chapter 1
Once Zhi Niang understood her situation, she batted her eyes seductively, planted a hand on her hip, and volunteered to Aunt Mei, “I can start taking customers today. I’m ready~”
The way she stood there, all natural allure, sent gooseflesh rippling over me.
Even Aunt Mei froze. Behind her back, she made a quick gesture. The guards at the door quietly put away their ropes, and I emptied the drug in my hand into a flowerpot.
Aunt Mei was sharp enough to recover at once. She linked arms with Zhi Niang and laughed until she swayed. “Good! With that kind of nerve, you’ll be the leading courtesan of the House of Crimson Delight before long!”
Seeing Zhi Niang like this, I knew she had to be the same kind of person as those women who had killed themselves—a “transmigrator.”
Outside the room, Aunt Mei caught hold of me. “At last, one who might earn for a while. The others fought to the death, babbling about human dignity. Keep an eye on her.”
I nodded and immediately seized my chance to ask if I could be Zhi Niang’s personal maid.
The other new girls were still starving in dark cells. I was already serving Zhi Niang a meal, helping her bathe and dress, and preparing her to receive her first patron.
Aunt Mei had examined her while she was unconscious. She spat in contempt. “Not a virgin. Won’t fetch much.”
So Zhi Niang’s first patron was Squire Wang, a man past fifty from a wealthy household.
When I told her, she covered her mouth and giggled. “Hehe, older is good. More experienced.
“A squire… He must be the calm, abstinent type…”
I stared at her blankly, then quickly understood.
Zhi Niang truly was extraordinary. She did not even mind that Squire Wang was a short, fat old man.
And yes, Squire Wang certainly had experience. He was a regular at the House of Crimson Delight.
I had chosen the right mistress after all. Zhi Niang was destined for greatness here.
I could have sworn I heard her swallow eagerly. “I’ve read everything. At last I get to experience a trashy-novel male lead in person!”
I did not understand. What sort of trash was she talking about?
Zhi Niang snickered exactly like the men who came here seeking pleasure.
That reassured me even more. I could already picture her becoming our leading courtesan while I strutted behind her on borrowed glory.
But Zhi Niang soon stopped laughing. She also received two hard slaps.
After a servant delivered her to the room, Squire Wang arrived.
Aunt Mei bowed and scraped as she led him upstairs. “Squire Wang, this way. We have a fresh girl today. Come have a taste.”
I stood there distracted. Alas, the House of Crimson Delight had fallen so far that even a mere squire had the madam fawning over him.
Squire Wang’s huge belly led the way, every step making the staircase thunder.
“Excellent! Hahaha! A new one is always best!”
At the door, he rubbed his hands together, his face creased with anticipation, and rushed inside.
“Stand guard. Stay alert.” Aunt Mei shot me a look, then sashayed away with her hips twisting like rope.
I waited outside for the familiar moans to begin.
“Aaaaaah!”
I jolted. Had Squire Wang somehow become that impressive?
Before I could think further, something crashed. Then Zhi Niang burst out of the room screaming.
“Help!”
At the sight of me, she ran as though she had found her savior. “Little Yue’er! Help me! I won’t sleep with this old man!”
She had barely taken two steps when guards, alerted by the noise, seized her.
“Let go of me!”
One guard pinned each arm. She could not break free.
“Filthy whore!”
Squire Wang followed with his clothes in disarray. A black footprint marked his chest, and his face was twisted with rage.
He swung his arm and struck Zhi Niang across the face. “I paid for you! How dare you call me old?”
Her cheek swelled at once, blood seeping from the corner of her mouth, but she kept fighting and shouting.
“You sick bastard! Don’t touch me!”
Aunt Mei hurried over at the commotion.
Smack!
Zhi Niang took another slap.
“Lock her up!”
They dragged her to a dark cell. All the way there, she screamed, “Little Yue’er! Little Yue’er!”
Aunt Mei took the opportunity to wallop me too. “I told you to stay alert!”
I truly was not very clever. I had imagined Zhi Niang becoming the leading courtesan so I could lord it over the others. Once again, I had backed the wrong horse.
I was sixteen. Why would a sixteen-year-old virgin be living in a brothel?
Only because that virgin was spectacularly ugly.
I was born with a broad, flat face, upturned nostrils, tiny eyes, and a figure with nothing worth looking at.
To be fair, I also had a distant connection to Aunt Mei. You could call me a beneficiary of family ties.
My mother was the adopted daughter of the mother-in-law of the distant niece of Aunt Mei’s wet nurse.
After disaster struck our family, my mother endured all manner of trouble before managing to entrust me to Aunt Mei.
I had grown up in the House of Crimson Delight from the age of one, doing the lowliest work.
