Chapter 76

Chapter 76

The man who had come over to strike up a conversation was Du Yueming, the son of Duke Du.

At that moment, with the help of his servants, he was slowly stepping down from his carriage.

On such a cold day, he was wearing nothing but a thin brocade robe of jade-green satin, and the leather belt at his waist was hung all over with costly ornaments.

As a result, every step he took sent his jade pendants chiming, making him extremely conspicuous.

“Young Duke.”

Ren Fengjue inclined his head in greeting.

The two had known each other since childhood, so Du Yueming naturally did not mind his cold attitude. He remained all smiles.

“What brings you here today? Did you come alone? Or…?”

Xia Ximo had been walking too quickly up ahead, and Ren Fengjue had not had time to introduce her. He pulled Yan Zhengchu over instead. “I came with a friend.”

Du Yueming looked Yan Zhengchu over. “This gentleman looks unfamiliar. How should I address you?”

Yan Zhengchu immediately cupped his hands in greeting. “My surname is Yan.”

“A pleasure, a pleasure.”

Since he was a friend traveling with Ren Fengjue, Du Yueming gave him at least that much courtesy. “Another day, I must invite you to my residence for a drink.”

Yan Zhengchu smiled and agreed.

Once the pleasantries were over, Du Yueming could not wait to pull Ren Fengjue into the building. Lowering his voice beside Ren Fengjue’s ear, he said, “A few days ago, the Marquise brought General Xia’s daughter to my residence…”

“I saw her from a distance then. She really was quite something. I’d say she suits you well enough.”

Unexpectedly, Ren Fengjue only replied blandly, “Oh? Is that so?”

Seeing his completely indifferent expression, Du Yueming guessed that he was displeased about having been betrothed before birth.

So he sighed as well. “People like us are born a cut above others, sure, but sometimes we don’t get any say either. Especially when it comes to marriages between noble families. Ah…”

Then his tone shifted, and he continued, “Fortunately, my old man is fairly open-minded. At the start of the year, he even wanted me to marry Feng Qing, the Grand Commandant’s daughter.”

“I can’t stand daughters of civil officials like that. Every one of them is like a sealed gourd, dull as anything, without the slightest charm.”

Ren Fengjue listened to him chatter as they entered the building.

He had just handed over his red token when Du Yueming clicked his tongue. “How could that red token possibly show off your status as the Young Marquis of Renxuan Marquis Manor?”

“Come, I have two green tokens here. Come upstairs and have some fun with me.”

At that, Ren Fengjue was honestly more than happy to oblige, but then he thought of Yan Zhengchu.

“Then my friend here…”

“Easy, easy.”

Du Yueming beckoned over an attendant. “Go to my carriage and fetch another green token.”

Ren Fengjue was rather surprised. “How do you have so many tokens?”

Du Yueming put on a mysterious expression. “I come here almost every night. Manager Bai promised me there would always be red tokens and green tokens aplenty.”

Ren Fengjue raised an eyebrow again. “You seem rather familiar with Manager Bai.”

Du Yueming gave a snort, but his gaze turned a little unnatural.

“I wouldn’t say familiar. We each get what we need, that’s all.”

Ren Fengjue took in every one of these little gestures, though not the slightest trace showed on his face.

After they waited by the entrance for a short while, the attendant brought the green token over, and the three of them headed straight for the second floor.

After Xia Ximo entered the building with her green token, an extraordinarily beautiful maid came to lead her toward the second floor.

Seeing a female guest arrive alone-and one with such striking looks at that-as she walked along the rectangular redwood staircase, many men in the main hall immediately turned their eyes toward her.

“Whose family is that woman from?”

“No idea. Never seen her before.”

“This is the first time I’ve seen a female guest come here by herself. How unusual.”

Only after that red figure disappeared into the corridor did the men downstairs reluctantly withdraw their gazes.

Xia Ximo followed the maid into a small private room scented with incense.

“Would you like wine or tea, my lady?”

“Tea.”
She uttered a single word.

