The person sent to Songjiang Prefecture to investigate Mei Liulang's background has not yet returned.

I originally thought that Mei Liulang might be a charlatan pretending to be a god.

Mei Liulang casually purchased more than 1,000 bolts of silk.

He made an excuse that he was temporarily short of funds.

Young Master Gu had originally given up hope.

Looking at the four hundred taels of silver notes in his hand.

Young Master Gu's eyes were somewhat dazed. He rubbed his fingers together and looked at Young Master Gu.

Young Master Gu frowned and remained silent for a long time.

This time, the Gu family quoted Mei Liulang around five or six hundred coins for each bolt of Qianyun yarn, while other silks such as Huanhua brocade were only around six hundred coins.

It's not that Gu Jia is intimidated by wealthy families, but rather that he is generous to major clients.

"Could this Mei Liulang really be a powerful figure from Songjiang Prefecture?"

Even he couldn't produce four hundred taels of silver in a short time.

He was merely the young master of the Gu family, not the true owner.

The waiter continued, "Young master, Mei Liulang has invited you two to visit Qunfang Pavilion in the county town. He said he wants to have some fun while discussing some business."

"Okay, you can go now."

Young Master Gu was slightly taken aback, and looked somewhat worried.

"Second Brother, I'm a little unsure about what Mei Liulang means."

The second young master didn't take it seriously.

"What's there to be afraid of? It's just a matter of dealing with whatever comes our way."

"It's the cost of that pavilion..."

The second young master has a toothache; he's likely to have to pay a hefty bill.

It was evening.

The three of them arrived at Qunfang Pavilion in their respective carriages.

Mei Liulang, with a serene expression, gracefully stepped down from the stool.

Young Master Gu and Young Master Gu looked at the brightly lit pavilion. Upstairs, a young woman with a snow-white face and alluring movements whispered, "Young Master, come up and have some fun."

Her arms stretched out gracefully, a fragrant breeze wafted through the air, and it was nighttime, filling the air with a romantic and ambiguous atmosphere.

The round fan covered the woman's lips; her delicate features made the young man's heart flutter slightly.

A woman standing at the entrance soliciting customers saw the three of them approaching, and came over with a smile, pulling them by the shoulders in a very familiar manner.

"This young master looks unfamiliar; perhaps he doesn't come here often?"

Mei Liulang's expression shifted slightly.

The pageboy beside him scolded, "Go, go, go! Bring up the girls who dance the best and play the best music! My young master prefers quiet places; find a secluded room."

The madam's expression shifted slightly.

With a smile, she said, "If you had come a little earlier, we might have been able to find a girl who sings well. But now that it's night shift, the girls are all very busy and can't find the time to leave!"

Of course, there were many other girls in the building, whose dancing skills were not something ordinary people could master. They wanted to let the young master know that their bodies were supple, their movements graceful and fluid, their paths winding and secluded—the intricacies of which were beyond description.

As Gu Ershao's eyes grew increasingly blurry, he heard the madam's words and his mind wandered even more, looking completely infatuated.

Gu Sanshao had been secretly observing Mei Liulang.

Seeing the other person's cold expression and slightly furrowed brows, and looking at his brother's lecherous look, he felt even more embarrassed.

Young Master Gu smiled and said, "Mrs. Jia, this is my good friend. It's our first time traveling together. Are you trying to spoil our fun?"

He took a silver ingot from his pocket and threw it over.

Mrs. Jia beamed with joy.

"Oh dear, it's so dark, forgive my poor eyesight, but Young Master Gu and Second Young Master are here! Come in, come in!"

"Miss Xue has been waiting for Third Young Master and Second Young Master for a long time. Second Young Master and Third Young Master are very busy people, but they finally managed to find some time to come and see our Miss Xue!"

The second young master smiled broadly.

"Call out Qing-guniang from your courtyard. Don't tell me she's entertaining guests. I have an important guest here today. If he's unhappy, I won't come to Qunfang Pavilion again."

"Mother Jia exclaimed in surprise."

"That won't do, gentlemen. Please wait a moment. I will personally apologize to the customers who have booked the girls."

The woman beamed and looked at the young man in the brocade robe.

She wore the finest satin, clean and exquisite deerskin boots, fine mutton-fat jade at her waist, and even a jade hairpin in her hair.

He remained calm and silent.

It's obvious that he came from a wealthy family.

Moreover, Young Master Gu always lagged behind others, acting as if he were merely an accessory, and made a slight movement.

This is a fat sheep.

Young Master Gu gave Young Master Gu a wink.

"Third brother, judging from his appearance, he doesn't seem very satisfied with the environment here?"

Gu Sanshao glanced at Mei Liulang, who had a calm expression, and was unsure of what the other party meant.

In fact, Mei Liulang had his hands behind his back, and his palms were slightly sweaty.

He has always been a man of impeccable morals, and his special invitation to Qunfang Pavilion today is merely an attempt to cultivate the image of a wealthy young master who is a womanizer.

This idea was actually my dad's.

Dad, you're testing me with this?

But he has a problem: the more nervous he is, the more stern his expression becomes.

His face was expressionless, as still as a stone.

Young Master Gu lowered his voice.

"Brother, observe the other party carefully later. These young masters come from prominent families and have seen all kinds of situations. Have Miss Xue test him properly later."

I felt something was off, but I couldn't quite put my finger on it.

Young Master Gu made an excuse and went to the bathroom.

Before long, two exceptionally beautiful women, one carrying a pipa and the other holding a round fan, entered the room with smiles.

"Xue'er greets the three gentlemen. Please listen to the music quietly."

"Then Qing'er served the three young masters wine."

As she spoke, she glanced at Mei Liulang.

"Second Young Master, Third Young Master, this young master looks unfamiliar. Would you please introduce him?"

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