Flower Fairy?

He Yan was stunned. Everyone on the boat was also stunned when they heard the name. The singer holding the pipa was also shocked. She looked at Lin Shuanghe. She stared at him for a long time and called out uncertainly: "Master Lin?"

It is indeed the Flower Fairy!

He Yan walked forward quickly and rubbed his eyes subconsciously, fearing that this was all just a dream. Who could have known that Lin Shuanghe would actually meet Hua Youxian after he mentioned her, but...how could Hua Youxian be in Jinling?

He Yan was not the only one who was surprised. Lin Shuanghe said, "You... weren't you married? Didn't you go to Yangzhou with that scholar named Wang? How did you appear in Jinling? Am I dreaming?" He turned around and looked at everyone. Their reactions told him that it was indeed true.

Hua Youxian was also excited when she saw the people on the boat. After calming down, she said, "My husband and I have divorced. Yangzhou is not my hometown after all, so I just returned to Jinling. I have been in Jinling for only half a month. I didn't expect to meet you young masters here." She narrowed her eyes, as charming as she was in the past. "It's been so many years since we last met. How are you young masters?"

Lin Shuanghe moved his lips and managed to utter a sentence after a long while: "It's okay, but Miss Youxian, you are now..."

"I'm back to Ruyun Tower again," Hua Youxian said calmly, "I grew up in Ruyun Tower. In Jinling City, Ruyun Tower is also my home." She looked at everyone, "If you have nothing to do, why don't you go to Ruyun Tower and sit down? Ruyun Tower is not the same as before, but... it's not bad."

Lin Shuanghe turned around and asked everyone, "Shall we go to Ruyun Tower? It's been so many years, I want to go and see it again."

This time, even Yan He, who was always picky, remained silent, and everyone agreed unanimously.

Seeing this, Hua Youxian smiled and told the boatman to lead the two boats to the shore. He Yan stared at the dim lights on the river bank, feeling uneasy.

There are beauties in Jinling City, and half of them live in the Ruyun Tower. Every girl in the tower has a flower name when she reaches a certain age, except Hua Youxian, who was not given a common name like peony or peony. She chose her name herself. It was taken from the travel notes. It is said that the country of Guizi brought in a pillow that was the color of agate. When you use it as a pillow, you will see the ten continents, three islands, four seas, and five lakes in your dreams. So it was named the Youxian Pillow.

When she was young, Hua Youxian loved to read travel stories. She hoped to marry her lover in the future and look forward to her future husband taking her to travel all over the world. So she named herself Youxian. Ruyunlou's mother also thought this name was very good, so she called the flower fairy Hua Youxian.

When Hua Youxian was fourteen years old, she was famous in Wei for her beauty. She was also talented and proficient in music, chess, calligraphy and painting. Many princes and sons of noble families were willing to pay a fortune for a beautiful woman's smile. Naturally, she was the most worthy courtesan in Ruyunlou. To the young men in Xianchang Pavilion, Hua Youxian was like a fairy in the sky. Not to mention that singing girls in brothels were inferior to them, for children like them who had strict family education and would be beaten by family rules if they entered brothels, Hua Youxian was simply an unattainable dream. They didn't want to kiss her beauty, but as long as they could take a look and see the legendary beauty, they would be satisfied.

Therefore, the Jinling Poetry Festival was an opportunity that all the young men had been waiting for. They were eager to try, and with Lin Shuanghe, a smart man with many crooked ideas, the young men soon decided on their servants and guards.

He Yan was a girl, so she didn't have the same yearning for the "dream lover" of the Flower Fairy as the young men did, but she also wanted to see what the beauty that people said was rare in a hundred years looked like. But in the anticipation, she was also a little nervous. If He Yuansheng knew about this, she didn't know how long she would have to kneel in the ancestral hall.

