Chapter 16: The Dance Workshop

Some people simply shouldn’t be touched.

The narrow bed, which would have been fully occupied by just one person lying down, was now forcibly squeezed to accommodate two.

Lying flat had become impossible, leaving them no choice but to lie facing each other on their sides, so close they could clearly hear each other’s breathing.

Despite all the earlier commotion she had caused, she now slept deeply.

Xuan Rui lifted his free arm—the one not pinned beneath her—and pulled the quilt over her. As he did, a faint milky scent suddenly wafted into his nostrils.

The emotions he had just managed to suppress were stirred up once more. With his right arm having nowhere to rest, he could only stiffly place it against his side.

A slight shift of his body caused the bed board to let out a creak.

The girl seemed startled by the sound and burrowed further into his embrace.

This was nothing short of adding fuel to the fire—

His stubbled chin rested against the top of her head, surrounded entirely by that milky fragrance of hers, his neck burning with heat.

Even in sleep, she refused to follow the Rules, attempting to drape her leg over him.

This posture was simply torturous.

“Mother…” the girl suddenly murmured in her dream, her voice trailing off in a drawn-out, soft, and coquettish tone.

Yet her brows were tightly furrowed, her expression seeming distressed.

Xuan Rui’s hand, which had been about to push hers away, paused mid-action. Maintaining his rigid posture, he decided to wait until she fell back into deep sleep.

The air in the room flowed slowly, his mind momentarily muddled. Unbidden, his thoughts drifted back to that unsent letter.

By the standards of Central Plains social hierarchy, that man was not a suitable match for her.

As the thirteenth minor daughter of the Prime Minister’s household, and one who had once been lost outside, her chances of marrying into a prestigious family were exceedingly slim.

As daylight broke, Xuan Rui turned to look outside, just in time to see several sparrows flitting past the window.

After tidying up slightly and getting out of bed, he heard Xiao Ziqi knocking outside: “Young Master, it’s me.”

Xuan Rui’s heart sank. He changed his clothes and went out, directly blocking the doorway to prevent anyone from entering.

“Last night’s operation went relatively smoothly. Those bastards found the corpses we prepared and have already taken them back.” Xiao Ziqi, who had been awake all night, wore a complex and inscrutable expression, holding a white sandalwood box in his arms.

Xuan Rui stretched his limbs as he walked, heading downstairs with him to a nearby breakfast stall where they each ordered a bowl of noodles.

Xiao Ziqi ate a few mouthfuls in silence before suddenly looking up, his voice filled with grief and indignation: “Boss, did you see? Our Ziyan, with such a handsome face—even his eyeballs were gone…”

Xuan Rui paused for a moment, said nothing, and continued eating his noodles.

“Boss, I’m not leaving. I want to stay and avenge our brothers.” Xiao Ziqi slammed his fist on the table, splashing broth from the bowl, the trails winding like bloodstains.

Unwashable, and impossible to cleanse.

Xuan Rui let him vent his fury. After a long while, he put down his empty bowl and said coldly, “You just said—who is leaving?”

Xiao Ziqi was taken aback, not yet grasping the meaning of those words.

The General had brought only thirty men on this trip, originally planning to return immediately after the rescue.

But with their comrades’ bodies not yet cold outside, their decaying flesh crawling with maggots and rats… he simply couldn’t bring himself to leave.

Ziyan and the others were all brave and skilled in battle. They hadn’t died on perilous battlefields but had instead met unjust ends in Wu City.

Those damned bastards—he would stay and tear them limb from limb.

“But last night, the Prince issued a clear order forbidding us from interfering in Rou Lan’s affairs.” Xiao Ziqi still retained a shred of rationality, not wanting the General to defy the Prince’s command again.

“Judging by their corpses, they had been decomposing for at least three days.” Xuan Rui gazed at the bustling streets on either side, his eyes narrowing dangerously.

“What exactly happened three days ago, why were the five thousand stationed troops suddenly transferred to Ming City, and who exactly gave the order behind it—” Xuan Rui leaned back in his chair, his body gradually relaxing, his eyes revealing their usual wildness.

Every day delayed meant one less clue.

This account couldn’t be carelessly dismissed by anyone.

“We’ll split into two groups. One will keep watch on the Bai family, recording everyone coming and going. The other will come with me to surround Qing He Dance House. Kill any rebels on sight.”

When Xiao Ziqi heard him mention the Bai family, he couldn’t contain his anger: “Boss, if you hadn’t brought it up, I would’ve forgotten about that woman. All the spies in Rou Lan City are under her control, yet she didn’t leak even a hint of wind this time. Could she have defected to King Bai again!”

Xuan Rui remained silent, but another layer of hidden worry surfaced in his heart.

Bai Yao’er, Rou Lan’s premier dance mistress, had suddenly returned to Wu City a year ago to take over the intelligence outpost her adoptive father had established there—namely, Qing He Dance House.

With such major upheavals occurring in Rou Lan, she hadn’t sent even a single word.

What if Bai Yao’er hadn’t concealed the information about Rou Lan’s unusual movements?

Soon he felt he was overthinking it. His adoptive father had hated King Bai all his life—how could he stand by and watch Rou Lan Kingdom fall?

“Whether it’s true or not, we’ll know once we investigate.”

