Shen Cui immediately became agitated and was about to run over to seek help from her Second Brother, but Ji Cheng quickly grabbed her hand.

“What are you doing?” Shen Cui looked at Ji Cheng with shock and anger. What did she mean? Didn’t she want to be rescued?

Ji Cheng whispered, “Do you want everyone to know that the Fifth Miss of the Shen family was sold to Tianxiang House?”

Shen Cui instantly deflated, as if struck by lightning.

Indeed, if anyone were to learn that she had been sold here, even if she remained pure and untouched, how would people gossip? How would the Wang sisters mock her? It was like a lotus root fallen into the mud – even if clean on the outside, people would suspect that filth had entered its holes.

“What should we do?” Shen Cui looked to Ji Cheng for help.

“Don’t be afraid.” Ji Cheng squeezed Shen Cui’s palm. “I have a plan.” They were incredibly fortunate not only to have encountered an acquaintance but also for that person to be a family member. This greatly reduced their worries.

By now, the music and drums had started. The dancers disguised as Persian women began to take their positions. Ji Cheng and Shen Cui carefully observed their movements and assumed similar poses. Both had some dance training, so they managed to follow along, albeit half a beat slower than the others, but it was passable.

However, being conscious of their status, they felt awkward performing the hip-swaying, buttock-shaking moves. Fortunately, the other dancers’ slender waists twisted like beautiful snakes, drawing the attention of the noble guests to the area two inches below their navels, so no one paid much attention to how well Ji Cheng and Shen Cui danced.

Alas, things are never smooth sailing. After a rapid “boom boom boom” of the drums, the dancers dispersed to form a large circle. Ji Cheng was about to move back when the dancer who had applied her flower ornament glared at her. “What are you doing? Get to the center!”

Ji Cheng’s heart sank. How unlucky to be chosen for a solo dance. The surrounding dancers envied her. If it weren’t for Ji Cheng impersonating a dancer known for her slender figure and flexible waist, this solo opportunity wouldn’t have fallen to someone usually so careless.

Luckily for Ji Cheng, she had a similar build to the dancer she was impersonating, so she hadn’t been recognized earlier. This was truly a matter of timing and fortune. Without Heaven’s help, no matter how meticulous her planning, what could she have done?

As the drumbeat gradually slowed, Ji Cheng’s heart raced, but her feet seemed to move of their own accord.

Although Ji Cheng had never performed a Persian dance before, she knew the Huxuan dance and had seen other Western Region dances. She decided to improvise a mix, not caring if it seemed out of place. She already had a plan in mind, and this solo dance came at just the right moment.

With a plan in place, Ji Cheng calmed down. Her hips swayed rhythmically to the slow drumbeat, first to the right, then to the left. Her waist was as slender as a willow, and the ruby flower ornament on her navel reflected the light, mesmerizing the audience.

The drumbeat grew faster and faster until it seemed impossible for a human waist to keep up. Ji Cheng resorted to shaking her buttocks. If Su Qingci were here, she would have exclaimed that the “electric motor hips” weren’t unique to her era – the ancients had mastered it centuries ago.

This hip-shaking relied entirely on thigh strength; without powerful legs, such movements would be impossible. As Ji Cheng moved, the string of gold pieces around her waist jingled and spun rapidly, dazzling the eyes of onlookers.

The less disciplined guests immediately gulped, fighting the urge to rush forward and lick the red jewel on her navel with their tongues. They silently cursed this enchantress’s waist and hips for being so bewitching, almost life-threatening.

And those eyes – what people called “bright eyes with waves,” or “autumn water rippling” – made one want to dive into the whirlpool of her gaze and explore the essence of her being.

Ji Cheng was now drenched in fragrant sweat, but the drumbeat, as if challenging her, showed no sign of slowing. Ji Cheng twisted her waist and began to spin rapidly. Her feet moved so quickly it seemed she might spin into a lotus flower, too fast for the eye to follow.

During this whirling dance, Ji Cheng moved closer to Shen Che. Some in the audience began to laugh, “Oh my, whenever Second Young Master is present, we can only hope for leftovers.”

“Quick, dance over here! These hundred taels are yours!” The fattest guest openly waved a hundred-tael note. It’s worth noting that five taels of silver were enough to feed a family of four for a year, so a hundred taels was no small sum.

Ji Cheng didn’t recognize the fat man, but Shen Cui did. He was the youngest son of Prince Ping, known for his debauchery and crude nature, having already driven two wives to their deaths.

Ji Cheng paid no attention to the fat man, spinning like a whirlwind to Shen Che’s front. But the drumbeat stubbornly continued, only gradually slowing. Ji Cheng couldn’t rush into Shen Che’s arms, so she had to sway slowly before him.

This slow hip-swaying was even more challenging than the fast movements and required great skill. Moreover, with Shen Che seated and her standing, his eyes were level with her exposed navel. Ji Cheng wanted to die of embarrassment but had to continue her seductive swaying, her waist like a willow branch. Unable to meet Shen Che’s eyes, she turned her back to him.

