He wanted the beauty, and he wanted the money too; he was exactly that kind of greedy and lustful scoundrel.

Ji Linxi’s current posture was just like a common rogue in the streets, a far cry from the dignified stance of the Daoist who had just performed the divination. Yan Huai was so infuriated by this behavior that his heart actually ached.

“Ah Huai, put away your sword. Do not frighten Young Master Xi,” Chu Yu glanced at him.

Yan Huai bit his teeth and sheared his sword.

Ji Linxi also knew when to stop while he was ahead, and he let go of his hands.

Chu Yu turned around, bent down, and supported Ji Linxi’s arms through his clothes, helping him up. His voice remained gentle, “Young Master Xi, we can only stay in Yongcheng for two or three days. Originally, we were worrying about how to collect the evidence in such a short time to send to the capital and ask the Emperor to make a decision. Since you are willing to help us, that is wonderful. However, this matter carries risks. You… must be careful.”

Ji Linxi took the opportunity to climb up the beautiful young master’s arm, declaring his loyalty: “Young Master is kind and benevolent. This small person will definitely help Young Master with all his might. As for risks or no risks, this small person does not care at all.”

He quickly used an excuse to call Changguoi over. As soon as Changguoi entered the room, the door behind him was shut. Meeting the gazes of the two noble guests, his heart tightened. Then, Ji Linxi’s comforting voice came to his ears, “Brother Chang, do not fear. These two young masters have come specifically to seek justice for your sweetheart.”

Changgui, who was addressed as Brother Chang, froze for a moment. He looked toward Ji Linxi. Ji Linxi had already walked behind the beautiful young master and said to him, “The two young masters already know the evil deeds committed by Young Master Wang and are extremely indignant. As long as you and I help, we can definitely bring Young Master Wang and the Wang family to justice.”

Whose real name was Chang Xi and who came from an opera stage background, Changgui saw that Ji Linxi’s expression did not seem fake, so he immediately knelt to the ground.

“I beg the two noble guests to give me justice—”

It was just like a story in a storybook.

A flower girl selling flowers below the stage and an actor singing on the opera stage crossed paths because of flowers. Over a long time, the two developed feelings for each other. The actor managed with great difficulty to save a sum of money and was preparing to leave the stage to marry his beloved woman and live a normal person’s life. Unexpectedly, his beloved woman was kidnapped by a wealthy young master and tortured to death.

Seeing his sweetheart’s parents get kicked out of the Magistrate’s yamen and rejected by the Prefect’s yamen, with no way to seek help, the actor, in his extreme hatred, entered the Wang family as a servant. The so-called haunting was also just the actor dressing up as his sweetheart’s ghost. His purpose was to find an opportunity to avenge his sweetheart when Young Master Wang was terrified and mentally unstable.

However, how could a story in a storybook compare to the real pain when it happened to oneself?

Every single day, Chang Xi wanted to torture Young Master Wang to death to comfort his sweetheart’s soul in heaven.

“That Wang He ruined more than just my Jin’er—” He knelt on the ground, gnashing his teeth in accusation: “He has a courtyard specifically used to imprison the girls he ruined. Because he is not married yet and it is not good to take concubines, he locks all those girls inside and lets his trusted servants guard them! He only waits until he finds the daughter of a high official or a wealthy merchant to be his wife, and then he will discard all these girls entirely!”

After Yan Huai finished listening, he wished nothing more than to stab that young master of the Wang family into a sieve, “A person who tramples on women so willfully, has he never thought that his mother is also a woman? Will his future daughter also be a woman?”

“I will kill him!” He was a person with a chivalrous heart; hearing such things, he wanted to lift his sword and kick the door out to leave.

It was still Chu Yu who called him back.

“Where is that courtyard?” Chu Yu looked toward Chang Xi.

Ji Linxi diligently chimed in, “I know where it is, Young Master.” When he heard Chang Xi speak, he thought of a courtyard he passed by yesterday when wandering around the Wang family mansion. Cries of women came from that courtyard, more than one voice. The servants said it locked up maidservants who committed mistakes. Thinking about it now, what was locked inside were the decent women kidnapped by Wang He.

“Brother Chang’s identity prevents him from entering that place, but I can. The entire Wang family trusts me very much right now. I will think of a way to get inside and investigate.”

Chu Yu looked at him again: “Then we shall trouble you, Young Master Xi.”

A gentle gaze fell upon his body: “When the day comes that this ends, Heir Yan and I will not forget your merit.”

Ji Linxi wanted exactly this sentence.

He wanted the beauty.

He wanted the money too.

He was exactly that kind of greedy and lustful scoundrel, refusing to let go of either the fish or the bear’s paw (wanting to have it both ways).

Not only that, but he also wanted to gain power through this beautiful young master.

With money and power, why would he worry about not being able to pull the beautiful young master into his arms to taste his sweetness?

…

After everything was discussed, Chu Yu covered his mouth and coughed twice. Yan Huai took the opportunity to support him and called for Eunuch Chen outside to prepare the medicine, “I will support you to the bed to rest.”

Chang Xi knew it was time to leave, and Ji Linxi could not find a reason to stay any longer either. The two left the Risheng Courtyard together. Ji Linxi walked in front, pondering how to enter the courtyard he passed by yesterday.

Just as he thought of a method, Chang Xi’s cold voice came from behind him: “You don’t want your seven thousand taels of silver anymore?”

Chang Xi had seen with his own eyes the cunning and calculating side of the person before him. First, he forced him to show a flaw, exposing his identity as an actor. Then he revealed that he also came to scam the Wang family’s money and would not conflict with him. He also enticed him to cooperate, promising to give him a sum of money to help him escape after the matter was successful. When he demanded that he kowtow and apologize to his beloved girl, Jin’er, he also knelt on the ground without a second word to kowtow, and not a single word of apology he spoke was repeated until he called a halt and agreed to cooperate.

Such a deep-minded, smooth-talking, and greedy person, Chang Xi did not believe he would be so kind-hearted as to give up seven thousand taels of silver just to get justice for the victims.

That noble young master did say he would not forget his merit, but the money given would, at the very absolute most, be one thousand taels. How could that compare with seven thousand taels?

Ji Linxi turned his head, a smile in his eyes: “How does Brother Chang know that what he gives me won’t be more than what Master Wang gives?”

Sometimes, a possible opportunity is worth far more than seven thousand taels.

What he was gambling on right now was exactly such an opportunity.

Even if he could not get this opportunity, the seven thousand taels he threw away was not a loss.

He heard that some people in the capital would not hesitate to throw away ten thousand taels of gold just to see a top courtesan once. As for the beautiful young master he fell in love with at first sight, perhaps even ten thousand taels of gold normally could not touch him. But he had used only seven thousand taels to touch the opponent’s hand, hug the opponent’s leg, and smell the opponent’s body fragrance.

Such an intoxicating ecstasy was something one might not even seek once in a lifetime.

Looking at his expression, Chang Xi realized once again that he and the person before him were not on the same path. After the revenge for Jin’er was over, he would stay far away from this person and find a place further away from Yongcheng to start life anew.

He had been an actor for many years and knew that a person like Ji Linxi could not be deeply befriended. Such a person could use any means necessary to get what he wanted; befriending him, one wouldn’t even know when they would be stabbed in the back.