Cherry Blossoms Upon a Wintry Sword

Chapter 30: Within the Flower House

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Perhaps it was because Kunlun’s geographical location was located in a remote area so trade and commerce were still underdeveloped. Whether it was on the mountain or at the foot of the mountain, there was no such place as a flower house, which only appeared in textbooks. This was Lin Rufei’s first time encountering such an invitation, although inwardly he felt that it was slightly inappropriate, in the end, he still had a strong curiosity about it.

Seeing Lin Rufei’s hesitation, Meng Lanruo lowered his voice and explained: “Lin gongzi, don’t worry, the Fallen Spring House is very clean. The girls inside are also proficient in zither, Go, calligraphy, and painting. It’s not that kind of sordid place where they do ‘flesh’ business.”

“Besides, we are just going to have a look, we’re not doing anything bad.” Meng Lanruo looked at Lin Rufei, hoping that he would accept his invitation, “The night is long, if we stay at home, it’ll be so boring.”

Lin Rufei hesitated, but then slowly nodded and accepted Meng Lanruo’s invitation.

Meng Lanruo cheered happily and smiled, “Then Lin gongzi, I will come to pick you up later and we will go there together by carriage!”

Lin Rufei said yes.

Only then did Meng Lanruo leave happily.

As soon as he left, Gu Xuandu, who had been standing quietly beside Lin Rufei, opened his mouth, and for some reason, his voice had a bit of a sourness to it, “Why would Xiao Jiu be interested in a flower house? That place is very boring.”

Lin Rufei seized the point: “Senior often goes there?”

Gu Xuandu calmly said: “I’ve been there once or twice, nothing interesting.”

Lin Rufei said: “I’ve never seen one before, so I’m just a little curious.”

Gu Xuandu gritted his teeth and said, “It’s just some vulgar women[1], nothing to see.”

Hearing Gu Xuandu’s words, Lin Rufei could not help but smile and joke, “Compared to senior’s appearance, the others are indeed mediocre and vulgar.”

Gu Xuandu, who was praised for his appearance, changed his expression. He seemed to want to say something, but in the end, said nothing. He coldly snorted, swept his long sleeves, and his figure faded away. Lin Rufei was dumbfounded, he felt as if he had offended Gu Xuandu by saying a certain sentence, but which one was it ……

At night, the city of Xinzhou was bustling with activity.

On the Canglan River, several huge gorgeous flower boats sailed upon it. Standing on the shore, one could hear the music of silk and bamboo[2] and smell the fragrance of rouge powder. Numerous beautifully dressed women were standing or sitting as they smiled sweetly. It was really beautiful scenery that made people intoxicated.

Lin Rufei was on the largest flower boat.

Meng Lanruo was already a familiar customer here. When the charming old mother[3] saw him, her smiling eyes narrowed into a line. She twisted her waist and warmly welcomed him in. Out of the corner of her eye, she looked at the handsome, thin young man dressed in white who was standing beside Meng Lanruo. She seemed to have realized something and her smile became more enthusiastic, “Yo—this gongzi is really handsome. How come I haven’t seen him before?” 

“He’s a valuable guest from our family, I brought him out to have some fun.” Meng Lanruo smiled and said, “When will Xiao Yu come out today?”

“The third one out. When the time comes, I hope that Meng gongzi will give us a lot of support.” The old mother smiled and led them to a wide private room with a screen around it. It was very private and had the clearest view of the stage.

Meng Lanruo took something out of his bosom and handed it to the old mother, “Bring some silk flowers and take the rest as your reward.”

The old mother nodded her head and said yes. She respectfully left with both hands holding the thing Meng Lanruo gave her.

Lin Rufei noticed that Meng Lanruo handed over a top-grade spirit stone, which was already a rare commodity even within the immortal path, let alone in the mortal world. It seems that the Meng family was indeed very wealthy. Such a thing, in Meng Lanruo’s hands, was only chump change to reward the oiran.

“These silk flowers are used to vote for the oirans on stage.” Meng Lanruo explained with a smile, “The more silk flowers the higher the number of votes. The girl with the most is the oiran of the night.”

Lin Rufei said: “You often come to play?”

Meng Lanruo scratched his head: “My family is strict with me, and I am not allowed to leave Xinzhou City, so I often come by myself to find some fun …… I…… can’t be considered a regular customer, right?”

