Chapter 12

Chapter 12

“Madam, what’s the matter?”

Qingshan had been walking slowly, careful not to let the food overflowing from his basket fall out. By the time he caught up, he found me staring blankly at the second floor.

Cui Shao and that greasy man were gone, and the window was shut. I didn’t know if they had spotted me.

A wave of panic surged through my heart.

I knew exactly what they were going to do.

Qingshan looked the building over. “Isn’t this the Master’s establishment?”

“This is the ‘work’ you were talking about?!”

Startled by my sudden turn and sharp tone, Qingshan stammered, “Yes, Nanfeng House… but the Master…”

“Qingshan.”

The rest of his words were cut off by Cui Shao.

He was standing at the entrance of Nanfeng House. I didn’t know when he had come down.

He seemed to be in a hurry; he hadn’t even put on his cloak.

He walked toward me across the thin layer of snow and stopped in front of me. Qingshan looked back and forth between us, muttered a greeting to the Master, and finally lowered his head in silence.

I stared at Cui Shao. Even though he wasn’t wearing his cloak, his belt was still tied exactly as it had been this morning. Thank goodness, thank goodness…

“You…”

I managed only a single word; the rest wouldn’t come out.

What was I supposed to say? Ask him how the noble, proud Cui Shao had become a male courtesan who sold his charms for a living?

I couldn’t bring myself to ask.

But he seemed to know exactly what I was thinking.

“It is exactly what you think,” he said. “I sell my body to serve others.”