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One of them spoke their mind, and Xu Mu, instead of getting angry, pressed his hand down and said, "Hey, let's talk about this later. Be careful not to let anyone overhear. But if it’s really as Brother Li said, it might not be impossible."
The group burst into laughter, unaware that the room itself was not soundproof, and their conversation was clearly heard by those in the neighboring room.
The next morning, Su Che arrived at a residence using the address left by Mu Junze. The plaque simply bore the character for "Zhen," and everyone referred to it as Zhen's Residence.
Su Che paused briefly before knocking on the door. Soon, Xiao Si, who was beside Mu Junze, welcomed them inside.
As they walked in, Su Che curiously looked around, wondering why Mu Junze wasn’t living in the royal mansion as usual. This place was different from what he remembered in his past life.
Before long, Su Che saw Mu Junze already preparing tea in the backyard. Upon noticing him, Mu Junze hurriedly stepped forward to greet him.
"Young Master Su has arrived; please come in."
"I feel like I've known you for ages. Calling me Young Master Su is too formal. My surname is Su, my name is Che, courtesy name Zi Qi. Just call me Zi Qi."
Mu Junze was slightly taken aback, a glimmer of joy flashing in his eyes. He recalled how Xu Mu had affectionately called him A Che. Not wanting to be like everyone else and unsure how to respond, he was pleasantly surprised when Su Che took the initiative.
"What Zi Qi said is quite right. In that case, I shouldn’t hold back either. However, I have no courtesy name; I’m just known by the two characters 'Jun Ze'..."
"Then I'll call you A Je. When we’re outside, I’ll call you A Zhe; is that alright?"
Seeing his hesitation, Su Che spoke up first.
Mu Junze smiled faintly and nodded in agreement. Seeing him agree made Su Che happy as well.
That smile left Mu Junze momentarily stunned; it felt like a breath of spring air that could dispel all gloom.
Noticing Mu Junze staring at him in a daze, Su Che turned his gaze away shyly but wasn’t annoyed since there was no malice in Mu Junze's eyes.
"Please forgive my boldness; there’s something I’d like to ask A Je."
Su Che's words brought Mu Junze back to reality, and he awkwardly cleared his throat.
"Ahem, whatever Zi Qi wishes to ask, I will certainly answer without reservation."
Su Che nodded and voiced a question that had puzzled him for a long time: whether Aunty Qing was the only madam at Fragrant Pavilion.
Surprised by Su Che's inquiry, Mu Junze sensed that this question might lead to misunderstandings and quickly explained.
"It’s like this: Xu Mu is my cousin’s son who has been fostered with my family. A few days ago, Aunty Qing from Fragrant Pavilion came to collect debts..."
Su Che revealed Xu Mu's intention to threaten Aunty Qing, but she remained unfazed. Although the Fragrant Pavilion was sanctioned by the Emperor and frequented by many dignitaries, he sensed that Aunty Qing's confidence did not stem from this alone. Xu Mu was quite talented and had a fair chance of success in his studies.
Her nonchalance was not typical of a brothel keeper; it sparked his curiosity and made him wary of potentially offending her in the future. "After you left last time, Uncle Qu mentioned to me that your status is quite esteemed. I imagine you must know something about these matters. Though I shouldn't trouble you with this, I find myself without anyone else to ask."
Mu Junze noticed Su Che's reticence but didn't mind. Their friendship was still new, and regardless of the reasons behind Su Che's inquiry, the fact that he came to him for answers indicated a significant level of trust. From Su Che's tone, it seemed he was already aware of Mu Junze's identity as Duke Beiqin, yet there was no flattery in his words. Despite their previous conversation being brief, Mu Junze could sense that Su Che bore no ill intentions and wasn't the type to seek favor with the powerful.
Moreover, the Su Family had a strict family ethos. As the wealthiest family in the capital, they were merchants with an excellent reputation. Mu Junze had even sent someone to investigate them; the Su Family was known as a refreshing presence in the business world, with values that surpassed those of certain noble families.
Mu Junze decided not to dwell on it further, assuming Su Che had his reasons for being discreet, and spoke candidly. "The Fragrant Pavilion indeed has more than one brothel keeper. Besides Aunty Qing, there's also someone called Aunt Xiang. The two are sisters but have very different approaches to life..."
Su Che learned that the two sisters named their establishment after themselves: Fragrant Pavilion. Aunty Qing managed the internal affairs while Aunt Xiang focused on profitability; both were exceptionally capable. In just a few years, they transformed Fragrant Pavilion into a thriving business. As for who supported them or whether they had any backing, Su Che hadn't investigated deeply—this information was hard to miss given how quickly Fragrant Pavilion rose to prominence.
Curious, Su Che continued to inquire, "Are the sisters close? Have there been any disagreements between them?"
Mu Junze thought for a moment and shook his head. To his knowledge, the two sisters had always maintained a strong bond without any rumors of discord; there had never been any such issues in the past either.
Su Che found this puzzling; even biological sisters could have their differences, yet these two seemed unusually harmonious. Suddenly, he recalled what Divine Doctor Qu had said—that the current Sovereign and Mu Junze shared an exceptionally close relationship, one that surpassed even that of blood brothers.
Though he wanted to say something about it, he felt it would be too presumptuous at this point; discussing his relationship with the Sovereign might raise suspicions in Mu Junze's mind. After asking a few more casual questions, he shifted topics.
"I feel somewhat embarrassed; there's something else I would like your help with today." Su Che glanced at Mu Junze sheepishly, lowering his voice significantly.
To put it bluntly, they had only met three times; given his current request, even Su Che felt it was somewhat excessive. However, Mu Junze felt pleased—Su Che asking for his assistance indicated that he did not see him as an outsider. Moreover, he was eager to help; this would provide him with more opportunities to interact with Su Che.
He was presented with an opportunity—how could he refuse? Yet he understood Su Che's hesitation and decided to play it cool.
“Zi Qi, do you really consider me an outsider? Let’s not mention anything else; just think about your warm hospitality at Dan Yao Hall. You genuinely wanted to befriend me, yet I kept things hidden from you. Even after you learned the truth, you didn’t hold it against me.”
“Now, regardless of our identities, if you continue to treat me as an outsider, then in the future, if I find myself in trouble, I won’t even know if I should come to you for help.”
Su Che chuckled at this and agreed.
He then glanced at Xiao Tao beside him, who understood and quietly stepped back. Mu Junze also dismissed those around him.
The two of them stood up and began to chat as they strolled through the scenery of Zhen's Residence.
They were so engrossed in their conversation that they lost track of time, only realizing how late it had become when their stomachs growled in unison.
After having dinner together, Su Che stood up to take his leave. Just as he was about to get into his carriage, Mu Junze called out to him.
He took out a piece of jade pendant from his belongings; it was the very pendant that Su Che had found that day. This pendant was originally two pieces that fit together. Now, Mu Junze separated them and handed one half to Su Che.
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