Amnesiac General and Infatuated Brothel Keeper 9

Recently, a major event occurred in the Zhuhua Kingdom—the master of Huaqi Pavilion, Hua Wuyan, had actually sent a Fate Invitation to Feng Jiuli, the Great General of the Chongluo Kingdom, requesting a meeting.

This Fate Invitation was an invitation unique to the prostitutes and actors in the world of romance and pleasure. Within a pavilion, only the top courtesan could send it. Since the day Hua Wuyan obtained the title of the number one beauty in the Zhuhua Kingdom, he had only sent out the Fate Invitation once, which was received by the divine doctor Yun Mengchen. And after the divine doctor Yun Mengchen received the invitation and entered the pavilion, he had never come out again.

Although Hua Wuyan had now become a brothel keeper, he was still the most beautiful person in Huaqi Pavilion, so he could still send out Fate Invitations.

Now he had actually sent another one, to Feng Jiuli of the Chongluo Kingdom. Even though he had already announced that he was washing his hands of the business and no longer receiving guests behind the curtains, it still caused everyone to jokingly guess whether the Great General would be like the divine doctor Yun Mengchen, entering Huaqi Pavilion and never wanting to leave, falling forever into Hua Wuyan's world-renowned Peony Tattoo.

When Feng Jiuli received the Fate Invitation, he was merely a little surprised. But when he received the letter from his third senior brother, Yun Mengchen, which followed closely behind, this astonishment turned into a deep interest.

He weighed the invitation and the letter in his hands. Hua Wuyan's Fate Invitation was perfectly proper, the wording elegant and sincere, without a trace of the decadent aura of someone from the pleasure quarters. The letter Yun Mengchen sent along with the Fate Invitation, on the other hand, was even more earnest and touching, as if he was terrified that he would refuse to accept Hua Wuyan's Fate Invitation, using an almost pleading tone to invite him to Huaqi Pavilion for a gathering.

After reading them, Feng Jiuli could not help but sneer. Previously, his avoidance on the painted boat was merely because he thought his third senior brother and him were a pair. It was even possible that the reason for Hua Wuyan's retirement was for his third senior brother. But looking at it now, it seemed this was not the case.

It was difficult for the people of the world to seek a single night with the number one flower of the Zhuhua Kingdom, willing to squander all their wealth just to see him once. Since they were not a pair, and he had now received a Fate Invitation, why shouldn't he meet him?

Putting the Fate Invitation and the letter into a wooden box and storing them properly, Feng Jiuli straightened his robes and stood up, just about to leave. He then saw his close attendant enter from the door, bowing his head respectfully, "General, the Fourth Miss of the Jun Family requests an audience."

When Feng Jiuli heard the words 'Jun Family', he furrowed his brows. After listening to the servant's words, his face darkened completely. He waved his hand and said, "I won't see her. Tell her to go back to wherever she came from."

"Ah?" The attendant blankly raised his head, only to see his General's figure rapidly disappearing at the main door.

When Feng Jiuli arrived at the door of the Peony Pavilion where Hua Wuyan usually received guests, he happened to run into his third senior brother coming out from inside. He greeted him, "Third Senior Brother."

Yun Mengchen seemed to have lost his soul, his expression wooden. Only upon hearing his voice did his eyes regain their focus. But half of the look in his eyes towards him was evasion, while the other half was unexpectedly... jealousy.

He returned the greeting and said faintly, "Junior Brother is here, so fast..."

Seeing him so cold, Feng Jiuli raised his eyebrows and nodded as a response, not saying anything more. But at the moment he brushed past Yun Mengchen, he suddenly heard him call out, "Junior Brother!"

Feng Jiuli turned to look at Yun Mengchen. "Senior Brother?"

"Jinzhi, he, he..." Yun Mengchen's lips parted and closed several times before he finally lowered his head and said, "His health is not good..."

