Chapter 466: 0285 Entering the City (Two-in-One)_2
She could feel that once the carriage crossed the red line and passed over the bridge, the number of people who liked her husband increased dramatically. Yun Qian counted briefly and found most of them were the musicians and courtesans in the building.
Is this a brothel?
Those girls like him; they have good taste.
Yun Qian immediately felt that Flower Moon Building was a nice place.
Xu Chang’an could also sense the change in environment. He coughed lightly, lifted the curtain, and said, "We’ve arrived at the territory of Flower Moon Building."
Yun Qian responded, knowing there were so many girls around who liked him; she certainly knew they had arrived at Flower Moon Building.
"Miss, look outside," Xu Chang’an said.
"Look at what?" Yun Qian looked out past the curtain.
In the gentle rain, the scenery was excellent. The rain hit the lake surface, creating ripples, flowers bloomed on the shore, making the women walking with umbrellas even more beautiful.
The scenery complemented the beauties.
"What do you think?" Xu Chang’an asked, "Isn’t it... very quiet?"
"Yes." Yun Qian covered her face.
It was indeed very quiet, and the atmosphere was so good that she felt like yawning.
Xu Chang’an looked at the women in the pavilion by the lake, laughing and playing cards, and smiled.
When he first came to Flower Moon Building, he was also shocked, and then realized that this place, created by Senior Zhu, was not the kind of promiscuous brothel he imagined. It should be a more romantic and relaxed place.
So he wanted Miss Yun, who had never crossed the red line before, to see it, so she wouldn’t have misconceptions about this place.
"Isn’t it different from the brothels described in books?" Xu Chang’an asked.
"It is... I think." Yun Qian blinked, not entirely sure.
"Is it pretty?" Xu Chang’an asked in a different way.
"Beautiful." Yun Qian nodded.
If it’s something her husband liked, then it must be beautiful.
"If Miss finds it beautiful, then it’s a good place." Xu Chang’an smiled.
As the carriage moved, more of this colorful place was revealed. He pointed to the stone bridge, flower path, and river willows in the drizzle, speaking honestly: "Actually, I always wanted to come here and have some fun with you... but since you usually don’t like going out, and this is a place of pleasure..."
In the past, when facing Yun Qian, he could never say something like, "The weather is nice today, let’s go to a brothel," so he naturally delayed.
Now, however, the opportunity had arisen.
"Go have fun?" Yun Qian blinked.
At this moment, they happened to pass by a Flower Street, seeing large red lanterns hanging in front of the quaint pavilion corridors, with four beautifully dressed girls bending over, smiling and speaking to the passing women.
On either side of the wide door hung a couplet in ink:
[The tender chill locks dreams due to spring’s cold, the fragrant aura intoxicating is the wine’s scent.]
"Is this a brothel? What are they doing inside?"
Yun Qian said, thinking if Xu Chang’an wanted to bring her to such a place to have fun, it would surely be interesting.
She leaned out, just wanting to take a couple more glances.
...Unexpectedly for Yun Qian, Xu Chang’an immediately pulled the curtain closed, with a rather vivid expression on his face.
"...?" Yun Qian looked puzzled.
"Ahem, Miss, that doesn’t count." Xu Chang’an’s gaze wandered.
Miscalculation.
Just by looking at that street, one could tell it was not a serious place.
Since he didn’t frequent brothels, he instinctively thought this garden was delightful. But the fact was... this place had both clean officials and courtesans intertwined.
If there’s a refined place like Flower Moon Building, there must also be a charming place like Wanzhi Building.
Now, he only wanted to go back one minute and give himself two slaps.
How foolish must one be to suggest strolling through this garden with a girl?
If they ran into some free-spirited Wulingzi, who knows what scenarios they might witness?
Xu Chang’an’s eye twitched slightly.
It’s better not to look, better not to.
"You don’t like it here?" Yun Qian felt his attitude changed too quickly.
"It’s not that I don’t like it." Xu Chang’an avoided Yun Qian’s gaze.
This place is great.
