Fei Hua frowned: "Seriously! About Young Master Mu..."
"I understand." Not wanting to hear that fact brought up again, Bai Yan interrupted Fei Hua.
She lowered her head and said, "I already know. If you mean... Miss Mu's matter."
Unexpectedly, she said that, and Fei Hua couldn't contain her emotions for a moment: "You already knew! When did you find out?! She..."
Seeing Bai Yan frown, she softened her tone: "You...when did you find out? Don't tell me that you suddenly got sick...because of this."
Not wanting to discuss it further, Bai Yan simply nodded.
Knowing what she meant, Fei Hua remained silent for a while before saying, "You...you mean you don't plan to tell Mom?"
Bai Yan said softly, "What's the use?"
With a sigh, Fei Hua said, "When I found out, I wanted to confront Mu... but I was worried that if I angered her, she wouldn't light the big candles for you anymore, and I was afraid that you would..."
Bai Yan naturally understood this principle. She nodded, then suddenly wondered, "How did you know that?"
After a pause, Fei Hua said casually, "I heard it from Miss Li."
Bai Yan frowned.
Fei Hua knew very well how bad her relationship with that Miss Li was. Why would Miss Li tell her this for no reason?
Without asking further questions, she simply said, "There's no need to do anything, I... will handle it myself."
Looking at her, Fei Hua sighed and pointed to the counter next to her: "Your dress has arrived."
Bai Yan turned her head and saw a large sandalwood box on the counter, with a small box next to it.
As if her eyes were being burned, she only glanced at it before quickly turning her head away.
“What’s that little box?” she asked.
Fei Hua got up and took the small box, along with an envelope. She placed it in front of Bai Yan, her tone somewhat complicated: "It's... something Young Master Mu just sent. Take a look for yourself."
Her heart pounded, and Bai Yan hesitated to raise her hand, but dared not reach out.
Seeing her like this, Fei Hua gently shook her head, got up and went to the outer room.
After hesitating for a while, Bai Yan finally picked up the small box.
As soon as she saw the shape of the box, she knew what was inside. She opened the box very slowly.
Inside the deep red velvet box, there was a layer of dark blue velvet padding. Against the dark backdrop, the ring in the center looked exceptionally dazzling.
It is a dazzling diamond ring.
The women's diamond ring was definitely not her size.
With trembling hands, Bai Yan put down the box, then picked up the letter, almost tearing it open, and took out the letter inside.
"That day at the theater, Miss Bai asked me for a ring. At the time, I was unable to do anything to satisfy you. A few days ago, I had a pair of rings made. I should have kept them for now, waiting for us to exchange them when our hearts are at peace. However, these past few days, due to social customs, we have been unable to meet. I am anxious, so I thought I would entrust this ring to you for safekeeping, just as if we were to meet again. I have so many thoughts of you, and I hope it will be as you wish."
At the end of the letter, the two characters "Mu Xing" were written in vigorous strokes, but below the signature, a sentence was hastily written in a flamboyant and somewhat chaotic manner.
I miss you so much.
The letter was thin, yet every word weighed heavily on Bai Yan's heart.
She could almost picture how those words would come out of Mu Xing's mouth.
That deep, yet clear and feminine voice.
She could hardly imagine what Mu Xing's mindset was when he wrote those words and sent the ring over.
Before anyone knew it, Fei Hua had already walked to the bedside.
She said softly, "Yan'er, I shouldn't be saying this. But in the end, regardless of gender or status, Mu... she's a client, and we're prostitutes. As long as we pay, we're all treated the same. So how can there be any talk of owing or owing?"
"What matters isn't identity or...gender. What matters most is how this person treats you."
Chapter Fifty
“Yan’er, I am different from you. I was sold into this ditch when I was ten years old. I have seen all kinds of people and things. In this dark place, whether it is a prostitute or a patron, the most precious thing is this genuine affection. I saw how happy you were with her.” Fei Hua said, word by word.
