(Yao Ji x Mu Yang)

Yao Ji became a dancing courtesan at the age of ten. Before that, while she wasn’t exactly from the highest nobility, she was still the daughter of a fourth-rank official – a young lady from a respectable family. However, after her father committed a grave crime amid court politics and their entire family’s property was confiscated, she fell into the teaching house. From then on, she never wished to mention her former name.

At thirteen, Yao Ji officially began receiving guests. Her “City-Toppling Dance” at the Chengfang House made her the premier dancing courtesan of the Chu capital. It was also on that day that she met Mu Yang.

Girls of thirteen or fourteen are just beginning to understand matters of the heart, even in a place like Chengfang House. Though she had just started receiving guests, Yao Ji had already spent over two years in Chengfang House and had seen plenty of her sisters suffering heartbreak over men. So when she first saw Mu Yang, she remained unmoved.

At that time, Mu Yang was only eighteen. A young man in white robes, full of romantic charm – exactly the type to lean against bridges on horseback while red sleeves beckoned from balconies above. That day, just after her dance, Yao Ji was slightly out of breath and nervous. It was her first performance, one that would determine her life for the next several years. Success would mean becoming Chengfang House’s new star dancer, a respected courtesan above the common fray. Failure would mean that even with heavenly beauty, she would have to join many nameless sisters in selling her body. Women were always particularly naive and persistent about such matters – knowing that everything would end the same way, yet still wanting to grasp these few years of dignity. Perhaps… things could be different?

“Miss, are you alright?” Amid the cheering, Yao Ji hurriedly left the stage heading toward her quarters in the back courtyard. Lost in thought, she brushed past a man and nearly lost her balance, almost crashing into the wall. Just as she thought she would ruin her face, an arm wrapped around her waist, pulling her back as a voice softly asked.

Yao Ji froze, looking up to see a graceful man in white robes, handsome and distinguished. His eyes watching her held a gentle smile, without the bothersome look that many guests carried – only faint concern and warmth.

“I’m fine, thank you for your help, young master,” Yao Ji pushed away his hand, curtsying slightly with a cool voice.

“I am Mu Yang and miss, your dance was excellent,” the man smiled.

Yao Ji had a moment of realization – she had certainly heard of Mu Yang’s name. He was the heir of the Marquis of Muyang and one of the capital’s most famous and ambitious young nobles. Though the sisters at Chengfang House often mentioned him, they only knew him by reputation, as Mu Yang never frequented places of pleasure. Yao Ji hadn’t expected to meet him in such a place. Looking at the handsome young man before her, Yao Ji’s brows furrowed slightly. Though many failed to live up to their reputations, seeing such a refined young man as a regular at a pleasure house left her somewhat disappointed.

Seeming to understand Yao Ji’s gaze, Mu Yang’s smile turned slightly bitter as he said, “I came with some friends. This Chengfang House is quite large indeed – might you know where Chang Yun Tower is?”

Chang Yun Tower was where the house’s most famous courtesan, Miss Chang Yun, resided. Yao Ji nodded and pointed him in the right direction. Why Mu Yang had come originally had nothing to do with her; her momentary change in expression was merely surprised at the difference between rumors and reality.

“Well well… if it isn’t our Young Master Mu?” A playful, drawn-out male voice rang out behind them. They turned to see a man in red robes strolling toward them.

“Third Young Master Feng.” The young Mu Yang had a good temperament and very properly greeted the man in red. Though Yao Ji had never met Third Young Master Feng, she had long heard of his reputation as a regular at places of pleasure. While Feng San was the son of a concubine from the capital’s wealthiest family, Mu Yang was the heir of the Marquis of Muyang. Given Mu Yang’s status, actively greeting Feng San was certainly courteous. However, Feng San didn’t appreciate it. He raised an eyebrow and looked at Mu Yang with a half-smile, saying: “How rare indeed. I didn’t expect Young Master Mu to have such refined interests. And this is… Miss Yao Ji? Your city-toppling dance has truly earned my admiration.”

Though Feng San’s words were somewhat frivolous, they weren’t excessive for such a place. While Mu Yang was already a handsome and refined gentleman, Feng San’s features were even more strikingly beautiful. That smile at the corner of his mouth, somewhere between playful and mocking, gave him an additional air of unconventionality. Whether due to his looks or something else, despite the deliberate frivolity in his words, Yao Ji found she didn’t dislike him. The graceful Third Young Master Feng in his red robes was indeed someone difficult to dislike.

Mu Yang didn’t argue with Feng San, only smiled faintly and said, “I have matters to attend to, so I’ll take my leave. Miss Yao Ji, farewell.”

“Safe journey, Young Master,” Yao Ji said coolly, glancing at Mu Yang’s figure heading toward Chang Yun Tower before turning away and putting it out of her mind.

