Drunken Flower Room - Chapter 62

Su Rong suddenly understood, no wonder her brother knew! It turned out Uncle Xie had returned. 

Back when she secretly invested in the Moonlight Pavilion, she had begged Xie Yuan to vouch for her. After all, she was still a child and not entirely trustworthy in the eyes of businessmen. But because of that, Xie Yuan always had an eye on her movements, there was no hiding from him. 

Of all times, he had to return now? Was he deliberately trying to make things difficult for her? 

Her shoulders slumped. “I was just taking Zhou Gu out for some fun, listening to music, having a few drinks. That’s all.” 

“That’s all?” Su Xingze’s gaze was sharp. “Su Rong, do you even realize what you’ve done? Who is Zhou Gu? He is the apple of the Old Duke’s eye, sent to the imperial academy as a child, then thrown into the Eastern Palace by His Majesty. Yes, he was mischievous in his youth, but his mischief never extended to stepping into indecent places. And now, you’ve dragged him into one. If the Old Duke’s Household finds out, what do you think will happen?” 

Su Rong knew she was in the wrong and muttered, “Big Brother, the Pavilions aren’t indecent. The people I called in are all performers, not courtesans. We were just listening to music and drinking.” 

“But you still brought him into a brothel,” Su Xingze said coldly. 

Su Rong guiltily rubbed her nose. “I had planned to keep this a secret, but Uncle Xie came back and told you. Right now, only a few of us know. As long as we don’t say anything, Zhou Gu won’t either, and the Old Duke’s Household will never find out.” 

Su Xingze’s expression darkened. “So, you don’t think what you did was wrong at all?” 

Su Rong thought to herself, she had made plenty of mistakes growing up, but she never regretted them. Seeing her brother about to lose his temper, she quickly said, “Big Brother, this is Jiangning. That’s the only reason I dared to do this. If we were in the capital, of course, I wouldn’t have taken him. But Jiangning is practically our family’s territory, isn’t it?” 

“It used to be,” Su Xingze corrected. “But not anymore. The Crown Prince was here last month, and now Zhou Gu is here. Even the heir of the Nanping Marquisate has visited. Jiangning is no longer under our sole control, too many eyes are watching.” 

Su Rong sighed. “Big Brother, marriage is a lifelong commitment. It should be taken seriously, don’t you think?” 

Su Xingze remained silent, so she pressed on. “That’s why testing someone’s character is important, right? I need to know if the person I’m marrying is truly decent.” 

“You think taking him to a brothel is a test of character?” Su Xingze was clearly unimpressed. “Do you really believe this method works?” 

“It does,” Su Rong said confidently. She had learned plenty from tonight, though there was no need to go into detail. Instead, she simply added, “Besides, it wasn’t just about testing him. I also wanted him to relax a little. I’ve been learning to manage the household under Mother’s guidance, it’s exhausting. He’s been dealing with you every day, going through constant tests. Handling someone like you must be tiring, even if he doesn’t say it.” 

Su Xingze narrowed his eyes. “So you feel sorry for him? And that’s why you took him there?” 

“Not exactly.” Su Rong carefully chose her words. “It was more of a reward.” 

“A reward for what?” 

“For enduring your endless tests without complaint. Shouldn’t that be acknowledged?” Su Rong reasoned. “Princess Qingping’s daughter, Lady Duanhua, has a crush on Zhou Gu and even chased him all the way to Jiangning. But as soon as Zhou Gu got word, he sent Zi Ye and his men to intercept her midway, saying he didn’t want her disrupting my coming-of-age ceremony. He cut off a potential romantic entanglement without causing trouble for me, doesn’t that deserve some credit?” 

Su Xingze’s expression shifted slightly. He was surprised. “That actually happened?” 

“Yes. After dinner, I personally saw him take care of the matter. You should know that Zi Ye had already left the residence with his men,” Su Rong reasoned. “I figured you wouldn’t take him out for fun, so I decided to let him relax a little.” 

“Nonsense! How is that kind of place considered relaxing?” 

“All men enjoy going there, so why wouldn’t it be?” Su Rong retorted, unconvinced. 

Su Xingze choked on his words. “As long as the Old Duke’s Household never finds out, fine. But if they do, you can forget about marrying Zhou Gu. They would never allow their future daughter-in-law to be someone who dragged him into a brothel for drinks and music.” 

Su Rong pouted and mumbled, “Well, it’s already done.” She was tired of being scolded. Taking a step forward, she tugged at Su Xingze’s sleeve, her voice soft and coaxing. “Alright, Big Brother, I promise I won’t take him there again. Just let me off this time—I’m sleepy!” 

Not that it mattered after tonight, Zhou Gu probably wouldn’t dare go with her again. 

Su Xingze glared at her. 

Su Rong blinked at him. 

After a moment of silent standoff, Su Xingze finally relented with a stiff expression. “This better not happen again!” 

“Mm-hmm!” Su Rong nodded rapidly, instantly releasing his sleeve. Flashing a bright smile, she chirped, “Big Brother, you should rest early!” 

With that, she spun around and ran off. 

Watching her disappear, Su Xingze found himself both exasperated and amused. She bolted faster than a rabbit the moment he let up. 

Lately, he had noticed Su Rong treating Zhou Gu differently, so much so that it caught his attention. The two of them got along well, and Su Rong, who was usually sharp-tongued and unrestrained, seemed much gentler around Zhou Gu. She even showed hints of the softness a girl might have toward someone special. But tonight, she had completely disregarded propriety, taking Zhou Gu to the brothel, so much so that even the newly returned Xie Yuan had been shocked and sent someone to question him about it. 

And he had no idea. 

He hadn’t even noticed when she snuck Zhou Gu out of the Lord’s Residence. 

Perhaps she had been behaving too well lately, which made him lower his guard. Or perhaps their interactions had misled him into thinking she had changed for Zhou Gu. After all, even in all his careful scrutiny, he had found no fault in Zhou Gu these past few days. 

Born into a noble lineage, Zhou Gu was far from a typical spoiled young master. He was well-read, quick-witted, and exceptionally intelligent. His conduct was measured, his demeanor composed, so much so that those unaware of his background would never have guessed he came from a military family. Though he wasn’t the most outstanding scholar in the land, his knowledge was vast, and his ability to reference classics at will demonstrated how extensively he had studied. His only flaw was a hint of arrogance, but what noble son didn’t possess that? Even Jiang Xing had privately admitted that he hadn’t expected the Young Master of the Old Duke’s Manor to be such a person, and that he himself couldn’t compare. 

So if Su Rong had truly changed for Zhou Gu, Su Xingze wouldn’t have been surprised. After all, she was still just a young girl. 

But tonight, she had actually dared to take Zhou Gu to the brothel. 

Su Xingze stood still for a long moment, rubbing his temples. He decided he would need to have a serious conversation with her another day.