NOVEL NEXT 6: Yulan’s Feeling
A gentle fragrance of various flowers welcomed Li Fei's nose as he entered her room. Upon a quick glance, he found the small balcony had been repurposed into a mini garden. Li Fei couldn't stop himself from taking at least a whiff of the irresistible scent of those beautiful flowers planted in a small clay pot.
Their shapes were so unique and each of them had a distinct allure by emitting a faint glow of energy. Li Fei wasn't an expert in the botanical field, but he firmly believed that those flowers didn't exist on Earth. Well, perhaps, they once existed at some point in Earth's billions of years of history, and never been recorded by scientists, yet still, Li Fei didn't feel any attachment to them. It further emphasizes him to believe that he had been reincarnated in a different universe.
“Beautiful.” Li Fei murmured under his nose. “I don't recall that you love botany, Yu-er.”
“En, I started this hobby a few years ago, when the physician told us you only had a few years left. I tried my best to… find… a cure… for your sickness.” Yulan says in a very meekish voice. So cute and elegant.
“I appreciate your effort, truly.” Li Fei smiles at her jovially, acknowledging that she might need a soliloquy to arrange her thoughts and so does he.
“Care to educate me about their name?” Li Fei said.
“But of course.” An impish smile painted on her dainty lips.
Yulan then briefly introduced him to her flowers which she takes care of like her children.
“From left to right; This blue one is Morning Glacier, the sweet and fragrance nectar would drip to the soul in the very first ray of sunlight hence its name. According to the book I've read, nectaru could cure a plethora of poisons but it's hard to extract the substance with my skills and limited instruments in my small workshop…”
Yulan glanced at the study desk which was crowded by a myriad of notes and dozens of glass flasks and a small stove in the middle.
‘She must have been studying really hard despite her having limited access and resources.’ He nodded, letting her continue.
Yulan pointed at another pot adjacent to the latter, she was so elated to talk about her little hobby with him. However, instead of listening to her, Li Fei was mesmerized by Yulan's calm and endearing voice which resulted in him staring at her face in daze.
After she’s done talking about the plethora of flowers on her balcony, Yulan invites him to sit on the bed.
Li Fei sat by her side on the edge of the bed, lending his shoulder for Yulan to lean on. A faint, melodious hum from Yulan makes the mood in the room become so romantic.
On the other hand, Yulan still couldn't believe that her master had fully recovered after he succumbed to wretched poison for a decade.
Before long, she gave in to her feelings and wouldn't stop pressing her face against his broad chest and she even purred like a kitten when Li Fei caressed her hip-long silky black hair that cascades down freely like a waterfall and made the latter to cry in silence. Li Fei could feel her trembling hands on her chest.
“I-I thought you won't make it, M-Master.” Yulan was partially having a hiccup when she spoke due to crying her heart out.
“There, there…”
While caressing the grieving lady in his embrace, he had been wondering how Peng Lao would manage his courtesans and the establishment at the same time.
There was no useful information regarding Yulan's personality in Peng Lao's memory since the latter rarely had an intimate talk with his workers, perhaps to avoid dispute between the courtesans who was the number one lady in their master's eyes.
Granted, various memories began to resurface. Although Peng Lao visits their chambers from time to time, of course, it wasn't for his own satisfaction. He never courted his courtesans unless they asked him to help them with their issues or in need of some pointers and review their skills in bed.
All in all, his relationship with his courtesans was just in professional terms, no more or less, except the twin ladies whom he bought from the slavery when they were very young.
They were lucky, Peng Lao was a man of honor and upheld his woman's dignity before anything else. He was adamant to never touch these two, not even a strand of their hair, until they came of age and grew up as a proper maiden.
Li Fei was relieved that the twin was properly taught and well-educated by Peng Lao under his tutelage.
However, his mouth became very sour as the memories flashed in his mind…
… Twenty years ago …
The House of Phoenixes was still in its developed stage, Peng Lao bought two young twin girls whom he would cultivate as his cauldrons in the future.
