CHAPTER 013
In the afternoon, all the students of Lexin Hall were present for class, and even the young lord Su Xiaoshi followed the rules of the academy, making the entire session a success.
As the heavy bell rang, marking the end of her first class, the academy buzzed with excitement. The male students began packing their books and joyfully chatting with one another, occasionally breaking into laughter.
"Zhen Keke, how about we visit Jixian Street later? A new jewelry shop just opened!" A male student carrying a book box approached.
After packing her books, Zhen Keke glanced at the main lecture platform. "Hold on, I'll check with An Caihe to see if she's coming."
Lu Yun'er felt that the day had gone quite well, with a harmonious atmosphere between teacher and students. Particularly noteworthy was the young lord Su Xiaoshi, who had listened attentively throughout the lecture, not even blinking. It seemed her teaching had been effective.
She was about to leave with her textbook when—
"Scholar Lu, wait!"
"Scholar Lu, wait!"
Two voices called out simultaneously, though it was clear they belonged to different people.
Su Qingwan and An Caihe exchanged surprised glances, a complex expression flashing in their eyes.
Lu Yun'er turned around to see Su Qingwan and An Caihe, a brief look of surprise in her eyes before she warmly asked, "Is there something I can help you with, students?"
An Caihe politely said, "Please, let Su Xiaoshi speak first."
Su Qingwan courteously replied, "After you, Supervisor An."
Lu Yun'er, watching the two of them politely defer to each other, smiled and interjected, "Supervisor An, you go first."
With that, Su Qingwan's dark eyes suddenly deepened, taking on a shadowy hue.
Meanwhile, An Caihe's lips subtly curled upwards as she responded, "Scholar Lu, I wanted to ask if you're currently residing at the mansion?"
She explained, "If the academy or I need to reach you in the future, where should we go to find you besides the Scholar's Hall?"
"Well," Lu Yun'er thought for a moment before continuing, "I’m currently staying at the mansion, but in a few days, I'll be moving into the East Courtyard of the Imperial Academy."
Upon hearing this, Su Qingwan's long, thick eyelashes fluttered almost imperceptibly.
An Caihe nodded thoughtfully, "Understood." With that, she quietly left.
Lu Yun'er then turned her gaze to the other person. Since the young lord Su Xiaoshi had been so diligent in class, she didn't want to discourage his enthusiasm for learning.
She smiled, "And you? What can I do for you, young lord?"
"There was something I wanted to ask, but now it's not important," Su Qingwan replied innocently.
A hint of confusion flashed in Lu Yun'er's eyes. This young man’s thoughts were indeed peculiar, but she still responded dutifully, "Alright, but if you ever have any difficulties, don't hesitate to let me know."
After leaving the academy, Lu Yun'er returned to the Scholar's Hall. Just as she was exiting, she encountered the student she had saved in the dining hall. They exchanged a few words, mostly expressions of gratitude.
Exiting the Jixian Gate, she spotted Qiu Yi standing beside a carriage. Lu Yun'er walked over.
"My lord, this was just delivered by a servant from the Qu Le Fang, sent by Master Xie," Qiu Yi handed over a plain-colored invitation card, a faint and pleasant fragrance of powder wafting through the air.
This Master Xie, also known as Xie Nanxi, was the top male performer at Qu Le Fang. Originally, Qu Le Fang was a brothel, but it was later taken over by Lieutenant General Liu and transformed into an elegant place for music and dance, where performers sold their art, not their bodies.
Whenever she had free time, the lord would visit Qu Le Fang to enjoy music and dance.
However, Qu Le Fang, once a place for pleasure and revelry, became quiet and somber after the transformation, and business suffered. Though Lieutenant General Liu wasn't short of money, the lord came up with an idea, composing a deeply emotional and touching piece called "Longing for Each Other," which was performed by the then-unknown Master Xie during the Mid-Autumn Festival lantern show. The performance was a great success, propelling Master Xie to fame and bringing a steady stream of customers to Qu Le Fang.
Master Xie and the lord got along well and could be considered confidants.
Lu Yun'er took the invitation and, after glancing at its contents, smiled lightly, "So today is his birthday. Let's go to the market first and pick out a gift for him."
Meanwhile, under a tree in the distance, a carriage had been parked for some time.
Xiaoyuan lowered the curtain after watching the departing carriage, "Young lord, I recognize the person who just delivered the invitation. Judging by his attire, he's a servant from Qu Le Fang."
Su Qingwan had already learned everything about Lu Yun'er. He knew she was not yet married and that, aside from attending court, she spent most of her time at the mansion, with the only place she frequented being Qu Le Fang.
