Volume 1, Chapter 48: Letting Sister Play with Fan Xiu

Fan Xiu winked at Ying, then followed Xiao He upstairs.

Ying watched Fan Xiu's retreating figure, her heart in turmoil.

Before even writing his poem, this fellow was certain he would be able to see Su Ying'er, which showed his absolute confidence in his literary talent, and indeed, he had achieved it!

With such talent, why did he abandon literature for commerce?

If he were to continue taking the imperial examinations, achieving the rank of top scholar would be no difficult feat at all!

As Fan Xiu departed, the atmosphere below instantly became lively.

"Master Fan truly possesses extraordinary literary talent!"

"A single poem has actually won the favor of Miss Ying'er; even among the scholars of the capital, few could accomplish such a feat!"

"If only I could be like Fan Xiu and catch a glimpse of Miss Ying'er, I would die with no regrets!"

Liu Wenyang watched Fan Xiu's retreating figure, grinding his teeth so hard he felt as if his back molars were about to shatter!

Had he known, he never would have suggested competing with Fan Xiu in poetry!

Who could have guessed that Fan Xiu's poetic genius would be so terrifying? Just a casual verse of his had won Miss Ying'er's favor, whereas his own meticulously crafted poem hadn't even been glanced at by Su Ying'er!

This fellow must have prepared long in advance!

He must have thought of this poem a long time ago and brought it out today. Otherwise, given that it was already late autumn, why would he pull out a spring poem? It clearly didn't fit the season!

Yes!

It must be so!

"So what if his poem is good? He is still just a lowly wretch who abandoned scholarship for business!" Liu Wenyang said viciously.

The scholars who had previously aligned themselves with Liu Wenyang, seeing his hideous expression, silently took a step back to distance themselves from him.

After today, Fan Xiu would undoubtedly achieve great renown on the strength of this poem.

Compared to that, while the status of a provincial graduate was fine, it could never match the recognition among scholars throughout the realm that this poem would bring!

Yet Liu Wenyang had repeatedly targeted Fan Xiu and publicly ridiculed this poem; he would likely become infamous as a result. They certainly didn't want to be spurned by society by association!

Seeing these once-close classmates now avoiding him like a plague, Liu Wenyang was so furious he almost coughed up blood!

A bunch of bastards!

Third floor.

Xiao He led Fan Xiu into an antique-style private chamber.

Upon entering, a faint fragrance of powder and cosmetics immediately drifted through the air, exceedingly pleasant.

Wait!

Among these scents, there was actually a faint trace of cold skin-noodles?

The sauce for those cold noodles was something he had mixed himself; he was far too familiar with that aroma!

Could it be that Su Ying'er also ate his cold noodles?

Pulling his thoughts back, he looked ahead, only to find the interior blocked by a white gauze curtain, preventing any clear view within.

"Miss, Fan Xiu has arrived," Xiao He said with a bow.

"Understood, you may step down first," a soft, melodious female voice replied.

"Yes."

Xiao He acknowledged the order and withdrew.

Fan Xiu bowed with cupped hands: "Miss Ying'er, Fan Xiu pays his respects."

Thwack!

He suddenly felt his shoulder being patted, startling him so much that he jumped aside and whipped his head around.

Immediately following that,

his brow furrowed deeply, and he cried out in shock: "It's you? You... why are you here?"

The person who had appeared was none other than Guo Xiulan, the seventh concubine of Zhao Defu whom Fan Xiu feared the most!

Guo Xiulan giggled and said, "Why can't I be here? Didn't you want to see me? I am Su Ying'er!"

Fan Xiu: "???"

He blinked in utter bewilderment, then immediately shook his head and said, "You... you are Su Ying'er? Madam Guo, are you joking?"

Although he and Guo Xiulan were not intimately acquainted, he was well aware of her character.

She was practically a vixen, and besides, she was Zhao Defu's concubine.

Yet Su Ying'er was the famed courtesan of the capital's Drunken Immortal Pavilion, a figure highly revered even by Instructor Wang Xianliang—how could she possibly be Guo Xiulan?

