From cannon fodder villain to beloved heroine

As night fell, the geisha house was brightly lit and bustling with activity.

However, in the shadows, a pair of eyes were gleaming with a cold light.

The mysterious messenger's lips curled into a sinister smile, much like a villain in a midnight horror movie. With a wave of his hand, several dark figures silently slipped into the backstage area.

On stage, Yan Ruyu was preparing to begin her performance that evening.

She picked up her beloved pipa, and as soon as her fingertips touched the strings, she felt something strange.

Upon closer inspection, she gasped in shock. The strings of the pipa had been tampered with; the broken ends were jagged, as if they had been severed by some sharp weapon.

She was startled, her smile froze, and she thought to herself, "Which little brat is causing trouble?!"

The audience below the stage, who had been waiting to see a good show, erupted in an uproar, whispering among themselves.

The other geishas wore gloating expressions, especially Hongmei, whose eyes were full of triumph, as if to say, "Let's see how you get out of this mess."

Xiao Lü looked at Yan Ruyu with concern.

Yan Ruyu calmed herself down and did not panic.

She looked around, her gaze sweeping over the onlookers who seemed to enjoy the spectacle, and a surge of anger welled up inside her.

"Trying to cause trouble, huh? Do you think I, Yan Ruyu, am someone to be trifled with?" She suddenly stood up, slamming the pipa in her hand onto the ground with a loud "bang," which shocked everyone present.

"Who did it?" Yan Ruyu's voice wasn't loud, but it was full of unquestionable authority.

Her gaze was piercing, sweeping over everyone present as if she could see right through their souls.

Everyone was intimidated by her imposing presence and lowered their heads, not daring to meet her gaze.

The mysterious messenger slowly emerged from the crowd, a fake smile on his face. He feigned surprise and said, "Miss Yuyan, what happened? How did the pipa suddenly break?" His indifferent attitude made one want to punch him.

Seeing this, Madam Hua hurriedly ran over, her face full of anxiety and her tone tinged with reproach: "Yu Yan, what exactly happened? What will happen if this affects our geisha house's business?" She looked exactly like a madam who would do anything for money.

Yan Ruyu sneered; she wasn't buying it. "Aunt Hua, this pipa was clearly sabotaged. This matter must be thoroughly investigated!"

She knew this was no accident; someone was targeting her in secret.

Just then, the mysterious messenger casually toyed with a jade pendant in his hand and said seemingly unintentionally, "Perhaps it was just an accident? Why don't we just let it go?"

Yan Ruyu stared at the jade pendant in his hand, her eyes sharpening as if she had thought of something.

She didn't say anything, just gave a cold laugh, then turned and walked towards Xiao Lü.

She whispered in Xiao Lü's ear, in a voice only the two of them could hear, "Xiao Lü, can you keep an eye on things for me?" Then, without looking back, she walked backstage.

Xiao Lü watched Yan Ruyu's departing figure, wondering what she was going to do.

The backstage area was in chaos, with instruments scattered all over the floor and a tense atmosphere permeating the air.

Yan Ruyu walked to a corner, took a deep breath, and activated the system: "System, I'm in dire need of help! Is there any skill that can help me turn the tide?"

The system's mechanical voice sounded: "A crisis has been detected in the host. An emergency skill exchange channel is now open. Recommended skill: 'Heavenly Voice' - A beautiful and melodious singing voice that can amaze the audience and linger for days without the need for any musical instrument."

Yan Ruyu smiled and said, "This is it!"

System: "Skill exchange successful. Please show off your charm!"

Yan Ruyu returned to the center of the stage, and the lights focused on her once again.

She didn't pick up the pipa, but instead smiled slightly at the crowd. The audience looked at each other, wondering what she was going to do.

"Tonight, I'll be performing a different song for you all." Yan Ruyu cleared her throat, and her beautiful voice flowed from her lips, like heavenly music, instantly resounding throughout the geisha house.

Hongmei and the other geishas, ​​who had been waiting to see the joke, were stunned, their eyes filled with disbelief.

Xiao Lü looked at Yan Ruyu excitedly, her eyes sparkling with surprise, as if she had seen her savior.

When the song ended, the entire venue fell silent, everyone immersed in the beautiful music.

Moments later, thunderous applause resounded throughout the geisha house and lasted for a long time.

As is customary, after the performance, the geisha will ask the guests for a reward.

However, Yan Ruyu did not do that. She walked to Xiao Lü's side, took her hand, and said sincerely, "Xiao Lü, please accept tonight's reward."

Xiao Lü was so moved that tears welled up in her eyes, and she choked up, unable to speak.

The guests were also moved by Yan Ruyu's actions and generously gave their reward money to Xiao Lü.

The mysterious envoy watched all this with a gloomy look in his eyes. He hadn't expected Yan Ruyu to have such a trick up her sleeve.

He gripped the jade pendant tightly in his hand and said in a low voice, "It seems we have to change our strategy..."

Outside the geisha house, the male protagonist Xu stood quietly in the shadows, looking at the brightly lit geisha house. A meaningful smile appeared on his lips: "This girl really is full of surprises..." He turned and left, his figure disappearing into the night.

Xu, the male protagonist, stood outside the geisha house, his deep gaze fixed on Yan Ruyu in the center of the stage through the noisy crowd.

He watched her calmly handle the crisis and skillfully resolve the problem, and his love surged like a tide.

"This girl is a real gem!" A smile involuntarily crept onto his lips.

Yan Ruyu felt the intense gaze from the male lead, Xu, and her cheeks flushed slightly, her heartbeat quickening.

"This guy is secretly watching me again!" She was secretly pleased, but pretended to be calm and focused on her performance.

The moment their eyes met, the surrounding noise seemed to disappear, leaving only the two of them, their reflections mirrored in each other's eyes.

As the song ended, Madam Hua beamed with joy, grabbed Yan Ruyu's hand, and exclaimed excitedly, "Yuyan, you are truly our geisha house's cash cow! From today onwards, you will serve at 'Tianxiang Pavilion,' where all the guests are either rich or noble!"

"Tenxiang Pavilion" is the most luxurious private room in the geisha house, accessible only to guests of high status.

Yan Ruyu knew that this meant she was one step closer to her goal.

She nodded excitedly, while Hongmei, standing beside her, turned pale with anger, her jealousy almost consuming her.

"Why? She's a newcomer, why should she be allowed to go to 'Tianxiang Pavilion'?" She gritted her teeth, her heart filled with resentment.

Xiao Lü was happy for Yan Ruyu and sincerely wished her well: "Congratulations, Sister Yuyan!"

However, "Tianxiang Pavilion" is not as simple as it seems on the surface.

In the private room, Yan Ruyu discovered a jade pendant identical to the one in the mysterious messenger's hand, along with some mysterious symbols.

She realized that a bigger secret was hidden here, and that it foreshadowed a greater danger.

Her brows were furrowed, and her heart was filled with unease.

Meanwhile, the mysterious messenger was hiding in the shadows, his cold gaze watching Yan Ruyu's every move.

"It seems this woman is even more difficult to deal with than I imagined..." A wicked smile curled at the corner of his mouth, as if he were brewing some kind of conspiracy.

The male protagonist gazed into the distance in the direction of "Tianxiang Pavilion," and said, "Yuyan, please be very careful..."

In the dead of night, Yan Ruyu quietly slipped out of her room and headed towards the back alley of the geisha house, where some secret seemed to be hidden...

She stopped and glanced back, only to see a dark shadow flash by...

"Who?"