Chapter 918: With a Unique Courtesan

Zu An mused, "What a coincidence! I was just thinking about how to visit the Red Sleeves Brothel – I mean, what respectable person goes to a brothel without a reason? And now they've invited me. Yes, these are definitely friends worth having."

Chu Youzhao was momentarily stunned. "What kind of place is the Red Sleeves Brothel?" she asked.

Being naturally innocent, she had always been well-protected by her parents and sister in the Chu family, and by her maternal grandfather in the Qin family. Consequently, she had no exposure to such establishments.

Murong Qinghe leaned in and whispered something into her ear. Chu Youzhao's face instantly flushed. "No! You absolutely cannot go to a place like that!" she declared.

"Why not?" Pei You retorted, a hint of displeasure in his voice. "Nowadays, it's considered a sophisticated pastime for men to frequent brothels for entertainment. You should go more often, or you'll find yourself excluded from your social circle."

Chu Youzhao gasped, momentarily speechless. *How can I go to such a place? I'm a woman!* she thought, almost choking on her words. After a moment, she managed to say, "Absolutely not, no means no! If you want to go, go by yourselves. Just don't drag my brother-in-law into it."

"How can that be called 'corrupting'?" Pei You quickly retorted, a hint of desperation in his voice. "Even if your sister were here, she wouldn't be able to stop Lord Zu from going, would she? Otherwise, if word got out, people would say she's a jealous woman, which would damage her reputation. Furthermore, to my knowledge, Lord Zu has already divorced your sister. They have no connection anymore, so why should you stop him?"

"You..." Chu Youzhao's face burned crimson. This topic was a sensitive point for the Chu family, and she found herself unable to retort. She could only turn to Zu An. "Brother-in-law," she pleaded, "you tell them: are you going or not?"

"Well..." Zu An felt a headache coming on. He certainly intended to go, but openly contradicting her now would likely upset her. Upsetting her was minor; he was more concerned about the Chu family potentially overthinking things if word reached them, especially since Pei You had just brought up his divorce from Chu Chuyan.

As if sensing his dilemma, the more composed Gao Ying spoke up. "We are simply going to drink wine and listen to music, nothing more, Young Master Chu. There's no need to worry. Furthermore, our purpose is entirely to express our gratitude to Lord Zu for saving our lives in the secret realm. You wouldn't deny us this opportunity, would you, Young Master Chu?"

Chu Youzhao, being young and thin-skinned, felt that any further objection would seem overly unreasonable after Gao Ying's explanation. "Alright then," she declared directly, "I'll go with you all too!"

She reasoned, *You claim you're just going to listen to music, but who knows what else you might get up to? If I'm there to supervise, you won't be able to corrupt my brother-in-law!*

Gao Ying and Pei You exchanged glances. However, given that Chu Youzhao, despite his youth, was a scion of the Chu family and had a close relationship with Zu An, they decided not to refuse him.

Now it was Murong Qinghe's turn to become anxious. She grabbed Chu Youzhao's arm. "Brother Chu, you can't go!" she insisted.

The mere thought of someone as pure as Brother Chu being surrounded by those seductive, cheap women in a brothel—no, Brother Chu is so handsome, those women would definitely flock to him and try to entice him—made her feel as if her head would explode.

Chu Youzhao felt a twinge of guilt, but to project an air of masculinity, she puffed out her chest and declared, "Don't worry, it's just normal socializing. I'll simply keep an eye on them to ensure they don't corrupt my brother-in-law."

Murong Qinghe considered this for a moment. "In that case," she announced, "I'm going too."

*Brother Chu will watch my brother-in-law, and I will watch Brother Chu.*

Gao Ying and Pei You could no longer sit idly. They both waved their hands dismissively. "No, no, that's not convenient at all. Absolutely not."

Taking a young master from the Chu family was one thing, but bringing a young lady to a brothel? That would be utterly unheard of!

They were certain that by tomorrow morning, they would be the laughingstock of the capital's elite circles.

And her grandfather, Murong Tong, with his famously volatile temper, would likely storm their homes and tear them limb from limb if he ever found out.

"What's inconvenient about it?" Murong Qinghe retorted, raising an eyebrow indignantly. "When I was in the military camp, I ate and lived among men, and it was perfectly fine. I want to go with you all to see it." However, in the next breath, she leaned in and whispered to Chu Youzhao, "Brother Chu, when I was in the military camp, I had my own private tent. I certainly wasn't living with those smelly men."

Zu An almost burst out laughing. The girl's contrasting statements were simply too amusing. She didn't even need to explain; everyone knew it was inconceivable that the Murong family would have allowed her to live among common soldiers.

Seeing the exasperated expressions on Gao Ying and the others' faces, Zu An knew it was his turn to intervene. He pulled Chu Youzhao aside. "Why are you trying to join this? Go home, obediently."

"No, I'm going!" Chu Youzhao declared, tilting her head and meeting his gaze defiantly. *That smelly brother-in-law wants to get rid of me; he must be planning something mischievous.*

"Don't be ridiculous," Zu An whispered, lowering his voice. "Have you forgotten what happened last time at the Royal Music Bureau?"