"But love can't put food on the table. Putting aside her hidden motives, even if she really does fall for you, what future can you have? She can keep you as a mistress for a while, and even if she redeems you, she is the eldest daughter of the Mu family, and she will eventually get married. If she were a man, she could take you as a concubine, but would you marry him then? What would you do then? Would you come back to this brothel?"
The hand that was holding the letter suddenly tightened, and the paper, unable to withstand the weight, wrinkled inch by inch.
yes…
Bai Yan thought absentmindedly.
The agonizing struggle of the past few days—was it the inability to accept Mu Xing's gender? Or the heartache over her deception? Or perhaps…
Mu Xing... is getting married.
No matter what she thought, or what Mu Xing thought, that magnificent wedding dress had already made the choice for them, hadn't it?
Patting her on the shoulder, Fei Hua spoke carefully, "They say prostitutes are heartless and actors are unrighteous. Yan'er, whether you accept it or not, think about your original purpose. We entertain clients not to talk about love. Now, at this critical juncture, you can't afford to make a mistake. Miss Mu can do whatever she wants, but our lives have long since only one path left."
Bai Yan stared blankly for a moment before giving a self-deprecating laugh.
Yes, she didn't approach Mu Xing for love; it was just a fling. Mu Xing may have deceived her, but was she truly sincere from the beginning?
How could she forget that her original purpose was simply to find a place to stay?
She once disregarded all sentimentality and used that person's name as a stepping stone; she could abandon Young Master Cui without hesitation; now, she should be able to do it too.
No matter how embarrassingly this farce ends, Mu Xing can escape unscathed, return to her secure life, and become someone else's wife in a wedding dress.
And what will she ultimately leave behind?
A wedding dress, a ring, and a memory that will never end?
At least, by ending it now, she can still retain those sweet memories, offering some solace in the bleak future.
After speaking, Fei Hua got up and left. The sound of the door closing was like a dull ache in her heart, heavy and sharp, yet lingering and persistent.
Gently smoothing out the crumpled letter, Bai Yan slowly stood up and took out a wooden box from a hidden compartment in the wardrobe.
She opened the wooden box and took out the contents one by one.
A sandalwood box containing the bracelet, five silver dollars, a copy of Shakespeare's poems, a bouquet of flowers that had long since dried, a stack of embossed stationery...
As she placed each item on the table, the memories they carried surged forth, crashing like waves, almost overwhelming her. The ring she clutched tightly in her hand ached in her palm, but she ultimately didn't let go.
Let it be the last time, let her be intoxicated in this sea of no return, let the vast tenderness of the past soothe and envelop her lost heart. And after this, she will never let it beat again, even if it once burned so intensely.
When Mu Xing gave out the women's ring, he was filled with trepidation. But the very next day, all his trepidation was overwhelmed by immense terror.
"What did you say?!" she almost screamed.
"Calm down, calm down... Ah-Xuan, we really didn't expect this." Pa-Ann felt extremely guilty and could only keep apologizing.
"Little Ye didn't know about your situation. Although I had some guesses, I never expected that you... were in this state. It wasn't until yesterday when Little Ye personally delivered the dress and inquired a bit that we found out that you... sigh."
Stuck in her chair, feeling utterly dejected, Mu Xing felt as if she had been struck by lightning. She wanted to say something, but couldn't utter a single question.
Paanie tried to comfort her: "But maybe, perhaps Miss Bai didn't hear me clearly? Or maybe she doesn't actually care?"
Master Ye sat down beside her and said in a low voice, "I inquired yesterday, and the maid said that Miss Bai is safe and sound. Perhaps..."
"No, no..." Mu Xing's chest heaved violently, his face ashen, as he murmured, "I was wondering why I suddenly couldn't see Miss Bai anymore. It must be that she didn't want to see me anymore. I... I was such a fool, completely oblivious! If only a day earlier, even just a little bit!..."
She couldn't continue, so she covered her face and leaned against the table. Paanie also knew she had nothing to say, so she could only sit with Mu Xing.
After sitting for a while, Mu Xing suddenly jumped up, startling Pa Anni, who quickly grabbed her: "Where are you going?"
