Chapter Fifty-Four: The Art of Lightness

Su Li Luo, adorned in a fresh new look, descended the stairs accompanied by the madam and her maid, and entered the lounge beside the stage. Yun Yan Yi was waiting at the entrance. Su Li Luo, surprised, asked, “Your Highness, why are you standing here?”

Yun Yan Yi turned to look at her, his gaze heavy and dark, and said angrily, “Su Li Luo, who allowed you to dress so scantily?”

Su Li Luo glanced up and down at herself, finding nothing amiss, and replied with a coquettish smile, “Has Your Highness gone confused? My attire is nothing out of the ordinary. I am about to perform on stage—how could I dress as I would in daily life?”

She admired her bright red gauze dress, while Yun Yan Yi grew increasingly irate. Her exposed porcelain skin, the faintly visible peach-colored undergarment, and, worse still, her feet covered only by the gauzy skirt, occasionally peeking out as she walked, provoked his annoyance.

Yun Yan Yi cast her a cold, dismissive glance and refused to look at her again. With disdain, he said, “You’d best not tell anyone you’re the daughter of the Prime Minister’s household. I’m sure, if the Prime Minister saw you dressed so provocatively, he’d be furious enough to spit blood.”

Su Li Luo clenched her fists and bit her lip in secret. “You needn’t trouble yourself, Your Highness. I find this quite suitable. If you dislike it, simply look elsewhere. I never asked you to fix your gaze upon me.”

Her words were formal, though her tone betrayed impatience. Not wishing to argue further about her attire, Su Li Luo relished the refreshing feeling, which she hadn’t enjoyed in so long, and silently mocked him—if the prince ever discovered she had worn shorts and a T-shirt before, would he not erupt in rage?

“Fine, Su Li Luo, you do as you please. Since you don’t mind, I’ve nothing more to say.” Yun Yan Yi felt a strange sorrow, as if his goodwill was spurned by her lack of appreciation, and he had no wish to show further concern.

The madam, seeing the two distinguished guests at odds, nervously interjected, “Your Highness, Miss, when will the performance begin? The guests are all waiting…”

Receiving Yun Yan Yi’s icy gaze, the madam dared not finish her sentence. She forced a smile, lowered her head, and fell silent.

Reminded by the madam, Su Li Luo remembered her purpose, patted her head, and seeing Yun Yan Yi’s cold face, lost interest in probing his thoughts further. With confidence, she asked, “Will Your Highness keep your word regarding what you promised earlier?”

Yun Yan Yi, wounded by her mistrustful look, said huffily, “My word is as good as gold. I always keep my promises.”

Su Li Luo’s face lit up with joy and she wasted no more time. “Then I shall take the stage first. Your Highness, please watch.”

With her maid, Su Li Luo slipped behind the curtain. The madam saw Yun Yan Yi still standing there and cautiously suggested, “Your Highness, perhaps you’d like a private suite…”

“No need. Just find me a spot in the corner,” Yun Yan Yi raised a hand, cutting her off, and strode toward the main hall with his guards. The madam hurried after him, arranging a spot with a perfect view, where he would not be disturbed.

All the lamps around the guests were extinguished, causing a stir among the crowd. The sound of drums thundered from the stage, candles flickered at the stage’s edge, and every gaze in the room focused intently on the performance.

As the drums beat, Su Li Luo’s silhouette gradually appeared. The men saw only the enchanting figure behind the screen—spinning, bending, supple and boneless, her movements graceful and elegant.

Many murmured, “Which celestial beauty has arrived at this house tonight? Perhaps it’s her debut? We must act quickly and claim this little beauty before anyone else.” One man eyed the shadow behind the screen with lustful intent.

Yun Yan Yi heard the lewd remarks among the men and grew displeased, his eyes smoldering. On stage, Su Li Luo entwined herself around a pillar, her skirt swirling.

The men below watched with ravenous eyes, eager for a glimpse of the beauty. The madam suddenly called out, “Gentlemen, tonight our girl will dance a new piece. If you like it, do show your appreciation, and the young lady will be all the more motivated.”

No sooner had she finished than a crisp clang sounded—a palm-sized piece of silver landed on stage. With that, the rest of the men went wild, flinging silver onto the stage like water.

Soon, silver notes replaced coins, raining down on the stage. Su Li Luo saw the gleaming silver scattered on the floor and smiled shyly but delighted. Not hiding her skill, she spun, hung upside down from the pillar, her hands snaking like serpents, making every man wish to be that pillar, surrounded by her beauty.

The men below grew more frenzied, shouting, “Take away that obstructive screen! Madam, don’t keep her hidden—since we’ve paid, we deserve to see her face!”

“Yes, Madam, have the screen removed. Are you trying to cheat us? Beware, or we’ll wreck your Pavilion of Blossoms!” A man with dark under-eyes and a weak face shouted the loudest, clearly long accustomed to reveling among women, his voice booming, and his silver flying thick and fast.

The madam, troubled by the unruly crowd, glanced toward Yun Yan Yi in the distance, who silently warned her. She dared not speak further and sought to soothe the guests with a charming smile, “Gentlemen, why so impatient? The performance has only just begun. Sit back and enjoy, and soon you’ll have your fill of beauty.”

But the men were unimpressed. Someone jeered, “Who knows if you’re telling the truth? I must see this little beauty tonight. If Madam will not let her show herself, then I’ll use my silver to knock down the screen and see what kind of celestial beauty lies behind.”

With several thuds, the man hurled more silver onto the stage, but his aim was off and the screen did not fall. The crowd laughed at his failure, and he, embarrassed, pulled out more silver from his pouch.

Others quickly followed suit, and soon the stage echoed with the sound of silver raining down, delighting the madam, who hastily brought baskets to collect the bounty.

The screen, already flimsy, was about to collapse under the barrage. Su Li Luo stood behind it, panic-stricken, uncertain what to do.

Yun Yan Yi’s eyes narrowed. He stepped onto the stage, stamping on the head of the earlier loud troublemaker. The men below glanced aside, and Yun Yan Yi was now standing on stage. The crowd grumbled, “Madam, what’s this? Does this man know the rules? We were just getting into it, and now he’s ruining the fun. Get him off!”

Yun Yan Yi’s luxurious attire gave them pause. Normally, they would have guessed that the man on stage was not to be provoked, but lust clouded their judgment—they cared only for the beauty, not for anything else.

Yun Yan Yi’s gaze chilled. He turned and moved to Su Li Luo’s side, wrapped his arm around her, and she suddenly felt herself lifted off the ground. She closed her eyes in nervous delight, secretly thrilled—had she just encountered the legendary art of lightness?