Luzhou-Mond - Kapitel 100
Shen Haoyu stopped paddling and listened for a while before saying, "It is indeed 'Riding the Wind,' but the player seems to be a woman."
Hearing this, I looked at Shen Haoyu with slight surprise, but Shen Haoyu was looking at the boat in front of us, and Shen Zexuan also turned his head. These two have been acting as if I don't exist ever since I sat down, but I've also started to act like a statue myself.
After listening for a while, the two men surprisingly took up their oars and rowed towards the small boat. I felt more and more that I shouldn't have gotten on the boat. They knew how to row themselves, so why was I joining in? Did I really intend to be a recorder, to write down their every word and action on the lake today and then pass it on to future generations?
As we got closer, the melodious sound of the zither became clearer, and Shen Haoyu suddenly asked me, "Where's the xiao?"
I quickly untied it from my waist and handed it to Shen Haoyu, who frowned in displeasure: "Where's that white jade flute?"
"Of course, I must cherish the things bestowed upon me by the young prince and be reluctant to use them," I said obsequiously. I always forget to use the flute he gave me, which has displeased him countless times. I can only reply to him with these words each time to make his expression soften.
"Play a tune," Shen Haoyu suggested.
I asked curiously, "What tune? I don't know many tunes." There's a zither to listen to now, why would he want me to play the flute? Besides, Shen Haoyu almost never asks me to play for him. However, remembering his words in Ningzhou City, "From now on, you can only play the flute if I tell you to," I still brought the flute to my lips. And indeed, I haven't played it since.
I thought for a while but couldn't think of a suitable song. The song "Riding the Wind" that the other person just played sounded so unattainable to me. Although I didn't mean to compare, it couldn't be too far off, or it would spoil other people's fun.
Seeing that I was undecided, Shen Zexuan suddenly laughed. That laugh was more dazzling than the red clothes he was wearing. I couldn't help but be stunned for a moment, but then I heard him say, "The music that night was very beautiful."
Shen Haoyu glared at him: "The piece from that day is not allowed to be played again. Pick another piece to entertain this little prince."
Not knowing what tune to play, Shen Zexuan kept offering suggestions, but Shen Haoyu rejected them one by one. I looked at Shen Haoyu with a mournful expression: "Young Prince, please make a decision."
Shen Haoyu looked thoughtful for a while before saying, "How about the piece we played together in the plum garden of the Prince's Mansion last time? Something about plum blossoms."
"You wanted to hear 'Three Variations on Plum Blossom'? You should have said so earlier." Although I didn't know what connection the melody had with the current scenery, it was still inappropriate. Since my master had already spoken, I had no choice but to obey. In any case, he had rejected all the other pieces anyway.
I tested the sound, but Shen Zexuan's expression wasn't good. These two are really hard to please. I'll never be caught between them again, and I'll never be alone with them at the same time.
The sound of the flute began to wail, like a lament, like a yearning, like a sob, like a complaint, yet it carried a lingering affection, spreading outwards along with the gentle ripples of the water...
When the music ended, Shen Haoyu seemed to remember something, a faint smile playing on his lips. His gaze didn't pierce through me, instead drifting off somewhere else. Shen Zexuan, however, stared at me intently, looking as if he wanted to say something but hesitated. If he were a woman, and I were a man, I would definitely… In the end, it was just a pity.
The exquisite little boat had gotten quite close to us without us noticing. I gestured towards it, and Shen Zexuan turned to look.
"My young lady has heard the beautiful sound of the flute and wishes to learn from it." A girl in green stood on the boat, her voice clear and melodious, audible even from a distance.
Shen Haoyu then came to his senses, his tone slightly unfriendly: "As a young lady, how can you casually ask a strange man for advice?"
The girl in green immediately blushed: "Young master, don't you know my young lady?"
This time, Shen Haoyu was quite surprised: "Who is your young lady? How would I know her?" As he spoke, he frowned, as if he was really thinking about when he had met some young lady.
The girl in green stamped her foot and said, "My young lady is Youlan from Zuiyan Pavilion."
We were all stunned by these words, but Shen Zexuan seemed to remember something: "Is it Youlan, the top courtesan of Zuiyan Pavilion?"
The girl in green then smiled and said, "This young master remembers."
