Chapter 246: Played It Wrong

The men in the hall exchanged glances, facing Qiu Honglei's encouraging gaze.

Qiu Honglei's zither skills were clearly at their peak; what could these amateurs possibly understand? Even if a small number of people knew how to play, how could they compare to a professional like her? Rushing out at such a moment to rashly point out her supposed flaws would only lead to public embarrassment. Consequently, everyone looked at each other, hesitant to make a move. After all, there was only one chance; failing to satisfy Qiu Honglei would mean losing the opportunity to advance. It was better to observe what others said first and learn from their experiences.

Noticing their timidity, Chen Xuan scoffed. These pampered young masters from the city were overly cautious and lacked the demeanor of true men. The more you dote on a woman, the further she pulls away.

He swaggered forward, pounding his chest. "Miss Qiu," he declared, "I don't know much about music, so I won't embarrass myself. However, from your playing, I can discern the tale of a heartless man. While I can't promise anything else, if anyone dares to harm you in the future, I'll personally lead men to cut him down and turn his skull into a chamber pot." Naturally brawny, his words exuded an authentic masculinity that made him stand out strikingly amidst the effeminate young men around him.

"Then this humble maiden truly thanks this brave warrior," Qiu Honglei said, her enchanting eyes fixed on him. Her crimson lips parted slightly, and her eyes seemed to glisten with unshed tears. Seeing that he had indeed earned Qiu Honglei's favor, the surrounding young masters were filled with regret. "I should have been the first," they lamented. After all, women tend to be more impressed by the first person to make a move.

Having just lost face to Chen Xuan, Wang Yuanlong was eager to reclaim his standing. He quickly interjected, "Miss Qiu, while I, Wang, possess no other particular talents, my family's merchant caravans span the entire world, giving me a fair understanding of various regions. If you require it, I can have my people investigate on your behalf; I imagine it wouldn't take long to ascertain that person's whereabouts." He paused, casting a glance at Chen Xuan across from him, then continued, "No matter how formidable an individual is, their energy is ultimately limited. How can it compare to the might of an entire family?" He understood his own advantage: though his martial prowess was far inferior to Chen Xuan's, as the sole heir of the Wang family, he commanded financial resources that made Chen Xuan unworthy of even carrying his shoes.

Chen Xuan, naturally understanding the insinuation, scoffed, "Just a worthless individual relying on his family, who can't even offer an original thought in response." He implied that Wang Yuanlong's response was merely mimicking his own.

"What did you say!" Wang Yuanlong was furious.

"What, do you want to fight me? Come on!" Chen Xuan rose, grinning menacingly at him.

Wang Yuanlong's expression immediately became unnatural. Previously, three of them couldn't defeat Chen Xuan, and he himself had been kicked half to death. How could he dare to confront him now? However, with the beautiful woman present, he was unwilling to back down so easily, and found himself frozen in place.

Fortunately, Qiu Honglei intervened to defuse the situation. "Gentlemen, please don't quarrel," she pleaded. "If my presence causes discord between you, I would never forgive myself." As she spoke, she appeared remorseful and on the verge of tears, which broke the hearts of those around her, who then glared angrily at the two men. How dare they upset Miss Qiu so deeply?

Not only Wang Yuanlong, but even Chen Xuan, accustomed to a life of danger, felt a pang of panic. He quickly apologized to her, assuring her he would cause no further disturbance. Only then did Qiu Honglei's face light up with a smile. The moment she smiled, it was like ice melting for the first time or flowers blossoming across vast fields. The hearts of the many men in the hall felt struck by a heavy hammer, knowing they would likely never forget her smile.

On the second floor, Pei Mianman couldn't help but secretly lament, "She is indeed a great beauty, capable of bringing ruin. Even I, a woman, find her charm almost irresistible."

After a brief moment of silence, the hall quickly buzzed with activity again. Her smile seemed to have emboldened them, invigorating their resolve. Following the lead of Chen Xuan and Wang Yuanlong, others also began to speak up, offering their critiques of Qiu Honglei's recent musical performance. Each person pulled out all the stops, eager to win her favor.

Some showed off their literary prowess, praising her music and her person as incomparable, occasionally inserting one or two so-called "flaws." Zu An listened in astonishment, marveling at the sheer number of exquisite adjectives in the world. Others paraded their family connections, revealing to Zu An the surprising number of princelings and scions in Bright Moon City, and giving him a clearer insight into the world's various organizational structures. Still others demonstrated their strength and potential, including even some fifth-rank academy students. However, with Chen Xuan's prior display, their capabilities seemed somewhat eclipsed when compared to a sixth-rank expert.

Zu An, meanwhile, was leisurely snacking on melon seeds and observing the scene, when he suddenly remembered he was still a teacher at the academy. "Hmm, I've noted this student. He didn't even come over to greet me. Next arithmetic class, he gets a failing grade."

Qiu Honglei responded with graceful smiles and words, making everyone feel as though they were basking in a gentle spring breeze. Zu An couldn't help but admire her; this woman's social skills were simply unparalleled. But why had Chu Hongcai, her ardent admirer, remained silent?

Just as he wondered, he noticed Chu Yucheng ushering Chu Hongcai to the front, allowing him to gaze at his goddess up close, even faintly catching her sweet scent. Chu Hongcai almost fainted from happiness. Fortunately, he remembered his purpose and hastily asked, "May I ask who the lover in Miss Qiu's song was just now? Who is so fortunate as to receive Miss Qiu's favor?"

