"Besides, don't you still have me?"
They had been friends since they were young. Whenever Ludovic was around, even his father would hold back a bit when scolding him.
"Since Danyang is holding such a grand event lately, why not join in the fun?" Young Master Zhou said with a gentle smile, looking at his extraordinarily handsome friend.
Actually, he himself was not bad looking either. But when standing next to those two, no woman would spare him a second glance.
This trip to Danyang also included a selection event for female performers. He had seen enough noble ladies from the capital, so why not see some delicate and graceful local women?
Maybe there would be someone as uniquely beautiful as Lady Cen.
As Young Master Zhou thought of that, his mind naturally drifted to the slave girl from Citong Town.
He had never seen a woman so stunning and seductive. So dazzling and elegant, she was beyond compare.
He was so close, just a little bit more. Young Master Zhou sighed in frustration.
"Thinking about her again?" Ludovic let out a soft sigh.
"Ludovic, you haven't seen her. You wouldn't understand."
"If I ever see her again, no matter the cost, I must have her," Young Master Zhou said, his eyes firm. "I won't let her escape from me again."
Ludovic looked at Young Master Zhou and thought of the painting he kept hidden away.
Such a beauty did not seem of this world.
Aenwyn was eating with Indigo in the main hall of the inn. To be exact, she was eating while Indigo just watched. He said he had no appetite, even though he was the one who said he was hungry earlier.
As she ate, she listened to the people nearby talking excitedly.
"This time Huashu Studio raised the prize again. First place gets ten thousand."
"Whoa..." someone gasped. Ten thousand gold.
"No wonder all the well-known scholars in the area showed up. They're all aiming for first place."
"That top prize is nothing. Do you all know Artist Oxalis from Huashu Studio was the champion last time?" someone said mysteriously.
"No wonder. Artist Oxalis's painting and calligraphy are top-notch. But I don't get why he only paints erotic art."
"Money talks. Those kinds of paintings sell really well now."
"True. Did you buy the latest edition? That pose, that woman, amazing."
"Heh heh..."
The topic quickly went off track.
In a world where women were scarce, erotic picture books had become bestsellers and were sold openly. No man thought there was anything wrong with it.
Aenwyn listened. If Artist Oxalis was the one who won last time, then this first place—
Sorry, I'm taking it.
Since she was going to attend that so-called major event in the calligraphy and painting world, she needed to understand the basics.
After dinner, Aenwyn asked the waiter.
The full name of this competition was Huashu Meeting. It was organized by Huashu Study and considered a major cultural event. It was held every two years, and the location changed each time.
This year, it would be in Danyang, Danzhou.
The competition was just two days away, and the final registration had already started.
At first, Aenwyn thought Huashu Study was just a shop that sold erotic books.
But that was not the case. Huashu Study was a chain bookstore with branches all over the Qianchu continent, too many to count. It did not only sell erotic books, but also included all kinds of literature and historical texts.
For a bookstore to become such a giant in a feudal monarchy, it was not because it had powerful people supporting it, but because of its lofty status in the cultural world, untouchable by others.
Huashu Study had a rule, similar to a modern library. By paying a small fee, anyone could read as many books as they wanted there. It was a blessing for poor scholars.
Aenwyn did not understand how this rule had not been suppressed by the ruling class at the beginning, but once it grew strong, no one could shake it.
Putting that aside, Aenwyn was only interested in the first prize, not its background.
She carefully looked into the registration rules.
Not just anyone could join the Huashu Meeting. You needed either academic credentials, a recommendation from a literary society, or fame. If not, five people could sign up as a group.
Aenwyn thought about Jia Er's background. No titles, no scholar status, and definitely not famous. And with registration almost closing, she could not even form a group of five.
"There is another way," the waiter said, looking at her and gesturing with his hand.
Aenwyn instantly understood and slipped a silver ingot into his hand.
The waiter grinned, "Actually, a recommendation letter from a famous person also works."
"A recommendation letter?" She was unfamiliar with this place. Where could she get one?
The waiter leaned in and whispered, "I wouldn't tell just anyone, but Mister Curtis is staying here right now, in Room Number One."
Who was Mister Curtis? Aenwyn was confused.
The waiter was shocked, "You don't know who Mister Curtis is?"
He looked at her with an expression that said, if you're not a scholar, why are you even bothering with the Huashu Meeting?
"Of course I know. But I doubt he gives recommendation letters to just anyone." Aenwyn replied, though in truth, she had no idea who Curtis was.
The waiter hesitated. "All I know is that Mister Curtis likes beautiful women. If a female performer or maid goes to ask for a letter, he'll definitely give one."
"Many women have already come to Danyang for the female performer selection. Maybe you could try your luck there." The waiter looked at Aenwyn's petite figure, thinking she might not survive the bodyguards or jealous men.
That was not any easier than asking Curtis for a recommendation. He was just giving a suggestion.
"I think you should just go and watch the event. Even people like us can enjoy the spectacle."
Aenwyn left under the waiter's pitiful gaze.
Room Number One. The name Curtis sounded so familiar to her. She thought for a moment and then suddenly remembered.
It was that Curtis.
The one who wrote travel notes.
When she had first arrived, she had taken a travel book from Indigo's study, and one of the entries made no sense. It made her furious.
