This time, Cheng Huan didn't make any more fuss. After all, he'd been mixing around in this brothel for years, and he knew how to read the room better than anyone.
He knew that if he still didn't agree, he might end up empty-handed.
His eyes were red, and he spoke in a timid, low voice,
"Whatever the Young City Lord says, Cheng Huan will agree to it."
He'd lost completely the look of someone who couldn't live without Su Ye just a moment ago.
Su Ye saw he knew his place, so finally spoke up and asked again,
"Where's my Jade Pendant?"
Cheng Huan hesitated for a moment,
"You've given Cheng Huan so many things, I'll need to dig around for it."
Su Ye had come this time, offering to redeem him herself, just for that Jade Pendant.
No way it'd be that easy to hand it over—of course he had to wait until she'd paid for his freedom.
Obviously, Su Ye understood this too.
She smiled, looked at him, and asked,
"How much silver for your redemption?"
Cheng Huan replied softly,
"One thousand golden leaves."
After hearing that, Su Ye even did the math in her head.
One golden leaf equals one hundred taels of silver
One thousand golden leaves is... one hundred thousand taels of silver??
Behind her, Xing was furious, pointing at Cheng Huan and shouting angrily,
"Why don't you just rob us?!"
Cheng Huan's eyes reddened even more. He said nothing, just looked at Su Ye.
He called out gently,
"Young City Lord, will you really redeem me?"
Su Ye got up,
"Go talk with Madam. I'll come redeem you tomorrow afternoon."
And with that, it was settled.
After saying this, she paused, then continued,
"My Jade Pendant..."
Cheng Huan looked delighted, and now he didn't bother being coy,
"In a day's time, Cheng Huan can definitely find your Jade Pendant for you."
Whether it was because he was too happy or what,
he immediately sprang up from the floor, and in his boneless way, leaned right into her arms, winking flirtatiously at Su Ye as he did so,
"Young City Lord~ Tonight, let Cheng Huan serve you just once."
But before he could even touch Su Ye, Xing indignantly blocked him,
"'Serve'? Looks to me like you're just trying to take advantage of my Young City Lord!"
With a look that screamed "Bad man, I have to protect my Young City Lord!"
Right as she spoke, Xing gave Cheng Huan a shove and pushed him away.
Xing was a bit younger than Su Ye, with big round eyes, even her anger made her look adorably fierce.
Su Ye couldn't help but smile, reaching out to pat Xing's head and pulling her back.
Then she said,
"Xing, let's go."
Xing left reluctantly, grumbling inside.
She thought spending one thousand golden leaves was seriously unjust.
But as a maid, she couldn't say much more.
All the way on the road back, she seemed listless.
By the time Su Ye left the Spring-Welcoming House, the sky was already completely dark.
Without dawdling further, she returned straight to the City Lord Mansion.
She strolled into the back garden of the courtyard, heading to check on the vine she'd planted herself.
Under the shine of moon and stars, she stood in the pavilion, taking in the whole garden at a glance.
She didn't know how, but the vine she'd planted at the very edge had crawled over to the garden's very center.
And the big patch in the middle was now devoid of flowers, leaving only bare dirt.
As for her own vine... it looked like it had gotten a lot fatter.
Also, all the flowers in the back garden looked wilted and limp, as if something had sucked out their nutrients.
Who knows if it was because of the influence of all these flowers, but the vine she'd signed a contract with was now actually growing upright.
Although it was still a bit crooked and wobbly.
Su Ye looked at it and felt quite satisfied.
Seems like raising it among valuable flowers actually worked out pretty well.
It's just that it's too dark tonight—when she has some free time in the daytime, she'll have to take a good look at her little contract-bound thing.