The girls here study music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, understand poetry and literature, and are skilled in musical instruments and dance... Anyone who comes here will realize this place has both clean and colorful, with myriad feminine charms. In terms of quantity, scale, and even the quality of the girls, Beisang City is famous in Qing Province.
It’s also accompanied by equally stunning scenery.
It’s known that the scenery here was personally arranged by Zhu Pingniang, a senior figure of the Immortal Sect, magnifying one’s pursuit of beauty infinitely... Who wouldn’t like it?
But even if the girls are good and the scenery is beautiful, and there are often girls from Muyu Peak coming to play...
It’s still not suitable for him and Miss Yun.
"It’s a good place, not that I don’t like..." Yun Qian thought of Xu Chang’an’s bright eyes earlier as he looked at the scenery outside and said thoughtfully: "So, it’s because I’m here, right? Indeed... in books, husbands avoid their wives when visiting brothels."
Yun Qian extended a finger and said calmly: "If you want to go play for a while, I can take a short nap."
She happened to feel a bit tired.
Xu Chang’an: "..."
If the female driver at the front turned back, she might see Xu Chang’an with a head full of black lines.
Now he regretted it, very much.
Regretted that he had plotted so much, yet still hadn’t clarified matters about the brothel with her.
Regretted writing so many useful and useless books, letting Yun Qian know all sorts of random things.
"I... um..." Miss Yun was about to say something when her pupils suddenly dilated.
Because Xu Chang’an covered her mouth and said, word by word: "My dear Miss, you better not speak."
Yun Qian: "..."
Xu Chang’an flipped the table.
When he couldn’t win over the girl, he could just cover her mouth, letting her not speak, so he didn’t need to solve the problem.
And while Yun Qian couldn’t speak, he could.
"From now on, try to be quiet." Xu Chang’an whispered in her ear.
Soon, they’d meet Zhu Pingniang, and he didn’t want Yun Qian meeting her while blurting out thunderous words... Nor did he want Miss Yun to lose face upon meeting the senior figure.
Yun Qian smelled the faint scent of meat buns from his palm. She blinked her big eyes, indicating she understood.
"From now on, if there’s anything you don’t understand, just keep it in your heart. When we get back... I’ll explain it to you slowly." Xu Chang’an reminded: "First stay quiet, understand?"
"Understood."
Seeing Yun Qian nod, Xu Chang’an finally breathed a sigh of relief.
At this moment, the horseshoe lightly tapped twice on the bluestone, and the carriage gradually stabilized.
Xu Chang’an and Yun Qian received the oiled paper umbrella passed by the driver and stepped off the carriage together.
The current location was still some distance from Flower Moon Building. The reason for getting off was because the next part of the journey was all by water, hence the carriage was no longer needed.
The view ahead was also beautiful, with scattered drizzle shrouding the sky, and the riverside buildings with white walls and black tiles, mostly three-story small buildings, stood gracefully by the riverside.
Xu Chang’an held the umbrella and held Yun Qian’s waist as they walked towards the boat with a black canopy not far away.
He took a deep breath.
No wonder it’s the brothel garden, with guests just like him walking with girls under umbrellas beside him.
Click.
No matter how much he hinted in his heart, now that he was taking a girl to a brothel was undeniable.
Yun Qian wasn’t aware of what Xu Chang’an was thinking; she was just gazing at the black canopy boat in the distance.
"Go on the water?"
She suddenly thought of something.
"Yes, why?" Xu Chang’an asked.
"Nothing..." Yun Qian’s mind flashed with the image of a rowing maiden she once saw in Beisang City, a girl who had said she wouldn’t mind becoming Xu Chang’an’s concubine.
Yun Qian took Xu Chang’an’s hand and headed towards the small boat, then she stopped.
A black canopy boat rocked on the green wave in front of them. A maiden turned the boat oar, took off her hat to reveal a delicate face, and said with surprise, "Young Master, you’ve finally arrived; Ms. Zhu is waiting for you."
After the rowing maiden finished speaking, instead of waiting for Xu Chang’an’s response, she appeared nervous, as if she had gathered all her courage before meeting Yun Qian’s gaze.
"Ms. Yun, we meet again."