The young men who came out together were all rich or noble, so they naturally had plenty of money. However, it was their first time in a brothel, so they had little experience, so they dressed themselves up like peacocks, thinking that this would make them look confident. Except for Yang Mingzhi, Xiao Jue, and He Yan. Xiao Jue was used to wearing a white robe and a silver crown, with a frosty face, Yang Mingzhi was a humble gentleman, with a clear and handsome spirit, and He Yan was afraid of attracting attention. She was already wearing a mask to make her different from others. If she wore gold and silver like Yan He, the news would probably be reported back to the He family in Shuojing tomorrow. Therefore, she was dressed the most ordinary and stood beside a group of rich young men, like a servant.

Although the boy was still wearing a mask that covered his face tightly.

Mother Ding from Ruyun Tower had seen countless people, and she could tell at a glance that all the young men in this group were children, and that they came from extraordinary families. She thought that they were young masters from some family who had come out to see the world, and her smile immediately became even more enthusiastic. She simply served the best wine and food, and asked the sensible and well-behaved girls to stand by and serve them.

The young men were so pleased with the service that they felt proud and no longer children in the eyes of their fathers and brothers. When they were drunk, some of them still remembered why they came and asked the girls beside them: "Where is the Flower Fairy? Why can't we see the Flower Fairy? We came here just to see the Flower Fairy!"

The girl still wanted to get away with it, and whispered in the boy's ear, "Young Master, you are hurting Cailian's heart by saying that. Am I not a good slave? Why do you always think about others?"

Although she was not stunningly beautiful, she was pretty and pitiful, which immediately made people feel pity for her. The young man was about to comfort her, but Lin Shuanghe on the side opened his folding fan and said in a very romantic way: "We have eleven guests here, and everyone is thinking about Miss Cailian's words. I'm afraid Miss Cailian can't handle it."

Yan He also said, "Yes!" and threw a silver ingot on the table, "We want to see the Flower Fairy!"

These young masters seemed to be of high status, so Cailian did not dare to offend them. Seeing that she could not fool them, she thought about it and decided to call for help from Mother Ding.

Mother Ding waved her handkerchief and smiled apologetically, "Young masters, I am really sorry. I have been unwell recently and have not been seeing guests. Young masters like to visit Youxian. Please come back after a while. Ruyunlou is not welcoming enough today. Dingxiang, go get our Zui Hongchen. This wine is a gift from me to all the young masters. I hope you will take care of it."

Mother Ding had been in Ruyun Tower for so many years, and had seen all kinds of monsters and demons. She was more than capable of dealing with a bunch of young boys. After a few words, she expressed her apology and told everyone not to say anything else. After she left, the boys looked at the wine pot on the table and looked at each other. One of them said, "Is this the end?"

"How can this be?" Another person was quite unhappy. "Our luck is so bad. Why should we come back later? As soon as the poetry meeting is over, we have to go back. Isn't this trip in vain?"

"That's right! We just want to see what she looks like. We can just sit still. No need to play the piano or dance. Otherwise, how are we going to brag about it to others when we get back?"

"I have prepared all my money, this is too bad!"

He Yan silently picked at the fried peanuts in front of her and ate them. None of this had anything to do with her. She had no right to speak, and she didn't want to speak. If she couldn't see the Flower Fairy, she could just look at Rose Jasmine. It wasn't her money that was spent anyway.

But the young men were different. They came all the way to Jinling not to attend a poetry meeting, but to the legendary flower-wandering fairy. Therefore, they thought about it together and came up with a bad idea.

"The girls in Ruyun Tower all live in the attic. How about we ask about the residence of the Flower Fairy and look for her through the window?"

The rose biscuit in He Yan's mouth fell with a "pop" sound, and the crumbs splashed on Xiao Jue beside him, who brushed them away with a slightly frown.

The young man seemed to have got a good idea and was very excited. "Yes, let's do it! I won't do anything. When I came here, I bought a hairpin from the Jewel Shop in Shuojing. I wanted to give it to her so that I could see what she looks like. I will knock on the window. If she hates me, I won't go in. If the fairy girl is kind-hearted, I will go in and ask her if she can let us meet. We came all the way from Shuojing to see her. It would be a pity if we leave without trying our best."