In her eyes, and by her standards, he was a cultural hypocrite.
Good-looking? Aenwyn wanted to beat him.
Still, she needed that recommendation letter.
Aenwyn decided to go try her luck at Room Number One.
Room Number One was on the third floor of the inn. When she got there, she could not even reach the stairs. The staircase was crowded with people trying to see Curtis. She could not squeeze through.
By tomorrow morning at the latest, she had to get that recommendation letter.
If not, she could not even register. Thinking about missing out on ten thousand gold made her heart ache.
No way, she had to come up with something.
Aenwyn hurried back to her room. Indigo had taken his medicine and was resting.
"Indigo," she whispered at his bedside. Her voice was soft and trembling, the tone sweet and drawn out.
Indigo turned his head, "What are you doing?"
She had just beaten him up earlier, and now this… He frowned and reached out to touch her forehead.
"I'm not sick." Aenwyn pulled his hand away. "Indigo, I want to do something."
"What is it?"
The young man sensed nothing good. He stayed alert.
"I want to join the Huashu Meeting." Aenwyn pouted, making a tiny hand gesture. "Just one little problem."
"I need a recommendation letter to register."
"What do you need to join the Huashu Meeting for?" Indigo sat up, his breathing heavy.
Aenwyn said, "The first prize is ten thousand gold. I want it." She was confident.
Her skill in calligraphy and painting was unmatched in this era.
She was like someone standing on the shoulders of giants, overlooking this world, backed by five thousand years of brilliant culture from Huaguo.
The so-called prodigies of this world thought they were admiring her brilliance, but they were actually admiring the civilization behind her.
Indigo remembered her stunning paintings and could not bring himself to say no. He liked that confident and focused version of her.
Aenwyn saw he did not object and smiled brightly. Her dimples showed. "No one will notice. I'll be careful."
No one would even think a woman would sneak into such an event.
In Qianchu, women were seen as symbols or breeding tools. Even a hundred years ago, scholarly women were rare.
Now, the only issue was registration.
"To register, I need a recommendation letter. The closest option is Mister Curtis in Room Number One."
"But ordinary people can't see him. If it's a woman, maybe it'll work." Aenwyn had barely finished speaking—
Indigo's face darkened, "No."
"Indigo…"
"No discussion." His phoenix eyes lifted. "If you dare, I'll break your legs."
So fierce.
Aenwyn snorted and turned her back to him.
Seeing her angry, Indigo softened his tone.
"As long as you don't go see that Curtis guy, I'll agree to anything." He leaned his head on her shoulder.
He said gently, "Aenwyn? Don't go see him."
"You'll really agree to anything?"
"Mm."
Aenwyn turned her head with a blooming smile. "Heehee, then you go." she said.
That's right, she came back just to trick Indigo.
Aenwyn never planned to dress as a woman to meet that ridiculous Mister Curtis. Ten thousand taels of gold were not worth that risk.
To reveal herself as a woman just to meet a man, she would have to be insane.
"Me?"
"Yes, you." Aenwyn cupped his face. "My cute and beautiful Indigo."
"I'm a man." He was helpless.
"I know."
"Just dress up as a woman."
Indigo rubbed his forehead. "I'm injured, I can't."
"You just have to sit there and show your face." He was too tall to stand up.
Indigo said, "I'd have to be crazy to agree to this kind of request."
By the time Indigo sat there in a woman's dress, he really was crazy.
Dressed as a woman, Indigo looked like a lotus rising from clear water, naturally beautiful without any need for decoration. Since women here all had a cinnabar mark on their foreheads, Aenwyn even placed one on his forehead too.
Now everything was ready, only Curtis was missing.
"Mister Curtis, a courtesan wishes to see you."
Mister Curtis thought he misheard. "A courtesan?"
"Yes, tonight at the hour of Chen. She asked to meet you at the lakeside pavilion," the servant said. The lakeside pavilion referred to the spot behind this inn by the lake, where guests could drink in private without being disturbed.
"Haha, our great scholar is really lucky with women."
"I wonder which courtesan it is? I don't think any courtesan is staying at this inn."
Many maidens and courtesans had come to Danyang recently, all competing for the title of the one and only female lord.
Normally, when a courtesan left the Garden of Refined Beauties, she would be betrothed to several households. After marriage, her freedom was limited, and her outings would be guarded by men from all those families.
But before marriage, courtesans had no such limits. Any first-grade courtesan and above could freely go out and even visit their families.
Though they grew up in the garden, they didn't lose contact with their families. The higher the family status, the more personal freedom they had.
Sometimes a girl curious about romance might secretly meet a man, and it would be seen as a poetic encounter.
Mister Curtis, under everyone's teasing, shyly agreed, as if it were just a small matter.
In truth, this kind of experience was rare even for him.
After a few rounds of wine, he arrived a tea's time earlier than the scheduled meeting. In the lakeside pavilion's courtyard, behind the fluttering curtains in the night breeze, sat a woman with long hair.
Only her profile could be seen. She sat slightly sideways, with fair skin and flowing hair, and Mister Curtis immediately sobered up.
Beside the beauty was a servant sitting with his back facing him.
"Mister Curtis, I've long admired you," the woman said.
Her voice was graceful and pleasant, soft with a slight huskiness.