The Vermilion Canopy and the Willow Lane

When Xia Qian opened her eyes, the first sight to greet her was a vermilion gauze canopy, adorned with embroidered mandarin ducks entwined in an embrace.

The cloying scent of sandalwood, mingled with heavy cosmetic powder, assailed her nostrils, so sickeningly sweet it made her want to cough.

The bed beneath her was excessively soft, and the slick, silken bedding made her feel utterly uncomfortable.

“……What is this?”

Xia Qian, rising with a furrowed brow, was suddenly struck by a wave of dizziness before she could even discern the unfamiliar room’s furnishings.

As memories slowly resurfaced, she recalled that she had been walking back to her dorm from the library when, halfway there, everything suddenly went black.

Now, she had awakened to this strange scene.

“Newcomer, time to get up.”

A high-pitched voice echoed from outside the door. Moments later, the door swung open, and a middle-aged man in brocade robes, swaying his hips, entered the room. His face was caked with thick powder, his eyes adorned with exaggerated eyeliner, and in his hand, he clutched a round fan embroidered with peonies.

Xia Qian rubbed her eyes, confirming she wasn’t witnessing some abstract prank.

This attire, this demeanor—it was the spitting image of a madam from a television drama.

Only… this was a man?

“Tsk, tsk, tsk, what a handsome little face. Such delicate skin and tender flesh, truly captivating. Though it cost us twenty taels of silver, which was a bit painful, looking at you now, it seems well worth the price.”

The male madam used his fan to lift Xia Qian’s chin, scrutinizing her closely.

“Look at this waistline, these collarbones… Hmm~ Only the hair is a bit short, but it’s no matter. It’ll grow out with time.”

Only then did Xia Qian realize she was wearing nothing but a gossamer-thin, translucent gauze robe.

Looking down, the plain white gauze hung loosely on her shoulders, faintly revealing the outline of her chest.

An indescribable wave of revulsion surged like a fountain, making Xia Qian shiver involuntarily.

She tried to pull back, but the male madam seized her wrist.

“Why hide? You’re already in this place, still pretending to be some chaste, valiant man? Once you enter Willow Lane, you must abide by Willow Lane’s rules.”

A sharp glint flashed in the male madam’s narrowed eyes, but it quickly softened back into his previous smile.

“I am the manager here, my surname is Liu. You may call me Daddy Liu.”

Xia Qian’s mind went blank.

Willow Lane? Daddy? What was all this?

Before she could fully grasp the situation, the jingling of jade pendants sounded from outside the door, and two or three youths, similarly clad in thin gauze, gracefully entered.

The blue-clad youth at the forefront carried a copper basin and a white towel, his voice melodious and saccharine.

“Daddy Liu, the water for the warm bath has been prepared as you instructed. The new brothers can now bathe.”

Daddy Liu chuckled softly, saying nothing, merely fanning himself with a flick of his wrist.

Before Xia Qian could react, several nimble young men immediately grabbed her and led her out.

The carved corridor was covered with thick carpets, and the glazed glass lamps hanging on either side cast a warm, ambiguous glow.

The air was filled with languid zither music, and boisterous laughter echoed all around.

Xia Qian stumbled as she was escorted. Though she tried to struggle, two fists were no match for four hands; it was futile.

As she was pushed through the corridor, a sudden crash erupted from a room around the corner, its door bursting open.

Xia Qian instinctively turned her head, her gaze colliding with a youth who had stumbled to the doorway.

The youth’s pale back was covered in whip marks, and a silver hairpin, askew in his topknot, had pierced his earlobe.

Fingers stained with vermillion desperately clawed at the doorframe, his eyes filled with a desperate longing to survive.

However, in the next second, a corpulent arm reached out from inside the room, grabbed the youth’s ankle, and dragged him back in.

Xia Qian distinctly heard the sound of tearing fabric mixed with hoarse, broken sobs.

“Steward Li, please have mercy, this little servant truly cannot endure any more…”

The plea was cut short as Daddy Liu’s fan suddenly slapped Xia Qian’s nape, startling her so much she nearly collided with a pillar in the corridor.

“Seen enough?”

The madam sneered, his voice pinched.

