Calm and Tranquil

“No, of course not! How could there be a man here? It couldn’t have been those thugs, could it?” Ye Qingyun quickly replied.

Li Yulian’s gaze flickered for a moment. She scanned the surroundings once more before finally departing.

Ye Qingyun subtly exhaled, a wave of relief washing over him.

“Alright, boss, you can come out now,” Ye Qingyun called out to the wardrobe.

Hearing the summons, Qin Yun cautiously pushed open the closet door and emerged.

He had heard every word Li Yulian and Ye Qingyun had exchanged.

“Damn, what’s with that madam? Is she a bloodhound or something?” Qin Yun grumbled.

“Alright, enough about that. What’s your identity now? I’m getting the feeling you’re not exactly a servant,” Ye Qingyun asked, a hint of confusion in his voice.

Qin Yun’s attire certainly didn’t resemble that of a servant; he looked more like a young master from a wealthy family. At this, Qin Yun’s chest puffed out with pride.

“Heh heh, in this regard, I, your elder brother, have a much stronger identity than you,” Qin Yun said with a mysterious grin.

Ye Qingyun paused, slightly taken aback.

It turned out that Qin Yun’s assigned identity was the son of The Capital City Governor, a truly prestigious status.

“Damn it, that’s completely unfair! With an identity like that, I’ll be relying on you in The Capital from now on!” Ye Qingyun exclaimed, his face etched with surprise.

Qin Yun nodded, a look of arrogance on his face.

“A trifle, a mere trifle. Just tell me if you encounter any difficulties, and this young master will certainly help,” Qin Yun replied, brimming with self-satisfaction.

The very next moment, Ye Qingyun rolled his eyes.

“Hmph, what’s there to be so smug about? I’ll be free soon enough. Anyway, you should head back. Number Four and Number Three are probably in the Song Kingdom.

“If our suspicions are correct, they should come looking for us after entering the game, though who knows when that will be.” Ye Qingyun quickly regained his composure.

“Who knows indeed. If they do come looking for us, it means things are fine in reality. Alright, I’m heading back now. Don’t worry, your elder brother will cheer you on every day, you vixen,” Qin Yun teased Ye Qingyun.

The very next instant, Ye Qingyun kicked him out of the room.

“Hey, hey, don’t be so rough! In the game, you’re a girl; you should be gentler!” Qin Yun’s protests echoed from outside the door.

After speaking, he swiftly departed. Only then did Dong’er and Qiu’er enter the room.

“Miss, how are you so familiar with Young Master Qin? Your relationship seems exceptionally close,” Dong’er inquired, her brow furrowed in confusion.

Ye Qingyun, resting his chin on his hand at the table, casually offered a reason.

“Have you forgotten? I was originally a daughter of a wealthy family in The Capital. I’ve known Qin Yun since childhood; we’re friends.” The excuse was flawless.

The two maids nodded in understanding before quietly withdrawing.

If the game continued to operate normally over the next few months, it would confirm Ye Qingyun’s theory.

Indeed, three months passed, and the game continued without a hitch. This suggested a tranquil external world; if their consciousnesses were truly trapped, Fantasy International would likely have been forced to shut down.

Then, at the beginning of the fifth month, the Flower Queen Selection began.

Concurrently, Ye Qingyun received a notice from Li Yulian.

Even without the system, everything remained remarkably clear.

A month before the Flower Queen Selection, participating maidens would ride in elaborate palanquins, parading through the streets. This was a grand and festive event in The Capital.

The first round was a preliminary selection, narrowing the contestants down to one hundred.

The populace of The Capital cast their votes, and the top one hundred maidens advanced to the next ranking competition. Following that, the top ten would vie for supremacy, culminating in a battle among the top three.

The first place was crowned “Flower Queen,” second place “Flower Maiden,” and third place “Flower Blossom.”

This month promised to be extraordinarily lively, with lanterns and festive decorations adorning every corner of The Capital. This triennial event was officially sanctioned by the government.

Meanwhile, the players trapped in the martial world found themselves in a chaotic state. Some even attempted suicide, hoping to break free from their predicament.

Tragically, death seemed to be final; they did not revive.

Gradually, everyone began to accept the grim reality. However, few could deduce the underlying truth as Ye Qingyun and Qin Yun had, leaving the majority of players feeling profoundly suppressed.

On this particular day, petals fluttered throughout the Flower District, and outside every song and dance pavilion stood exquisitely crafted palanquins.

Sweetwater Lane’s signature color was a vibrant peony red, so their palanquin was beautifully woven with peony blossoms, a truly stunning sight.

“Goddess, you can do it! Flower Queen is definitely yours!”

The moment Ye Qingyun emerged from Sweetwater Lane, cheers erupted from outside. These hundreds of players were all Ye Qingyun’s fans; even though they were trapped in the martial world, life had to go on.

“Heh heh.” Ye Qingyun nodded, a slightly awkward expression on his face. He then stepped onto the palanquin and settled down, carried by a group of burly men. This marked Ye Qingyun’s first time leaving the Flower District, and openly so.

As Ye Qingyun sat in the peony-adorned palanquin, he continuously greeted the common folk lining the streets. He couldn’t speak, only wave, and those captivated by Ye Qingyun could cast their ballot slips into the voting box.

Ye Qingyun’s allure was undeniable. Even without uttering a word, a mere glance from his eyes seemed to steal the souls of the NPC citizens, compelling them to dutifully cast their votes. Even women couldn’t resist voting for Ye Qingyun, as his Blood Spirit Demonic Eyes held the same captivating effect on them.

In short order, Ye Qingyun’s voting box was overflowing. The Capital boasted over half a million residents, a mix of NPCs and tens of thousands of players, all equally entitled to vote.

Ye Qingyun remained serene, greeting people while subtly observing the scenery of The Capital. The city, built along a riverbank, was divided into East City and West City. By now, they had reached the Fireworks Bridge, which connected the two halves, signifying that the parade was halfway complete.

Soon after touring the entire city, the palanquin procession turned back. The preliminary selection for the day had concluded.

Upon returning, Ye Qingyun simply needed to calmly await the results. He had no other concerns; he would continue his performances as usual.

A few more days passed in this manner.

One day, just as Ye Qingyun completed a task, Li Yulian arrived.

“Qingrou, dear, I have wonderful news for you,” Li Yulian said, beaming as she approached Ye Qingyun.

She then produced a s*ave contract.

This was none other than Ye Qingrou’s official courtesan contract.

This document should have remained in the government’s possession, yet, to his surprise, Li Yulian had managed to retrieve it.

This meant that Ye Qingrou’s status as an official courtesan had been changed to that of a regular courtesan.

[Notification: Player’s official courtesan status removed. Currently a renowned courtesan of Sweetwater Lane.]

Ye Qingyun was overjoyed. This implied that he was no longer under the government’s surveillance.

“This? Madam Li, you must have paid a considerable price, didn’t you?” Ye Qingyun asked, looking at Li Yulian with gratitude.

His favorability with Li Yulian had already reached a remarkably friendly level.

“Indeed, I spent nearly ten thousand gold taels to buy you back from the government,” Li Yulian replied with a smile.

These words nearly choked Ye Qingyun. Ten thousand gold taels, in reality, amounted to one million Chinese Yuan.

This meant he now owed Sweetwater Lane one million Chinese Yuan.

Sure enough, he checked his information; the property section displayed “-10,000 gold.”