Chapter 74: Catching Cheating
In the Pear Blossom Courtyard, the woman on the second floor was still raising the stakes.
“One thousand taels!”
“This is not just about the silver; it’s about dignity and boundaries!”
Seeing Lin Xiu’s firm attitude, the woman exhibited a hint of disappointment but continued, “If you have a change of heart, you can always come to the Baoding Marquis’s residence to find me. We can discuss the price again…”
Unexpectedly, this woman had ties to a second-rank marquis family. Lin Xiu sighed, “Madam, could you please tell me what you want me to do?”
As she spoke of the matter, a fierce glint appeared in her eyes, and she gritted her teeth, saying, “That scoundrel, living off me, eating my food, using my money, dares to betray me for another woman! I want you to help me obtain evidence of his betrayal. Once the job is done, I’ll reward you with one thousand taels!”
Lin Xiu quickly grasped the situation.
It turned out she was supporting a pretty boy, providing for his food and entertainment, under the condition that he would accompany her for fun.
Recently, she had discovered that the tribute from her pretty boy had significantly decreased, leading her to suspect infidelity. To confirm her doubts, she had hired several private investigators, but none had found any crucial evidence. Lin Xiu was already the fifth investigator she had hired.
It seemed this job would be somewhat challenging, but Lin Xiu still accepted it readily.
After all, one thousand taels was a significant temptation for him.
One detail left Lin Xiu speechless: this wealthy woman was raising another pretty boy while expecting him not to cheat on her. Yet just moments ago, she told Lin Xiu that aside from accompanying her, he could do anything else. This was clearly a double standard.
As she was about to leave, the woman reminded Lin Xiu, “If you change your mind, make sure to come find me!”
After prepaying one hundred taels as an advance, she reluctantly left.
Once she was finally gone, Lin Xiu noticed Caiyi smiling at him and asked, “Caiyi, what are you laughing at?”
Caiyi beamed, “I just think it’s admirable that you have principles and boundaries. How many people can resist such a temptation of one thousand taels?”
In reality, Lin Xiu couldn’t resist either. Considering the world’s prices, one thousand taels was roughly equivalent to one million RMB in later times. A million a month—some people might grit their teeth and endure even if it meant warnings from a steel wool ball…
Lin Xiu helplessly replied to Caiyi, “I actually like silver too, but I truly can’t bring myself to do that to the madam. If it were you, Caiyi, I wouldn’t hesitate—one hundred taels, I’d be willing…”
Having grown familiar with Lin Xiu, Caiyi was more relaxed around him after he flirted with her repeatedly. She merely smiled lightly and said, “Then I’ll have to work hard to earn money. You must remember what you said today…”
“Once a promise is made, it’s hard to retract. I’ll be waiting, Caiyi…”
…
After teasing Caiyi for a while in the Pear Blossom Courtyard, Lin Xiu returned to the Lin residence. He hadn’t forgotten that he still had important business to attend to.
This was his first job as a private investigator, and it had to be executed flawlessly to establish his reputation. This was crucial for a newcomer in the field.
The woman had already provided Lin Xiu with the pretty boy’s appearance and address. His task was to monitor this person’s movements and, ideally, find evidence of his betrayal.
For this kind of work, Lin Xiu didn’t even need to get his hands dirty. After bribing a thrush with some birdseed, it flew out to help Lin Xiu keep an eye on the target.
It wasn’t until two hours later that the thrush flapped its wings and flew into Lin Xiu’s room through the window, landing on the table and chirping a few times.
Lin Xiu raised an eyebrow, surprised. “Did you lose track of him?”
The thrush chirped a few more times, and Lin Xiu seemed to ponder something.
Just over an hour ago, it had seen the target leave his house and enter a restaurant to eat, but he never came back out. After waiting impatiently, the thrush went to the man’s home to check and found he had returned.
Most people’s first reaction to this would be that the target had left the restaurant, and the thrush had simply missed him. But Lin Xiu didn’t think so.
To find evidence of this person’s infidelity, Lin Xiu was not the only private investigator hired by the wealthy woman. Before him, she had employed four others, all more famous than him, but they had all failed without exception.
Before hiring private investigators, she had even had her servants follow the man, yet they found nothing.
