Chapter 26

In the parlor, the two were at odds with each other. After Xiao Huan went upstairs, she entered the boudoir and told Liu Qianyu about what had happened in the parlor.

Liu Qianyu silently recited the second half of the couplet provided by Pan Zhisuo, first nodding as if enlightened, then shaking his head in disappointment, saying, "It looks similar but lacks the spirit, and the spirit is there but the meaning is off! It is of medium quality! It barely counts as a match..."

Suddenly, the noise downstairs disturbed Liu Qianyu's contemplation. He frowned slightly and asked, "Huan'er, what's happening downstairs?"

At this moment, Xiao Huan also heard the noise downstairs, so she replied softly, "Miss, please wait a moment, I'll be right back!"

A moment later, Xiao Huan returned to the room and told Liu Qianyu what had happened after the parlor incident. Liu Qianyu slowly stood up.

He walked to the window, his beautiful eyes gazing at the cold winter moon, and repeatedly recited the second half of the couplet provided by Ye Yu. Finally, he sighed, "The second half of the couplet contains a hidden message of comfort, this person is truly thoughtful..."

"Miss, does this gentleman's second half of the couplet meet your standards?"

Liu Qianyu did not respond but stood by the window in silence for a moment before turning and leaving the boudoir. Xiao Huan, in默契, picked up the ancient zither from the room and followed Liu Qianyu out of the door.

When Liu Qianyu, wearing a veil, appeared in the corridor, the originally noisy parlor instantly fell silent. Everyone looked up at the third floor, occasionally praising her.

Lu Zheng leaned his body, stretching his neck to look at Liu Qianyu, staring at her as if he were a statue.

Pan Zhisuo and Ye Yu were no exception, both looking up at Liu Qianyu on the upper floor. Ye Yu, upon seeing Liu Qianyu, was also stunned; he had not expected her to be so beautiful.

Although her face was veiled, he could still see her clear outline. Ye Yu couldn't help but smile inwardly, no wonder the Drunken Spring House was always bustling with customers, if Liu Qianyu wasn't a phoenix in Qingliu County, what else could she be?

When Pan Zhisuo first saw Liu Qianyu, he was also as stunned as Lu Zheng, but he was always restrained by Confucian principles, which dictated that one should not look at what is improper.

Therefore, when everyone was ogling Liu Qianyu, he had already regained his composure. Pan Zhisuo, seeing Ye Yu lower his head to drink wine, asked with interest, "Brother Ye, what are you doing?"

"With such fine wine in front of me, of course, I should drink heartily. If you keep your head up for too long, your neck will hurt. Why bother?"

"Ah, indeed! It seems that in terms of broad-mindedness, I am still not as good as Brother Ye! Come, let's drink heartily!"

"Miss, don't touch me..." Ye Yu's right hand, holding the wine cup, trembled, almost spilling the wine on himself.

Mei'er was tightly pressed against Ye Yu's left arm, wriggling like a water snake, her delicate fingers slowly exploring Ye Yu's body.

When Mei'er's hand reached Ye Yu's abdomen, he was surprised and spoke out.

"Sir, I do have a name. Calling me 'miss' is too distant. Mei'er is doing this out of good will, to help you relax your leg meridians... Sir, you must not辜负 my affection!"

Her soft and seductive words made Ye Yu's skin crawl.

Seeing Ye Yu's embarrassed expression, Pan Zhisuo couldn't help but laugh, "Miss Mei'er, if you can really make Brother Ye's legs move freely, you will be a great benefactor to him!"

"Hehe! Sir Ye, is what Master Pan said true?" Mei'er's beautiful eyes were filled with seduction, and she giggled, covering her face.

Ye Yu glanced at Pan Zhisuo with a bad temper, cursing inwardly, "You really don't understand anything, do you? The legs he's talking about are not the same as the legs she's talking about!"

At this moment, Ye Yu didn't bother to explain to Pan Zhisuo. He cleared his throat and said to Mei'er, "Miss Mei'er, stop teasing me. If you keep this up, that... leg will be able to play the drum!"

"Hehehe! My 'drum' is always ready for you, Sir..."

Pan Zhisuo was puzzled and frowned.

"Ah... Miss Mei'er, if I win Master Lu, I will give you three hundred taels. What do you think?"

Ye Yu realized that none of the women here were easy to deal with. It seemed he would have to spend some money.

"Sir, are you serious?"

"Of course, but you must agree to two conditions! First, you can pour wine, but no more touching. Second, you know I'm in the fabric business, so please help me promote my Zhonghua brand fabric to the guests. I won't let you down!"

Mei'er's fingers lightly traced Ye Yu's cheek, and she pressed her full chest against his left arm, saying softly and sadly, "I couldn't help myself, Sir, but you hurt my heart! But I will not let you down. I only hope you will come to see me often, and I will be content..."

