In his previous life, Huo Fenghua had lived more than twenty years and, apart from gambling, had never developed much of any skill.
Even though this was a different age and a different world, the moment he lifted the curtain and stepped into the casino, he felt as if he had come home. Apparently gamblers were the same in any time or place: bloodshot eyes, bulging veins, staring at the gambling table as if possessed. It was still morning, yet the stale, filthy air inside was no different from midnight.
Huo Fenghua had always mixed with people like this, but he was also different from them. Gambling had been his work, something he used to earn money and survive. He understood perfectly well that nine out of ten gamblers lost, and he had never believed anyone could get rich at the tables through luck alone. Of course, there were people who made fortunes. They simply did not do it through luck, but through techniques that could never be spoken of openly.
He did not hurry into the crowd. Instead, he circled the casino, watching a few rounds at each table. It was not a particularly large establishment. The two most common games were pai gow and dice.
In his previous life, Huo Fenghua had been good at cheating at mahjong and card games. He had little experience with pai gow, but dice were basic. When he was small, his father had given him a few dice and let him shake them for fun.
So he stood beside a table where gamblers bet big or small on the dice, listening and watching for a long while. Dice in this era were made from bone. Different materials naturally produced different sounds, but for an old gambler like Huo Fenghua there were still patterns to follow.
His clothes were made of excellent fabric. Though the colors were subdued, he stood out among this crowd of gamblers. Because he had watched for so long without placing a bet, the casino enforcers posted around the room had been keeping an eye on him. Huo Fenghua therefore stopped delaying. After listening to several rounds, he took out a small piece of broken silver. Only when he actually went to place his bet did he realize that twenty taels was apparently no small amount. Broken silver was rarely seen on this table; most people were gambling with copper coins.
Huo Fenghua bet on big. Once the bets were placed and hands withdrawn, the dice cup was lifted. It was indeed big. He gathered his winnings, tilted his head to listen carefully to the sound inside the cup, then bet small the second time. He won again.
Huo Fenghua stayed in the casino for nearly an hour. He lost some and won some, but overall he won more than he lost. Afraid of attracting the owner’s attention, he decided to stop while he was ahead. When the twenty taels on him had become thirty, he stretched lazily and prepared to leave.
At that moment, someone suddenly tapped his shoulder from behind with a folding fan. Huo Fenghua turned and saw a lavishly dressed young gentleman standing there. The man stared at him in astonishment. “Huo Fenghua?”
Huo Fenghua thought the man would ordinarily count as handsome, except for the dark circles beneath his eyes and a certain weakness in his voice. He smiled and, imitating the manners of others, cupped his hands in greeting.
The young gentleman’s surprise did not diminish in the slightest. He flicked his fan rapidly several times and stammered, “Y-you—you didn’t marry—” Before he could finish, he noticed many gamblers nearby looking over. Realizing this was not a suitable place to talk, he grabbed Huo Fenghua by the sleeve and hurried toward the exit. “Come with me.”
Huo Fenghua did not even know the man’s name, but he did not resist being pulled outside. Beyond the gambling house, the pleasure district was still quiet and empty. The young gentleman looked left and right, repeatedly tapping his closed fan against his palm, then led Huo Fenghua into a brothel called Flower Moon Pavilion.
Huo Fenghua had never entered a brothel before. He could not help looking around, curious to see how beautiful the women here were. Yet the moment he stepped through the entrance, the madam came forward to greet them and exclaimed in surprise, “Young Master Wang, why have you come back when you only just left?”
So this Young Master Wang beside him had left the brothel only that morning and gone next door to the casino. After spotting Huo Fenghua there and finding it inconvenient to speak, he had brought him right back to the brothel.
Young Master Wang waved his fan. “Give us a quiet private room.”
The madam had not even had time to powder her face yet, leaving all her wrinkles visible. She said awkwardly, “The girls aren’t awake yet.”