This job was indeed proving to be challenging.
It seemed that one thousand taels wouldn’t come easily. Lin Xiu instructed the thrush to observe the target for another two days and discovered he left home at a specific time every afternoon, then disappeared for hours before reappearing.
This piqued Lin Xiu’s interest. One day, he took Da Huang and the thrush with him. Watching the man enter a restaurant, he settled down at a nearby tea stall, sipping tea while waiting.
It was mealtime, and people were constantly entering and exiting the restaurant, but the target Lin Xiu was waiting for did not show up.
At one moment, Da Huang, lying at Lin Xiu’s feet, suddenly sniffed the air and whispered, “Master, master, he’s coming out!”
Lin Xiu immediately looked towards the restaurant entrance but saw nothing. Just as he was puzzled, Da Huang said again, “Master, it’s the person who just walked out! Although he looks different and has changed clothes, his scent hasn’t changed!”
Lin Xiu’s gaze locked onto a young man in a gray long robe. This man was indeed handsome, but he was very different from the target Lin Xiu was tracking. Their clothing was also not the same. However, their heights and builds were quite similar.
Lin Xiu paused momentarily before quickly realizing something and suddenly stood up.
This person was a practitioner of mystical arts—he could change his appearance!
No wonder the servants of the marquis family and Lin Xiu’s previous private investigators had failed to find evidence of his infidelity. The thrush had returned empty-handed every time, and even Lin Xiu had been deceived, but fortunately, he had brought Da Huang today.
He could change his appearance but could not change his scent.
A spark of excitement flickered in Lin Xiu’s eyes as he discreetly followed.
At this moment, he thought not only of the one thousand taels reward; the ability to disguise oneself was incredibly important to him!
Lin Xiu’s current face had brought him a lot of trouble. Countless people in the capital wanted him dead without anyone knowing. Although the Emperor had sent people from the private investigation unit to protect him, Lin Xiu had lost his freedom in return.
He knew that two private investigators were secretly protecting him, ensuring his safety, but he had also lost his secrets.
If he encountered another stormy night, Lin Xiu would find it impossible to go out and train, which had been a constant source of frustration for him.
If he could change his appearance, things would become much simpler.
When doing things that shouldn’t be known or were inconvenient to know, he could easily switch faces and identities, carrying out his tasks quietly without worrying about being assassinated on the street or having his greatest secrets exposed.
And all of this hinged on obtaining this person’s ability!
Liu Dong walked along the bustling street, feeling quite disdainful.
That short, fat, ugly woman actually suspected him and even hired private investigators to investigate him—it was ridiculous. Liu Dong had roamed the flowerbeds for many years and relied on his ability to change his appearance. Even if he went out every day to find women, she wouldn’t find any evidence.
If it weren’t for her money and luxurious lifestyle, he would never sleep with that fat pig. Every night, he was embraced by a mound of fat, which cast a huge shadow over his heart. Only the pretty, gentle girls from the brothels could soothe his wounded soul…
As for that fat pig, she could keep investigating. Let her check freely; if she finds any evidence, it’ll be his loss!
With such thoughts in mind, Liu Dong arrived at a familiar brothel.
He groped a few of the girls outside for fun, then wrapped an arm around one of them, smiling as he walked in, ready to comfort himself for the grievances of the previous night.
Lin Xiu stood quietly a distance away, silently observing everything.
He understood the temptation of shortcuts that could save thirty years of hard work. Few could resist it, especially after entering society and experiencing the harshness of life. Gradually, they would realize that dignity and boundaries were the most worthless things. Some people, with a firm heart, would choose to take shortcuts.
Dreams pale in comparison to reality.
Yet very few understood that fate had already set a price in the shadows.
Shortcuts that could save thirty years of struggle were not so easy to traverse. In his previous life, Lin Xiu knew many young men and women who were supported by wealthy women and men. In private, they would also spend their own money for enjoyment. Their psychological repression, having endured for long, made them even more in need of release than ordinary people.
Especially for young men supported by older wealthy women, their circumstances were even more tragic. As men’s desires in certain aspects diminished with age, they sought other things—money and power—these attracted them far more than beauty. Occasionally seeking out beautiful young girls was merely to fulfill their normal physiological needs.
