Chapter 922, Part 1: Avoid the Moon
Those present were shocked when they heard Zu An’s words. All of their attention was drawn to him.
From his private room above, Yu Nan frowned and exclaimed coldly, “Vulgar!”
“How humiliating!” The Qin clan’s brothers were stunned. Even though they had already decided that Zu An had nothing to do with the Qin clan anymore, such foolish behavior made them feel incredibly embarrassed as well.
Bi Ziang remained seated with an ambiguous smile on his face, remarking, “He is surprisingly bold. Interesting…”
Meanwhile, in the special room occupied by a woman and her maid, the maid said, “That person really is shameless.”
On the contrary, the beautiful woman laughed. “He’s merely speaking what everyone else is thinking, but isn’t willing to say out loud. He’s surprisingly honest. People with courage and insight like him are destined to become great.”
The maid muttered, “He’s not as special as you’re making him out to be. Look, everyone below is cursing him.”
Sure enough, when the others heard someone with Yu Nan’s status speak up, they didn’t feel any more misgivings. They all cursed him.
“How can there be someone this perverted?!”
“We’ve offended the beauty! We sincerely apologize!”
“Lady Nan Xun, please don’t let such a vulgar person’s foolery affect you!”
…
Zu An rolled his eyes. These people really knew how to be fake. They had come all the way to a brothel to visit prostitutes, yet they actually had the nerve to curse another person for being a pervert? All of them were filled with such indignation, but it was only because they wanted to look better in front of the courtesan queen. Alas, simps had never met good ends throughout all of history.
But Zu An immediately felt rejuvenated when he saw the flood of Rage points that rushed in. He didn’t even care that they were cursing him.
Gao Ying and Pei You were also embarrassed. But they had already fought together in such a desperate situation, so they could still tolerate such a level of embarrassment. They stood by Zu An’s side and stared right back at everyone else.
The woman above them had been paying attention to Zu An the entire time. When she saw how nonchalant he was amid the commotion, as if he had turned a deaf ear to all of the incoming curses, she couldn't help but smile. “That person is quite thick-skinned.” After thinking to herself for a moment, she quietly asked, “Nan Xun, why don’t you show them something?”
…
A sweet-sounding voice came from the second floor. “Many fellow young masters have rushed here from all sorts of different paths. Nan Xun is truly grateful toward everyone, so I am willing to perform a dance to express my intentions.” She didn’t respond to Zu An’s words; otherwise, it would seem as if Zu An had forced her to dance. That would tarnish her reputation.
However, all of the guests present were incredibly arrogant young masters. Even though they still appeared to be patient, most of them were hiding a bit of dissatisfaction. But when they heard what Nan Xun said, the rooms immediately erupted into cheers. Some of the more enthusiastic ones even blew whistles.
Zu An was full of disdain toward those present. Don’t forget the one who dug the well when you’re drinking water! These idiots were cursing me so enthusiastically, but aren’t they enjoying themselves all the same?
Pei You said excitedly, “Back then when Lady Nan Xun danced for the first time, her skill already shocked the entire audience. Unfortunately, she doesn’t dance very often, and I haven’t even seen her dance in all the times I've been here. I’m really sharing brother Zu’s fortune today!”
Zu An chuckled and said, “Today is such a special event, so this dance is something she has to do. It doesn’t have anything to do with me.”
“Brother Zu is too humble,” Pei You replied. But he soon lost any interest in talking, because the curtains above slowly parted, revealing an exquisite figure behind them.
Nan Xun was dressed in a pink dress. It was somewhat more frivolous than the clothes of a wealthy family’s daughter. Her mature curves were faintly discernible; but even if one thought one could see something, one could stare until one’s eyes turned sore, yet one still wouldn’t see anything.
What was even more eye-catching was her veil made of glistening tassels, covering half of her face. Only her elegant nose and beautiful eyes could be seen through it, making her look mysterious and charming.
Her gaze wasn’t as charming and affectionate as that of a normal courtesan, and instead bore an indifference and apathy toward all things in the world. Together with the gorgeous decorations in her hair, she looked less like a courtesan from a brothel than a noble empress.
Those present became more and more worked up. They shouted the corniest of praises.
“Huh?” Unlike the others who were going crazy, Zu An felt rather strange. For some reason, he felt that the courtesan was a bit familiar. With his current cultivation and mental prowess, how could he forget about someone he had met before?
He carefully examined the person, trying to make out her appearance through the tassels. Unfortunately, the tassels were specially designed. Under the candle flame’s illumination, they flickered with dazzling brilliance. It was virtually impossible to make out her true appearance.