He Yan thought, it is true that lust has blinded his mind. He can even think of such a method. How is he different from those flower-stealing thieves who peek at girls? Are all men in the world like this? He loves beauty to such an extent that he doesn't even care about his dignity.

But she didn't expect that once this bad idea was proposed, it was approved by most people. The rest of the teenagers agreed: "This is a good idea? Why not do it this way!"

Little He Yan endured it, probably because she was a woman, she couldn't help but remind them: "If we are discovered, they will think we are flower thieves... and if we come in uninvited, wouldn't that ruin the reputation of the Flower Fairy?"

The young men at that time were pure and innocent, and they did not think that the girls in Ruyun Tower had no "honor" to speak of. After thinking for a while, someone said, "We just knock on the window from outside and pass a note in. If she agrees, I can go in. Before that, I just don't go into her room."

He Yan: “…”

What exactly is the difference?

The young men immediately went to inquire about the house where Hua Youxian lived. Although they were a little dumb in love affairs, they were not really stupid. After all, they were the children specially selected from Xianchang Hall to participate in the poetry meeting. They were all smart and generous. It didn't take long for them to get the other girls to tell them where Hua Youxian lived.

Hua Youxian lived on the top floor of the attic, with a lake behind the house and no one around. Most of the ten young men were good at fighting. Generally speaking, the students in Xianchang Hall were not biased towards either literature or martial arts. There were very few students like Yang Mingzhi who were only good at literature and terrible at martial arts.

The leading teenager rubbed his hands and was eager to try. He turned around and asked Xiao Jue and Yan He: "How about you two go first?"

After all, these two men were both top-notch in martial arts, so they could just climb over the wall as if they were walking on flat ground.

Xiao Jue: "I'm not going."

Yan He said in disgust: "I won't go either. I'm not a pervert!"

Lin Shuanghe wanted to go, but unfortunately his martial arts skills were not good enough. He would have backaches if he walked too much, let alone climbing windows and walls. He could not be the first to go up. Yang Mingzhi was always polite and courteous. He was dragged to Ruyunlou by others, so he would not do such a disrespectful thing.

As for what He Yan said, the young men had already automatically ignored her.

The young man saw this scene and said nothing more. He just spit on his hands twice and quietly climbed up by pulling the rope. He Yan stood on the ground, looking at the dot disappearing in the night, thinking: This is too much.

One person climbed the window, and a group of people kept watch. After all, if one person got into trouble, all the students in the academy would be unable to escape, and no one wanted to go back and be punished. Therefore, they watched very carefully, but the security behind Ruyun Tower was very lax, probably because they thought that no one would dare to arrest people openly at this time.

When He Yan was about to cut off his neck, there was finally movement on the other end. The rope began to shake, and soon, the boy who had gone up came down.

He was so excited that his face flushed. His classmates asked him one after another: "How was it? Did you see him?"

The child nodded vigorously.

Everyone was even more enthusiastic: "How is it? Is the Flower Fairy really as stunning as the rumors say?"

He nodded vigorously again.

"Then, how is her health?" This one was quite sympathetic and remembered that Hua Youxian had been unwell recently. "Is she very haggard? Is it serious? Do we need to invite a famous doctor to take a look?"

The young man puffed up his cheeks and managed to utter a sentence after a long while: "She... the Flower Fairy, was locked in the house and under house arrest! When I handed her the note, she opened the window to let me in and asked if I could rescue her."

Everyone looked at each other, not understanding what she meant. Lin Shuanghe put away her fan and asked in confusion, "Do you mean that Ruyun Tower treated her harshly?"

The young man nodded, shook his head, and finally stamped his feet: "I can't explain it clearly, forget it, you all come with me!"

Everyone was dumbfounded.

He Yan's heart skipped a beat. This matter was getting bigger and bigger.