This backside dance, with her waist twisting like a water snake, left not only Shen Che but all the onlookers parched, their eyes following the golden pieces dangling from her waist, wishing they could become those ornaments to get closer to her.

Finally, as the drumbeat gradually ceased, Ji Cheng’s waist bent and she accurately fell into Shen Che’s arms. Her waist arched forward, her chest almost brushing against Shen Che’s as she rose, eliciting even more enthusiastic cheers from the crowd.

Ji Cheng swiftly removed the hook of her left ear veil, silently mouthing “save us” to Shen Che. She quickly replaced the veil and ran back to the group of dancers, assuming the final pose with the others.

But who could pay attention to their dancing now?

Prince Ping’s youngest son, Chu De, looked at Shen Che with undisguised lust, “How does that little harlot look?”

“Not bad,” Shen Che said with a faint smile, sipping his wine before standing up and walking towards the departing dancers.

At the door, Shen Che’s voice, tinged with a hint of desire, was heard saying, “What, leaving so soon?”

The room erupted in laughter again. As frequent patrons of such establishments, they understood Shen Che’s meaning. It had been a long time since the Second Young Master of the Shen family had shown such impatience.

Ji Cheng cast a coy glance at Shen Che, pulling Shen Cui forward and saying in an affected voice, “This is my sister.”

“Oh my, Second Brother truly has good fortune, embracing two beauties, and sisters at that!” More teasing followed from the room.

The manager serving the noble guests had long since developed a keen sense for reading situations. With just a glance, someone came to guide Shen Che and Ji Cheng toward a private chamber.

Once inside and away from prying eyes, Shen Cui immediately pulled down her veil, tears rolling down her cheeks. “Second Brother…”

Shen Che’s face no longer held any trace of the earlier ambiguity, only a cold expression as he said, “Don’t speak. I’ll arrange for someone to take you away.”

Ji Cheng quickly added, “Cousin Che, our clothes are still in the second room at the northwest corner, hidden in the third chest to the left of the entrance.”

Hearing this, Shen Che gave Ji Cheng an appraising look before nodding.

It’s unclear how Shen Che gave his instructions, but soon someone came to escort Ji Cheng and Shen Cui out. Still dressed in their Persian dance costumes and veiled, they looked like courtesans chosen by a noble guest for entertainment, so no one questioned them.

Once in the carriage, Ji Cheng and Shen Cui finally breathed a sigh of relief. Soon, someone handed in a bundle containing their clothes, and they quickly changed as the carriage drove away from Tianxiang House.

After they had changed, there was a knock on the carriage window, and Shen Che’s voice came through, “Have you changed your clothes?”

“Yes, Second Brother,” Shen Cui replied.

“Then I’m coming in,” Shen Che said.

Although Shen Che’s carriage compartment was originally quite spacious, his entrance made it feel cramped. Ji Cheng and Shen Cui couldn’t help but shrink into the corners. Later, Ji Cheng realized that it was probably due to the invisible pressure Shen Che exuded, though at the time, being in the situation, she had thought it was just because of his tall stature.

“What happened?” Shen Che looked at Shen Cui.

Shen Cui couldn’t help but tug at Ji Cheng’s sleeve, indicating for her to answer. Although her Second Brother wasn’t usually strict and often smiled when talking to them, Shen Cui was still intimidated by him. She might gossip about Shen Che’s romantic affairs behind his back, but she wouldn’t dare utter a word in his presence.

Ji Cheng didn’t want to be the spokesperson, but Shen Cui’s tugging was too obvious to ignore. This useless girl always failed at crucial moments.

Ji Cheng had no choice but to speak up, “Tonight, Fifth Sister and I, along with Sister Yuan and the others, went to the Ying River to release magpie lanterns. When a girl fell into the water, someone took advantage of the chaos to kidnap me. It wasn’t until I reached Tianxiang House that I discovered Fifth Sister had also been bound. But I don’t know how Sister Yuan and Qian are doing?” At this point, Ji Cheng became anxious, partly for show. The Wang sisters wouldn’t dare harm Shen Yuan and Shen Qian, or the Shen family would surely fight them to the death.

Shen Che didn’t respond to Ji Cheng’s concern. “How did you end up in the Ninth Lotus Hall?”

Ji Cheng didn’t hide anything from Shen Che. “I woke up earlier than Fifth Sister and overheard people talking outside. A man called ‘Pockmark’ sold us to Tianxiang House for only two hundred taels of silver. He had only one requirement, which was… which was tonight…” Even with her thick skin, Ji Cheng couldn’t bring herself to say it. If it weren’t for the fact that they were to be “deflowered” tonight, those people wouldn’t have been gone for so long, as finding a client willing to pay a high price wasn’t a quick task.

Shen Che waved his hand, naturally understanding Ji Cheng’s meaning. He mused, “Only sold for two hundred taels of silver?”