However, a few weeks after he bought the twin, Peng Lao found out that Aylan and Yulan were the twin daughters of his deceased lover, Meilan, from a marriage with another man.
Later on, he also found out that Meilan and her husband were assassinated by an unknown force. Albeit he had a hunch who had orchestrated the deed, he couldn't do much to unravel the truth.
Even with his power, wealth and influence in the entire kingdom, he was as powerless as an ant before his beguiling fate.
His heart broke into pieces upon learning the truth. Worse, it's also impossible for him to tell the truth to either of them since they would be targeted by whichever faction that caused the demise of their parents.
From that day onward, Peng Lao saw the two as his own daughters and swore upon Meilan's death to bring her daughters to live in prosperity.
Ten years later, the twin had grown up into a pair of fair ladies, sought upon by numerous powerful experts in the entire Yu Kingdom. Feeling indebted, Aylan and Yulan determined to become courtesans in his establishment to return the favor.
Peng Lao couldn't say no to their plea.
By the time Aylan and Yulan made their debut as courtesans, Peng Lao had prepared the dowry to buy them out before anyone else, the reason behind his seemingly outlandish action by buying out his own courtesans was none other than to protect the twin from the ‘nightlife’ and give them a chance to live as a proper lady, marrying a powerful and righteous expert, having a cute baby or two and so on.
Unfortunately, before Peng Lao could declare his intention to buy out the twin, somebody had sniffed his plan and poisoned him during Aylan and Yulan's debut party in order to rob the dowry once he died and bought the twin courtesans with the money.
But of course, before he pledged the dowry to the twin, Peng Lao, the cunning sly fox, buried the dowry under the ground beneath the pile of manure-mixed mud of the pig pen since he knew that his enemy would go after him. All hell broke loose, the conspirators were dead in Peng Lao's hands and he had to accept his fate and succumbed to poisoning for years…
Li Fei shook his head, sad and also awed by Peng Lao's bravery to protect Aylan and Yulan albeit they were not his flesh and blood.
As for why Peng Lao would do so many things for the twin was still hidden away from Li Fei's consciousness in the hazy, cloudy memory.
‘Peng Lao, you are a fucking GIGA CHAD!’
Li Fei smiled wryly while also tearing up a bit. If he ought to take the money for himself, it would be the same as snatching a candy from the two beautiful twins.
His morale and principles would not allow him to do such underhanded things. Apart from that, he also hates the fact that he had to live as someone else instead of living his life to the fullest in his second chance.
‘I shouldn't have eaten those pills.’ Li Fei sighed regretfully. “Damnit!”
Henceforth, Li Fei rose from the bed in order to call Aylan, who coincidentally was already standing by the doorway when he took one step outside. She almost flung the tray to the air when Li Fei suddenly opened the door.
Glancing at the not-so-hot porridge in the bowl, she must have stood there for quite a while.
The always cheerful woman smiled wryly. “Erm… Am I coming too early?”
Li Fei chuckles a bit as he realized that her words could have two meanings to it. “Haha, not really, come inside, we'll need to talk.”
“Un.”
After Aylan put the tray on Yulan's study table, she joined her twin sister, sitting on the bed. Now that the two sit together side by side, Li Fei noticed their difference in just a glance. Aylan wears a light, cerulean blue color robe and pinkish shawl around her waist, Yulan, meanwhile, wears a gaudy, simple gray robe and white clothes under.
Even so, the two were equally beautiful in Life's eyes. Minus the light bruise on her cheek which agitates his feeling as a professional womanizer, Li Fei swore to Peng Lao's soul to bring the culprit to justice, no, to death!
Li Fei cleared his throat to grab their attention, once they did so, Li Fei stared at their eyes deeply. He then inhaled a long breath before he spoke, preparing his mind to accept whatever consequences that would happen to him after he told them the truth.
He clasped his hands together. “There are many things that I want to say to both of you. But first of all, your master is dead. The one who possesses this body right now is me, Li Fei!”