1314 Mesmerized

However, Long Xuan barely stirred when Yan Ruyu appeared, and Lin Qingyuan could not help seeing him in a new light.

It seemed that not everyone in this cabin was a lecher.

Long Xuan continued to pour himself wine from the wine pot.

There was a pause in Yan Ruyu’s steps when she passed by his table, but she soon continued on her way calmly and sat down at the head table.

She raised a hand and then lowered it slightly; at once, the commotion that centered around her in the cabin died down. She picked up a cup of wine, and in a silvery voice, said, “Thank you for taking the time to come here and meet me today. To express my gratitude, I’d like to toast to all of you.” With that, she lifted her sleeve and drank all the wine in her cup.

“Impressive!”

The guests erupted in cheers.

Lin Qingyuan looked at Yan Ruyu appraisingly.

The veil on her face shielded her features, but it did not take away any bit of her charm, for the elegance in her every move was enough to leave her admirers spellbound.

“I’m sure all of you know why I’ve invited you here today.” Yan Ruyu’s crisp and clear voice sounded again.

The guests held their breaths in anticipation, waiting for her to announce who her patron would be.

Everyone present wanted to be her devotee—so much so that they were willing to spend huge sums of money—so they could fulfill their purpose of doing unspeakable things to her.

“All of you here have been awfully kind to me, and I hold all of you in high regard, but I can only choose one of you to be my benefactor tonight,” Yan Ruyu continued sorrowfully as if she was reluctant to disappoint any one of them.

Naturally, this kindled sympathy among her admirers, who hurriedly assured her that they would not hold a grudge even if she did not choose them in the end.

Lin Qingyuan was dumbfounded.

Yan Ruyu was unexpectedly straightforward.

By benefactor, was she not referring to the person who would get to spend a passionate night with her?

She looked at Long Xuan, curious to know how he had become acquainted with Peony Pavilion’s leading courtesan.

On top of that, they seemed rather close.

She had also noticed that Yan Ruyu would peek at Long Xuan every time she spoke, making it all the more obvious who she was hinting at.

However, despite Yan Ruyu’s pining, Long Xuan remained stony and refused to respond to her.

Yan Ruyu shook her head. “How could I let you down when you’ve been so kind to me? That’s why I came up with an idea—I’m sure we’re already bored of singing and dancing, and there’s nothing new about making poems either—so why don’t we try sword dancing today? The person who can impress me the most with their sword dance will become my patron.”

Her suggestion instantly unsettled everyone.

They usually held books, not weapons—how would they have the faintest idea of how to sword dance?

“Allow me to perform the opening dance.” Eyeing the troubled faces of the audience, Yan Ruyu smiled faintly and took a sword from her maidservant’s hands.

When she rose and walked out from behind the table, her eyes flickered to Long Xuan imperceptibly.

He was still sipping his wine without even sparing her a glance. With a despondent sigh, she made her way to the center of the room.

Bai He drew close to Lin Qingyuan and whispered in her ear, “I think there’s something going on between Yan Ruyu and General Long.”

Lin Qingyuan nodded. “I think so too.”

Even Bai He had noticed it, which meant that she had not been reading too much into the situation.

Except for Long Xuan, all the other guests were obviously frail scholars who probably could not even pick up a sword, let alone perform a sword dance.

There was no way Yan Ruyu did not know this, yet she still insisted on sword dancing. She was, without doubt, aiming for Long Xuan.

Had she hosted this feast and involved so many people just so she could get her hands on Long Xuan?

Amused by the thought, Lin Qingyuan glanced at Long Xuan and Yan Ruyu.

They seemed like a pretty good match, though. It would not be a bad idea if they could become a couple.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.