Chapter 157 : A Wonderful Man
Chapter 157: A Wonderful Man
Chen Ming cupped his fists and greeted politely, “Greetings, Fifth Young Master.”
Pan Dingqian waved his hand. “We’re all family here, no need to be so formal. Come, I’ve reserved a place at Tianxiang Tower tonight. I’ll take you there to celebrate.”
As he spoke, he pulled Chen Ming along and turned back to Zhao Xiyan, saying, “Junior Sister, don’t worry. We’re just going for drinks. I’ll keep an eye on him tonight and definitely won’t let him spend the night at Tianxiang Tower.”
“They’re your friends, right? Bring them along. I’ll introduce a few of my friends to you as well.”
He was referring to Feng Siyuan and the other two.
Feng Siyuan and his two companions were somewhat overwhelmed by the honor and quickly responded, “Greetings, Fifth Young Master.”
“Xuan, you’d better not come. If your father finds out, he’ll break your legs. Go escort your Martial Uncle back…”
Just like that, Chen Ming was pulled into a carriage by Pan Dingqian in a flurry, along with Feng Siyuan, Zhou Weihao, and Gu Yuantao.
This son of the Chief Inspector of the Six Doors Authority really was the sociable type.
After getting into the carriage, he laughed heartily. “Thanks to you, I made a huge profit this time. I can finally go to Tianxiang Tower and meet Miss Peony.”
Naturally, Chen Ming couldn’t remain silent. “I’ve long heard that Miss Peony’s beauty is unmatched. I’ve always wanted to see for myself. Thanks to Fifth Young Master, I finally have the chance to witness her charm.”
“No need to be so distant. Just call me Fifth Brother like Xiyan does.”
Inside the carriage, it was mainly the two of them chatting.
Feng Siyuan and Zhou Weihao had also frequented entertainment venues before, but now they sat upright, not daring to speak casually.
Even among sons of aristocratic families, there were hierarchies.
Pan Dingqian’s father was not only a First Grade Expert but also a First Grade Inspector of the Six Doors Authority, governing an entire province—a high-ranking official.
It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that in Jiangzhou, Pan Dingqian was the number one young master of officialdom.
In front of him, Feng Siyuan and Zhou Weihao were mere small fry.
They had grown up in such environments and were keenly aware of things like status and rank. Given their family background, they weren’t qualified to associate with this young lord.
The only reason Pan Dingqian had invited them onto the carriage was entirely because of Chen Ming.
This point, they understood clearly.
...
By the time the carriage arrived at Tianxiang Tower, the sky had already darkened.
Pan Dingqian walked in boldly as if he were returning home.
“Fifth Young Master is here.”
“You haven’t been around lately. Miss Xue Ning even fell ill…”
“Fifth Young Master…”
A group of male attendants and girls quickly gathered around him.
It was evident that he was indeed a regular at Tianxiang Tower.
Soon, a charming and graceful mature woman arrived upon hearing the commotion. Her voice came before she did. “Fifth Young Master, you really are heartless. You stopped coming just like that. Poor Xue Ning has been pining for you, unable to eat or drink, and fell ill…”
Pan Dingqian said, “Aunt He, you came at the right time. How much did I owe before? I’ll settle it all today.”
As he spoke, he pulled out a stack of silver notes from his chest.
The woman said helplessly, “Fifth Young Master, don’t I know what kind of person you are? It’s just money…”
Pan Dingqian shook his head. “Business is business. If you don’t clear the account, I won’t come again.”
“Alright, alright, you win, my ancestor.”
Only then did the woman call over an accountant.
In the end, nearly half of the silver notes in Pan Dingqian’s hand were gone. Heaven only knew how much debt he had racked up at Tianxiang Tower.
No wonder people called brothels money pits—spending there truly burned through silver.
From the discussions of nearby patrons, Chen Ming learned that Pan Dingqian used to be a regular at Tianxiang Tower and had a favored girl named Xue Ning.
But three months ago, Pan Dingqian ran into a rival at the tower who mocked him, saying that even the son of a dignified Inspector sought pleasure without paying.
Since then, Pan Dingqian had never stepped into Tianxiang Tower again.
Until today, after making a big profit, the first thing he did was come back and settle his old debts.
Chen Ming truly felt this Fifth Young Master was a wonderful man.