Obviously, when he mentioned the latter half, he himself developed a little bit of a guilty conscience. Lin Rufei just smiled at his words and didn’t bother with him much. The guests on this flower boat were indeed looking for fun. The oiran competition had yet to begin so one could see people playing pitch-pots, dice—there were various ways to have fun. 

Meng Lanruo ordered two jugs of good wine and some small side dishes. He originally wanted to order a pot of hot tea for Lin Rufei, but Lin Rufei declined his kind offer, saying that coming here to drink tea spoils the fun. Although he could not drink too much, a couple of drinks wouldn’t hurt

It was better this way. Meng Lanruo raised a cup to toast Lin Rufei.

The wine was freshly brewed plum wine. It was slightly sweet when it entered the mouth and it left a lingering aftertaste. Floating on top was a newly plucked cherry blossom petal, making it more elegant.

Lin Rufei drank a cup. However, suddenly he remembered a certain cherry blossom immortal, who was still sulking, and his eyes couldn’t help but reflect his smile.

When Meng Lanruo saw Lin Rufei’s smile, he asked, “Who did Lin gongzi think of?” 

Lin Rufei said, “What?”

“Nothing, I don’t think I’ve ever seen such a smile on your face.” Meng Lanruo propped up his chin and looked at Lin Rufei, “How should I say it ……” It was as if Lin Rufei’s usual smile, although gentle and warm, held an inexplicable taste of detachment. However, this smile before him was mixed with some playfulness, it felt a bit more popular. 

Lin Rufei shook his head, smiled, and did not say anything.

Meng Lanruo also did not pursue deeper. Holding a cup of wine, he curiously asked Lin Rufei how long it had been since he left Kunlun, what happened along the way, and where he planned to go next.

Lin Rufei hesitated for a moment and in the end, he did not mention the Xie family. He only talked about the jiao on the Canglan River and said that he would probably follow the Canglan River downwards, over the Xiqiu Mountains, and go to the Central Plains.

Meng Lanruo listened and he didn’t disguise the envy on his face. He touched his sword which was hanging on his waist and murmured, “I really envy Lin gongzi…….”

Lin Rufei wondered, “Envy me for what?”

Meng Lanruo said, “I also want to fight with a sword and travel thousands of miles like Lin gongzi.” He said listlessly, “But my parents forbid me to go out, saying that they are afraid that because of my nature, I will be cheated out in just three days.”

In a way, Lin Rufei’s situation was very similar to Meng Lanruo’s. For a long time, he also longed to leave Kunlun Mountain and travel down the mountain like his older brothers and older sister, but one day, he suddenly realized that his weak self would never have such an opportunity.

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He could pester his brothers and sister, act spoiled according to the way they wanted, and they would probably agree to his unreasonable request. However, he couldn’t even lift the sword, even if he entered Jianghu, he’ll only add trouble for them. Lin Rufei had always been transparent, after thinking clearly about certain things, he completely put down the obsession to leave Kunlun.

The good thing was that now, he had his own destiny.

“Maybe you are too young now, it will take a few more years for your parents to say yes.” Lin Rufei comforted Meng Lanruo.

But Meng Lanruo shook his head and said with sadness that no one knew his mother better than he did. As long as his mother was still alive, he would not be able to leave Xinzhou City.

Lin Rufei listened without responding. He thought that Meng Lanruo might’ve been exaggerating. His family spoiled him. If he was really determined to enter Jianghu, his family probably wouldn’t try and forcefully stop him.

At least at this moment, that was what Lin Rufei thought.

On the stage, the sound of string music was heard. Several dancers floated and began to dance to the sound of music.

Meng Lanruo swept away the disillusionment from a moment ago and came back to life. He was staring at a girl who walked out slowly on the stage and enthusiastically introduced his favorite Xiao Yu to Lin Rufei.

“Xiao Yu is the most unique girl I’ve ever seen. Not only is she good-looking, but she is proficient in everything from the zither, Go, to calligraphy and painting. Even her sword dance is a masterpiece.” Meng Lanruo said, “Although her sword technique is not as good as sword cultivators, it is already more powerful than most mortals …… If that Qi Yansheng doesn’t use sword Qi to compete with her, who knows who would win.” 

Lin Rufei was a little interested: “Really?”

“Naturally.” Meng Lanruo said seriously.

The expensive silk flowers were thrown onto the stage with the sound of applause, and the atmosphere on the flower boat gradually became more and more heated. The girls were doing well tonight, and the silk flowers, which cost the same as gold, never stopped. The patrons who were drunk, all wanted to send their favorite girls to be the oiran of the night.

