For now, he could only temporarily avoid behind the door.

Meng Jun casually picked up the small flower pot placed on the table. He held his breath, just waiting for the person outside to come in, to strike hard.

As for whether he could escape, the young gentleman dared not think about it.

Outside the door, Lord Qin had very consciously stopped his footsteps. “After all, it’s getting late. Why don’t the Imperial Daughter rest here first? Rest assured, this official will arrange everything properly.”

Imperial Daughter?

Li Ruantang was here too?

Meng Jun frowned, hugging the vase and crawling under the table.

“I’m very reassured when Lord Qin handles things.” Li Ruantang hooked a knowing smile.

The door creaked open and closed.

Along with Li Ruantang’s entrance came a faint fragrance.

“Imperial Daughter, let this slave serve you.” The male prostitute who had just received the most gold beans from Li Ruantang approached very enthusiastically. That thin layer of gauze barely concealed anything.

Tsk, the young gentleman raised an eyebrow. This appearance, let alone a lady seeing it and being unable to control herself, even he felt a bit embarrassed looking at it.

“Very well.” Li Ruantang imperceptibly pushed him away and sat on the beauty couch. Those apricot eyes were as deep as the night outside, and for a moment it was unclear what she was thinking.

The male prostitute had after all mingled in the world of sensual pleasures for several years. Even if he hadn’t paid attention in his heart, he still had some good medicine on hand. He personally poured tea barefoot, the gauze on his shoulders slipping off just right. “Please have mercy on me, Imperial Daughter.”

Li Ruantang silently accepted the cup, her heavy gaze intentionally or unintentionally sweeping under the table.

It was also the first time the male prostitute had seen such a restrained client. If it weren’t for Lord Qin’s repeated instructions, he wouldn’t have come to touch this murderous aura.

However, fortune favors the bold. If he could catch her eye tonight, wouldn’t the Shu Prince Mansion be like something in his pocket in the future?

The male prostitute immediately used all his skills, pretending to be timid. He lowered his head slightly, only revealing his fair nape.

In the room, the faint fragrance gradually thickened.

Thud—a muffled sound hit the ground, and the male prostitute who had just been shy suddenly went quiet.

What’s this?

The young gentleman hiding under the table secretly lifted the tablecloth. As he looked up, his gaze met directly with Li Ruantang, who was sitting with a smile.

The pomegranate red outfit was neatly worn on her body. Her jade-colored fingers propped up her chin as she looked at Meng Jun hugging the flower pot. “Awake?”

Outside the window, there was a splash in the water. It was unclear whether a stone had been thrown in, or if someone had jumped in.

The young gentleman’s mind went blank. He stared blankly at Li Ruantang, whose gaze glanced towards the window, and said in a voice as faint as a mosquito, “Mm. Where… where am I?”

At her feet still lay the male prostitute with closed eyes.

“Lord Qin’s pleasure boat.” Li Ruantang didn’t conceal it from him, but her voice was soft. “Drink less wine in the future.”

She spoke without rhyme or reason. The young gentleman didn’t understand. Looking again at the layer of gauze on the male prostitute’s body, he immediately became jealous. Those beautiful phoenix eyes reddened. “I’m… I’m sorry. I don’t know why I appeared here. If I’ve disturbed your good time, I… I’ll leave right away.”

“Silly.” Li Ruantang’s brows tightened as she said in a low voice, “If you go out now, won’t you be giving people something to talk about?”

During the day, the young gentleman had gotten drunk and somehow secretly followed onto the boat. If Wei Dan hadn’t discovered it early, the rumors in the capital would probably already be flying all over by now.

He was also drunk and unwilling to let go. Li Ruantang had no choice. After finally calming him down, she had already missed the opportunity to send him back home.

After much deliberation, she took the risk of hiding him in the place where she was to spend the night, having Wei Dan secretly keep an eye out.

Now, although Qin Yu had temporarily left, there were spies all around this pleasure boat. Especially that furtive figure that would appear at the door from time to time, all of them were monitoring her.

Li Ruantang knew that Qin Yu had not truly let down his guard.

She stood up and helped Meng Jun, whose legs had gone numb from crouching. Remembering his extremely bold love poem from earlier in the day, a gentle smile appeared in her eyes. “Are you hungry?”

“Mm.” The fingers grasping her palm lightly stroked a few times. The young gentleman turned his head to glance at the male prostitute still lying on the ground and mumbled, “Do you… do you always do this when you come here?”

“Always?” Li Ruantang was stunned and shook her head subconsciously. She had only come this one time, and even brought the whole family.

But Meng Jun misunderstood.

He furrowed his brows and lowered his head sadly. So today was really because he was here, otherwise she would have enjoyed pleasure with this male prostitute as Sang Shen had said.

“It’s not what you think.” Seeing the young man’s eyes redden, Li Ruantang suddenly had a moment of inspiration, remembering that time on the rainy night when Wei Dan had deceived him about her going on a pleasure boat.