“That’s the ‘Yellow’ rank’s top courtesan. Just yesterday, he was soaking in rose oil for three days and three nights. Unfortunately, Steward Li in that room despises floral scents; it disturbed her bedside mood. So, he is currently being ‘re-educated’ inside.”

With that, he poked Xia Qian’s lower back with the fan’s rib.

“If you’re well-behaved, Daddy will find you a gentle lady…”

Before he could finish, the recently closed door banged open again.

Xia Qian only saw a mountain of flesh flash before her eyes—a stout woman, adorned with pearls and jade, clad in a golden-thread peony-embroidered ruqun, her front lapel stained with a suspicious dark red. Her greasy face bore a smudge of rouge, and her palm-sized hand was rummaging in her purse for silver ingots.

“Old Liu!”

The woman’s voice was like sandpaper grinding a gong.

“This little hussy is too stubborn! Get this old woman a fresh batch of lively ones!”

Turning her head, she resembled a tiger that had gone hungry for four or five days suddenly catching the scent of meat. She squinted her puffy eyes, her thick lips nearly pressing against Xia Qian’s face.

“Oh, this pretty boy looks new. Could it be a fresh little chick that just arrived?”

Immediately, a foul stench of powder, alcohol, and stale meat assaulted Xia Qian, making her recoil half a step. However, her lower back bumped into Daddy Liu’s fan.

The madam suddenly let out a laugh, pinching his fingers like orchid petals.

“Tsk, tsk, tsk. Steward Li has sharp eyes! Could it be that you know every beauty in our Willow Lane like the back of your hand? Come, newcomer, quickly greet Steward Li.”

Pushed forward by the force on her shoulder, Xia Qian stumbled a step, nearly colliding with the woman’s protruding belly.

Even if she was slow-witted, Xia Qian now understood the situation before them.

She swallowed half a mouthful of saliva, her lips twitching involuntarily.

“Me? A newcomer to a male brothel? What kind of a joke is this?”

The voice was not loud, but it was exceptionally clear. This disrespectful act, as expected, earned Xia Qian another smack on the head with Daddy Liu’s fan.

“Tsk, tsk, tsk! So ignorant of the rules! Oh dear, Steward Li, you see, this newcomer doesn’t understand the rules. I hope you can be magnanimous…”

“Good, good, good! He’s the one!”

A plump finger poked Xia Qian’s collarbone.

“This old woman just loves this kind of youthful innocence!”

The woman’s face stretched into a smile, revealing folds of flesh.

Xia Qian felt cold sweat trickling down her spine.

This is even worse than if she had just exploded in anger, isn’t it?

Her gaze flickered from outside the door to inside. The youth from before was now curled up amidst shattered porcelain shards, convulsing, his blood-stained gauze robe like torn butterfly wings.

The shocking scene was tragically silent, yet it seemed to weep, warning her: You’re next to be crushed by a tank.

Xia Qian was about to protest when she heard Daddy Liu speak first.

“How rare, for a newcomer to suit your taste, it truly couldn’t be better… However, this young master has only just entered the establishment and hasn’t had time to be cleansed and refreshed. If he were to serve you like this, wouldn’t it inevitably sully your bedside pillow, Madam Li?”

“Then fine, fine!”

No sooner had the madam finished speaking than the woman readily tossed out a bulging brocade pouch. Silver coins clattered onto the Persian carpet.

“This is the deposit, Old Liu, keep it safe and make sure to remember it. Hurry and take him to get a good, fragrant, clean bath. This old woman wants to be the first to taste this tender little chick!”

“Ah… good~ good, good, good. Thank you for your patronage, Madam Li. We will arrange your appointment right away.”

Daddy Liu maintained his fawning expression until the woman turned and re-entered the room, her silhouette disappearing behind the door. Only then did the subtle stiffness in his smile relax.

He took the money pouch, which the blue-clad youth had picked up, from his hand, then lifted his sharply sculpted chin.

“What are you waiting for? Didn’t you hear Steward Li is eager to be served? Why aren’t you taking him downstairs for a bath and change of clothes?”

The blue-clad youth and the others leading her responded with a chorus of “Yes,” then, disregarding Xia Qian’s resistance, forcibly led her downstairs.

Watching Xia Qian’s retreating figure, Daddy Liu weighed the money pouch in his hand, then glanced towards the room through the door, letting out a disdainful “tsk.”