"Ah, I don't know. They have little cakes here that are very nice too." If he had to make a choice of what he wanted. "Anyway, are your eyes just there to fill space in your face? Why would you not think about my looks, you keep watching me! I'll be handsome whether you think on it or not, you might as well think it. Isn't it a waste when a flower's blooming and no one admires it?"
Really seemed like a strange kind of avoidance. "I've been thinking on how beautiful you look the whole time now. Else I'd not want to sit so close. Best view in this house and it's free."
Was he actually being hit on? He assumed this was a teasing game but he was not so sure now. Xue Yang looked at him with such a sure expression and he felt himself start to panic a little. People didn't often have crushes on people like him. He didn't know what it was about him that made it so odd but he just knew he was not a handsome young master. He was short and he had exaggerated features. "You speak far too casually to this young master."
"Do I?" Xue Yang widened his eyes in mock-concern. He folded one hand and held it against his palm, bowing his head as he apologised with questionable sincerity but full commitment to the act. "Please, gongzi, forgive this unworthy worm. Don't punish me for my insolence."
It might have come across as more believable if the smile hadn't lurked on his lips the entire time and finally erupted with a giggle as he shook his head. "You see, the setting, the way you look, it has made me forget all those manners that I was never taught."
Luckily, there really hadn't been that much to forget there.
"You're quite the -- pest, aren't you?" He had stronger words but he wisely avoided them. He didn't want to offend this imp and then lose all contact. He had promised Jin Zixuan he would try and it would be unwise to entirely offend. Even if he found him a complete brat. That smirk, the giggles, it was very rude but somehow, he wasn't annoyed by it. Sure, a bit irritated, but mostly amused.
What was truly so funny? At least he could amuse himself. "Fine, you're forgiven."
He waved a dismissive hand and then leaned back in his chair. "However, you have to give me some information before I leave. If you're truly such an unworthy worm, you won't hesitate to answer me."
"Ah, too true. I would not dare keep anything from someone as radiant as you." Xue Yang leaned forward, elbows on the table, his expression happy enough. "Such an unworthy worm as me though, I likely won't know much. I have to avert my eyes when the young and old masters walk by, it means I miss most anything that'd be worth knowing."
He did wonder just what Meng Yao would dare to ask, now that they were dancing a little closer to the line. It could be interesting. Fun, even. He did hate boredom more than anything and this promised excitement. "What would you like to know, gonzi?"
"People talk of an evil presence. Monsters in the night, unexplained deaths, missing bodies of loved ones. Have you, perchance, seen any grave diggers or dark magic users around." Meng Yao felt they were both just dancing around it so he got to the point, knowing that they both knew something was up and that Meng Yao was suspecting Xue Yang. He had been watching him for a while now.
Sure, he'd never admit to anything but he could at least be blunt and see if being daring got him anything. Even a slight reaction. "I'm very concerned for the state of Lanling."
"That's quite the thing to be concerned over. Isn't it said that evil in Lanling will be over when pigs learn to climb?" Xue Yang himself, obviously, did not seem overly concerned. "I don't have any loved ones, so I haven't missed their bodies yet."
Shame about that. He tilted his head to the side as he considered. "It may be that I may have, gongzi, but how do I know? How do I recognise a grave digger or dark magic? I'm not educated like you. Do you think they'd be ugly? Or handsome, like me?"
Might as well fish for a compliment while things went unspoken.
"I suppose they could look like anyone." Clearly they could be handsome. Wait. No, he didn't -- whatever. He pushed that thought to the side and wondered if this one was a type of cultivator. He looked around the place curiously and then turned back to Xue Yang. "You said you are waiting for your master. Does he have a name? I would very much like to know."
Perhaps he would come out soon and clue him in on what was going on. Perhaps he had a foreign, strange master that practises the deadly arts.
"Ah, he has a lot of names. He's an old master, gongzi, he's a cultivator. You all have many names if you are that noble sort, don't you? I only have the two. Xue Yang, as you know. And then I used to be the demon of Kuizhou." His smile was radiant, intentionally, knowing that it'd show his canines. He knew the effect.
"But that's years ago now. When I was a youth." Not that he was that much older now, really. He had just learned a lot of new tricks. "Do you want to meet my master, gongzi? I'm sorry, he only cares to meet pretty women."
"I would like to meet you master so perhaps I will stick around until he comes out. You've been here a while, he wouldn't be much longer, I would assume." After all, there was a limited amount of time once could be with a whore. They weren't cheap and more than an hour would be excessive. He hoped it wouldn't be more than half an hour.
Perhaps he could sit somewhere away from Xue Yang as he waited, so he would be pestered less. "Of course, you could just give me one of his names. Perhaps his courtesy name."
"Ah, gongzi. You do not want to know how long my master can take. He has money for the good medicine that keeps it up and he can afford all the prettiest whores for hours on end." So he was stuck her quite a bit longer. Meng Yao's presence truly was an improvement of it all. "I could give you that. But I'm sure you know some tedious morality tales about being careful what you wish for. Won't you trust me, gongzi, and believe that you are better off not knowing?"