In the Pear Blossom Courtyard, the woman on the second floor kept raising the stakes.
“One thousand taels!”
“This isn’t just about the silver; it’s about dignity and boundaries!”
Seeing Lin Xiu’s resolute stance, the woman displayed a hint of disappointment but continued, “If you have a change of heart, you can always come to the Baoding Marquis’s residence and find me. We can negotiate the price again…”
Unexpectedly, this woman had connections to a second-rank marquis family. Lin Xiu sighed, “Madam, could you please tell me what you want me to do?”
When it came to this matter, a fierce glint appeared in her eyes as she gritted her teeth, saying, “That scoundrel, living off me, eating my food, spending my money, dares to betray me for another woman! I want you to help me obtain evidence of his betrayal, and once it’s done, I’ll reward you with one thousand taels!”
Lin Xiu quickly understood the woman’s situation.
It turned out she was supporting a pretty boy, providing for his food and entertainment, under the condition that he would accompany her for fun.
Recently, she noticed that the tribute from her pretty boy had significantly decreased, leading her to suspect infidelity. To confirm her doubts, she had hired several private investigators, but none had found any crucial evidence. Lin Xiu was already her fifth investigator.
It seemed this job would be somewhat challenging, but Lin Xiu still accepted it readily.
After all, one thousand taels was a significant temptation for him.
One detail left Lin Xiu speechless: this wealthy woman was raising another pretty boy while expecting him not to cheat on her. Yet just moments ago, she told Lin Xiu that aside from accompanying her, he could do anything else. This was clearly a double standard.
As she was about to leave, the woman reminded Lin Xiu, “If you change your mind, make sure to come find me!”
After prepaying one hundred taels as an advance, she reluctantly departed.
Once she was finally gone, Lin Xiu noticed Caiyi smiling at him and asked, “Caiyi, what are you laughing at?”
Caiyi beamed, “I just think it’s admirable that you have principles and boundaries. How many people can resist such a temptation of one thousand taels?”
In reality, Lin Xiu couldn’t resist either. Considering the world’s prices, one thousand taels was roughly equivalent to one million RMB in later times. A million a month—some people might grit their teeth and endure even if it meant warnings from a steel wool ball…
Lin Xiu helplessly replied to Caiyi, “I actually like silver too, but I truly can’t bring myself to do that to the madam. If it were you, Caiyi, I wouldn’t hesitate—one hundred taels, I’d be willing…”
Having grown familiar with Lin Xiu, Caiyi was more relaxed around him after he flirted with her repeatedly. She merely smiled lightly and said, “Then I’ll have to work hard to earn money. You must remember what you said today…”
“Once a promise is made, it’s hard to retract. I’ll be waiting, Caiyi…”
…
After teasing Caiyi for a while in the Pear Blossom Courtyard, Lin Xiu returned to the Lin residence. He hadn’t forgotten that he still had important business to attend to.
This was his first job as a private investigator, and it had to be executed flawlessly to establish his reputation. This was crucial for a newcomer in the field.
The woman had already provided Lin Xiu with the pretty boy’s appearance and address. His task was to monitor this person’s movements and, ideally, find evidence of his betrayal.
For this kind of work, Lin Xiu didn’t even need to get his hands dirty. After bribing a thrush with some birdseed, it flew out to help Lin Xiu keep an eye on the target.
It wasn’t until two hours later that the thrush flapped its wings and flew into Lin Xiu’s room through the window, landing on the table and chirping a few times.
Lin Xiu raised an eyebrow, surprised. “Did you lose track of him?”
The thrush chirped a few more times, and Lin Xiu seemed to ponder something.
Just over an hour ago, it had seen the target leave his house and enter a restaurant to eat, but he never came back out. After waiting impatiently, the thrush went to the man’s home to check and found he had returned.
Most people’s first reaction to this would be that the target had left the restaurant, and the thrush had simply missed him. But Lin Xiu didn’t think so.
To find evidence of this person’s infidelity, Lin Xiu was not the only private investigator hired by the wealthy woman. Before him, she had employed four others, all more famous than him, but they had all failed without exception.
Before hiring private investigators, she had even had her servants follow the man, yet they found nothing.
