Chapter 1: The Halfway Fox that Repays Kindness

At this moment, Liang Xiaoyue was standing in the least conspicuous corner, huddling her small body. She appeared to be frightened, truly pitiful to the extreme

Feeling the eager gazes of the ladies, the noble young master laughed heartily, took the wine cup handed to him by a servant, and with his pair of slightly narrowed phoenix eyes, while admiring the beauties, joyfully said: "The landscape is picturesque, and the beauties are like jade; at this point in life, it is already supreme bliss!" Upon saying this, he chuckled with great satisfaction.

He looked towards the lake, laughed heartily, and said: "Above there is heaven, below there are Suzhou and Hangzhou. This land of Suzhou and Hangzhou is renowned throughout the world, and of course, it boasts exquisite scenery and remarkable people"

Zhu Yuan made a graceful turn and, after standing firm at the bow of the ship, coldly shouted: "What is the matter with this plank?"

As he moved, a burly man beside him immediately whispered, "My lord, it is better to be cautious."

"My lord, be careful!" In the urgent cry of the servant, the lord let out a loud "ah!" as his body fell heavily into the water

This is a beautiful young girl, approximately fourteen or fifteen years old, with features as picturesque as a painting and eyes that are incredibly lively

The woman, heavily adorned with thick makeup, spoke while her shrewd eyes curiously scrutinized Liang Xiaoyue. This young girl had come early in the morning, hiring this small pleasure boat with a pile of gold, and requested that several singing girls accompany her. Observing her refined demeanor and evident interest in the noble lord, it was likely that she was the daughter of some powerful official, here to meet her future husband

At this sudden drop, the people on both the boat and the painted boat turned pale simultaneously, exclaiming their misfortune. Among them, those who reacted quickly even went weak in the knees and knelt down.

Having said that, he scrutinized Liang Xiaoyue from head to toe, his gaze so intense that it seemed to penetrate her clothing, seeking to uncover the first secrets of her body. This kind of gaze ignited an inexplicable anger in Liang Xiaoyue, who was already in a state of excitement from having found someone.

The noble young master stood at the bow of the ship, with myriad strands of golden light streaming from behind him. The golden light not only adorned his white attire with luxurious golden edges but also added a touch of extraordinary grace to his tall figure

At that moment, just as Zhu Yuan was about to fall into the water, he bent his body, tapped the tip of his foot on the painted boat, and with a whoosh, he had already landed steadily on the large ship

This voice of the lord brother is truly both soft and sweet, and upon hearing it, Zhu Yuan felt a refreshing sensation rise from his heart to all his limbs. He laughed heartily and said, "Then brother will come over."

Upon hearing his words, everyone burst into hearty laughter. At that moment, fifty meters away from the large ship, a small head suddenly popped out from a small painted boat.

As soon as she uttered a word, her cries abruptly ceased! The lord raised his hand, interrupting her wail. With a pair of piercing eyes, he coldly turned to the crowd in the boat, slowly, his gaze settled on Liang Xiaoyue.

Just as he took a step, suddenly, a sound of "zzzz---" came from below. The lord was startled and quickly looked down. To his horror, he discovered that the wooden plank beneath his feet had cracked open!

At that moment, the painted boat made a loud "bang" as it docked alongside the large ship. At this time, everyone on the large ship turned their serious gaze towards Liang Xiaoyue.

At this moment, their pleasure boat was not far from the lord's ship. Liang Xiaoyue's gaze was exceptionally bright and focused. At that moment, a burly man stepped forward and leaned close to Zhu Yuan's ear to say something.

Although they saw that she was young, she had already grown to be remarkably delicate and radiant. Her small face, resembling white jade, featured exquisitely refined features. Upon closer inspection, it became evident that this young woman possessed an extraordinary temperament, akin to jade and the moon, completely free of any dust.

A middle-aged scholar, shaking the folding fan in his hand, turned his head to ask the young nobleman beside him

She rolled her eyes and thought to herself: Although that person wants me to repay the favor, they did not say that I am not allowed to tease them!

At that moment, a middle-aged woman with an alluring figure swayed her waist and walked up to her. She waved a handkerchief, fragrant with grease, and in a prolonged, soft Wu dialect, she said: "Miss, could you allow the pleasure boat to come closer to the lord's ship"

Seeing Zhu Yuan staring at her in a daze, it was clear that he was mesmerized. Liang Xiaoyue laughed even more joyfully, her voice sweet and delicate as she called out: "Lord, are you not coming over?"