Pan Dingqian publicly repaid all his debts today and felt quite triumphant. He turned to Aunt He and said, “Today, my friend here made it onto the Azure Cloud Ranking. We’re here to celebrate him. He’s always admired Miss Peony. Will she be available tonight?”
“Since Fifth Young Master has spoken, even if she’s not free, we’ll make sure she is. Someone, take Fifth Young Master and the others to the National Beauty Courtyard.”
...
Tianxiang Tower was very large, and the most popular girls each had their own separate courtyards. The National Beauty Courtyard was one of the largest, with pavilions, towers, artificial hills, and flowing water—very elegant.
Chen Ming could tell that Pan Dingqian wanted to see Miss Peony himself. But since he already had a favored girl at Tianxiang Tower, he came under the pretense of celebrating for him.
Not long after they sat down, the friends Pan Dingqian had mentioned also arrived. There were two men and one woman.
One was named Xiang Fukang, who looked every bit the wealthy young master.
Another was named Shi Sikai, simply dressed, with thick hands and feet, and a stern expression. After sitting down, he focused solely on eating.
The last was a woman named Qin Xiaomei, dressed in men’s clothes, looking quite handsome.
Pan Dingqian introduced the three as his sworn siblings.
Xiang Fukang was quite talkative and soon livened up the mood at the table. After he arrived, even Feng Siyuan and Zhou Weihao, who had been sitting quietly, joined in the conversation.
As for Qin Xiaomei, she wasn’t much of a talker. After sitting down, she simply drank, cup after cup, as if she came solely to drink. She stood in stark contrast to Shi Sikai, who only ate and didn’t touch a drop of alcohol.
She didn’t show much interest in others, only occasionally casting a curious glance at Chen Ming.
After waiting for half an hour, Miss Peony still had not appeared.
Pan Dingqian didn’t rush her, as if this was perfectly normal.
Feng Siyuan and Zhou Weihao didn’t show any impatience either, instead wearing expressions of anticipation.
It seemed that for top courtesans, putting on airs was just part of the deal.
Chen Ming was just thinking this when he suddenly heard a tender call from outside, “Pan Lang—”
A stunningly beautiful woman lifted her skirt and rushed in. Upon seeing Pan Dingqian, she suddenly froze, seemingly entranced, as tears streamed down her face.
He guessed this must be Miss Xue Ning. Sure enough, she was very pretty—on par with Xiao Zhuyun in terms of looks.
And there wasn’t the slightest trace of vulgarity about her. One wouldn’t guess she was a courtesan at all.
At that moment, Pan Dingqian stood up, and Miss Xue Ning finally moved, throwing herself into his arms like a swallow returning to the forest, crying softly.
Pan Dingqian lifted her chin, eyes full of affection. “Xue’er, you’ve grown thinner.”
That line only made her cry harder.
Clearly a seasoned scoundrel.
...
After a while, Pan Dingqian calmed her down. Once they sat back down, he began introducing Chen Ming and the others.
Miss Xue Ning sat beside him and became much more composed, greeting Chen Ming and the rest with courtesy.
As expected of Tianxiang Tower’s top courtesan, she was a master at setting the mood, making the banquet all the more enjoyable.
Another quarter of an hour passed.
Chen Ming was starting to lose patience. Back in his previous life, he had never waited this long even for an ex-girlfriend. It had been nearly two hours.
Just then, a domineering voice rang out from outside. “Who the hell are you to block my way?”
With a bang, several men forced their way in.
The leader was dressed in black, carried an air of arrogance, and said with a sneer, “Yo, isn’t this the Fifth of the Pan Family? Back again to drink, dine, and whore for free?”
Pan Dingqian slammed down his cup with a bang and said coldly, “Qin San’er, don’t you know the rules? I’ve already reserved the National Beauty Courtyard for tonight. If you’ve got sense, get out.”
Qin San’er?
Chen Ming already guessed who this black-clad nobleman was—Third Young Master of the Qin Family, Qin Changyuan. One of the Five Talents of Jiangzhou, ranked third on the Azure Cloud Ranking.
Among the three major aristocratic families of Jiangzhou, the Qin Family was the head. Only a direct descendant of the Qin Family would dare go against the son of the Inspector.
