The forbidden love between a ghost and a villain

Jiya Pavilion is luxurious enough on weekdays, comparable to the imperial palace with its carved beams and painted buildings.

But today is a little different from the past.

Today is the performance day of Meng Niang, a prostitute in Jiya Pavilion.

Before the evening hour, there was already a bustling crowd of people and cars outside Jiya Pavilion.

Dignitaries flocked to the palace just to catch a glimpse of Meng Niang's beauty.

Inside the building, it was bustling with activity, and the guests were packed.

The sounds of stringed instruments and the fragrance of clothes and the shadows of hair reveal an atmosphere of decadence and extravagance everywhere.

This was Li Chengze's first time in the Jiya Pavilion. He was not a person who coveted pleasure.

If it weren't for the invitation from his classmates today, he probably wouldn't have even set foot in this place of fireworks.

But the moment he stepped into Jiya Pavilion, he was shocked by the scene before him.

The carved mahogany partitions and exquisite screens show luxury everywhere.

Girls in gorgeous clothes shuttled among them, chatting sweetly and casting seductive glances, which was dazzling to the eyes.

"Brother Chengze, look, that's Meng Niang!"

The classmate nudged Li Chengze with his elbow, signaling him to look at the center of the stage.

I saw a woman in a simple dress sitting in front of a guqin. Her face was covered with a veil, but her beauty could not be concealed.

Her delicate fingers plucked the strings, and beautiful music poured out like flowing water.

Sometimes it is crisp and pleasant, sometimes it is low and melodious, making people intoxicated and intoxicated.

Li Chengze felt his heart tremble, as if an invisible string was plucked.

He had never seen such a beautiful and elegant woman, nor had he ever heard such a moving piano music.

He involuntarily walked closer to the stage, wanting to see the woman's face more clearly.

"Brother Chengze, Brother Chengze! Quickly wipe your saliva!"

As Yan Wenyue spoke, she reached out to pull Li Chengze's sleeve, trying to pull him back from his obsession.

Li Chengze came back to his senses after being called by Yan Wenyue, and subconsciously reached out to wipe the corner of his mouth.

But he found nothing and immediately blushed.

"Brother Yan, please stop making fun of me."

Li Chengze said in a low voice shyly, but his eyes involuntarily drifted to Meng Niang in the center of the stage again.

Yan Wenyue looked at Li Chengze's expression, knowing what he was thinking, and laughed and joked:

"Brother Chengze, we are all scholars. It is impolite for you to stare at a girl like this."

Li Chengze knew that Yan Wenyue was teasing him, but he was powerless to refute her and could only smile awkwardly:

"Miss Mengniang's piano playing is superb. I was so mesmerized by her that I lost my composure for a moment. I hope you can forgive me."

"It's not that easy to see Meng Niang,"

Yan Wenyue lowered her voice, speaking mysteriously.

"There is a rule in Jiya Pavilion: if you want to see Meng Niang, you must compose a poem.

If the poem can move Meng Niang, then there will be a chance to meet her."

Yan Wenyue pulled Li Chengze to find a table to sit down and continued

"Meng Niang is a rare courtesan in Jiya Pavilion. Many princes and nobles want to bow down to her.

If Brother Chengze really likes it, why not write a poem and send it to him?"

Li Chengze felt even more upset after hearing what Yan Wenyue said.

He knew that a woman like Meng Niang was not something a poor scholar like him could dream of.

"No need, I'm just a poor scholar." Li Chengze said self-deprecatingly.

When the song ended, the sound of the piano faded away, Meng Niang plucked the zither gently and stood up gracefully.

He nodded slightly to the audience and turned back to his own room.

The room named "Shuyu Pavilion" is decorated in an elegant and unique style, which is completely different from the luxurious style of Jiya Pavilion.

Under the hollow carved window lattice, there is a Huanghuali wood desk.

It was covered with rice paper, which contained the poems sent today.

While helping Mengniang take off the pearl hairpin on her head, Xiaocui couldn't help complaining:

"Girl, these poems today are so vulgar,

They all praise your beauty, but not a single one of them catches your eye."

Meng Niang chuckled and didn't take it seriously, letting Xiao Cui throw all the poems into the trash can.

On the dressing table, there are all kinds of pearl hairpins and jewelry, all of which are treasures sent by princes and nobles.

But Mengniang only loves a white jade hairpin, which is simple and elegant, just like her.

And those exquisitely crafted brocade boxes were piled up in the corners of the room, with no one paying attention to them.

At this time, the hall of Jiya Pavilion was still bustling with activity.

Yan Wenyue was surrounded by several women who were scantily clad and heavily made-up, and the sound of them urging him to drink was endless.

Although he was born into a merchant family, he had no money-grubbing aura. Instead, he was handsome and extraordinary.

With his witty conversation and generous spending, he was naturally the object of flattery by these prostitutes.

Li Chengze sat aside, watching Yan Wenyue handle the situation with ease.

I can't help but sigh in my heart, this friend is really a natural businessman,

No wonder he was able to manage the family business so well at such a young age.

Yan Wenyue also noticed Li Chengze's silence, picked up the wine glass and walked to him, smiling and jokingly said:

"Brother Chengze, why are you so depressed? Are you still thinking about that Meng Niang?"

Li Chengze shook his head and refused the wine offered by the maid beside him, his eyes indifferent:

"Nothing," Li Chengze forced a smile to hide his inner disappointment.

"Brother Yan, thank you for your hospitality today. However, I still have a lot of books to read and I also need to prepare for the imperial examination, so I will go back first."

As he said this, Li Chengze stood up and bowed, preparing to leave.

Seeing this, Yan Wenyue put down the wine glass in his hand and joked with a smile:

"Brother Chengze, why should we be so polite? I invited you here today.

I wanted you to relax, but why are you so reserved?"

Li Chengze shook his head, with a hint of helplessness in his tone:

"Brother Yan, you're joking. It's just that I have something on my mind and I really don't feel like having fun."

Seeing this, Yan Wenyue stopped insisting and patted Li Chengze on the shoulder:

"Well, since that's the case, I won't force you to stay. Go back and study hard.

Try to pass the imperial examination soon, and then come and have a drink with me."

"Thank you, Brother Yan. Goodbye."

Yan Wenyue looked at Li Chengze's departing back, a smile of understanding appeared on her face, but a hint of amusement flashed in her eyes.

In the second half of the night, the streets were quiet and deserted, with only dim lanterns swaying in the wind.

Li Chengze was walking on the way home. The evening breeze was blowing, bringing a bit of coolness.

Maybe it was because of the alcohol, he felt dizzy and his steps became unsteady.

He staggered and almost fell to the ground.

He leaned against the wall and took a deep breath, trying to wake himself up.

But he found a figure standing at the entrance of the alley, which made him alert.

The figure was wearing a large hat that covered most of his face.

The face could not be seen clearly, only a white dress fluttering slightly in the night wind.

Li Chengze stopped and looked at the other person in the dim light, feeling a little confused.

Why is there anyone standing here so late?

The man wearing the bamboo hat seemed to have noticed him as well and turned around slowly.

Under the moonlight, Li Chengze could only see the other person's smooth jawline.

Her skin is whiter than snow, but her appearance cannot be clearly seen.

The two looked at each other quietly for a few seconds.

Then, the figure turned around and disappeared into the darkness of the alley.

Li Chengze only felt a gust of fragrant wind blowing past. The cold fragrance seemed familiar, but he could not remember where he had smelled it.

He rubbed his temples, calmed himself down, and thought that he had drunk too much.

I had hallucinations, so I stopped thinking about it and walked straight towards home.