The one speaking was the slightly older woman of the two, dressed in white.
At this mont, the night was deep outside the Magpie Workshop, but inside it was brightly lit, accompanied by srizing songs coming from sowhere, intertwined with the sounds of strings and flutes, enchanting to the ear, making one feel intoxicated.
The original owner has never been to a brothel?
Gu Lan thought for a mont, oh right, she’s a woman, not much use coming here.
"I’m here looking for soone."
Gu Lan’s gaze fell inside the Magpie Workshop; it was three stories high. The first floor was no different from a regular teahouse, except there was a high platform in the middle, on which a red-dressed maiden with a graceful posture and a veil over her face was playing the guqin.
The other two floors consisted of corridor suites, seemingly each corresponding to different girls—so skilled in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, others good at playing instrunts.
"Looking for soone? What gentleman cos to the Magpie Workshop looking for soone? Are you looking for Fuling, Du Ruo, Qing Dai, or are you here for our workshop’s oiran, Chanyi?" The woman in white covered her mouth and laughed, moving closer to Gu Lan, taking a deep breath near her neck as if intoxicated, "Sir, you sll even better than I do."
As she spoke, several beautiful won walked out one after another from the second floor of the pavilion, each with different kinds of beauty, nodding slightly to Gu Lan, their eyes sizing her up.
"Such a handso and elegant young gentleman, which noble family’s young master are you?"
Gu Lan discreetly put so distance between herself and the woman, curving her lips, and whispered: "I’m looking for a man—"
"Hmm... I didn’t expect that such a young gentleman would go down the path of male companionship, truly... a different taste altogether. However, our Magpie Workshop also has male entertainers. Don’t know if sir prefers the rough and bold type, or the gentle and elegant kind?"
Gu Lan: ...
These two won entangling her bore no malice, rely taking her for a naive young man from ancient tis, trying to sell their business.
Gu Lan reached out, gently pinching the woman’s chin, with eyes smiling, each word clear and gentle:
"I’m looking for my brother, he’s about the sa age as , wears a wide-brimd hat, and has remarkable features.
If sister sees him, just tell him that his wife heard he was visiting the brothel, and she’s been crying in my room for half the night, wanting to divorce him... Tell him to hurry ho to get the divorce, so I can marry her."
"Brother... sister-in-law..." The woman in white widened her eyes, taking a long ti to comprehend Gu Lan’s words, her eyes full of questions.
Who would have thought that the seemingly pure young man was so playful?
"If sir is looking for soone, please follow ."
At this ti, a deep male voice rang out.
Gu Lan looked up, seeing a tall man figure at the staircase of the pavilion, seeming to be in his early twenties, dressed in black, his black hawk-like eyes imbued with a nacing aura, his face stiff and indifferent.
"Who are you?" Gu Lan asked, noticing the short baton tucked at the man’s waist.
"The Market Master invites you, sir, no need to concern yourself with a minor person’s identity." The man said, stepping aside to make a path.
The woman in white, seeing the man appear, curiously asked: "You Ying, who exactly is this young gentleman that the Market Master invites her up?"
You Ying!
Gu Lan lowered her eyes, confirming that this Magpie Workshop indeed was the intelligence agency Crow Building under Rong Heng’s control later.
The original text stated that You Ying was one of the commanders of the Crow Building.
You Ying said coldly: "Attend to your clients; this matter isn’t yours to inquire about."
Gu Lan frowned slightly, discreetly touching the long sword on her back.
Market Master? If the person behind the Magpie Workshop is Rong Heng, then he should be the Market Master.
What’s the big fuss, inviting here?
He could’ve just said, let’s go to the brothel together, and I’d certainly accompany him, after all, in the future, I can boast about having been in the trenches with Rong Heng.
Gu Lan stepped forward, following behind You Ying.
The second floor of the Magpie Workshop consisted of differently sized private rooms, each taken an elegant na, with pleasant sounds of music and lody emanating from them.
You Ying did not stop on the second floor; Gu Lan followed him directly to the third floor, curious eyes from the won of the Magpie Workshop along the way sizing Gu Lan up.
You Ying walked to a door, voluntarily opening it for her and said, "Sir, please wait here for a mont."
Inside, it was a simply furnished chamber, empty except for a pot of tea set on the table, a teacup, and a familiar money pouch, along with a small bundle.
This money pouch belonged to Rong Heng, Gu Lan noticed he had put the East Pearl she gifted him inside.
The bundle was also his; she and Rong Heng’s clothes got muddied during training, and Rong Heng had changed his outerwear and put it in the bundle.
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