Chapter Three
W-What?! How did he not know his reputation had already grown so great that he could wander into a brothel for free? B-But he hadn't come here for a night of passion. He'd come to deliver a love letter to a man!
"Young Master Ba, come on! Hurry and come in!"
"No, I... I'm afraid I'm somewhat inconvenienced today..."
"Pfft! Young Master, stop teasing this girl. Could it be that you too have a few inconvenient days every month? Don't be shy—come in already!"
He was dragged and tugged along, and seeing that he was about to be hauled through Chunfen Pavilion's doors, he could endure no longer. He grabbed the girl back and shouted, "Miss, I came today to find Chunfen Pavilion's courtesan, Rongrong!"
As soon as the words left his mouth, before he had even steadied himself, a deep, weighty male voice rang out from behind him—
"Who's so bold as to dare compete with me for Rongrong?"
The voice, brimming with command, shook him to his core. At the very entrance of Chunfen Pavilion, a luxurious golden-topped, tasseled sedan chair had just been lowered. Two rows of attendants came trotting from behind the carriage, following close behind. Once the sedan had stopped, they rapidly spread out in two neat lines, standing at the doorway with military precision. The attendant beside the sedan lifted the curtain, while the servant riding the lead horse dismounted and briskly ran to the carriage's step. Without a word, he flung back his sleeves, knelt, and bent forward, arching his back to welcome the master down. A pair of gold-thread-embroidered shoes stepped onto the attendant's back, and the master sprang lightly down from the carriage.
A gray fur-lined cloak hung down and dragged along the ground, concealing his entire body. Black hair fell to his shoulders, while a purple-gold jade crown binding his hair set off his exquisite features. Under the bright lantern light, he glittered with splendor, overflowing with nobility. With a faint smile on his lips, he paced over to Zhu Bafu's side.
"Were you the one who just said you wanted to see Rongrong?"
"...I..." What an imposing display! This man clearly had an extraordinary background—either powerful or wealthy. He couldn't be provoked, absolutely couldn't be provoked. Careful, careful!!
"Little scholar, which academy do you attend? Instead of studying properly, you've run off to a brothel? You don't want an official title anymore? Hmm?"
"..." What did visiting a brothel have to do with earning an official title? Besides, he wasn't interested in official titles anyway.
"You want to see her. Did you have my permission?"
"Eh?! You are... the owner of Chunfen Pavilion? My apologies, my apologies!" The moment he saw someone rich and powerful, he instinctively clasped his fists and greeted him, observing every courtesy.
"Hahahaha! I'm the owner of Chunfen Pavilion?" He suddenly burst into helpless laughter, then raised his brows at the attendant beside him and laughed, "This fellow says I'm the owner of Chunfen Pavilion? Hahahaha!"
"..." What was there to be proud of about running a brothel? What was he laughing his head off for?
"You thought I was the owner, so I wouldn't let you see Rongrong?" He slightly lifted his cloak and toyed with the jade thumb ring in his hand. "Then tell me, how much silver did you bring to see Rongrong?"
"...This student didn't bring any silver."
"Oh?" He raised his brows with great interest, and the corners of his lips curved along with them. "You came to a brothel without silver, yet you still dared to demand a night with the courtesan? Hahahahaha! Boy, you've got some nerve. I like you!"
"Eh?!" Was Zhu Bafu fated to suffer a romantic calamity today? First there was Young Master Long forcing him to confess his love to a man, and now there was a brothel owner confessing his love to him—a man—in front of a brothel?!
"Can't you understand? I said I like you! I'm in a good mood today, so I'll take you inside for some fun. Put the expense on my account."
"Thank you for your kindness, Young Master, but I only wish to meet the courtesan once. I'm not here to seek pleasure."
His unvarnished words suddenly dimmed that Young Master's eyes. His faintly raised lips took on a deep, lingering meaning, and even his gaze seemed to be veiled in a hazy mist, as though he were looking through Zhu Bafu at someone else. "You came to Chunfen Pavilion without seeking pleasure, just to see a woman? Heh. Those words sound so familiar—and so grating. You're quite like one of my friends. You both enjoy standing apart from the crowd. You come to a brothel without seeking pleasure, just to look at that woman once. That's enough, is it?"
Seeing him stare blankly with his head tilted and brows furrowed, clearly unable to understand a word, the noble Young Master suddenly stepped closer. He bent down, fixed his eyes on him, and boldly looked him up and down from below. "Boy. Do you really want to see Rongrong that badly?"
His voice was low and hoarse. As it slowly sounded beside Zhu Bafu's ear, it carried an almost seductive quality. Zhu Bafu choked, not knowing how to answer such a thorny question. He blinked his round, wide eyes warily, pressed his lips tightly together, and retreated two steps like a startled bird.
That aggrieved, innocent expression—so easy to bully—made him laugh. Unable to resist, he reached out and lightly scraped the tip of Zhu Bafu's small nose. "A real man can't start crying just because he failed to visit a brothel."
With that, a pair of broad hands affectionately wrapped around his thin shoulders like those of a brother. The hand around his shoulder slid down along the curve of his arm, seized his slender wrist, and gave a light tug with its fingers. Without the slightest effort, it dragged him into the abyss of depravity—the threshold of Chunfen Pavilion.
"All right. Since you truly please me, I'll be a good man to the end and take you to see her today. I'll fulfill your youthful spring dream. But speaking of which... you're fully developed, right? Can you really complete the whole set of moves?"
"..."
Author's note:
=.= From now on, I'll maintain a pace of one chapter a day!!
Chapter Three
Dance pavilions and song terraces, beauties at every feast; the music of zithers and murmured words thickened the air with spring.
The scene before him was so resplendent that it stabbed Zhu Bafu's eyes. Like a country bumpkin who had never seen the world, he stood there with his mouth agape, frantically taking in everything around him. At the center of the stage, an exotic dancer twisted her supple waist and swayed with all her might, dressed in revealing clothes. Petite girls carrying wine fans covered their mouths and flirted with the guests. Cool as frost, the establishment's top courtesans sat in little window alcoves, gazing up without a sideways glance at the cold moon suspended in the sky, surrounded by clients bearing gold and silver. Every kind of woman could be found here, all waiting for the gentleman to choose. Some satisfied a man's desire to conquer; others challenged it.