Chu Mingyun and Su Shiyu were invited upstairs. The room was luxuriously decorated, with pearls used as lamps, bead curtains shining brightly, and delicate maids serving tea and snacks. The leader bowed and said, "Please wait a moment, gentlemen. I'll go notify the master." With that, he closed the door and left.
Chu Mingyun poured himself a cup of tea and joined Su Shiyu by the window to gaze at the night scenery of distant mountains, "What's wrong?"
Su Shiyu glanced at a maid standing nearby, leaned closer to Chu Mingyun, and whispered, "I recognize this place."
Chu Mingyun casually embraced him, pulling him closer, his raven-black hair sliding off his shoulder and lightly brushing Su Shiyu's ear, resembling intimate whispers, "Hmm?"
Su Shiyu frowned slightly and continued, "It's a few miles west of Chang'an, outside among the barren hills and chaotic graves. No wonder no one has discovered it; this valley is actually a mass burial ground."
Chu Mingyun looked into his eyes, raised his cup to Su Shiyu's lips, and murmured, "The gambling house's owner is here. Should we inform the Ministry of Punishment?"
"Just drink it yourself," Su Shiyu pushed his hand away, "You mean there's a way to get the message out?"
Chu Mingyun drank his tea, then laughed, "You refuse even a cup of tea I pour, yet claim no grudges? I've told you, it was just a joke. Are you actually jealous?"
Su Shiyu silently removed Chu Mingyun's arm from around him, unsure how to continue.
Chu Mingyun took his hand again, smiling warmly, "Don't worry, even if there were a thousand Su Shiyus, my dear, you'd still be the one I cherish most."
Su Shiyu, with mixed feelings, responded flatly, "...Really?"
Chu Mingyun sighed theatrically, "If you don't believe me, shall I write a guarantee?" He then asked a maid, "Do you have pen and ink here?"
The maids quickly brought the writing materials, setting them up on the table, waiting for Chu Mingyun's instructions.
"His skin is thin; you all go out and wait. If the leader or your master arrives, remember to notify us first," Chu Mingyun instructed. The maids bowed and left, the youngest stealing a glance at Su Shiyu before closing the door, her cheeks flushing red.
Once they were alone, Su Shiyu said with a faint smile, "Lord Chu truly is brilliant."
Chu Mingyun cut a piece of paper for him, "I feel like you're not exactly praising me."
"Of course, it would be better if there was a way to avoid making us so uncomfortable."
Chu Mingyun looked at him, opening his hand and tilting his head, "Come on, touch it as you like."
Su Shiyu turned to write the letter. Chu Mingyun chuckled, took out a small, transparent green whistle from his sleeve, and blew it silently. Soon, a bird's clear call sounded outside, and a black-feathered bird flew into the room, landing happily on Chu Mingyun's shoulder and chirping at him.
After the ink on the letter dried, Chu Mingyun rolled it up, placed it in a bamboo tube on the bird's leg, and watched as the bird flew away swiftly. He hoped aloud that Lu Shi, the stubborn old man, wouldn't turn away Qin Zhao, his man, on sight.
"Secretary Lu is sensible about important matters," Su Shiyu paused, then asked, "This way of sending messages is..."
Chu Mingyun was about to explain when there was a knock at the door. "A secret technique left by my master," he said before inviting them in.
The carved wooden door opened, revealing a young man introduced as Boss Mu, the owner of Yongle Fang. "Pleased to meet you," he said.
"Pleased to meet you," Chu Mingyun replied with a smile that wasn't quite a smile, "To be so young and in charge of such a large gambling house is truly impressive."
Mu politely demurred, then suggested they remove their masks for a talk.
Chu Mingyun hesitated, but Su Shiyu had already taken off his mask, smiling directly at Mu, "May I ask you a question?"
Boss Mu was startled by Su Shiyu's appearance but recovered, saying, "I had no idea the gentlemen were so strikingly handsome... my apologies."
"It's fine," Chu Mingyun replied.
"Don't worry about it," Su Shiyu said, looking at him, "Have we met before?"
"Never before."
"Is that so?" Su Shiyu smiled warmly, "Yet I feel a sense of familiarity with you."
Boss Mu laughed, "There are many similar faces in the world. My appearance is quite common, perhaps resembling someone the gentleman knows."
Su Shiyu withdrew his gaze, understandingly saying, "Upon reflection, indeed, he resembles someone I know. It seems I was mistaken, my apologies."
Chu Mingyun glanced over, inquiring, "Resembles who?"
Su Shiyu closed his eyes, smiling softly, "By age, that person would call me 'brother'. You surely know of him too."
As his words fell, Boss Mu's pupils sharply contracted, yet his expression remained calm and indifferent. He skillfully changed the subject, "Seeing that the two gentlemen possess such elegance and grace, the gambling on this floor can't be as vulgar as the ones below. How about we try a different form of gambling?"
"What kind of gambling?" Chu Mingyun inquired.
