Chapter 260

Seductress (Part One)

In the afternoon, the sun’s rays shone down from the west and illuminated everything around Leifeng Pagoda with a halo of light hovering in the sky.

The summer breeze was cool, causing ripples in the river and lifting the willow trees’ branches. The leaves on the lake bunched together, and the flowers swayed.

A small boat drifted among the flowers on the lake, as a young man’s hearty voice rang out, “As expected of West Lake in the middle of the sixth month, the scenery is truly different than during the rest of the year. The lotus leaves on the horizon creates an endless sea of green, and under the setting sun, a gorgeous scarlet!”*

A girl’s voice came from inside the boat’s cabin, “Young sir Chen, it’s currently the fifth month.”

The fifth month?

What poems were there about the fifth month?

Farmers have very little free time, and the fifth month was especially busy!**

No, no, this poem was completely uninteresting and was not fit for being recited right now.

Chen ChuXiu searched through his mind but could not think of a suitable poem to salvage the situation. Turning his head, he smiled awkwardly, “Miss Yao Yue, you know that I’m not much of a scholar, so please don’t trouble me.”

After saying this, he clambered into the cabin and headed toward the back. He casually leaned back and kicked his legs up.

Yao Yue held a pipa in her lap and faintly smiled, “What song would young sir Chen like to listen to?”

“I don’t want to listen to a song. Miss Yao Yue…”

Chen ChuXiu lifted his head and saw Yao Yue holding her pipa. It looked as if they had grown up together, thus he placed her pipa to the side.

“Don’t be so busy. Be like me and lay down. Breathe in the fresh air from the lake. Nobody will come during the afternoon. This place is both quiet and beautiful. It’s most suited for someone who has just recovered from illness.”

Yao Yue was stunned. After a long pause, she finally said: “Many thanks, young sir Chen, for your kind intentions, but I cannot accept undeserved payment. Yao Yue will bid you farewell.”

“Ah, that’s no good!”

Chen ChuXiu sprang up from the deck of the boat, “I just want to enjoy the scenery of the lake, smell the fragrance of the flowers, and chat with you. Is that no good? You just recovered from a serious illness, and I don’t want you to tire yourself with playing the pipa. I know that you have feelings for the second young sir of the Gu family, and I know that you only sell your craft and not your body. That’s why I specifically made an appointment with you to come out this afternoon. Though there are no other people here, are you still afraid that I would do something to you in broad daylight?”

With him speaking so openly, Yao Yue became a little embarrassed.

“But Yao Yue has accepted young sir’s money and cannot be too carefree. How about this, young sir lays down and enjoys the scenery. While enjoying the scenery, you can listen to my music. If I get tired from playing, I will rest. Is this fine?”

“Alright then!”

Chen ChuXiu lay back down, and the sound of Yao Yue’s pipa entered his ears.

She had closed her doors and turned away clients for a long time. After Gu JiuGe left, she recovered from her illness, yet she still refused to go out and entertain clients.

With nobody to protect her, she was afraid that she would run into problems.

But Chen ChuXiu was different. This youth was only 18 years of age, and rumors had spread that he was a licentious son of a wealthy family. Yao Yue had entertained him a few times and knew that he was very proper, thus she was willing to come out to see him.

After playing one song, Yao Yue felt a little tired. Leaning against the cabin, she chatted with Chen ChuXiu about poetry, music, and miscellaneous things.

From time to time, she would be brought to laughter by Chen ChuXiu’s jokes, and the latter felt quite satisfied. Eventually, he fell asleep.

Yao Yue did not disturb him. Seeing the sunshine on his face, she covered his eyes with a silk handkerchief to keep him from being woken up by the light.

Something as rare and pleasant as this moment of idleness should not be disrupted by anyone.

This was true for her and also true for Chen ChuXiu.

He self-mockingly thought to himself that if Gu JiuGe had not left, how could he possibly have any chance of inviting Yao Yue out?

**TN: Poem by Bai Juyi