CHAPTER 110: QING LOU PAVILION

Lin Xu opened her eyes slightly, rubbing her hands as she tried to sit up. Her head felt a little heavy, and she blinked a few times to clear her sight. But then she froze.

Her hands were resting on something warm and firm. Slowly, her gaze trailed down and then up again.

Mo Ying.

He was sitting right next to her, his hand still over hers, his eyes completely fixed on her. When their gazes met, a wide grin spread across his face.

"Finally awake?" he said lightly, his tone filled with amusement.

Lin Xu’s eyes widened in disbelief. "You—!" She quickly pushed him away with all her strength, scooting back to her seat. Her face burned with anger.

"You idiot, how dare you lay your hands on me... touching me like that?! You have no right to touch me!" she snapped, glaring at him.

Mo Ying leaned back calmly, his grin never fading. "No right?" he said slowly, raising an eyebrow. "Last time I checked, I’m your husband whether you like it or not."

Lin Xu’s jaw tightened. "Don’t say nonsense! That was years ago! We—"

But before she could finish, Mo Ying cut her off, his eyes locking onto hers. "You never stopped me," he said simply.

That one sentence made her words die in her throat. Her lips parted, but nothing came out. She turned her face away, refusing to meet his eyes. Her fingers gripped her robe tightly, her heart beating faster than she wanted to admit.

She had to admit, she did enjoy it... it made her remember that one night she and Mo Ying did some naughty things.

He always had a way of hitting the right place. Even after he left, she never met any men to screw around with. Unlike in modern days where everyone was so open-minded you could have a one-night stand and forget about it, here, sleeping with a man and being found out meant you would be shamed and called a whore.

You could even be forbidden to marry. There was no way she was getting herself into things like that.

Mo Ying watched her with a small, knowing smirk. He didn’t say anything else he didn’t need to. Her silence was enough to please him. Tilting his head slightly, he just stared at her, his eyes holding that same quiet amusement that always made her irritated.

Moments later, the carriage slowed down and came to a stop.

"Master, we’ve arrived," the rider called out from outside.

Mo Ying straightened up, still wearing that faint smile. "Good," he said before turning to Lin Xu. "We’re here."

He opened the carriage door and stepped down first. The cool air outside brushed against his face as the sound of rain and faint chatter filled the night. Turning around, he extended his hand toward her.

"Come on," he said casually.

Lin Xu looked at his hand, her lips curling in annoyance. "I don’t need your help," she muttered, crossing her arms.

Mo Ying raised an eyebrow, a teasing look on his face. "Are you sure? You almost fell the last time you said that."

Her eyes narrowed. "That was an accident."

"Mm," he hummed softly, his smirk deepening. "If you don’t take my hand, I’ll just carry you down by the waist again. Your choice."

Lin Xu’s face flushed immediately. "You wouldn’t dare!" she hissed.

"Try me," he said simply, his tone calm but his eyes glinting with mischief.

For a moment, they just stared at each other, neither wanting to give in. But in the end, Lin Xu exhaled sharply and placed her hand in his. "Fine!" she muttered under her breath.

Mo Ying’s smile softened a little as he helped her down. His grip was firm yet careful, his thumb brushing her knuckles for just a second longer than necessary before letting go.

Once her feet touched the ground, Lin Xu looked up and froze.

In front of her stood a grand building, its wooden pillars shining under the lantern light. The signboard above the entrance read in bold, golden letters: Qing Lou.

"Qing Lou..." she muttered under her breath. "This place..."

Mo Ying glanced at her with a small grin. "It means Fragrant Pavilion," he said, clearly enjoying her confused expression.

Lin Xu turned sharply toward him. "What are we doing in a place like this?!" she asked, disbelief all over her face.

It was in such a strange place, quiet and dark. She hadn’t seen a single soul since they arrived here, so it totally was no ordinary pavilion.

He didn’t answer right away. Instead, he reached out and gently took her hand again, this time wrapping it around his arm so she couldn’t pull away.

"Because," he said with a calm smile, "you’re here to find out the kind of man you really wanted to marry."

And before she could protest again, he led her through the doors of the Qing Lou, his hand still holding hers like he had no intention of letting go.

Lin Xu followed beside Mo Ying as they stepped closer to the main entrance of the pavilion. Four tall guards stood by the door, each with a long sword resting against their shoulder. Their eyes were sharp, scanning the two of them the moment they approached.

Before Lin Xu could even ask what was going on, Mo Ying reached into his sleeve and brought out a small black token. He held it up casually, showing it to the guards.

The guards took one look at the token and immediately stepped aside, bowing slightly. "Please, enter."

Lin Xu blinked, confused. "What’s that?" she whispered as they walked past.

Mo Ying slipped the token back into his sleeve. "A pass," he said simply.

She frowned. "Why is there a need for a pass to enter a pavilion?"

He gave a small smile. "Who knows?"

They walked in a little further, but before they could fully enter, a counter blocked their way. Behind it stood a woman dressed in a neat red robe. She bowed politely before handing them two plain white masks.

"Please wear these," she said softly. "No one is allowed to show their face inside the pavilion."

Lin Xu stared at the masks, baffled. "We have to wear this just to go in?" she muttered.

The woman smiled faintly. "Rules of the Qing Lou. No one here uses their real name or face."

Mo Ying chuckled, putting his mask on first. "Seems they take privacy very seriously."

Lin Xu sighed but reluctantly took the mask and tied it behind her head. It felt strange covering her face, and the whole thing made her even more uneasy. "Just what kind of place is this...?" she murmured.

Once they were ready, the woman behind the counter nodded and motioned them forward. "Please enjoy your stay."

As soon as they stepped through the next set of doors, Lin Xu stopped in her tracks.

The inside was enormous.

Golden lanterns hung from every floor, lighting up the entire pavilion in a warm, dreamy glow. There were five stories in total, each lined with balconies overlooking a large open hall in the center. The air was filled with soft music and faint laughter. Men and women wearing fine robes walked past them, all with masks covering their faces.

Lin Xu’s eyes darted around, trying to take it all in. "This place... it’s huge," she whispered.

"Of course it is," Mo Ying said beside her, his voice calm. "Only the powerful and the rich can afford to enter here."

Before Lin Xu could ask more, a young male attendant dressed in dark blue robes approached them and bowed. "Welcome, honored guests. May I know your room number?"

Mo Ying handed him the token again. The attendant glanced at it and nodded quickly. "Room forty-nine. Please follow me."

He led them through a wide corridor lined with red silk curtains and golden lamps. The floor beneath their feet was polished smooth, reflecting the lights above. The faint scent of incense floated in the air.

As they walked, Lin Xu leaned closer to Mo Ying and whispered, "Why do we need a room? What are we even doing here?"

Mo Ying only smiled behind his mask. "You’ll find out soon enough."

She frowned but said nothing, clutching her robe tighter as they continued walking.

Finally, they reached a wooden door with the number 49 carved neatly on a bronze plate. The attendant bowed again. "This is your room. If you need anything, please ring the bell inside."

Mo Ying nodded. "Thank you."

The attendant left quietly, his footsteps fading down the hall.

Lin Xu turned toward Mo Ying, her voice low. "Now tell me what’s going on. What’s this place really about?"

Mo Ying looked at her for a moment, the corner of his lips lifting slightly under his mask. "You’ll see soon, Lin Xu," he said softly. Then, placing a hand on the door, he pushed it open.

One thing Lin Xu noticed about the room was it was connected to the outside. And there was a huge stage below. All the rooms around the pavilion were connected outside; it was like a wrestling ring and they were the audience but with special rooms.

"What the hell is this place?"