Young Xing Yan had just enjoyed one of those rare moments in his life when he could hold his head high. He was basking in his triumph when a sudden sneer from beside him spoiled his mood.
At those words, Xing Yan turned to see who had so rudely dampened the occasion. The moment he looked, his eyes lit up: not far from him stood a handsome youth in a loose robe with broad sleeves.
The youth possessed an exceptionally beautiful face and graceful bearing: star-bright eyes, elegant brows, and a face like polished jade, seemingly dusted with snow. Standing tall and slender, the youth seemed surrounded by bright candles, radiating a brilliance that dazzled Xing Yan.
What a graceful young gentleman in this muddied world!
Only after staring blankly for some time did Xing Yan recover. He rubbed his eyes, then remembered that this beautiful youth had apparently been displeased with him just now. Taking care not to give offense, he asked:
"Young master, might I have done something to offend you just now? If I was careless in any way, please forgive me!"
Xing Yan had given some thought to that "young master." His usual "sir" seemed almost sacrilegious for a youth with such jade-like beauty, while "my good fellow" would have sounded as though he were putting himself on an equal footing. Awed by that radiant face and feeling rather shabby beside it, Xing Yan found the latter address entirely inappropriate. In the end, "young master" seemed the safest choice.
"Hmph!"
Who would have thought that Xing Yan's humble inquiry would earn only a cold snort? It seemed that this outstanding musician, whom Aunt Xia had just praised, had somehow slighted the young master quite badly.
Yet Xing Yan himself was truly lost in a fog. In that earlier affair involving Brother Wuyang's front teeth, he had merely been the victim fighting back against an unreasonable demand. If this had nothing to do with that incident, he could think of even less reason for having offended the young master before him-to be honest, this was the first time he had ever seen such a handsome young gentleman!
Seeing that Xing Yan was still full of doubts and wanted to ask more, the young master grew impatient and waved a hand.
"I won't waste words on you, boy. I came here today only to hear music, so I won't make an issue of it!"
Though still mystified, Xing Yan was happy to play dumb if the customer did not wish to explain. He certainly would not smash the pot to get to the bottom of it and invite trouble upon himself. But... why did that young master's clear, crisp voice sound so familiar?
Setting aside his faint suspicions, Xing Yan began inviting the handsome young master to request pieces with his usual practiced ease. At last, his proper work for the evening began.
As the performance went on, however, Xing Yan began to feel that something was amiss.
After listening to one piece after another, the youth not only gave not a penny in tips, but also seemed to have no intention of calling for a girl.
Flower Moon House was not a music house, after all. Listening to songs and instrumental pieces was merely a diversion to set the mood. The true stars of the evening were the sisters of Flower Moon House, lovely as flowers and the moon; they were its proper business. Anyone seriously interested in music could go to the Lingering Music House, where that was the main attraction.
And so, on one side, the guest eagerly requested piece after piece without pause, while on the other, the sisters waiting nearby suffered. Coveting the youth's beauty, these girls had abandoned other business to crane their necks and wait foolishly. Their necks ached again and again, and they changed the smiles on their faces over and over, until they could scarcely squeeze out another trace of cheer!
Leaving aside the girls' anxiety, after several pieces Xing Yan felt even more strongly that something was wrong with tonight's young master. This graceful guest evidently came from a family with a deep musical tradition; the way the requests were made showed considerable knowledge of musical modes. Unfortunately, the beautiful youth's tireless requests and profound understanding of music were nothing short of a disaster for Xing Yan's little ensemble.
No sooner had they finished a fresh, lingering song in Immortal Lü Mode than the guest requested a vigorous, sharply stirring piece in Double Mode. The entire ensemble, still basking comfortably in the previous melody's echoes, had to adjust their feelings at once and enter a state of bitter grievance and deep hatred. After performing a piece in High Ping Mode, the dedicated singers and musicians were filled with joy-never dreaming that they would next become the protagonists of a mournful, yearning song in Shang Mode! More infuriating still, after a frantic bustle to tune their pipes and strings, the ensemble successfully performed the light, brilliant "Banshe Shaobian" in Middle Lü Mode, only to have to bustle about all over again for the next piece, moving bridges and changing tunings for the utterly unrelated "Ancient Water Immortal" in Yellow Bell Mode!
Worse yet, the Flower Moon House ensemble to which Xing Yan belonged was familiar mostly with bright, frivolous little tunes. Suddenly required to play these obscure modes, they were left scrambling to cover one failing after another, suffering beyond words. By the end of this ordeal, not only were all the musicians drenched in sweat and groaning without cease, but even the lovestruck sisters waiting nearby had nearly turned into stones awaiting their husbands!
As for young Zhang Xingyan, recalling the young master's earlier words and looking at this display now, he finally began to understand, even as sweat poured down his head.
