Chapter 138: Fairy Ziyan

The man looked at Zhu Hao as if he were staring at an alien. He stared at Zhu Hao for quite a long time, making Zhu Hao wonder if there were flowers blooming on his face. Just as Zhu Hao was about to open his mouth to ask again, the man sighed and said, "Little brother, is this your first time at the All-Fragrance Pavilion? Not to have even heard of the great name of Fairy Ziyan truly shows how poorly informed you are!"

Hearing this, Zhu Hao did not mind the disdain in the man's tone. Instead, he cupped his fists in a bow and said, "My brother and I are indeed visiting the All-Fragrance Pavilion for the very first time, and I am ignorant of who this Fairy Ziyan might be. Seeing that you possess such an extraordinary demeanor, good sir, you must be a regular patron here. I humbly ask for your enlightenment!"

Seeing that Zhu Hao spoke quite politely and that his words carried a hint of flattery, the man was instantly in high spirits and continued, "This Fairy Ziyan made her debut a little over a year ago. Back then, with a single rendition of *The Rainbow Dress and Feathered Skirt*, she astounded everyone present. Over this past year, countless scholars and refined gentlemen have attempted to gain entry through Fairy Ziyan's doors, yet not a single one has succeeded. Who on earth could be so fortunate today as to win such special favor from Fairy Ziyan!"

Listening to the man, Zhu Hao asked again, "May I ask, good sir, is this Fairy Ziyan exceptionally beautiful? Otherwise, why would so many people be so desperate to gain entry to her chambers?"

Hearing this, the man cast a look of utter contempt at Zhu Hao, let out a slight sigh, and said, "Little brother, your perspective is far too superficial! On the day Fairy Ziyan debuted, she played the zither while wearing a veil; no one has ever laid eyes on her true face. Yet music reflects the person. Since Fairy Ziyan is capable of playing such divine melodies, she must surely be just like her music—a transcendent fairy-like figure detached from the mortal world."

Internally, Zhu Hao scoffed at the man's words, thinking to himself, *What utter nonsense about music reflecting the person! You giant idiot, this damn thing is just a hunger marketing stunt pulled by the All-Fragrance Pavilion, and here you are making a complete fool of yourself over a crush. Your brain must be full of water!*

Just as Zhu Hao was silently mocking the man, the patron spoke up once more, "Well, I've told you all this much. Now you should at least tell me who on earth managed to open Fairy Ziyan's door!"

Zhu Hao had no desire to waste any more breath on this infatuated fool. Moreover, he was genuinely curious to see what kind of woman Fairy Ziyan—the centerpiece of the All-Fragrance Pavilion's hunger marketing—truly was. Deciding to drop the concealment, he replied, "Well... forgive me, good sir, but that person is none other than yours truly!"

With those words, amid the stunned silence of the infatuated man and the looks of burning jealousy, envy, and hatred from everyone present, Zhu Hao slowly walked up to the first private parlor on the left on the third floor.

The Young Master Bai mentioned earlier by the maid was none other than Zhu Hao. Wishing to keep his visit discreet, he had avoided using the surname Zhu. Since Zhu was the imperial surname of the Great Ming, it was far too easy for people to draw certain conclusions. Therefore, to prevent attracting unwanted attention, Zhu Hao had taken the radical component "Bai" from the second character of his given name, Hao, and used it as his pseudonym.

Guided by the maid who had called out earlier on the third floor, Zhu Hao was led into the room. Upon entering, he discovered that the chamber was actually a suite. The maid escorted him to the doorway of the inner chamber, came to a halt, and said, "Young Master Bai, Fairy Ziyan is right inside. Please enter by yourself, sir."

Zhu Hao gave a slight nod and pushed the door open. Seeing this, Wei Xiaobao made a move to follow him inside, but the maid blocked his path, refusing under any circumstances to let him enter. Zhu Hao knew that while Wei Xiaobao might indeed harbor some curiosity about this Fairy Ziyan, his primary concern was safeguarding Zhu Hao's personal security. Zhu Hao had no wish to trample over people's rules. Although this was a pleasure house, from the moment he stepped inside, the All-Fragrance Pavilion had given him a rather unique impression. Consequently, Zhu Hao chose to treat the people of the All-Fragrance Pavilion from a perspective of mutual respect.

This mindset of Zhu Hao's made him reluctant to usurp the host's place, so he turned and said to Wei Xiaobao, "Xiaobao, you stay outside! No woman is going to do any harm to your young master, especially with you standing guard out here."

Hearing Zhu Hao put it this way, Wei Xiaobao finally gave up his standoff with the maid, bowed to Zhu Hao, and said, "Xiaobao obeys your command!" He then huffily pulled over a chair to sit down, casting an extremely hostile glare in the maid's direction.

Chuckling softly and shaking his head, Zhu Hao turned and stepped into the inner chamber. As soon as he entered, he caught the faint fragrance of orchids. His eyes were first met by a folding screen, behind which the slender silhouette of a figure was vaguely discernible. In front of the screen stood a table about the size of an altar table, accompanied by a single chair. Upon the table were neatly arranged a few plates of pastries alongside a freshly brewed bowl of tea.

