Mei Zhuyu was unaware of the complex thoughts running through Mei Si’s mind. He simply corrected his cousin’s wrong form of address: “I remember, I am your elder cousin.”
Mei Si could only laugh dryly, “I, I just remembered you’re my elder cousin too.”
Fortunately, Mei Zhuyu didn’t dwell on this issue. He directly asked, “What brings you here, Fourth Young Master?”
Mei Si continued his awkward laughter, “Haha, it’s nothing. Just that, well, I have some friends who’d like to invite elder cousin to drink with us.”
Upon hearing the words “drink,” Mei Zhuyu was about to refuse without a second thought, but he immediately heard Mei Si’s next sentence—”They’re all usually friends who hang out with Sister Zhen. Elder cousin, since you’re marrying Sister Zhen, you’ll surely be meeting them often in the future. It’s quite necessary to get familiar with Sister Zhen’s friends in advance.”
Mei Zhuyu couldn’t bring himself to refuse. He hesitated for a moment before finally nodding under Mei Si’s hopeful gaze.
Having successfully invited his elder cousin out, Mei Si received approving looks from the others. The group quickly arrived at one of their frequented pleasure houses.
This pleasure house was in the East Market, very close to Mei Zhuyu’s Changle Ward, but Mei Zhuyu had never been there before. This was his first time visiting such an establishment. Even though he had long heard of Wu Zhen’s reputation for frequenting pleasure houses and brothels, he had never set foot in these places and only knew vague details about them.
It was quite extraordinary, considering that nowadays, men of any status loved to meet in brothels for drinks and chats. Often, it wasn’t even for pleasure-seeking, but because it was such a common activity, like nobles going hunting together. Whether one liked it or not, gathering in these places to chat was necessary to fit into certain social circles.
Only Mei Zhuyu, after a year in Chang’an and becoming a Section Chief, remained out of place in this bustling city and its festive crowds. Because he didn’t like participating in these activities, he had poor relationships with his colleagues and was almost ostracized. Mei Zhuyu had never cared about such things; it wasn’t that he was pretentious as his colleagues claimed. He simply didn’t like or wasn’t used to it, so he was unwilling to come. That was all.
Today, led by a group of unfamiliar young lords, stepping into such a pleasant house for the first time, Mei Zhuyu’s first reaction was that this place of luxurious splendor was even more lively than he had imagined. Is this the kind of place she likes?
“Come, come, sit down. Don’t be shy. Today, let us properly entertain our elder cousin,” Cui Jiu said with a smile, making room for Mei Zhuyu.
These people were all rather informal, and their forms of address were casual. Some followed Mei Si in calling him “elder cousin,” some directly called him “First Young Master,” and others even called him “brother-in-law,” creating a chaotic atmosphere.
The familiar courtesans had already entered with their instruments, taking their positions and beginning to play a tune called “Spring Gauze Curtain.” Soft-waisted dancers gracefully entered, twirling on the intricately patterned carpet, casting flirtatious glances at each young lord on the seats, earning a chorus of appreciative cheers.
Mei Zhuyu was uncomfortable with such an ornate and soft scene. Even on the soft brocade cushions, he sat upright and formal. In contrast, those who almost collapsed onto the soft cushions and pillows looked like a pile of mud next to them. Mei Si, being the younger cousin, constantly paid attention to his elder cousin’s situation. Seeing him sit so solemnly, Mei Si instinctively straightened his back as well.
Gradually, almost everyone couldn’t help but sit up a bit straighter. As they sat up, they also felt increasingly uncomfortable.
As the dance ended, the dancers customarily sat down next to the young lords to accompany them in drinking. Today’s feast was set for Mei Zhuyu, so the lead dancer sat down next to him. Having been immersed in such places for years, they naturally had good judgment. Seeing that the regulars wanted to entertain this cold, unfamiliar young lord well, she intentionally moved closer, speaking softly to help him relax and liven up the atmosphere.
However, before she could get close, Mei Zhuyu extended his hand to block her, keeping her at a distance. He lowered his head and said, “I’m sorry, please sit further away from me.”
The dancer stiffened. She was one of the more famous dancers in this establishment, a gentle and understanding flower loved by countless young lords. She had never encountered such a blunt rejection before. However, she recovered quickly, immediately softening her demeanor and pretending to be coquettishly angry. She said in a sweet voice, “How can the young lord be so cold? Are our songs and dances not to your liking?”
As she spoke, she tried to move closer again, but after meeting his eyes, she unconsciously fell silent and quietly retreated, sitting properly to the side, not daring to approach again. Though the young lord before her spoke in an ordinary tone and his expression wasn’t fierce, the unyielding look in his eyes was impossible to defy. For a moment, she even felt that the young lord before her was dangerous, and a cold sweat broke out on her back. But thinking about it now, it seemed unreasonable—he was just an ordinary young lord after all.
Others were more or less paying attention to Mei Zhuyu. Seeing him send away the accompanying lady, everyone unconsciously fell silent, and the atmosphere suddenly cooled. Although they all wanted to liven up the atmosphere, for some reason, seeing Mei Zhuyu sitting there with a cold expression, completely different from them, they felt unable to get excited.
Seeing that everyone was awkwardly unsure of what to say next, finally, one young lord stood up.
He raised his cup to Mei Zhuyu: “Come on, it’s your first time out. Loosen up a bit. Let me toast you.”
Mei Zhuyu looked up at him and replied, “I’m sorry, I don’t drink.”
