Sir, You've Got The Wrong Person - Chapter 5

The business meeting with the owner of the Northern Ranch of Xize was set at Yimeng Fang, the biggest pleasure boat on the West Huai River, located in the western outskirts of the capital.

The West Huai River was a convenient waterway connecting the eastern and western parts of Xize. The area along the river was very rich and busy, especially at the river port in the western suburbs of Xize. There, many pleasure houses and boats stood side by side, making it the most lively and entertaining place in all of Xize.

Yimeng Fang was known as the best pleasure house in the land. It was a business started by the old master of the Mu family over ten years ago. Now that Yan Yiyi had taken control of all the Mu family’s businesses, she naturally took charge of Yimeng Fang as well.

The women in Yimeng Fang were all poor and had no family to rely on. They came here to learn skills such as music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. They mainly earned money by performing arts. It was their free choice whether to sell their bodies or not, and they could also freely choose to leave or stay. Compared to other places, Yimeng Fang treated people more kindly. As long as nothing illegal happened—like forcing women to sell themselves or kidnapping good women—Yan Yiyi usually didn’t interfere. Most of the management was left to the former top performer of the house, Miss Ruyan.

Ruyan came from a poor background. She had been engaged three times, but all three fiancés died in accidents before the weddings. Because of that, people believed she brought bad luck to men, and no one dared to marry her. Her family was also very poor, so at sixteen, she chose to sell herself to Yimeng Fang. Within three years, she became the top performer in the house because of her beauty and clever mind.

Yan Yiyi saw that Ruyan had her own way of managing the business and thought she was a rare talent. Three years ago, when Yan Yiyi fully took over the Mu family’s businesses, she promoted the 21-year-old Ruyan to be the mama (madam) of Yimeng Fang, putting her in charge. Ruyan did not disappoint her. In just three years, she made Yimeng Fang so famous that people in Dongze also heard about it.

When Yan Yiyi and Xiao Yunfei arrived at the pleasure boat, the owner of the Northern Ranch had not arrive yet. But the manager, Su Mu, was already there. When he saw Yan Yiyi in her flowing white clothes, he quickly stood up from the group of beautiful women around him and warmly greeted her.

Su Mu was the public face of the Northern Ranch. He was twenty-five years old, tall and strong, with a rugged face and a thick beard that made him look bold and brave. Yan Yiyi had met him a few times before and quite admired this big-bearded man from the north. Although he looked rough, he was actually very careful and smart. It was not easy to take advantage of him in business.

Yan Yiyi casually chose a seat and sat down. After exchanging a toast with Su Mu, she asked with a smile.

“Mr. Su, do you know when your young master will arrive?”

“Our young master will be here soon, very soon…” Su Mu answered with a cheerful voice. As he spoke, he looked out from the boat and smiled, “Look, we were just talking about him and here he comes.”

He stood up while saying that.

Yan Yiyi also stood up and followed his gaze toward the door of the pleasure boat. But the smile on her face froze and her hand, which had been resting on the table, shook from shock in her heart. With a clang, a cup fell to the floor.

That warm and gentle smile like spring wind, that cold and distant look in the eyes and that graceful aura like a fairy…

Her eyes locked onto that beautiful face while her hand gripped the edge of the table tighter.

Chu Mufeng.

The young master of the pasture that she had been secretly investigating for half a year and without finding even a clue, was actually Chu Mufeng!

“And who is this? Young Master Mu?” Mu Qingchen’s (Yan Yiyi in disguise) strange reaction caught Chu Mufeng’s attention. He looked at his pale face and narrowed his eyes slightly. “Young Master Mu, you seem familiar. Have we met before?”

Standing next to her, Xiao Yunfei lightly nudged Yan Yiyi with his elbow. She came back to her senses and smiled toward Chu Mufeng. “Young Master Chu is famous for being elegant and outstanding. How could a commoner like me ever get a chance to see him before? I just didn’t expect someone so young to be running such a big pasture.”

“Where did you hear such a thing? You look even younger than me, yet you’re also managing a large business. That’s rare,” Chu Mufeng replied with a friendly tone. Then his voice suddenly changed, “But Young Master Mu, if we’ve never met before, how did you know my surname is Chu? and how did you recognize me right away?”

Though he still smiled gently, there was a sharp glint in his eyes.

Yan Yiyi’s smile froze slightly. She had been so busy flattering him that she forgot that Mu Qingchen (her disguise) and Chu Mufeng had never met before.

Su Mu jumped in, laughing, “I haven’t even introduced our young master properly to Young Master Mu, yet he already knows his name. I heard Young Master Mu spent quite some time trying to find our hidden boss.”

His words could be either sarcasm or praise, but they gave Yan Yiyi a way to explain herself. She smiled and followed his lead.