Young Master Wang said, “No need. Just send us some wine, dishes, and pastries. The girls can come attend us after they’ve gotten ready.”
The madam repeatedly agreed. Then she leaned closer to look at Huo Fenghua, and her face took on the expression of someone who had seen a ghost. She could barely get the words out. “I-isn’t this Young Master Huo?”
Huo Fenghua froze, only now realizing that the old Huo Fenghua had probably been a frequent visitor here as well. He gave the madam an awkward smile. Seeing that Young Master Wang was already hurrying upstairs, he could only follow.
The private room in the brothel was surprisingly elegant and clean, though a perfumed fragrance constantly lingered in the air. The moment Huo Fenghua entered, he could not help sneezing.
Young Master Wang shut the door, leaned against it, and asked mysteriously, “Huo Fenghua, tell me honestly. Did you run away from the Feng residence?”
“What?” Huo Fenghua was still rubbing his nose.
Young Master Wang said, “Everyone says the Feng family rules are strict. How could they possibly allow a little concubine like you to wander through brothels and gambling houses? Don’t tell me you didn’t sneak out.”
Huo Fenghua slowly sat down beside the round table and studied him. After a brief hesitation, he said, “I accidentally fell into the water a few days ago.”
The abrupt statement left Young Master Wang baffled. “What?”
Huo Fenghua pressed two fingers together and pointed at his head. “Ever since I was pulled out of the water, my head hasn’t been quite right. I can’t remember many things.”
“You can’t remember?” Young Master Wang suddenly raised his voice, stepped forward, and gripped Huo Fenghua by the shoulders. “Do you remember me? I’m Wang Anzhi. You don’t even remember me?”
Huo Fenghua smiled. “I have some vague impressions, but much of the past is blurry.”
Wang Anzhi’s expression turned serious. He clenched his fan and paced the room several times before sitting down close to Huo Fenghua. In a cautious voice he asked, “How did you fall into the water for no reason? Could it be that Feng Tianzong’s male wife deliberately tried to harm you?”
Huo Fenghua looked at him and asked experimentally, “Oh? Why would he want to harm me?”
Wang Anzhi’s eyes shifted about. Slowly, he said, “Perhaps he was jealous because General Feng favors you.”
Huo Fenghua had grown up among all sorts of people and was exceptionally good at reading faces. One look at Wang Anzhi’s expression told him that the man’s words were probably unreliable. He had originally intended to fish more information out of him, but now changed his mind.
Just then, a brothel servant brought in wine and food. Wang Anzhi told them to set everything down, dismissed them all, then personally poured wine for Huo Fenghua. With a sigh he said, “I thought that once you married into the Feng family, we’d never again have the chance to sit together and drink. I never expected to meet you here today.”
“We often drank together before?” Huo Fenghua asked curiously.
Wang Anzhi said, “Of course. We’ve known each other for years. Ever since you came to Eastern Qilin, we’ve been close.”
Huo Fenghua suddenly remembered Qingqing telling him that he had originally been from Western Silk, and that Feng Tianzong had already led troops to destroy Western Silk. There had to be many twists behind why he had married Feng Tianzong as a concubine.
Wang Anzhi had already drunk heavily the night before. After another two cups now, the flush spread from his eyes all the way down to his jaw. He suddenly leaned close to Huo Fenghua and asked, “We’re brothers. Tell me honestly—has Feng Tianzong already broken you in?” As he spoke, one finger pressed against Huo Fenghua’s back and slowly slid downward.
Huo Fenghua broke out in goosebumps. He shifted aside to avoid Wang Anzhi’s hand and turned to look at him. Seeing the lewd smile on his face, Huo Fenghua swallowed the words that had reached his lips.
Wang Anzhi remained oblivious. He teased Huo Fenghua, “It’s only been a few months, but every look in your eyes is full of seduction now. Seems Feng Tianzong really does have some skill.”
