Chapter 32

The small courtyard where Bai Shuxuan resided was named the Jade Pavilion.

The owner of Wanhuatower also knew that most people came for Bai Shuxuan, so her Jade Pavilion was quite spacious.

Even her Jade Pavilion, were it to be set up outside Wanhuatower, could stand alone as its own brothel.

As Cheng Guang stepped into the Jade Pavilion, a red-robed maiden of a modest appearance approached to welcome him.

“I’ve seen the Princely Heir,” she said softly by way of greeting, immediately thereafter extending the same to Qiao Zhongshan, who was behind Cheng Guang.

Cheng Guang’s brows rose slightly, “You know me?”

The red-robed maiden smiled obsequiously, “The Princely Heir jests with me. Who in the Capital city doesn’t recognize the Princely Heir? My mistress knows of your arrival and has prepared a private upper room for you, closer to Miss Bai.”

“Oh, your mistress is quite responsive. Lead the way.”

In a gentle voice, the red-robed maiden replied, “Of course, my mistress naturally wouldn’t be concerned about others, but your identity as the Princely Heir is indeed different.”

With that, the red-robed maiden quickly led Cheng Guang up the stairs to an elegant seat at the top floor.

Once seated, Cheng Guang casually looked around and noticed that the Jade Pavilion was not in the traditional brothel style but rather more akin to an open-air stage.

Besides a few rooms on the top floor, most people sat in open spaces without the perfect privacy of enclosed boxes.

It seemed the sole purpose of the Jade Pavilion was to give everyone a possible glimpse of Bai Shuxuan’s face; if one were to become a private guest, it was unlikely to happen here.

Cheng Guang thought to himself.

Qiao Zhongshan sat down following Cheng Guang, his eyes excitedly surveying the surroundings.

“Boss, look, there must be at least ten thousand people inside the Jade Pavilion today; it’s packed down there. Bai Shuxuan really seems to have something.”

“I wonder what it takes to become one of Bai Shuxuan’s private guests.”

As Qiao Zhongshan spoke, he began to feel a bit of a headache.

“Boss, you know, with Bai Shuxuan’s huge popularity, she gets to choose who qualifies to be a private guest; it’s not something that can be swayed simply with money.”

“If it’s about wealth or martial prowess, I could still help you, Boss. But if it’s about poetry and literature, then I’m out of ideas.”

“Just look down there; there are quite a few from the Great Zhou Academy. If it’s a contest of poetry and literature, I fear few could outdo them.”

Cheng Guang replied with a light smile, “What’s there to fear? We’re just here to watch the excitement today. Whether or not we become one of her private guests isn’t important.”

Qiao Zhongshan nodded emphatically, “Boss is right. Although Bai Shuxuan’s rumored beauty is widely praised, she always appears with a white veil covering her face. There are very few who have actually seen her face.”

“Perhaps she’s just average-looking, and it’s all hype by Wanhuatower.”

“If that’s the case, then both Bai Shuxuan and Wanhuatower would be scorned by everyone.”

Upon hearing this, Cheng Guang couldn’t help but chuckle to himself.

Indeed, sensationalists, no matter the era, are always the bane of people’s existence.

Hype something up too much, and when it turns out to be mediocre, even the most good-tempered person would be enraged by such a huge disappointment.

After all, so many people, including numerous high-ranking officials, had crammed into Wanhuatower. If they ended up just to see an ugly woman?

It goes without saying that these angry elites would definitely turn Wanhuatower upside down.

While thinking this, Cheng Guang suddenly had a bold idea cross his mind.

Right.

In the system task, it was stated that he must seek revenge against Bai Shuxuan. If after meeting her, he came out saying that Bai Shuxuan was just average-looking,

then, leveraging his authority as the Princely Heir, many would believe his words without any doubt.

No matter how beautiful Bai Shuxuan was, once that bit of information got out, her image would be ruined in the eyes of most.

Unless she was willing to reveal herself in front of everyone, taking off her veil for all to see, her image could never be restored.

Even if we take a step back and say that Bai Shuxuan’s image is later redeemed, Cheng Guang will have achieved his goal.

Having Bai Shuxuan, the Saintess of the Green Hill Fox Clan, remove her veil in front of countless people and reveal her face like a clown for all to see would probably be more painful for her than if she were killed.

Isn’t this perfect revenge??

In this way, not only would the system task be completed, but I would also suffer no loss.

The more Cheng Guang thought about it, the more he found his plan to be brilliant.

The only difficulty in the plan was how he was to become a guest in Bai Shuxuan’s private quarters.

After all, only by becoming a guest in Bai Shuxuan’s private quarters would others believe that he had truly seen her face, and that what he said was credible.

Thoughts surged in Cheng Guang’s mind, and soon he had an answer.

“So Bai Shuxuan shows up at the Wanhuatower as an Oiran not for fame, nor truly to take a guest into her private quarters, but to find a high-quality male to be her lapdog, from whom she can extract money and resources.”

“The most powerful person present, of course, is none other than myself.”

“Following the normal course of history, even if I don’t show up, the real Princely Heir would have come to Wanhuatower to catch a glimpse of Bai Shuxuan’s grace.”

“Afterwards, he gets manipulated by Bai Shuxuan into becoming her guest in the private quarters and ends up deeply in love with her, becoming a loyal lapdog without ever having touched her hand.”

Muttering to himself, Cheng Guang thought, “In that case, doesn’t that mean that even if I do nothing and just lie down, Bai Shuxuan would still go out of her way to make me her private guest?”

With this thought, Cheng Guang’s gaze became strange.

Looking at the people below, all excited and nervous, hoping that Bai Shuxuan would choose them to be her private guest, he couldn’t help but feel pity for them.

That Bai Shuxuan is just picking out a wealthy man like me.

She’s too high-level a woman, waters too deep.

You guys have no chance at all.

Cheng Guang criticized, having his guesses, but still uncertain whether this was the case; he needed further verification.

To see if Bai Shuxuan would open a back door for him.

If she doesn’t open the back door, making him actively compete for it himself, then Cheng Guang can only say that Bai Shuxuan’s methods are more clever than he had imagined.

Her plan is to play the angler, waiting for the willing to bite.

Cheng Guang is not in a hurry. He picks up the teacup, takes a sip, and serenely surveys the surroundings.

Cheng Guang is relaxed, in contrast to Qiao Songshan, who is by his side, appearing very nervous.

Wiping the sweat from his forehead, he looks at the bustling crowd below.

“How come there are so many people, the competition is not small.”

“Although the boss said we are just here for fun, you can never be too careful. What if there truly is a chance?”

“The boss doesn’t seem nervous at all. My palms are sweating; when there are too many people, I feel the pressure.”

“I can lose face, but the boss’s face cannot be lost.”

“If there’s a chance, I must help the boss win over this Bai Shuxuan.”

Qiao Songshan muttered to himself.

Cheng Guang drank his tea in calmness, not listening to Qiao Songshan’s ramblings, his brain automatically filtering them out.

After a moment, Qiao Songshan’s exclamation suddenly echoed in his ear.

Cheng Guang turned his head in confusion, looking bewildered at Qiao Songshan.

To his surprise, Qiao Songshan seemed to have spotted someone, pointing at a person below and staring furiously.

“Fuck, boss, that Wen Qinghe bastard actually came too?”