"It's okay. Fairy Youhua said that those people only go to her room twice a day. They went there today and won't go there again. Her door is locked and there are guards downstairs. We can go upstairs and ask what's going on. If there is a problem, we are men. Are we going to stand by and watch her die?"

Teenagers generally dream of becoming a hero who saves a beautiful girl one day, and the more beautiful the girl is, the more powerful the hero is. If the girl is a peerless beauty, it's even better, and the hero will surely become a legend.

He Yan refused subconsciously: "This... this is not good, right? How about I stay here and keep watch for you? I won't go up."

The young men looked at him with burning eyes: "What's wrong with that? You are weak and vulnerable. You might run away at the first sign of trouble. We can't trust you! Brother Mingzhi, you are weak, why don't you be the watchdog?"

Yang Mingzhi couldn't ask for more, so he agreed immediately.

Xiao Jue and Yan He didn't want to go with them at first, but they finally agreed after the seniors' soft persuasion. He Yan felt like vomiting blood, but he had no choice but to follow the others and climb up the rope to the attic. The window of the attic had been opened, and the young men went in one after another. When they entered the house, they suddenly smelled a woman's sweet fragrance. There was only a very dim oil lamp in the room, and under the oil lamp, sitting on a rattan chair, was an unparalleled beauty.

There are actually many beauties in Shuojing, but the woman in front of him has her own charm. Her eyes are very round, but the corners of her eyes are sharp, which outlines innocence in her charm. Her skin is extremely white, and her lips are stunningly bright. Her long hair is not tied up, but just hangs casually behind her head, which is matched with the red gauze, and the brilliance is compelling. Needless to say, her appearance is beautiful, and her gentle manner, charming words, at first glance, it seems like a goddess descended to earth.

The usually arrogant and noisy teenagers all fell silent in front of this girl, their faces flushed and their eyes filled with surprise.

The mask covered He Yan's face, and she just thought, it turns out that there really are such beautiful women in the world.

"My name is Hua Youxian." The woman smiled like a flower and said in a gentle voice, "Hello, young masters."

Hua Youxian was a few years older than the oldest child here, and because he had been staying in Ruyun Tower, he didn't look a bit young. The children were suddenly addressed, and they stammered and couldn't say a word. Even Lin Shuanghe, who was the most skilled in this, didn't know what to say for a moment.

It was Xiao Jue who spoke up, calmly saying, "I heard that the girl is under house arrest?"

Hua Youxian looked at Xiao Jue and couldn't help but pause. The reason was that the boy's appearance was too outstanding among his peers. And he kept a calm look from beginning to end, not confused by her appearance. It was rare to see her eyes as calm as water, and Hua Youxian also found it interesting. But soon, she replied: "Not bad."

"Who imprisoned you?" Yan He was straightforward and asked immediately, "Was it Ruyunlou's mother?"

"No." Hua Youxian smiled. Although she was a brothel girl, she was neither humble nor arrogant when talking to these young men. She knew the right measure very well, neither too unfamiliar nor too presumptuous. "Mother has no choice. The one who imprisoned me here was Madam Xunfu's cousin."

This turn was a bit too far. Lin Shuanghe, who had read all kinds of storybooks, immediately asked, "Does that person want to force you to marry him?"

Hua Youxian looked at the young master holding the fan in front of him, slightly surprised, then smiled and said, "Not bad."

For a moment, low gasps echoed in the room, accompanied by angry rebukes.

"How can this be? This local official is too overbearing!"

"Is there no one to stop this? He raped a woman in broad daylight! This is against the law."

"Is there any way to get you out?"

Hua Youxian looked at these young boys and smiled. She spoke in a gentle voice as she soothed them, "Actually, it's just Youxian herself. She entered Ruoyun Tower without any control. She had expected this day to come. It's just that she implicated others, so..." Her expression darkened, and a layer of worry hung between her brows.

The beauty was in deep sorrow, which made people feel sorry for her. Yan He shook her ponytail and said, "Miss, you can speak freely. If you have any difficulties, we may be able to help you solve them." He coughed lightly and boasted, "My family background is much more powerful than that of Lao Shizi patrol."