After that day, Yao Ji had no further interaction with Mu Yang but gradually became familiar with Feng San. It was hard not to become familiar with Feng San in Chengfang House, as he spent at least half of every month there. Chengfang House even had a room specially reserved for him, and similar rooms were not uncommon in other places around the capital. With more interaction with Feng San, Yao Ji gradually came to understand that he wasn’t a wastrel and slave to the lust that others saw him. In private moments, the way Feng San looked at her was always clear and peaceful, without a trace of turmoil.

Thanks to Third Young Master Feng’s regular patronage, and because Yao Ji’s dance skills were truly unmatched in the capital, it took only two months for her to secure her position as the capital’s premier courtesan, becoming the talk of the town.

Her next meeting with Mu Yang wasn’t until early the following year. By then, Mu Yang was still the pride of the Marquis of Muyang’s household, while Yao Ji had become the capital’s famous premier dancing courtesan. Even many noble families and royal households had invited her to perform, and it required spending a fortune just to meet her privately.

This meeting with Mu Yang was accidental. After becoming the premier courtesan of the Chu capital, Yao Ji naturally overshadowed Chang Yun, the original top courtesan of Chengfang House. Being envied was inevitable, so Yao Ji was always very careful. Though their background didn’t afford them the luxury of innocence, Yao Ji hadn’t expected Chang Yun to conspire with other courtesans during a spring outing to ruin her reputation.

For women like them, reputation might seem laughable, yet it was crucial. Currently, she could be a high-ranking courtesan, earning thousands of gold just for conversation and company, but once that was lost, she would quickly fall to the status of a common prostitute.

Yao Ji naturally didn’t want this, so the moment she felt unwell, she forced herself through the pain and went into hiding.

“Miss, are you alright?” A gentle voice, carrying a hint of familiar concern, came from behind the fake mountain where she was hiding. But this concern was now as dangerous as arsenic to her.

“I’m fine!” Without looking at the person behind her, Yao Ji stood up and staggered forward.

“Miss Yao Ji…” Mu Yang worriedly grabbed Yao Ji’s arm, and upon seeing her flushed face, suddenly realized, “What’s happened to you? Shall I call for a doctor?”

Yao Ji, already unsteady on her feet, fell directly into Mu Yang’s arms when he pulled her. Her mind was in chaos, but she grabbed Mu Yang’s hand, gritting her teeth to maintain her last bit of clarity: “There’s no time… no time. I remember there’s a pond ahead, throw me in!”

“But…” Mu Yang frowned. Though spring had begun, it was still late February, and the pond would be cold even for a man, let alone a woman.

“It’s fine, I can swim! Please…”

Mu Yang, being from a noble family, wasn’t unfamiliar with such underhanded methods. Seeing Yao Ji’s insistence, he could only nod and say, “If that’s the case, forgive my rudeness.”

That day, Yao Ji, the premier courtesan of Chengfang House, fell into the water and was rescued by the heir of the Marquis of Muyang, falling ill for a full month afterward. But from then on, she also fell for that gentle and bright young man. He… not only helped her but saved her life.

Over the following years, Yao Ji’s reputation continued to flourish. With patrons like Third Young Master Feng and the heir of Marquis Muyang among other noble youths of the capital, no one dared cause trouble at Chengfang House. By the time she was twenty, Yao Ji had formally become the owner of Chengfang House and no longer received guests. She would only dance occasionally when required to perform for the capital’s nobility or the palace, spending the rest of her time sitting alone on the second floor of Chengfang House, gazing distantly at the bustling scenes below.

“Miss, Young Master Mu has arrived,” a young maid announced softly from outside.

Yao Ji turned her head, her bewitchingly beautiful face bearing a trace of weariness, and said, “Please ask the Young Master to return. Yao Ji is not receiving guests.” Watching the maid’s surprised withdrawal, Yao Ji gave a faint, bitter smile. In the blink of an eye, it had been nearly ten years since they’d met, and Yao Ji could no longer remember exactly when it all began. Her Feng San had once smiled wistfully and sighed, “Yao Ji, falling for someone like Mu Yang – you’re asking for heartache. By all accounts, you should choose me instead.”

Yao Ji had only smiled faintly then. How could she not know that someone of Mu Yang’s status meant their relationship could never have a future, while Feng San, as the son of a merchant’s concubine, would face far less pressure? Yet faced with the striking beauty of Third Young Master Feng, she had never felt her heart stir. Because she knew Feng San’s heart already belonged to another. While Mu Yang… had eyes only for her.

But such days could not last forever. Mu Yang had already passed twenty yet still refused to marry, but two months ago he finally couldn’t withstand the pressure from the Mu family and became engaged to Miss Sun. And when his fiancée Miss Sun came to confront her afterward, Yao Ji wasn’t surprised.