Previously, Qin Jinlin, who had gone to Qingfeng City to attend Zhao Shouchang’s Martial Gathering, was merely a collateral relative.
Qin Changyuan laughed like he’d heard a joke. “Hahaha... Pan Lao Wu, do you think Miss Peony is like your Xue Ning? You think just saying you’ve reserved her means she’s yours? There are no such rules in the National Beauty Courtyard. Miss Peony is like a celestial being—she decides who she wants to see. That’s her rule.”
Then he added, as if remembering something, “Oh, right. You haven’t been to Tianxiang Tower for a few months now. I suppose you didn’t know the rules anymore.”
With that, Qin Changyuan and his men took seats at another table.
Pan Dingqian glanced at Xiang Fukang beside him upon hearing the words. Seeing him nod, his expression turned a bit unpleasant. He was someone who cared deeply about saving face. After being stirred up by Qin Changyuan like that, he felt he had lost face in front of Chen Ming and the others.
Especially when he heard Qin Changyuan and his few attendants laughing wildly, his anger surged, and he couldn’t help but start to flare up.
"Fifth Young Master, please calm your anger..."
At that moment, Aunt He arrived just in time, appeasing Pan Dingqian. "My daughter is new here and can’t afford to offend anyone. I hope Fifth Young Master won’t make things difficult for her."
Pan Dingqian still gave her a bit of face and suppressed his temper, refraining from losing it.
Suddenly, a melodious sound of a xiao flute floated from inside.
Everyone turned to look and saw that the door to the room had opened at some unknown time. Behind the white veil, a graceful figure sat.
She had finally come out.
Chen Ming thought to himself. As he listened, his emotions were stirred by the sound of the xiao, drawing him into its depths.
He seemed to see a woman’s inner confusion, worry, and pain from not seeing a path forward—a lonely figure drifting through the chaotic world, suffocated and swallowed in an instant...
He didn’t know how much time had passed.
Suddenly, Chen Ming snapped out of it and realized the sound of the xiao had stopped at some point. The courtyard was silent.
A chill passed through his heart. This xiao melody was highly suspicious!
Could this be a kind of mental attack?
Pan Dingqian suddenly sighed. "The lady’s xiao is near the Dao itself, like hearing a celestial melody."
At another table, Qin Changyuan’s gaze was fervently fixed on the figure in the room. "Being able to hear Lady Mudan’s piece tonight—this trip has been truly worthwhile."
Chen Ming glanced at the others and saw the same intoxicated expressions on their faces. He wondered if he had simply been too sensitive?
At this moment, the veil swayed, and that graceful figure walked out.
What an absolute beauty.
She wore a light yellow long dress. Her skin was like jade, her temperament ethereal, and yet her eyes held a tender, affectionate charm that created a sharp contrast.
This woman evoked a powerful sense of conquest in men.
This was the second woman who had amazed Chen Ming since his transmigration.
Once she stepped out, she bowed gracefully. "Greetings, young masters."
Her gaze shifted and landed on Xue Ning. She added, "Greetings, Sister Xue Ning."
...
For some reason, Chen Ming felt that Lady Mudan gave him a faint sense of familiarity. Yet for the moment, he couldn’t recall where that feeling came from.
Then he heard Qin Changyuan say, "According to the rules of the National Beauty Courtyard, one person from the guests in the courtyard will be chosen. I wonder who the lady will choose tonight?"
Once these words were spoken, everyone present turned to look at the goddess-like Lady Mudan. Each pair of eyes carried a certain longing and hope.
Only Aunt He was sweating profusely in anxiety. Choosing one side would offend the other. If conflict arose then, it would be troublesome.
Had it been another girl, she wouldn’t have worried.
But this one—she truly had no confidence.
In this tense atmosphere, Lady Mudan said nothing and turned to leave.
"She just left?"
Chen Ming found it odd. This courtesan was too wilful. She should have at least played mediator or casually picked one side. Even if one side was offended, it would be better than offending both.
Suddenly, a green-clad maid walked out from the room, holding a tray as she came directly to his side. She crouched down and said, "Young Master, please drink this wine."
Chen Ming suddenly felt countless sharp gazes stab toward him, as if trying to pierce him.
Only then did he realize what this cup of wine represented.
Should he drink it, or not?