Could it be…
That I am too handsome, and she can’t help but drool over my suave face?
By the time she looked at Chu Hongcai again, Qiu Honglei’s expression had long since returned to normal. She said with a smile, “I’m afraid the Chu clan’s second young master has misunderstood. I do not have a lover. The song I shared just now was an interpretation of a folk story.”
Despite it being known that Qiu Honglei was pure and unblemished, many of her suitors still secretly harbored fears. When they heard her say that she didn’t have any lovers herself, there was a collective sigh of relief.
This was how men were. They would be able to brush it off if they couldn’t obtain something themselves. However, if someone else obtained that very thing, there was no way they could handle it.
“No wonder!” Chu Hongcai exclaimed, like someone who had suddenly seen the light.
Those around him became impatient. “Are you done yet? Everyone else is waiting!”
“Exactly! What are you playing at!”
Chen Xuan also muttered, “If you have a fart, then release it. Why are you beating around the bush?”
Chu Hongcai’s breath caught momentarily. A hint of anger flashed across his face.
Qiu Honglei didn’t seem to have heard any of this. A curious expression appeared on her face, and she asked, “Why did you say ‘no wonder’?”
A smile spread across Chu Hongcai’s face. Only then did he reply, “No wonder I caught some disharmony as I was listening to Lady Qiu’s song earlier. I was sure that it was because of Lady Qiu’s tender age. Without personally experiencing such an unforgettable love, there wasn’t a way for you to truly reproduce such a soul-wrenching feeling.
“With Lady Qiu’s brilliant skill at the zither, I was worried I might be spouting nonsense, just like those academic critics who constantly nitpick the works of others, fussing over nothing.”
Many of the suitors around him nodded inwardly. This fella was indeed quite clever, playing his cards in this manner.
In reality, everyone could understand this reasoning. Even though Qiu Honglei was a courtesan who made endless connections, she had never taken it further with another man.
Since she had no experience with true romance, she could only rely on her imagination to portray these emotions that only existed for her as literature. As such, they couldn’t be considered real emotions.
However, her performance had really been too moving, so no one had pursued such a thought. Even if some did, they felt like voicing this out would be disrespectful, so they didn’t dare to say it.
Chu Hongcai’s breathing became ragged. He had been preparing for this moment for a long time.
All of this was for the sake of leaving behind a deeper impression on his goddess.
The flattery that some of the others resorted to was certain to fail. Those who flattered while trying to point out some make-believe flaws were even more unacceptable.
Only he himself, who pointed out an issue that really existed, might truly obtain her favor.
As expected, Qiu Honglei’s expression did indeed change. After a long pause, she let out a long sigh. “I had hoped that the second young master of the Chu clan would have some penetrating insight. However, it seems like you weren’t able to understand my playing at all.”
Seeing Qiu Honglei’s disappointment, the suitors around him—who had initially been full of regret—were overjoyed, and began roasting him.
“Exactly! Why don’t you take a moment to think about who Lady Qiu is? Of course she can put in true emotions when playing!”
“Instead of being a decent person, you just had to try a dirty trick like this! You’re definitely getting what you deserve!”
“Who does this fellow think he is? How dare he criticize Lady Qiu like this?!”
…
Chu Hongcai couldn’t care less about the others hitting him while he was down. Right now, Qiu Honglei’s disdainful expression was the only thing that filled his mind.
After all, no matter how coarse and boorish the others acted, she had always maintained a pleasant countenance. He was the only one she had treated with absolute ruthlessness.
I’m finished, I’m done for…
These words echoed throughout his mind as his soul slowly left his body. He could see Chu Yucheng moving his mouth, but he couldn’t hear anything.
Zu An was surprised by this unexpected development. Even though Chu Hongcai’s words had been a little too direct, they were still reasonable. Qiu Honglei had served as a courtesan for so many years, so there was no reason why she would lose her composure just like that.
“Little catgirl, why would lady Qiu get so upset?” Zu An asked the young lady next to him curiously, subconsciously rubbing her ears.
Leng Shuangyue’s face immediately reddened. “I… really… don’t know… ah…”
Zu An was brushing her ears with more force than before, causing the cat girl’s entire body to tremble continuously. She hurriedly stammered, “Maybe… maybe it has something to do with that matter…”
As Zu An listened to her explanation, a sudden revelation came to him.
Qiu Honglei’s gaze had already moved towards the second floor. “Young master Xie arrived a while ago, and yet he still hasn’t said anything. I wish to hear the opinion of young master Xie.”
Chen Xuan was stunned. “Young master Xie? Which young master Xie?”
“How many young master Xies does Brightmoon City have? Of course she’s referring to Xie Xiu!” Someone near him sneered. What a bumpkin. He was completely led by the nose, and he still has no idea!
Chen Xuan immediately erupted in fury. He glared at Zu An. “Damn brat, you had the nerve to mess with me earlier!”