Noticing he was the young master of the Chu family's second branch, Qiu Honglei instinctively glanced past him, but failed to spot the person she had hoped to see. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Zu An chatting and laughing with Leng Shuangyue, seemingly oblivious to the proceedings. A wave of confusion washed over her. *Was I not enticing enough, or was his taste simply too refined?*

A notification: Anger value from Qiu Honglei +128!

The anger value notification, received "backstage," startled Zu An. If the previous instance was an accident, two consecutive occurrences surely couldn't be a mere coincidence. Why was this woman reacting to him so uniquely? Could it be... did she find me so handsome that she's now captivated by my charming looks?

By the time he looked back, Qiu Honglei's gaze had already returned to normal. She pursed her lips and smiled faintly, "Second Young Master Chu misunderstands. I have no lover; that piece was merely inspired by a story from a popular romance novel." Although everyone had previously speculated, they still harbored some concern. Hearing her personally confirm she had no lover, everyone collectively breathed a sigh of relief. Such is the nature of men: it's not so painful to fail to obtain something oneself, but it's unbearable if someone else succeeds where they failed.

"No wonder," Chu Hongcai remarked with an expression of sudden realization.

The others nearby, however, grew impatient. "Are you finished? We're all still waiting!"

"Exactly, what's with the showing off?"

Chen Xuan also grumbled, "Just get to the point already! Stop with all this ridiculous nonsense."

Chu Hongcai's breath hitched, and a flicker of anger crossed his face. Qiu Honglei seemed not to hear, and asked with an innocent curiosity, ""No wonder what?""

A slight smile appeared on Chu Hongcai's face as he replied, "No wonder, when I listened to Miss Qiu's music just now, there was a subtle sense of disharmony. I imagine it's because Miss Qiu, being so young, hasn't personally experienced truly unforgettable love, and thus cannot fully convey that heart-wrenching emotion. Were it not for Miss Qiu's truly exceptional zither skills, it would likely have devolved into the melodramatic posturing of mere literati, forcing sadness to fit new verses." Many in the vicinity secretly nodded. This fellow was indeed clever, approaching the matter from such an unexpected angle.

This was, in fact, a truth known to all: although Qiu Honglei was a courtesan with acquaintances across the land, no one had ever heard of her having a deeper relationship with any man. Since she had never experienced romance herself, these lingering, poignant loves could only be expressed through imagination, not genuine emotion. However, the previous piece had been so moving that no one had considered this angle. Even if some had, they felt it would cause Qiu Honglei too much embarrassment and thus dared not voice it.

Chu Hongcai's breathing quickened; he had been preparing for this moment for a very long time. All of this was to leave a profound impression on the goddess of his heart. Blindly flattering, like the others, was certainly ineffective. And those who offered lukewarm flattery while pointing out trivial, non-issues were even worse. Only he, by genuinely highlighting the existing flaws and taking an unconventional approach, stood a chance of truly earning her unique attention.

Qiu Honglei's expression indeed changed. After a long moment, she suddenly sighed. "I had thought Second Young Master Chu possessed true insight," she said, "but it appears you fundamentally misunderstood my zither playing."

Those who had been filled with regret now saw her displeasure and began to mock him with schadenfreude: "Exactly! What kind of person is Miss Qiu? Of course, she can infuse her emotions into her playing." "Not being grounded, and trying to take shortcuts, often leads to a bitter price." "Who does this fellow think he is, daring to critique Master Qiu like that?"

Chu Hongcai paid no mind to the jeers and taunts of those kicking him while he was down. At that moment, his mind was consumed solely by Qiu Honglei's expression of disdain. It was notable that even when dealing with the crudest individuals moments before, she had maintained a pleasant demeanor. Yet, she had shown him no mercy whatsoever. *It's over... it's all over...* His head pounded, and he felt utterly distraught. He could see Chu Yucheng seemingly speaking to him, mouth agape, but he couldn't hear a single word.

Zu An, observing from the side, was somewhat surprised. Although Chu Hongcai's words had been a bit direct, the underlying logic was sound. As a courtesan who had held her position for many years, Qiu Honglei shouldn't have been so visibly upset.

"Little Cat Girl," Zu An asked curiously, gently pinching the ear of the young woman beside him, "Why is Miss Qiu so angry?"

Leng Shuangyue's face flushed slightly. "I... I truly don't know... Ah!" Feeling the increased pressure of his fingers, the young woman trembled incessantly before hastily replying, "Perhaps... perhaps it has something to do with that incident..." As Zu An listened to her explanation, a dawning realization spread over him.

At this moment, Qiu Honglei's gaze shifted towards the second floor. "Young Master Xie has been here for quite some time, yet you've remained silent," she said. "Honglei would be honored to hear your esteemed opinions."

Chen Xuan on the side was startled: "Young Master Xie? Which Young Master Xie?"

"How many Young Master Xies do we have in Bright Moon City? Of course, it's Xie Xiu!" someone nearby scoffed with a mocking smile, implying Chen Xuan, the "bumpkin," had been thoroughly manipulated without even realizing it.

Chen Xuan erupted in fury, abruptly turning to glare at Zu An. "You brat, how dare you make a fool of me!"