Chapter 2 Chapter two

The maid came in with an evening dress. "No, Anne, not the pink one," Lily said, waving her hand. "Tonight I'm going to be more gorgeous and bold." She sat in front of the round vanity mirror, brushing her fingers through the unruly black curls. "How about that blue dress with low neckline, puffed sleeves and slits?" Annie suggested with a smile. "Wonderful, I've always won more in that dress. All the gentlemen would just stare at my chest and forget their cards." Anne giggled and went off to find her gown, while Lily tied a silver and royal blue headband on her forehead, deftly tossing a few curls over the shiny ribbon.She smiled into the mirror, but she looked like she was frowning. Her bold smile, which had been so effective in the past, was gone, and she seemed to be smiling a little bit lately, maybe because she had been under pressure for too long.

Lily frowned pitifully at her reflection in the mirror. If it hadn't been for Kirik's friendship, she would have been more cynical and hard by now.Korek isn't the type of man to maintain a platonic relationship with a woman, but there's no romance between them and there won't be any.He didn't even try to kiss her.Of course, no one would believe it, because people could see them leaning together, inseparable, from the best boxes in the theater to the drinking fountains in Corvin Square in central London. Rick had never asked to visit Lily's mansion, and she had never invited him, and there was a sort of impassable line between them, which Lily liked because it kept other men from doing anything wrong with her, and they Don't dare to invade the sphere of influence that is recognized as Kerik.

Over the past two years, Lily had come to think there was something about Rick to admire—his energy and his fearlessness.Of course, he also has shortcomings, such as lack of affection and love of money.The clink of coins was heavenly to him, more melodious than violin or piano.Rick had no taste for paintings or sculptures, but had a penchant for dice shapes. He's also uneducated and selfish even toward his partner—Lily suspects that it's because he's never loved.He will never put another person's needs ahead of his own.Yet if he had been less selfish, a little more sensitive and kind, his childhood would have tortured him to death.

Rick once admitted to Lily that he was born in the sewer and his mother abandoned him.He was raised by bawds, prostitutes, and criminals since he was a child, and he saw the dark side of human nature. When he was young, he made a living by robbing graves, but his stomach couldn't bear the pressure. Pick a fish, you can do anything as long as you can make money.When he was a child, an aristocratic lady caught a glimpse of him emptying wine bottles at the entrance of the hotel from the carriage, and invited him to the carriage regardless of his disheveled and dirty appearance. "Liar." When he told the story, Lily interrupted him and looked at him with wide eyes.

"It's true," he countered languidly, stretching his limbs loosely in front of the fireplace in his apartment.He has black hair, a bronze face, and his facial features are clear. When he smiles, he adds a sense of friendliness.It was a smile that was almost irresistible, though it never came into his hard green eyes. "She took me into a carriage, indeed, and brought me to her house in London." "Where's her husband?" "To the country." "What does she want with a dirty boy just picked up from the street?" Lily asked suspiciously, and couldn't help frowning when she saw his meaningful smile. "I don't believe it, Rick, not a word of it!"

"First she asked me to take a shower," Rick recalled, with a thoughtful look on his face. "Omg...hot water...hard soap...smells so good...the carpet on the floor...so soft. I wash my hands and my elbows first, my skin looks white all of a sudden..." he smiled Shake your head. "I was like a newborn puppy after that." "Then I guess she asks you for sex, and you're a great lover, far better than she's ever been before," Lily said sarcastically. "No," Rick grinned. "Or rather the worst. How do I know how to please a woman? I only know how to please myself."

"But she still likes it?" Lily asked suspiciously. Whenever she was faced with a related problem, she had the same confusion. She didn't understand what exactly drew men and women together, wanting to share the same bed, engaging in an activity that was painful and embarrassing and not fun.What is clear is that men enjoy it more than women.But why do some women deliberately find strangers to have sex?She blushed and lowered her eyes, but listened carefully to Rick's words. "She taught me what she liked," he said. "And I want to learn them." "why?"

"Why?" Rick hesitated for a moment, took another sip of wine, and looked at the dancing flames. "Men all have sexual urges, but only a few know about it and care about how to please women. And seeing women make love weakly and bonelessly... makes men feel a sense of power, do you understand?" He caught a glimpse of Lily's blank face and couldn't help but haha laughing out loud. "No, I guess you don't understand, poor Miss Gypsy." "I'm not some wretch," she retorted, wrinkling her nose in disgust. "What do you mean by 'power'?"

