Time Travel: Pampered by the Aloof Prince
Chapter 203: Aphrodisiac Added to the Wine

Chapter 203: Chapter 203: Aphrodisiac Added to the Wine

Qi Yu was still unaware that Shiqi had betrayed her whereabouts. She sashayed into Manchun Building, covering the lower half of her face with a fan and whispered to Zhou Lanting, "Let’s find a secluded spot to hide first, so Lin Wenxuan doesn’t spot us."

This was Zhou Lanting’s first visit to such a place, and he was stunned by the pungent scent of makeup and the laughter that filled the air, not even knowing where to put his hands.

He blankly nodded, completely missing what Qi Yu had said.

The business at Manchun Building was truly thriving, even during day hours, attracting a substantial crowd there to drink the peach blossom brew.

Lin Wenxuan was a regular here; upon his arrival, the madam of the place, twisting her waist with immense enthusiasm, welcomed him, "Master Lin hasn’t been here for a while. Caiwei has been thinking about you every day."

Caiwei was Lin Wenxuan’s long-time fancy, beautiful and sweet-talking, always his favorite choice to keep him company whenever he visited.

Qi Yu and Zhou Lanting found themselves a secluded corner, ordering a pot of wine and some snacks, quietly listening to the conversation between Lin Wenxuan and the madam.

During their talk, a woman with a powdered face and scanty dress slowly walked over, giving the madam a knowing look, and clung to Lin Wenxuan in a boneless, tender way, pouting, "Master Lin, why haven’t you come to see me for so long!"

Lin Wenxuan, tickled by her call of "Master Lin," pulled her into his embrace and teased, "Isn’t that why I’m here now?"

His entourage, familiar with this kind of scene, joked for a bit and then sat down with their respective companions, filling the room with numerous bursts of laughter and joy.

Having been there before, Qi Yu saw nothing unusual about the scene.

However, Zhou Lanting frowned in disdain, as if he had seen something filthy.

Qi Yu watched this with amusement, silently sipping her peach blossom brew.

It must be said, the signature flower wine from Manchun Building had a good flavor, memorable after just one sip.

Although the wine did not seem significant while drinking it and did not burn the throat, it left a sweet taste, but its potency was strong afterward.

After a few sips, Qi Yu felt the temperature of her face increase slightly, and she quickly put down her cup and drank some tea to cool down.

Zhou Lanting, while keeping an eye on Lin Wenxuan, also watched her closely, fearing something might go wrong.

Qi Yu shook her head, feeling her consciousness blurring.

She furrowed her brows, pressing on her temples with both hands, her remaining lucidity telling her that there was something wrong with the wine.

"Princess, are you alright?" Zhou Lanting exclaimed, noticing her red-hot face.

Qi Yu slowly shook her head and pricked her arm with a silver needle to keep herself awake, "It’s nothing."

Zhou Lanting, seeing that she still appeared lucid, felt relieved.

Qi Yu looked around at the other patrons, noticing that everyone’s faces were flushed, clearly affected by the alcohol.

She picked up her wine cup again, sniffed it closely, and affirmed, "There’s aphrodisiac in the wine."

Zhou Lanting, hearing her statement, paused for a moment then realized belatedly, "No wonder everyone here looks a bit off."

Those who come here were not exactly respectable people; he had seen their licentious behavior earlier without giving it much thought.

Now, he realized, the additive in the wine was the cause.

No wonder Lin Wenxuan’s health had severely deteriorated.

Qi Yu silently continued to think, pricking herself with more needles, finally managing to neutralize the aphrodisiac in her body.

Lin Wenxuan was not so fortunate, however.

Already in frail health, the spiked drinks left him feeling severely dizzy, making him indifferent even to Caiwei whispering softly in his ear.

Caiwei’s hands wandered over his body, her gaze becoming hazy with desire, showing she was affected.

However, Qi Yu knew this was all just an act, despite Caiwei’s convincing disguise; the occasional flash of disgust in her eyes gave her away.

She probably wasn’t too satisfied with Lin Wenxuan’s sickly appearance either.

Lin Wenxuan felt a surge of blood rush to his lower abdomen and kept touching Caiwei’s hand, the very image of a lecher.

It made Zhou Lanting’s teeth itch.

Qi Yu tapped the table in front of him with a fan, laughing, "Did you nearly bite your teeth to pieces?"

Zhou Lanting silently downed a cup of tea to dispel the fire within him.

Qi Yu couldn’t help but admire him, for maintaining his integrity even in Silk Cave was indeed rare.

Lin Wenxuan’s eyes grew increasingly blurry, and at some point, the face before him had changed from Caiwei’s to Qi Yu’s, and while he happily clutched Caiwei’s hand, he mistook it for Qi Yu’s.

Caiwei knew the effect of the drug had begun to manifest in him, so her movements turned much more perfunctory.

If it weren’t for Lin Wenxuan’s generous spending, she would hardly bother wasting time on him.

Lin Wenxuan held the delicate beauty in his arms, as his blood began to boil, leaving him uncomfortably hot.

Just as he was about to make a move, he suddenly saw a woman in white gracefully descend the stairs, her face covered with a thin white veil, a peach blossom marked between her brows, her figure enchanting, as if she were a fairy.

He couldn’t help but be stunned.

The newcomer was none other than Cai Yun, the top courtesan of Manchun Building; many had spent a fortune just for a glimpse of her. Yet, with her high and proud spirit, and her mother’s intention to sell her at a good price, Cai Yun hadn’t begun to serve clients, maximally preserving her mystique.

Cai Yun was undoubtedly beautiful, but there was always a melancholic sadness in her eyes that made one’s heart ache.

However, that very expression was what the scholar gents loved, and brawls over her were not uncommon.

Cai Yun met with people according to her mood; it wasn’t certain that one could see her just by visiting every day.

Lin Wenxuan had only glimpsed her from afar a few times, each time only able to admire the figure of a beauty playing the guqin; this was his first time seeing her up close.

He completely forgot about Caiwei in his arms and merely stared blankly at Cai Yun.

The others were mostly the same, except Zhou Lanting, who only gave her a brief glance before turning back to Qi Yu, saying, "She really isn’t all that."

Qi Yu had no energy left to comment on this peculiar man; she was busy covering her face.

After all, Cai Yun had seen her.

Cai Yun’s lustrous eyes slowly swept across the faces of everyone, and soon, they fixed on a particular corner.

Her pupils slightly widened, as if she couldn’t believe it.

But soon, she returned to her usual aloof expression.

Her mother had called her down today to play the guqin to attract business.

Cai Yun, unable to refuse, reluctantly descended.

She sat at the guqin platform, raised her hand, and began to play the strings; the tune "Phoenix Seeking Phoenix" intoxicated the listeners.

Her mother subtly furrowed her brow; usually, Cai Yun was unwilling to play, always performing "Spring Night by the River" perfunctorily.

Today, she didn’t know what had possessed her to lower her standards.

However, she didn’t ponder it too much; ever since Cai Yun had appeared, waves of customers had flooded into Manchun Building, and she was too busy greeting them.

Qi Yu wasn’t particularly interested in ancient zithers and merely drank her tea indifferently.

But she couldn’t shake off the feeling that Cai Yun’s gaze kept drifting towards her now and then.