Shangguan Yunfei pinched his chin and furrowed his brows, saying, "Mr. Chen, I can understand the upper couplet and the horizontal scroll, but this lower couplet... does it not seem quite out of place?"
The Imperial Music Bureau was a place of entertainment and indulgence, utterly inconsistent with the notion of "integrity."
Chen Mo replied lightly, "Brother Shangguan might want to try reading it backwards."
After trying, Shangguan Yunfei fell into silence.
After a long while, he shook his head and sighed, "Truly worthy of Mr. Chen, such a realm is beyond us."
Yu’er gazed at the powerful brush strokes that shimmered in her eyes.
"Master’s calligraphy is truly beautiful!"
Although Chen Mo was a martial artist, being a civil servant later on, how could he not be proficient in calligraphy?
As a child, he had endured many a spanking which helped him master this bold cursive script, demonstrating robust energy and character.
Yu’er hugged Chen Mo’s arm, rubbing it like a large grapefruit, and coquettishly said, "Master, could you write one for me too? I want to take it home and hang it up."
Such a small request, naturally Chen Mo would not refuse.
Looking at Yu’er’s alluring face under the candlelight, he pondered for a moment before penning something down.
The scholar from the Imperial College leaned in and was immediately stunned when he saw the seven characters on the paper.
"My flowers bloom, thus all others perish!"
The words were simple yet carried overwhelming momentum, virtual murderous aura nearly piercing through the paper!
It perfectly matched Yu’er’s experience of defeating all beauties and winning the title of Oiran at the Hundred Flowers Meeting!
Yu’er’s face lit up with joy, holding the rice paper delightedly.
The scholar finally regained his composure, his breathing hurried, and asked, "Mr. Chen, this should be a seven-character poem, right? Could you complete it? I really can’t contain my curiosity."
Chen Mo shook his head, saying, "It was a spur-of-the-moment creation, just this one line."
He remembered this was supposed to be a reverse poem... copying one line should suffice; copying more might invite trouble.
The scholar walked away dejectedly.
At this moment, Zi Yan’er also approached, her voice sultry, "Mr. Chen, could you also write a piece for me?"
Her purple gown dipped low at the neckline, vaguely revealing cleavage, her soft body pressing against Chen Mo, eyes almost overflowing with seduction.
Yu’er, hands on her hips, glared at her indignantly.
"Enough," Chen Mo pinched Yu’er’s cheek, turned his head to Zi Yan’er and said, "I can write it, but you must promise to take it home and hang it up."
Zi Yan’er nodded repeatedly, "Rest assured, my lord, I will definitely frame it and hang it high above my door."
Chen Mo wielded his brush, leaving behind seven characters before rising to his feet and saying,
"I shall take my leave now, gentlemen continue to enjoy. If you fancy later tonight, you could rest at The Cloudwater Hall, and there’s no need to pay, just mention my name."
"Mr. Chen is so generous!"
"Take care, let’s meet another day!"
Chen Mo bowed and departed with Yu’er.
The people at the table watched his fading figure and couldn’t help but shake their heads in admiration.
Being able to mingle with Shangguan Yunfei, they must all have a significant background, and they had heard about Mr. Chen’s reputation.
Overbearing and domineering, cutting down colleagues and even superiors, a fierce man who could split worms vertically and scatter egg yolks!
Now it appears, the rumors were not entirely true.
What a modest and courteous gentleman...
Zi Yan’er looked at the characters on the paper, her beautiful brows furrowed, puzzled.
"Snapping halberds and spilling wine abates the sadness?"
"What does this mean..."
The night deepened, and the festivities dispersed.
The drunken guests took their ladies to rest, each courtyard issuing different levels of seismic warnings.
However, Zi Yan’er’s residence remained deserted.
Inside her bedroom, Zi Yan’er was removing her makeup in the mirror. Her close maid incessantly chattered,
"Miss, you were really too impulsive tonight!"
"Even if you wanted to ensnare Chen Mo, you shouldn’t have been so hasty!"
"In front of everyone, offending all the previous esteemed clients, how will you manage in the future..."
Zi Yan’er said indifferently.
The maid still wanted to speak, but suddenly felt a chill down her spine, her body breaking out in cold sweat—a sensation of extreme danger!
It seemed if she spoke another word, she would drop dead on the spot!
Zi Yan’er looked at her beautiful face in the mirror, her lips curving into a faint smile, a dark golden flash in her right eye.
"Actually interested in a dead person? Tsk, what a peculiar taste."
Chen Mo sat leisurely in his chair.
Gu Manzhi gently held a teapot, with wisps of tea fragrance rising, while Yu’er stood behind him massaging his shoulders.
"Is the case in the Northern Territory all taken care of?" Gu Manzhi asked.
Chen Mo nodded, "It’s handled... oh, and I also found something tasty for Yu’er."
Yu’er’s eyes brightened, she tied up her hair and immediately knelt on the floor.
Chen Mo caught her hand undoing his belt, said exasperatedly, "That’s not what I meant!"
Under Yu’er’s bewildered eyes, he took out a fist-sized red fruit, even from a distance, one could sense the bursting vitality within it.
Gu Manzhi was stunned, "What is this?"
Chen Mo grinned, "Eating this, you wouldn’t really consider someone a dead person, would you?"