His smile was slightly obscene. "Just scratch a woman's tail right, and she'll do anything for you. Everything." Lily shook her head blankly. "I don't think so, Rick. I've had my own... I mean, I've done... that... It's not at all what I expected it to be. Shidi is arguably the greatest lover in Italy, everyone says he is .” Rick's eyes were mocking. "He must be right?" "Since I'm pregnant because of this, he must be doing something right," Lily retorted. "A man can be the father of a thousand illegitimate children and still do it wrong. Sweetie, it's as simple as a pipe handle—you don't know anything about it." Arrogant man.Lily thought, and told him with her eyes, that she didn't care what other people did, that the experience couldn't possibly be fun.She frowned, thinking of Stephen's wet mouth moving over her, his weight suffocating.The pain that pierced through her again and again, until she froze in silent self-pity...

"Is that all you can do?" he demanded in fluent Italian, the awkwardness of those intimate explorations that made her cringe, the rough touches that caused pain. "Ah, you're like all the women in England... cold as a fish and unresponsive!" Long before that, she had already learned not to be open to men, and Shidi taught her not to give her body to any man.If she let herself and any man go through that kind of thing again, it would undoubtedly be a kind of degradation and humiliation that she could not bear. Rick seemed to read Lily's mind, got up and walked towards her, looked at her with bright green eyes, and put his hands above her head.Lily shifted restlessly, feeling trapped.