Meng Lanruo handed the silk flowers on the table to Lin Rufei and called for the old mother. He took out some spirit stones and cashed it in for a few more baskets. It felt like he was spending money like water.  

Lin Rufei was not sensitive towards things like money. His food and clothing were all dealt by his maids so he didn’t have to worry about it. If it wasn’t for the fact that he had snuck down the mountain to sneakily eat snacks, he probably would have never seen silver money.  

“Here she comes, here she comes, Xiao Yu is here.” Meng Lanruo stared at him excitedly.

On the stage, a soft woman slowly stepped up. She was dressed in a long skirt and held double swords tied with red silk. She was half crouched in front of the guests on the stage as she saluted, and after a smile, the sound of music followed.

The moment the sword rose, the woman’s temperament instantly changed. The sword was like a white rainbow and the red silk like blood. The woman’s bare feet stepped with the beat of the drums as she tossed and turned on top of the stage gracefully. The sword light was cold and hard, but the pink outfit she was wearing was soft to the extreme. The contrast between this rigid and soft made this sword dance even more and more fascinating.

The woman twisted her waist and threw the red silk that was tied at the end of the sword. She raised her hand and waved the sword Qi like that of an astral wind[4]. The drums gradually stopped and her dance also slowed down before finally stopping on the stage. Her slightly undulating chest was facing towards the location of Meng Lanruo’s box[5] and she cast a soft smile.

The patrons applauded loudly and rewarded heavily. They threw silk flowers as if they didn’t cost money onto the stage. Meng Lanruo directly walked out of the box and threw the two baskets of silk flowers that were held in his arms.

The silk flowers fluttered like snow onto Xiao Yu’s head and shoulders. When she saw Meng Lanruo, she smiled back, and slowly bowed before retreating from the stage.

“Isn’t it beautiful? Isn’t it beautiful?!” Meng Lanruo watched Xiao Yu leave before returning to the private room. He jumped up and down excitedly, like a bored young man who came to Fallen Spring House for the first time, “I’ve never seen such a beautiful sword dance!”

Lin Rufei laughed, “It was good.” It was indeed beautiful, when she danced with a sword, it was a sensation in all directions.

“It’s just a pity that ……” Meng Lanruo was suddenly feeling a bit down, “I wanted to redeem her, but she refused.”

Lin Rufei didn’t know much about these things so he just listened.

Meng Lanruo said: “If she doesn’t like me, so be it, but I think she does like me.” After he said this, he let out a long sigh and drank the wine in his cup in one go.

As the two were talking, the topic of their conversation came inside. She was holding a plate of freshly cut fruits and smiled at the two people in the private room. She softly called out: “Lanruo ……”

Meng Lanruo paused. He immediately looked back and said eagerly: “Xiao Yu!”

“How come you didn’t call me even when you came.” Xiao Yu pouted, “I had to look through the entire crowd to find you when I was performing the sword dance. ”

Meng Lanruo said, “I just wanted to surprise you.”

The two of them both had feelings for each other, and Lin Rufei, who was sitting on one side, became the extra. However, Meng Lanruo quickly reacted and said, “Xiao Yu, this is my new friend, Lin gongzi. He is very nice. In your flower house, are there any gentle and pretty girls, quickly call one over for Lin gongzi.”

“Alright.” Xiao Yu laughed, “Lin gongzi is so handsome, it really is a bargain for those little lasses!”

Lin Rufei didn’t refuse. Since he had come here, although he didn’t have any other plans, he couldn’t let Meng Lanruo worry about him while he was being affectionate.

The girl that Xiao Yu had called soon came. She was soft and beautiful and was named Wan Yi. She was said to be excellent at the zither.

A gentleman was always ready to help others attain their goals. Lin Rufei had never eaten pork, but at least he had seen a pig run[6]. Meng Lanruo and that Xiao Yu girl were in the process of getting close to each other. Meng Lanruo had wine poured by that Xiao Yu girl and was helped by her into another room. Now the only ones left in the room are Wan Yi, who was playing the zither, and Lin Rufei. 

Wan Yi seemed to be a bit shy and didn’t talk much until Xiao Yu and Meng Lanruo left, and only then did she intermittently chat with Lin Rufei.

Lin Rufei was drinking plum wine while talking to Wan Yi.