Isn't this fellow just finding new ways to torment us? It seems I really did offend this person badly at some point without realizing it! ...Wait. At the thought of "at some point," the bewildered boy took another close look at the young master's features and suddenly understood why that voice had sounded familiar from the start. This graceful "young gentleman" was none other than the girl who had appeared from nowhere that night when he was playing his flute beside Poyang Lake and, without distinguishing black from white, branded him a "flute thief." Though he had fled in haste that evening, the moonlight had been bright enough for Xing Yan to glimpse her appearance—and afterward, that face had repeatedly appeared in the few nightmares he had ever suffered!
Comparing the two now, Xing Yan found the resemblance stronger with every glance. The beautiful young master before him, with that mocking curl at the corner of her mouth, was the very image of the unreasonable girl from Poyang Lake!
In truth, this girl had quite an extraordinary background and held an exalted position among her kin. Within her clan, she was always called "Ling Yier," and her reputation as "Snow Flute Lingyi" was known throughout rivers and seas. How could she not be anxious now that she had lost the jade flute Divine Snow?
At first, seeing her beloved flute in Xing Yan's hands, Ling Yier had assumed that this lazy young rascal had stolen it. But after the slippery boy escaped that night, she calmed down and thought it over, only to find many things about the affair that did not add up...
The indignant girl then recalled how her grandfather had granted her every request these past few days, yet whenever she asked about the missing flute, he merely pretended to be deaf. Judging by that, the disappearance of her flute was almost certainly another affair to be laid at the feet of her grandfather, who never did anything according to common sense!
But though the lively Ling Yier lived in an extraordinary place, it was rather dull for a young person, especially since there were few others her age who dared laugh, joke, quarrel, or curse with her. Now that she had finally found an excuse and encountered this "crafty" boy Xing Yan, how could she let him off easily? At present, all Ling Yier could think was:
I won't tell Grandfather yet that I've found the flute. Once I recover it through my own cleverness, then question this hateful boy until he admits Grandfather secretly gave it to him-that will be fun!
Whenever she imagined how embarrassed her grandfather, so practiced at playing deaf and dumb, would look once she caught him red-handed with the evidence, she could not help wanting to laugh aloud! Yet the poor boy before her knew nothing of all this. He was wholly occupied with figuring out how to escape this unruly girl's pestering. Stealing a look around, Xing Yan saw that most of those nearby were his own people, which reassured him considerably and strengthened his courage. Then his gaze happened to brush across one corner, and delight stirred in his heart.
I've got it!
Having recognized the handsome "young master's" true face, Xing Yan had been plotting uneasily and wondering what to do when his eye happened to fall on the girls nearby, still propping up their waists and stretching their necks as they waited foolishly. It seemed that he and they now shared the same affliction.
The sight of them stirred something in Xing Yan's mind. He immediately hit upon an idea and thought:
You wicked girl, disguising yourself just to torment me! If you keep requesting pieces like this, not only will I be unable to bear it, but I'll drag everyone else down with me. Hmm, since you can change your face, I'll drive the tiger to swallow the wolf!
Whether that comparison fit or not, Xing Yan had made up his mind: no matter what it took, he would force this troublesome girl who had come looking for a quarrel to leave today. Otherwise, she would work them all into the ground tonight!
"Now, sir-"
Just as Ling Yier enthusiastically requested another piece in Wushe Mode, one whose sound would probably tear silk, Xing Yan could contain himself no longer. At last he spoke, setting his grand plan of expulsion in motion!
He securely tucked the jade flute Divine Snow into his belt, then addressed the counterfeit "young master" before him.
"If I may say so, sir, you've listened to so many pieces already. Surely you must be growing tired?"
More precisely, it was Xing Yan and everyone else at Flower Moon House who were tired; "Young Master" Ling Yier was plainly radiant and brimming with enthusiasm. But Xing Yan cared nothing for that and simply continued.
"Sir, the music my companions and I play is truly crude beyond endurance. If you keep listening, I fear we'll sully your eyes and ears! Please look to either side..."
At this, the boy pointed to the sisters beside Ling Yier, whose eyes were nearly worn through with longing.
"Look, all these sisters, lovely as flowers and jade, are waiting especially for your favor. On such a beautiful evening, why not choose one of them and retire to rest?"
At that moment, the exhausted musicians and singers beside Xing Yan were desperate for someone to speak up. Hearing him open his mouth was exactly what they had hoped for, and every one of them set down their instruments and pricked up their ears to hear what followed. As for the girls who had been waiting so bitterly nearby, Xing Yan's final, fair-minded words sounded like an immortal decree, like a pronouncement of ultimate wisdom. They could scarcely resist embracing this considerate, perceptive young boy and planting a hearty kiss on him!
Glancing at the eager courtesans of Flower Moon House, Xing Yan, who had read military strategy, decided that he must pursue his victory and add another handful of fuel to their fire.
