Chapter 2 "My loquat will definitely grow up to be a very good and capable person."

Huayuelou is very large, and it's much more than just one restaurant.

There are women's clubs catering to ordinary men, as well as men's clubs catering to customers with niche tastes.

To prevent members of the building from breaking the rules by exchanging gifts privately, and also to protect the so-called face and privacy of some guests, the men's and women's sections of Huayuelou were separated by several streets.

The brothel was flamboyant, located on the most bustling street in the city, with a constant stream of customers, not all of whom came for pleasure.

Some self-proclaimed refined businessmen, and even some prominent government officials, would like to come to the building to sit and discuss business and strengthen their relationships when they had nothing else to do.

This Flower Moon Pavilion is not only filled with beautiful women, but also boasts exceptional cuisine. Moreover, it has always adhered to the rules of doing business, refraining from listening to what it shouldn't hear, looking at what it shouldn't see, and saying what it shouldn't say.

The men's and women's dormitories are actually quite similar, but due to their slightly more remote location and some well-known reasons, they are less popular.

The guests who come here are usually not as ostentatious as the guests at the women's quarters.

Many of them even disguised themselves beforehand, fearing that they might be recognized by acquaintances if they were not careful.

This doesn't mean the men's club is doing badly; it just means it's not as ostentatious as the women's club.

Because there are actually quite a few customers here, including some big spenders who can spend a fortune without batting an eye.

There was once an arrogant and domineering young man who, for the sake of the then-famous Young Master Lan, lavishly spent five sacks of gold leaves on the top floor of the men's dormitory.

As those lifelike golden leaves fell like snowflakes from the highest point of the building, both the guests and the other young masters in the building couldn't help but look up, their faces filled with stunned disbelief.

—The reason I remember the scene so clearly is because I was one of those dumbfounded fools.

However, I am neither a guest nor a young master, but just an ordinary servant in the building who is not even ranked in the slightest.

It wasn't entirely ordinary, because the master I was with at the time was none other than Lan Gongzi, one of the protagonists of the incident and one of the Four Gentlemen of the Building who was publicly professed his love with gold leaves.

Therefore, as a young child, I was fortunate enough to witness the whole thing up close.

As the gold leaf fluttered, everyone in the building became excited.

At that time, Young Master Lan simply lowered his eyes and coldly observed everything with an unperturbed expression. Although he was one of the main characters, he seemed to have been an outsider from beginning to end.

Without even glancing at the handsome young man who was looking at him with smug, self-satisfied eyes, she turned and left.

"Let's go," Young Master Lan said softly.

"Young master, won't you stay and look around a little longer?"

I was a little puzzled and couldn't help but mutter to myself, "Such a big event, it's probably not easy to see."

Upon hearing this, Young Master Lan suddenly smiled. His voice was pleasant, and his smile was even more captivating. However, that day, a chilling undertone was inexplicably detected in his voice.

"If we stay any longer, we don't know whether we'll be there to watch the show or become the show for others to watch."

I don't understand.

Young Master Lan was such a capable and kind person that even the head housekeeper treated him with utmost respect and deference, fearing that he might cause the slightest mishap.

The other people in the building did gossip about Young Master Lan behind his back, but that was all behind his back. Who would dare watch Young Master Lan make a fool of himself in public?

Besides, that other person was also present...

Thinking about it, I secretly glanced again at the money-giving boy on the other side of the railing.

Seemingly noticing the change, the young boy, who had been beaming with pride, suddenly froze, looking somewhat disappointed.

"If you really want to see, stay here and look around a little longer."

Young Master Lan's voice rang out again nearby, but it was no longer strange. It sounded like the familiar, gentle, and kind young master he used to be.

"Of course we'll go! Wherever you are, young master, loquat will be there too," I replied hastily.

Just kidding, this whole show was originally prepared for Young Master Lan. If he leaves, the one left behind will definitely not want to perform a solo act.

At that time, it's a minor issue if there's no excitement to watch; if you offend the other party, you're sure to suffer the consequences.

I shrank back and was about to follow Young Master Lan back.

Before leaving, I glanced over there subconsciously. Good heavens, the money-giving boy really didn't give away any money. Instead, he glared at us fiercely like a demon descending to earth.

To be precise, he was glaring at me as I eagerly followed behind Young Master Lan.

His gaze was like a knife; just one look made my forehead and the area around my eyes ache.

I have an old scar on the left side of my forehead.

