772 Jealousy (1/2)

Money was a good thing. For its owner, it was like a god who could produce anything one could dream of with a wave of its hand; to others, it was like a mirror that would reflect back the myriad thoughts, feelings, and desires of the people of the world.

The more Meng Mingshu used his money, the more he relied on it. He used it to measure his friends, enemies, and lovers by and through it discovered their true colors.

As a complete and rigorous system, it rarely failed, until it had finally been broken by that young bastard.

Meng Mingshu gulped his wine down and casually threw the porcelain wine pot onto the ground. The shattering sound of the wine pot in the dark made him feel quite refreshed. In the short run at least, good wine was more effective at soothing than money.

But no matter how expensive the wine that filled his stomach was, it could not dispel the chill that pervaded his heart. 'Shit does happen in the fall,' he thought as he walked out of the shadows and swayed towards the door which he had been staring at for nearly two hours.

Spying had never been Meng Mingshu's forte. He used to pay people to do such sneaky things, but tonight's surveillance was not part of the plan. He was supposed to spend the night at the new whorehouse in Retention Alley, but after a few drinks, he had uncontrollably walked to this place and done something completely incompatible with his identity.

The Second Young Master of the Meng family in the Northern Jade City, the heir to the family fortune of millions of taels of silver, had actually stood in a dark corner where drunks vomited and urinated and pathetically stared at a woman's door and window for nearly two hours. If such a thing got out, he would surely become a laughing stock throughout the entire city.

But Meng Mingshu did not care. He had run into a unique circumstance where money could not give him confidence, and wine and women could not bring him comfort. He was so frustrated he wanted to blow off steam and make a huge scene like a naive teenager.

He smashed at the familiar door so hard it was as if he wanted to break it down.

A sleepy maid opened the door and was taken aback to see Meng Mingshu outside. ”Lord Second, what brings you here? It's so late and so cold outside. Please come on in…”

Meng Mingshu pushed away the maid who tried to please him and stormed into the house, shouting as he climbed the stairs, ”Xiao Fengchai! Xiao Fengchai! Get the fuck out here, you smelly bitch!”

The maidservant at the door shut the door in a panic, for fear of waking the neighbors and being laughed at. Meanwhile, more maids and old biddies ran out to block Meng Mingshu and each began trying to persuade the 'Lord Second' in turn.

As he was frantically being pulled back by four or five women, Meng Mingshu climbed stairs step by step with great difficulty, though his prepared words also becoming disorganized. ”Old bitch… I spent so much money… Trusted you the most… How dare you… My heart… Explain…”

”Release him.” A cold voice came from the top. Xiao Fengchai who was standing by the railing then said, ”This is a whorehouse. It's perfectly justified for a customer to come for a whore. Why are you blocking the customer instead of treating him well? Do you think that the customer won't be able to afford it?”

The maids and old biddies immediately let go of Meng Mingshi and scattered, shrewd enough to recognize when the scope of the scene grew beyond their ability and duty.

When Xiao Fengchai turned into the reception hall, a maid had already lit the lamp and served tea.

As soon as he saw this woman, Meng Mingshu's aggressiveness was greatly curbed. After a moment of hesitation about what to do, he slowly walked up and began to feel ashamed of his ugliness, the complete opposite of the image he had maintained so carefully.

Sitting in a chair, Xiao Fengchai still looked perfect from head to toe even without any make-up on her face, and didn't at all seem like she had just been roused from sleep past midnight. ”Heh, isn't this the second young master of the Meng family, the famous moneybags? I'm really flattered that you would come for me, an 'old bitch.' Yanhong, make an offer to the customer.”

Yanhong, who was Xiao Fengchai's closest maid, tried hard to hold back her smile and seriously said, ”According to the rules of my lady, the customer has to pay 500 taels for the tea, 500 taels as a gift for the meeting, and 3000 taels for a night's stay. If there are any other requirements…”

Meng Mingshu waved his hand impatiently and said, ”No need to say anymore, I already know. Yanhong, I want to talk to your lady alone.”

Yanhong took the hint and was about to withdraw when Xiao Fengchai stopped her, ”Wait a moment. Although he hasn't drunk the tea, he has already seen me and has to pay 500 taels first.”

Yanhong awkwardly held out her hand, and Meng Mingshu touched his pocket to take out the money. Except, one of the habits of the rich was that he seldom carried money with him. His valets, who had thought that the young master would stay at another prostitute's house, had long gone to a gambling house. Embarrassed, he could only say, ”Put it under my tab.”

”That won't work. Second Gongzi clearly knows that bitches are ruthless. If you don't have the silver, please get out now,” Xiao Fengchai coldly said.

Meng Mingshu may have said something like 'Bitches are ruthless' when he quarreled with Xiao Fengchai before. Upon hearing this, his anger flared up again. He tore off the waist jade he wore and threw it at Yanhong. ”Is this worth 500 taels?”

Second Young Master Meng naturally had no cheap things on him. Yanhong caught it and said 'yes' as she backed out without even looking at it. She didn't want to get caught between this pair of angry lovers.

The two looked at each other in silence. Meng Mingshu felt like he was about to lose his mind from anger in one moment, and then in the next, suddenly felt. Words of rebuke and beseechment kept rushing to his lips and fighting for the right to be uttered but none of them were able to prevail, so his mouth only emitted a long silence.

Frustrated, Meng Mingshu flopped into the opposite chair and silently covered his head with his hands. After a long time, he felt the familiar hand gently stroking his hair. ”Why won't you believe me?” asked Xiao Fengchai in a soft voice.

”How can you expect me to believe you?” Meng Mingshu reluctantly pushed the gentle caress away. ”How could Lotus have taken you away for no reason at all? The Dragon King…” Meng Mingshu could say no more. He had never thought that he would be jealous of a man ten years younger than himself.

But it was exactly this man who Meng Mingshu couldn't defeat with money that had made the powerful weapon he was so proud of a heap of garbage.

”Lotus is a lunatic,” consoled Xiao Fengchai softly, both angry at her lover's unreasonableness and gratified by his jealousy. ”She traveled a long way to arrest several women but hasn't met or killed any of them. Would a normal person do such a thing?”