After finishing a song, Wan Yi saw that Lin Rufei didn’t seem to care about the next song, so she got up and lit the incense placed on the side of the zither. The fragrance of this incense was clear and fresh, but Lin Rufei felt that it was familiar and asked “What is this incense?”

“It’s incense made of Qilin grass, it has a calming effect.” Wan Yi softly said, “If gongzi doesn’t like it, Wan Yi will put it out.”

“No need, keep it lit.” Lin Rufei did not hate the smell of Qilin grass. His fingers slid over the rim of the cup and asked, “How long have you been here?”

Wan Yi replied, “Almost three years.”

Lin Rufei said, “What about Xiao Yu?”

Wan Yi hesitated for a moment before answering Lin Rufei’s question. She said, “Sister Xiao Yu came a bit later, it’s probably been a year. Sister Xiao Yu is a great person, once she came here, she was an oiran ……”

Lin Rufei said, “Oh.”

Wan Yi smiled: “Does gongzi have any songs he wants to hear?”

Lin Rufei shook his head, indicating no. He felt a little tired, but seeing that Meng Lanruo did not want to leave, he could not leave first. He waved his hand to Wan Yi and said, “You go out first, I want to rest by myself for a while.”

Wan Yi was slightly surprised at the words, biting her lower lip she said, “But if I go out like this, I will be scolded by mother ……”

Lin Rufei frowned slightly. He smoothly took a spirit stone from his sleeve and handed it to her, “Go ahead.”

Wan Yi wanted to say something, but in the end, didn’t say anything at all. She took the spirit stone, bowed to Lin Rufei, and retreated.

Lin Rufei was the only one left in the room.

Lin Rufei was a bit bored. He looked around but still didn’t see Gu Xuandu’s figure. He sighed slightly. He felt that it was somewhat funny, that his senior was so petty.

The room was very well decorated, with a lot of veils and other fabrics. The light was also very dim and it was an atmosphere that easily made people get into the mood. The lit incense burned with a curling white smoke, bringing with it the strange aroma of the unique Qilin grass. Beside the incense burner was a plate of delicate snacks. There were all kinds of shapes and it was made very beautifully.

Lin Rufei happened to be a little hungry, so he twisted a piece and sent it into his mouth. The taste of mung bean cake was a little too sweet. He did not like it but the texture wasn’t bad so he still slowly ate it. 

There was still half a jug of plum wine left. Lin Rufei had nothing to do, so he drank it down with the crispy beans.

The drunkenness surged and Lin Rufei’s pale cheeks floated with a touch of red. His eyes, which were lighter than normal, were not as clear as usual and carried slight signs of intoxication. It was probably because he drank too much, but his chest started to itch. Lin Rufei covered his mouth and coughed lowly a few times. He used tea to suppress his cough as he got up and walked towards the window to view the scenery outside.

The window of the room was facing the riverside. The lights were dim, like a river of stars, and the tide of the river was lapping against the side of the boat. The sound of the tide was incessant.

Lin Rufei, however, felt some inexplicable discomfort. There was something burning inside his body, from his internal organs and all the way out, even burning his skin.

“Cough cough, cough, cough, cough ……” The heatwave came suddenly and Lin Rufei started to cough heavily. His consciousness began to blur and he felt that he could no longer control his body. He just fell limply onto the bed, and a red shadow seemed to appear before his eyes, but with his consciousness drifting further away, Lin Rufei didn’t know anything anymore.

Gu Xuandu’s face was expressionless as he looked at Lin Rufei who had fallen onto the bed. He was lying on the soft bed and his face was not as pale as usual. Instead, it had turned into a pink color. Looking down, one would find that it was not only his cheeks that had turned pink but also his neck. Although the situation below the neck couldn’t be seen, it was probably obvious what kind of view would be on the body that was tightly wrapped in clothes. 

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Sometimes, being too well protected was not a good thing, because unknowingly, things that should not be done are done. 

In this flower house, one should naturally also take precautions.

The wine was drinkable and the snacks could also be eaten. However, if the two were combined, there was some unspeakable effect. This effect on ordinary people would probably liven things up, however, Lin Rufei had a weak body, just a little and he would become like this.  

Gu Xuandu’s eyes sank slightly as he looked at Lin Rufei. His Adam’s apple moved up and down invisibly as if he was restraining something.

The night breeze was bitterly cold. Gu Xuandu raised his hand and closed the window, sealing off the lights outside.