So his master was rich, powerful and had a good reputation or he never would have been able to get away with what he was doing. To come here, to use up a whore so long and not worry for consequences. He did pause for a moment, his mind drifting to his father. He sincerely hoped he wasn't here tonight but he knew his father had a fondness for the whore houses. And tended to spend a long time in them.
"You think I'm better off not knowing?" Why? Meng Yao frowned at the implications. "Is it something I would not want to know or is it just something I should not know because of how dangerous it is?"
"Little bit of this, little bit of that." Xue Yang lifted his shoulders in a shrug, then he leaned even further forward and tried to catch Meng Yao's gaze, holding it while he lowered his voice. "Gongzi, it will be so much harder for you to feel better than me once you know all I know. You'd be losing all that arrogance and what's your appeal then?"
He laughed quietly and shook his head. "Dangerous. Don't you know that anywhere Xue Yang is, there is danger?"
Meng Yao had a sinking feeling in his stomach, able to read between the lines. His heart was racing as he looked around the brothel, feeling hot under his collar. Who was it that came here? And why did he think he already knew who it was? He didn't want to make judgements but only one man he cared about, that he knew, came to brothels. Perhaps Xue Yang was attempting to deter him. To scare him off.
"Why would I not feel better than you? I have done nothing untoward."
"Why would I feel less than you? I've accomplished so many things." Xue Yang grinned and then he rose to his feet, deciding to be the one to leave the conversation. He didn't like being dismissed, really pissed him off. He preferred turning the table on that. "It's boring here, gongzi. I'm going on a walk. Maybe I'll see you again soon. You should keep your eyes open at night, especially when you are by yourself. All sorts of dangers are about in Lanling. I would know, don't you think?"
"Then tell me what they are! I know that you know. I know you're lying to me. That you think you can get away with it." He didn't want to give Xue Yang this sort of power, it wasn't fair. He would leave with all of the knowledge and all that Meng Yao would have was doubts and fears. He had nothing, no information, but about a 100 anxieties now.
Instead of giving any kind of useful or sensible answer, Xue Yang simply laughed. Then he shook his head. "It is so nice to talk to you, Jin Guangyao-gongzi. I hope we can meet again soon. I will be thinking about you."
With that assertion, however unsettling, he walked out the doorway. If anyone was to follow him, they would find the street empty. He'd taken to the roof right away.
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Really seemed like a strange kind of avoidance. "I've been thinking on how beautiful you look the whole time now. Else I'd not want to sit so close. Best view in this house and it's free."
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Was he actually being hit on? He assumed this was a teasing game but he was not so sure now. Xue Yang looked at him with such a sure expression and he felt himself start to panic a little. People didn't often have crushes on people like him. He didn't know what it was about him that made it so odd but he just knew he was not a handsome young master. He was short and he had exaggerated features. "You speak far too casually to this young master."
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It might have come across as more believable if the smile hadn't lurked on his lips the entire time and finally erupted with a giggle as he shook his head. "You see, the setting, the way you look, it has made me forget all those manners that I was never taught."
Luckily, there really hadn't been that much to forget there.
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What was truly so funny? At least he could amuse himself. "Fine, you're forgiven."
He waved a dismissive hand and then leaned back in his chair. "However, you have to give me some information before I leave. If you're truly such an unworthy worm, you won't hesitate to answer me."
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He did wonder just what Meng Yao would dare to ask, now that they were dancing a little closer to the line. It could be interesting. Fun, even. He did hate boredom more than anything and this promised excitement. "What would you like to know, gonzi?"
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Sure, he'd never admit to anything but he could at least be blunt and see if being daring got him anything. Even a slight reaction. "I'm very concerned for the state of Lanling."
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Shame about that. He tilted his head to the side as he considered. "It may be that I may have, gongzi, but how do I know? How do I recognise a grave digger or dark magic? I'm not educated like you. Do you think they'd be ugly? Or handsome, like me?"
Might as well fish for a compliment while things went unspoken.
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Perhaps he would come out soon and clue him in on what was going on. Perhaps he had a foreign, strange master that practises the deadly arts.
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"But that's years ago now. When I was a youth." Not that he was that much older now, really. He had just learned a lot of new tricks. "Do you want to meet my master, gongzi? I'm sorry, he only cares to meet pretty women."
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Perhaps he could sit somewhere away from Xue Yang as he waited, so he would be pestered less. "Of course, you could just give me one of his names. Perhaps his courtesy name."
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"You think I'm better off not knowing?" Why? Meng Yao frowned at the implications. "Is it something I would not want to know or is it just something I should not know because of how dangerous it is?"
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He laughed quietly and shook his head. "Dangerous. Don't you know that anywhere Xue Yang is, there is danger?"
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Meng Yao had a sinking feeling in his stomach, able to read between the lines. His heart was racing as he looked around the brothel, feeling hot under his collar. Who was it that came here? And why did he think he already knew who it was? He didn't want to make judgements but only one man he cared about, that he knew, came to brothels. Perhaps Xue Yang was attempting to deter him. To scare him off.
"Why would I not feel better than you? I have done nothing untoward."
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"I know who it is, don't I?"
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With that assertion, however unsettling, he walked out the doorway. If anyone was to follow him, they would find the street empty. He'd taken to the roof right away.