Shen Yun smiled lightly at him, "My elder brother also received an invitation. However, he is not fully recovered yet, so I will go with him later. We will meet you at Muxue Manor then."
I winked at Shen Yunshuang, "Miss Shen, are you worried that Xiyue will be taken a liking to that Master Mu and kept as his husband?"
She lowered her eyes and smiled, "Speaking of which, this Master Mu can be considered Seventh Brother's senior sister."
Lou Xiyue looked at me and said, “When I was young, I visited Muxue Manor with my father. At that time, the former manor lord, Mu Hua, taught me a set of mental techniques to protect my body. Mu Yanxue is Mu Hua’s only daughter, so she is indeed my senior sister.”
My original plan was that if Mu Yanxue truly fell for Master, I could use my beauty to seduce her. I could leverage my disciple's years of experience in the world of pleasure, honing her skills to a level that could charm anyone, to bewitch Master Mu, and then I could secretly bring Master back. But after hearing about Lou Xiyue's innocent childhood friendship with her, I know that the beauty trap won't work.
Later that day, Xu Zilan came looking for Lou Xiyue.
He laughed and said, "Brother Xiyue, yesterday's gathering and parting were too rushed, and we didn't get to enjoy ourselves to the fullest. Today I have already informed Yixiangyuan, and Xiaodie has been missing you so much that she's about to fall asleep. Come on, let's go listen to some music together."
Lou Xiyue declined, saying, "Zilan, we have an old friend visiting today, and it might be inconvenient. How about we reschedule?"
I smiled at Xu Zilan, "Young Master Xu, I am currently unable to attend to matters of the heart. However, I am new to Yangzhou and am quite interested in these little tunes and lyrics. It would be a great pleasure to listen to music and drink with you, Young Master."
Xu Zilan was overjoyed, "That's wonderful! I was just worried about not being able to find anyone."
Xu Zilan and I instantly became like close friends, and we agreed to go to Yixiang Garden together to enjoy wine and pick flowers.
Just as she was about to leave, Lou Xiyue stepped forward and said with a smile, "Since Zilan is so hospitable, let's go together. I haven't heard Xiaodie's singing voice for many days, and now that you've reminded me, I do miss it."
Yixiang Garden, as its name suggests, is a place where vulgar women and refined ladies coexist. My initial understanding of brothels was that An Chen went in and never came out. Many men go to such places and never return, losing their minds; but I think An Chen was no ordinary man. A more reasonable explanation is that a girl inside fell ill, and he, with a compassionate heart, spent seven days and seven nights treating her.
Beneath the half-drawn beaded curtain, a beautiful young woman could be vaguely seen, with bright eyes and white teeth. Her long fingers plucked and twisted across the surface of the zither, producing light and graceful music, like colorful butterflies fluttering around flowers. She parted her red lips slightly, lowered her brows, and sang softly, her eyes filled with affection. It must have been the song "Fragrant Flowers and Butterflies" that Lou Xiyue had given her.
I raised my cup and drank with Lou Xiyue. "Xiyue, Miss Xiaodie truly lives up to her reputation. How long have you two been together?"
He held the cup in his palm, playing with it, and slowly said, "It's been a long time."
After she finished speaking, Lou Xiyue looked up at me, her phoenix eyes sparkling.
I leaned closer to him and whispered, "How long is 'a long time'?"
Suddenly, an interest arose in his mind. "By the way, Xiyue, how old were you when you first felt love?"
He paused for a moment, then rubbed his forehead and said, "I can't remember..."
Indeed, compared to ordinary girls, I was in puppy love; but compared to someone as talented as Lou Xiyue, my "naive and confused feelings in my youth" were nothing to mention.
After finishing her song, Xiaodie moved gracefully into the inner room and saw Lou Xiyue. Her eyes lit up with joy. She smiled, and two dimples appeared on her lips. "Young Master Lou, I made a fool of myself just now."
Lou Xiyue smiled gently, "Xiao Die's singing voice is comparable to heavenly music, how can you belittle yourself?"
I glanced out the window; night was deepening. So I pulled Xu Zilan and Lou Xiyue aside to say goodbye, “Xiyue, it’s getting late. It’s not convenient for Xu Shizi and me to stay any longer. Life is short; you and Xiaodie should drink and talk about your love, don’t waste this precious time.”
Xu Zilan understood and said, "Brother Xiyue, I'll leave Xiaodie to you."
After we finished speaking, we left the room. As we closed the door, I stole a glance and saw Xiaodie smiling as she picked up her wine glass and whispered something to Lou Xiyue.
If it weren't for Prince Xu, I would very much like to break through the window and stay outside with the two of them until dawn.
Back at the Lou residence, I strolled in the courtyard under the moonlight and sat by the pond thinking of my beloved.
I often secretly walked back and forth in front of my master's window when the moon was full and in the dead of night. His sleeping face was quietly spread out in the moonlight, like a clear spring flowing into my heart.
When I couldn't resist watching him, I would go inside and sit by his bedside, gently stroking his face. His breathing was even, soft, and serene as he slept. Occasionally, when I brushed my hand across his brow, he would furrow slightly before relaxing.
Nights like these always leave me wanting more.
"Master, it's late. Why don't you go back to your room and rest?" Lou Xiyue's voice interrupted my romantic thoughts.
I asked in surprise, "Huh? Xiyue, you guys finished so quickly?"
Lou Xiyue played with her fan with a half-smile, "What does Master think?"
"I thought we'd be entwined until dawn..."
Lou Xiyue narrowed her eyes and leaned closer to whisper in my ear, "Master doesn't yet know the wonders of intimacy, does he?"
His voice was a little hoarse, and his breath was close to my ear. The full moon was reflected in the pond, its shadow flickering.
I was taken aback and suddenly fell silent.
Seeing this, Lou Xiyue smiled and waved her fan, "If Master has any questions about this matter in the future, Xiyue is willing to answer them for you."
He raised an eyebrow, glanced at me again, and then turned and went back into the house.
I weighed his words for a moment, stood there, and felt dejected.
The next day, Lou Xiyue and I rode to Muxue Manor.
Muxue Manor is located in Meishan Mountain, where snow falls year-round, hence the name "Muxue" (meaning "bathing in snow"). The manor is famous in the martial arts world for its Crimson Snow Soft Sword and Muxue Sword Technique. It is said that several years ago, the "Muxue Sword Manual" suddenly disappeared, causing a great uproar in the martial arts world and sparking numerous disputes, all in an effort to find this sword manual.
Martial arts practitioners searched for a long time, and during this time, several evil martial arts manuals that could cause people to go mad appeared, such as "Mu Xue Sword Manual", "Mu Shuang Sword Manual", and "Mu Xue Saber Manual: Three-Step Quick Mastery Method", and so on.
Finally, we must admit that the "Muxue Sword Manual" has been lost.
I asked Lou Xiyue, "Is this Mu Yanxue pretty?"
Lou Xiyue nodded with a smile.
"Is he highly skilled in martial arts?"
He nodded solemnly.
How old are you?