This young master Tang Yu is a newcomer. He hasn't even figured out the way yet, but he's already thinking about visiting the brothel. It's really strange.
We'd better get away as soon as possible.
As they were talking, the rickshaw turned a corner, and Mu Xing immediately felt refreshed, even his nose felt relieved.
There were no more creaking sounds, nor the pungent smell of cheap cosmetics. The black lacquered doors stood alone, each undisturbed by the others, with only an octagonal glass lamp hanging from the eaves, emitting a quiet, serene light.
The car stopped at the alley entrance. Tang Yu got out first, while Mu Xing sat in the car, thinking about how to find an excuse to leave. Suddenly, she changed her mind and decided she didn't want to go anymore.
Isn't that woman in red one of the people from the brothel? What a lucky coincidence! Now's the perfect time to go find her.
With that thought in mind, Mu Xing made up his mind not to leave.
After getting off the bus and paying the fare, the two stood at the alley entrance, but neither of them moved first.
Although Mu Xing really wanted to go for a walk, he didn't know much about it and was afraid that he would make a fool of himself and be laughed at by Young Master Tang Yu, so he refused to make the first move.
Seeing that she was a little reserved, Young Master Tang Yu was not in a hurry to leave. He smiled and said, "To be honest, this is my first time in a brothel. I am very grateful that Young Master Mu is willing to accompany me."
When Mu Xing heard that it was his first time here, she felt much more at ease. She thought for a moment and said, "However, since Young Master Tang has just arrived in Wenjiang, why did you go out for entertainment alone?" And why did you come straight to the hall?
As they began to talk, the two of them naturally walked into the alley.
“Traveling alone has its advantages,” Tang Yu said. “Don’t laugh, Young Master Mu, but I think that visiting brothels is actually a very cheap and quick way to get to know a city.”
Upon hearing this, Mu Xing raised an eyebrow and asked, "What do you mean by that?"
Young Master Tang then spoke at length about his observations on another red-light district, such as inferring the identity and background of the contractor behind the brothels from the tea drinks.
His elegant and witty conversation, along with his insightful observations, significantly changed Mu Xing's impression of him.
As they were talking, the two of them happened to walk in front of a black lacquered door, where an octagonal glass lamp was dimly lit, illuminating the plaque above the doorway.
"Youfeng Academy?" Tang Yu looked up at the plaque and asked Mu Xing, "Young Master Mu, would you like to see what kind of 'phoenix' this academy has?"
Mu Xing was about to agree when she suddenly realized that she didn't know which brothel the woman in red was in, nor did she know her name. There were probably a dozen or so brothels in this alley; finding a beauty like that would be like looking for a needle in a haystack.
Thinking about it this way, she immediately felt deflated. Seeing that Young Master Tang was still waiting for her to make a decision, she could only say, "This room will do."
Anyway, I don't know where the beauty is, so I can only try my luck.
As the two entered Youfeng Bookstore, just as they turned a corner behind a screen door, a man in a black robe waiting for guests at the door shouted "Waiter—" in a loud voice, startling the two of them.
After he finished shouting, the man greeted the two men with a beaming smile, saying, "You two are new faces. Do you know each other? If not, please come this way and wait a moment."
Mu Xing and his companion then sat down with him in the main room, where a woman dressed in fine clothes busied herself pouring tea for them.
Tang Yu suddenly whispered to Mu Xing, "These people and even their servants are all from the North. It must be quite difficult to run a brothel in the South that is full of Northerners. On our way here, we saw that most of the lower-class brothels were run by Northerners rather than Southerners."
Mu Xing asked, puzzled, "Why?"
Tang Yu looked at her: "Did you know that the former inspector general of the French Concession was from the north?"
"Huh?" Mu Xing was stunned. He searched his mind for the strange title of "former French Concession Inspector General" before suddenly realizing what official position this former Inspector General currently held.
Tang Yu continued, "Another influential figure in Wenjiang is actually from the South. Just a few days ago, I visited casinos, bathhouses, and various restaurants, and everywhere I went, the North was clearly dominating the South. Don't you find it strange to think about places like Shanghai and Beijing?"
She frowned and said, "You mean these industries...?"
As the two were talking, a rustling sound of clothes coming from upstairs came from the upper floor. Several girls came down and lined up in front of them.
Mu Xing quickly stopped talking, wanting to see if there were any beauties.
But upon closer inspection, she saw that the youngest of the girls was no more than thirteen or fourteen years old, and the oldest was only seventeen or eighteen. They had slicked-back braids, and their flat bodies were wrapped in cheongsams, without a single curve. Their youthful faces were covered with layers of makeup, and their eyes were fixed on the two of them, revealing everything in them.
She was immediately disappointed.
The middle-aged woman introduced them, saying, "Gentlemen, these are our junior gentlemen. Our senior gentlemen already have guests, so please don't mind."
Mu Xing wasn't very interested and simply said, "Young Master Tang is a guest, you can choose." She really wanted to go to the next shop, but since Young Master Tang wasn't leaving, she couldn't bring herself to suggest it.
