Bearing a hint of mystery
"The Young City Lord is a frequent guest here, that's why I'm telling you. Who knows, perhaps there's something inside that might catch your eye?"
Su Ye's eyes opened slightly.
There was nothing about this in the book she had written.
Because the male lead, Su Qing, only stayed in this Xuan Yue City for a few days before quickly leaving.
Therefore, the descriptions of Xuan Yue City as a whole were quite scant.
She hadn't expected that the Spring-Welcoming House would have so many secrets.
The Madam glanced at the time, and seeing Su Ye remain silent, smiled as she took her by the arm and led her toward the rear courtyard.
"The time is just right. Our auction only happens once every three months—Young City Lord, you've come at the perfect moment.
Even if you don't buy anything, consider it a chance to broaden your horizons."
They reached the backyard, where a locked iron gate stood, guarded by sentinels.
The moment the guard saw it was the Madam, he hurriedly opened the iron gate.
The Madam, holding onto Su Ye, led her down a long, winding passageway.
Soon they arrived at a place resembling a gallery, and in an instant, the lights blazed to life.
Dozens of people occupied the seats, with a single lamp shining straight onto the round platform in the very center.
Atop the round platform stood a cage, draped completely in black cloth.
The Madam's crimson nails slowly stroked Su Ye's arm as she led her to a seat and had her sit down.
She slipped a bidding paddle into Su Ye's hand as well.
Just before leaving, she suddenly leaned in and murmured in Su Ye's ear,
"Don't be shy, Young City Lord. The City Lord Mansion has such vast wealth—if you take a fancy to something, buying it is just a trivial transaction."
With that, the Madam departed.
Su Ye, meanwhile, listened in silence, her eyelids flickering.
She had thought this Madam was just a woman forced by circumstance into the trade, who then relied on her own abilities to rise to her current position.
She hadn't expected there to be so much shady business going on under the table.
This tight security—it seemed likely that the beautiful ones showcased up there had been coerced by force or made prey to temptation.
The Madam wanted to draw her into these affairs, hoping to make her an accomplice.
With the title of Young City Lord as cover, these illicit dealings would be far smoother, wouldn't they?
Just as she was thinking this, upon the round dais, a stout man wearing colorful silk robes stood up.
The man smiled at the seated crowd, waving an ornate folding fan in a suave and rakish manner.
Stroking his thin mustache that twitched as he spoke, he said,
"All of you are regular guests. In the past, most auctions would offer three or five lots for bidding, but tonight is different."
He paused as he spoke.
His gaze shifted to the cloth-shrouded cage, and he could not help but sigh in admiration:
"Tonight's offering alone surpasses all the beauties before."
His words whetted everyone's appetite.
Only Su Ye propped her chin on one hand, her eyelids drooping, her attention not on the stage, but on her own jade-green, lustrous Jade Pendant.
This Jade Pendant was not the prized mutton-fat jade kind.
It looked utterly ordinary.
Only a single 'Su' character was carved upon it, and no matter how she turned it over, she could not see what was so special about it.
No wonder the original Su Ye had been so willing to give it away.
As this thought crossed her mind, the black cloth atop the platform was pulled away.
Immediately, sharp intakes of breath and exclamations surged all around Su Ye.
A wealthy merchant was so excited he sprang to his feet, clapping furiously,
"Exquisite, exquisite! Who would've thought the Spring-Welcoming House could offer such a rare prize!"
Hearing the commotion, Su Ye looked up with a brief glance.
A beam of light illuminated the cage, making the person inside visible in every detail.
Outside the cage was utter darkness; for the one within, the surroundings were completely invisible.