Little Pink Starfish

The quiet chamber was suffused with the delicate aroma of tea, the fragrance curling into the air like a wisp of smoke. A youth, resplendent in a silver-embroidered robe, exuded an air of noble refinement as he reclined on a soft couch, idly stroking the ink-black hair of the person resting their head on his lap.  

Eight exquisite maidens with high coiled hair knelt around the two, engaged in various tasks: one held a beautiful fan, another brewed tea with deft hands, while yet another gently tapped a jade hammer in a soothing rhythm. Their beauty was unparalleled and varied—some were ethereal, others seductive, others playful or graceful. The misty atmosphere only enhanced their radiance, while their movements were silent and precise, a testament to their rigorous training.  

The scene was serene and beautiful enough to be a painting.  

On either side of the chamber, four or five young women knelt neatly, their delicate faces fixed on the tableau before them. They watched with rapt attention, as if trying to commit the scene to memory, though occasional flashes of discomfort flitted across their eyes.  

The alluring Liu Manluo grumbled inwardly, Why do I have to kneel here and fan someone too?  

The pragmatic Xin E replied, If you eat and live here for free, sometimes you have to play along.

The straightforward Lu Jia’er mused, I think there’s something we can learn from Lu Xiao and the others.  

The delicate Yun Menglian chimed in devotionally, The City Lord is always right! Offering everything to the City Lord is what we should do!  

Lu Xiao and the other four flawless maidens glanced briefly at the kneeling girls by the wall, a flicker of disdain flashing in their eyes. 

In terms of beauty? We win.

In terms of skills? We win.

In terms of martial prowess? We win. 

In terms of demeanour? We still win.

What are these Golden Phoenix City maids even alive for at this point? 

Among the kneeling girls, the most diligent and relatively best-looking one noticed their condescending gazes and clenched her fists. Humiliation! This is an absolute disgrace! Golden Phoenix City was a great city, and she had fought tooth and nail, even given bribes, to beat out countless competitors to become one of the city lord’s maids. But these newcomers brought their own maids, completely sidelining her and the others!  

What infuriated her even more was that these maids were indeed better than them in every way! How am I supposed to explain this to the city lord? This is such a loss of face for Golden Phoenix City!  

But she had to endure. 

The people from Heaven’s Capital were a wake-up call. She couldn’t cling to Golden Phoenix City’s reputation and ignore the need to improve her own professional skills. This disgrace today, I will one day repay in kind—fair and square!

For this goal, she resolved to learn from these victors. …Thus, the rivalries among women would never cease. Beyond competing for favour, fighting within households, or bearing children, they also had ambitions and aspirations. This was a world men could not comprehend.  

Men (except for their City Lord) were all clueless swine! Clueless swine who could not understand the passion of women!  

Gu Bai: Everyone is overthinking this.

Though he maintained an expressionless facade while enjoying the thrill of having the perverse protagonist as his “male pet,” his keen sense of danger easily picked up on the undercurrent of hostility between his flawless maids (and the four other girls recently roped into this strange dynamic) and the Golden Phoenix City maids. The invisible tension made him feel a faint sense of guilt.  

Compared to these women, he, Ziche “Fake Homebody City Lord” Shubai, felt utterly inadequate.  

This conflict had dragged on for seven or eight days, but Gu Bai, who indulged in extravagance with a compulsive cleanliness streak, allowed it to continue. He believed that competition would only strengthen his Ten Perfect Maidens, providing a baptism of the soul.  

Okay, if he were being honest, the real reason was: even though he was now shackled by the perverse protagonist, what man didn’t enjoy being surrounded by beautiful women? ~\(≧▽≦)/~  

After sipping a round of tea, Gu Bai accepted another cup. If there was anything he didn’t particularly enjoy, it was that he always had to taste multiple varieties of the same thing. Oh well, it’s a small matter. I’ll just make more rounds.  

As Gu Bai, with his poker face, mused about life and savoured the moment, the outer door was knocked. Gu Bai slightly lifted his gaze, and a maid swiftly rose, opened the door without disrupting his leisure, and admitted the visitor.  

