Chapter 247: Playing It Wrong

Faced with Qiu Honglei's encouraging gaze, the men in the hall exchanged glances. Qiu Honglei's zither skills were clearly at their peak; what could these laymen possibly understand? Even if a few understood playing the zither, how could they compare to a professional like her? Rushing out to rashly point out her mistakes at this moment would only be an embarrassment. So everyone looked at each other, none daring to make a move. After all, there was only one chance; failing to satisfy Qiu Honglei would mean losing the opportunity to progress further. It was better to wait and see what others said, to gain some experience.

Noticing their timidness, Chen Xuan scoffed. These pampered young masters from the city were all so indecisive, not behaving like real men. Women are such that the more you care for and dote on them, the further they drift away. He then swaggered out, patting his chest. "Miss Qiu, I don't really understand music, so I won't make a fool of myself. However, I can hear the story of a heartless man in your music. I can't guarantee anything else, but if anyone ever dares to bully you in the future, I'll bring people to chop him down and turn his skull into a chamber pot." He was naturally rugged, and speaking like this gave him a natural masculine aura. Compared to the effeminate young masters around him, he truly stood out.

"Then this little woman truly thanks this brave warrior," Qiu Honglei said, her enchanting eyes fixed on him, her red lips slightly parted, her gaze seemingly moist. Seeing that he had indeed gained Qiu Honglei's favor, the young masters around them were filled with regret. They thought, "If only I had known, I should have been the first to step forward." Women always remember the first man who steps forward more clearly.

Having just lost face to Chen Xuan, Wang Yuanlong was eager to reclaim it. He quickly followed up, "Miss Qiu, I may not have other talents, but my family's merchant caravans span the world, so I have some understanding of situations in various places. If you need, I can have my subordinates investigate for you. I imagine it won't take long to find that person's whereabouts." He paused, glancing at Chen Xuan opposite him, and continued, "No matter how powerful an individual is, their energy is limited. How can they compare to the strength of a family?" He knew his advantage lay elsewhere. Though his martial prowess was far inferior to Chen Xuan's, he was the sole heir of the Wang family. In terms of financial power, Chen Xuan wasn't even fit to carry his shoes.

Chen Xuan naturally knew what he was implying and sneered, "Just a waste who relies on his family, even his answer is just a recycled idea." He implied that the other party's response was merely imitating his own.

"What did you say?!" Wang Yuanlong roared in anger.

"What, you want to fight me? Come on then!" Chen Xuan also stood up, grinning menacingly at him.

Wang Yuanlong's face instantly showed a hint of awkwardness. Three of them couldn't even beat one last time, and he himself was kicked half to death. How could he dare to confront Chen Xuan? Yet, with a beauty present, he was unwilling to back down so easily, and for a moment, he froze.

Fortunately, Qiu Honglei stepped in to resolve the situation. "Please, gentlemen, don't quarrel. If my presence causes discord between you, I would feel eternally indebted and unable to atone." As she spoke, she appeared guilty and on the verge of tears, which broke the hearts of those around her. They all glared angrily at the two men. How could they make Miss Qiu so sad? Not to mention Wang Yuanlong, even Chen Xuan, who was accustomed to a life of violence, felt a little flustered. He quickly apologized to her, promising he would not cause any more trouble there.

Only then did Qiu Honglei's face light up with a smile. The moment she smiled, it was like ice and snow melting for the first time, or like flowers blooming across mountains and fields. The hearts of many men in the hall felt struck by a heavy hammer, knowing they would probably never forget her smile. Upstairs, Pei Mianman couldn't help but secretly sigh, "She truly is a great beauty capable of causing ruin. Even as a woman, I find her charm difficult to resist."

After a brief silence, the hall quickly became lively again, as if the encouragement of that recent smile had fueled their enthusiasm even more. With Chen Xuan and Wang Yuanlong having set the precedent, others also began to speak up, commenting on Qiu Honglei's recent melody. Everyone pulled out all the stops to gain her favor. Some showed off their literary talents, praising her music and her person to the heavens, occasionally adding one or two so-called "flaws," which made Zu An click his tongue in amazement at how many beautiful adjectives existed in the world. Others flaunted their family backgrounds, revealing to Zu An that Brightmoon City had so many children of officials and wealthy families, and further clarifying some of the world's organizational structures. Some showcased their strength and potential, including even fifth-rank academy students. However, with Chen Xuan's prior display, these individuals seemed somewhat overshadowed when compared to a sixth-rank expert.

Zu An, munching on melon seeds and watching the show from the side, suddenly remembered that he was still an academy teacher. "Hmm, I remember this student," he thought. "He didn't even come over to greet me. I'll fail him in arithmetic next time." Qiu Honglei responded with sweet smiles and gentle words, making everyone feel as if they were bathed in a spring breeze. Zu An greatly admired her; this woman's social skills were practically maxed out.

