Drunken Flower Room - Chapter 59

Su Rong changed quickly. In just the time it took to drink two cups of tea, she returned. 

Zhou Gu had expected her to dress as a man, but to his surprise, she had simply swapped her elaborate gown for a simpler dress. The intricate hairpins were removed, leaving only a single hairpin holding up her long hair. Compared to her previous outfit, this one had a much more agile feel. 

He raised an eyebrow. “What’s the difference between this and what you were wearing before?” 

“Of course there’s a difference. This one is easier for climbing walls. The other one wasn’t convenient for that.” 

Zhou Gu was speechless. 

“Let’s go.” Su Rong put a finger to her lips and hushed him. “From this moment on, don’t say another word. Just follow me.” 

Zhou Gu: “…” 

The way she acted like a guilty thief made him at a loss for words. 

Grabbing her wrist, he lowered his voice. “If your older brother finds out, he’ll be furious, right? And if I go along with your nonsense, won’t he start doubting my character?” 

“Oh, relax. He’s in his study. He’d never imagine I’d have the guts to drag you off to a brothel. And if we get caught, we’ll just say we went to the night market,” Su Rong said confidently, her expression practically screaming, Trust me, I’ve got this. “Now, let’s go!” 

Zhou Gu hesitated for a second but nodded. Fine. 

Su Rong led the way, with Zhou Gu trailing behind. The two skillfully avoided the guards and made their way to the small courtyard where Su Rong used to live. Then, as if following a well-practiced routine, she took Zhou Gu along the path to the outer walls of the estate. 

Zhou Gu stopped in front of the towering ten-zhang-high wall, suddenly feeling a bit lightheaded. “Why is your estate’s wall so high?” 

Tnote: ten zhang is about 33,3 meters tall 

Even the imperial palace walls weren’t much taller than this. The walls of the Protector Duke’s manor were already considered high, but they were still much shorter than this Lord’s Manor walls. 

Su Rong touched her nose sheepishly. “I used to climb over the walls a lot. My mother had them reinforced based on city wall standards and raised them three times.” 

Zhou Gu: “…” 

Su Rong took out a climbing hook, casually swung it up, and hooked it onto the top of the wall. She turned back to Zhou Gu and asked, “I’ll go up first and pull you up after?” 

Zhou Gu nodded. Even though he had martial skills, climbing a wall this high without assistance was beyond him. 

With nimble movements, Su Rong was up in three swift motions. Sitting on the top of the wall, she tossed the climbing hook down to Zhou Gu. He caught it and, using the same method, scaled the wall. Once on top, they used the rope to descend safely to the other side. 

Standing on solid ground outside the estate, Zhou Gu felt an overwhelming sense of guilt. It wasn’t his first time sneaking out over a wall, but this was the first time he had done it in the dead of night with his fiancée, to go to a brothel. He couldn’t shake the feeling that this was completely inappropriate. 

“Let’s go.” Su Rong packed up the climbing hook. 

Zhou Gu nodded stiffly. 

Su Rong led Zhou Gu down two streets, taking a detour into a back alley. Then, she pulled him toward the rear courtyard wall of Drunken Lounge. Under Zhou Gu’s bewildered gaze, she effortlessly climbed over the wall and gestured for him to follow. 

When he landed inside, she confidently walked up to a window, knocked three times, and waited. 

Moments later, the window creaked open from inside, revealing a woman in her thirties. The woman’s expression instantly turned to shock upon seeing Su Rong. “You little troublemaker! Didn’t your fiancé just arrive in town? What are you doing here at this hour?” 

The implication was clear, her fiancé was already in Jiangning, and instead of behaving properly, she was still sneaking into a brothel. Was she not afraid of getting caught? 

Su Rong flashed a grin. “Jade Madam, I brought my fiancé here to listen to music.” She turned and pointed at Zhou Gu behind her. “Look, my fiancé, Zhou Gu. He’s never seen this kind of place before, so I’m showing him around.” 