The guest was none other than Sang “Hypocrite Yue Buqun”* Jun—the schemer who killed his brother and framed his niece.  

_{*[T/N: It’s just a hypocritical character from another wuxia novel.]}

A flicker of impatience crossed Gu Bai’s eyes. Why is this guy here again? 

Behind Sang Jun stood a few subordinates reputedly loyal to the city lord Sang Mao. Allegedly, these were Sang Mao’s most trusted aides, assigned to protect his younger brother.  

But, as was typical in third-rate, unimportant cannon-fodder characters, their IQ seemed perpetually below average—often dipping into the negatives. Gu Bai could easily tell these men had already been bribed by Sang Jun and were in cahoots with him. (Not that there was anything suggestive about that.) 

Qiguan Rui let out a soft, melodious sigh, the chain on his wrist jingling lightly. His face, so different in style from Gu Bai’s, appeared gentle with a trace of coyness.  

Gu Bai felt a shiver down his spine. What the hell is that sound? Could you be any more perverse?! Taking a deep breath, Gu Bai suppressed the goosebumps rising all over him.  

This went back to when Qiguan Rui told Chen Yuanhao, “From now on, call me ‘Young Master.’” At the time, the gravely injured Chen Yuanhao nodded in understanding.  

Gu Bai had assumed this was merely to avoid calling Qiguan Rui “Master,” making it easier for Chen Yuanhao to navigate Golden Phoenix City’s social circles. 

But once he discovered Qiguan Rui’s real intentions, he could only say: What the actual fuck, Chen Yuanhao? You understand, but I sure as hell don’t! That pervert’s plans were too far-reaching for mere mortals to comprehend! 

Everyone knew “Young Master” could have several meanings. Most commonly, it referred to heirs of noble families or esteemed young men in society. But in rarer contexts, “Young Master” could also refer to courtesans in male brothels or kept male concubines. But! This was supposed to be a stallion novel! Why was there suddenly a yaoi subplot?! Why did such a “Young Master” appear in a straight man’s world?! This can’t be real! Yet Qiguan Rui leaned into it. 

He suppressed his martial prowess to the level of a high-ranking martial artist, exuded gentleness and docility, and projected a slight air of vulnerability. Adding to that, his chains, flawless skin, elegant face, and perfect posture… He successfully created the impression of a devoted lover who was utterly infatuated with yet insecure about the City Lord of Heaven’s Capital. 

…Though Gu Bai had no idea what kind of sick taste this was supposed to cater to.  

Even though Qiguan Rui was a bona fide pervert, wasn’t this taking it too far? Wasn’t this a bit too flippant and reckless?!  

Thus, Gu Bai lived in a state of perpetual contradiction—feeling smug about seemingly having a male pet while worrying the pervert had gone completely insane. Why refuse treatment?

Even while spiralling into endless internal complaints, Gu Bai’s intellect remained sharp. For example, every word Sang Jun said was stored in his mind.  

The gist of Sang Jun’s message was Chen Yuanhao had recovered enough to hold the wedding!  

Gu Bai understood. There was no reason to oppose this.  

The sooner Chen Yuanhao married, the better. Once he married into Golden Phoenix City, that city would become a base for the pervert’s plans.  

Satisfied, Sang Jun proceeded to ramble endlessly about wedding details—timing, venue, rituals, guest lists, dowry, and various other matters.  

Gu Bai was mentally collapsing. Why does getting married involve so many steps?! Why must you come to me for all of them?! Chen Yuanhao isn’t even my damn kid! He felt like swatting a fly buzzing incessantly around his ears. But he breathed deeply, endured the agony, and listened.  

Qiguan Rui gently took Gu Bai’s hand, stroking it soothingly. If he didn’t intervene soon, Ziche Shubai would explode into a murderous rage.  

Finally, Sang Jun finished his endless chatter, smiled broadly, and took his leave.  

Gu Bai sighed in relief. Is this guy even human? Finally, peace and quiet.

The date for Chen Yuanhao’s wedding was set—two days from now at dusk, an auspicious time for both bride and groom.  

And after the ceremony? Straight to the bridal chamber!