Recalling what the Princess Consort Ding had said yesterday at Fenghua Tower, a flash of determination crossed Yao Ji’s stunning face with its bitter smile. Though she had only met the Princess Consort twice, Yao Ji had to admit that in every aspect, that princess was someone she envied – her noble birth, a devoted husband who would shelter her from all storms, and her open-minded nature along with intelligence and capabilities, unlike ordinary women.

When it’s time to let go, let go… Perhaps it was time to leave…

Yao Ji looked down, gently touching her still-flat abdomen with a faint smile. The Princess Consort was right – as long as one wanted to live well, one could always find a way, especially since she wasn’t just living for herself anymore.

“Yao Ji!” A commotion of footsteps sounded outside, and soon Mu Yang appeared in the doorway, looking at her with an unsightly expression. Chengfang House’s servants followed anxiously behind him, clearly not daring to stop the heir of the Marquis of Muyang.

Yao Ji waved for the servants to withdraw before looking at Mu Yang with a faint smile. “What is Young Master’s intention? Though Chengfang House is a place of pleasure, Yao Ji has not received guests for many years.”

“Yao Ji! Haven’t you had enough?” Yesterday’s incident at Fenghua Tower had greatly displeased Mu Yang, but their years of feelings weren’t false, so once his anger cooled he immediately came to find her at Chengfang House, only to be denied entry.

Yao Ji gave a derisive laugh and said, “I’ve had enough, and I ask that Young Master no longer visit Chengfang House. Let’s avoid another chance encounter with Madam Sun and Miss Sun on the street.”

“What do you mean by this?” Mu Yang frowned.

Yao Ji waved her hand and shook her head, “Nothing. Please leave, Young Master.”

Seeing Yao Ji’s silent demeanor, Mu Yang sighed helplessly and said, “Yao Ji, I’m thinking of our future. You know… the Marquis of Muyang’s household… could never allow me to marry you as my primary wife. Can’t you compromise a little for my sake?”

Yao Ji looked at him calmly and said, “Yao Ji is not accustomed to compromising herself, and Young Master need not compromise either. Please, for the sake of our years together, let’s part ways amicably.”

“You…” Knowing Yao Ji’s temperament, it would be impossible to persuade her in the short term. Mu Yang could only sigh and say softly, “I’ll go back first. Think it over carefully.”

Watching his retreating figure, Yao Ji suddenly spoke: “Brother Mu, over these years… we’ve both changed. Don’t come again.” You are no longer that gentle and bright young man of the past, and I am no longer that young girl who only wanted our love to last forever. We’ve both grown up, and we’ve both changed…

Mu Yang’s figure paused for a moment before leaving silently.

“Miss…” Outside the door, the serving maid looked worriedly at the dazed Yao Ji. Yao Ji came to her senses and smiled faintly, “Pack up, I’m going out.”

“Where are you going, Miss?”

“The Prince Ding’s mansion.”

Leaving Prince Ding’s mansion, Yao Ji let out a long breath. She wasn’t sure if selling Chengfang House to the Princess Consort was an impulsive decision, but when she did it, she didn’t feel as reluctant as she had imagined. With her savings from these years and the money from selling Chengfang House, she could live in luxury for a lifetime. Finding a quiet place to give birth and raise her child well – perhaps her life could find a different kind of joy than before. Wasn’t this the peaceful life she had always hoped for?

“Safe journey, Miss.” The man who had escorted her out spoke in a deep voice.

Though his deep voice was pleasant to hear, his farewell surprised Yao Ji. She had seen this man twice by the Princess Consort’s side, and he was no ordinary guard, seeming to hold a significant position. Shouldn’t someone like him typically look down on someone of her status? Or were the people around the Princess Consort truly different?

“Thank you…” Yao Ji hesitated, not knowing the man’s name, “Thank you, sir.” Before this silent man, Yao Ji found that all her years of social skills at Chengfang House seemed useless – she couldn’t even manage her usual polite smile, and could only awkwardly express her thanks.

The man looked at her calmly and said, “I am Qin Feng. Miss… given your condition, if you plan to travel far, it would be better to wait a while longer.”

Yao Ji paused, then nodded and said, “Thank you for your advice, Commander Qin. Yao Ji takes her leave.”

“No need to see me out,” Qin Feng said quietly.

Yao Ji smiled faintly and turned away gracefully. She understood Qin Feng’s reminder and concern, and her mood, which had been gloomy these past days due to recent events, improved considerably. If even a stranger could show such concern, there must still be many good people in the world. Leaving the Chu capital might not be so difficult after all. At least from now on… she would no longer be a dancing courtesan, but an ordinary person. This… wasn’t this what she had always wanted? Along with selling Chengfang House to the Princess Consort, the Princess had used her influence to modify Yao Ji’s household registration, erasing the entertainer status that had always troubled her. Now she, Yao Ji… would just be a single mother with her child.