Young Master Tang selected the oldest-looking girl, and the man in black waiting at the door called out her name, "Jin Feng".
Looking at the girl's eyes with their whites showing, Tang Yu smiled at Mu Xing and said, "What a beautiful Golden Phoenix."
Having chosen Jin Feng, the two men led her to her room, where she took off her suit jacket, wiped herself with a towel, and was served fruit and tea before finally sitting down.
Jin Feng, perhaps because she rarely had guests, was not very sociable. She sat awkwardly peeling melon seeds for the two of them. Mu Xing and Tang Yu were both visiting for the first time and didn't know what to say. So the three of them sat silently facing each other.
This doesn't seem like someone who's come to visit a brothel; it's more like someone who's come to reflect on their past… Mu Xing thought to himself, glancing at Tang Yu sitting upright and drinking tea beside him. He could only come up with a topic: "This is the first time for both of us, young master. I'm curious, why does your maid call you 'Little Master'?"
Jin Feng then explained in a low voice that in the brothels, in order to appear cultured and raise their status, the girls had to learn some refined skills and call themselves "Master". Untouched girls were called "Little Master", while girls who had lost their virginity and had their own regular customers were called "Big Master".
Mu Xing then asked, "So what are you good at?"
"Ah." Jin Feng blinked, then blushed. "I'm not smart, I can't learn anything well."
Mu Xing almost choked on his tea.
…This girl is really honest; most people would have said it more tactfully.
Seeing that Mu Xing had nothing to say, Jin Feng quickly said, "But I can tell stories! Let me tell you two stories."
Tang Yu then slowly began to speak: "Telling stories is fine, but there's one problem: we already know all the stories in the book. Why don't you tell us some things that happened in your own brothel?"
Chapter Eight
The cherry blossoms in Dongyang Garden haven't bloomed yet; only pink and white buds adorn the branches and leaves, like young girls who haven't fully grown up, hiding and peeking out.
A few early lotus blossoms sparsely opened, swaying in the wind, their leaves forming a dense canopy, emitting a faint, refreshing plant fragrance. However, this delicate scent was overwhelmed by the constant flow of people across the stone bridge, leaving only a subtle aroma.
Standing in the shade at the park entrance, Bai Yan flirtatiously tossed her hair while complaining to Fei Hua, "Is my mother out of her mind? Standing here in this sweltering heat like this, are we trying to dry ourselves out?"
Fei Hua took a drag of her cigarette and said calmly, "Speak like a human being. I'm from the North and I don't understand your Southern dialect."
Bai Yan glanced at her and said jokingly, "Are you out of your mind?" She then switched back to official language: "Who gave Mom the idea to stand here in the garden for exhibition? I'm going to give her a piece of my mind when I get back!"
“I think it’s quite nice,” Fei Hua said. “Haven’t you heard that so-and-so’s master fished in the garden? He’s willing to spend money, buying all sorts of jewelry and furniture all the way until next year. It’s just that standing here is a bit annoying, like a street vendor in a hamburger shop.”
Bai Yan sneered: "What's the difference? Aren't we all just selling ourselves?"
Fei Hua glanced at her: "Are you out of your mind because of the heat?" She picked up a newspaper and fanned Bai Yan with it, then asked: "Does the wound still hurt? Remember to ask your aunt to apply it again when we get back, it works very well."
Trying not to think about the scars hidden under her cheongsam, Bai Yan said, "It doesn't hurt anymore. Didn't you say that if you don't think about it, it won't hurt?"
Before she could finish fanning herself twice, Fei Hua suddenly remembered something, unfolded the newspaper, looked at it, and handed it to Bai Yan: "I forgot to tell you, your new person has arrived."
Bai Yan glanced at it: "What is that... um?" She grabbed the newspaper.
The newspaper was the local news publication, *Wenjiang Daily*. In the education section, a small photo was posted with the caption: "Mu Yun, son of Mu Fuqian, a renowned industrialist in the city and former chairman of the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, returns to China with his sister after obtaining bachelor's degrees from AM University in the United States..."
"Mu Yun, Mu Yun?" Bai Yan was somewhat surprised. "Young Master Cui told me personally that the person that day was clearly named Mu Xing. The information matches up. He was studying in the United States and had just returned to China not long ago... If he really is the young master of the Mu family, why did the newspaper only list Mu Yun?"
Fei Hua leaned closer to take a look: "Maybe it's just a little rascal lying to me?"
“Impossible,” Bai Yan said with certainty. “His outfit is something only someone with real money could afford, and Young Master Cui didn’t see through him.”
"Oh, what a pity." Fei Hua pointed to the small photo. "We thought if there were no 'stars,' there would still be 'clouds,' but look, he even has a female companion. Even though it's blurry, you can tell they're good-looking, a perfect match."
The small bronze photo was blurry, with only the face vaguely discernible. The second young master of the Mu family stood tall and elegant, with a woman slightly shorter than him holding his hand. They were dressed in fashionable clothes and were indeed a handsome couple.
