Chapter 71 Let's stroll through the South Wind Pavilion together

Song Yiqiu looked at her:

"I have no use for this thing, and besides, I already promised you. From now on, if you want to become the third young mistress, there's one less obstacle. Congratulations, you're now a legitimate person."

Ying'er snapped out of her shock and said angrily:

"You, you don't think burning this thing is the end of it, do you? You're just going to abandon me like this? I did you a huge favor! If I hadn't stood up to testify at the birthday banquet, how could we have had such a perfect ending? I ended up being grounded!"

Song Yiqiu lowered her head, softly hummed in agreement, and then looked up at her:

“Ying’er, you’ve got it wrong. You’re not helping me, you’re helping yourself.”

She took a step forward, getting closer to Ying'er:

"If you were truly intelligent, you wouldn't be arguing with me about these petty gains. If you want to be the rightful third young mistress, my agreement alone isn't enough; the key is whether your third brother's heart still belongs to you."

She smiled and delivered the fatal blow:

"What a pity... I heard that the academy where Third Brother is studying has recently recruited several princesses and noble ladies of high status to be his companions, and they happen to be taught by the same teacher as Third Brother."

"Spending so much time together, discussing knowledge... what if feelings develop over time? Ying'er, you'd better think twice."

Ying'er took two steps back, feeling utterly helpless.

“Recruiting female students? I... how come I didn’t know! Hao Chu... why has he never mentioned it to me? Could it be... could it be that his heart is really…”

A huge sense of crisis loomed over her; she had gotten to where she was today entirely thanks to Song Haochu's doting affection.

Once this favor is transferred, everything she has now will vanish.

She didn't bother arguing with Song Yiqiu anymore, turned around abruptly, and hurriedly threw out a sentence:

"No, I absolutely cannot let this happen!"

She hurriedly lifted her skirt and rushed out.

Bai Mei had just finished cutting the tea and brought it out when she saw a figure flash and disappear, leaving her frozen in place:

"What's Ying'er up to? Is she here to participate in a race walking competition?"

Qingzhu smiled, pursing her lips.

"Of course I'm in a hurry to go home and see if there's a fire in my backyard."

Bai Mei scratched her head, looking completely bewildered.

"What kind of fire could start in the backyard in broad daylight?"

Qingzhu lowered her voice mysteriously:

"Jealousy! It burns brighter than a real fire!"

She then tugged at Song Yiqiu's sleeve, her eyes sparkling:

"Young Miss, you just said you'd take Bai Mei and me out to have some fun, do you still stand by that promise?"

Looking at the expectant eyes of her two trusted confidants, Song Yiqiu smiled easily.

"It's settled. Let's pack up and leave now."

...

Song Yiqiu, accompanied by Bai Mei and Qing Zhu, arrived at the newly opened and renowned Nanfeng Pavilion in the capital.

This place is quite unique, offering both female and male services, and its clients are not limited to either gender. It has an open atmosphere, and many powerful and influential women come here to select male escorts.

Qingzhu stood at the elegantly decorated entrance, watching the women entering and exiting, some wearing veils or dressed as men. She felt a mixture of eagerness and trepidation, and whispered:

"Miss, do you think... we should change into men's clothing before going in? Would that make things easier?"

Bai Mei immediately hugged herself exaggeratedly, staring wide-eyed at Qing Zhu:

Wow! So that's your taste! You like women!

Qingzhu angrily slapped Baimei:

"What nonsense are you talking about! I just think that if the three of us women go in like this, wouldn't it be too conspicuous? Changing into men's clothing might make us more discreet."

Song Yiqiu smiled and answered seriously:

"It's alright. Experienced people who frequent this place can see through a woman disguised as a man at a glance; it would only make her more obvious. There's an event at Nanfeng Pavilion today, and there are quite a few female guests. Let's just go straight in."

Bai Mei was already eager to get started:

"Then what are we waiting for? Let's go in and see for ourselves!"

Song Yiqiu reached out and stopped her, her gaze fixed on the street corner:

"Wait a little longer, there's still one person who hasn't arrived."

Green Bamboo is curious:

"Who else, miss?"

No sooner had the words been spoken than an excited shout came from afar:

"Sister Yiqiu! I'm here!"

Ruan Tianxin, accompanied by a personal maid, trotted over, her face full of joy.

"As soon as I received Sister Yiqiu's letter, I quickly made an excuse to slip away. I wonder if Sister Yiqiu has something important that she needs Tianxin's help with?"

Her big, bright eyes were full of curiosity.

Song Yiqiu affectionately took her arm and whispered:

"Let's go inside and talk."

The group entered the South Wind Pavilion, whose interior was luxurious yet elegant, with light-colored curtains fluttering in the wind and a strange fragrance filling the air.

The first floor is a spacious hall where courtesans play music and paint for guests to appreciate and select. Upstairs are elegant private rooms offering more in-depth services.

Although Ruan Tianxin rarely came here, she had heard about what happened here, and excitedly spoke to Song Yiqiu:

"Sister Yiqiu, you also know that there is an auction for the right to have a banquet with Young Master Yuyi today, right? I heard that he comes from the far west, with unparalleled looks, superb dancing skills, and what's even more rare is that he is proficient in all the arts, including music, chess, calligraphy and painting. Many people spend a fortune just to have a meal with him."

"We'll get to see something amazing today. I've heard that some people even use the top courtesans here as rare and valuable gifts to curry favor with the powerful and wealthy."

Song Yiqiu nodded and whispered a few words in her ear. Ruan Tianxin immediately became playful and kept saying, "Okay, okay."

"So, we'll have to rely on Sweetheart to help raise the price today."

Ruan Tianxin raised her head and crossed her arms over her chest:

"Don't worry! This is nothing, no need for you to take it to heart!"

Song Yiqiu's eyes searched through the crowd, and soon she spotted a familiar figure in a corner.

Her second brother, Song Wenbin, was so obese that his figure was quite conspicuous. At this moment, he even tried to be clever by wearing a semi-transparent veil in an attempt to cover himself up, which only made things more obvious.

Just then, a commotion broke out in the crowd, and music started playing.

On stage, a man dressed in a flamboyant red robe appeared, his face covered by a light veil, revealing only a pair of captivating eyes. A beauty mark at the corner of his eye added to his pitiful charm.

As the music began, his waist swayed gracefully, his dance was so enchanting that even the most beautiful courtesan in the South Wind Pavilion paled in comparison.

A chorus of exclamations immediately arose from the surrounding area:

"My God! That figure, those eyes, absolutely stunning."

"As expected of someone from a foreign land, they certainly have a unique flavor."

"Look at that aura, so refined yet alluring, she's definitely not an ordinary person."

"I've heard that he's also extremely talented in poetry and prose; he's truly a man of both talent and good looks!"

Song Yiqiu could clearly see that her second brother's eyes were glued to the stage, as if he wanted to stay there forever.

The servant beside him was carrying a large brocade box and several heavy cloth bags, which were obviously full of money. It seemed that his second brother was determined to get what he wanted today.

Song Yiqiu deliberately went behind her second brother and gently patted him.

The second brother was startled, and when he turned around and saw that it was Song Yiqiu, he was so shocked that his veil almost fell off:

"Yi, Yiqiu? What are you doing here?"