Boss Mu smiled, "Please wait a moment, gentlemen. I'll make the arrangements." After speaking, he called for the maids to come in and serve meticulously, and commanded the leader to follow him out.
No sooner had they left the room than Boss Mu's expression turned ugly. He rebuked in a low voice, "What have you done? How could you bring these two here?"
The leader replied in panic, "I was just following the usual rules..."
"Rules?" Boss Mu looked at him coldly. "When did I ever set a rule that doesn’t involve scrutinizing who we invite?"
Recalling how he had secretly helped Chu Mingyun, the leader felt a chill in his heart and hastily suggested, "Then, let's delay them for now. If we act quickly inside the building, we might manage to withdraw in time..."
Boss Mu clenched his fist and struck the corridor pillar, his anger turning into a bitter laugh, "With Chu Mingyun and Su Shiyu both here, do you really think we can leave without any consequences? Moreover, Su Shiyu has likely recognized me already!"
"How is that possible..." The leader glanced at the masterful mask on Boss Mu's face, "...I thought he was just trying to bluff you."
"That man, with just one smile, indicates that he understands everything. He chooses not to tell you directly. Hasn't he always been like this since we were young? Could there be any mistake?"
"What do you suggest then, young master?"
Boss Mu's gaze into the void turned fierce as he gritted his teeth, "Given the circumstances, we have no choice but to take a gamble and see." Abruptly turning around, he added, "Send someone to notify Hongxiu Zhao; don't worry about anyone else. Make sure Jing Shu leaves Chang'an immediately."
While Chu Mingyun and Su Shiyu were leisurely finishing a pot of tea, Boss Mu returned with company, instantly filling the room with a fragrant breeze. Dancers, clad in red gauze that barely concealed their snow-white skin, stood in a line behind him, each with a seductive posture and refined facial features.
Boss Mu proposed, "I suggest Master Lin blindfolds himself and lets them dance around him. Among them, one will be holding something. If you can guess who it is, you win. How does that sound?"
Chu Mingyun, casually resting an arm on Su Shiyu's shoulder and scanning the women with an indifferent smile, joked, "Boss Mu, I've just made a promise to my darling, and now you're tempting me with this fortune. I fear it might keep me from bed for a few days."
Su Shiyu, not moving away, silently continued drinking his tea, showing no interest in joining the conversation.
"If Master Lin finds it inconvenient, you're welcome to leave, and we can find another interesting game to bet on later."
"There's no inconvenience. Why the hurry to send me off, Boss Mu?" Chu Mingyun responded with a laugh, "Let's proceed."
Following Boss Mu's signal, a dancer approached with a crimson silk ribbon. Su Shiyu raised his hand to stop her, politely smiling, "Please allow me." He felt the ribbon—soft, delicate, unmistakably ordinary silk—and then looked at Chu Mingyun.
Chu Mingyun, with a playful gleam in his eyes, turned his head towards Su Shiyu. Upon catching his gaze, he calmly closed his eyes, presenting himself with an air of ease. As the ribbon was tied around his eyes, he felt a gentle touch and a faint fragrance brushing past his cheek, idly thinking how pleasant it was to be served by someone of such high status.
With Chu Mingyun standing still in the center of the room, Su Shiyu returned to his seat, silently observing the scene.
Boss Mu involuntarily turned his head to look at Su Shiyu, but unexpectedly met his gaze directly. With a hurried smile, he turned back and clapped his hands, saying, "Let's begin." The enchanting music started to play, with its melody twirling and lingering. The dancers' figures were soft and stretching, light as if dancing on ripples, graceful as startled swans. The red gauze lifted with the dance steps, creating a misty red intertwining, with just a hint of ink blue standing idly by, as if secluded by a gentle homeland, appearing both near and far, hardly discernible.
It was indeed just a dance, with no hint of murderous intent. Su Shiyu felt an inexplicable tension, unconsciously frowning slightly.
As the music reached its climax, the dancers' movements became even faster, their slender hands occasionally touching Chu Mingyun's robe as they brushed past, almost indistinguishable. What filled the view were the red gauze and fair skin, the light and shadow interlacing, as if entering a bewitching cave, tempting the ignorant to indulge in a dream with them.
Suddenly, a dancer stumbled backward several steps and hit the wall hard. The pleasant dream abruptly shattered, and the music abruptly ceased.
The dancers who had been close to Chu Mingyun suddenly sprang back a meter away, all showing well-trained movements. The dancer against the wall incredulously looked down to see a sandalwood fan pierced into her abdomen. Blood sprayed out as she opened her mouth, the blood spreading over her red dress, adding a touch more vivid color. The short knife in her hand clattered to the ground.
Chu Mingyun lifted his hand to pull down the blindfold halfway, revealing only one eye as he looked back. His eye corners were narrow, highlighted by the red light as if tinged with rouge, revealing a dense smile:
"I guessed right, but did I win?"