maidservant

Chapter 61: Li Mao and Xiao Yue have deep feelings for each other, but the courtesan refuses to let them know

Inside the Jiaofangsi, lights flickered in the string music pavilion and the sound of stringed instruments was lingering.

Li Mao once again spent a fortune on the singing and dancing girl Xiaoyue.

The table was filled with expensive wines. He just smiled and asked Xiaoyue to dance and play a song for him, and his words were full of tenderness.

I still remember the first time they met, the look Xiaoyue gave him was not the kind of flattery and fawning look that an ordinary singer would give.

There were complex emotions in his eyes, like resentment and expectation.

It was this glance that was like a stone thrown into the lake of his heart, causing ripples.

That night, Li Mao returned home. The tear that Xiaoyue shed quietly when she left could not be erased from his mind.

Perhaps it was the curiosity in his heart, or perhaps it was the pity that a rich young man felt for those who were in the world of prostitution. This concern made him step into the door of the Jiaofangsi again and again.

A few months ago, on a moonlit night, Xiaoyue was holding a pipa, plucking it gently and playing for him. Li Mao inadvertently looked up and his eyes met Xiaoyue's.

In an instant, a trace of sadness flashed in Xiaoyue's eyes, her fingers trembled, and she actually played the wrong string.

Xiaoyue stood up hurriedly, holding the pipa and bowing, but the moment she raised her head, a huge pearl-like tear rolled down her fair cheek.

Li Mao could no longer suppress his doubts and asked softly:

"As the ancients said, 'When the song is wrong, Zhou Lang looks back.' But there are only you and me in this room. Are you trying to tell me something?"

Xiaoyue nodded slightly and replied softly, "Please don't blame me, sir. I just met your eyes and my mind wandered for a moment."

"Why do you become so distracted when you look at me?"

Li Mao said as he walked forward, gently took Xiaoyue's hand, helped her up, and said softly, "Today, why don't you tell me your story."

The moonlight gradually dimmed, and the candlelight in the pavilion flickered.

In this quiet atmosphere, Xiaoyue slowly spoke and talked about the mole between Li Mao's eyebrows, which was very similar to the mole between her lost little sister's eyebrows.

As she spoke, tears and sobs came to her eyes, and her words were soft and sweet.

Li Mao silently poured her a glass of wine and listened quietly.

The two of them kept talking, sharing their thoughts, until the sky in the east turned pale and dawn came quietly.

Ever since he poured out his heart that night, Li Mao's footsteps seemed to be pulled by an invisible thread, and he couldn't help but step into the String Music Pavilion frequently.

In the past, this bustling and lively place, now for him, the only bright spot is Xiaoyue's figure.

At first, their communication was a little awkward due to their status.

But as they spent more time together, the class differences and identity constraints between the two seemed to gradually disappear.

Li Mao is no longer the arrogant and extravagant patron, and Xiaoyue is no longer the humble singer who can only entertain people with singing and dancing.

They seemed like old friends who had known each other for a long time, or like close friends who understood each other's minds.

Xiaoyue would reveal her true self in front of Li Mao, whether happy or sad, without any concealment; and Li Mao would also confide his worries, sorrows, and life ambitions to Xiaoyue without reservation.

From then on, Mao Lang stopped following the path of beauty and only listened to the music in front of you. In the past, brothels and mansions were just places for Li Mao to pass the time and have fun. He would go to the red-light district and enjoy the company of beautiful women.

But now, since he met Xiaoyue, those places that once made him linger have become boring.

In his spare time, Li Mao turned down all unnecessary social engagements and invitations, his mind and eyes filled with only Xiaoyue in the String Music Pavilion.

In that small space, he quietly listened to Xiaoyue's music, the melodious sound reaching deep into his heart. They would also chat about everything from poetry and songs to life, and before they knew it, time slipped away in this warm atmosphere. Gradually, the friendship between Li Mao and Xiaoyue grew deeper with each time they spent together, like a fine wine that becomes more fragrant with each sip.

