Chapter 3

I smoothed my hair at lightning speed and approached the man on the floor.

“Oh, sir, how did you end up in such a state? Let me help you.”

The room fell speechless. Pretending not to notice, I began my carefully prepared three-step courtship strategy.

Step one: seize the initiative.

One of the richly dressed men finally recovered. “What madwoman dares barge in and—”

My perfect smile never changed. I turned my head a fraction and said one word.

“Leave.”

Then I resumed smiling at the man on the floor.

He stared back in silence.

Mortals naturally obeyed the spoken command of the Goddess of Music. The bullies’ eyes glazed over, and they filed quietly from the room.

Step two: establish intimacy.

“No wonder magpies sang when I left home today. Fate meant for us to meet. May I ask your honorable surname, Young Lord Gu?”

What was I saying?

He slowly rose, his dark gaze on me and one brow seemingly raised. “A chance meeting? In a brothel?”

There was no good answer to that. I laughed weakly. “Every meeting is fate. I have long admired your reputation. May I ask your name?”

Wonderful. I had asked twice.

This time his brow definitely twitched. “Gu Fei.”

“You may call me… Yinyin.”

An excruciating silence spread between us. His face might as well have said, What do you want?

Small talk was clearly not my strength. Time for step three: display my advantages.

I looked around and pointed at the window. “Young Lord Gu, you did not open the window. It is rather warm today.”

I fanned myself with a thick stack of banknotes. Even the breeze smelled of money.

Surely he understood.

Instead, his expression darkened. Apparently, a sour face could become even sourer.

Scorn entered his eyes. His lips curved without warmth. “Your price is too high for this humble Gu to bear. Seek someone else.”

The door slammed in my face.

I had not expected my first campaign to fail. Who could reject the foremost beauty of the immortal realm, a woman blessed with both talent and looks?

No one. The answer was no one.

On my way back, the old vendor called to me. “You vanished in the blink of an eye, miss. Did you meet Young Lord Gu?”

I trotted over. “I did.”

“Well? Was he handsome?”

Discussing his appearance beneath his own window seemed improper, so I nodded with great restraint.

“Look at you blushing! Do not judge me by my age. I was quite the admirer of handsome men in my youth. What happened next?”

Within moments she had stuffed so many pastries into my arms that both hands were full.

Under her expectant gaze, I admitted, “He rejected me.”

She looked heartbroken on my behalf. “Do not be sad. Young Lord Gu is like that with everyone. He would not give the imperial princess the time of day.”

Once she began, she told me everything she knew.

Gu Fei was the son of a marquis and an astonishing prodigy. His life should have been an open road. But just as he came of age, his entire household was convicted. The family fell, its dependents scattered, and this sole surviving heir was condemned to humiliation in a brothel.

“So no one is allowed to redeem him?” I asked.

“Exactly.” The woman lowered her voice and pointed upward. “Orders from above. Someone wants to watch the last son of the Gu family suffer. A terrible sin, if you ask me.”

I nodded. “So that was why he refused my money.”

“You offered money the instant you met him? Vulgar! He is a scholar. Scholars think money stinks. How much did you offer?”

“Three hundred thousand taels.”

She slapped her thigh. “How much?”

I shushed her before Gu Fei heard and decided I was insulting him again.

Her expression turned solemn. “I was wrong. For three hundred thousand taels, Young Lord Gu is the one being unreasonable.”

“He truly is. But he is the perfect beautiful, powerful, tragic man.”

Confusion crossed her face before she supplied her own explanation. “Ah, rescuing a fallen beauty. I understand. You must like him very much.”

I nodded gravely. “I liked him at first sight. I want to see those cold eyes mist with tears, and those pale lips—”

A window flew open above us. Its support pole tumbled free. Both my hands were full, so it struck me neatly on the head.

A figure withdrew from the window after giving me a long look, and the shutters slammed closed.

The old woman squealed. “A falling pole from a window! I know this story. Go on, miss. Young Lord Gu is inviting you upstairs.”

When I hesitated, she waved me onward. “Trust your auntie! Go get him, you shameless rake!”