Chapter Fifteen
In the private room of the Huxi Hotel, the ladies invited by the gentlemen had all arrived one after another. Everyone introduced their female companions to each other, and there was quite a lively atmosphere. Youfeng, who had met her once before, also arrived. When she saw Tang Yu and Mu Xing, her eyes were full of affection. She greeted them and then sat down behind Tang Yu.
Someone deliberately said to Mu Xing, "Young Master Mu, now that all the gentlemen have arrived, I'm afraid Miss Bai Yan will be late. Why don't you place another bet, and we can call off the bet we just made?"
Upon hearing Bai Yan's name, the gentlemen who had just settled down stirred slightly and began chattering among themselves.
Mu Xing smiled and said, "No need. If the beauty is indeed uninterested, I will..." Before she could finish speaking, she looked towards the door of the private room and suddenly paused.
Everyone quickly looked over and were immediately struck by what they saw.
The protagonist in their story had just entered the private room. She was wearing a bright green cheongsam and walked in gracefully, as if a spring breeze had blown from the ground, making all the bright red spring flowers in the room lose their color.
After a brief silence, sounds gradually returned to the private room.
"Oh, they really came."
"Alright, Young Master Mu has the most influence."
"Bai Yan, it's been almost half a month since I last saw you. Is it because I'm not as influential as Young Master Mu that you haven't come to see me?"
Bai Yan walked over and said with a smile, "Young Master Li, I heard that you were promoted a few days ago and are now the Grand Marshal of the Navy and Land Forces. It's clearly me who can't see you."
Young Master Li didn't react for a moment, but the people next to him were already laughing: "Grand Marshal of the Navy and Land Forces, they're saying you're 'too busy'!"
After a few more witty remarks, the atmosphere in the private room became lively again. Bai Yan then walked to the table and looked at Mu Xing with a smile: "Young Master Mu, we meet again."
Only when Bai Yan approached was Mu Xing able to examine her more closely.
I thought Bai Yan was only suited to bright red and purple colors, which would be too dazzling, but I didn't expect that she would still look so beautiful in such a clean and elegant color.
Thinking this, Mu Xing stood up, pulled out a chair behind him, and smiled at Bai Yan, saying, "Sit here."
Having served as a waitress so many times, this was the first time a customer had pulled out a chair for Bai Yan, causing her to pause in her tracks.
Ignoring the fleeting emotions that crossed her mind, she thanked him and, with her usual smile, sat down two feet behind Mu Xing.
Before they could even sit down, a young man at the opposite table suddenly said, "Hey, since Miss Bai Yan has arrived as promised, doesn't that mean we all lost the little bet we just made?"
"Oh dear, it really is! Bring the wine, bring the wine..."
What kind of betting game?
Bai Yan looked at Mu Xing with a puzzled expression, but did not ask any questions rashly.
It turned out that Mu Xingjian's classmates at the table were all mocking Young Master Cui, and they were also making lewd remarks about Bai Yan, who had kicked Young Master Cui away, some even more explicit. Mu Xingjian wasn't the kind of man who would show mercy to a woman, but he found everyone's words quite unpleasant to hear.
With that in mind, she decided to play a little trick on these young masters.
Using the excuse of livening up the atmosphere, she first told Tang Yu about her idea. After receiving his affirmation, she told everyone that she wanted to make a bet on whether Bai Yan would accept the challenge or not: if Bai Yan accepted, everyone would drink a glass of strong brandy; if she did not, Mu Xing and Tang Yu would cover all the expenses for the day—of course, Tang Yu's title was added at his own request.
The young men present were all regulars at brothels, a group of wealthy idlers who naturally enjoyed drinking and gambling. Moreover, most of them thought Mu Xing was bound to lose, so they all agreed.
Now that they had lost, there was no point in denying it, and besides, the gentlemen were there to drink on their behalf, so everyone called for more wine and drank heartily.
After watching for a while, Bai Yan roughly understood what kind of "bet" it was, and she was quite happy.
According to the unspoken rules of the brothel, after parting ways with a previous client, the man is supposed to host a banquet to show that he is single again. But a few days ago, his mother got angry and hit him, and since he has no other clients to help him, he had to put the plan aside.
Now, by a twist of fate, as long as she drinks this glass of wine, these young men will have to admit that she is single again. Once the news gets out, her future path will be opened up.
But... I wonder if Young Master Mu did this intentionally or unintentionally?
Bai Yan glanced at Mu Xing beside her, just as she was about to test him, Mu Xing suddenly turned to look at her and smiled, "I met Miss Bai once at Hua Rong Foreign Firm last time. I wonder if Miss Bai remembers me?"