The maid lowered her head respectfully. “Please wait a moment, my lady.”

Xia Ximo looked around and saw that a crescent-shaped open window had been set into the private chamber, with beaded curtains hanging on either side.

Standing before the window, one could take in the splendor of the first floor below.

So there was an enormous glazed-glass sculpture in the very center of the hall.

It had been carved into a slender, delicate hand, its joints clearly defined.

A veiled young woman stood in the palm, dancing gracefully.

Looking again at the four corners of the hall, Xia Ximo saw that from each corner extended another finely carved jade-like glass hand, each holding up a glazed-glass lamp.

Xia Ximo brushed her fingers over the Soul-Ferrying Lantern in her pouch and asked, “Have you found anything?”

Only after a long moment did Wuyou answer, “No. Not the slightest trace of soul aura.”

She was just about to speak when, from the corner of her eye, she noticed two familiar figures entering a private chamber across from hers.

Ren Fengjue and Yan Zhengchu.

The two of them had actually gone up to the second floor?

The moment Ren Fengjue lifted his head, he saw her as well. Their gazes met across the distance, and both of them were faintly startled.

Du Yueming followed his line of sight and looked over as well. His long, narrow eyes suddenly narrowed.

“Oh? Whose young lady is that?”

Clearly, he too had noticed Xia Ximo standing by the window in the opposite chamber, dressed all in red.

“I had no idea there was such a stunning beauty in the capital.”

Hearing his words, Ren Fengjue felt a faint displeasure stir in his chest. He quickly changed the subject. “I have heard that Manager Bai of this establishment is the one truly worthy of being called a nation-toppling beauty. I wonder if I will be fortunate enough to see her today.”

Only then did Du Yueming drag his sticky gaze away from Xia Ximo, though he clicked his tongue.

“Well, well, Ren Fengjue. I’ve known you for so many years, and this is the first time I’ve ever heard you ask about a woman.”

“What, is it only a beauty like Manager Bai who can catch your eye?”

Ren Fengjue did not explain. He merely said, “I am only curious.”

Du Yueming glanced at the water clock beside them and said, “Manager Bai usually appears around the hour of Hai. In a little while, she’ll dance on that ‘glazed-glass hand’-a dance unlike anything you’ve ever seen.”

“Once you’ve seen Manager Bai dance, no other dancing girl will ever be able to enter your eyes again.”

Ren Fengjue did not reply.

Just then, a maid walked in and asked Du Yueming, “Young Duke, would you like any of the girls to accompany you in drinking tonight?”

Du Yueming asked in return, “Are there any newcomers?”

“Yes.”

Du Yueming immediately waved a hand. “Call them all in, and let the Young Marquis choose one as well.”

Ren Fengjue frowned and was about to refuse when, out of the corner of his eye, he saw a brightly dressed youth enter the private chamber opposite.

From the look of it, she was going to “choose someone” to drink with her too?

That woman!

She could not possibly be distracted by a pretty face and forget the real business, could she?

As Ren Fengjue thought this, he saw that the youth had already taken a seat beside Xia Ximo and was smiling as he “poured wine” for her.

Every now and then, he lowered his head to murmur a few words in her ear.

Yet Xia Ximo remained seated sideways the entire time, so he could not see her expression at that moment at all.

Lord Ren felt as though something were gnawing delicately at his heart, leaving him faintly restless in his seat.

Just then, a flock of charming young women came in from outside.

They happened to block his line of sight.

Du Yueming greeted him with a smile. “Young Marquis, these are all dancing girls from the establishment. See which one you like. Any of them can stay and drink with you.”

As he spoke, he directly slung an arm around Yan Zhengchu’s shoulders and asked him, “Young Master Yan, you take a look too. See if there’s anyone you like…”

Yan Zhengchu rose to his feet and pretended to stare fixedly at the dancing girls before him for a while.

Then, with one hand, he snapped open his folding fan. With the other, he quickly traced a Transformation Talisman in the air.

Just as he was about to see what would happen, Ren Fengjue abruptly stood up beside him.