"Senior Brother—" Feng Jiuli stopped and turned around. He was just meeting with Hua Wuyan, not planning to do anything to him. Seeing his third senior brother act like this, he figured the man had likely long since grown deep roots of love for Hua Wuyan. If Master were to find out that his third senior brother had fallen for such a person, who knows how furious he would be.

But Yun Mengchen raised his hand to stop his words and said hoarsely, "Forget it, hurry up and go in. Don't make him wait too long." After saying this, he turned and left without even looking at Feng Jiuli, only his steps had lost their usual steadiness, making him look somewhat wretched.

Seeing this, Feng Jiuli raised his eyebrows again. Waiting until Yun Mengchen's figure had completely disappeared around the corner, he finally raised his hand and pushed open the pear wood door that still carried the lingering fragrance of wood.

As soon as the door opened, a faint scent of bamboo gently brushed against his face. This Peony Pavilion used for receiving guests was unlike other places of pleasure, which, no matter how brightly the red candles were lit or how much orchid incense was burned, still had an inescapable, decadent aura. Instead, it was decorated elegantly and spaciously. Not a trace of vulgar or mundane stench could be smelled; it was no different from an elegant pavilion where scholars boiled tea and played chess. Perhaps it was because the few pots of Weizi Peony near the terrace had not yet bloomed.

Feng Jiuli withdrew his gaze and turned to look at the young man kneeling in front of the low table.

The man had his eyes lowered, still wearing the same purple robe as when they met on the painted boat that day. He knelt properly on the other side of the low pear wood table. Upon seeing him enter, he abruptly raised his head. A pair of passionate, rippling peach blossom eyes gazed over with affection, like an infatuated lover who had finally awaited the return of someone who had been gone for a long time, endlessly tender.

However, the courtesans and actors in this pavilion had more behind-the-curtain guests than the waters of a river, so how could there be any true infatuation?

Feng Jiuli's expression was faint, the smile at the corners of his lips never changing in the slightest, as he lifted the hem of his robe and sat down in front of Hua Wuyan.

Seeing him take a seat, the young man gently let out a breath, and his body was no longer tensely stiff.

"This Peony Pavilion is rather more elegant than other places." Feng Jiuli curled his lips, helping himself to a cup from the table, pouring out the fragrant tea, and drinking it down in one gulp as if it were just water. "But I, Feng, am a crude man. Young Master Wuyan really need not go to such trouble."

Su Jinzhi smiled softly, giving a half-bow to Feng Jiuli, and said, "This humble room and decaying pavilion are not worthy of the General's praise."

Feng Jiuli had fought and galloped on the battlefield for ten years, and what annoyed him the most was the feigned elegance of these people in the capital. Therefore, upon hearing Su Jinzhi's words, he couldn't help but sneer. He raised his eyes and stared straight at Su Jinzhi, not hiding the contempt in his eyes, and said slowly, "Why wouldn't it be worthy? It's not some grand palace anyway. Young Master Wuyan is too modest."

Hearing these words, the young man trembled all over. He looked up blankly in disbelief, and after meeting the man's stern and cold eyes, he fearfully lowered his head again.

Seeing him like this, Feng Jiuli felt even more annoyed in his heart. He secretly wondered if he had spoken too harshly, yet he couldn't cast aside his pride to bow his head and apologize.

Su Jinzhi raised his hand to cover his lips and let out two muffled coughs. Then he raised his eyes to meet Feng Jiuli's condescending gaze, making sure the man could see his face clearly, and smiled, "The General is right. Wuyan was wrong."

Su Jinzhi gave his performance here a perfect score of one hundred.

Meeting that exceptionally gorgeous and stunningly beautiful face of his, an inexplicable feeling arose in Feng Jiuli's heart for no reason. It was as if he and the other man had already met countless times. He had never had this kind of emotion in the past few years, yet even counting this time, they had only met twice.

He frowned slightly. His gaze, which had never flinched even when facing an enemy country's army of thousands of men and horses, actually shifted away first. Looking carelessly at the extravagant peach blossoms outside the window, he said, "How could the Young Master be wrong? Could it be that the Young Master invited me, Feng, here just to listen to you admit your mistakes?"

