The Fragile Chu Xiaoxiao

 Chapter 3

In the bustling hall of Chunfeng Tower, the unassuming protagonist quietly nestled into a corner.

While his appearance may have appeared commonplace, the steely resolve burning within his eyes bespoke a depth of character befitting a true protagonist.

Although seated in a brothel, his hand never left his sword.

Because for him, in this city of Yinjing, where gold, silver, and power intertwined, the only reliance was the sword in his hand.

Disregarding the fine wine within his cup, Chu Fan adjusted his posture, his gaze steady upon the entrance of Chunfeng Tower until a slender figure materialized, then he relaxed.

Chu Xiaoxiao's appearance was outstanding, notably her innocent and captivating girl-next-door demeanor, a striking contrast within the ambiance of Chunfeng Tower

Along the way, dozens of eyes stared straight at her.

However, no soul dared to make a move, for moments prior to the feast's commencement, the notorious libertine of Yinjing, He Yunxiao, had announced his desire to share the moon's radiance with Miss Chu.

He was a heir to the marquisate son so ordinary people didn't dare to provoke his wrath.

Chu Fan looked at his sister ashis left hand gripping the sword hilt.

Although Xiaoxiao was not his biological sister, they had depended on each other for many years. Although they were not related by blood, their bond was stronger than blood. 

'Damn that He scoundrel, disregarding the law and making trouble in Yinjing, even intending harm Xiaoxiao. Tonight, I will rid the people of this scourge!'

As Chu Xiaoxiao returned to her seat, Chu Fan suppressed his inner thoughts and said gently, "I told you there were no candied haws* at the door, but you insisted on going to see."

[T/N- Candied haws, also known as "tanghulu" (糖葫芦) in Chinese, are a traditional Chinese snack made by coating hawthorn berries with a layer of hardened sugar syrup.]

Chu Xiaoxiao pouted and said, "Not only were there none at the door, there weren't any further down the street either."

Chu Fan smiled indulgently, "If there aren't any, then there aren't any. Eating some preserved fruits will do just fine."

Chu Xiaoxiao reached out with her chopsticks to pick up a crab from the table.

"I want to eat this."

But Chu Fan lightly tapped her hand with the end of his chopsticks and said, "Crabs are cold in nature, and you've always had poor health since you were young. Don't indulge yourself."

Chu Xiaoxiao stuck out her tongue at her brother and said sweetly, "I know."

However, she quickly changed the subject.

"I just went to the street next door and encountered a few beggars."

Chu Fan's heart skipped a beat, and the sword flashed out of its sheath an inch. He asked anxiously, "Are you okay? How did those people treat you? Did you get hurt?"

Chu Xiaoxiao said, "No, luckily Mr. He passed by and helped me out."

Chu Fan frowned, "He Yunxiao? He does good deeds?"

Chu Xiaoxiao tilted her head in thought and said, "Mr. He is completely different in private from what the rumors say. It seems like his usual arrogance and domineering behavior are deliberate."

He Yunxiao was now her puppet, to be used to deal with the bad women who tried to seduce her dear brother, so she couldn't just let him be killed at will.

Chu Fan completely trusted Chu Xiaoxiao's words. He immediately thought that He Yunxiao's father, Wu Qinghou* He Yuanhao, was a general in the military, just like his father, Chu Tianzhu, who had had an accident many years ago, and the deputy general who was beheaded two years ago, Du Lie, were both respected generals in the military.

[T/N- I said that , previously to wu quinghou is a military title unique to china, and as I have no knowledge about those I will stick with it]

Could it be that He Yunxiao's usual arrogance is deliberate to mask his clumsy nature in the world of Nobles?

It's not impossible, in fact, it's entirely possible!

Setting aside his tightly clutched sword, Chu Fan reached for his wine glass . Observing the clear contents within his vessel, he resolved in his heart to restore his father's honor and ensure justice prevails in Kingdom of Da Qi.

■⁠-⁠■┻⁠━⁠┻■⁠-⁠■

To be fair, being the antagonist is really miserable, but it's also really cool!

After bidding farewell to Jiang Wuyou, He Yunxiao returned to the hall of Chunfeng Tower and quickly got into the swing of things.

