Fell In Love With My Older Sister’s Friend - Chapter 39

Xing Fei looked at her in surprise: “You were playing outside the door the past two days, and the entrance was blocked. You didn’t even come in to consume anything. How are you supposed to do business?”

It was true. The two people newly hired had caused a stir right after arriving. Meng Fan was fine, being well-behaved, but Lin Qingyue was purely a femme fatale. Just sitting there with her face veiled caused the crowd to surge.

Xing Fei was very glad she had agreed to her request to play masked; otherwise, the entrance would have been completely swamped.

It was just annoying that while many people gathered outside to watch, few came in to spend money. Well, they could watch from outside, so why would anyone need to go in?

So, taking advantage of the local buzz online, she quickly changed the business model, moving both of them inside. Only those who bought tickets could hear and see them.

It really worked. The idea of turning her traditional music shop into a teahouse had always been shot down, and she had only managed to keep it going thanks to the sugar-sister. It was only lunchtime, and the teahouse was already more than half full.

It was all for Lin Qingyue.

Xing Fei was a typical businesswoman. She was happy when she made money, and her attitude improved. As she walked, she enthusiastically introduced the various decorative highlights to the two young ladies, from the carved beams to the painted screens, even mentioning that the tables and chairs were made of Huanghuali wood and the teacups were blue and white porcelain, and so on, without end.

Ying Yingying was very supportive: “Wow, Boss, you’re amazing!”

Xing Fei waved her hand, a hint of shyness appearing on her face: “Not at all, it’s all because of her… she helped.”

The sugar-sister was perfect in every way smart, rich, and knowledgeable about history and culture. Although Xing Fei claimed to be the owner of the traditional music shop, she actually knew next to nothing about it.

Ying Yingying didn’t hear clearly: “Who?”

“Nothing,” Xing Fei said, leading them upstairs. She pointed towards the balcony overlooking the main hall downstairs: “The performers are all down there. We have three tiers of private rooms upstairs. Which one would you like to choose?”

Xu Luzhi leaned on the railing and looked down. The railing felt cool and mellow under her hand, carved with patterns. The design upstairs, however, seemed deliberately set up to obstruct the view. Looking down, one could only vaguely see some figures, with most of the view blocked by pillars.

It did fit the classical Chinese aesthetic, where everything is hidden and tucked away, which is more tempting than revealing everything at once.

Looking up again, she saw Xing Fei’s phoenix eyes narrowed into a smile, and Xu Luzhi immediately understood the hidden meaning in her words.

This meant paying as you go a real rip off.

But since they were already there, Xu Luzhi asked good-naturedly: “What are the differences between each type of room?”

Xing Fei smiled and introduced: “Small rooms come with ordinary tea, ordinary incense, ordinary refreshments, an ordinary viewing angle… and an ordinary amount of time you can stay…”

Ying Yingying interrupted her: “Medium rooms come with medium tea, medium incense, medium refreshments, a medium viewing angle, and a medium stay time?”

“Exactly!” Xing Fei praised: “Young people are so smart, they know how to draw inferences from one another!”

She added: “Oh, and only the Grand Rooms are entitled to invite performers to play for them.”

Of course, what the word “invite” implied didn’t need to be said.

Ying Yingying whispered into Xu Luzhi’s ear: “Which sucker would choose that?”

One trap after another only a lunatic would fall for it.

The next second, she watched in astonishment as Xu Luzhi nodded and calmly said: “Grand Room.”

“Great! This way, please!” As if afraid they might change their minds, Xing Fei moved swiftly, ushering them upstairs in a rush.

After they were seated, she still seemed unconvinced and asked: “Little sister, are you adults yet?”

Xu Luzhi didn’t answer directly, picked up her phone, scanned the code, and said: “I’ll pay first.”

“Alright, tea will be served right away!” Xing Fei swayed out, leaving Ying Yingying and Xu Luzhi looking at each other.

Ying Yingying finally couldn’t hold back, flopped onto the floor in the spacious room, and sighed: “Zhizhi, do you have too much money?”

This amount of money could buy a very good meal. Although they had plenty of allowance, this seemed like excessive spending.

Though to be fair, the sheer exquisiteness of the room alone justified the price. Even the paintings on the wall were originals, and the few decorative vases might even be antiques though not incredibly valuable, the sincerity was certainly present.

Not to mention the top grade tea and incense.

It just felt like it was a complete waste to study for the Five Years of College Entrance Examination, Three Years of Mock Tests in such an environment.

Xu Luzhi shook her head, saying nothing. She waited until Xing Fei came back in to pour the tea, light the incense, serve the refreshments, and then left after pulling the curtain for them, adding: “Just call me anytime if you need anything.”

Ying Yingying took a sip of tea and frowned: “So bitter.”

Xu Luzhi picked up her teacup and took a sip. The cup was a Yue ware piece, and the tea had been brewed skillfully. The liquor was clear and bright, tasting bitter at first, followed by fragrance.

