When Lin Guanqing was dragged out by these fellow apprentice brothers, he still had no idea what they were up to.
By the time he was hauled kicking and screaming into the Tianxiang Tower, his expression instantly turned as disgusted as if he had swallowed a fly.
“Why did you bring me here?”
The Tianxiang Tower was the largest pleasure house in Mingzhou.
Mingzhou was prosperous, and the Tianxiang Tower was a famous local landmark. Bustling and lively by day, it was brightly lit when night fell, and it had always been the favorite haunt of wealthy young masters looking for a good time.
“Look at that disgusted look on your face. What else is there to do here besides drinking flower wine?” One of the senior brothers patted him heavily on the shoulder, explaining with a grin.
“Aside from pretty maidens, the most famous thing in Tianxiang Tower is Tianxiang Wine. It is one of the specialties of Mingzhou. Did you seriously not even know this, Junior Brother Lin?”
Of course he knew. Not only did he know that Tianxiang Wine was famous, but he also knew the recipe had been researched by the Lin family’s grand-uncle. However, he did not drink, especially not at a pleasure house.
If Senior Sister Meng were to find out about this, heaven only knew what kind of fuss she would make. Their relationship had been quite strained lately, and he certainly didn’t want to make her angry again.
Lin Guanqing turned to leave, but his fellow disciples dragged and pulled him all the way up to the upper floor anyway.
“Don’t be in such a rush to leave.” Senior Brother Cheng firmly pushed him down into a seat, and the rest of the disciples gathered around the table as well.
Senior Brother Cheng chuckled and said, “Junior Brother Lin, you don’t need to be nervous. The ladies here are so expensive, your senior brother couldn’t possibly afford to treat you to them. Hehe, today we’re just drinking! I noticed you’ve been in a bad mood lately, so I specifically brought you out to relax. Besides, the wine here is very expensive. Don’t you ever say your senior brother isn’t good to you again. Come on, we drink until we drop today!”
Surrounded by the group, Lin Guanqing still felt a strong sense of resistance. The air was thick with a cloying mix of alcohol and heavy face powder. He refused, “Alright, you guys can drink this wine yourselves. I still have to go back and practice my sword, so I won’t keep you company.”
With that, he turned to leave, only to be blocked once more.
Senior Brother Cheng gave his shoulder a heavy pat, looking thoroughly exasperated. “What kind of sword practice are you doing in the middle of the night? At least come up with a better excuse. Are you afraid that Junior Sister Meng will find out about this and get mad?”
Lin Guanqing glanced at him and kept his mouth shut, brooding.
Senior Brother Cheng’s expression turned even more dismissive. “Look at how spineless you are. Didn’t you and Junior Sister Meng already have a falling out? Why are you still so obedient to a girl?”
Patting his arm, Senior Brother Cheng continued his lecture, “You’ve been like this since you were kids, always trailing behind Junior Sister Meng like a little tail. You never want to play with us, but the moment she tells you to do something, you jump. When she tells you not to drink, you don’t drink! I’m asking you, can’t you be a real man and have some backbone?”
“It’s just drinking flower wine, and nobody’s asking you to actually do anything. You don’t have an ounce of manly spirit.”
Being lectured like this stirred up a bit of temper in Lin Guanqing, though his anger wasn’t directed at his fellow disciples, but rather at Meng Jinjin’s attitude toward him all this time.
He slapped away the hand resting on his shoulder, let out a cold snort, and casually picked up a wine bottle to pour wine into a porcelain bowl. “Who says I’m afraid of her? What kind of joke are you playing?”
“I was just worried Senior Brother couldn’t afford it! So what if it’s flower wine? Quit nagging so much. Since Senior Brother is so kind, this younger brother won’t be polite. Tonight, we drink until we drop!”
“Great!” Senior Brother Cheng took the lead, clapping and laughing heartily, and the whole room immediately burst into cheers. “Now this is more like our junior brother. How straightforward!”