“I’ve been interested in your pasture business since last year and have always hoped to work with you. But I couldn’t find a way in, so I secretly had someone investigate. I acted on my own without your permission. If I have offended either of you, please forgive me. Young Master Chu is so unique—there’s probably no second person like you in the world. So, when I saw you, I guessed it must be you.”

“You speak very well, Young Master Mu. No wonder so many ladies seem to fall for you,” Chu Mufeng said with a faint smile.

Yan Yiyi replied calmly, not showing much reaction. Seeing that everyone was standing, she quickly invited Chu Mufeng and Su Mu to sit down. Then she called for a few well-known courtesans on the boat to join them.

Even though they were there to talk business, music and beautiful women were always part of such occasions. Yan Yiyi was already experienced in business and knew how to entertain guests. She always arranged meetings based on what the other party liked. In places like this, the clearer one’s mind, the more likely one could profit. Since she was pretending to be a man, she didn’t worry about being distracted by the women. That gave her an advantage in this kind of setting.

“I heard your pasture plans to buy fine horses from outside to raise. I wonder if Young Master Chu has already found the right person for that?” While pouring him wine, Yan Yiyi glanced at a courtesan named Ru Wu, giving her a signal.

Ru Wu saw the signal and leaned softly into Chu Mufeng’s arms. She raised a wine cup and said sweetly, “It is my greatest blessing to serve Young Master Chu today. Let me toast to you.”

Chu Mufeng looked down at her with a faint smile, then said, “How could I say no to a toast from a beauty?”

He drank the wine she offered, then held her gently in his arms. No one knew what he whispered to her, but it made Ru Wu’s cheeks turn bright red as she nodded shyly.

Truly a natural flirt… Yan Yiyi rolled her eyes and waited for him to finish before continuing the conversation.

“You seem very interested in horse breeding, Young Master Mu?” After making Ru Wu giggle with a few words, Chu Mufeng looked back at Yan Yiyi.

“To be honest, I started a small pasture a few years ago, mainly for breeding fine horses. But it’s not well-known, and I have trouble selling them. I heard your pasture plans to import many fine horses, so I hope we can work together.”

Yan Yiyi spoke with a smile, revealing her true purpose. The Western Ze court had ordered a large number of warhorses from the northern pasture but the supply couldn’t meet the demand, so they needed to bring in better horses. Doing business with the court meant big profits and a chance for long-term cooperation.

Chu Mufeng looked at her but didn’t ask more about horses. He seemed to be thinking. After a while, he smiled and said, “It’s not impossible for you to get this deal, but…”

He stopped on purpose and looked around.

Yan Yiyi understood and waved for the courtesans and maids to leave the room.

Chu Mufeng also gave Su Mu a look, and Su Mu left too.

When he saw Xiao Yunfei who’s still standing beside Yan Yiyi, Chu Mufeng frowned. “Young Master Mu, I have something to discuss privately, not in front of the outsiders…”

Yan Yiyi knew what he meant and gently said to Xiao Yunfei, “Senior Brother, can you wait for me outside?”

Xiao Yunfei frowned and looked at Chu Mufeng with worry.

Yan Yiyi understood his concern. Even though she wore men’s clothing, he always treated her like a young girl and feared she’d be taken advantage of. But no one else knew her real identity, so his worry felt a little too much.

She smiled gently and added, “Senior Brother, I just have something personal to talk about with Young Master Chu.” She even blinked at him to signal it was okay.

Xiao Yunfei still looked uneasy, but seeing her insist, and afraid of raising suspicion, he said nothing more and walked out.

“You and your senior brother must be very close,” Chu Mufeng said casually after watching him leave.

Yan Yiyi smiled. “We grew up together. He has always taken care of me. I’ve come to rely on him a bit too much. I hope you don’t mind.”

Chu Mufeng smiled too. “Of course not. I can only admire such deep bonds.”

She smiled and brought the topic back. “Just now, you mentioned there may be some trouble. What would it take for you to give the horse business to my pasture?”

Chu Mufeng looked at her and slowly poured himself a cup of wine. He took a sip before speaking again.

“I heard that you have a close relationship with a certain woman from the martial world?”

Yan Yiyi frowned. She didn’t know who he meant. She had always kept her distance from other women. Why would there be rumors?

Chu Mufeng looked at her and spoke directly, “Do you know Yan Yiyi?”

“Cough… cough cough…” She had been drinking and was so shocked by the name that she choked on her wine and started coughing.

“What’s wrong, Young Master Mu?” Chu Mufeng asked.

“N-Nothing… I just drank too fast and choked. Please don’t mind it.” She patted her chest and calmed her breath. “Why are you suddenly asking about Miss Yiyi? Do you know her?”

Chu Mufeng only smiled and didn’t answer directly. He said instead, “Young Master Mu, how about we make a small deal? I’ll give you thirty percent of the pasture business… in exchange for Miss Yiyi’s whereabouts.”