I had seen many girls arrive in bizarre clothes like Zhi Niang. They were young and beautiful, and at first they thought themselves noble ladies or princesses.
Aunt Mei arranged a few customers for them. None lasted more than two nights before trying to take her own life.
Before they died, they screamed things like “men and women are equal,” “human trafficking is illegal,” and “rape means prison”…
Every slave trader and brothel in the city knew about such girls, so they sold for almost nothing.
Now that I was older, I wanted a proper mistress of my own instead of remaining the maid who served other maids. But all the courtesans already had personal attendants.
If I tried to squeeze in now, I could hardly compete.
Still, perhaps Zhi Niang was not completely hopeless.
That night, a fine rain began to fall. I stole a padded jacket and slipped outside.
Through the carved wooden lattice, I saw Zhi Niang curled on the floor. Tree shadows swayed over the green window. Moonlight spilled through in scattered flecks across her face, which was streaked with tears.
I pressed all my savings into the guard’s hands. “Brother Li, please take a break. I’ll only deliver a coat and leave.”
He weighed the purse twice, then opened the door. “Be quick.”
I thanked him profusely, hurried inside, and draped the jacket over her.
She frowned and murmured in her sleep but did not wake.
The next day, I brought her porridge.
I expected to find her shivering in a corner. Instead, I heard her powerful curses from far down the corridor.
“Let me out! You ancient hag! If you have the nerve to run a brothel, have the nerve to open this door!
“This wretched place is going bankrupt!
“You venomous witch! Why are you locking me up? May your son be born without a prick! Aah! Aah! Aah!”
After every few curses, she spat.
I sighed. Aunt Mei had long since lost the ability to bear children.
The guard stood outside with both hands clamped over his ears. It seemed she had been at it for quite some time.
“Brother Li, you’ve worked hard.”
The door creaked open.
Zhi Niang was crawling around the dark room. As the door opened, sunlight poured in.
“Little Yue’er!”
Her eyes lit up. She sprang to her feet and ran to me, sleeves rolled above arms as pale as jade, collar hanging open.
The flash of white skin dazzled me.
“You’re finally here. I’m starving!”
She flung her arms around me. Heat rushed into my cheeks.
“I brought porridge.”
“Waaah… Little Yue’er, you’re so good to me!”
She snatched the bowl and devoured it while I sat beside her and watched.
How strange.
Zhi Niang was actually quite ordinary-looking. Her eyes were not as large as Chunfeng’s, her nose not as high as Qiuxiang’s, and her face not as small as Zidie’s. Yet her skin was white as snow, and her almond eyes held an inborn sensuality.
Her breasts were not even large.
But she possessed a vitality found nowhere else in the House of Crimson Delight.
Suddenly I was certain again: Zhi Niang would become our leading courtesan.
They eventually let her out.
Soldiers stationed outside the city were taking turns on leave, and the House of Crimson Delight was packed every day.
Business was so good that Aunt Mei practically wished she could serve the men herself. She had no choice but to put Zhi Niang’s name on the board.
Aunt Mei twisted my ear and snarled, “Be alert this time!”
I trembled. “I understand.”
Through the haze of pain, I thought I heard her mention something about tea.
Inside the room, Zhi Niang sat at the dressing table, humming a song I had never heard as she played with the rouge.
There was no sign that she had suffered at all.
When I entered, she looked up. “Little Yue’er, does this stuff have any color?”
Without waiting for an answer, she lowered her head again and examined it as though she had never seen rouge before.
After much hesitation, I finally said, “Zhi Niang, you mustn’t anger Aunt Mei again today. She’ll punish you. You have no idea—”
She remained absorbed in the rouge.
“Zhi Niang!”
Only then did she return to herself and smile at me. “I know, Little Yue’er.”
She darted out a hand and pinched my cheek. Two dimples appeared in her guileless smile as she muttered, “Last time must have been an accident. Today the male lead should finally appear…”
Again, I did not understand. What male pig was she talking about?
“Little Yue’er, would you pour me some tea?”
“All right.”
I handed her the cup, and she drained it.
Still worried, I frowned and began lecturing her. “Zhi Niang, since you’ve come to the House of Crimson Delight, you must obey Aunt Mei or you’ll suffer. You don’t know—”
“Enough. Stop worrying, Little Yue’er.”
Zhi Niang cut me off with a dazzling smile.
“It’s only sleeping with the male leads. I know. I’ll cooperate properly~”
She drew out the final note in a coquettish whine, leaving me speechless.
Serving Zhi Niang was actually far easier than serving anyone else. She never ordered me about arrogantly. Even for something as trivial as tea, she asked with courtesy.
I silently prayed that Aunt Mei would choose a better patron for her this time.
At least not an old man.
Once she survived the first trial, she would naturally accept her fate. That was how every girl in the house had learned.