Chapter 5 - What To Do if You’re the Villain and the Heroine Likes You

The main patrons of the Chunfeng Tower were generally self-proclaimed playboys or wealthy young masters. These people were good at talking and were often mediocre in their skills. When they saw Chu Fan and another person achieving a "8 to 2" score on the martial arts stage, a group of people couldn't sit still. "Nonsense! It's obviously a well-matched fight, how can the scoring be so biased? This favoritism is too obvious!" "Liu, don’t worry, we'll ensure fair judgment for you." "Exactly, if you lose, you must lose graciously!" Liu Kai Xiong was the defeated one, and he looked embarrassed, saying, "Anyway, I lost. It doesn't matter how they scored it." The group of people made a commotion, attracting many glances. Chu Fan returned to his seat, feeling strange himself. "Xiao Xiao, Chunfeng Tower is not simple. I deliberately held back, pretending to narrowly defeat Liu Kai Xiong, but I didn't expect this to be noticed." Chu Xiao Xiao pointed to the martial arts platform and smiled, "Big brother, don't underestimate the warriors here. This is the capital of Da Qi, and it's only natural that there are hidden talents here." Chu Fan's eyes lit up. "Yes! Du Yin Yun is the daughter of Du Lie. She was born in a family of martial artists and has been influenced since childhood. It's not surprising that she can see through me." Du Yin Yun! The sweet smile still hung on Chu Xiao Xiao's face, but under the unnoticed table, her fair and jade-like fingers effortlessly ground a glass of colored wine into powder. "Brother! Not her," coaxed Chu Xiao Xiao. Only then did Chu Fan realize that there were not only five young ladies sitting on the martial arts platform but also a famous dandy, the son of Wuqing Marquis, He Yun Xiao. "Could it be He Yun Xiao?" Chu Xiao Xiao, with her eyebrows bent, pointed to her chin with her finger, tilting her head slightly. "Mmm... It should be him. I've heard that this Marquis has the strength of a seventh rank." The seventh rank strength was quite impressive. Out of natural affinity for generals and martial artists, the more Chu Fan thought, the more convinced he became of He Yun Xiao's actions. He couldn't help but whisper, "Xiao Xiao, do you think it's possible that He Yun Xiao is not as much of a dandy, but is acting arrogantly to protect the Wuqing Marquis's residence?" Chu Xiao Xiao placed her hands on her lap and gently shook her head docilely. "Xiao Xiao doesn’t know, but Xiao Xiao trusts big brother's judgment." Chu Fan changed tactics. "Do you dislike He Yun Xiao then?" After a brief moment of contemplation, Chu Xiao Xiao shook her head. "I don't dislike him," she said. Chu Fan nodded, thinking to himself, "Xiao Xiao's intuition has always been accurate. If she says she doesn't dislike him, then He Yun Xiao is probably not a bad person. However, it seems like He Yun Xiao is the first man that Xiao Xiao doesn’t dislike? Moreover, despite his disrespectful behavior and even physical advances toward Xiao Xiao, she still doesn't dislike him?" Xiao Xiao was already sixteen years old, the age of budding womanhood. Just now, when she went to buy candied haws, He Yun Xiao even helped her... The more Chu Fan thought about it, the more uneasy he became. "Xiao Xiao, do you dislike me then?" As Chu Fan asked, Xiao Xiao's cheeks turned slightly red, her gaze flickering, and she spoke anxiously. "Brother, why do you suddenly ask such a thing?" Seeing that his sister didn’t want to answer, Chu Fan had to laugh and change the subject. However, even he was unaware that his gaze toward He Yun Xiao on the martial arts platform became inexplicably dangerous. ... He Yun Xiao had no idea of the many thoughts going through the protagonist Chu Fan's mind. He was now Chu Xiao Xiao's younger brother, and his sole task was to drive away "bad women" like Du Yin Yun from Chu Fan's side. He added wine and food for Sister Jiang, while also stealing glances at the elegant woman in the green dress on his right. Du Yin Yun didn't lean on the chair like ordinary women but sat upright at all times, her body outlined like a gourd in the close-fitting clothes. She had a neutral expression, but upon closer inspection, there was a kind of indistinct sorrow in her eyes and brows, a sorrow that was particularly pitiable. Her favorability should be quite high, but I wonder how much she favors Chu Fan. As He Yun Xiao was contemplating, the system suddenly popped up a prompt. [Hint: To view the target's favorability toward others, both parties need to be in each other's line of sight.] In each other’s line of sight? An idea dawned on He Yun Xiao, and he