The disciples immediately swarmed in, and the room livened up considerably.
Influenced by the atmosphere, Lin Guanqing’s mood improved slightly. Once his mood lifted, he began to appreciate the taste of the wine. The liquor at Tianxiang Tower really was quite good.
In the middle of their drinking, just as they were hitting their stride, the room door was suddenly kicked open with a loud bang.
Following that came a voice clearly suppressing fury, ringing clearly in everyone’s ears: “You senior and junior brothers certainly have great spirit. When you’re out drinking together, how could you forget to invite Jinjin along?”
“Am I not of the same sect as you all?”
The room fell into absolute silence, quiet enough to hear a pin drop.
Everyone present knew why Meng Jinjin had come here. Apart from Junior Brother Lin, Junior Sister Meng wouldn’t have had the mood to accompany them for drinks. Yet her tone didn’t sound like she was here to drink, but rather to wreck the place. The disciples looked at one another, each wearing a blank expression, before falling silent all at once.
In the end, as expected, the two of them started a direct argument right in front of all their fellow disciples.
Though nobody knew what Junior Brother Lin had said to Meng Jinjin when he dragged her away earlier, her eyes looked somewhat red when she left. And until she finally departed for good, Junior Brother Lin neither apologized to her nor uttered a single word to ask her to stay.
The outcome could be easily imagined.
Because of this incident, their relationship grew even worse.
And Lin Guanqing’s mood visibly grew more and more irritable.
The most obvious sign was when Shen Xiu heard that he had suffered from a hangover and, wanting to show her concern, personally boiled a bowl of hangover-remedy soup and brought it to Lin Guanqing’s courtyard, only to be rejected by him with considerable impatience.
“No need, hurry back. I never drink these outside things.” Lin Guanqing frowned as he refused.
The young woman stood quietly outside the doorway with lowered eyes.
Lin Guanqing only gave her a brief glance before looking away.
That single glance hadn’t even let him clearly register her appearance. He only felt that this woman’s temperament was far too submissive, like a drop of clear water falling into a still pond that failed to stir up even a ripple in his memory.
His rejection was extremely decisive. Although his tone wasn’t harsh, it instantly brought a quiet stillness to the air inside the room.
However, neither of them paid this silence any mind.
Lin Guanqing was still lost in his own thoughts.
He was still thinking about what happened last night. Even though he had been drunk, he remembered everything that transpired. The more he thought about it, the more regretful he felt. Had his words last night been a bit too harsh?
In truth, he hadn’t wanted to be so fierce. It was all Senior Sister’s fault for saying such infuriating things. What did she mean by degenerating and lacking ambition? He had only gone to drink flower wine once. Was there any need to mock him like that?
Yet, even after he finished speaking, Shen Xiu didn’t leave. Instead, after a momentary hesitation, she stepped lightly into the room.
She placed the tray in her hands onto the table with a very gentle motion, making not a single annoying sound.
However, just as Lin Guanqing’s mind was churned into a tangled mess by his complex and chaotic thoughts, he heard a soft voice suddenly rise beside him:
“Is there something I did improperly that has displeased the Young Master?”
Lin Guanqing’s mind went quiet for a split second as he turned to look at her.
It was only then that Lin Guanqing truly saw her face.
Her skin was fair and pretty, her brows and eyes delicate, giving her a quiet and gentle appearance. She lifted her head slightly, her thin lips pressed together into a pale, peach-colored hue that contrasted with her fair skin, making them look even more tender and moist.
Lin Guanqing lost his train of thought for a moment. The outline of her submissive and always overly quiet face from his memory suddenly grew clear in that instant.
She rarely ever locked gazes with people like this. When looking at someone, the outer corners of her eyes would lift slightly, yet the moment she lowered her gaze, she would utterly rein in that expression.
