Chapter 92 Courtesan

Chapter 92: The Top Courtesan

Cheng Ge found a secluded corner, his gaze fixed firmly on Liu Yuanqian's room, waiting for the right moment to strike.

Suddenly, the sound of a gong spread through the entire Cuiyun Tower, followed by a burst of noise all around.

As if by agreement, all the doors opened at once.

Figures rushed out from the rooms, some even without properly dressing, quickly forming a large circle along the corridor.

Cheng Ge, curious, quietly moved closer to get a look.

He half-covered his face with his fan as he squeezed to the front of the crowd.

Just as he got close, a bang went off overhead, and red petals rained down, spreading outward rapidly.

Everyone looked up following the sound, and there was a woman in a pomegranate-red gauze skirt, her figure graceful.

Holding a pipa inlaid with mother-of-pearl and purple sandalwood, she slowly descended from the third floor, like a heavenly maiden descending to earth.

She wore a half-mask covering her eyes and brows, but it couldn't hide her charm.

Her fingertips lightly brushed over the strings, the sound of the pipa crisp like pearls falling on a jade plate.

Her delicate skin was fairer than snow, her lips a bright red like rouge, she seemed to exude affection even before speaking, every move brimming with allure.

A wave of exclamations erupted from the crowd, and even Cheng Ge was momentarily stunned.

"There is a beauty in the north, peerless and independent. One glance can topple a city, a second can topple a state..." a melodious chant began.

Just then, someone nearby commented: "This is the Top Courtesan of Cuiyun Tower, Lady Rumeng. Truly, seeing once is better than hearing a hundred times. Wonderful! Wonderful!"

Cheng Ge leaned on the railing, propping his chin on his hand, thinking to himself that the girl sang quite well.

But Cheng Ge didn't forget his mission. He scanned the crowd and finally spotted Liu Yuanqian not far away, his clothes disheveled.

Previously, he had asked for a portrait of Liu Yuanqian and figured the portrait artist was an abstract painter.

Today, seeing Liu Yuanqian in person, he realized he had done the artist an injustice—this was pure realism!!

Cheng Ge: 'Damn, that's kind of ugly...'

At that moment, a giant lotus-shaped stage had appeared in the center of the hall without anyone noticing.

Rumeng landed lightly on her tiptoes and began to dance, her thin gauze dress fluttering.

Her body moved like a dragon gliding through water, her steps light, her long sleeves swirling, petals constantly falling around her, enchanting everyone around.

Cheng Ge had to admit that the owner of Cuiyun Tower knew how to create an atmosphere—the vibe was absolutely perfect.

The dance ended, and the candlelight around dimmed instantly. The Top Courtesan on the stage was quietly led away.

A chorus of sighs filled the air.

"If only I could see Lady Rumeng's face, I'd have no regrets in this life!"

"Such a superb dance, who knows what kind of beauty lies beneath that mask?"

"Forget it. I've heard that to have a night with Lady Rumeng, you gotta be rich and powerful and drop a fortune!"

Cheng Ge's mouth twitched at this, thinking to himself that people back then were pretty good at spreading rumors too.

As he mused, he turned to look at Liu Yuanqian and saw that the man's gaze was still fixed on the stage area.

The crowd gradually dispersed, and soon he saw a woman in her forties, caked in makeup, approaching.

She seemed to be the madam of Cuiyun Tower. From a distance, Cheng Ge watched them chat and laugh.

Finally, he noticed a servant behind Liu Yuanqian pull out a thick stack of banknotes and discreetly slid them up the madam's sleeve.

The madam's face crinkled into a grin. She patted Liu Yuanqian's shoulder with a handkerchief, whispered a few words, then swished her wide hips and waddled away.

The madam was walking on air after pocketing that cash.

But as she turned and walked away not far, she was stopped by Zhou Yinyun.

"Uh... Madam Fang..."

As the madam of the establishment, she naturally knew all the guests who entered.

She fluttered her handkerchief and immediately put on a welcoming smile. "Oh! It's the young lord!"

Zhou Yinyun was overwhelmed by the heavy smell of face powder and stepped back, sneezing a few times.

The madam was a bit embarrassed but kept her forced professional smile.

Zhou Yinyun covered his nose with his sleeve, hesitated, and then started to speak.

"I wanna ask... is there a specific girl here?"

The madam looked at him, waiting for more.

But nothing came.

She thought he was joking and laughed outright.

"My lord, this building is full of young ladies! What kind do you like? Let me fetch a few for you!"

Zhou Yinyun's ears turned red as blood. "No! I mean, is there a specific lady here? She…"

He didn't know how to describe her and got a bit annoyed. "Anyway, she's really beautiful."

"My lord, look around my Cuiyun Tower—every girl here is drop-dead gorgeous. How am I supposed to know which one you mean?"

Zhou Yinyun glanced around, pursed his lips, and muttered, "I wouldn't say that."

Madam Fang: "..."

An awkward silence fell. Zhou Yinyun furrowed his brows. "She's beautiful in a different way, you know? You get it?"

The madam's mouth twitched. She looked at Zhou Yinyun and shook her head, looking clueless.

"Tsk! How do you not understand? You've read 'The Luo River Goddess' Ode,' right? She's pretty much like the description in it!" Zhou Yinyun explained patiently.

Madam Fang: "..."

Seeing her silent, Zhou Yinyun's patience, already stretched thin, snapped.

He pressed, "Say something! Have you seen her or not?"

The madam was quite honest, "No."

Zhou Yinyun immediately became anxious, waving his hands frantically.

"How is that possible! I clearly saw her! She was wearing a red dress, with a flower on her head, and she's a bit shorter than me.

She cries easily, tears streaming down like they were free, sniffling and sobbing pitifully, you couldn't help but feel for her.

Oh, and she was wearing a veil, which I pulled off..." As he spoke, he pulled out a light cloud-colored veil from his sleeve.

Mama Fang looked at the veil, was speechless for a moment.

But still, she reached out and took it, carefully rubbing it between her fingers a few times.

After a long while, she slowly spoke, "Your Highness, this young lady you mentioned is probably not from our establishment."

"Why?" Zhou Yinyun frowned slightly.

Seeing this, the madam quickly returned the veil and got straight to the point.

"We have a buyer who gets all the fabric for our girls' clothes, and we always buy the best.

After all, clothes are the face of the girls, so naturally we can't be careless."

"And then..." Zhou Yinyun clearly still didn't get what the madam was saying.

"That veil you're holding, Your Highness? It's worth maybe three coppers, tops."

Zhou Yinyun: "..."

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