Silent Lover (The Silent Concubine) - Chap 137
Chapter 137 – Nature is Hard to Change
Hong Lian squinted as he watched Song Qing’s panic-stricken expression, and with a delicate gesture, he covered his mouth and giggled.
“Master Song, what you’re holding is my undergarment…”
He laughed gleefully, “If Master likes it, you can keep it, no problem…”
Only then did Song Qing realize that he had grabbed the wrong piece of clothing. He was using Hong Lian’s pink undergarment to cover his lower half, and his face immediately turned so red that it felt like smoke might start coming out. The bloodstains and other marks on the undergarment made him quickly throw it away as if stung, and he hurriedly put on his own clothes. Normally so decisive and efficient, Song Qing was now so flustered that he couldn’t even get dressed properly.
Hong Lian, thoroughly amused, found himself wide awake now and watched him with great interest.
“Why are you panicking, Master Song? Every man has a first time. Otherwise, on your wedding night, will you just stare blankly at your bride? Or is it that I didn’t satisfy you? That would break my heart…”
Song Qing was dumbfounded. Although he had been drunk and out of control at the time, he clearly remembered the intense pleasure during their entanglement, the scent and feel of his body. Song Qing felt like he had floated in the clouds all night and was still walking on air…
Suddenly jolted awake from his lingering thoughts, Song Qing snapped back to reality.
“You… You weren’t drunk last night! Why did you… take advantage of me?!”
“Pfft—”
Hong Lian couldn’t help but laugh at his accusation of “taking advantage,” his laughter causing him to roll around on the bed.
Song Qing’s face turned dark. He vaguely remembered that at the beginning, he had been so drunk that his entire body was burning, and his mind was confused. It was Hong Lian who had pushed him onto the bed, stripped his clothes, and used his hands and mouth to relieve his desires. At that time, Song Qing, like a lake on the verge of bursting its banks, finally found an outlet, and his natural instincts drove him to pull Hong Lian under him…
The bruises on Hong Lian’s body were enough to prove how much he had enjoyed himself last night…
Song Qing felt humiliated by his laughter and angrily said, “You! Admit it! You weren’t drunk…”
“Why wouldn’t I take a business deal offered to me? I’m not stupid,” Hong Lian interrupted casually. “Master Song, you know as well as I do that I don’t have a place to do business. I have to ‘take advantage’ to seize an opportunity.”
Song Qing’s face turned even darker with anger.
“Do you think I’m just another of your business deals?!” Song Qing growled in a low voice.
Hong Lian’s smile paused for a moment, then he waved his hand nonchalantly. “What else would it be? Did you expect me to cry and beg you to marry me and take responsibility for the rest of my life? Or are you planning to leave without paying, thinking you can get a free ride?”
Song Qing’s face stiffened, and a nameless anger welled up in his heart. Hong Lian’s casual and indifferent attitude infuriated him. To him, how could two people do such a thing just for money! Had he become no different from his previous clients?!
“Fine! Fine!” Song Qing was so angry that he couldn’t speak for a moment. “How much money do you want?!”
Hong Lian, leaning on his side, said, “I’ll give you a 40% discount—300 taels. Although you were reckless and had no skill, your, uh, assets were impressive, and your stamina was incredible. Much more vigorous than those officials and wealthy landlords I’ve served before. My body is still tingling… Master Song, if you come again tonight, I’ll even give you half off~.”
The more Song Qing listened, the more outrageous it sounded. Being compared to those men made him furious. He randomly pulled out 300 taels of silver notes from his clothes and threw them onto the bed, then stormed out of the room.
“Hey! Wait a minute!” Hong Lian called after him, “Where are you going, Master Song?”
Song Qing turned his head and said, “That’s none of your business!”
“I couldn’t care less,” Hong Lian said, pointing at the torn clothes on the floor. “But you’ve ripped my clothes to shreds. You don’t expect me to walk out of your room naked, do you? If the servants saw that, it would ruin your reputation, Master Song.”
When Song Qing brought him some clean clothes, Hong Lian was already soaking in a bath, holding the silver notes up to the light with fascination.
Song Qing placed the clothes down and was about to leave.
Hong Lian leaned over the edge of the tub and asked with a grin, “Has Master Song bathed yet? How about we share a bath?”
“Shameless!” Song Qing was so furious that he almost ripped the door off its hinges, causing a loud bang. When Hong Lian saw the look of disdain in his gaze, he felt a bit stung but waved it off indifferently.
“I’m in the business of selling my body. If I weren’t shameless, I wouldn’t even be able to eat.”
“You! Didn’t you say you wouldn’t go back to Qinhuai Building to do this kind of work?”
Song Qing almost asked the question aloud but stopped himself. “It’s easier to change mountains and rivers than to change one’s nature.” Since Hong Lian was born in a brothel, how could he ever change his promiscuous ways? If he doesn’t even respect himself, why should he be so angry?
Hong Lian hadn’t been seducing other men lately, and Song Qing had thought he might be worth saving, hoping to persuade him to turn his life around.
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Author’s Note:
Hong Lian is a pit I’ve wanted to dig for a while. The backstory will be revealed in the future… Just a warning, the story is mostly sweet with a bit of angst, but not scummy~