The maid in the special room said in disdain, “That man has finally shown his true colors! He’s staring so hard at Lady Nan Xun that he’s not even willing to blink! What he did earlier was just a cheap trick to try and get Lady Nan Xun’s attention. He’s the same as all of those other stinky men.”
The beauty next to her said with a smile, “Look at you. You’re still so young, and yet you’re acting as if you already know everything.” Despite having said those words, she was also a bit disappointed when she saw Zu An’s behavior. She decided to shift her gaze away from him.
Zu An asked Pei You, “What does this Nan Xun really look like?”
Pei You shook his head. “I don’t know.”
“Aren’t you a huge fan of hers? How can you not even know what she looks like after following her all this time?” It was Zu An’s turn to be shocked.
“You can tell she’s beautiful even if you can only see half of her face, right? It only makes her seem even more mysterious. I heard you could only see her full appearance if you were invited as a guest. I wonder if I’ll ever have that chance…” Pei You’s expression was full of longing.
Zu An was speechless for a long time. You’re really taking simping to a whole new level…
Cheers erupted around them just then. When Zu An looked up, he saw that Nan Xun had already begun to dance. He had been prepared for disappointment at first, because he had once been able to flip through TikToks to choose girls as if he were choosing concubines. What hadn’t he seen before?
But he knew that he was wrong the moment he first saw her dance. Even though the cute girls on TikTok had performed dances, it was still just some simple swaying of their waists and bottoms; it wasn’t true dancing. Only now did he realize that dancing could actually be this beautiful.
It had nothing to do with her appearance; it was a charm that originated from her posture and movement. It carried not only the style of a classical beauty, but also the special passion of the pleasure quarters.
Between the tension between her movements and the visual shock, everything left Zu An utterly amazed. He sighed. No wonder those capital’s young masters had been so infatuated. It turned out this woman really did have some skill.
The mood of the place was starting to reach a climax. Even the quiet Gao Ying couldn't help but clap and cheer.
As it happened, Nan Xun had reached a part where was going to perform some highly difficult movements. She fully displayed her body’s shocking flexibility. But the key part was that her expression remained aloof and proud the entire time. It was indeed not feigned, but rather her true nature.
The enchanting and lovely dance made the young masters present feel a strong urge to conquer her. Judging from the reddened faces and quickened breathing of the men around him, Zu An could tell that their minds were already creating all sorts of fantasies.
Nan Xun bowed after completing her dance. The entire hall was dead silent save for the sound of heavy breathing, and the young masters’ eyes had reddened. Only after some time passed did someone clap and cheer. Then, those present screamed at the top of their lungs.
Nan Xun showed them a smile, and the clamor eventually quieted down. She said, “Nan Xun cannot thank everyone enough for coming today. I will drink this glass in a toast to everyone.” A maid walked over, bringing her a cup of wine.
“Lady Nan Xun is too polite!” the young masters responded as they also drained their cups. Their eyes were wide as they watched, because they wanted to see her true appearance under her mask. Unfortunately, she covered her mouth as she drank. It was elegant, but protected her mysteriousness. They could only sigh in regret.
The atmosphere became lively again. It was now time for the drinking game. The young masters all became alert. They knew that the key moment had come.
Even though it hadn’t been stated explicitly, they knew. This wasn’t something the courtesan could say openly, because everyone present had special status in the capital. How could a courtesan be the one to pick between all of them?
But there was only one courtesan, and she couldn't serve many men. Only one person was going to be able to meet with her in private. There were so many of them present, however. How was she going to pick one?
Although it was a world where the strong reigned, in a place like this, knowledge of the arts still prevailed. After all, visiting brothels was something done by refined and elegant people. Fighting in one was definitely unacceptable.
That was why a drinking game was the best solution. As for what game would be played, there were many options: The finger guessing game, ‘fill in the phrase’, poetic verses, songs, and all sorts of other things.
Yu Nan spoke up from his room. “Since Lady Nan Xun’s beauty hides the moon and shames the flowers, how about 'Avoid the Moon'?” His companions all voiced their agreement. The people he was on good terms with also took the chance to chime in.
Even those who didn’t get along with Yu Nan had to admit that he was truly good at flattery. Not even the words of praise the others had screamed out added together could compare to what he had just said.
The others felt great regret, thinking, Why didn’t we think of that? They had ended up letting that Yu bastard seize the initiative. Lady Nan Xun smiled toward him when she heard his words, so she was definitely happy to hear them
Yu Nan, with his exceptional appearance and talent, together with the excellent move he had just made, immediately made himself the others’ greatest enemy that night.
Zu An nudged Pei You with his elbow, asking, “What’s 'Avoid the Moon'?”