"You really do, cutie," Rick murmured. "I'd be happy to be the man who gives you pleasure." Lily didn't like being threatened and frowned at him. "I won't let you touch me, you pompous Londoner." "I can do it if I want," he retorted flatly. "And I'll make you love it, you need a great sex drive more than any woman I know, I'm just not the man to share with you." "Why?" Lily asked pretending to be bored, and there was a nervous tremor in her voice that made him smile. "I'll lose you then," he said. "This kind of thing always happens. So you'd better find another man to rape you. When you get tired, I'll be here forever." Lily remained silent, her suspicious eyes locked on his meaningful face, and she thought to herself, maybe this is Rick's way of falling in love with someone. He regards love as a weakness of personality, and he hates his own weakness the most.At the same time, he leaned heavily on their strange friendship and didn't want to lose her...well, she didn't want to lose him either. She gave him a mocking look. "Is this a declaration of affection?" she asked. The atmosphere vanished in an instant, and Rick grinned and scratched at her short hair. "You can say whatever you want, cutie." After talking with Reid, Lily went to the Kirk's Club to find Rick, who must have heard of Lord Wolverton.Rick knows the financial worth of every man in England, including past bankruptcies and scandals, future inheritances, various debts and liabilities.Through the unique information channel, Rick also knows the content of their will, who raises the mistress, how much it costs, and their son's academic performance in noble schools such as Eton, Hiro and Syfel. Lily swayed into the club, but everyone paid little attention, because she was already a familiar scene here, a widely accepted exception.She was the only woman with membership in the Koch Club, and Rick demanded in return that she must be completely honest with him, and only he knew her darkest secrets. Lily walks from room to room, and the dining room is filled with "pigeons" - as Rick jokingly calls his guests - enjoying good food and wine.He hired famous chefs at high prices to treat his guests to meals with good craftsmanship, a generosity designed to encourage guests to spend more at the gaming table later. There were several officials from the German embassy, ​​several Frenchmen and a Scottish dandy at the club table tonight.When Lily saw them engrossed, she couldn't help showing a pitiful smile. The trick to winning money is to gamble detachedly and only take calculated looks.But most of the men here are not betting on winning money, but on the excitement of being under fate.Lily played unemotionally, winning moderately but consistently.Rick called her "the doctor," which was the highest compliment for him. Lily looked around the room for Rick's thin, dark figure, but he wasn't there.As she walked to another archway, she felt someone lightly touch her elbow.She turned half-smiling, thinking it must be Rick, only to find that it was a Spaniard with a gold badge on his sleeve that indicated he was an assistant to the ambassador. He bowed perfunctorily to her, then reached out and grabbed her insolently. "You have attracted the attention of Ambassador Arawa," he told her. "Come on, he wants you to sit with him, come with me." Lily shook his hand away and looked across the room at the ambassador.He was staring at her fascinatedly, and gestured for her to go over with a clear gesture. Lily's eyes returned to the assistant. "You made a mistake," she said softly. "Tell Mr. Arawa that I'm flattered by his attention. But I have other plans for tonight." When she turned to leave, the assistant grabbed her wrist.Pull her back. "Come on," he insisted. "He's willing to pay the price to have fun." Apparently she's been mistaken for a hired woman in the club, but they don't deserve to be treated like that, like a street corner whore. "I'm not a club girl," Lily said through gritted teeth. "I'm not for sale, you understand? Let me go now." The assistant turned pale with anger and started muttering in Spanish, trying to force her to go to the gaming table where Arava sat and waited.Several of the gambling guests stopped to watch the event.Lily was angry and embarrassed, and shot murderous eyes at Rick's subordinate Wu Si.He got up from the corner table and started walking towards them.But before Woos gets there, Rick miraculously appears out of nowhere. "Uh, Mr. Ba, it seems that you have met Ms. Luo, a great beauty, haven't you?" He skillfully untied the other party's grip on Lily as he spoke. "But she is a special guest, my personal special guest. We have other women who can be chosen by the ambassador, and they taste sweeter. As for this one, it is a sour apple that is too small." "What are you?" Lily glared at Rick angrily and muttered. "He wants this one." The assistant insisted. "He can't have it." Rick said happily, the casino is his private kingdom, and all matters are under his orders. Lily saw that the Spaniard was slightly disturbed. She herself had tried to suppress Rick's spirit for a while, but now she knew very well how fearless he was. The kind of rough and weather-beaten mixed.Even though all the people he associates with are upper-class people now, everyone knows that he used to associate with the dark side. Rick winked at the two most beautiful girls in the club, and they efficiently rushed over to the frowning ambassador to show off their bosoms sensually. "No, I assure you, he'd prefer those two. . . See? He's as happy as a cheese-eating mouse." Lily and Mr. Ba followed his gaze and saw that Arawa was already smiling under the special care of the two girls.His assistant frowned at Lily for the last time, then walked away complaining. "He's so bold," Lily announced angrily, flushing with anger. "How dare you? Your personal special guest? I don't want anyone to think I need protection, I'm perfectly self-sufficient. I hope you don't suggest otherwise, especially in public—" "Relax and hold your temper. I should let him do whatever he wants with you, do you want to?" "No, but you can at least have some respect in your words, and where did you die? I wanted to talk to you about someone—" "I respect you, cutie, far more than a woman should respect. Now go for a walk with me, I'm all ears." Lily couldn't