Jade Madam: “…” 

Jade Madam peered past Su Rong and finally caught sight of Zhou Gu. Her eyes widened in pure shock, and for a moment, even she, a woman who had seen all sorts of wild things, was utterly dumbfounded. She stammered, “You—you—you… brought your fiancé here?” 

Su Rong nodded nonchalantly. “What’s the big deal? There’s nothing much to do at night, so we came for a drink, some music, and a bit of fun.” 

Jade Madam had experienced her fair share of surprises, but this one left her speechless. It took her a moment to regain her composure before she forced a polite smile and stepped out of the room to greet Zhou Gu. “Young Master Zhou, welcome.” 

With such an unreliable fiancée, this young master is probably going to regret his engagement, right? 

Zhou Gu gave a stiff nod, not knowing what to say. His expression was one of silent suffering. 

Su Rong clapped her hands. “Oh, right! Zhou Gu, this is Jade Madam.” 

Zhou Gu followed suit and cupped his hands politely. “Jade Madam.” 

With greetings exchanged, Jade Madam took a moment to properly size up Zhou Gu. His features were strikingly handsome, and he carried himself with an air of refined elegance. Standing beside Su Rong, they actually made quite the attractive pair. In all of Jiangning, there had never been a young master with such a refined appearance. Su Xingze, Su Rong’s older brother, was good-looking in his own right, but his temperament was entirely different. Su Xingze had always been mature and composed from a young age, whereas Zhou Gu carried the presence of an unpolished gem, pure and untainted, waiting to be shaped. 

She turned to glare at Su Rong and pulled her aside, lowering her voice. “Are you out of your mind? How could you bring your fiancé to a place like this? Aren’t you afraid you’ll corrupt him?” 

This young master was clearly someone who had never been tainted by the debauchery of such places. 

Su Rong, however, had her own views on the matter. There are countless temptations in the world. Young masters from noble families are always strictly raised, but once they step outside, everything becomes a temptation. If someone can be so easily led astray, then they simply lack self-control in the first place. 

“Don’t worry about it. Just get me the best private room, send in all the top musicians, and bring two jars of wine.” Su Rong patted Jade Madam’s shoulder. “Oh, and remind the girls, this visit stays a secret. If word gets out, they’ll be in serious trouble.” 

She had always been good at making threats, and she delivered them effortlessly. 

Jade Madam could only sigh in surrender. “Fine.” 

If the lady wants to take her fiancé out for fun, and he’s already here, what can I do to stop it? 

“I’ll take Young Master Zhou to Warm Melody Pavilion. You go ahead with your arrangements. The girls will be there soon.” Jade Madam shook her head, still somewhat helpless. 

Su Rong nodded and waved Zhou Gu over, signaling for him to follow. She led him upstairs to Warm Melody Pavilion. 

Zhou Gu remained silent the entire way. He followed Su Rong up the stairs, listening to the melodies of string and wind instruments filling the air. From behind the doors of various rooms, he could hear the lively chatter and laughter of men and women. The entire atmosphere was completely foreign to him. 

In the capital, he had seen courtesans leaning against balconies, calling out to passing guests at night, but he had never once stepped foot into such a place. 

Since Su Rong had brought him in through the back entrance, avoiding the main hall, they also took a separate staircase. Along the way, they encountered no one and smoothly entered Warm Melody Pavilion. 

The pavilion was spacious, as grand as the Lord’s Manor reception hall. Every piece of furniture, from the tables to the chairs, was crafted from the finest materials, exuding an air of luxury and refinement. 

Su Rong led Zhou Gu to a seat by the window and motioned him to sit. Zhou Gu gave the room a quick scan before silently taking a seat beside her. 

“Relax a little. We’re just drinking and listening to music. It’s not a big deal.” Su Rong patted Zhou Gu’s shoulder. 

Zhou Gu shot her a glare and muttered through gritted teeth, “Villain.” 

Su Rong: “…”