cold clothes

Leng Yi's heart skipped a beat, and she asked blankly, "Why are you asking me if I'm willing?" Although she was a little confused, she had a vague feeling that something was wrong.

"You're really perceptive," Yun Qiu said in surprise. "Your reaction is nothing like that of an ordinary child. Normally, shouldn't you be pleasantly surprised?"

"..." As if she had been seen through as an old aunt in her twenties, Leng Yi quickly laughed it off, "I just think that there's no such thing as a free lunch. Getting first place is impossible for me right now, unless I use some special means, haha."

Yun Qiu immediately added, "It's just some special methods." Her smile held a deeper meaning. "So, are you willing?"

Leng Yi suddenly felt a chill run down her spine, unsure how to respond. Special methods… was it the special method she was thinking of?

"I don't quite understand what you mean..."

"You really don't understand?"

Leng Yi was speechless, her large, azure eyes revealing fear and confusion.

Night had fallen, and the music room was shrouded in darkness. The two women were shrouded in darkness, making them appear as sinister figures plotting in a corner.

Yunqiu's breath was as fresh as orchids in the breeze. She told Lengyi that the exam questions were mainly set by the teaching matrons and the four courtesans, and judged by Mama Hu alone. This meant that the teachers were the ones who set the questions, and Mama Hu was the only one who graded them. It was basically impossible to find a shortcut through Mama Hu, so it was especially important to maintain good relationships with the teaching matrons and the courtesans.

"What benefits will you give me if I do things for you?" After struggling internally for a long time, Leng Yi finally succumbed to Yun Qiu's coercion and enticement.

Yunqiu said, "I can set the instrumental exam questions that only you can answer. You just need to do this..."

Yunqiu leaned down and whispered in Lengyi's ear. Her seductive whisper sounded like a viper's hiss, making Lengyi shiver involuntarily.

Upon hearing Yunqiu's plan, Lengyi gave a bitter smile to herself, cursing that it was indeed not a good thing, but she still agreed.

She has no room to refuse at the moment.

As soon as she stepped out of the instrument room, Leng Yi shivered. The cold sweat she had broken out in was made even colder by the late autumn evening wind.

She looked up and saw only withered trees all around, a stark contrast to the lush greenery she had seen when she first arrived at Fengxiang Tower. It was as if the man-eating monster that was Fengxiang Tower had finally revealed its true colors. Outsiders could only see the girls' beautiful faces; how could they possibly understand the black hearts within them?

Hu's mother and Yunqiu are cut from the same cloth, both wanting to use her to achieve their own goals, and she currently has absolutely no power to resist, absolutely no... Every time she thinks of this, she is filled with anger and powerlessness, yet she has never craved power more than at this moment.

The new dance to be learned in the evening dance class is the guzheng piece "Return Home". Yunqiu has guests to entertain in the evening, so her maid will provide the music, and Nuandong and Granny Chu will teach the class together.

Lengyi didn't learn the new dance alone but with the other girls. Although she knew that she was far behind the others, she still tried her best to learn the dance moves. However, when Granny Chu saw Lengyi dancing, she laughed and said that she looked like a little pheasant dancing. This analogy made Xia Hua and Nong Yue laugh, while Nuandong didn't say anything.

Leng Yi lowered her eyes, trying to hide the anger in them. She could no longer act rashly and impulsively; she had to endure any ridicule before she grew up.

Evening class ended at 9 PM. Although Gui Qu Lai Xi Wu had only learned half of the lesson, Nuan Dong had no intention of extending the class. After class, the girls dispersed, and Leng Yi knew that they were all secretly rolling things up in different places.

To Leng Yi's surprise, Wu Xue was still in the classroom.

In other classes, Wu Xue was almost invisible, but in dance class, her presence was exceptionally strong. Even though she was quiet, it was obvious to everyone that her dance skills were the best, and Nuan Dong and Granny Chu's praise for her was clearly visible.

As her name suggests, Wu Xue was obsessed with dancing. After class, she immediately asked Nuan Dong, "Nuan Dong, wouldn't it be better to do the transitions here like this?" After saying that, she demonstrated a set of dance moves for Nuan Dong. This was one of the more difficult parts of the dance routine, and there was a backbend move that Leng Yi couldn't do at all. So when Leng Yi saw that Wu Xue not only did the backbend smoothly but also modified the routine, she could hardly hide her amazement.

Warm Winter also expressed her appreciation, saying to Wu Xue, "Just dance according to your own ideas, haha. Judging from this, you are the perfect lead dancer for this dance."

"Xia Hua is better as the lead dancer; she's much prettier than me." Wu Xue wasn't happy to receive the praise; instead, she felt a little inferior.

Upon hearing this, Leng Yi, who was observing from the sidelines, immediately asked: ?

Seeing Wu Xue's expression, Nuan Dong frowned and said seriously, "Wu Xue, you must know that although the beauty of summer flowers is outstanding and can be seen at a glance, it does not mean that you are not beautiful. The reason you were chosen as the queen of flowers is precisely because you are very beautiful and have unique qualities, so you must not underestimate yourself."

The bystander, Leng Yi, nodded in agreement.

"I have learned a lot from Wu Xue," Wu Xue replied respectfully.

Warm Winter sensed that Wu Xue still had something on her mind, so she offered some more advice: "You are indeed being too low-key. Is this how a courtesan should be? A courtesan should be radiant and dazzling, showcasing all your beauty. Beauty is our means and our weapon, understand?"

Wu Xue's heart tightened, and she quickly agreed.

Nuandong sighed inwardly, knowing that her personality, formed since childhood, wouldn't change easily. She suddenly beckoned to Lengyi, who was standing to the side, and said to Wuxue, "Ningbi is a beginner in dance and doesn't know anything yet. Could you give her some pointers?"

After she finished speaking, the two girls looked at each other in surprise.

Nuandong pushed Wuxue towards Lengyi and left, leaving the two of them in an awkward silence.

“Uh…you don’t have to teach me, after all, we’re competitors.” Seeing Wu Xue’s hesitant look, Leng Yi shrugged decisively.

“No, I don’t mind that,” Wu Xue immediately retorted, then lowered her eyes. “You can ask me anything you don’t understand, and I’ll answer whatever I know.”

"This is great! I don't know anything about this." Leng Yi grinned foolishly, her body already pressed against Wu Xue without her even realizing it.

Wu Xue: "..."