Clearly possessed of exceptionally good looks, her overly introverted temperament made her seem somewhat fragile. Such an appearance easily brought to mind the phrase of a beauty’s tragic fate, especially when paired with such a compliant disposition.
Lin Guanqing found it a bit troublesome. He least liked dealing with such frail and delicate young women, always feeling like they would burst into tears at any second. He shifted his gaze away from her and offered an explanation, “No, there is nothing you did improperly.”
Facing such a submissive woman, Lin Guanqing couldn’t bring himself to speak too coldly. Remembering that his earlier refusal had sounded a bit stiff and fearing she might overthink it, he added:
“It’s just that I personally don’t like these soupy concoctions, so you can take it back. I heard you were injured recently as well. You don’t need to do these chores, just rest.”
Shen Xiu paused slightly, as if she hadn’t expected this reason, which brought a trace of apologetic expression to her face.
So that was why.
However, that expression lingered on her face for only a fleeting moment before she quickly recovered and asked softly, “Then what does the Young Master like? Should I make something else for you next time?”
Lin Guanqing waved his hand, his tone quite decisive. “Don’t bother, I don’t care for these things.”
His refusal was absolute, leaving almost no room for maneuver, making him seem rather difficult to approach. The conversation seemed to have ended there.
Yet once Shen Xiu received her answer, she didn’t leave. Instead, she tilted her head and continued to gaze at him.
Noticing this, Lin Guanqing felt a bit puzzled. He turned back to look at her, somewhat surprised that not only had she not left, but she kept staring right at him—a reaction quite different from her usual downcast, low-eyed demeanor.
However, her gaze was calm and gentle, entirely consistent with her mild temperament, so it didn’t cause Lin Guanqing to feel like he was being intruded upon.
So Lin Guanqing asked her, “Is there anything else you need?”
Shen Xiu hesitated for a moment before nodding slightly.
She took a few steps forward and stopped beside the chair next to him, then asked softly, “May I sit here?”
Hearing this, Lin Guanqing furrowed his brows slightly, thinking that his initial judgment had been wrong. This girl was actually pushing her luck. He swept a glance at the seat beside him, somewhat surprised by her proximity. Though he felt a slight internal aversion, he didn’t show it outwardly.
He merely rubbed his temples in irritation and muttered to himself, What a pain.
Shen Xiu then sat down on the chair beside him, keeping her eyes fixed in his direction. Lin Guanqing didn’t feel particularly awkward, but seeing her stare at him like that all the time, he couldn’t help wondering if she had something else on her mind.
A thought seemed to cross his mind, and he said to Shen Xiu, “If you aren’t feeling well, you can go see a doctor directly. Our Bishui Villa has its own physicians.”
He assumed Shen Xiu must be feeling unwell, but because her personality was too introverted, she was too embarrassed to say it out loud and had come to him instead.
Shen Xiu shook her head, merely looking at him quietly. Just as Lin Guanqing grew deeply puzzled and thought about telling her to go back to her own room to rest, Shen Xiu finally spoke softly:
“Has the Young Master been in a rather poor mood lately?”
Lin Guanqing paused slightly. “What?”
He turned to look at her, a flash of surprise crossing his eyes, genuinely astonished that she would say such a thing.
Shen Xiu offered a gentle expression, a soft smile playing on her face. Raising her eyes slightly and pondering for a moment, she finally spoke:
“Actually, on the day the Young Master and Meng Jinjin had that argument in the bamboo forest, I happened to pass by.”
She was referring to the first time the two of them quarreled after returning to Bishui Villa—back when Meng Jinjin was interrogating him because of his rescue of someone. It was precisely because of the words Lin Guanqing had blurted out in a fit of pique that she had misunderstood, ultimately developing deep romantic feelings for him.
“And so I happened to overhear some of it.” Saying this, Shen Xiu paused slightly, lowering her eyes in her usual manner before continuing, “Ever since that argument with Senior Sister Meng, the Young Master’s mood hasn’t been very good.”