Bai Yan nodded, and habitually uttered flattering words: "Of course I remember, Young Master Mu's demeanor is truly unforgettable."
As soon as the words left her mouth, Bai Yan regretted them. These were words meant to appease those greasy, oblivious men. This young master was clearly not like that. If she said such a thing, she would probably be laughed at.
Sure enough, Mu Xing was taken aback upon hearing this, and his expression became subtle. Bai Yan was about to make amends when Mu Xing suddenly laughed.
She was immediately embarrassed.
Before Bai Yan could react, Mu Xing suddenly moved forward, getting a little closer. At a delicate and safe distance, his sharp eyes softened, and he looked at her with a smile, saying, "The orange blossom scent on Miss Bai's hands is equally unforgettable."
Chapter Sixteen
Bai Yan was already mentally prepared for the men who would suddenly approach her to grope her, but when she suddenly heard this sentence, her reaction was a beat slower.
Orange blossom... orange blossom?
A multitude of thoughts raced through her mind in an instant, and she had no choice but to try her best to select the most appropriate response from among those chaotic ideas.
French orange blossom perfume is the best; orange blossom can calm the mind. Young Master Mu is very knowledgeable about perfumes… No, no, that's too mercenary…
Young Master Cui hates bitter perfumes the most… bitterness, orange blossom scent, that’s his mother’s scent…
Before he could even think of a suitable answer, Mu Xing had already retreated to a safe distance and said, "Orange blossom is a common calming incense used in the Suzhou and Hangzhou area. Miss Bai is from Jiangnan?"
"Ah." Looking into those clear eyes, Bai Yan suddenly didn't want to use that fake identity she usually used to fool people anymore.
She shook her head and smiled, "No, my ancestral home is in Yunnan, but I lived in Suzhou for a while." She usually used her identity from Jiangnan to elevate her status, and she figured that this Young Master Mu and Young Master Cui were not the same kind of people. She hoped that she wouldn't be exposed instead.
Mu Xing had heard from Young Master Tang that women from Jiangnan were very popular in the North.
Having heard Bai Yan's fluent Suzhou dialect before, Mu Xing had already guessed that she wasn't from Jiangnan and was probably using her Jiangnan identity as a gimmick. So, with a bit of malice, she deliberately asked her, but to her surprise, Bai Yan didn't lie to her.
Wenjiang is located in the north, while Yunnan is in the southwest. She traveled thousands of miles to Wenjiang, which must have been due to a sad story.
Without pressing Bai Yan about her background, Mu Xing was about to change the subject when the young men at the table suddenly said to her, "Oh my, they're clearly in love at first sight! Look, they're already chatting! Young Master Mu, we've already had our drinks, shouldn't you and Young Master Tang, who are in the main seat, have a drink too? And since we introduced you to Miss Bai, shouldn't we have another drink?"
Mu Xing was taken aback: "Uh...?"
As a medical student with a doctor father to discipline her, she and her second brother had always kept their distance from tobacco and alcohol, at most drinking a little sweet wine at banquets. If she were to drink strong liquor like brandy like them now, she would probably be beaten out of the house by her father before she even entered the door—no, she probably wouldn't even be able to find her way home.
But before she could refuse, the waiter had already brought three glasses. He poured a glass of brandy, the same kind of liquor as the other young men who had lost the bet, and then poured two full glasses of Wenjiang Laojiu, which were for her and Bai Yan.
Tang Yu readily agreed, but Mu Xing was immediately troubled when he saw the two glasses of wine.
Damn it, why didn't I think of drinking in the first place!
She quickly came up with several excuses not to drink, but rejected them one by one. Everyone was concerned about saving face; she had just set a trap for them, and if she didn't drink now, she feared it would create animosity.
All eyes at the table turned to Tang Yu, who had already picked up his glass. Mu Xing, not wanting to linger any longer, had no choice but to follow and get his glass as well.
There's no other way, I'll just have to drink it.
The wine in the glass was clear, emitting an aroma that Mu Xing couldn't understand, and it felt incredibly heavy in his hand.
Out of the corner of her eye, Mu Xing saw that Tang Yu had already downed her drink in one gulp. She gritted her teeth and was about to drink when Bai Yan suddenly reached out and pressed her hand down.
Bai Yan smiled and said, "Shall I drink this cup of wine for Young Master Mu?"
Oh—a beauty saves the hero!
"No, no, we've already drunk them, Young Master Mu should at least show some sincerity, right?"