Huo Fenghua had no idea where Wang Anzhi saw all this supposed seductiveness. Ever since waking in this body, he had been sickly and weak. Even that morning, before leaving his room, he had looked in the mirror and seen a pale face. Qingqing herself had said he had lost a great deal of weight.
He did not get angry with Wang Anzhi. Smiling, he said, “Feng Tianzong has a principal wife like an immortal. Why would he even look at me?”
“Su Zeyang?” At the name, the corner of Wang Anzhi’s mouth curled. He sneered. “So what if he’s good-looking? So what if his martial arts are powerful? He willingly married a man and became a male wife. He’s degrading himself and has no shame!”
Huo Fenghua picked up a pea with his fingertips and put it in his mouth, chewing lazily. Wang Anzhi did not seem to realize that what he had just said insulted Huo Fenghua as well. He picked up his wine cup and held it out. “Come, come. Drink.”
At that moment, the door was gently pushed open from outside. Two beautifully dressed women appeared in the doorway. The one in front moved lightly and immediately threw herself into Wang Anzhi’s arms, speaking in a soft, sweet voice. “Young Master Wang, Zhu’er knew you couldn’t bear to leave.”
Wang Anzhi wrapped an arm around the woman called Zhu’er. He had spent the previous night in her room. Smiling, he said, “That’s right. Haven’t I come back?”
The other woman closed the door behind her and came in. She first looked cautiously at Huo Fenghua, then widened her eyes in shock. “I-isn’t this Young Master Huo?”
Wang Anzhi chuckled. “It is indeed your Young Master Huo. Hurry over and attend him. What are you standing there staring for?”
The woman approached Huo Fenghua, still not recovered from her surprise. “Didn’t Young Master Huo marry into the General’s Residence? How do you still dare come to Flower Moon Pavilion?”
A layer of fine sweat suddenly appeared on Huo Fenghua’s forehead. So not only had he been a regular visitor to the pleasure quarter, even the people here knew he had married the general as a male concubine? Was he himself some extraordinary figure, or was General Feng extraordinary? Had the entire Kingdom of Eastern Qilin heard that he had married a man?
Wang Anzhi watched with an amused expression and said, “Why should marrying the general stop him from coming back to drink with beautiful women? Hurry, feed Young Master Huo a cup of wine.”
The woman came to Huo Fenghua’s side and softly leaned into his arms. Suddenly blushing, she said, “General Feng is such an extraordinary man! I wouldn’t dare feed wine to someone who belongs to him.”
Despite saying that, she still pressed close and sat on one of Huo Fenghua’s thighs.
The heavy smell of cosmetics made Huo Fenghua’s nose itch again. Before he could speak, he heard Wang Anzhi say, “What? Even you have designs on General Feng?”
The woman hurriedly said, “How would a little woman like me dare?”
Wang Anzhi teased, “Unfortunately General Feng only likes men, not women. You can ask Young Master Huo whether General Feng is just as mighty and domineering in bed.”
Although Wang Anzhi was joking with a prostitute, every sentence revolved around Huo Fenghua’s identity as General Feng’s male concubine, and his words were full of contempt and obscenity. Combined with what he had said about Su Zeyang earlier, Huo Fenghua now understood completely that Wang Anzhi did not respect him at all. What sort of brother was he supposed to be?
Fortunately, Huo Fenghua had been bullied and looked down on since childhood. He was used to it and did not get angry over things like this. He merely wanted to find an excuse to leave. Yet before he could speak, there was suddenly a loud crash at the door—it had been kicked open from outside.
Huo Fenghua saw that the person who had kicked the door open and stormed in was Liu Yong, a servant from the General’s Residence. He charged inside and, the moment he saw Huo Fenghua, shouted loudly, “Young Master Su, he really is here!”
Immediately afterward, Su Zeyang walked in. The moment he saw Huo Fenghua, his brows drew tightly together.
