lcionline Chapter 66 Two completely different people
Chapter 66 Two completely different people
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The woman in front of me, who called herself Ling Xi'er, spoke with an air of maturity, completely different from the delicate and innocent girl I had seen before.
Liu Ye stared in disbelief: "Xi'er... Miss Ling, is this your true self? Who were you pretending for before? Me? But it seems unnecessary."
Ling Xi'er spat out: "Who's going to pretend for you? Don't flatter yourself. My master didn't like the way I used to be, so I'm just trying to become the way she likes."
"What you were like before?" Liu Ye thought for a moment. "I understand. You used to work in a brothel, greeting and seeing off customers all day long. You had to say one thing to one person and another to another, basically trying to make the customers happy. You developed the skill of greeting people with a smile. But your master didn't like you like that, so you put on this innocent act..."
Ling Xi'er's eyes darted around: "I'm not trying to pretend to be innocent. I'm not a scheming person to begin with. It's just that I've seen too many dirty people and things in brothels, so I've learned to protect myself..."
Liu Ye felt a pang of regret. He had thought the master and apprentice were easy to fool, but it turned out the master was a straightforward fellow, while the apprentice was a shrewd one. He had been too naive. How could girls from a place like a brothel, a place teeming with all sorts of people, be so ignorant? If they were, they would have been devoured long ago, leaving not even a trace.
He couldn't help but ask, "You're such a good actor. So, your tears in front of your master and me were all fake?"
Ling Xi'er glared at him: "What do you take me for? It was fake that you were shy when we first met, but I was genuinely moved by what you said. I would never lie to my master, so why would I pretend to cry in front of her?"
These were her honest thoughts. Whether Liu Ye meant it sincerely or not, at least he didn't look down on courtesans, which pleased her, especially the line "Only the person drinking the water knows whether it's hot or cold," which touched her deeply. Liu Ye was right about something: these days, very few women who went to courtesans did so willingly. Most had unfortunate backgrounds and had experienced hardships. Regardless of their popularity, these girls hoped to find a good man who wouldn't mind their origins and whom they could entrust their lives to.
Liu Ye's spirits lifted upon hearing this; at least she had been moved by his words and wasn't completely unyielding. He tentatively asked, "So, you were sincere in persuading your master to let me go?"
Ling Xi'er chuckled: "My master is upright and simple-minded. She can't see through your thoughts, but I can. Actually, just because of what you said, I'm willing to let you go..."
Liu Ye was secretly delighted and was preparing to persuade her to release him before his master returned. Unexpectedly, she changed the subject: "...However, my master's plan does require money and manpower to be implemented. You are a ready-made fat sheep in front of me, saving her the trouble of searching. How could I possibly ruin my master's plan?"
Liu Ye sighed, "I thought you were easier to deal with than my master, but I didn't expect you to be the real troublemaker. Fine, fine, I'll take the money, just don't kill me."
"Kill the hostage?" Ling Xi'er's eyes flickered. "You mean we'll kill them to cover it up after receiving the money? No, Master is a woman of her word. If she says she'll release them after receiving the money, she'll keep her promise. You can rest assured about that."
"I hope so," Liu Ye casually asked. "Where did your master go? What's her plan?"
"She's going to leave clues for your men so they can follow us. When we get to where we're going, she'll know where to deliver the silver—we don't have time to wait around in Dengzhou. As for Master's plan, don't ask, and I won't tell you."
Looking at Ling Xi'er's smiling face, Liu Ye felt angry: "You lied to me, and you lied to your master. Aren't you afraid I'll tell your master?"
Ling Xi'er's smile remained unchanged: "I was merely showing my master the side she wanted to see; it's not like I was lying. Besides, do you think my master trusts you, an outsider, or me? By the way, I can also use acupressure to silence people, but my skills are still lacking, and I might accidentally press the wrong point, perhaps even damaging a meridian..."
Liu Ye was speechless and dared not respond. What if she made a rash suggestion and left him paralyzed on one side?
"You say I can act? I think you're the one who's acting." Ling Xi'er said casually.
Liu Ye looked at her, puzzled: "Miss Ling, what do you mean by that?"
Ling Xi'er moved her face even closer, almost touching it with her face. Her faint fragrance lingered around Liu Ye's nose, but at this moment he was very vigilant and had no other thoughts.
"From the very beginning, you pretended to be attracted to my looks, acting like you were drooling, making your master think you were a silly boy who couldn't resist women..."
Liu Ye forced a smile and interrupted her: "Hehe, I was attracted by your looks. You don't need to pretend, Miss Ling." He added in his mind, "It's just a natural performance at best."
Ling Xi'er ignored him and continued speaking to herself: "Then you said those things that made me cry, were you trying to please me and find a way to get away from me?"
Liu Ye fell silent. He wasn't entirely lying, but he couldn't refute Ling Xi'er's words.
"Just as I thought..." Ling Xi'er gritted her teeth and glared at him. "From beginning to end, did you ever say a single word from the bottom of your heart? Were those words just a ploy to make people cry?"
Liu Ye was a little embarrassed: "Miss Ling, I have no discrimination against people in the sex industry... Um, I mean, prostitutes are people too, they're just trying to survive. I don't mean to look down on them at all, this is truly my honest opinion..."
Ling Xi'er stared at him, wanting to say something, but the sound of clothes fluttering at the door came from outside. She knew that her master had probably returned, so she shut her mouth.
As soon as her master entered, Ling Xi'er immediately reverted to her previous charming and innocent demeanor, saying in a clear and cheerful voice, "Master, you're back?"
The master looked at the two of them: "Are you alright? Has he been behaving himself?"
Ling Xi'er blinked her eyes: "It's nothing, this person is very honest, he won't say a word more than necessary."
Liu Ye was speechless. This woman could lie without batting an eye; he had thought she was easy to fool.
The master took out a bundle, untied it, and took out a few steamed buns: "Xi'er, this is an abandoned village, far from any other village or shop. Just make do with this to fill your stomach. Also, release the pressure points on his shoulder so he can free one hand to eat a steamed bun himself."
Ling Xi'er looked over with a smile: "Yes, who are we going to ask for money if we starve to death? This is a big fat sheep."
After the seal on his arm was removed, Liu Ye sullenly ate a steamed bun under Ling Xi'er's teasing gaze.