~

“Qing He Dance House?” Li Youqing stared at the plaque hanging overhead, hesitating whether she should enter.

When Xuan Rui went out to handle business this morning, he had mentioned she could wander around the city as she pleased and even gave her some local silver.

Recalling the situation, Li Youqing felt an indescribable discomfort.

She had always been the one giving rewards to others—being handed money by a man like this was completely unprecedented.

Especially after they had shared a bed for the night, him suddenly tossing her a money pouch—what exactly did that mean?

Learning from yesterday’s lesson, she didn’t dare directly tell anyone she wanted to go to Qing He Dance House. She simply told the carriage driver to take her where dance mistresses gathered, and was brought here.

When Bai Yao’er left the palace, she had said that if Li Youqing ever needed anything from her, she should send a message to Qing He Dance House in Wu City.

At the time, Li Youqing hadn’t paid it much mind, thinking the two would never meet again in this lifetime.

Just at the entrance, she could hear cheerful drumbeats blending with beautifully ethnic melodies, along with the laughter of men and women flirting.

It felt like stepping into another world. Gathering her courage, Li Youqing walked in, intending to ask someone about Bai Yao’er, when she unexpectedly spotted a familiar figure.

It was just that the man was too striking—in the bustling crowd, he stood out at first glance.

Broad shoulders, narrow waist, long legs that required more space than ordinary people’s. Simply sitting there, he exuded an aura that made others hesitant to approach.

She had always thought his face only held gloom and indifference, but now it was mixed with a kind of unruliness, like an untamed beast, his eyes filled with wild defiance.

Li Youqing quietly hid behind a pillar, wondering why no beautiful dance mistresses were accompanying him, when she was startled by his suddenly sharp gaze sweeping over.

Just then, a servant came over and asked, “Miss, are you here to see someone?”

Li Youqing immediately made a shushing gesture, lowering her head as she planned to sneak away, but he had already reached her so quickly. Turning around, she bumped right into him.

“What are you doing here.” Xuan Rui frowned at the furtive woman before him.

This was the Zhenbei Royal Mansion’s outpost in Rou Lan. Since Bai Yao’er took over three years ago, many matters had slipped beyond his control.

Seeing the suspicion in his eyes, Li Youqing hurriedly explained: “I once served as Third Princess’s study companion and also know Bai Yao’er, the leading dancer of Qing He Dance House. Since you said I could stroll around the city, I thought to visit her and prove my identity sooner.”

Yet he had caught her here. If she had actually encountered Bai Yao’er, it would have been even harder to explain.

Noticing he seemed convinced, Li Youqing secretly sighed in relief.

This man was so distrustful—her true identity would likely be exposed sooner or later.

Women nearby occasionally cast curious glances his way but dared not approach.

This being Li Youqing’s first time in such an establishment, she momentarily stared in astonishment.

Her eyes fell upon scantily clad beauties carrying trays as they wove between tables. Some wore translucent gauze revealing honey-hued skin, while others donned Han-style wrap dresses slit up to the thighs that swayed seductively with each step, accentuating curvaceous hips and slender legs.

Rou Lan’s customs were liberal—women showing arms and legs were common sights on streets, but dancers’ attire proved even bolder.

When pouring wine for guests, a slight lean forward exposed deep cleavage.

Following her gaze, Xuan Rui saw a man and woman entangled in a nearby booth, engaged in passionate intimacy.

Suddenly blinded by a large hand, Li Youqing pried it away: “Why can the General seek pleasure here while I’m forbidden even to look?”

Xuan Rui’s face darkened. “Weren’t you looking for someone? Why are you gawking at nonsense?”

Li Youqing turned away indignantly, unwilling to argue further.

Shaking his head, Xuan Rui led her to a relatively quiet corner to sit.

Li Youqing noticed a waitress brushing her ample bosom against his shoulder while pouring wine, and coughed uncomfortably.

The scene grew too suggestive—her cheeks flushed unbidden, meeting his indifferent gaze mid-air.

“I saw nothing!”

“Silence—”

They spoke simultaneously, then simultaneously averted their eyes elsewhere.

Seeing his diminished resistance, the waitress boldly leaned closer, her hand approaching his chest when the man coldly stated: “Did Seventh Master not teach you what kind of people shouldn’t be touched?”

The beauty paled, abandoning the half-filled wine glass as she hurried away.

Seventh Master?

Li Youqing recalled the title—he’d mentioned it once before in the carriage.

Probably an influential figure around here, someone these people feared.

“Grape wine in luminous cups”—staring at the nectar in her glass, Li Youqing suddenly felt thirsty.

Sensing his gaze, she cautiously took a sip, only to choke on the fiery liquor, bending over in violent coughs.

This wine was far stronger than what she’d tasted in the palace.

Looking up, she watched him drain his cup in one gulp, unconsciously licking her lips as she recalled the pungent flavor.

“That’s local Meisu Wine—too potent for women.” Xuan Rui summoned a server and ordered: “Bring her a glass of grape wine.”

Li Youqing’s eyes lit up as she saw the glass cup filled with a gleaming dark purple liquid.

Xuan Rui looked at her: “Rou Lan presents tribute wine to the royal family every year, but the flavor has been improved. The original local brew is slightly astringent.”

Seeing him so patient for once, Li Youqing nodded and took a small sip.