My lord, how is the scenery here

Thinking of this, she once again broke into a beaming smile

The middle-aged scholar laughed heartily along with him. At that moment, the boat they were on slowly sailed towards the center of West Lake

Upon witnessing this scene, Zhu Yuan furrowed his brows, scrutinizing Liang Xiaoyue from head to toe, always sensing that the young girl before him was not ordinary

Zhu Yuan was momentarily taken aback, and slowly, a hint of a contemplative smile appeared at the corners of his mouth. At that moment, those beside Zhu Yuan also turned to look, glancing at Liang Xiaoyue before looking back at Zhu Yuan. A middle-aged scholar was the first to speak, laughingly saying: "Lord, you truly have good fortune in beauty! This lady possesses a flower-like face and a moon-like appearance, her demeanor is as ethereal as a fairy, clear yet not bland, charming yet not seductive, truly of the highest quality! Lord, your journey to Jiangnan this time, having gained such a stunning beauty, is indeed not in vain!" Before he even approached, the implication of his words was that Liang Xiaoyue had already been regarded as Zhu Yuan's trophy!

Unexpectedly, the reaction of the crowd was so intense. Liang Xiaoyue was taken aback, staring blankly at the people around her, then turned to look at the marquis.

Zhu Yuan was taken aback, turning his head to look at the painted boat, just in time to meet the bright and cunning eyes of Liang Xiaoyue

Upon hearing his question, the boatman on the large ship simultaneously looked towards the pleasure boat, from where the planks for boarding had just been handed over. At this moment, the middle-aged woman on the pleasure boat, along with the boatman, once again fell to their knees with a thud. The woman cried out hoarsely, "My lord, this humble woman has been wronged!"

At this point, Liang Xiaoyue propped her chin on her small hand, her bright eyes spinning restlessly. However, no matter how they turned, her gaze remained fixed on the noble young master, Zhu Yuan.

She looked at Young Master Guijie, furrowed her brows, pouted, and said unhappily: "What is it! You are already in bliss, so what gratitude should I repay?" This young girl is none other than Liang Xiaoyue, who was transformed from a human into a fox spirit, and then from a fox spirit into a human.

At this point, he stepped onto the plank connecting the two boats!

Having said that, she continued to rest her chin on her elbow, which was as white as jade, and her pair of sparkling eyes focused intently on Zhu Yuan. After examining him up and down, Liang Xiaoyue smiled with her crescent-shaped eyes and thought: He really is quite handsome; his eyes are eyes, and his eyebrows are eyebrows! Wait! Whose eyes are not eyes, and whose eyebrows are not eyebrows?

In West Lake, there are dozens of painted boats, each adorned with lanterns shaped like flowers and birds. However, it is still evening, with the sun hanging golden in the west; although there are many lanterns, they merely serve as embellishments.

Liang Xiaoyue waved her hand and said crisply, "Hmm, go up a little more."

As this magnificent and luxurious boat slowly approached, the women in extravagant attire playing musical instruments and singing outside the boat, as well as those inside the boat peering through the gauzy windows, all turned their gazes towards this direction

Zhu Yuan chuckled and gestured for the boat to approach the painted pleasure boat. He smiled lightly and said, "Indeed, truly remarkable. Such beauty can only be found in places like Suzhou and Hangzhou"

Zhu Yuan waved his hand casually and said, "There is no need to be so tense." As he spoke, he smiled cheerfully while shaking his folding fan, gracefully walking towards Liang Xiaoyue. Upon reaching the point where the two boats met, Zhu Yuan bowed to her and politely said, "Miss, I am honored to meet you!"

The young gentleman is about twenty years old, tall and upright, dressed in a white robe, truly resembling a jade tree standing in the wind. Looking at his face, he has handsome features adorned with a languid smile.

This action was as swift as a rabbit leaping and a hawk descending, extremely graceful. The people on both boats, in great shock, were simultaneously overjoyed. The few who were kneeling were even more hoarse, shouting loudly in celebration, their voices and demeanor suggesting they feared he might not appreciate it.

This greeting sounds very familiar! Is it not a line often used in encounters between men and women in ancient times? Upon thinking of this, Miss Liang Xiaoyue smiled, and this smile was truly like a spring breeze, bringing forth a hundred flowers in bloom. In that moment, everyone on the boat felt a surge of good spirits.

Zhu Yuan looked up and down at the young girl, growing more fond of her with each glance. Seeing her squinting her enchanting, water-like eyes, curiously observing him, he let out a hearty laugh and strode towards her.

The pair was momentarily taken aback, and Liang Xiaoyue immediately broke into a bright smile, waving her delicate jade-like hand, and called out to Zhu Yuan: "Hi!"