"Of course not." Su Jinzhi also lowered his eyelids. He shifted his body, his knees touching the ground as he crawled around the low table to kneel in front of Feng Jiuli, as if he wanted to snuggle into his arms.

Feng Jiuli watched his movements, his frown deepening. As the young man drew near, the scent of peony flowers that seemed to emanate from his very flesh and skin also approached. Feng Jiuli leaned back slightly, wanting to avoid the young man's body.

But just as he moved, the young man suddenly raised his hands and tightly grabbed his palm, then looked up at him.

Feng Jiuli was just about to pull away, but he paused his movements upon seeing the young man's red-rimmed eyes.

Previously, when they were on the painted boat, they were far apart, so he couldn't see very clearly. Now that they were close, he finally realized that the young man's irises were a light tea color, resembling a precious amber he had once played with in his palm. Reflecting the warm light of spring and soaked in his tears, they appeared exceptionally clean and clear. As his long eyelashes trembled slightly, the tears in his eyes brushed past the vermilion tear mole beneath his eye and smashed onto the back of his hand.

Scalded by his tears, Feng Jiuli subconsciously yanked his hand back, but it was held tightly by the young man.

With two slightly cool hands, the young man cupped his palm and pressed it against his own soft and beautiful cheek, guiding his fingers to trace inch by inch, slowly and carefully over his dark eyebrows, his reddened eyes, and those pinkish lips—

"Wuyan invited the General here today just to ask the General... do you still remember this face?"

Crying, the young man gently rubbed against his palm, "Do you still remember..."

Do you still remember the Changle who waited for you for ten years, Jinzhi.

Touching his warm tears, Feng Jiuli looked at his exquisite face and was stunned for a moment before snapping back to reality. His somewhat rough palm brushed over the young man's smooth cheek, then lifted his chin. A smile formed at the corners of his lips as he said, "I, Feng, do not know where else I have seen the Young Master before, but..." The man paused his speech, and when he spoke again, his voice was unconsciously mixed with mockery, "The Young Master was born with such good looks. If I had seen you, I naturally wouldn't have forgotten."

After speaking, he withdrew his hand, took a white handkerchief from the table, and wiped the tear stains off the back of his hand. Ultimately, he still couldn't help but ask, "Does the Young Master act like this towards everyone?"

As expected of an actor and courtesan, he was probably this wanton and spineless towards anyone, right?

The young man sat blankly on the spot, watching the man's actions as if he were wiping away some filth. His lips twitched a few times, and he said softly, "Jinzhi..."

Feng Jiuli did not hear his words clearly and asked again, "What?"

"Jinzhi..." The young man hung his head, his frail shoulders drooping, his voice barely audible. "My courtesy name, Jinzhi."

Jinzhi, Jinzhi.

May you always be happy, like silk and satin, beautiful and splendid Jinzhi.

This was the courtesy name Jun Changle's father had given him.

"The General may call me Jinzhi..."

"Jinzhi?" Feng Jiuli raised his voice and repeated the name, suddenly laughing, "Is it the 'Jin' character from 'brocade'?"

"The General remembers?" The young man thought he had remembered him and abruptly raised his head. There seemed to be a faint light in the depths of his eyes as he stared at him unblinkingly.

Feng Jiuli smiled lightly, lightly extinguishing that glimmer of light in the young man's eyes like the wind, "The same courtesy name as the missing little young master of the Jun Family?"

As he spoke, he repeatedly muttered his name like a stranger, his words filled with both contempt and amusement. "I've heard that Jun Changle eloped with a descendant of a sinner. But no matter what, he is still from a prestigious family. The courtesy name Jinzhi suits him decently enough."

"But for the Young Master... wouldn't it be a bit too much?"

Feng Jiuli lowered his head, looking at the young man's lightless eyes, and said, "It's not as interesting as the fact that the Young Master has heavenly beauty, yet goes by the name Wuyan."

Su Jinzhi kept his head raised, staring at him blankly.