Besides, when he first walked in, he had clearly heard another woman's voice; it was nothing like Guo Xiulan's!

"What Madam Guo!"

Guo Xiulan pouted her red lips and said, "You call Third Sister Ma 'elder sister,' but when it comes to me, I'm 'Madam Guo'! Am I really so worthless in your heart?"

Fan Xiu felt as though his head was swelling to twice its size!

He had come here hoping to see Su Ying'er, only for Guo Xiulan to barge in like a bolt from the blue.

What on earth was going on here?!

"Um, Elder Sister Guo..."

"Call me Elder Sister Xiulan!"

"Uh... very well, Elder Sister Xiulan, why are you in this place?" Fan Xiu asked.

"Good boy!"

Only then did Guo Xiulan smile and say, "That's more like it! Elder Sister Xiulan likes you ever so much. I had to beg Younger Sister Ying'er for ages before she agreed to see you. How do you plan to repay your little sister?"

As she spoke, she swept her gaze up and down Fan Xiu's body, her hands even resting directly upon his shoulders.

"Elder Sister Xiulan."

A soft murmur suddenly sounded from behind the screen.

Fan Xiu followed the voice and saw a stunningly beautiful woman in a white immortal-style gown slowly stepping out from behind the screen.

The woman's collar was embroidered with silver thread patterns, and she wore a layer of cicada-wing-transparent gauze over her dress, cinched at the waist with a crimson silk ribbon. Her face was like a hibiscus blossom, her skin like snow, and her eyes shimmered like autumn waves, harboring a hint of weariness that had seen through the ways of the world—resembling a solitary crane amidst a bustling crowd.

Just a single glance, and Fan Xiu could be certain that this woman must be Su Ying'er.

Only a woman with such a unique temperament could truly be worthy of the title of pavilion immortal.

No wonder countless high-ranking officials and nobles yearned to catch a glimpse of her appearance; she indeed possessed a city-collapsing, state-toppling beauty!

Su Ying'er said softly: "I invited Master Fan upstairs because Master Fan's poem is truly a rare masterpiece, not because of Elder Sister Xiulan's urging."

With that, she curtsied gracefully to Fan Xiu and said, "Ying'er pays her respects to Master Fan."

Fan Xiu returned the salute: "Miss Ying'er."

Guo Xiulan cast a displeased look at Su Ying'er and said, "Ying'er, must you always tear down your elder sister's stage? Sister was trying to use this opportunity to capture Fan Xiu, and you've gone and ruined my good deed."

Su Ying'er smiled helplessly and said, "Elder Sister Xiulan, can you please change your temperament? Acting like this really isn't right."

"I don't care."

Guo Xiulan directly hugged Fan Xiu's arm and said, "You might not be interested in men, but your sister here loves men the most, especially talented and handsome men like Fan Xiu! Won't you yield him to me today?"

Hearing Guo Xiulan's such brazen words, Fan Xiu widened his eyes in shock.

Was Guo Xiulan always this daring?

And she didn't care about propriety in front of others at all?

However, he could now see that Guo Xiulan and Su Ying'er must have known each other beforehand, and their relationship appeared to be quite extraordinary.

Had he known, he wouldn't have gone to all this trouble; how much easier it would have been to reach Su Ying'er directly through Guo Xiulan!

Yet, thinking of Guo Xiulan's personality, Fan Xiu shook his head again.

If he had truly asked Guo Xiulan for help, she likely wouldn't have let up until she had squeezed every last drop out of him!

Su Ying'er covered her mouth and smiled: "Elder Sister Xiulan, Master Fan is not an object; he is a free man and a guest of Drunken Immortal Pavilion. His stay or departure is for him to decide. As for you, constantly clinging to him like this, I really don't think it's proper."

Guo Xiulan's expression lit up with joy, and she said, "Does that mean you agree? Then you go on inside first, and when sister is finished with her business, you can come back out!"

Fan Xiu: "???"