However, why had Chu Hongcai, that fervent fan, remained silent? Just as he wondered, he saw Chu Yucheng pushing through the crowd with Chu Hongcai, getting closer to their goddess, even faintly catching her sweet scent. Chu Hongcai was almost overwhelmed with happiness. Fortunately, he remembered his purpose and quickly asked, "May I ask who the lover in Miss Qiu's song was? Who is so fortunate to receive Miss Qiu's favor?"

Noticing that he was a young master from the Chu family's second branch, Qiu Honglei subconsciously glanced beside him but didn't see the person she was looking for. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Zu An chatting and laughing with Leng Shuangyue, seemingly oblivious to what was happening on her side. She felt a little puzzled. "Was my performance not captivating enough, or is his taste too high?"

Rage value from Qiu Honglei: 128!

The rage value received in the background startled Zu An. If the previous instance was an accident, then two consecutive times couldn't be a coincidence. Why did this woman look at him differently? Could it be... that he was too handsome, and she coveted his dashing looks? When he looked back, Qiu Honglei's gaze had already returned to normal. She pursed her lips and smiled faintly, "Second Young Master Chu, you've misunderstood. I don't have a lover. That piece of music was simply inspired by a story from a novel."

Although everyone had already suspected this, they were still somewhat worried. Hearing her confirm that she had no lover, they all breathed a sigh of relief. Men are like that: it's not so painful if they can't get something themselves, but if someone else gets what they couldn't, that's unbearable.

"No wonder," Chu Hongcai said, with a look of sudden understanding.

Others on the side grew impatient. "Are you done yet? Everyone else is waiting!"

"Yeah, what are you showing off?"

Chen Xuan also yelled, "Spit it out if you have something to say! Stop with all this roundabout nonsense."

Chu Hongcai gasped, a flicker of anger crossing his face. Qiu Honglei seemed not to hear them and asked with a curious expression, "No wonder what?"

Chu Hongcai's face broke into a smile before he replied, "No wonder, when I listened to Miss Qiu's music just now, it felt somewhat discordant. I imagine it's because Miss Qiu is still young and hasn't personally experienced a deeply ingrained love, so she can't truly play that heart-wrenching feeling. If not for Miss Qiu's exceptional zither skills, it might have devolved into the melodramatic moans of scholars, feigning sorrow to compose new verses." Many around him secretly nodded; this fellow was indeed clever, approaching it from such an angle.

In truth, this was something everyone understood: although Qiu Honglei was a courtesan and had acquaintances everywhere, no one had ever heard of her having a deeper relationship with any man. Since she had never been in love, these poignant romantic feelings could only be based on imagination, not genuine emotion. However, the previous piece was played so movingly that no one thought in this direction. Even if some occasionally did, they felt it would be too disrespectful to her and didn't dare to actually say it aloud.

Chu Hongcai's breathing quickened; he had been preparing for this moment for a long time. It was all to leave a deep impression on the goddess of his heart. Simply flattering her like the others would certainly not work, and those who flattered while blandly pointing out non-issues were even worse. Only by genuinely pointing out the existing issues, by taking an unconventional approach, could he truly hope to be seen differently by her.

Indeed, Qiu Honglei's expression changed. After a long silence, she suddenly sighed, "I thought Second Young Master Chu had some genuine insight, but it seems now that you fundamentally didn't understand my music." Seeing her angry, those who had been filled with regret now gloated and scoffed: "Exactly! Miss Qiu is such a talent; she naturally infuses emotion into her playing." "Not being down-to-earth and trying to take shortcuts often leads to incredibly painful consequences." "Who does this guy think he is, daring to evaluate Master Qiu like that?"

Chu Hongcai paid no attention to the schadenfreude of those around him. At that moment, his mind was filled only with Qiu Honglei's expression of disdain. He knew that even when facing the rudest individuals earlier, she had maintained a pleasant demeanor, but with him, she showed no mercy. "It's over, it's over..." His head buzzed, and he felt utterly dejected. He could see Chu Yucheng's mouth moving as if speaking to him, but he couldn't hear a single word.

On the other side, Zu An was somewhat surprised. Although Chu Hongcai's words were a little direct, the point he made was valid. As a courtesan for so many years, Qiu Honglei shouldn't have lost her composure like that. "Little cat-girl, why is Miss Qiu so angry?" Zu An asked curiously, playfully pinching the ear of the girl beside him. Leng Shuangyue's face flushed slightly. "I... I really don't know... ah..." Feeling the increased pressure of his rubbing, the girl trembled uncontrollably before quickly saying, "Maybe... maybe it has something to do with that incident..." As Zu An listened to her explanation, he had a sudden realization.

At this moment, Qiu Honglei's gaze shifted to the second floor. "Young Master Xie has been here for a while and hasn't spoken. Honglei would like to hear Young Master Xie's insights." Chen Xuan, standing nearby, was startled. "Young Master Xie? Which Young Master Xie?" "How many Young Master Xies are there in Brightmoon City? Of course, it's Xie Xiu!" someone nearby said with a mocking smile, implying Chen Xuan was a bumpkin who had just been played for a fool without realizing it. Chen Xuan couldn't help but erupt in fury. He suddenly turned and glared at Zu An, "You little brat, how dare you make a fool of me!"