Seeing Mei'er's sad face, Ye Yu couldn't help but think, "These women in the brothel are all top-notch actors. If they were in the modern world, they could win Oscars!"

However, since Mei'er had agreed, he felt relieved. Otherwise, if she continued to touch him, he wasn't sure he could control himself.

"Brother Ye, I admire you more and more. You never forget to do business, even in such a situation!" Although Pan Zhisuo didn't fully understand their private conversation, Ye Yu's marketing skills impressed him.

Ye Yu smiled deeply but didn't speak. For him, if the brothel could become a means of promotion, it would be the best and most direct way.

If Mei'er could lead all the girls in the brothel to promote his fabric to the guests, it would be more effective than just inviting them to dinner.

The shopkeepers from nearby counties regularly sent people to the Pan family dye house to place orders, and the Drunken Spring House was one of the places they visited for entertainment in Qingliu County.

Although he had Liu Quan's help and his fabric business was improving, it still hadn't reached his goal. To establish himself in Qingliu County and even the entire Chuzhou, he needed to remove the Pan family as an obstacle.

However, the Pan family was deeply rooted and hard to shake. Most of the old customers of the shops still favored the Pan family. So Ye Yu had a sudden idea: why not work on this place?

If he could win over these old customers of the Pan family, the balance of power would shift in his favor. Since these so-called rich merchants loved spending money and often visited brothels, he would start here!

...

"Qianyu has recently composed a new piece, but it lacks a harmonious accompaniment. The second challenge tonight is to harmonize with Qianyu's music flawlessly at the end of the piece, and the one who can do so will pass the challenge!"

At this moment, Liu Qianyu's voice came from upstairs, clear and gentle, with a hint of seduction. It sounded like a nightingale singing, clear and melodious.

Liu Qianyu, ignoring the silent crowd, sat in front of the prepared ancient zither and began to play. The music was soft and continuous, like a mountain stream flowing gently from a deep valley. It was as if the wind was rustling through the forest, and the zither music was telling a story.

The crowd listened quietly, and Ye Yu was also entranced by the flowing music, sometimes frowning, sometimes looking calm.

When the piece ended, the crowd woke from their trance and burst into enthusiastic applause.

"Brother Pan, what instrument do you need? I'll get it for you right away!" Lu Zheng urged impatiently.

Pan Zhisuo's eyes narrowed, still savoring the music, and finally sighed, "The music is high, and few can harmonize with it! My skills are poor, and it would be like adding a dog's tail to a fox's fur. Forget it! In terms of music, I am not as good..."

"What? Brother Pan, you can't back out now, or Ye Yu will have the advantage!" Seeing Pan Zhisuo's willingness to withdraw, Lu Zheng became anxious.

Pan Zhisuo waved his hand, his brows furrowed, and said seriously, "The best person should win. How can it be an advantage? Besides, this is a music competition. Even if I wanted to help you, I can't control the music for you."

"This..." Lu Zheng was speechless. In poetry and literature, one could cheat, but in music, no one could help.

"Brother Ye, it's up to you to pass the second challenge!" Pan Zhisuo smiled sincerely at Ye Yu.

Ye Yu, however, looked bitter and said, "Brother Pan, you flatter me. Unfortunately, I don't know how to play any musical instruments. How can I perform?"

...

This statement caused a stir in the parlor. Everyone whispered, wondering if the two were really so unique, one backing out before the competition and the other not knowing how to play any instruments.

Was this really the case, or were they deliberately letting each other win? The parlor was filled with speculation.

However, Ye Yu's words delighted Lu Zheng. He had been worried about being outdone by Ye Yu, but now that Ye Yu couldn't play an instrument, it was a tie.

"Ha ha ha! Ye Yu, it seems you won't be able to enjoy my thousand taels of silver!"

Lu Zheng's arrogant laughter contrasted with Ye Yu's calm demeanor. He turned to Mei'er and said softly, "Miss Mei'er, can I borrow your handkerchief?"

Although Mei'er didn't know what Ye Yu was up to, she still handed him the handkerchief from her bosom.

Ye Yu took the handkerchief, wet it with water, and wiped his hands, saying softly, "I, Ye Yu, always keep my word. Since Miss Qianyu said to harmonize, she didn't specify using a musical instrument!"

"Oh? Can you harmonize without an instrument? Ye Yu, don't talk too much and hurt your tongue!"

"Why not? Today, I will use my hand to harmonize with Miss Qianyu..." He looked up at Liu Qianyu on the upper floor and smiled, "Miss Qianyu, please!"

Liu Qianyu, who had seen everything in the parlor from upstairs, was extremely curious about the hand harmonization Ye Yu mentioned. She had rarely heard of anyone harmonizing without an instrument.

She wanted to see how the person who provided the second half of the couplet would harmonize with her. So she smiled and nodded, then sat back at the zither and began to play.

---

The advertisement starts on the previous page.

The advertisement ends on the previous page.