.

She said, "Uncle Chen hasn't returned in a very long time. I don't know how he's doing lately, either."

"I see..."

Chunxiu murmured, "I imagine a man like the Benefactor will always enjoy a safe and smooth life."

Ruyi fell silent for a moment.

Outside the room, the halls rang with cheerful laughter and sweet flirtations. Yet without exception, nearly all of it was nothing but an illusion. Such was the nature of a brothel.

But there were always a few threads of truth.

Like that wish for a safe and smooth life.

Ruyi finally spoke.

"You're right."

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