She lowered her voice and briefly explained the situation to Meng Jun. The young gentleman listened in a daze, especially when he heard about how he had sneaked onto the boat, he was so surprised that his eyes widened. So, it wasn’t all a dream?!

Meng Jun’s face felt like it was on fire. He didn’t remember much about what happened in the dream, but the last part…

He secretly glanced at Li Ruantang’s lips.

Moonlight filtered through the carved window, casting a hazy glow. She sat in this interplay of light and shadow, the dim candlelight adding an indescribable tenderness to her apricot eyes.

It seemed like they were back in Hu Family Village.

The young gentleman couldn’t help but reach out and pinch his own cheek.

“Ouch.” He let out a low cry of pain, followed by a soft chuckle. Meng Jun looked up to see Li Ruantang’s eyes curved in a smile, her thick long lashes casting shadows on her straight nose.

She reached out to cup his face, gently blowing on the slightly reddened spot.

Meng Jun’s heart immediately began to flutter.

There was still a faint medicinal smell on her, as if she hadn’t noticed anything amiss earlier. Hidden in her pomegranate red sleeve was the osmanthus cake she had Wei Dan bring.

“Have this to fill your stomach for now. When it’s late at night, I’ll send you back.” The wine and food on the pleasure boat were mostly laced with additives. Even though she was careful about what she ate and drank, she still couldn’t completely avoid it.

Moreover, the young gentleman sitting beside her had rosy cheeks, stealing a glance at her after every bite of osmanthus cake.

He had been like this earlier in the day when he was “biting” her without any technique.

Li Ruantang hurriedly closed her eyes to rest.

Light footsteps approached from outside, and there was a knock on the door. “Esteemed one, was Qing Ping’s service unsatisfactory?”

The young gentleman who was eating osmanthus cake froze, immediately not daring to chew anymore.

Li Ruantang’s face flushed red. Unlike Meng Jun, she naturally understood the meaning of the person behind the door.

“It’s fine.” She tried to make her voice sound a bit hoarse, but those apricot eyes didn’t dare to look much at the confused young gentleman. The person behind the door heard the restlessness in her voice and immediately understood. “If the esteemed one needs water later, just order this lowly one. This lowly one will be keeping watch outside the cabin.”

Saying “outside the cabin” meant just a few steps away from the door.

Li Ruantang’s eye twitched slightly as she was trying to figure out how to muddle through this situation.

Smack—

The fragrance of osmanthus suddenly spread near her cheek. The young gentleman who had been sitting obediently just now was now clinging to her shoulder with a red face, his warm breath gently falling on her ear. “Tangtang, don’t be afraid, I’m here.”

He had read many novels where the phrase “needs water” often appeared after a series of intimate acts.

Meng Jun thought this might mean she wanted to hold him while sleeping. After all, she had said it wouldn’t lead to pregnancy this way.

The young gentleman pursed his lips and gently pressed against her cheek again.

He carefully touched the already blushing young woman, his voice quietly entering her ear, “Don’t they want to hear some sounds? I… I can do it.”

“No, no need to trouble yourself…”

“Tangtang.” The young gentleman nestled against her shoulder trembled slightly. “I’m a male courtesan who knows the art of pleasure!”

Following the techniques taught by Zhou Fulang, he just took her hand and placed it on his chest, where his heartbeat was thumping like a drum.

The look in those apricot eyes gradually became unfocused. Although she knew it wasn’t proper, her fingers seemed bewitched, cupping his handsome face, not wanting to let go.

There was a small bell on the beauty couch.

Li Ruantang’s straight nose gently brushed against the young gentleman’s sideburns, the heat on her lips dispersed by the wind coming through the window. Like a wildfire, it immediately captivated his soul.

There was still a hint of alcohol on her tongue. The young gentleman hooked his lips for a taste, and in his daze, it was as if he had returned to that dream.

The beauty couch was not sturdy. With the slightest movement, the bells jingled incessantly. Clear but not harsh, far less continuous than the sound of water outside.

Meng Jun’s face was flushed red, yet he felt a burning thirst.

He felt as if he had fallen into a soft cloud. His half-open phoenix eyes gazed hazily at Li Ruantang. Her eyes held all the starlight in the sky, yet as she leaned down, they gently closed. Only her warm breath was passed to him.

The tenderness and care in her brow warmed the young gentleman’s heart, making it beat violently. Along with it, the grievances and sadness of the past few days were gradually erased.

The reddened corners of his eyes were like peach blossoms blown by the east wind, blooming beautifully and joyfully with a heart full of affection.

In the gentle sucking and slow savoring, their shadows drew closer and closer.

It turned out that cuddling could truly last all night without tiring.

The heavy night gradually wore down the last bit of light in the room to a thin strand. The person keeping watch outside the cabin gradually couldn’t stay awake and secretly began to doze off.

The young gentleman lay on Li Ruantang’s back, feeling a bit at a loss. At this moment, he was neither asleep nor thinking of anything else.

But…

As they were about to reach his courtyard, Meng Jun’s face reddened again. He leaned close to Li Ruantang’s ear and said in a tiny voice, “Tangtang, I think… I think something’s not quite right with me.”