The next moment, Gu Xuandu extinguished the candle flame inside the room and everything was darkened.

The room was silent, only the sound of Lin Rufei’s slightly rapid breathing remained.

Lin Rufei woke up after dawn. He was draped in a thick blanket as he sat up from the bed blankly and saw Gu Xuandu sitting at the table.

Gu Xuandu heard him wake up but didn’t turn around.

“Senior.” Lin Rufei called out.

Gu Xuandu said, “Awake?”

Lin Rufei said, “Mnn ……” He rubbed his head which was a bit sore and whispered, “Why did I suddenly fall asleep yesterday.”

“There was something put into the snacks and wine in the flower house. You had a pretty big reaction after eating it.” Gu Xuandu said, “You passed out straight away.”

Lin Rufei let out a slightly embarrassed “oh” and looked at Gu Xuandu, “Senior …… were you guarding the bedside all night?”

Gu Xuandu did not speak.

But sometimes silence was the answer. Lin Rufei immediately felt a little guilty. Just as he was about to apologize, he saw Gu Xuandu raise his hand to make a “stop” gesture. He then suddenly got up, walked in front of him, and bent down. The tip of their noses almost touched and his face was as cold as ice: “In the future, do not come to this kind of place, if you want to see a sword dance, I will dance. If you want to hear a song, I will play. In short, do not have a next time. “

Lin Rufei was frozen.

But Gu Xuandu urged once more with some impatience, “Do you understand?”

“Yes.” Lin Rufei said obediently.

He didn’t know if it was because Gu Xuandu’s tone was very dangerous, but Lin Rufei didn’t have the slightest thought of refuting.

“Very well.” Gu Xuandu nodded, only then did he straighten up and said carelessly, “After all, next time, I can’t guarantee what will happen.” In the end, he didn’t want to. His cheeks were red and his breath was rapid. He was defenseless and ready to be picked up, Gu Xuandu did not want to see this a second time, not because he was worried that he would be hurt, but worried that the person who would hurt him would be himself.

Gu Xuandu had endured once, but could not guarantee that he could endure it a second time.

Lin Rufei misunderstood Gu Xuandu’s meaning. After all, he just wanted to check out the flower house but instead, he got set up. It was indeed shameful. Plus, a senior like Gu Xuandu should be very disdainful of such behavior.

Lin Rufei sighed slightly in his heart, and after a simple wash, he went to find Meng Lanruo.

Meng Lanruo’s room did not have Xiao Yu’s figure. When he saw Lin Rufei, he smiled and asked him how he rested last night?

Lin Rufei shook his head and said he still didn’t like these places. Meng Lanruo didn’t mind and said: “Yes, it seems you are not used to it. Next time, let’s go to some elegant place. Come on, let’s go back to the residence.”

Lin Rufei said okay.

Only when he left, he also smelled the fragrance of Qilin grass in this room. Immediately, he felt that it was a bit strange so he asked Meng Lanruo if this kind of incense was especially popular in Xinzhou

“Yes.” Meng Lanruo said, “Especially popular, it is everywhere. My mother also likes it so she planted a lot at home.” He yawned, “I’m so tired ……”

Lin Rufei said, “Did you not sleep well last night?”

Meng Lanruo scratched his head, “It was okay, ah.”

Lin Rufei said, “Where is Xiao Yu?”

Meng Lanruo said, “Xiao Yu? She left a long time ago. …… What happened?”

Lin Rufei wondered, “She didn’t spend the night in your room?”

Only then did Meng Lanruo understand what Lin Rufei meant and said embarrassingly, “Oh, I didn’t touch her. She’s still pure …… after all, she’s still a girl. You have to at least marry before you can do such a thing.”

Lin Rufei laughed and said, “You’re right.” He looked at the lingering look between the two people and he thought that when conditions are right, success will naturally follow. However, he did not expect Meng Lanruo to care so much about Xiao Yu.

Only when you care about someone, would you still be concerned about two or three things during the period when love is strong. Lin Rufei sighed in his heart, but he did not notice that Gu Xuandu, who was beside him, looked at him with a complicated expression

********

The author has something to say:  

When Lin Rufei woke up, Gu Xuandu said to him, 327.

Lin Rufei: Huh?

Gu Xuandu: The number of your eyelashes. I counted it 300 times, I’m sure it’s correct. 

Lin Rufei: You sure have a lot of free time……

Gu Xuandu: If I’m not free, I’m afraid you’ll start crying the next day.