This job was indeed proving to be challenging.
It seemed that one thousand taels wouldn’t come easily. Lin Xiu instructed the thrush to observe the target for another two days and discovered he left home at a specific time every afternoon, then disappeared for hours before reappearing.
This piqued Lin Xiu’s interest. One day, he took Da Huang and the thrush with him. Watching the man enter a restaurant, he settled down at a nearby tea stall, sipping tea while waiting.
It was mealtime, and people were constantly entering and exiting the restaurant, but the target Lin Xiu was waiting for did not show up.
At one moment, Da Huang, lying at Lin Xiu’s feet, suddenly sniffed the air and whispered, “Master, master, he’s coming out!”
Lin Xiu immediately looked towards the restaurant entrance but saw nothing. Just as he was puzzled, Da Huang said again, “Master, it’s the person who just walked out! Although he looks different and has changed clothes, his scent hasn’t changed!”
Lin Xiu’s gaze locked onto a young man in a gray long robe. This man was indeed handsome, but he was very different from the target Lin Xiu was tracking. Their clothing was also not the same. However, their heights and builds were quite similar.
Lin Xiu paused momentarily before quickly realizing something and suddenly stood up.
This person was a practitioner of mystical arts—he could change his appearance!
No wonder the servants of the marquis family and Lin Xiu’s previous private investigators had failed to find evidence of his infidelity. The thrush had returned empty-handed every time, and even Lin Xiu had been deceived, but fortunately, he had brought Da Huang today.
He could change his appearance but could not change his scent.
A spark of excitement flickered in Lin Xiu’s eyes as he discreetly followed.
At this moment, he thought not only of the one thousand taels reward; the ability to disguise oneself was incredibly important to him!
Lin Xiu’s current face had brought him a lot of trouble. Countless people in the capital wanted him dead without anyone knowing. Although the Emperor had sent people from the private investigation unit to protect him, Lin Xiu had lost his freedom in return.
He knew that two private investigators were secretly protecting him, ensuring his safety, but he had also lost his secrets.
If he encountered another stormy night, Lin Xiu would find it impossible to go out and train, which had been a constant source of frustration for him.
If he could change his appearance, things would become much simpler.
When doing things that shouldn’t be known or were inconvenient to know, he could easily switch faces and identities, carrying out his tasks quietly without worrying about being assassinated on the street or having his greatest secrets exposed.
And all of this hinged on obtaining this person’s ability!
Liu Dong walked along the bustling street, feeling quite disdainful.
That short, fat, ugly woman actually suspected him and even hired private investigators to investigate him—it was ridiculous. Liu Dong had roamed the flowerbeds for many years and relied on his ability to change his appearance. Even if he went out every day to find women, she wouldn’t find any evidence.
If it weren’t for her money and luxurious lifestyle, he would never sleep with that fat pig. Every night, he was embraced by a mound of fat, which cast a huge shadow over his heart. Only the pretty, gentle girls from the brothels could soothe his wounded soul…
As for that fat pig, she could keep investigating. Let her check freely; if she finds any evidence, it’ll be his loss!
With such thoughts in mind, Liu Dong arrived at a familiar brothel.
He groped a few of the girls outside for fun, then wrapped an arm around one of them, smiling as he walked in, ready to comfort himself for the grievances of the previous night.
Lin Xiu stood quietly a distance away, silently observing everything.
He understood the temptation of shortcuts that could save thirty years of hard work. Few could resist it, especially after entering society and experiencing the harshness of life. Gradually, they would realize that dignity and boundaries were the most worthless things. Some people, with a firm heart, would choose to take shortcuts.
Dreams pale in comparison to reality.
Yet very few understood that fate had already set a price in the shadows.
Shortcuts that could save thirty years of struggle were not so easy to traverse. In his previous life, Lin Xiu knew many young men and women who were supported by wealthy women and men. In private, they would also spend their own money for enjoyment. Their psychological repression, having endured for long, made them even more in need of release than ordinary people.
Especially for young men supported by older wealthy women, their circumstances were even more tragic. As men’s desires in certain aspects diminished with age, they sought other things—money and power—these attracted them far more than beauty. Occasionally seeking out beautiful young girls was merely to fulfill their normal physiological needs.
