Transmigration: Space-Aided Rise to Power and Prosperity-Chapter 467 - 303 Lu Chen

The more Zhu Pang thought about it, the more possible it seemed. When they first met, Gu Chengyu was still young, which could explain his lack of understanding. But now he was fourteen; could he still be oblivious? When he was fourteen, he had had wet dreams!

Zhu Pang glanced at Gu Chengyu and saw that his eyes were clear. He didn’t glance at those women but looked at the tea bowl in front of him. An uncertain feeling arose within him; could it be that Gu Chengyu really had a fondness for the same gender? Wouldn’t that be dangerous for him?

"Do you think everyone is as impatient as you? It’s not like I haven’t seen beautiful girls before; I do have some self-control," Gu Chengyu said, his attention not really focused on the appearance of women. He felt a bit awkward about these romantic matters.

Zhu Pang looked at Gu Chengyu a few more times, and seeing that he didn’t seem to be lying, he finally relaxed.

However, he looked at the girls dancing gracefully on the high platform. Though they weren’t stunning beauties, they were at least above average. Those delicately defined eyes and brows seemed to hold myriad charms as they glanced toward him. Didn’t Gu Chengyu find even one of them appealing?

"I say, your standards are too high. While those girls may not be top-notch beauties, each has her own charms. But then, seeing yourself in the mirror every day, it’s normal that you’re not impressed."

Gu Chengyu’s skin appeared more white and flawless under the candlelight, like fine jade. The cinnabar mole on his forehead matched his refined brows and eyes, making his face even more exquisite.

Opposite him, Lu Chen took a sweeping look around. As the legitimate son of the main branch of the Marquis Mansion, he had seen all sorts of dances. The dancing girls from the Music Bureau were far more enchanting than these common women. He came only because he heard that Miss Xi Yan was going to play a musical piece today. Perhaps she might even unveil her face for all to see.

The noblemen here had mostly come for this reason. Even Lu Chen admired Xi Yan’s skill with the zither. Today, he was determined to see Miss Xi Yan’s true face.

Unintentionally, he spotted a young man sitting on the opposite elegant seat. The young man looked unfamiliar, but he recognized the person next to him as Zhu Pang, the son of the Assistant Minister of the Ministry of War, who he had seen a few times before. But who was this young man? He couldn’t possibly belong to any noble family in the Capital.

He was familiar with all the kids from noble families; he had never seen this person before.

At this time, Xi Yan was in the room, feeling anxious. Since Madam Hua had said she should unveil, even though she was unwilling, there was nothing she could do about it. It had been over a year; stringing them along any longer might not be advisable.

On the Tianlan River, dozens of painting boats had selected the top four Oirans. Each of the four Oirans had their own talents and were as beautiful as flowers. Madam Hua feared losing clientele and thus insisted she remove her veil to continue enticing those young lords to support the Tianxiang Pavilion and herself, Xi Yan.

Xi Yan looked at the beautiful person in the copper mirror, slowly placing the veil over her face. After playing a few pieces, it would be time to unveil. Holding the veil, she thought of Gu Chengyu.

A few days ago, Gu Chengyu had a chance to see her face but gave up that opportunity. Later when he was imprisoned, she wanted to visit him but heard that exam fraud was a serious crime and family was not allowed to visit, so she didn’t go.

But later she heard Hua Lian had visited him and had seen Gu Chengyu, which surprised her greatly. Hearing that Gu Chengyu had been released, and the court had cleared their name, she was genuinely happy for him. Yet today, the most deserving person to see her unveil was not here.

"Who is that young man sitting at the elegant seat over there? It seems I haven’t seen him before," Lu Chen asked the young lord beside him, starting to become curious about Gu Chengyu.

Yu Ting was initially sitting a bit further from Lu Chen, his body blocked by someone else, so Gu Chengyu hadn’t seen him earlier.

Now hearing Lu Chen’s inquiry, he looked across the room. Wasn’t that Gu Chengyu? Hmph! Luck was on his side; he got out of prison after all. Who could have imagined that this Imperial Examination fraud case turned out to be baseless?

Even though Gu Chengyu was imprisoned, as long as someone vouched for him, he could still partake in the Imperial Examination. Once he participated in the Imperial Examination, he would be an official of the Dayan Dynasty, and Gu Chengyu would probably become even more arrogant.

Last time, Gu Chengyu ruined his plans, costing him three hundred taels of silver. For several days, he had no money to use. His mother had to secretly give him some behind his father’s back, otherwise, he wouldn’t have dared to come to Tianxiang Pavilion today.

"That’s Gu Jieyuan, famous throughout the Capital. Brother Chen should have heard of him."

"Oh? So, it’s him? I heard his poetry is excellent. I must appreciate his works today, to see if Gu Jieyuan, highly regarded even by the Fourth Prince, is truly deserving of the reputation."

Lu Chen was different from his elder brother; his elder brother was close to the Eldest Prince, whereas he was a best friend with the Fourth Prince. A few years ago, when the Fourth Prince was still healthy, he loved to study Gu Chengyu’s poetry collection, almost as if he were enchanted.

Lu Chen scrutinized Gu Chengyu again; the saying, "with books in one’s belly, one naturally carries an aura," truly described people like him, didn’t it? Gu Chengyu’s every move matched those of noble families, astonishingly, as he had grown up in a farming family yet possessed such grace.

After casting one more glance at Gu Chengyu’s face, Lu Chen stopped looking. Gu Chengyu had long been aware someone was watching him from that side and had also seen Yu Ting. Knowing Yu Ting and Lu Chen were together was not surprising to him.

The Yu Mansion was also an aristocratic family; in the Capital, only children from families of equal status could play together. Those not in the same class could only end up as followers.

Gu Chengyu turned his eyes toward the high platform, where the dance had just ended. Sitting upright and proper, if he spotted Hua Lian, he’d take action, first buying her first night, and then redeeming her.

Gu Chengyu thought about it, but the thought made him uncomfortable. Buying a woman’s first night, hmm...

Madam Hua led the girls to the stage from behind the curtain. Instantly, the crowd below perked up, ready for the main event.

A total of eight girls came up, and sure enough, among them, Gu Chengyu spotted Hua Lian.

Specially dressed today, she wore a high-waisted ruqun, the plain silk material faintly revealing her slender arms. This attire elevated Hua Lian’s original six out of ten appearance to a radiant beauty.

Especially with her delicate and pitiful demeanor, Gu Chengyu noted many men were already staring at her, ready to spend extravagantly. Gu Chengyu felt uneasy; how much more money would he have to waste?

Gu Chengyu observed Hua Lian carefully. Her eyes were dull and her smile forced, seeming to be bravely smiling, wasn’t she unwilling?

Sighing, Gu Chengyu thought he was in for quite a financial drain today. He considered securing the top spot, saving Hua Lian without spending a dime. Yet, with so many talented individuals today, not to mention the bustling environment, he didn’t want to get involved; maybe it was better to wait and see!