But no matter how you look at it, there is no trace of the third young master of the Mu family in this photo or the entire report.
On second thought, Bai Yan added, "I remember Young Master Cui saying that Mu Xing's status in the Mu family seems a bit awkward, that he's being fostered. Maybe it's because of internal family struggles that he doesn't want to be in the limelight, or perhaps he can't be in the limelight?"
"Who knows? Hey, don't even think about it. I'm telling you, now that you've broken up with Young Master Cui, do you have any backup options?" Fei Hua asked.
“You know perfectly well that your mother doesn’t want to push you too far, and she also wants to use your father’s reputation to improve your own. But it’s been more than half a year now. In another two months, who will care whether you’re the warlord’s advisor’s adopted daughter or your mother? You know how your mother is. You’re a good person, so don’t… end up like us, stinking in this gutter.”
Bai Yan narrowed her eyes, looking at the maid and pimp monitoring them from a distance, without saying a word.
After a moment of silence, Fei Hua said again, "I have tickets to a dance in a couple of days. Come with me then. It's better to have some troublemakers from the boys' school than none at all."
Bai Yan then softened her tone and teased, "You and your principal seem to be deeply in love."
"Hmph, let's just wait it out like this." Fei Hua flicked her cigarette ash, and when she looked up, she saw a group of female students walking towards her in the distance.
The giggling young girl, as tender as a peach with just-reddened lips, imitated these women by wearing a cheongsam, swaying shyly in high heels, and applying red lipstick. She was innocent and carefree, yet with a touch of sensual allure.
The girl in the lead was the most beautiful. She proudly raised her chin, her curly bangs swaying lightly with her steps. Her green dress made her look like a proud flower, trembling and exuding fragrance, her eyes and brows smiling—until her gaze fell on the faces of the two women in the corner, and her smile vanished instantly.
"Wow, those two women are so pretty!" a female student whispered.
"Look at her earrings! They're so expensive..."
Hearing the envious voices of her classmates, Li Yining felt a surge of anger.
A bunch of shameless vixens! Coming here in broad daylight to seduce men, just to defile this place!
She glared at the woman watching her from a short distance away and sneered, "Women in brothels aren't exactly beautiful!"
Given Li Yining's status, the female classmates usually followed her lead. Although she could be quite sarcastic at times, they had never heard her speak in such a sharp and angry tone. They looked at each other, not daring to utter a word.
Li Yining remained silent, and the group walked past in silence. Just as they passed the garden gate, the woman smoking suddenly exhaled a puff of smoke and sang loudly: "Please buy Wu silk, why ask about its length? You are used to holding me, consider its size carefully—"
The voice was melodious and lingering, and the scattered men sitting around laughed knowingly, some even whistling.
Bai Yan was so startled by Fei Hua's shout that she almost tore the newspaper in her hand. She covered her face with the newspaper and stole a glance at the group of female students over there. They were all blushing with embarrassment, except for the girl in the lead who glared at Fei Hua as if she wanted to devour her.
Staring at Li Yining, Fei Hua calmly smoked her cigarette. After a long standoff, Li Yining turned and left, startling the female students who followed him without understanding why.
Bai Yan burst into laughter: "I think you're the one who's gone crazy from the heat!"
Fei Hua laughed as well. She flicked away her cigarette butt and said, "This young lady is Second Master Li's sister. Before you came back, one day Second Master Li invited me and Xiao Lian to his outer residence, but this young lady pointed her finger at me and scolded me for a long time, which ruined several days of my business."
"It seems Fei Lian's days are numbered." Bai Yan sighed.
…
"That day, I heard that a heavy snow had fallen in Jiangcheng. The long snow-covered ground was draped in white, stretching to the horizon, with white banners fluttering in the sky, winding all the way to the dock. The young woman, Yan, wept uncontrollably, nearly fainting several times, only managing to stay upright with the help of others. She was dressed in mourning clothes, her face bare, only her eyes were red. It was truly a heart-wrenching sight. Even the words she uttered in her weeping were extraordinary; it was said she wrote them herself, a blend of classical Chinese and English, a masterpiece of prose, each word a tear of blood—"
In the side room, Jin Feng's mouth was dry from talking, so she had to stop to drink some water and catch her breath.
Mu Xing then asked, "You described it so vividly, did you actually see and hear it yourself?"
Jin Feng smiled and said, "No, the storyteller told me all of this, and I'm just memorizing it."
Mu Xing: "...You're really honest. What if a guest asks you to repeat her eulogy?"
Jin Feng laughed and said, "Then I'll say that she sang while crying, her voice plaintive and moving, like a cuckoo weeping blood. The specific words are long buried in the snow and cannot be verified, but the scene was truly touching..."
Wow, they really know how to make up stories.
Tang Yu, who was standing to the side, asked, "According to you, this Yan girl was only able to get through these past few years safely thanks to the protection of the warlord's advisor. Now that Andrew has been assassinated and died, isn't she trapped in a quagmire and destined to suffer a bad end?"