She pursed her lips and concluded: “Huangshan Maofeng.”

It was a very good tea. Paired with the sweet and delicious refreshments and the curling incense smoke, with the melodious music ringing faintly in her ears, it was as if the whole world had suddenly quieted down.

Even the passage of time seemed to slow down. Outside was the bustling, fast paced Lincheng of the modern era; stepping inside was like traveling back to the leisurely ancient times, where one could patiently appreciate a piece of music and sip a cup of tea.

Xu Luzhi opened her mouth, her voice much softer: “You should get started on your homework.”

“Oh.” Ying Yingying reluctantly pulled out her homework from her bag and stared blankly at the white screen, having forgotten to ask Xu Luzhi what she was going to do.

Xu Luzhi sat properly on the mahogany chair, closed her eyes, and listened intently to the music being played.

It was indeed the most expensive room. The music, though played in the main hall downstairs, sounded as if it were right next to her, and the hand plucking the guzheng seemed to strike her heart with every strum.

The music was fluid and full of feeling, stirring her emotions with every note. Just sitting there, it felt as if she experienced a thousand years of joys and sorrows, leading to a great realization.

Xu Luzhi’s long eyelashes trembled. She repeatedly restrained her impulse, waiting until the piece ended before gracefully getting up and moving to the railing, casually glancing down.

Downstairs, screens and pillars were arranged in succession. Several beauties in Hanfu and Qipao sat in chairs, some plucking, some blowing, some resting. Melodious music flowed continuously, never ending.

Xu Luzhi’s heart skipped a beat. Without needing to search intentionally, she could instantly recognize Lin Qingyue’s location.

In the center of the main hall, the woman was veiled, her eyes downcast, her slender hands plucking the strings of a guzheng. Her movements were fluid, yet carried an innate laziness, as if the music being played was too easy for her and she hadn’t devoted much thought to it.

As if sensing something, the woman’s playing did not stop. Suddenly, she looked up and gazed upwards.

Xu Luzhi could not evade in time and was forced to meet Lin Qingyue’s gaze. In that single glance, she unexpectedly crashed into her deep peach blossom eyes, falling into the scattered starlight within them.

Separated by two floors, yet they met so unerringly. Just an accidental glance, and it happened to be her and her.

How small was the probability? Yet it felt like destiny, a one hundred percent possibility.

Xu Luzhi thought blankly, trapped in Lin Qingyue’s peach blossom eyes, unable to escape. Meeting her again after a few days, older sister was devastatingly beautiful, her eyes seemingly capable of captivating souls, easily stealing hers and disrupting her composure.

Her heart felt empty, thinking of nothing but her.

But one second felt like a century. Lin Qingyue lowered her head, and from upstairs, one could only see her crow feather like long hair and her fair, slender neck. The white veil swayed gently, making one feel entranced.

Xu Luzhi vaguely saw a faint, fleeting smile appear on Lin Qingyue’s face, yet perhaps not mysterious and alluring.

Lin Qingyue kept her head down, her slender hands plucking faster and faster. A rendition of Autumn in the Han Palace, accompanied by other instruments, erupted in a cascade of coordinated sound, continuous, mournful, and poignant.

Xu Luzhi was unsure if Lin Qingyue had recognized her. Just looking at her from this distance, so far yet so close, an indescribable sadness inexplicably welled up in her heart.

With a casual tune, Lin Qingyue had played her heart into disarray. All sorts of emotions were stirred into a knot, making Xu Luzhi unable to bear it, feeling a dull urge to cry.

She had always thought of herself as a rational person, capable of enduring and waiting patiently, but at this moment, her emotions were genuinely stirred, even accompanied by an impulse to disregard everything.

No matter what, she wanted to pull Lin Qingyue into her arms and kiss her beauty.

What should I do? Zhizhi seems to have caught a sickness that can only be cured when older sister is by her side.

Older sister, please save Zhizhi, okay?

Xu Luzhi’s eyes were dark and unreadable. When the piece ended and Lin Qingyue rested her hands, she finally could not bear it any longer and rushed out of the room without hesitation to find Xing Fei.

Xing Fei was somewhat surprised by the young lady’s return so quickly, with an indescribable gloomy expression on her face. As soon as she opened her mouth, she named Lin Qingyue specifically.

Without asking how the other party knew Lin Qingyue’s name, Xing Fei said slowly: “Are you sure? Booking her is very expensive, and she can only play in the private rooms. No other services are included.”

Xu Luzhi said coldly: “It doesn’t matter.”

“Alright,” Xing Fei said, then remembered something: “You asked for Lin Qingyue, right? She’s unavailable.”

Xu Luzhi pressed closer: “Why unavailable?”

Xing Fei shook her head helplessly: “She just started, and too many people want to book her. She’s being temperamental and won’t accept these kinds of requests at all.”