Su Qingwan frowned and asked, "What is Qu Le Fang?"
As the young lord had little experience in the world, he naturally didn’t know what Qu Le Fang was. Xiaoyuan explained, "Qu Le Fang was originally a place where women went for pleasure. Later, it was transformed into a venue where performances are sold but not the performers themselves. It’s said that the top performer at Qu Le Fang is not only stunningly beautiful but also skilled in singing and dancing. Many women have spent fortunes just to win a smile from this beauty."
"But..." Xiaoyuan hesitated, unsure whether to continue.
Su Qingwan narrowed his eyes, his mood souring, and asked irritably, "But what?"
Xiaoyuan had no choice but to continue, "Since Qu Le Fang personally sent an invitation to Scholar Lu, and judging by Scholar Lu’s expression just now, I suppose..."
He trailed off as he looked at the silent young lord, leaving the rest unsaid.
Meanwhile, Lu Yun'er, knowing Xie Nanxi’s love for beauty, had chosen the finest freshly made rouge from a cosmetics shop as a gift for him. After selecting the gift, she remembered that she was still wearing her ceremonial robe from the Imperial Academy, so she stopped by a nearby clothing store and changed into a new white robe.
She then took the carriage to the back courtyard of Qu Le Fang, carrying the gift and instructing Qiu Yi to pick her up later.
Just as she was about to knock on the door, a sudden voice from behind interrupted her.
"Scholar Lu, why are you here?"
Lu Yun'er turned around and was stunned, her eyes full of disbelief. "Young lord Su, what are you doing here?"
"Why are you here?" Su Qingwan asked earnestly, his eyes slightly moist as he looked at her.
He had silently followed her all the way here, watching as she carefully chose a gift for another man and even changed into new clothes, clearly placing great importance on this person. His heart felt particularly uneasy and suffocated.
Lu Yun'er thought for a moment and realized that something was off. Given that the young lord Su had been raised in a sheltered environment, he likely didn’t know what Qu Le Fang was. Additionally, the brightly colored decorations outside the establishment might have caused a misunderstanding.
She sighed and calmly explained, "Young lord Su, you’re mistaken. This isn’t a brothel. This is—"
Suddenly, the door opened, and a charming, seductive male voice interrupted.
"Oh! Yun’er, sister, why are you so late? I was..." Xie Nanxi, who had fully opened the door, stopped mid-sentence when he saw the young, handsome boy with bright eyes and delicate features standing behind Lu Yun'er. His gaze shifted meaningfully to Lu Yun'er as he teased, "I didn't expect you to bring your little husband along this time!" He deliberately emphasized the words "little husband."
As he spoke, he turned his gaze to Su Qingwan, noticing the boy’s shy and blushing face—clearly a youth just beginning to understand love.
Xie Nanxi knew that Yun’er hadn’t married, so he was only teasing. However, the outcome was quite evident!
Lu Yun'er, feeling helpless, tried to explain, "Nanxi, you’ve misunderstood. He is—"
Before she could finish, someone else interrupted.
"Young lord Su, what are you doing here?" Liu Lan, who had followed Xie Nanxi out, asked, her voice tinged with surprise. Xie Nanxi immediately began scrutinizing the two of them again.
Liu Lan retracted her gaze and raised an eyebrow as she asked Lu Yun'er, "Yun’er, did you bring him?"
Lu Yun'er suddenly felt a headache coming on as she explained, "No, I didn’t bring him. We just happened to run into each other here."
"Ran into each other here?" Liu Lan’s tone was full of disbelief. She then smirked, her eyes glinting with a hint of mischief as she said, "Since young lord Su is already here, would you care to join us for a drink?"
Lu Yun'er knew their drinking habits and quickly intervened, "No! He’s still a student; how could he—"
"I can," Su Qingwan suddenly interjected, glancing up at Lu Yun'er.
Lu Yun'er looked at him in confusion. This young lord—she had gone out of her way to stop him, and yet he had made the decision with just one sentence. Clearly, he hadn’t yet experienced the hardships of the world.
"Since the young lord himself agreed, why stop him? Besides, it’s my birthday today, so everything must go according to my wishes," Xie Nanxi said enthusiastically as he pulled Su Qingwan inside.
Liu Lan smiled and reassured her, "Don’t worry, we won’t do anything to your student. Besides, he’s young lord Su, after all. We wouldn't act recklessly."
Given past experiences, Lu Yun'er found it hard to believe her.
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