Drinking heavily, eating heartily, and engaging in rough play, he was the life of the party.

Not only did no one find him noisy, but people even came to make friends with him from time to time.

At first, some of the young gentlemen at his table felt that He Yunxiao seemed a bit different from before, but after He Yunxiao told a couple of adult jokes, their relationship warmed up again.

However, this time, no matter how they joked or made noise, He Yunxiao's gaze never again fell in the direction of Chu Xiaoxiao.

Chu Fan, who was observant by nature, noticed everything.

He Yunxiao's actions just confirmed his suspicions. This He brother was indeed tarnishing his reputation to protect his family.

Soon, the opening ceremony ended, and the newest addition to the Spring breeze flower , Du Yinyun, appeared with a maid carrying a copper gong.

Although everyone in the hall had seen the Spring Breeze Flower during the opening ceremony, they were still in reverence by Du Yinyun's beauty.

With lacquer-like eyes, blood-red lips, eyebrows like distant mountains, and skin as white as snow.

Expressionless, seemingly cold and indifferent, with a slight frown between her eyebrows, as if worried and troubled.

Du Yinyun folded her hands in front of her and walked gracefully, not with the common gait of a woman of the low-birth, but with the usual etiquette of a lady of the boudoir.

This demeanor inevitably made everyone think of her identity.

The daughter of General Du Lie!

With such an identity bonus, even those who were not originally interested in vying for the Spring breeze flower's favor couldn't help but feel excited.

As she approached, everyone got a clear view of her attire.

Even He Yunxiao, who had rich experience from his previous life, was impressed.

This girl was originally indifferent and cold, a veritable ice beauty, but now she was dressed in thin gauze, and as she moved, her fragrant shoulders and thighs were hidden and revealed in the gauze.

[T/N-this type of dress ->Link]

It aroused people's curiosity.

The owner of Chunfeng Tower really is talented!

He Yunxiao couldn't help but sigh in admiration.

Du Yinyun walked to the center of the hall, the center of the martial arts stage, intending to announce the rules for the martial arts competition, but unexpectedly, she made eye contact with Chu Fan in the audience.

He Yunxiao felt something was wrong. Was the protagonist's halo really that terrifying? Could they even lock eyes like this?

But what was even more terrifying than the protagonist's halo was the bell in Chu Xiaoxiao's hand!

Ding!

A sound that only those who had taken the Soul-Eating Pill could hear rang in He Yunxiao's ear.

Instantly, a million ants seemed to be biting his muscles and blood vessels.

The pain was indescribable, and compared to it, death would be a relief.

If it weren't for the "Poison Resistance Enhancement" he had picked up earlier, He Yunxiao would probably be rolling on the ground in agony right now.

He endured the momentary pain and knew in his heart that Chu Xiaoxiao was asking him to do something.

'Damn it! Chu Xiaoxiao, can't you just wait a little!'

Dealing with someone like Du Yinyun requires being different from the others. Otherwise, why would she ignore everyone's naked stares and only meet the clear eyes of the protagonist?

He Yunxiao knew this, but he couldn't use it because he had long been "infamous". In the eyes and ears of the people of the capital, no one believed that He Yunxiao had clear eyes.

So he adopted a laid-back attitude and shouted loudly, "Miss Du, stop wasting time! Let's get on with the martial arts competition!"

Du Yinyun, standing on the stage, was naturally turned to look at him when He Yunxiao shouted.

At first, she was amazed by He Yunxiao's handsomeness, but then she secretly regretted it.

Such a good-looking face was actually being occupied by a frivolous playboy, what a waste.

Du Yinyun was not like Jiang Wuyou, who was purely interested in appearance. After all, she was the daughter of General Du Lie and had been educated in the ways of scholars and ladies from a young age, loyal to the country.

He Yunxiao might be handsome, but his character was not good, and she would never like him.

[Du Yinyun's favorability decreased from 30 to 25]

Du Yinyun looked away from He Yunxiao, her voice sounded cold as she announced the rules of the martial arts competition.

Basically, everyone would spar, and the five Chunfeng Tower girls, including Du Yinyun, would judge. Each point would be a "gold flower". The top ten scorers would advance to the next round of competition.