I almost fainted. Just boating behind the house, and you can bump into a top courtesan—that's how so many stories begin. But… look at Shen Haoyu, his face full of bewilderment, as if he had no idea what the other was talking about. Shen Zexuan smiled faintly, and the girl in green was also stunned. Shen Zexuan said, “I’ve heard a little about your young lady’s name, but my two brothers and I really don’t recognize it, so…”
Before Shen Zexuan could finish speaking, the distance in his words was obvious. The girl in green became anxious again, just as Shen Haoyu exclaimed, "The boat, the boat is taking on water!"
Looking down, I saw something was wrong; water was constantly gushing out from under the boat, quickly reaching above my feet, and the boat was slowly sinking. I quickly said, "Row! Row over there!"
Shen Haoyu and Shen Zexuan hurriedly grabbed the oars, but it was all in vain. The boat was about to sink, and Youlan's boat was still some distance away. I had no choice but to shout, "Help!"
The two people thrashed about in the water. It was unbelievable that two people who knew how to row couldn't swim. Looking around, they didn't have time to think much and pulled Shen Zexuan towards Youlan's small boat. The boat slowly rowed towards them, and when they got close, the people on the boat hurriedly pulled Shen Zexuan aboard.
When I turned around again, Shen Haoyu had disappeared. I quickly plunged into the water. Fortunately, the lake water was clear and there was sunshine, so I found him soon. I swam to his side and gently pulled him out of the water. He opened his eyes immediately. Seeing that he was alright, I breathed a sigh of relief.
I pulled Shen Haoyu toward the small boat, but he suddenly became stubborn and struggled to prevent me from touching him. After several tugs, he choked on water several times, but still stubbornly shook me off. I knew why he was angry, and I said in a clear voice, "Young Prince, how could I abandon you? If you die like this, I will die with you!" How could I forget that my life was intertwined with his?
Hearing this, Shen Haoyu quieted down, and even unusually grinned. I then pulled him up and swam towards the small boat…
Do not lean against the west railing to lock in the clear autumn. Chapter 85 of the main text.
Chapter word count: 4021 Update time: 09-08-27 09:02
After being rescued by Miss Youlan and taken to her own courtyard, Zinuo and the others, who had been waiting on the shore and witnessed the shipwreck, saw that we had returned safely. They quickly helped the soaking wet and disheveled Shen Haoyu and Shen Zexuan to change their clothes. I was not much better off. I looked down at my body, which was not very presentable because of my wet clothes, and hurried back to my room. I told Zinuo to take good care of Miss Youlan.
After changing his clothes, he came out to find Youlan already seated in the pavilion by the water, her zither laid out on the table. As a way of repaying the life-saving grace, he had already promised to teach her the "Three Variations on Plum Blossom" on the boat.
Listening to her melodious playing, the music produced by the strings had a different charm compared to the bamboo flute. I was so captivated that I simply told her the lyrics, which made her very happy.
"I never expected you to be a woman." Youlan finished practicing the piece, put away her zither, and handed it to the green-clad girl named Shanshan.
I shook my head and smiled bitterly: "So what if I'm a man, so what if I'm a woman? I've been dressing as a man for a long time now, to the point that I've almost forgotten that I'm a woman."
Youlan was indeed the top courtesan of Zuiyan Pavilion, one of the most prestigious brothels in Qingzhou City. However, the owner valued her talent and took good care of her. After praising her repeatedly, he still allowed her to sell her art but not her body. As a result, the customers couldn't forget her even more. This is what is meant by "the more you can't get what you want, the more you can't let go." It seems that the owner was a master of this art.
With a gentle, elegant smile, and dressed in a simple, light blue dress, she appeared even more ethereal under the shimmering water. I never imagined I would have the chance to meet such a woman.
"If you could choose for yourself, what would you choose?" Youlan asked.
After thinking about it, if I could choose, what would I choose? Being reborn here is already an immense stroke of luck. "If I could choose, I would definitely want to be with my parents and family, to be a spoiled little daughter, and to enjoy family life together." No matter what, this is the most heartwarming thought.
Youlan smiled and said, "In the end, it's just something to think about."
Yes, reality is not like that.
"You are still lucky in the end," Youlan suddenly said, a glint of light flashing in her eyes. "They are all very good to you."
Who are "them" referring to?
Looking at the sky, it was almost noon. Since I wasn't the host, it wouldn't be appropriate for Youlan to stay for lunch. Youlan patted her skirt and got up, walking towards the shore with Shanshan. I followed slowly behind them, keeping pace with their steps. I had never learned how women walked in ancient times, and walking with them today felt incredibly slow.