help laughing, and wrapped her arms around Rick's arm, which he usually took with him on tours of the casino, as if she were a rare prize he'd won.When they passed through the front hall and walked towards the magnificent golden staircase, Rick greeted the newly arrived club members Sir Mi and Sir Ni respectively, and Lily responded with a smile. "Ed, I hope to have a chance to play a game with you later." Lily said to Sir Nee. "Since losing to you last week, I've been hoping for a chance to come back." Ser Nee's fat face was crumpled with laughter. "Of course, Miss Luo, I'm looking forward to another match." They walked towards the restaurant, and Nijue's voice came over. "As far as a woman goes, she's pretty smart..." "Nothing to peel," Rick warned Lily. "He just loaned me a sum of money yesterday, and his purse is not rich enough to please such a young doctor." "Uh, who has the bigger purse then?" Lily's question made him laugh. "Try young Ser Ben—his father looks after his debts." Together they went up the stairs. "Rick," Lily said briskly. "I've come to ask about one of your gentlemen." "who is it?" "The Earl of Wolverton, Sir Lealie." Rick recognized the name immediately. "The great man who was engaged to your sister." "Yes, I've heard some troubling rumors about his personality, and I'd like to know your impression of him." "why?" "Because I bet he's going to be a cruel husband and I still have time to change. The wedding is four weeks away." "You care about your sister that much?" Lily glared at him disapprovingly. "It just shows how much you know me. Our personalities and looks don't quite match the truth, but I like Ping Ni very much. She is gentle, shy, and submissive...all of which I think are good qualities for other women." "She doesn't need your help." "No, she does. Penny is too sweet. Helpless as a little lamb." "And you were born with claws and sharp teeth." Lily wrinkled her nose. "If my sister's future happiness is at stake, it is my duty to act. "You're a goddamn saint." "Now tell me how much you know about Lord Wolverton. You know everything about everyone. Don't snicker there." "I have no intention of meddling in other people's affairs, or doing anything reckless—" "Hell no!" Rick was laughing, imagining that she was about to get into another predicament. "Damn, Rick," she pronounced every word. "You didn't see Mr. Ha today, did you? I can always tell when you play truant." Rick shot her a warning look. Only Lily knew that Rick had hired a special teacher, two days a week at the weekend, in an attempt to correct his Cockney accent and make his articulation more graceful.It was a hopeless attempt, and after years of dedicated practice, Rick's pronunciation barely improved from that of a London fish market peddler to... er, perhaps one could say that of a cab driver, or a merchant from London's West Gate. progress, but not significantly. "The H is his great weakness in pronunciation," the teacher told Lily at one point in despair. "He's fine as long as he works hard, but he always forgets. To him, I'll always be Mr. Black until he breathes his last." (Annotation: The beginning of Mr. Ha is pronounced H.) Lily is funny and sympathetic. "It's okay, Mr. Ha, as long as you have patience, one day he will surprise you, and the H pronunciation will not hinder him for the rest of his life." "He won't listen at all," said the teacher displeased. Lily didn't argue, privately she knew Rick would never pronounce it like a gentleman.None of this mattered to her, in fact she was beginning to like the way he spoke, the off-kilter tones were pleasing to her ear. Rick took her to the terrace overlooking the hall, which was his favorite place to talk, because the activity at every table could not escape his eyes. "Leiyali," he murmured thoughtfully. "Yes, he's here occasionally, but he's not 'Dove.'" "Really." Lily said in surprise. "It's not a pigeon. It's quite a compliment to say this from your mouth." "Mr. Ray plays it smart, engaging but not too deep." Rick turned to her and smiled. "Even you can't play tricks on him." Lily turned a deaf ear to the taunt. "Is he as rich as the rumors say?" "More than anything." "Any family scandals? Secrets, troubles, past relationships, any bad villains, personalities? Is he the cold, cruel type? Rick leaned on the railing, looking at his little kingdom. "He's quiet and private, especially since the woman he loves has had sex a year or two ago." "Crossed?" Lily was both amused and horrified. "Do you have to be so vulgar? Rick ignored her accusations. "I heard that Miss Bai Luolin fell and broke her neck while hunting. What a damn fool." His pointed eyes annoyed her.She loved riding horses and hunting with hounds, but even Rick disapproved of such dangerous activities for women. "I'm not like other women. My riding skills are not inferior to any man, and even better than most men." "The neck is yours anyway," he replied casually. "That's right. Well, it's impossible for you to only know this about Earl Wolverton. I know you too well. You must be hiding something." "No." Rick's gaze held her still, a gleam of humor in his eyes, but also a hint of warning.She remembered again that even if the two had a friendship, Rick wouldn't help her if she got into trouble. There was a power in his quiet voice, rare and haunting. "Listen to me, Miss Gypsy, don't meddle in this marriage. Although Lei Yali is not a cruel type, he is not a fuel-efficient lamp. Stay away from him, and you have enough problems yourself." Lily considered his advice carefully.Of course he was right, he should reserve his energy, not think too much, and only focus on how to save Nicole back.But for some reason, the question about Earl Wolverton's personality was deeply rooted in her heart, and she couldn't go away. Without seeing him, her heart could not be at peace.She thought of how submissive Pinnie was, never misbehaving, never questioning her parents' decisions, God knew she had no one to turn to.Red's pleading face appeared before her eyes again, and she really owed him a favor. Lily sighed. "I must see Lord Wolverton and judge for myself," she said stubbornly. "Then go on the hunt in Milton this week," Rick said, paying particular attention to his articulation and pronunciation, and suddenly he sounded almost gentlemanly. "He's probably there."