"Sisters, forgive me for speaking frankly, but why are you all so slow to understand today? This young master keeps listening to music because he's clearly too shy to speak outright. Why don't you recommend yourselves? Then you can retire early. Remember, a spring night is all too short..."
After spending so long at Flower Moon House, Xing Yan had absorbed plenty through his eyes and ears. Though he understood only half of it in practice, he had heard plenty of flirtatious talk, and now plucked it readily to hand. His words were somewhat incongruous, but close enough, and they scratched precisely where the courtesans itched. The moment he spoke, it was as though a spark had landed in a heap of gunpowder. The women, who had restrained themselves for so long, surged forward with a roar, racing to surround this handsome young master, so lovable that such a one might appear only once in a thousand years. Tugging at her clothes and sleeves, they offered eager words, each deploying her finest arts, determined to return crowned the "queen of flowers"!
For a time, the warbling of orioles and twittering of swallows filled the house, while seductive glances flew across the room. One woman's hair lay askew, another's bun had come loose and her hairpin tilted, yet every one of them scrambled eagerly forward, afraid of falling behind the rest!
Nor did the ensemble's performers remain idle nearby. The ordeal they had just endured still left their hearts trembling, and all of them hoped that this impossibly demanding young master would soon enter the crimson gauze curtains and fragrant silk bedding, rather than continue pestering them. A few performers who coveted her beauty could no longer restrain themselves. Abandoning their pipas, they smoothed their fragrant hair, gathered their cloudlike sleeves, and entered the fray themselves!
For a moment, the whole scene resembled a pot of porridge boiling over, a truly incomparable muddle!
Another man might have regarded this scene as the bliss of a husband surrounded by wives and concubines, embracing beauties on both sides and thoroughly enjoying himself. But the counterfeit young master Lingyi, caught amid this gleam of rouge and shadows of coiffures, could only lament without cease. Honored from childhood, she had never experienced anything like this. Jade hands reached toward her, fingers poised like orchids, only to roam across her tender face; slender waists swayed, supple as willows, only to press and rub against her delicate body. Others might call it a haven of tenderness; to her, it was a battlefield of slaughter!
Ling Yier, who had come especially to tease Xing Yan, had never expected this boy to be such a shameless rascal. He stopped playing just because he wished to, then goaded everyone with such embarrassing words. Though she was unruly and fearless, she was still a girl, and in that instant she lost her composure and even forgot to object. Having already surrendered the initiative, she now found herself in this wretched predicament. This time, it was her turn to suffer without cease!
Amid the confusion, Ling Yier glimpsed through a gap in the crowd the instigator of her disaster-that hateful boy who had stolen her flute and refused to return it. He was still standing nearby, cheerfully watching the spectacle and occasionally shouting encouragement!
Seeing the hateful boy still fanning the flames, Ling Yier became even more overwhelmed with shame and anger. Added to this, the suffocating fragrance of rouge and powder blowing into her face was far too choking for her, and she began struggling harder. Then, with a soft pop, the cap on her head, already crooked and disheveled, could hold on no longer. Amid the tumult, it finally fell off-
At that moment, the girls on the outer edge, still desperately squeezing inward, noticed with surprise that the sisters ahead had suddenly stopped. While they were still wondering why, a few fortunate ones took the opportunity to press through the crowd. Only when they got close did they discover, astonished, that the plain cap of the beautiful youth who had drawn everyone's attention was gone, and a full head of black hair now spilled down like a waterfall. Looking again at "his" bright eyes, shimmering with tears-even the most foolish girl could now tell that the graceful young gentleman to whom she had secretly entrusted her heart was actually a charming, delicate beauty!
As for young Zhang Xingyan, still shouting encouragement from outside the crowd, he had not yet managed to see the change in the midst of it. He continued loudly egging them on, gloating over her misfortune.
"Ha-ha! My amorous young master, Flower Moon House also has specially prepared Five-Stone Powder. Buy a little packet, and I guarantee you'll be satisfied once you've used it!"
-Poor boy: what would ordinarily have been a well-meant suggestion sounded utterly out of place in the suddenly silent hall!
Hearing that mischievous remark ring throughout the hall, the helpless girl, who had suffered so much, could finally endure no more. With a loud wail, she burst into tears. Forcing apart the ranks of rouged beauties still standing dumbly around her, she immediately rushed alone into the boundless night!
The dim, mournful night concealed the girl's aggrieved figure. Only one bitter declaration, choked with sobs, reached everyone's ears with perfect clarity.
"Zhang Xingyan! This isn't over!"
Her voice lingered far and long, startlingly clear in the hazy night. Hearing the girl's angry words, all the courtesans of Flower Moon House turned toward the boy in surprise, most with suggestive smiles in their eyes. The object of their attention had just been wondering whether he had gone a little too far. Now, hearing those words borne on the evening breeze, he could not help shivering.
Oh no! She's even found out my full name! Looks like I'll have to be more careful whenever I go out from now on... ah!
Before you continue