That spot once slammed into a corner of the exquisitely carved railing inside the building. Unfortunately, the impact was so severe that it immediately broke the skin, and blood gushed out.

Although I instinctively closed my eyelids immediately, a little bit still accidentally seeped in. It stirred up a wet, warm, and stinging sensation.

That was the first time Li Xiao hit me. Li Xiao was the young man who spent a fortune on Young Master Lan.

Li Xiao hates me.

Perhaps it's because someone like me is always around Young Master Lan and gets in his way.

Or perhaps it was because the scene of Young Master Lan always acting indifferent when facing him, but then turning around and being all smiles and pleasant to me as if nothing had happened, angered him.

Li Xiao is angry.

However, he dared not and could not bear to vent his anger on Young Master Lan, so he could only take it out on me, this insignificant but truly annoying little guy.

So, after being turned away once again.

Li Xiao hit me.

"Hit" might not be the most accurate word, because he really only pushed me lightly.

"Who knew you were so light and frail, so easily pushed..."

In the hazy blood mist, I seemed to hear Li Xiao's voice, which was not as arrogant and domineering as usual, but rather seemed to contain a hint of hesitation.

My mind is a bit foggy, maybe because I lost so much blood, and I keep feeling like my vision is going black.

I looked up and turned my head in Li Xiao's direction, but I couldn't see him clearly through the hazy image.

But his voice came through clearly again.

Li Xiao said that this time it was an accident.

Li Xiao also said that he was absolutely forbidden to tell Young Master Lan how he ended up like this.

"Just say you tripped and fell because you weren't careful while walking, understand?" Li Xiao lowered his voice slightly, seemingly getting a little closer.

He usually looks down on me the most, and he has also privately warned me behind Young Master Lan's back that I should get as far away as possible and not get in his way for no reason.

That was the first time Li Xiao stood so close to me, just so I could hear his commands.

But they didn't consider whether someone who just hit their head could really remember it.

Of course I remembered it.

I also remember that my whole head was buzzing, the blood was flowing more and more, and my fingers were getting colder and colder.

I'm really scared.

I'm afraid I might accidentally bleed to death.

I finally met a kind person like Young Master Lan. I can eat my fill, avoid being beaten, and even learn to write. Every stroke is carefully written, and if I accidentally make a mistake, Young Master Lan won't scold me. He will just smile and correct me on how to write it correctly...

I really can't bear to leave these days behind.

I couldn't bear to part with him, nor could I let go. A strong will to survive compelled me to reach out and grab the hem of the person's clothes in front of me as if pleading for help.

I want to say that I definitely won't blurt out Li Xiao's name, and I'll stay far away from him in the future to avoid offending the young master's eyes. But right now, could you please find a doctor to take a look at me and help stop the bleeding?

But before she could even open her mouth, her clenched fingers were forcefully pried open.

When Li Xiao's voice, full of disdain, reached my ears, my heart sank.

Li Xiao said, "Why are you holding on so tightly? It's not like you're about to die."

I stood there blankly, staring at him, not even thinking to wipe away the blood that was still flowing down my face.

Li Xiao fell silent, perhaps too disgusted to speak for the moment.

Then I heard hurried footsteps, which faded into the distance and quickly disappeared into this secluded corner.

Li Xiao left, just like that, leaving me, with my head bleeding, to fend for myself in some forgotten corner.

I should have thought of it earlier, but people are generally prone to taking chances, and in the end, all that joy turned to nothing... Later, I don't know if it was because I lost too much blood or because I was too sad, I just fainted.

When I woke up, I was already lying on a clean and tidy bed.

The bed was very soft, and there was a familiar scent of incense with every breath—a light, pleasant fragrance, just like the comforting scent on Young Master Lan.

Thinking of Young Master Lan, I immediately came to my senses and realized where I was lying.

The bed belonged to Young Master Lan, and the room also belonged to Young Master Lan. Feeling dizzy and lightheaded, I finally managed to get off the bed, but my vision blurred and I almost fell headfirst to the ground again.

"Why didn't you call out to anyone when you woke up?" It was Young Master Lan.

He gently lifted me from the ground, like he was holding a puppy.

To outsiders, it probably does seem similar. I was still quite young, and my frame hadn't fully developed yet. Plus, I often went hungry in my early years, so I was much thinner and shorter than my peers.

Before Young Master Lan appeared, I was always the one who was bullied in the building, until Young Master Lan appointed me as his personal servant.

After a period of trepidation, I found that Young Master Lan was indeed as easy to talk to as he seemed, so I gradually relaxed, ate and slept well, and dared to speak again.

