Hong Pei Lou (II)

Qu Xing Xu observed the young woman's face sitting across him.

Her small and beautiful face was truly captivating and adding the fact that the entire room was slightly dark with only the lamps on the wall lighting up the whole room, her face became more bewitchingly beautiful.

However, what kind of a man was Qu Zing Xu if he hadn't seen and met women with a beautiful countenance, and let it deceive him.

He met her the same kind with extremely beautiful faces, some were seductive, innocent, playful, smart, and deadly. However, none of those entered his eyes since appearances were useless to him.

It was common for men to be obsessed and desire beautiful things but that kind of character only applied to ordinary men and certainly, Qu Xing Xu was nothing but ordinary.

As a man born with an extremely handsome face, Qu Xing Xu didn't need to gaze affectionately at any beautiful things when he could simply just look at his own reflection on the mirror.

But what caught his eye wasn't the beauty that Lin Xiaofei holds but the fact that she wasn't scared off by the dreadful painting that he painted and hanged on the wall for everyone who came to see him.

And contrary to his expectations where she would be frightened and distressed by the painting, Lin Xiaofei surprisingly smiled like what she was seeing was a masterpiece created by a master painter.

After what happened yesterday, Qu Xing Xu had someone follow her every movement to see if the Lin family has moved but who would have thought that Lin Xiaofei would personally come to see him, the manager of Hong Pei Lou.

Yesterday, he saw Lin Xiaofei in one of the rooms of a brothel and was extremely shocked. He never heard of a young noble lady visiting a brothel like a spoiled young master and even dressed up as one.

In the past, he met the Fourth Young Miss of the Lin Family during a banquet in the palace and knew just how arrogant and spoiled she was just by seeing how she didn't even curtsy at him or at the royal family in the palace.

Although he was not in the Capital for a year, Qu Xing Xu still had his men collect whatever rumor was heard, and naturally, the rumors surrounding Lin Xiaofei was comparable to every royal family member.

And yet, the same woman whom he met and heard of was now sitting across him and there was no hint of naivety and rudeness in her action. She was still as arrogant as she was in the past, but the arrogance she showed was like one that was instilled into one's bones that it didn't feel crude or forced.

Thus, his curiosity piqued at the young female in front of him.

Similarly to him, Lin Xiaofei was also looking up and down at him, thinking that the man was not an ordinary one since he was able to enter the room unnoticed or maybe, he was originally inside the room that's why Lin Xiaofei didn't feel his presence.

Lin Xiaofei wasn't an expert like the man in front of her, however, because she was used to being too cautious and suspicious, she would always be on guard and be mindful of her surroundings.

Earlier, although she was caught up in admiring the painting, Lin Xiaofei's senses were still working. It just had to happen that the person who was behind her was a master in martial arts and the act of killing that she was unable to pick up his presence even in close contact.

Thinking like this, Lin Xiaofei sighed in her heart and picked up the teacup before raising it to her lips.

Once the smooth and minty taste of fresh tea touched her mouth and throat, the tension she was feeling eased up.

Qu Xing Xu looked at her through the holes in his mask and asked, "Why does the guest want to see me?"

"I heard that the Hong Pei Lou dabble on other business. I came for that reason." Lin Xiaofei cut to the chase.

"What other businesses do my Hong Pei Lou does other than serving warm and delicious dishes?" Qu Xing Xu smiled behind the mask, he feigned ignorance to what she was talking about, "The young lady must not listen to what other people say so easily."

Lin Xiaofei smiled at him and didn't get offended with what he said. She nodded her head and agreed with his wise words and said, "Of course. But I do not know why does the Hong Pei Lou manager trying to be ignorant when the scent of blood is everywhere in the restaurant."

She paused and looked at his eyes, "Especially, from you."

When she entered the restaurant, the aroma of food immediately rushed to her nose, however, the thing that made Lin Xiaofei pause was the stench of blood coming off inside the restaurant.

She lived and died lying on her blood and rotten flesh. The smell of flesh and blood was something she was extremely familiar with thus, the moment she steps a foot on the threshold of the restaurant she was sure that something was happening behind the facade that the restaurant displayed.

Besides, the customers eating on the first floor was not an ordinary customer but people who were employed by the manager of Hong Pei Lou. Assassins, mercenaries, bounty hunters, and anyone who had the skill to kill and take down others, they flocked to Hong Pei Lou not because of the money they will get but for the name they will carry on their backs in the world of pugilists.

Qu Xing Xu raised his eyebrow in surprise after hearing the young female in front of him. He knew that she was no longer the young spoiled girl in the past but he was shocked at the fact that Lin Xiaofei could smell the blood on his body.

As a man who has killed on the battlefield, the smell of blood was difficult to wash and will stay forever in one's hand forever. However, Lin Xiaofei was like every noble young lady who was no expert hence, it was impossible for her to smell the blood in the restaurant or even from him.

Amused at her, Qu Xing Xu smiled and said, "Oh? I didn't know that the sense of smell of this young lady is stronger than that of a dog."