Because It's You

2.4 || The Prodigal Young Master

Autumn Abode was an entertainment house for the wealthy. The highest paid courtesans and scholars servicing the establishment could only be made available through reservations. Even the Imperial household preferred the Autumn Abode's expertise to entertain their important guests from afar, that they spared to effort to transport key people to the capital city whenever needed be.

Most of these courtesans and scholars were not workers intended for bedroom matters; in fact, most of them came from famous families and clans that were no longer influential. Yet, their intelligence, bearing, and artistry remained - be it in zither, dances, or poetry. Therefore, they 'sold' their skills through Autumn Abode. It was also a norm for scholars of the imperial academy to earn their keep at this place, especially if they were not recruited into officialdom.

Thus, the luxury of the place should not be doubted. Spanning over three floors, the first floor was probably the only part that the general public could enjoy, as it featured a restaurant and a tea-house, serviced by less popular entertainers.

Yang Wenbao's group, however, were immediately escorted towards the third floor. The third floor of Autumn Abode only hosted special performances by invitation or expensive remuneration. Yet that day, it was fully booked. The people who had arrived were enjoying expensive tea and pastries while waiting for the performance to begin. The stage for the performance was located at the very front of the open hall, with a thin latticed screen separating the guests and the would-be songstress for the day. The latticed screen was thinly lacquered and only bore a single painting of a flower in white: a stalk of magnolia in full bloom.

As Yang Wenbao and the others were escorted to their seats, they could hear everyone's excited murmurs.

"Miss Bai is performing again today. How lucky are we to have been able to reserve a seat?"

"Aiii~! I know, she always decides her performance times on a whim, causing my head servant to have to scramble to secure my spot. There goes my allowance for three months to pay for this seat. But I think it is worth every silver!"

"The White Magnolia is always secretive. No one has ever seen her face. But looking at those fingers dancing beautifully on the zither strings.... oohhhh, I think she would look like the moon goddess herself! I think she would be more beautiful than my most favorite concubine!"

"How dare you compare my goddess to your concubine!"

"Who's your goddess!?"

Similar types of conversation resounded in the hall that was filled predominantly by noble young masters. There were a few noble ladies and older matrons as well who had attended purely because they had enjoyed the White Magnolia's performance before.

Even Zhou Yunzhu was feeling excited and could not help but fidget in her seat slightly. She was known to be the best zither player in Great Southern Wei and was always proud of her achievement. Yet, who could have known that she had been a frog in a well. Compared to the White Magnolia's soulful songs that she had the fortune to enjoy before, Zhou Yunzhu felt that her own performance was like a baby plucking strings.

"What is your relationship to Miss Bai, Second Brother?" Yang Xiqin nudged Yang Wenbao, bewildered at the praises she had heard ever since she reached the third floor. Although she had heard rumors of the currently-most-sought-after songstress, this was her first attendance to the performance, while it was already the third for Zhou Yunzhen and Zhou Yunzhu. Even Yang Liyuan, who was blind in the four arts, tagged along because he had become the White Magnolia's fan as soon as he heard her performance the first time.

"Brother Wenbao... . Is the White Magnolia really beautiful?" Zhou Wenling, who had also followed them, asked suspiciously. Now that she would do her utmost to keep Yang Wenbao, this handsome looking young man with the weird hair style, as her fiance, she immediately felt threatened when she heard Yang Xiqin's question. She added with slight ridicule, "No matter how talented or beautiful she is, she is still just a scarlet woman, isn't she? She can be bought with money."