promptly stood up. "Sister, are your shoulders sore?" Jiang Wu You didn't know what trick He Yun Xiao was up to, so she hurriedly advised, "The next martial arts competition is about to begin. Since you’re planning to score for Sister, pay full attention to it." "What's so interesting about men fighting? My sister's sore shoulders are the top priority." He Yun Xiao stood behind Jiang Wu You and began kneading her shoulders without a word. This act might seem ordinary to modern people, but in the underdeveloped Da Qi country, it held great significance. A child massaging their mother's shoulders is filial piety; a wife massaging her husband's shoulders is virtuous; and a husband massaging his wife's shoulders is affectionate. Apart from these three, due to gender distinctions, even lovers rarely got to hold hands, let alone massage each other. Moreover, He Yun Xiao was not just an ordinary man, but a Marquis's son! Titles in Da Qi were hereditary, and as the legitimate eldest son, He Yun Xiao was the next generation of Wusheng Marquis. Even though his reputation was very poor, his official status was extraordinary. Even if no one cared about He Yun Xiao himself, they would still care about his father, a prominent general. Therefore, although He Yun Xiao was usually arrogant and disrespectful, being a Marquis's son, massaging a courtesan’s shoulders and back was still outlandish. Not just Du Yin Yun and the other girls, but even some of the diners downstairs were stirring. "Yang Qi, look!" They looked up and were immediately astonished. "A Marquis's son, massaging a courtesan? How disgraceful is that?" Yang Qi, in his twenties, with handsome looks, was greatly perplexed when he witnessed He Yun Xiao's actions. "Brother Yang, you're this year's top scholar and a court official. He Yun Xiao is from a lowly background and is undermining our martial artists. What will become of us if this continues?" Yang Qi said in a deep voice, "I may be a court official, but He Yun Xiao is a Marquis's son. The Marquis's power is deep-rooted, I've only recently joined the government and thus, unheard-of." Everyone present was in their twenties; some were students who had come from afar to study in the capital, while others were housemen temporarily residing under various officials. Yang Qi continued, "Qian Yuan, you are currently residing under the Minister of Rites, are you not?" The young man named Qian Yuan immediately spoke, "Yes. I'm also from Jiangnan. I'm currently residing at the same residence as Minister Li." "The Minister of Rites is the current Empress Dowager's nephew and the Imperial Princess's cousin. With such a connection, I believe he can exert influence on the Wuqing Marquis's household. However, it’s too impertinent to directly invite the Minister. It's better to invite the Minister's son, Li Jin." Qian Yuan and the others were a little perplexed. Why did it suddenly shift to the Minister of Rites and then to the Empress Dowager? Finally, Qian Yuan asked, "Brother Yang, why should we invite Li Jin over?" Yang Qi pointed and motioned for them to come closer. "Ten years ago, the late Emperor personally led an expedition to Northern Yan and passed away shortly after returning. At that time, the Crown Prince was still young, so he ordered the Empress and the Prime Minister to govern the country. The Prime Minister at the time was the present Prime Minister Han Wenxin, and the Empress is the current Empress Dowager." Everyone nodded, indicating their understanding. Yang Qi continued, "The Empress Dowager lacks the ability to govern and has appointed her relatives, nearly forcing the officials to demand that the current Emperor take back the late Emperor's edict." At this point, he came to a halt. They looked at each other; everyone knew that the current Emperor was only eleven years old at that time. How could he understand matters of edicts or not? It was obvious that Prime Minister Han Wenxin was seizing power from the Empress Dowager. Yang Qi went on, "The Empress Dowager was in a predicament and didn't want to hand over power to the Prime Minister, and with the Emperor so young, she could only hand over power to the Emperor's sister, Princess Meng Qing Qian." "Recently," Yang Qi lowered his voice even more, "the situation in the court is more tense than before. The Wuqing Marquis belongs to the Prime Minister's faction, while the Minister of Rites is firmly under the Empress Dowager's faction. Princess Meng won't let the opportunity to suppress the Prime Minister's faction slip by." After hearing this, everyone sat up straight, only Qian Yuan quickly bid goodbye and hurried off to the Minister of Rites’s residence.