"You are back early... What did you find?" The curtains moved with a light breeze, revealing nothing but the lower half of the speaker. His upper body was leaning back in the chair, which made it impossible for him to see.

The woman covered in black knelt before the man and lowered her head.

Shen Yuan could see her clearly from that angle better.

He even clearly saw her face when she removed her mask to speak clearly: "I followed him for hours, master. He was in the same place as you told me, but there was no one from Peng Ho’s side."

’It’s her.’ Shen Yuan’s eyes widened as he recognized the woman as the abused victim of Zhu Wei, Shi Lui.

"Forget about them. Those people have long seen how much of a fool that Peng Ho is. They must be slacking or training hard in some other place."

The woman did not look like the helpless maiden she appeared to be in the morning. "I did not find anything worth noting about him. He was just completing his daily task and had returned to the day."

She continued to report every bit of his activities to the mysterious man sitting on a table inside the private booth before her.

Shen Yuan looked away from the woman and looked at the man.

Even though most of his face was being hidden behind the curtain. He could see the familiarities in his face.

He already had an idea who the man was.

"Peng Ho will die soon. His operation will be ours soon. Tell them you have to make sure there are no hidden variables in that servant district."

"I will do as master orders." The woman kowtowed on the ground before raising her head.

"You are a good servant Shi Lui, aren’t you? Come, I am in a good mood today. Make my day better."

The man ordered her while spreading his legs. Without questioning him, Shi Lui crawled up to him and started to undress him.

Shen Yuan did not stick any longer or try to get a closer look at the man’s face. Instead, he turned around and left in a different direction from the one he came from. 𝒇𝓻𝓮𝓮𝙬𝙚𝒃𝒏𝓸𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝓬𝓸𝒎

In less than a minute he was out of his servant clothes and was standing before The Fallen Blossom Pavilion, dressed in his personal robes.

Just like the last time, he sought out Candy to come and drink with him while the two of them talked.

"Where did you disappear to? I did not see you for an entire week. I thought something had happened to you." Candy instantly fell in Shen Yuan’s arms and complained like a wife who was upset with her husband.

Shen Yuan knew she was playing him, but he still went along with her ploy and let out a dramatic sigh. "Sigh~ What do I do? I just went through hell and back."

He looked like an injured puppy who had been kicked. "It looks like I was wrong in coming here hoping Candy would comfort me."

His hand slid into his robes and pulled out a wooden box and placed it on the table. "Looks like I don’t need to give this to you anymore."

The courtesan’s eyes went wide as her hands flew to her mouth. "Is that so?! I am so sorry. Candy was so insensitive; I did not think you were in such trouble."

She did not even finish her words before her hands had picked up the exquisite box and opened it.

Inside laid a beautifully carved jade bracelet.

It was green in color, with subtle hints of black strands frozen inside, creating a lovely design.

Even though Candy was acting with Shen Yuan, her eyes showed genuine fascination at the bracelet.

It might not be a flawless jade, but it was perfect. It was like the jade matched her, beautiful in its own way.

"Do you like it?" Shen Yuan dropped all act and asked softly while leaning back in the chair.

Candy looked between Shen Yuan and his gift with a complicated look on her face.

"You did not have to. I was just kidd—"

"Shh..." Shen Yaun’s finger did not let her continue. With a wink he said, "Don’t worry about it. I was planning to give this to you as an apology for the last time."

Candy instantly understood.

Shen Yuan was taking about the questions he had been asking the last time he came here.

The expression on her face softened as she slid the bracelet on her left wrist. "How does it look?"

"Just like you."

Candy was trying hard not to become a blushing mess.

She coughed and took a seat on the chair beside the servant boy. "Are you in any trouble?"

It was not that she had fallen for him in that instant, but she did not mind the flattery coming from him.

On the contrary, she welcomed it.

It was letting her taste the illusion of having a real relationship.

"Nothing I cannot handle." Shen Yuan was genuinely surprised by her reaction.

If he wanted, he could take advantage of her, but he did not want that. Shen Yuan wanted to forge a long-term relationship with her.

"If there is anything you need help with. Tell me, I might just... lend a hand." The black-haired beauty slid her hand on Shen Yuan’s chest and winked playfully.

Shen Yuan paused this time. "Actually, there is something you can help me with."

Candy looked intrigued by what Shen Yuan might say.

"How much can you tell about the activities in the sect? Not the internal affairs but what’s happening here in the outer section."

An amused chuckle escaped her lips once Shen Yuan was done speaking. "There are many things I cannot do but information about this section of the sect is just my speciality."

There was a genuine spark of interest in her eyes now when she looked at him. "Usually we are not allowed to share such information with just anyone besides the Oiran, but I can make an exception for you if you don’t tell anyone else."

Seeing Shen Yuan nodding seriously, she laughed once more before asking him what he wanted to know.

"How much do you know about what’s happening in the Servant District?"

"Enough to know that you are not a senior Servant, just yet."