Chapter 307 – Three Years in Langya (Part Seven)
So, she untied the sash at her waist, only loosening the outer garment, which still layered over two or three more.
Jiang Pengji saw this and approached A Cao, who nervously clenched her fists, feeling both tense and awkward.
Thinking she would be pinned down by a stranger’s body, she was instead met with a pair of clean hands that appeared in her field of vision.
They were truly clean, even the rounded nails glittered slightly with transparency.
The removed garment was neatly put back on by those hands, and a beautiful bow was tied at her waist.
“I didn’t ask you to come here for this.”
Naturally, the excited Old Drivers in the live stream, waiting for the girl to strip and offer herself up, could also quiet down for a moment.
A Cao no longer looked down but subtly raised her head, wanting to catch a glimpse of Jiang Pengji’s face.
Upon seeing her, she froze—she looked even younger than A Cao had imagined.
Could such a young noble young master also be seeking pleasure in a brothel?
She felt lost.
“So… what should this lowly servant do?” A Cao asked dully.
“Enjoy life.”
Jiang Pengji carefully examined A Cao’s face. According to Liu Zhi’s confidant, this girl resembled that one by about seventy percent.
If properly nurtured, once she matured and gave a little refinement, she’d likely look even more similar, as if reborn.
As the saying goes, beauty lies in the bones, not in the skin. Even though the girl looked a bit thin and had an undeniable weariness about her, she still exuded a certain beauty.
“Enjoy… life?”
“Yes, live like a princess.”
Princess?
A Cao’s eyes widened in shock; that meant the Emperor’s daughter, a high and mighty princess, right?
“A very beautiful face—it will ensure you a glamorous life for the rest of your days.”
Jiang Pengji didn’t hide her admiration.
Even though A Cao now had graying hair, a frail body, and haggard looks, there remained a hint of beauty in her.
At that moment, A Cao began to grasp the meaning behind Jiang Pengji’s words; her expression shifted to one of contemplation.
There’s no such thing as a free lunch—how could such a blessing come to her?
If her fate were truly that good, she wouldn’t have faced harassment from scoundrels for several years, crawling home half-dead, only to be beaten with a matchstick by her mother for being “improper,” marked for being a lowly woman born to sell her body…
After such hardship, how could good fortune suddenly land in her lap?
“I will make sure you live more comfortably than a princess.”
Jiang Pengji sat in front of A Cao, not trying to explain anything, simply observing her reaction.
“So, so… what must this lowly servant do to live… better than a princess?”
A Cao secretly tightened her grip on her sleeve, feeling unable to suppress her anxiety in Jiang Pengji’s presence.
Jiang Pengji smiled; this girl, though born lowly, displayed intelligence and potential for cultivation.
“Loyalty. Even if you must brave mountains of knives and seas of fire for me, you must tread forward. If you serve me with your life, I will grant you a life above others. It’s a fair exchange; nothing in this world comes without effort. I’m aware of the life you’ve lived—some might say it’s hell on Earth. Do you willingly accept to be treated as mere cargo, to be humiliated for a few coins?”
A Cao’s heart was stirred, flashes of numerous vile faces appeared in her mind, from early teens’ thugs to shameless old men in their fifties.
She couldn’t help but wonder—this person claims to see her value. Is it wise to let it slip away and continue living a life others disdain?
She no longer wished to live a life of being shuffled around, destined to be trampled beneath men’s bodies one day.
At fourteen, she already glimpsed the fate of aging and losing beauty. Her mother was more focused on fresher “merchandise,” only she had to strip and serve whenever someone paid…
Why should she have to endure that?
[In this line of work, youth is currency. You’re fourteen now; after years, even the most tender flower will wilt.]
A Cao recalled the eleven-year-old girl her mother had bought recently, and she shuddered at the memory.
Gritting her teeth, A Cao couldn’t help but grasp Jiang Pengji’s sleeve, pleading through her tears, “I don’t want to go back.”
“Then serve me.”
Jiang Pengji’s tone was devoid of fluctuation, as if merely stating a fact.
“Yes!”
The audience in the live stream reacted, once again having their worldview shattered by the host.
Is this how human trafficking happens on a live stream?
[Chocolate Cake]: I’m stunned—human traffickers aren’t nearly as domineering as this host.
[Old Driver Alliance]: I think I understand; does the host want to use a beauty scheme?
[Nougat]: A beauty scheme? Those come willingly—this host is using a mix of persuasion, coercion, and deceit, right?
[Musician Zhuge Qinmo]: Clearly, you didn’t pay attention to the stream, did you? The host’s words clearly hint that this young girl might not have lived a life fit for humans—didn’t you notice the bruises around her neck? The host wants to leverage her as a beauty to escape her hellish past and live well; this is just a fair exchange.
Yet despite this, some viewers still couldn’t accept it.
This host, Jiang Pengji, was challenging their moral compass.
However, it seemed that some viewers’ values were even more twisted than Jiang Pengji’s.
[Old Driver Alliance]: Host, being so blunt won’t work. For someone influenced by interests, who knows if she won’t be lured away by a better offer? You should appeal to her emotions, reason with her; young girls are often more emotional and easier to deceive. I believe you can do it.
[Musician Zhuge Qinmo]: True, while some are heartless up there, it’s appropriate to be cautious—no problem with that.
Viewers in the live stream: “…”
Given Jiang Pengji’s personality, how could she not have considered all that?
She saw through A Cao’s character clearly.
Liu Zhi’s illegitimate daughter would marry Wu Ma Jun, and at least there were two years of buffer time.
In those two years, it depended on whether A Cao could withstand the test and become a valuable piece on the chessboard.
Additionally, Jiang Pengji didn’t need A Cao to do anything dangerous.
She just needed to grow healthy and plump, dress beautifully every day, avoid schemes, and live a lazy, comfortable life.
With just that face, she was destined to be adored.
“A Cao is a bad name; let’s change it.” Jiang Pengji tilted her head in thought and meaningfully said, “Hui Jun; that’s your new name.”
A Cao didn’t know what those characters meant, but it sounded proper and appealing, nothing like a poor girl’s name.
She bowed deeply, “This lowly servant thanks you, Young Master…”
“If you work for me, I certainly won’t treat you poorly.” Jiang Pengji asked, “What do you want to do most right now?”
A Cao, now Hui Jun, thought seriously and timidly asked, “Whatever it is…?”
“Within reason, I will make it happen for you.”
Hui Jun bit her lip, her pale face resolutely said, “I want to kill a few people—they’re all bad, deserving of death!”
If it weren’t for those thuggish scoundrels, she might not have become a courtesan… Yet she knew it was unrealistic; her mother had long prized her face, seeing her as a rare commodity, but she had lost her purity. To her mother, that meant she had lost her value.
Jiang Pengji smiled and replied, “You can.”
