Chapter 79: A Bright Future

Young Master Ye scampered eagerly after Third Miss Zhao into the carriage. His movements were extremely quick—he boarded in just two seconds and got out in only one. There was a small footprint on his chest. Liu Liwa promptly turned away, deciding it was better to pretend he hadn’t seen such an embarrassing sight, lest it affect his future earnings.

“That’s enough, enough! Each of you can take only one item!”

After Third Miss Zhao’s carriage disappeared, Liu Liwa dove into the box himself to stop the greedy girls. Yet even though he fearlessly threw himself into the task, he still couldn’t block the allure of beautiful dresses for the young women. They kept reaching into the box and rummaging around. Strangely, Liu Liwa felt quite proud of his action—over twenty girls extended their small hands in turns, touching him. Some were grabbing clothes, but others seemed to have less innocent intentions.

By the time the girls finally dispersed, Liu Liwa’s “Divine Weapon” was standing upright! It took him quite a while to calm down. Just as he was about to climb out of the box, he noticed someone still beside him. Liu Liwa couldn’t help but give a wry smile. “Miss Shen, a leader of your status shouldn’t be scrambling for clothes like the others, right?”

Shen Zuijin’s face flushed red as she glared fiercely at him, leaving Liu Liwa at a loss. He waved his hand dismissively. “Fine, fine, I’ll give you one too.”

“Pfft!” Seeing Liu Liwa casually pick up a pale green embroidered silk bodice, Shen Zuijin finally snapped and sprayed a mouthful of “lady’s oral liquid” in his face, furious. “Cut the nonsense! Who wants your clothes? My—my clothes are trapped under you!”

Liu Liwa scrambled up quickly. Shen Zuijin swiftly reached into the box, pulled out a pair of snow-white underpants, and turned to leave. Liu Liwa hastily called out, “Wait a moment, Miss Shen. How can you prove these underpants are yours?”

“What do you think?” Shen Zuijin gritted her teeth and spread the underpants open before his eyes. Traces of secretion remained at the crotch area.

“Oh.” Liu Liwa nodded calmly.

“What do you mean, ‘oh’?” Shen Zuijin was still displeased. Suddenly lowering her voice, she said, “Didn’t you say this was an illness that needed treatment with those little bugs? Why didn’t it work?”

Damn, asking for my help with that attitude—do I owe you? Liu Liwa snorted coldly and asked curiously, “Huh? Miss Shen, didn’t you say yesterday that it was effective? Why is it useless today?”

“I…” Shen Zuijin nearly revealed the private act of catching bugs and putting them in her pants. Her face turned red, and she glared. “I said it doesn’t work, so it doesn’t work. If I find out you lied to me, you’ll regret it!”

To avoid exposing her secret, Shen Zuijin turned and left. But Liu Liwa, seemingly talking to himself, muttered behind her, “I recall that treating this illness requires balancing yin and yang. You have to choose male bugs for it to work.”

Shen Zuijin paused slightly but still didn’t look back, hurrying upstairs. Liu Liwa knew, though—this woman would surely go dig for earthworms by the wall again tonight. But how would she tell males from females? Earthworms are hermaphrodites!

With a wicked grin, Liu Liwa carried the box back to his room. As soon as he entered, he set off a whirlwind of excitement. Women’s love for clothes is as irrational as men’s attraction to women. Qin Wan’er had discarded her only set of clothes; the one she wore now was borrowed from Miss Yanhong. Miss Liuyun, too, had grown tired of her pristine white outfits. Before, she had no choice—they were performance costumes—but now she could finally explore her own colorful world. The Little Loli, spoiled and used to changing into new outfits daily, was even more thrilled than the others.

Fortunately, their preferred styles differed, so no fights broke out. About forty or fifty clothes remained in the box, spanning all four seasons. Qin Wan’er and Miss Liuyun divided them equally. The Little Loli pouted, looking unhappy. Liu Liwa quickly asked, “What’s wrong, Xinying? Did they bully you and not give you any?”

“No.” The Little Loli shook her head, dejected. “Those dresses are all too big. None of them are my size!”

Oh. Liu Liwa suddenly understood. Of course—Wen Jun had bought the clothes to fit Miss Liuyun and Qin Wan’er. Although the Little Loli’s “Summit of the Maiden” was no less impressive than the other two’s, her height and leg length were still growing. But living under the same roof, if everyone received a gift except Meng Xinying, it could leave the child with psychological scars. She might even start disliking him, this strange uncle. So, with a pang of reluctance, Liu Liwa decided to part with his personal treasure and give it to her. “Be good, Xinying. Brother will give you this. I’m sure it will fit you perfectly.”

As he spoke, he pulled out the embroidered silk bodice he had hidden in his clothes. Before the Little Loli could see it clearly, she delightedly took it and held it against herself. Indeed, the size was just right. Immediately after, she hid under the covers, too embarrassed to come out. Liu Liwa endured some “massaging” punches and kicks from Qin Wan’er and Liuyun. For a time, the room was filled with a warm, ambiguous, and cheerful atmosphere.

Of course, there was also an unpleasant moment—when Liu Liwa took out the bodice, two silver notes fell out. Qin Wan’er pounced on them like a mosquito spotting blood or a fly drawn to a rotten egg. Watching her hug the silver notes with glee gave Liu Liwa a deep sense of satisfaction and accomplishment. Isn’t earning money all about seeing the women you care about happy?

Truthfully, he neither wanted nor could afford to carry a large sum of money himself. After all, he was just a Brothel Steward. Flaunting wealth would only invite jealousy—just dealing with the gambling-addicted Yang Xiaosi was trouble enough. So, he decided to leave the silver notes with Qin Wan’er, treating her as a walking safe.

Liuyun watched from the side, her eyes slightly red. She didn’t pay much attention to the silver notes but rather to Liu Liwa’s generosity and Qin Wan’er’s behavior, which suggested she didn’t see herself as an outsider. She wondered about the relationship between them.

In this complicated environment, having a man to rely on felt truly comforting. Chastity was the last fortress Liuyun wanted to protect, but she couldn’t do it alone—she needed a man’s protection as well…

Gradually, the atmosphere in the room shifted again. The Little Loli hid shyly under the covers; Qin Wan’er gazed at the silver notes, overjoyed. Even though she couldn’t buy her freedom immediately, the growing hope felt fulfilling. Miss Liuyun, amid her melancholy, slowly realized what she truly needed. Everyone was quietly changing!

Liu Liwa had wanted to talk to them about the currently bright and promising situation, but suddenly, someone called from outside: “Liu Xiaoqi, the Madam wants you to go receive guests!”

Liu Liwa, who had just built up his speaking mood, nearly choked on his saliva at the shout. Everyone upstairs and downstairs, in the front yard and backyard—over a hundred people—heard it clearly: “The Madam wants Liu Xiaoqi to receive guests.” Seriously, had Intoxication Pavilion launched a new service?