Xie Jing no longer paid him any mind. The man, sensing Xie Jing's impatience, didn't press further and instead said, "Here, it's simple to understand a woman's heart, isn't it? With so many women in this establishment, why not just find one and ask?"
Upon hearing this, Xie Jing immediately turned to look at him, a glint in his eyes. The man continued, "Hasn't that Hong Xiu girl been pestering you for a while? Go ask her, you're sure to get some different information!"
Xie Jing took his words to heart and hurried out the door.
Seeing his hurried demeanor, the man became even more curious about the appearance of the female patron who had hired Xie Jing.
Coincidentally, as Xie Jing stepped out, there was a knock at the door.
He thought it was Xie Jing returning and opened the door, only to see a woman. She was very well-behaved and quite likable.
"You..."
He stared blankly at Qin Jiujiu, his face flushing. His normally straightforward nature suddenly became somewhat hesitant.
Qin Jiujiu didn't notice his odd behavior and looked at him, thinking he was dressed ostentatiously but lacked any of the charm of the red-clothed man. Compared to Xie Jing, he was certainly worlds apart.
"I'm looking for Xie Jing. I heard he lives here!"
The man was taken aback for a moment, then quickly recovered and said, "Could it be that you are the young lady who is supporting Xie Jing?"
As if surprised by her appearance, the man's pupils widened considerably. Qin Jiujiu didn't mind the term "supporting" he used but confirmed that Xie Jing should be here.
Qin Jiujiu's gaze bypassed the man in front of her and scanned the room, but she couldn't see Xie Jing.
"He's not here," the man said, as if thinking of something and finding it difficult to speak.
Qin Jiujiu saw his awkwardness and asked, "Then where is he now?"
The man thought for a moment and finally replied, "He should be with the courtesans. He..."
Qin Jiujiu's expression changed, a fleeting look of astonishment in her eyes, which quickly subsided into calm. Xie Jing had gone to see courtesans?
At first, she didn't believe it, but then she thought of Xie Jing's strange behavior these past two days, which made it plausible. She had originally wanted to find him to accompany her for a walk, as she hadn't yet explored the marketplace since arriving in Manluo Kingdom and was naturally curious.
After all, Xie Jing was now her bodyguard and should be fulfilling his duties, unlike Xing Ru's bodyguard, Ling Ye, who was rarely seen.
"Alright, thank you!" she said concisely, thanked him, and turned to leave.
The man watched her retreating figure, thinking that although this young lady looked demure, her personality was decisive and straightforward, not at all coy or affected, which was quite different from the women he had encountered.
Qin Jiujiu still remembered the way. After many twists and turns, she found the place where the courtesans were. Just then, she saw a group of people surrounding Xie Jing, and a woman in pink was leaning into Xie Jing's embrace.
Qin Jiujiu let out a snicker.
Her laughter, that of the Saint Doctor, drew everyone's attention.
Qin Jiujiu coughed twice to ease the awkwardness and quickly said, "I'm looking for Xie Jing!"
Everyone recognized her and quickly made way. Only the woman in pink remained leaning against Xie Jing's chest, her gaze clearly hostile towards Qin Jiujiu.
Xie Jing also looked at Qin Jiujiu, seemingly shocked that she had found him. The atmosphere was awkward, and he was unsure if Qin Jiujiu had overheard their conversation.
Xie Jing's face flushed. He had just been seeking advice from these women on the topic of how to please women!
Some said it required a lot of money, and women would naturally fall at their feet. But Xie Jing patted the purse at his waist. Not only was there no money in it, but he didn't even have a purse, so where would the money come from? Moreover, Qin Jiujiu was a very wealthy woman...
He looked embarrassed. The women naturally realized that this advice wasn't applicable to him, and one quickly stepped forward to help, saying, "Women highly value appearance. Young master, your looks are excellent, which is a natural advantage..."
After saying this, the woman in pink shot a hostile look at the speaker. The speaker's demeanor was no less assertive, and she directly glared back.
The women chattered on, their words endless. Xie Jing's expression was serious and attentive, completely oblivious to the woman in pink approaching him.
The woman in pink was Hong Xiu.
...
Hong Xiu looked at Qin Jiujiu with hostility. Qin Jiujiu naturally felt the other woman's animosity. She bypassed Hong Xiu directly and said to Xie Jing, "Come here for a moment!"
Upon hearing this, Xie Jing was about to go over, but Hong Xiu refused to let him. She blocked him with her body. Xie Jing then realized how close this woman was to him. He frowned, feeling displeased, but with Qin Jiujiu present, he couldn't afford to lose his temper. He could only patiently push Hong Xiu aside and then went towards Qin Jiujiu.
The women naturally recognized Qin Jiujiu's identity and all dispersed. Only Hong Xiu looked at Qin Jiujiu with venomous eyes. However, the woman who had spoken earlier saw her like this and scoffed, "With you, do you think you can compare to that guest? That Xie young master has never even spared you a glance. Can't you see his eyes are only on that guest?"
"Xie Jing, I want to go out for a walk, but I'm just a woman without martial arts skills. Isn't it a bit unsafe..." She didn't continue, looking directly into Xie Jing's eyes, hoping he would immediately understand her meaning.
"..."
But Xie Jing only looked at her, and for a moment, he didn't utter a word. Qin Jiujiu, helpless, continued, "As my bodyguard, don't you have a duty to protect me?"
Xie Jing then understood her meaning, nodded, but remained silent.
His face was expressionless, but his eyes were always on her. Although Qin Jiujiu was used to this cold Xie Jing, she felt something was wrong at this moment.
She asked, "You heard what I said, right?"
Xie Jing nodded, his face still impassive.
Qin Jiujiu, helpless, chose to leave.
Xie Jing remained silent all the way. Walking beside him, he was like a cold-faced Asura, making people stare at her when she was paying the bill. Not only that, but both of them were outstanding in appearance. Qin Jiujiu was wearing a veil, exuding an air of mystery, and Xie Jing was extremely handsome. Soon, the two became the center of attention for passersby.
Qin Jiujiu stopped. Xie Jing also stopped, looking at her in confusion.
Qin Jiujiu couldn't help but ask, "Have you become mute?"
Xie Jing shook his head, indicating that he had not.
Qin Jiujiu patiently asked again, "Are you unwilling to come out?"
Xie Jing shook his head again. His mind was filled with what that woman had said – men should have masculine charm, being cold was best, and being talkative was most annoying!