Chu Youzhao's face reddened. The last time, she had been taken to the Royal Music Bureau, gotten drunk, and her cross-dressing disguise was almost revealed. Had her brother-in-law not appeared, she might have even lost her honor. The memory still sent shivers down her spine.

Sure enough, as she recalled that past experience, her tone softened considerably. "Fine, if I'm not going, I'm not going. But you're not allowed to do anything that would betray my sister. News travels so fast in the capital; I'll definitely find out if you do."

"Alright, alright," Zu An assured her, patting his chest. "I promise I'll have a clear conscience."

A faint smile appeared on Chu Youzhao's face, oblivious to the wordplay he was employing.

Seeing that Brother Chu wouldn't be going, Murong Qinghe was naturally overjoyed and no longer insisted on accompanying them.

After finally seeing the two off, Gao Ying and Pei You both let out a collective sigh of relief. "Brother Zu," Gao Ying remarked, "your young brother-in-law keeps a very close eye on you, just like a wife would."

"He's just worried about his sister, after all," Zu An quickly interjected, subtly changing the subject, lest they suspect Chu Youzhao's gender. "How are your injuries healing?"

"Our families have provided us with various potent herbs and medicines for recovery," Gao Ying replied. "Though not fully healed, our injuries no longer impede our daily lives. Had you not generously intervened, Brother Zu, setting aside our past grievances in the secret realm, we would surely have lost our lives."

Zu An smiled. "While there were some misunderstandings initially, we became comrades fighting side by side later on. You also bravely fought the enemy. If our positions had been reversed, I'm certain you would have saved me too."

Seeing that he didn't boast or take all the credit, the two found him even more agreeable. "Haha, Brother Zu, you truly are magnanimous!" Pei You exclaimed. "Today, my brother and I must properly thank you for saving our lives and let you experience the splendor of the capital."

As native sons of the capital's aristocracy, they naturally wished to extend their hospitality to Zu An, who had only recently arrived in the city.

Their relationship hadn't been particularly close before, but their shared ordeal in the secret realm had forged a bond akin to sworn brothers. Combined with their similar family backgrounds, they had naturally become fast friends.

Zu An feigned confusion. "Why not the Royal Music Bureau?" he asked. "I'd imagine it feels a bit more reputable there, wouldn't it?"

After all, many of the women there were daughters of disgraced officials, which, in the eyes of most, lent the establishment a more refined air.

Gao Ying explained, "Last time, the Left Guard General had an incident at the Royal Music Bureau, and it involved the Demonic Cult. Now everyone considers the place inauspicious, so who would dare to go there?"

Zu An's expression became peculiar. He hadn't realized he was still indirectly responsible.

At this point, Pei You added, "Brother Zu, you needn't worry about the establishment's standing. The Red Sleeves Brothel is just as renowned as the Royal Music Bureau. Furthermore, a new courtesan has recently arrived there; everyone who has seen her claims she is peerless in grace and possesses an extraordinary demeanor. We've heard she'll choose a 'destined' patron to be her first intimate guest tonight, which is precisely why we made sure to invite you along to see for yourself."

Zu An couldn't help but remark, "It's all just marketing. They're clearly brothel women, yet they constantly put on a detached, refined facade to inflate their prices."

Gao Ying and Pei You chuckled. "Brother Zu, you're absolutely spot on," Gao Ying agreed.

"No," Zu An corrected playfully, "I only hit until blood appears with one swing."

Gao Ying and Pei You exchanged puzzled looks.

"By the way, what's the specific scoop on this courtesan?" Zu An asked, thinking it best to gather more information beforehand. While Xiao Jianren might know a few things, his intelligence was official; it would certainly differ from what these frequent patrons knew.

Gao Ying and Pei You exchanged glances, secretly amused. This man had just been so dismissive, yet now he was clearly intrigued.

"That courtesan's name is Nan Xun. She's proficient in the zither, chess, calligraphy, and painting, and her dancing skills are absolutely exquisite. The benefits of a woman who can dance, well, hehe, everyone understands..." Pei You's usual gloomy and reticent demeanor vanished as he became surprisingly voluble on the topic.

Gao Ying added with a chuckle, "If that were all, it would be unremarkable, as most courtesans possess such skills; she merely has them all. The crucial point is her inexplicably noble aura. Her eyes often reveal a sort of... how can I describe it? An indifferent gaze, as if she's looking at trash or ants. That's precisely what drives the young masters of the capital to unbearable distraction."

Zu An couldn't help but laugh. "You guys are truly gluttons for punishment," he remarked. "You overlook so many gentle women who smile at you, yet you're drawn to this particular type."

The two men also laughed. "Perhaps that's simply human nature," Gao Ying mused. "The more unattainable something is, the more it tantalizes and compels."

"That look is probably just an act, isn't it?" Zu An scoffed. "She's just a courtesan; how truly noble can she be?"

"That's precisely what's so unusual, and I don't care if you laugh," Gao Ying explained. "Which of us noble young masters, who have long frequented brothels, isn't an experienced playboy? What kind of tricks haven't we seen from women? Yet, Nan Xun's gaze and demeanor don't seem feigned at all. That's precisely why so many people are clamoring for her attention."

*No wonder someone like Yu Nan frequently visits the Red Sleeves Brothel,* Zu An mused. *This courtesan truly possesses a unique allure.* His curiosity about her only intensified.