Chapter 123: Clouds Accompanying the Sun

Liu Liwa shamelessly enjoyed hero-like treatment inside the small room, where harmony filled the air. The three women truly regarded him as their guardian deity, though in reality he only aspired to be a qualified friend to women.

Liu Liwa fully understood their thoughts. For women, the Pleasure House was like a dragon’s den or a tiger’s lair; their fates were completely in others’ hands. They suffered endless humiliation with unpredictable lives—today’s Cuiping could be tomorrow’s them. Seeing Cuiping on the brink of disaster, Liu Liwa appeared just in time, turning the tide and rescuing her from certain doom. He helped Cuiping defy fate; this was truly a heroic rescue of a beauty.

Actually, women did not need men who conquered the world with blood-stained battle robes. A real hero, as Liu Liwa once told Young Master Ye, was someone who supported them when they fell, stood up for them when they were bullied, comforted them when they were sad, paid the bill when it was time to settle, offered warm kisses when they felt lonely, provided a Divine Weapon when they felt empty, hosted them when Auntie visited, and prepared soup when lactation was needed…

Liu Liwa gleefully soaked his feet, enjoyed a massage, and sipped delicious soup. He devoured the entire beef banquet on the table until he was overly full. His rhythmic burps acted like a lullaby, helping Qin Wan’er and Little Loli sleep especially soundly.

Miss Liuyun watched him burp repeatedly with an amused yet helpless expression and suggested, “You ate too much. How about a walk outside to ease your discomfort?”

Liu Liwa nodded with difficulty; each step coincided with a rhythmic burp. It was almost midnight, and the Intoxication Pavilion had closed, but each room remained lively and intense with activity. Liu Liwa took deep breaths of the cool air, which flowed like a clear spring into his heart, extinguishing the stomach heat caused by his burps, making him feel much more comfortable.

When he turned his head, he suddenly noticed Miss Liuyun quietly following behind him. Nowadays, Miss Liuyun no longer wore her snow-white work uniform, opting instead for ordinary clothes. She resembled a celestial maiden who had shed her divine aura and descended to the mortal world. Under the moonlight, her cheeks were tinged with a rosy blush, carrying a shy smile like a blooming spring flower, exuding unparalleled beauty.

Seeing Liu Liwa staring intently at her, Miss Liuyun lowered her head further and murmured, “You… stopped burping?”

“Mm, much better. The air here is really fresh…” Liu Liwa tilted his head back and took a deep breath.

Miss Liuyun’s face reddened even more, her eyes secretly staying by his side. Liu Liwa glanced sideways and broke into a sweat—without realizing it, they had reached the corner of the backyard, a spot everyone knew as the urination area. Even he himself used it during nighttime visits; how could the air possibly be fresh?

Miss Liuyun shyly pointed upward toward the rooftop and whispered, “Why don’t we go up and sit for a while?”

“Sure.” Liu Liwa readily agreed. He immediately brought a ladder and courteously let Miss Liuyun climb first while he steadied it from below. Miss Liuyun’s face grew even redder; her Underpants were semi-transparent.

Although they were semi-transparent, the faint moonlight made it impossible to see clearly. Liu Liwa could only fantasize, yet Miss Liuyun’s entire climb was indeed alluring—her figure graceful, curvaceous, and full.

This was their second time sitting on the rooftop under the moonlight, but compared to the first, both their situation and mood had completely changed. Neither spoke, quietly gazing at the magnificent starry sky and feeling the refreshing breeze. Although it was a bit cold, it made them feel invigorated.

The bright moon hung high in the sky, surrounded by countless twinkling stars. The heavens resembled a beautiful painting, with each sparkling star winking playfully at them like bright eyes. The moon appeared as a heavenly lantern, pure as a divine mirror, reflecting their silhouettes. Occasionally, clouds covered the moon, shrouding the world in haze. When the wind blew the clouds away, everything brightened again. It felt as though they had entered a new world, as if the gloom in their hearts had been swept away, giving them a sense of rebirth.

“The night sky is so beautiful—the bright, clear moon, the dazzling stars, all gathered around the moon, so unique and different. But eventually, the moon will set, and the brighter, fierier sun will rise. Once people feel the warmth and brilliance of sunlight, they might easily forget the moon.”

After a long while, Miss Liuyun suddenly spoke. Her voice was cool and her expression somber, much like the deep autumn moonlit night—poignantly beautiful and desolate. Her murmur seemed to narrate her own life story: once the star courtesan, shining like the bright moon, admired by all. But now she was like the moon setting in the west, her light and beauty fading, soon to be forgotten.

Liu Liwa smiled wryly inwardly. Miss Liuyun, true to her profession as a Pleasure House singer, always found inspiration in her surroundings, her words filled with sorrow and melancholy. He smiled and said, “Sunshine bathes the earth, bringing warmth to the world and nourishing all living things. It deserves to be remembered. But the moon, with its phases and ever-changing beauty, serves as a guiding light for night travelers and a token for longing hearts. The sun sets, the moon rises—an endless cycle, like the balance of yin and yang, one cannot exist without the other.”

Miss Liuyun paused slightly and turned to look at him. The cold moonlight, like water, spilled over her delicate face, making her appear like a crystal-carved goddess. Meanwhile, Liu Liwa’s face bore a brilliantly bright smile, one of genuine confidence that seemed to outshine the stars. He radiated the vigor of a rising sun, his confidence spreading like sunlight, warming those around him.

“Thank you,” Miss Liuyun said involuntarily. She had long wanted to express this gratitude; if not for him, she might have been expelled from the Intoxication Pavilion and left to wander the streets. “Only now do I realize that it’s fine not to be the moon—being just an ordinary star is good, too.”

Liu Liwa chuckled and said, “Of course! Even a chimpanzee has its moment to rise!”

Looking at his radiant smile, Miss Liuyun suddenly felt incredibly at ease, wrapped in a serene and peaceful atmosphere. A chilly breeze swept by, lifting her silky hair. Her voice was almost a whisper, as if speaking to Liu Liwa or to herself: “The moon and stars aren’t the real me. If I could, I’d rather be a drifting cloud high in the sky, floating around the sun, forever bathed in its light and warmth. I want to accompany the sun always, even if there’s a risk of being dried up by its intense heat—I’d have no regrets…”

After saying this, Miss Liuyun buried her flushed face in her knees, unwilling to lift it for a long time. Liu Liwa didn’t understand why she was suddenly so shy—were they discussing celestial mechanics or heliocentrism with all this talk of stars, sun, and moon? Of course, he didn’t know that in Miss Liuyun’s heart, he was already seen as the sun. Otherwise, he would have been overjoyed—his greatest wish in life was to be the sun. After all, everyone knows the sun’s common name: “Day!”