Seeing this, Zhu Hao muttered inwardly, *Damn it all, even after coming inside, they're still playing the hunger marketing game! They won't even let you see a person, separating us with a mere screen. Are you trying to play with misty aesthetics with me?*

Although somewhat disgruntled, Zhu Hao remembered the maxim that a guest should follow the host's customs. He took a seat on the chair, picked up the teacup, and took a sip. Unlike the refreshing fragrance of the tribute tea he was accustomed to drinking in the palace, this brew was sweet on the palate, carrying a lingering trace of orchid fragrance that felt almost intoxicating. Once the tea touched his lips, Zhu Hao found himself involuntarily praising aloud, "Wonderful tea!"

Following this exclamation of praise, the slender figure behind the screen offered a traditional bow and said, "Ziyan greets Young Master Bai. It is kind of Young Master Bai not to disdain the crude tea of this humble woman."

Zhu Hao smiled faintly and replied politely, "What is the fairy saying? The tea here is the finest I have ever tasted; there is no question of disdain at all. I heard that since her debut, Fairy Ziyan has never granted an audience to a single soul. To be summoned by the fairy today is truly my great fortune. Yet I wonder what reason moved the fairy to bestow such favor upon me?"

As Zhu Hao's words fell, he heard the slender figure behind the screen let out a light laugh before responding, "Young Master Bai, please do not keep calling Ziyan 'fairy.' If Young Master Bai does not find it beneath you, you may simply address me as Ziyan!"

After a brief pause, Ziyan continued, "The reason Ziyan invited Young Master Bai to this private room is naturally because I was captivated by your literary talent. That line of yours—*'Each generation produces talents who reign supreme for hundreds of years'*—filled Ziyan with profound admiration for the bold spirit residing in Young Master Bai's heart. That is why I specially invited you to meet in this private chamber."

Since Zhu Hao had unashamedly plagiarized the verse from someone else, being praised so directly by Ziyan made his old face flush red. He awkwardly rubbed his nose, and just as he was opening his mouth to find something to ease the embarrassment, Ziyan spoke again: "Yet, Young Master Bai, since you are capable of composing such an earth-shaking and heroic verse as *'Each generation produces talents who reign supreme for hundreds of years,'* why is your handwriting so delicate and soft, lacking a measure of masculine vigor? That is something that has left Ziyan rather curious."

Fearing that his identity would be exposed, Zhu Hao had originally intended to avoid discussing personal matters with Ziyan. However, Ziyan's remark implying that his handwriting lacked manliness was something Zhu Hao simply could not let slide. He thought indignantly, *How am I not a man? What, do you want me to drop my trousers and let you inspect for yourself?*

Though such a thought crossed his mind, he was incapable of committing an act so utterly shameless. Besides, the handwriting hadn't been his in the first place, so he had no real reason to be angry—and moreover, Wei Xiaobao could hardly be considered a complete man anyway, a fact Zhu Hao had personally verified.

Musing thus, Zhu Hao offered an explanation to Ziyan: "My hand was injured, making it inconvenient for me to hold a brush at the moment. That is why I had my pageboy write it on my behalf. I must ask Fairy Ziyan not to laugh at this clumsy display!"

Upon hearing this, Ziyan let out an "Oh" of sudden realization and said, "So that was it! Didn't Ziyan just say, Young Master Bai? You need not call me fairy; just address me directly as Ziyan. For the young master to still address me as a fairy—could it be that you look down upon Ziyan?"

Knowing that while these pleasure-house women were exceptionally talented and maintained their virtue by selling only their artistry rather than their bodies, their low social standing in this era often left them prone to deep insecurities, Zhu Hao was terrified of bruising Ziyan's self-esteem. He hurriedly replied, "Ziyan, you have misunderstood. When this humble person called you a fairy, it was entirely out of respect, with not the slightest intention of causing offense. I beg of you, oh—Ziyan, please do not overthink this. Since you honor me with your regard, I shall obey rather than refuse. From now on, I shall simply call you Ziyan!"

Hearing Zhu Hao's flustered explanation, Ziyan let out a gentle laugh and remarked, "I never expected that a Young Master Bai capable of writing such soaring, heroic poetry would ever find himself in such a flustered state!"

Gradually subduing her smile, Ziyan continued in a serious tone, "Young Master Bai, since your hand is injured, Ziyan dares to ask you—how did you sustain that injury?"

For reasons unknown to him, Zhu Hao seemed to detect a hint of tension in Ziyan's voice. As for how he had been injured, Zhu Hao had no intention of keeping it secret from her, so he answered directly, "This humble person was stabbed by villains while rescuing a young maiden!"

As soon as the words left his mouth, Zhu Hao felt a pang of regret. He didn't regret telling Ziyan how his hand had been hurt, but rather that even to his own ears, the reason sounded utterly absurd. Though it was the absolute truth, at that moment, even Zhu Hao found it hard to believe it had actually happened.

Zhu Hao thought to himself, *I suppose this Ziyan is going to ridicule me now. Will she look down upon me because of this?* He gave a slight shake of his head internally and thought once more, *What is wrong with me? Why am I suddenly worrying so much about gains and losses? What does it matter whether a pleasure-house woman thinks well or poorly of me?* Having settled this in his mind, Zhu Hao felt a sense of release.

To Zhu Hao's surprise, however, Ziyan did not mock him at all. Instead, she took a few steps forward with a noticeable trace of agitation and asked, "Young Master Bai, I beg of you, when exactly was your hand injured?"

Though Zhu Hao found Ziyan's question somewhat peculiar, his mind had not yet connected the dots to understand what was truly going on. He simply answered her question out of sheer reflex: "Last night!"