The beauty, though stunning, was a rose with thorns, full of strange rules. Veiling her face was fine, but refusing customers who booked her to play was another matter.

Meng Fan was better though her technique was slightly inferior, she was obedient, quiet, reserved, and cooperative.

But since Lin Qingyue was the face of the establishment, everything she did could be forgiven. Playing in the main hall was fine; it attracted people just the same.

Xu Luzhi understood the implication. She paused for a moment, then a hint of inappropriate secret delight popped up in her mind.

The thought that no one could enjoy Lin Qingyue’s private performance gave her a hidden sense of joy.

It was right that older sister wasn’t going to other people’s rooms, but the client couldn’t be her.

Hearing this, Xu Luzhi was not discouraged. Instead, she smiled even more gently and said: “Then, Boss, could you please go and tell her that… Zhizhi is looking for her?”

Xing Fei was skilled at reading people: “Oh,” she said. “You know each other, right? Okay, I’ll go talk to her.”

Before leaving, she couldn’t help but observe Xu Luzhi subtly. The young lady was radiating nobility, so exceptionally beautiful and lively, while Lin Qingyue was mysterious and charming, exuding a dazzling beauty.

For some reason, even though the two looked completely different, they inexplicably gave the impression of having a story between them.

Xing Fei smiled and shook her head, thinking that after dealing with her sugar sister for so long, she was starting to see everyone as a ji (a term often used for lesbians, though it can also mean prostitute in other contexts, used here likely in a joking, knowing way regarding Sapphic undertones), which was inappropriate.

The little sister just now might not even be an adult how could she have so many romantic notions?

The yet to be adult Xu Luzhi returned to the room and the first thing she did was kick Ying Yingying out.

Ying Yingying clutched her summer homework and looked at her in disbelief: “Didn’t you personally invite me? Why are you kicking me out now?”

Xu Luzhi blinked, looking innocent: “Did I?”

She walked over, put her arm around Ying Yingying’s neck, and coaxed her sweetly: “Just let me have a little time alone, and I’ll book another room for you, okay?”

Ying Yingying suddenly seemed to realize something and exclaimed: “Did you book the beautiful older sister from the day before yesterday?”

Seeing Xu Luzhi tacitly agree, she drooped her head and faked a tragic cry: “Heavens, this is how good sisters who grew up together get used and discarded. Where is justice?!”

Xu Luzhi coldly threw her out. Ying Yingying still clung to the doorframe, licking her lips and asking: “Can I take a peek too? Just one peek?”

“Goodbye,” Xu Luzhi dismissed her, sitting down on the chair with complex feelings, waiting for Lin Qingyue’s arrival.

She believed that if the client was her, older sister would definitely come.

However, their current roles seemed a bit awkward she was the patron, and Lin Qingyue was the musician booked to perform.

But pretending to be authoritative in front of older sister occasionally didn’t seem so bad.

Xu Luzhi thought this, and the bitter tea in her mouth seemed to gain a hint of honeyed sweetness. Unknowingly, she finished a cup.

The sound of the curtain being drawn came from the door of the room. Xu Luzhi looked up, her heart pounding. The next second, Xing Fei’s face appeared.

Xu Luzhi was greatly disappointed. Although the boss wasn’t unattractive, compared to Lin Qingyue, it was the difference between the bright moon and the scattered stars. With Lin Qingyue, she couldn’t see anyone else.

Xing Fei noticed the change in the young girl’s expression and teased her with a smile: “What, very disappointed?”

She turned around and called out: “Come here.”

Xu Luzhi’s eyes lit up.

The next second, the woman in the white veil appeared from behind the curtain, holding her guzheng. Her gauze dress trailed on the floor, her figure graceful, standing there like a willow swaying in the wind.

She looked up, towards the seated Xu Luzhi in the private room. Her peach blossom eyes shimmered with a liquid light, expressing an indescribable tenderness.

Xu Luzhi held her breath, staring at her blankly for a moment, forgetting what she was supposed to say.

She knew Lin Qingyue was beautiful, but seeing her so close up, she was still rendered speechless, not knowing where to put her hands or feet.

Lin Qingyue revealed a faint smile behind her veil and walked forward slowly, like Chang’e from the Moon Palace descending to the mortal world, step by step, each one like a lotus blossom.

At some point, Xing Fei had left, pulling the curtain tightly shut, leaving the space just for the two of them.

Lin Qingyue stopped a few steps away from Xu Luzhi, gently raised her hand, and removed her veil. The white gauze fell to the floor, revealing a face of breathtaking beauty.

Her voice was low, full of laughter: “What, you don’t recognize me anymore, little one?”

Lin Qingyue put down the guzheng, suddenly curved her lips, and as her arm lifted slightly, the outermost gauze robe fell away gracefully.

Xu Luzhi instantly froze there, dumbfounded.