One day, I finally mustered up the courage to ask Young Master Lan why, out of all those clever and strong children, he chose someone like me, who was weak and looked dull, to stay by his side and serve him.

Young Master Lan smiled faintly, but a trace of sorrow appeared between his brows and eyes. He said, "Perhaps it is fate."

I was clueless at the time, but later I overheard the argument between Young Master Lan and Li Xiao, and heard some of the gist of it from the gossipy maid, and then I vaguely understood what was going on.

It turns out that Young Master Lan entered the building on the same day as me.

The difference is that I was sold to a slave trader by my parents and then ended up in this brothel. Young Master Lan, on the other hand, was sent to this place by imperial decree because of his family's involvement.

Only then did I realize the deep sorrow that lingered between Young Master Lan's brows when he said those words.

He also felt increasingly ashamed of himself.

Because of this so-called fate, we all seem to be people who have no choice in the matter. However, I have gained food and clothing that I never had before, while Young Master Lan has gone from being a young master of a wealthy family to a caged bird with no freedom and unable to see the light of day.

I never thought I would actually come back to life.

Even during his recovery, it was Young Master Lan who personally took care of him.

Watching him feed me medicine and change my bandages with his fair and delicate hands, I was so ashamed that I wanted to bang my head on the ground right there and then.

I feel sad for my own vulnerability and incompetence.

Kelan told me that people grow from weak to strong little by little. He also said that he used to be a crybaby who would cry at the drop of a hat.

He said yes because he saw the tears in my eyes.

I took a deep breath and tried to force a smile.

I want to prove him right. I will gradually become stronger and strive to never cause him any more trouble. Not only that, I will work hard to earn money and repay him for his kindness many times over.

Despite her best efforts to hold it in, a single tear still involuntarily fell from her eye.

I lowered my head in a panic, afraid that the young master would laugh at me.

—He made such a grand vow, but then immediately revealed his true colors.

But the young master didn't laugh at me. He just raised his hand and patted my head, telling me very seriously that he believed in me.

"My loquat will definitely grow up to be a very good and capable person."

Young Master Lan spoke with such certainty that my heart pounded wildly.

It was an indescribable feeling of excitement. From childhood to adulthood, even my loving mother had never said such sweet words, let alone my father who would often sigh in the yard with a bitter face.

From that day on, I stopped worrying about anything else and focused on eating well, sleeping well, and actively recovering from my injury.

Knowing that only in this way can I recover sooner and become the very good and capable person that Young Master Lan spoke of.

During that time, I saw Li Xiao a few times, but Lan Gongzi always stopped me at the door.

I told the young master the reason for my injury, just as Li Xiao had instructed.

It's unclear whether he believed it or not, but his attitude towards Li Xiao seemed to be growing increasingly cold.

I'm happy to see this happen, because I don't like Li Xiao either. So seeing Li Xiao get his comeuppance makes me happy too.

But as time goes on, I'm also afraid that Li Xiao will become angry and embarrassed, which could be detrimental to Young Master Lan.

After all, this person is a customer who has paid a high price, and seems to be of high status. If things get complicated, Young Master Lan might suffer a loss.

I carefully considered my words and pondered them for many days before finally expressing my concerns to Young Master Lan. My words were still incoherent and disorganized.

Fortunately, Young Master Lan understood and comforted me, saying there was nothing to worry about.

His calm demeanor made it seem as if he truly had everything under control.

I was about to ask again, so Young Master Lan took out paper and pen and said he would test my knowledge. These days, I have been learning to write, learning and forgetting, forgetting and learning again, and I finally managed to remember my own name and Young Master Lan's name.

Lan Yunzhi—a few simple words, easier to write than loquat, yet sounding far more beautiful than loquat.

I kept repeating it in my mind, even though Young Master Lan said that I could use the brushes, ink, paper, and inkstone in the room to practice whenever I wanted.

But I couldn't bear to let my scribbles, which looked like dog's scrawl, fall onto that smooth, satin-like paper; I felt it was a waste.

In private, I practiced drawing strokes on the back of my hand with my fingers.

One, two, three... person, mouth, wood...

As I write, I always end up circling back to those three words: "Lan Yun Zhi" (meaning "the end of the orchid clouds").

It's like someone listening to a beautiful piece of music, but only half-learning it; they're the one who keeps talking about it with great longing.

I never get tired of humming it.

That was probably how I felt at the time, but I never expected that Li Xiao would catch me red-handed.