Mu Xing said, "I'm going to find Miss Bai and get things cleared up!"
Paanie said urgently, "Your meeting is tomorrow, why don't you wait until tomorrow? You said yourself that the madam won't let you see each other, are you going to force your way in?"
Mu Xing's face turned red with anxiety: "At worst, I'll get the guards to break in! I'll just say that the brothel is evading taxes, arrest the madam, and that'll be the end of it!"
After a pause, Paanie stopped stopping Mu Xing and instead stood up abruptly. She said, "Really? Does this trick work? If it does, I'll go with you!"
Mu Xing was taken aback, then immediately said, "I inquired about it a few days ago. These establishments are all registered with the authorities. I heard from Young Master Tang that they caught someone using shady ledgers to evade taxes..."
Paine clapped her hands: "Then we still need to get their ledgers, right? I think that's a good idea..."
Seeing that the two were actually seriously discussing it, Master Ye stood up and grabbed them, saying, "Wake up! Do you think you can get your hands on someone else's account books? Do you think they've been eating for free for decades?"
She then looked at Mu Xing: "Let's not even talk about whether you can see Miss Bai after this commotion. Even if you do, what can you do? Explain everything clearly and then cancel the wedding? Think about it, if that's the case, the madam will be helpless against you, but how will she treat Miss Bai? The methods used to deal with girls in that brothel are beyond our imagination!"
Mu Xing was stunned, her panic-induced mind gradually clearing. She slumped back into her seat, muttering, "What else can I do?"
Master Ye sighed and said, "At this point, all we can do is wait until your ceremony is over, then we can make a scene and get Miss Bai past the madam's hurdle. We can talk about the rest later. It's not that I'm indifferent, but it's already been too late. Waiting one more day won't make a difference."
Seeing Master Ye's words, Pa'an quickly added, "Ah Xuan, don't worry, Ye'er and I will definitely put in a good word for you. We've been through this before, we have some experience..."
Master Ye slapped Paanne across the face, silencing her before she could finish her sentence: "Stop talking nonsense. Of course, if Miss Mu needs help, Paanne and I will certainly not refuse. After all, this whole thing was caused by my loose tongue..."
Mu Xing chuckled self-deprecatingly and shook his head.
She said softly, "How can you blame me? In the end, it's all my fault. If I hadn't deliberately lied to her in the first place, if I had been honest with her sooner... I can't even imagine how heartbroken she would be now..." Her eyes gradually reddened, and Mu Xing choked up, unable to continue.
They exchanged a glance, then Paanie sighed and led Master Ye out.
June 17th, the day of clash with the sheep and the inauspicious direction is east, making it an auspicious day for marriage.
Early in the morning, the entire Yuhua Academy was bustling with activity. All sorts of large red lanterns and red silk decorations were ready, and huge "double happiness" characters were pasted on the gates and pillars of the academy. The hired chef from the West Gate was busily preparing dishes at the stove, while maids and servants were running around busily.
As dusk fell, the invited guests arrived one after another, all smiles and chatting amongst themselves.
"I never expected that the girl that even Cui Yuanbai couldn't win over would be taken by Young Master Mu!"
"I really didn't expect it. Miss Bai is so picky, yet only Mu San can catch her eye. That's quite remarkable!"
"What a pity, I can't meet Miss Bai today. I really don't know how beautiful she would look in a wedding dress, tsk tsk..."
"Hey, you can't say that! You shouldn't mess with your friend's wife... Hahahaha!"
Laughter filled the hall, but Mu Xing, sitting in the main seat, just stared blankly at the dishes in front of him.
Tang Yu, who was sitting next to him, noticed and gently touched Mu Xing: "Young Master Mu? What's wrong?"
Before Mu Xing could react, someone next to him laughed and said, "Hey, groom, why do you look like you've lost your soul? Are you too eager to get to the bridal chamber?"
This immediately sparked another round of laughter. Mu Xing came to his senses and chuckled along listlessly.
Seeing that Tang Yu was still staring at her persistently, she simply shook her head gently: "It's nothing, I was just thinking about something else."