Mu Xing hesitated for a moment, but Bai Yan took the wine glass from his hand and said with a smile, "There's still plenty of time. It would be boring if Young Master Mu got drunk now." With that, she tilted the glass, and half a glass of brandy disappeared into her rosy lips.
Mu Xing was stunned.
Bai Yan pursed her lips and turned the wine glass upside down to show that she had finished drinking. Mu Xing watched the blush quickly rise on her face and worried that she might faint.
The people around started cheering: "Great drinking capacity!" "Wow!" "One more glass, please!"
Bai Yan could no longer drink the wine for Mu Xing, and Mu Xing couldn't bear to let her drink it for him. He poured the old wine into his mouth without tasting it, and having completed his task, he hurriedly said to Bai Yan, "Are you alright? This wine is very strong. If you're not feeling well, you should go and rest." As he spoke, he poured Bai Yan a cup of tea.
Bai Yan was wiping her mouth with a handkerchief when she heard this, and she immediately wanted to laugh.
Is this Young Master Mu truly naive, or does he have ulterior motives? Did he pay her to come so she could rest?
Shaking her head to indicate that she was alright, Bai Yan said, "Young master, you should eat something first to fill your stomach. There will be plenty to drink later."
Mu Xingxian didn't understand Bai Yan's words at first, but he truly felt it over the next hour or so.
She truly underestimated the real meaning behind Tang Yu's words "go have some fun," and also underestimated the entertainment these young masters could have.
At first, everyone just chatted casually and occasionally drank some wine to liven things up. Later, it suddenly developed into a game of rock-paper-scissors, with the loser having to drink.
This was tough on Mu Xing. When it came to entertainment, she was good at games like guessing riddles, playing cards, and matching couplets, and good at martial arts like darts, horse racing, and tennis. But she knew absolutely nothing about finger-guessing games. Several young men, seeing that she couldn't play, deliberately made things difficult for her, constantly dragging her into the game. After only a few rounds, she was punished with a lot of drinking, and Bai Yan also had to drink several cups for her, both persuading and helping her.
By the time everyone was calling for a change of venue, her legs were already weak and her head was spinning. She had to be supported by Bai Yan to take the elevator to the hotel's rooftop garden.
The rooftop garden was actually a dance floor, with a smooth cement floor and decorated with colorful lights and greenery, creating a refreshing atmosphere. When everyone came up, soft music was playing in the garden, a cool breeze was blowing, and a group of people were dancing arm in arm on the dance floor, making everyone feel relaxed and happy.
But a gust of cold wind made Mu Xing feel dizzy and nauseous, so Bai Yan had to help her to a nearby wicker chair to rest. After confirming that she was alright, Tang Yu and the others went to the dance floor to play, leaving only Mu Xing and Bai Yan in the rest area for a while.
After taking a sip of tea to calm down, Mu Xing said apologetically, "I've kept you from going out to play."
Bai Yan sat down next to them and shook her head: "We're tired of it, let's not go anymore." To them, such dance halls were nothing more than places where people could take advantage of them, what fun could they possibly have?
The music gradually became more lively and exciting. After watching the crowd moving around the dance floor for a while, Mu Xing suddenly said, "Tell me, if a man is willing to give up his fiancée for you, what would he really be thinking?"
Upon hearing this, Bai Yan's heart skipped a beat, and she turned to look at Mu Xing.
What does that mean? Does it mean he wants to redeem her? No, that's impossible. What is it implying?
After considering it for a moment, she could only say what was in her favor: "Perhaps it's because I have something that his fiancée doesn't?"
These words might sound arrogant at first glance, but Bai Yan knew they were true, and so did Mu Xing.
What do the gentlemen of the Changsantangzi possess? Beauty, charm, cunning, and even—things that young ladies from noble families will never have the chance to understand.
Looking up at the starry sky, Mu Xing gave a bitter laugh.
Yes, that's probably why Song Youcheng is interested in that woman.
He really is blind!
She refused to believe that she was indeed inferior to the woman in the brothel—unless that woman also had a face like Bai Yan, in which case she would have nothing to say.
But that's impossible.
So Song Youcheng was still blind.
With another laugh, Mu Xing straightened up and waved to the passing barista, taking two more glasses of wine.
Bai Yan was so frightened by the two ambiguous laughs that she dared not utter a sound, thinking that her answer had offended this young master.
Seeing Mu Xing silently take two more glasses of wine, she quickly took them from him: "Young Master Mu, maybe you shouldn't drink anymore?" This guy looks quite drunk, and she'd be in trouble if he got drunk and couldn't pay the bill.