Chai Zhu's fingers unconsciously stroked the cup in his hand. The clear tea in the cup swayed with his movements, and the celadon-glazed porcelain surface changed color with the reflected light and shadow, just like the young man's fluctuating mood.
Chai Zhu racked his brains to think about which young talents have risen to fame in recent years.
Or maybe even earlier, there were rumors of some child prodigy.
There have always been many rumors and anecdotes, but Chai Zhu had seen most of those famous people, or at least seen their portraits, and none of them could match the person in front of him.
As for the rest, even his aunt felt it unnecessary to recognize them.
——They are just some people who are trying hard to gain fame and reputation, and they have no real talent or knowledge.
Chai Zhu didn’t think that the “Huo Yan” in front of him was the latter, and Uncle Zheng’s attitude was not right either.
The old man's attitude towards this "Mr. Huo" was almost more respectful than that towards him, who was half master and half junior. If you had to say it, his attitude was almost as respectful as that towards his aunt.
Uncle Zheng definitely knows something.
Although Chai Zhu felt that if he asked, Uncle Zheng might not hide the truth, but the young man's inexplicable desire to win and self-esteem made him not want to do so at all.
——I always feel like I’ve lost if I ask.
Isn't it just an identity?
He just didn't believe it. After such a long journey to the capital, he still couldn't guess it?
Chu Lu didn't notice the worries of the young man opposite, Chai Shao. He was frowning as he watched the sudden chaos downstairs.
Being so far away, Chu Lu couldn't hear what those people were saying, but he didn't need to hear it. Just by looking at their expressions and behavior, he could easily guess that the top girl here was about to come out.
This weak body needs rest. The noisy and bustling situation does make Chu Lu feel a little uncomfortable, but it is not to the point of being unbearable.
Chu Lu slightly tilted his body and moved towards a position farther away from the window.
Chai Zhu noticed Chu Lu's actions almost immediately.
Although he looked careless and a little out of touch, Chai Zhu was actually very sensitive to details, and he quickly noticed Chu Lu's discomfort.
During this journey, he did have some understanding of the weak physical condition of the young man he was traveling with.
This time, I brought people to Chichun Pavilion because I knew that this was actually a quiet and elegant place, not as noisy as other places.
But at this moment...
He couldn't help but frown and look down.
——What’s going on?
Chi Chunge is not so unruly?
"Maybe one of the top stars is about to come out."
A gentle reply came from the other side, and Chai Zhu almost thought that he had asked the doubts in his heart.
He wasn't so ignorant of whether he had spoken or not.
Obviously, the other party saw his thoughts from the expression on his face.
He has always been the one who guessed other people's thoughts, but now that someone could see what he was thinking at a glance, Chai Zhu felt a little uncomfortable and even suspected that the other party did it on purpose and was trying to surpass him in this aspect.
Chai Zhu's thoughts turned around in his mind, but he quickly found the flaw in the other party's words.
He suddenly snorted and laughed, not trying to hide his pride at all, "Chichun Pavilion is not some vulgar brothel? How can there be a top prostitute?"
He was about to continue mocking this ignorant boy, but suddenly he remembered something. The mocking look on his face froze, his eyes widened, and he froze in a somewhat funny expression.
After a while, he stammered, "You just said, top card?!"
"... Could it be that, today, Ru-Ru, everyone is going to go on stage?!"
Chu Lu had no idea what "Ru Da Jia" or "Li Da Jia" were. Upon hearing that, he just turned his head and looked at Chai Zhu in confusion.
However, the "doubt" in this expression was not understood by Chai Zhu, but was mistaken for some affirmative response.
Chai Zhu's face flushed red all of a sudden. He looked no different from the guests in the hall downstairs. He kept mumbling, "Ru Da Jia, it's Ru Da Jia?! Today is not the 15th, how come, how did we run into each other?"
As he spoke, he even stood up and walked back and forth in the not-so-spacious Accord, as if he still couldn't believe it was true.
After a while, he seemed to have finally found a reason to convince himself, and muttered, "It must be that everyone has choreographed a new dance, so they suddenly went on stage. We are really lucky." Then he finally sat back in his original seat, drank the tea to calm himself down, and then he calmed down a little.
When he came to his senses and looked up again, Chai Zhu was met with Chu Lu's still gentle smile.
There was nothing special about this smile, but thinking about what he had just done, Chai Zhu inexplicably had a subtle feeling that he was being put on a show.
This kid seems to be calm and composed no matter what he encounters, which sometimes makes people really angry.
The more Chai Zhu looked at him, the more uncomfortable he felt. He thought it must be because this kid was too ignorant and had never even heard of the name "Ru Da Jia".
Thinking of this, Mr. Chai felt that he had a heavy responsibility.
He simply recited the poems and essays that the literati who came and went had written for this beauty whose "dance startled the fairies in heaven", trying to make the people on the other side understand how lucky it was to have such an encounter.
Let’s talk about whether it’s lucky or not first. Chu Lu just felt a little confused after hearing it.
After all, can images like "peony" and "begonia" and "cold moon" and "new snow" really be put on the same person without seeming out of place?
Excuse me for being frank, but he really couldn't imagine the girl's temperament and appearance.
Chu Lu tactfully raised his doubts, and Chai Zhu then remembered that the words he had just spoken in excitement were a bit confusing.
He hurriedly explained, "The part about 'new snow at dusk' doesn't mean that everyone..."
Chai Zhu now believes that this is Chu Lu's first time to come to such a place.
The two beauties of Chichun Pavilion were well-known, although unlike the masters who would go on stage to dance every full moon day, the other Pavilion Master Lin did not like to show up. However, literati often put the two together in their poems, and because the two had very different temperaments, one was a peony flower of prosperity and wealth, and the other was a glazed jade-like appearance of ice and snow, even if they were put in the same poem, people could tell them apart.
However, it was obvious that the boy on the opposite side knew nothing about this.
No wonder he was talking so much that his mouth was dry, but the other party still looked indifferent.
Chai Zhu looked at it, and that subtle feeling of unwillingness surged up again.
——He just didn’t believe that he couldn’t let this person change his expression today.
Chai Zhu didn't like to spread unfounded rumors behind people's backs, but now that he was provoked, he didn't think too much about it.
Chu Lu only saw the person opposite him glance at him twice, then suddenly leaned forward and whispered in a tone as if telling a secret, "It is rumored that Madam Rulin and Madam Lin are old people in Prime Minister Huo's mansion, and were the most favored by Prime Minister Huo in the past."
"At that time, Prime Minister Huo knew that he could not protect himself, so he planned a way out for his two concubines in advance and secretly sent them here."
"...The prefect of Changyu City was once a close confidant of Prime Minister Huo. Considering the kindness of his former master, he has given these two ladies some protection..."
Chu Lu: "..."
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