As his swordsman, Yan Lie had no choice but to wait in the teahouse opposite the Jiaofangsi again and again. He was always the first to taste the new tea and new dishes added to the teahouse every month.

Until one day, Li Mao came out of the Jiaofangsi, not drinking a drop of alcohol, but walking listlessly. Yan Lie saw him and hurried over to support him, asking what had happened.

"I fell in love with a girl here,"

"I know that, her name is Xiaoyue"

"I want to marry her home"

"I'm afraid that won't work. The prostitutes in the Jiaofangsi are government prostitutes, and they can't be bought or sold privately."

Yan Lie said this, and asked in confusion: "Is this the reason you got yourself into this state?"

"Yan Lie, I want to marry her. Today, I finally mustered up the courage to tell her this clearly. But, but she asked me not to come again."

Li Mao's voice was suddenly filled with a strong sense of grievance, and the volume of his voice unconsciously increased a few decibels.

"I always thought she had me in her heart. I just thought that after I expressed my feelings, I would hear her respond to me and let me know that she was interested in me too."

Yan Lie listened and was speechless for a moment, and suddenly let go of the hand that was originally supporting Li Mao.

Li Mao was caught off guard and stumbled to the ground. He tilted his head, eyes wide, and glared at Yan Lie angrily.

"As a son of a wealthy family, you can live as you please and express your emotions without any scruples." Yan Lie folded his hands in front of his chest and said seriously.
"But what about the girls here? They never have control over their own fate. Even the deeds that determine their life and death are unknown to them. They can't even see them at the moment of death. What do you want her to say?"

"For them, so-called life and freedom are never something they can choose lightly. The fact that Miss Xiaoyue was able to act decisively and cut off your thoughts shows that she is a clear-headed and understanding person."

Li Mao listened quietly to every word of Yan Lie, his head drooping lower and lower, never saying a word, his face full of loss and melancholy.

After Li Mao left, Xiaoyue held the jade pendant he gave her today in her hand, her eyes full of nostalgia.

Normally, the gifts from patrons would be handed over to the nanny in charge of the brothel for careful registration and inventory, but today, she just wanted to keep the jade pendant with her, even if it was only for a few more days.

I originally thought that Li Mao's interest in me was just a temporary novelty, just for the sake of novelty. But in the blink of an eye, three years passed quietly, and he was always by my side, without interruption.

Yunong quietly pushed open the door and saw Xiaoyue hurriedly hiding the jade pendant under her pillow. She shook her head slightly, a look of helplessness and heartache on her face.

"Sister, Mr. Li Mao's affection for you is genuine, so why don't you dare respond to him?" Yunong said softly, her eyes full of concern.

"You've known him for three years, yet he's always treated you with the utmost respect. How can this be compared to the friendship of an ordinary patron?"

Yunong is slightly older than Xiaoyue. She has now retreated to the back hall and focused on teaching the new girl.

She sighed slightly and continued, "Besides, you are already 25 years old. According to the rules of the neighborhood, after the New Year, you must retreat to the back hall and no longer receive guests. By then, it will be extremely difficult for you and Master Li to meet in person."

Xiaoyue raised her head and let the hot tears slide down her cheeks without wiping them away.

"But sister, although my heart is filled with him, there are some things that are beyond my control. If he was just a benefactor who wanted to have physical contact with me, I might have gritted my teeth and agreed to his request. But what Master Li wants is a response from the bottom of my heart."

"With our status, how can we respond to him?!" Xiaoyue's voice was choked with sobs.
"Now, both of us are suffering in this love affair, but we can't see any hope for the future. It would be better if I said something harsh today, so that he would think of me as a heartless, ruthless and ungrateful person, and forget me sooner rather than later."

"Ah, yes, everything is determined by fate, and we have no control over it."

As the night deepened, the moon quietly climbed up to the treetops. Yu Nong gently embraced Xiao Yue, and the two of them held each other in the quiet night, listening to the rain hitting the window.

(End of this chapter)