He answered seriously, but the expression of the young lord holding the cup suddenly turned ugly. This Lord Zhao was already the one who looked down on Mei Zhuyu the most among the group. In his view, such an uninteresting man who couldn’t fight or play was completely worthless and unworthy of their Sister Zhen. He was reluctantly here to accompany them only out of respect for Mei Si. But now, having his toast refused and losing face, his dissatisfaction immediately erupted. Being of a naturally bad temper, he slammed down the cup and sneered, “Won’t drink? Of course, looking at you, I knew you were one of those pretentious types who look down on us pampered young masters.”
“What, is having a drink too much trouble for you? Sitting there with such an unwilling face, if you’re so unwilling, why come here at all? Coming here and giving everyone the cold shoulder, what’s that about? You’re just a minor fifth-rank official who got the position through connections, and we’re still being polite to you!”
Mei Zhuyu was stunned by his scolding, not knowing what to say. He hadn’t thought much before answering; he didn’t drink. Growing up in a Daoist temple with his master and senior brothers, although he didn’t practice the same Dao as his senior brothers, life in the temple was austere. His senior brothers couldn’t be near women or touch alcohol, so he was also accustomed to not drinking. After living such an ascetic life for so long, he really couldn’t adapt to the current situation.
He had no intention of refusing others’ goodwill, nor did he want to have an unpleasant time with these people. The reason he came here was to get along well with them, with Wu Zhen’s friends, but due to his personality, he still didn’t do well.
Pressing his lips together, Mei Zhuyu picked up the wine cup and poured himself a drink. The liquid was clear as amber, a good wine, though Mei Zhuyu didn’t know if it was good or not. He raised it and drank without a word.
For someone who had never drunk before, the first time was naturally unpleasant. Mei Zhuyu was suddenly choked by the taste and couldn’t help but start coughing.
Lord Zhao, who was standing with his arms crossed, sneered at the sight, “Can’t even drink? Are you even a man?”
Mei Si frowned and stood up, saying, “Alright, can’t you say a bit less?”
Lord Zhao said disdainfully, “He disrespected me first, do you expect me to bow my head? It’s just a toast, am I bullying him?”
The atmosphere had completely cooled down.
At this moment, a small servant at the door ushered in a person. The newcomer was holding a horsewhip, wearing a dark green brocade robe, with red lips and white teeth, smiling—it was Wu Zhen.
As soon as she entered, she saw the Mei family’s eldest son, whom she hadn’t seen for several days, sitting at the table, his face slightly red from coughing. The others were sitting or standing stiffly, all looking towards her. Lord Zhao’s gaze towards her was particularly guilty, and Wu Zhen immediately guessed what had happened.
She walked to Mei Zhuyu’s table and very naturally sat on the table where the food was placed. She picked up a silver bottle from the side with one hand and poured Mei Zhuyu a cup of clear water, handing it to him: “Choked on the wine? Have some water to wash it down.”
Then she swept her gaze around the hall and smiled, “I was wondering where you all disappeared to today. So you were secretly getting together with the First Young Master without me.”
Lord Zhao, who had been looking down his nose at people earlier, had become as meek as a kitten since Wu Zhen appeared. Now he shrank back to the side, not daring to say a word, afraid that Wu Zhen would ask about what had just happened and get angry.
But Wu Zhen didn’t ask about what had just happened. She just turned to Mei Zhuyu with a smile and asked him, “Are you feeling better?”
Mei Zhuyu felt uneasy. The earlier scene had been awkward, and he just felt he had messed something up, so he felt a bit helpless but didn’t feel much else. However, after Wu Zhen arrived, he suddenly became anxious.
Just like what the young lord who had offered the toast said earlier, and what many people had been saying these days—they were worlds apart, and forcing them together would never be harmonious. Just like him sitting here had made Wu Zhen’s friends unhappy. Wu Zhen… probably wouldn’t be pleased to see such a scene.
Wu Zhen stood up and tapped the table with her horsewhip, saying, “Let’s go, I’ll take you back.”
Cui Jiu hurriedly came out to smooth things over, “Sister Zhen, why leave in such a hurry? We’ve only just arrived. If we all play together, we’ll soon get familiar. We’ll all be friends in the future, don’t be so distant.”
Wu Zhen replied, “Come on, you think the First Young Master is like you, idle all day? He works hard on duty, and his rare day off, you drag him here. What’s that about?”
“Alright, no more nonsense. You all play as you like, I’ll take the First Young Master back to rest.”
In the end, he still couldn’t fit into her world. Mei Zhuyu silently stood up and walked out with her. As they reached the door, Wu Zhen fell a few steps behind and said to the crowd inside, “You lot, don’t bother the First Young Master in the future. He’s introverted and likes peace. If you dare to trouble him like this again, I’ll be angry.”
Lord Zhao looked particularly aggrieved and was about to say something when he saw their Sister Zhen suddenly smile again. She pointed at them one by one with her horsewhip and said with some helplessness, “You naughty boys, don’t make trouble for Sister Zhen. Be good, alright?”
The young lords immediately became obedient, meowing like a litter of kittens.
Wu Zhen left the pleasure house with Mei Zhuyu, leading the horse as they walked side by side slowly on the street.
“I’m sorry, let me apologize on their behalf. Please forgive them if they offended you in any way. Some of them might have a bad temper, but they don’t mean any harm. I’ll scold them later.”
Mei Zhuyu was startled and stopped, asking, “You’re not blaming me?”
Wu Zhen was also surprised and looked at him strangely, “Why would I blame you?”