Lao Fu walked into the Butterfly Fragrance House, a pce he frequented often.

  "Well, well, you′ve come!" A woman, heavily made up and dressed provocatively, approached with a voice that could make any man′s heart race.

  Lao Fu grinned, revealing his yellow teeth, and immediately greeted her. "Xiao Xiang, it′s been a few days, and you′re even more beautiful than before!"

  "Oh, spare me! You men are all the same—sweet-talking like you've got honey on your lips, but not a word of truth!" Xiao Xiang fshed him a flirtatious look and said in a soft, teasing voice, "You're here to see Xu Mama, aren′t you?"

  "Exactly," Lao Fu said, grinning even wider and bowing his head. "Would you mind calling for her?"

  "Hmph!" Xiao Xiang gave an unwilling snort, then turned and shouted toward the 2nd floor, "Xu Mama, there′s a guest!"

  "Who is it? Who′s looking for me?" A pair of crisp footsteps rang out from upstairs, and soon a figure leaned casually against the staircase, calling down.

  (T/N: Xu Mama is actually a man who dresses up like a woman.)

  The person who appeared was dressed in a long blue robe with a golden yellow mandarin jacket, embroidered with the characters for good fortune, prosperity, and longevity. He wore a bck felt hat, with only a few strands of hair peeking out from behind his ear and the braided tail at the back of his head, a dispy of wealth. His face was caked in thick foundation, covering up the roughness of his skin, and his bright red lipstick and powdered eyes made Lao Fu feel a wave of disgust every time he saw him. He simply couldn′t understand why a grown man would go to such lengths to make himself appear neither fully male nor female.

  "Oh, it's you! It's been a while since you′ve come!" Xu Mama′s eyes instantly lit up with excitement upon seeing Lao Fu. She swayed her wide hips, walking down the stairs with a deliberate, exaggerated motion.

  Although Lao Fu had long been accustomed to Xu Mama's exaggerated walk, every time he saw it, he still felt a surge of nausea. He couldn′t help but cover his mouth with his hand.

  "Manzi, go get some fine food and wine! I′m not leaving until Lao Fu and I are both drunk tonight," Xu Mama said, throwing her arm over Lao Fu′s shoulder and speaking softly, "Lao Fu, come, let′s go sit in my Butterfly Elegance Room."

  Lao Fu felt goosebumps rise all over his body. He quickly stepped aside and said, "I′ll go, but keep your hands to yourself.

  "Haha—" Xu Mama let out a ugh, one that seemed more like a woman′s. She loved seeing Lao Fu so uncomfortable. It amused her.

  Xu Mama poured a drink for both herself and Lao Fu, raising her gss gently and saying, "Lao Fu, what made you think of visiting me today?"

  Lao Fu snorted. He truly couldn′t stand the effeminate mannerisms of Xu Mama.

  Xu Mama ughed even harder, so much so that some of the wine in her cup spilled over.

  "Alright, I came to see you because I have something to discuss," Lao Fu said, suddenly serious.

  "Oh?" Xu Mama finally stopped ughing.

  "I took in a corpse yesterday evening," Lao Fu said, his voice tinged with mencholy.

  "You′re in the business of handling corpses; that′s not surprising," Xu Mama said dismissively, gncing at him without much concern.

  "It was a woman. Her body was intact, but... it was covered in needle marks," Lao Fu finally mustered the courage to say.

  "Impossible! Apart from you, who else could possibly know such a technique? Besides, even you can′t remove the clothes from a dead body without damaging it, so how could anyone else? Maybe you′re seeing things," Xu Mama said, clearly skeptical of Lao Fu′s words.

  Lao Fu downed a few more swigs of wine, his voice weak and tired. "Her eyes, nose, mouth, and ear... they all had needle marks."

  Xu Mama looked at Lao Fu′s anxious expression, a shiver running down her spine. She realized that Lao Fu wasn′t lying. A sudden sense of unease washed over her—an unease she couldn′t quite pce.

  Lao Fu was drunk and slumped over the table. It was Xu Mama and Manzi who lifted him onto the bed. Tonight, he would be staying at the Butterfly Elegance Room. It wasn′t the first time he had drunk himself into this state. Xu Mama looked at his inebriated form and couldn′t help but kick him hard, saying, “Coward! All you do is drink!”

  Lao Fu merely muttered a few incoherent sounds before turning over and curling into the bed, continuing his deep slumber.

  Xu Mama shook her head helplessly, murmuring softly to herself, “Maybe it′s just a coincidence.”