In addition, with rewards one could also earn extra gold flowers.*

[T/N- just buying the gold Flowers from other candidates even he losses his own match]

In this way, the ultimate winner would either be highly skilled in martial arts or have a lot of money, and Chunfeng Tower would profit either way.

After announcing the rules, Du Yinyun scanned the hall and looked at Chu Fan and He Yunxiao.

One was ordinary-looking but with clear eyes, while the other was exceptionally handsome but had a notorious and vulgar reputation.

Du Yinyun had conflicting thoughts.

On the one hand, she admired Chu Fan very much and didn't want such a person to compete and quarrel over her. On the other hand, she hoped if she have to greet the customer then she prefers Chu Fan. After all, compared to those who did nothing good, she preferred to be with a gentleman.

As for He Yunxiao, Du Yinyun had another thought.

Genaral Wu Qinghou He Yuanhao was a famous general of his generation, superior to her own father in both military command and battle achievements. How could such a talent give birth to a worthless scoundrel like He Yunxiao? When it came time to judge the competition later, she would discuss with her sister to lower this scoundrel's score and make sure he didn't make it into the top ten. Hopefully, this would make him behave and focus on the right path.

Arriving at the observation platform, the maid with the copper gong was already ready. After introducing the five judges, she announced the start of the martial arts competition!

However, to everyone's surprise, this time the martial arts competition was judged by two Spring breeze Flowers!

The other Spring breeze Flower was none other than the famous Jiang Wuyou, the pride of Yinjing!

Normally, there should have been only one Spring breeze Flower and four courtesan consisting the five judges, and the courtesans would not be chosen from among the popular ones, but rather from among the less famous ones who passed their heydays . Having two Spring breeze Flower to judge was a bit irregular, but no one raised any objections.

Having one more beautiful woman was a welcome sight.

If they hadn't caught the eye of Du Yinyun, being noticed by Jiang Wuyou would also be a welcome sight.

The already very Coveted martial arts competition registration became even more Sought-after, and in the end, even Chu Fan stood up to register, while He Yunxiao remained seated without making a move.

It was impossible for him to register.

If I go to the martial arts competition, won't I just be offering my head to be chopped off by Chu Fan?

Du Yinyun frowned at He Yunxiao, because this guy, even until the end of the registration, still didn't participate.

Not only did he not participate, he even ordered a table of lavish food for himself, it seemed he was prepared to eat and drink to his heart's content.

Seeing He Yunxiao like this even made Du Yinyun doubt her own appearance.

'I've heard that he's fond of wine and women, so why is he indifferent to me? Could it be that my appearance simply doesn't catch his eye?'

However, He Yunxiao was ultimately not an important person to Du Yinyun. She didn't dwell on this thought and quickly shifted her focus to the event. 

Soon, her gaze fell on the rostrum because Chu Fan, with his clear unwavering eyes, was about to begin his match.

"The competition begins!"

As the copper gong sounded, the audience cheered, and Chu Fan and his opponent moved simultaneously.

At this moment, He Yunxiao in the audience also acted.

He coughed loudly, immediately attracting many eyes. Then, in full view of everyone, he lifted a table full of food with one hand, swaggered past the martial arts stage, and headed towards the observation platform on the second floor.

"Damn! He Yunxiao is too bold!"

"Lifting a table full of food with one hand, he must be at least a seventh-ranked martial artist!"

"Not only that, look at the wine in the bowls on the table, as stable as a mirror, without any ripples. He Yunxiao definitely has cultivation beyond the seventh rank!"

All eyes in the audience were on He Yunxiao, and no one paid any attention to Chu Fan on the martial arts Rostrum.

Including Du Yinyun.

She watched as He Yunxiao carried the table over, her brows furrowing slightly.

Trying to get my attention with this method?Child's play.

But unexpectedly, He Yunxiao didn't even look at her. Instead, he walked to the side of Jiang Wuyou while carrying the table.

He then flashed a dazzling smile at Jiang Wuyou.

"Sister Jiang, wine, food, or this beautiful Man, which one do you prefer?"

~~~Ending~~~