Although he was dressed extravagantly, with layers of gold and silver threads embroidered on his clothes, it was obvious that he was wealthy. Not only him, but all the young men in this group, especially the young man in white robe, did not look like ordinary people. Hua Youxian had been staying in Ruyun Tower since she was a child. Although she was not as vicious as Mama Ding in judging people, she was better than ordinary people. When Yan He said this, a hope suddenly rose in her heart. Here, she, a weak woman, naturally could not compete with the officials. Even Ruyun Tower and Mama Ding had to look at the face of Yingtian Prefecture. But if it was really as this young master said, and was more powerful than the patrol, there might be a glimmer of hope.

It doesn't matter what happens to her...what matters is that the other person is okay.

Thinking of this, Hua Youxian smiled and looked at Yan He, and asked softly, "May I ask your name, young master?"

Yan He blushed at Hua Youxian's laughter and was about to say her name when she suddenly remembered that she had come to Ruyun Tower without telling her family, so she said, "My last name is Yan."

"It turned out to be Young Master Yan," Hua Youxian looked at him with a smile, "No matter what, I would like to thank you first." She sighed slightly, "In fact, this matter was caused by me..."

It turned out to be just as Lin Shuanghe guessed, Hua Youxian became famous in Ruoyun Tower at the age of fourteen, and after she turned sixteen, there was an endless stream of people who wanted to marry her.

Mother Ding was reluctant to part with such a money tree, so she wanted to keep Hua Youxian for a while. After all, they had known each other for many years, and they had some affection for each other. Mother Ding also planned to find a good family to marry Hua Youxian off when the time came. With Hua Youxian's status, people would inevitably gossip about her as a wife, but if she could become a concubine in a high-ranking official's family and serve them well for a few years, and have a son by her side, she would have a good future.

But when Hua Youxian was eighteen years old, he fell in love with someone.

This man was called Wang Sheng. He was not from Jinling but from Yangzhou. To be more precise, he was the eldest son of a wealthy silk merchant in Yangzhou. He came to Jinling with his friends to do business and accidentally entered Ruoyun Tower. He was amazed by Hua Youxian and fell in love with her at first sight.

Hua Youxian was so famous that there were countless young men who liked her, and Wang Sheng was not particularly outstanding among them. However, in the matter of love, for some inexplicable reason, Hua Youxian chose Wang Sheng, who looked like a scholar, among all the young men in Wuling.

To be honest, although Wang Sheng was born in a merchant family, he was a talented writer. His family wanted him to take the imperial examination and become an official, but Wang Sheng thought this was too utilitarian. He only wanted to travel freely throughout his life, which coincided with Hua Youxian's wish since childhood. The two of them drank and talked happily on the first day they met, and talked all night long. Wang Sheng's family was in business, and he had heard many strange stories since he was a child. Hua Youxian, who had never been out of Ruyun Tower, was naturally attracted by these stories.

The man is talented and the woman is beautiful, and under the moonlight, everything will come naturally.

Mother Ding looked down on Wang Sheng, thinking that Wang Sheng's family was just a businessman, and it would be better to be a concubine to an official than to be a wife to a merchant. Moreover, if Hua Youxian really wanted to follow Wang Sheng, she would have to go back to Yangzhou, and they would never see each other again because of the long distance.

After all, she didn't want Hua Youxian to leave Jinling.

"My dear daughter, don't let a man deceive you. I've seen a lot of this over the years," Mother Ding said patiently. "If you follow him to Yangzhou and get hurt in the future, who can you complain to? You'll be the one who's been wronged."

Hua Youxian smiled and replied perfunctorily.

She was determined to redeem herself and had saved a lot of money over the years. Just when she was about to raise enough money for redemption, she met an unexpected guest.

Tongqiu Shi, the younger brother of the Lady of Yingtian Prefecture.

－－－－－－－A side note－－－－－－－

This action by Sister Hua would probably be considered a private connection between an idol and his fans nowadays.