Chapter 2-7

“She’s beautiful, as expected.”

“Once she grows a little more, she’ll definitely become an incredible beauty.”

The Flower Fragrance Pavilion was a fairly renowned pleasure house in Shaanxi. And Xuelan was the courtesan whom the Madam of the Flower Fragrance Pavilion presented with the greatest pride. Now eighteen years old, her beauty was blossoming more fully with each passing day. Whether because she was still young or for some other reason, Xuelan had never once shared a bed with a man. Her only work was to delight the guests’ ears with the sound of her qin and their eyes with her beautiful appearance.

When Xuelan finished playing, the men who had been drinking while watching her looked at her regretfully. There were three men in total, and the man seated in the middle had strong, masculine features handsome enough to set many women’s hearts racing. He did not visit the Flower Fragrance Pavilion often, but he always came at least once every half year, and many courtesans hoped that he would call for them. He was also the man responsible for many of those courtesans’ lovesick hearts.

‘She’s certainly beautiful.’

The first time Yang Xinwu had seen Xuelan was when she was fifteen. That had been three years ago. On that day as well, he had come to the Flower Fragrance Pavilion with the same friends who were now busy fondling women beside him and had been drinking. Eventually, bored for something pleasant to listen to, he called for a courtesan, and Xuelan came. Her playing was quite pleasing to the ear, so every time he visited the Flower Fragrance Pavilion, he called for her. And now, three years later, she had become extraordinarily beautiful.

“Would you come over and have a drink?”

“Yes? No, thank you.”

“I’m not telling you to pour the wine. You’ve worked hard, so I’m offering you a cup.”

Since this was the first time Yang Xinwu had ever spoken to Xuelan, she was quite flustered. But since he was not calling her over with any ulterior motive and was merely offering her wine because she had worked hard, Xuelan cautiously rose from her seat and approached him.

“Thank you for always delighting my ears.”

“Not at all.”

As Xuelan held out the cup, Yang Xinwu poured wine into it and spoke. When the handsome and masculine Yang Xinwu smiled at her as he spoke, Xuelan’s face quickly turned red. It was the first time she had conversed with a guest. Three years had passed since she began performing, but because she always went to see Bai Shixuan immediately after finishing, this was the first time a guest had offered her a drink, so she was likely embarrassed. Or perhaps it was because, unlike Bai Shixuan, Yang Xinwu was an older, distinctly masculine man.

‘Get a hold of yourself.’

Thinking of Bai Shixuan, who was probably working hard chopping firewood even now, Xuelan drained the wine.

‘But Shixuan is too young.’

She was eighteen now. Bai Shixuan, on the other hand, was fourteen. He was a full four years younger. When they had both been children, Shixuan had felt like a man to her, but as she herself grew older, the age gap made Bai Shixuan seem far too young.

“You drink well. Would you like another?”

“N-No, thank you. Then I’ll be going.”

At Yang Xinwu’s words, Xuelan shook her head, stood up, and took the cup with her.

“You can leave the cup behind. If you take it with you, you’ll only have to bring it back again, won’t you?”

“But this is…….”

“You were the one drinking from it. What would be dirty about that? Give it here.”

Yang Xinwu smiled and took the cup from Xuelan. Xuelan stared blankly at his face for a moment, then bowed to him and left the room. It had only been one cup, but perhaps because of the slight intoxication, her mood gradually improved.

“Shixuan! I’m back.”

“Mm.”

Still in that good mood, she carried her qin over to Bai Shixuan. But the moment she heard his cold voice, her thoughts began to cool as though she had been drenched in cold water.

“Haa.”

“Why?”

“Hm? Nothing.”

Xuelan sat on the pile of firewood as usual and watched Bai Shixuan. When she let out a sigh, he asked what was wrong. Xuelan shook her head and looked at him. He had reacted when she sighed, but his hands continued moving as before, and his gaze remained fixed on the firewood.

‘Does he really have no feelings for me at all?’

She thought she had become quite beautiful by now. And yet Bai Shixuan was always the same. On top of that, he was simply too young. That bothered her the most. Bai Shixuan was gradually beginning to look like a child in her eyes.

‘I was the one who said I liked him first, so what am I doing?!’

She reproached herself like that, but if Bai Shixuan did not like her, wouldn’t it be fine for her to go to another man?

‘Haa.’

And then one man appeared in Xuelan’s thoughts. Strong features and a broad, masculine smile. Yang Xinwu. Xuelan only knew that he was a young master with the surname Yang, but his smile had begun refusing to leave her mind.

‘No! I can’t think like that!’

After somehow forcing Yang Xinwu’s smile out of her mind, she looked back at Bai Shixuan. He seemed to have finished his work at some point and was now sitting down to rest after putting the axe aside.

“Shixuan.”

“Mm?”

“Want to go somewhere and have fun?”

At Xuelan’s sudden suggestion, Bai Shixuan raised his head and looked at her. His skin was lightly tanned by the sun. He had muscles despite still being young. And he was taller than she was. But his face still looked far too young. Even so, Bai Shixuan’s eyes were incredibly deep. Looking into his faintly blue-tinted eyes made her wonder whether she might be drawn right into them.

“Where?”

“Anywhere, really…….”

“All right.”

When Bai Shixuan nodded and agreed, Xuelan’s face brightened. Bai Shixuan stared intently at her face for a moment, then turned away, picked up the axe, and stood. Then he began chopping firewood again.

“Huh? Why? Weren’t you finished?”

Surely he had already finished today’s work…… Seeing Bai Shixuan pick up the axe and begin chopping again, Xuelan asked him. Without looking at her, Bai Shixuan kept his gaze fixed on the firewood and spoke.

“If I’m going to take a day off, I figured it would be better to finish that day’s work in advance.”

“Okay.”

At Bai Shixuan’s words, Xuelan nodded. So what if he was young? He was doing this for her. Surely, after just a little more time, Bai Shixuan would become a fine man.

‘But will he still like me then?’

He did not seem to like her very much even now. Would he dislike her even more once he grew older? After all, she was older than he was. She began to worry that he might prefer a younger woman.

“Then I’ll get going.”

“…All right.”

At Xuelan’s words that she was leaving, Bai Shixuan stopped swinging the axe for the first time and looked at her. But after nodding once more, he resumed moving his hands.