TFWYH – Chapter 443 Reputation Ruined

At that moment, the door opened, and Wen Dai’er stepped out, supporting herself against the doorframe.

Her cheeks were flushed crimson, her watery eyes unfocused—clearly something was wrong.

She paid no attention to the situation outside. Seeing only Cui Liu, the first thing she said was:

“Has the handsome gentleman not arrived yet? Go bring him here quickly—hurry!”

As she spoke, she even reached up to tug at her own clothes.

“Miss!” Cui Liu cried out in alarm, quickly stopping her. “There are so many people here—what are you doing?!”

Wen Dai’er’s senses returned slightly. She turned her head and saw the crowd; her pupils widened as the redness rapidly drained from her face.

“Ah—!”

She screamed and rushed back into the room, slamming the door shut with a bang.

Cui Liu: …

Everyone else: …

The manager: …

Chen Laizi looked at Cui Liu with disdain.
“So your young lady called me here because she was desperate for a man, huh?”

Cui Liu’s face flushed bright red with anger and embarrassment.
“You crude and shameless brute! What nonsense are you spouting? My young lady is pure and respectable—how dare you slander her!”

“Pure and respectable? Hahaha—!”

Chen Laizi laughed so hard he nearly doubled over.

“I’m a regular at brothels—what haven’t I seen? The way your young lady looked just now, everyone saw it. And there was that strange fragrance too. That scent isn’t anything ordinary—it’s hehuan incense, the kind commonly used in pleasure houses. You think I don’t recognize it? Not just me—anyone here who’s ever visited a brothel has smelled it before, right?”

In those days, any examinee with a decent background usually had at least some romantic acquaintance—or attended social gatherings that involved such places.

Even Ling Yu himself had visited refined entertainment houses before, let alone the other scholars.

Before Chen Laizi mentioned it, no one had thought much about the scent.

But once he said it, many suddenly realized.

“So that’s why the fragrance felt familiar—it’s hehuan incense!”

“I didn’t notice before, but now that you mention it, it really is!”

“So… what was that young lady doing alone in a room burning hehuan incense? Could it be she really… hehe…”

“Careful what you say—didn’t her maid claim she’s pure and innocent? Hehehe…”

“I’ve read that some women are naturally inclined toward such desires. I thought it was just rumor—turns out it’s real!”

“With such talent, she should go shine in a brothel!”

“I don’t think her looks are good enough for that.”

“True—she can’t compare to the top courtesan of Xiangnuan Pavilion.”

“Compare her to a courtesan? Standing beside one, she’d look like a maid.”

“I recognize her! She’s been hanging around gatherings full of men lately—wherever there’s a poetry meeting, she appears. I wondered why she wasn’t at today’s poetry gathering. Turns out she came here to relieve her loneliness.”

“Hahaha! That’s because none of the men at your poetry gathering caught her eye!”

…

The examinees talked over one another, some staring at Cui Liu, others at the tightly shut door, all with mocking amusement in their eyes.

Cui Liu was so humiliated she burst into tears, wishing she could disappear into the ground.

She tried to enter the room, but the door had been bolted from inside—she couldn’t get in at all.

Manager Wang sneered coldly.

“Our Drunken Immortal Pavilion is not a brothel. If your young lady wants to look for men, she can go somewhere else. Don’t dirty our establishment.”

He waved his hand.

“Men! Break the door open and throw this mistress and servant out. Any shameless trash thinks they can come running into the Drunken Immortal Pavilion.”