cold clothes

As the saying goes, singing and dancing go hand in hand. The dance class is conducted in the form of Yunqiu playing the zither and Nuandong teaching dance, so Lengyi is naturally left out. However, Lengyi is not disappointed at all. She is overjoyed to be able to appreciate the beautiful women's music and dance up close.

Yun Qiu's slender, jade-like fingers lightly plucked the strings, and a melodious tune flowed from them. Nuan Dong danced gracefully to the music, and Xia Hua and the others followed suit. Xia Hua deliberately glanced at Leng Yi provocatively, but when she realized that Leng Yi's gaze was completely fixed on Nuan Dong and she hadn't noticed Xia Hua, she couldn't help but feel resentful.

It's absolutely gorgeous...

Leng Yi stared at Nuandong, mesmerized. She knew nothing about dancing, but just one glance at Xia Hua and the others' movements was enough to notice the difference. Compared to Nuandong, the little girls' dancing was noticeably clumsy, while Nuandong's movements were gentle and graceful. Although the dance moves weren't particularly sexy, Nuandong exuded an elegant allure. From the fingertips touching her lips to the swaying waist to the swirling hem of her skirt, even the arched insteps, everything appeared delicate, moving, and charming.

Of course, this doesn't mean that Yun Qiu's accompaniment was unremarkable. The music she played was like silk threads, enveloping the ears and even the soul, captivating the listener in an instant. Was she really playing the guqin? It was unbelievable that such an elegant instrument could produce such tender and lingering music.

Leng Yi was somewhat intoxicated, yet a trace of clarity remained within that intoxication. Her eyes were drawn to beautiful dances, her ears to enchanting music; her five senses—sight and hearing—were all captivated. Was this dreamlike spectacle luring her soul into paradise, or luring her into a trap?

After the song ended, Leng Yi fell into deep thought. Nuan Dong saw this and walked over to her, lifting her face and saying, "Why do you look so preoccupied? Did I dance badly?" Nuan Dong's tone was light, as if she were joking.

Leng Yi thought to herself, "No, it's because the dancing is too good; it's a bit strange."

“Yunqiu, Ningbi needs some individual tutoring.”

“Okay, I’ll lead the little courtesans in practicing from now on.” Yun Qiu readily agreed, then smiled at the four girls and said, “Next, we’ll practice the dance a few more times. If you make any mistakes, I’ll point them out. I won’t go easy on you.”

Although Yunqiu was smiling, the four girls who knew her personality well felt a chill run down their spines. They thought to themselves, "Why isn't it Sister Yunqiu tutoring Ningbi alone?"

Leng Yi couldn't see what happened to the other four. Nuan Dong took her to the dance studio next door. Nuan Dong looked at Leng Yi with a gentle yet somewhat authoritative gaze and said to her, "You've never danced before, so you need to start with the basics. From now on, you'll have to spend several hours every day dancing. Do you understand?"

Leng Yi nervously pursed her lips, then said, "I know."

"..." Nuandong looked at her quietly, as if she could see right through Lengyi. Lengyi's heart clenched, but Nuandong didn't say anything and began to teach stretching exercises and basic dance moves.

Ouch! Leng Yi screamed in pain the first time she did the splits, but the gentle winter didn't go easy on her. However, it didn't do anything cruel like forcing her to do the splits when she couldn't.

In less than two minutes, Lengyi couldn't hold on any longer. She wanted nothing more than to roll around on the ground, clutching her aching thighs. At that moment, Nuandong was terrifyingly cold. Her eyes seemed to say, "You can't even hold on to this?" She only said to Lengyi, "Try again. You have to hold on for at least half an incense stick's time. Otherwise, you'll spend the whole afternoon just practicing this."

Is this her true face? However, Warm Winter's indifferent gaze stung Cold Clothes' pride, making her persist without uttering a sound.

At the same time, the fire of hatred in her heart also surged. Her thoughts of killing Madam Hu and Liang Shuyun during her confinement, and her plans to lie low and endure, all became clear. If she couldn't even endure the first day, how could she take revenge, how could she survive in Fengxiang Tower?

Thinking about it, she smiled and looked up at Nuandong, saying, "By the way, Sister Nuandong, your dance was really beautiful."

Nuandong, who was forcing a smile despite being sweating profusely from the cold, paused for a moment, then asked her, "Do you know how many years I've been in Zhuoyu Pavilion?"

It felt like the warm winter was about to begin telling stories, so Leng Yi said, "I'd like to hear the details."

Nuandong smiled and said, "Sixteen years, it's been sixteen years already... My mother was once the most famous courtesan in Fengxiang Pavilion, and I've lived here since I was born. The daughter of a courtesan naturally has to become a courtesan as well, so I started studying at Zhuoyu Pavilion when I was five years old. Hehe, I'm one of the few girls who have lived in Fengyue Pavilion since birth."

A caged bird confined to a cage since birth, how pitiful. Leng Yi couldn't help but feel a pang of pity for her, then a touch of self-mockery; did she even deserve pity in her current situation?

“Qingchun is about the same age as me. She was bought by Fengxianglou when she was still an infant and lived with me for sixteen years. I have the best relationship with her. Yunqiu and Liuxia came to Zhuoyuge later. But I have to say, you are the oldest girl to enter Zhuoyuge in the past twenty years.”

“I look only seven or eight years old.”

"Dr. Xie estimates that you are actually around ten years old. You suffered from a young age and your physical development was slow, but that won't happen again. You've only been at Fengxianglou for about three months and you already look nothing like you used to be."

Indeed, Leng Yi had enjoyed a comfortable and well-fed stay at the brothel for the past three months. Even during her confinement, her diet wasn't restrictive. Perhaps this was the source of Leng Yi's inner conflict. The reason she voluntarily entered the brothel was precisely because she desperately wanted to survive, but once her basic needs were met, she was unwilling to abandon her human dignity. Moreover... staying at the brothel wasn't without its dangers.

"Fortunately, Dr. Xie said your bones are developing well and it won't interfere with your dancing." Judging from Leng Yi's current performance in doing the splits, it's true. Nuandong looked at Leng Yi, who was struggling to hold on and sweating but not crying, and was quite impressed. She did better than when she first did it.

Half an incense stick later, Leng Yi suddenly deflated, collapsing to the ground like a lump of mud, her whole body numb and powerless. Meanwhile, Nuan Dong's gentle and friendly smile never disappeared from his face, making him appear both calm and terrifying.

The Smiling Fox, absolutely the Smiling Fox!

After a few minutes, Warm Winter smiled and said to Cold Clothes, "Now that you've rested, let's practice the next move."

--ha?!