"Yes," replied the young maidservant, turning to beckon Lianyin, "Please come in, my lady is doing a facial mask."
This facial mask once again stunned the people outside. Who knew what a facial mask was? The maidservant merely lifted the bead curtain and invited Lianyin inside.
Lianyin surveyed the room. It was elegant and simple. On a low couch in the room, a person was reclining. Their face was pale, revealing only a pair of large eyes and a mouth, looking like a ghost. She was startled and stepped back, patting her chest lightly.
Qingyao slowly lowered her voice, "I've startled you, please sit down."
"Yes, my lady, what is this?"
"It's for beauty. It can make the skin smooth and delicate, and keep it firm," Qingyao spoke slowly.
She wasn't lying to them about this. Using egg whites and flour, and if honey and rose essential oil were added, the skincare would be quite good, leaving the skin fair and tender.
Lianyin said no more and quietly sat down to the side. Mochou quickly served tea and retreated to the side.
Qingyao raised her eyes to observe the woman before her. After more than a year, Ruyin was different from before. She had become much more reserved. Perhaps it was due to the immense suffering she had endured, but now she appeared indifferent, her eyes placid and unremarkable. What exactly had she experienced?
She remained silent, and Qingyao also said nothing, wanting to avoid revealing any flaws, she maintained her silence as much as possible.
"Congratulations."
Lianyin spoke softly, earnestly observing the woman before her. She dared not look too closely at her face, as it was somewhat unsettling.
Why had Changsun Yin sent her here? He said she resembled someone, but who?
"Can one still be happy about such a thing?" A hint of melancholy flickered in Qingyao's dark pupils, as if she were in great pain.
Lianyin trembled. Yes, even being the most sought-after courtesan, what of it? The top courtesans in these brothels were merely pieces of meat on a chopping block, just meat that commanded a higher price. What was there to congratulate?
Like herself, she had thought Shangguan Hao wouldn't dare to mistreat her, but in the end, he had given her to Prince Yin of Qingluo, Changsun Yin.
It was only because her empress mother was gone and her imperial brother had been executed. If they were still alive, would Shangguan Hao have dared to do this?
A mist gathered in Lianyin's eyes, and hatred surged within her heart. All of this was caused by Murong Liuzun and that woman Mu Qingyao. If she ever saw them again, she would never let them rest, even if it meant her own death.
Upon thinking of Mu Qingyao, Lianyin's heart sank. She looked up. Could the person Changsun Yin suspected be Mu Qingyao?
Could the person before her be Mu Qingyao? It couldn't be, could it? She had divorced the emperor, but she wouldn't have fallen to the point of being in a brothel.
Unless she had another motive. Was she really that woman Mu Qingyao? Her heart churned, and she could no longer maintain her composure.
Mu Qingyao watched her with cold eyes. It seemed she was becoming suspicious. But if she didn't admit it, what could Lianyin do?
"How did you end up being sold to a place like this?"
Lianyin probed cautiously. Mu Qingyao remained unruffled, her eyes welling up with misty tears. Although they didn't fall, she already looked utterly pitiful.
"Because my family suffered from floods last year. Seeing my younger siblings starving, my mother sold me. I thought I was being sold to work as a servant, but when the person saw I had some beauty, they sold me to a place like this at a high price."
Qingyao's voice was almost choked with tears. Her demeanor and actions portrayed a tragic, poor girl vividly.
Lianyin stared blankly, almost certain that the woman before her was not the woman from the palace.
That woman would likely disdain doing such a thing. She had always been arrogant and overbearing. How could she start crying while speaking, as if she had touched upon someone's sorrow?
"I'm sorry, don't be sad. I didn't mean to."
Qingyao sniffled hard, very loudly, as if she couldn't stop. Her subdued voice slowly resounded.
"Do you know? I am so miserable. I can't sleep every night, thinking that my entire life will be spent living like this. But what can I do? I really wish I could just end my life."
Listening to her words, Lianyin's nose felt sore, and she almost shed tears along with her. The pain she had endured all this time was stuck in her chest, unable to come out or go in, just caught there.
Seeing that Lianyin's attention was not on her, Qingyao performed even more vigorously.
"From now on, I'll be tossed around among men. If I encounter a ruthless one, I'll be beaten. The more I think about it, the more frightened I become."
At this, Lianyin began to weep. She remembered being beaten by Shangguan Hao, and then by Changsun Yin.
Yes, if you met a bad person, you would be beaten. Women were truly pathetic. As Lianyin was crying, Mu Qingyao, who was leaning on the couch, suddenly spoke.
"My lady, why are you crying?"
Lianyin was startled. What was she doing? Hadn't she warned herself to be heartless and unfeeling? She was crying again. She immediately stood up, "I have something to do, I'll be leaving now."
Saying this, she fled in disarray. In the room, Qingyao's voice slowly sounded, "Show the guest out."
"Yes, Master," Mochou walked over. She saw that the person was nowhere in the long corridor. Peeking out, she saw the graceful figure had already headed towards the main gate. Mochou turned back into the room, blinked at her master, and after a long while, spoke.
"Master, you are such a good actress."
They discovered that their master had many mysteries. For example, she could cook delicious food, apply flour and egg whites to her face, and now, acting had been added. They truly didn't know what earth-shattering feats awaited them.
"Alright, my face has hardened. Go fetch some water for me to wash my face."
Qingyao waved her hand, too lazy to pay attention to Mochou's astonishment, and sat up.
Mochou responded and went out to fetch water. After Mu Qingyao washed her face, revealing a fair and dewy complexion, she leaned towards Mochou and said with a faint smile, "Look, isn't my skin much more delicate?"
Mochou leaned in to look and nodded in surprise, "Yes, Master's skin is more supple than before. So, this really is for protecting the skin."
Moyou, hearing the women discussing such things, had already lost interest and walked out.
In the room, Mu Qingyao sat before the bronze mirror and spoke coldly.
"If I've guessed correctly, Changsun Yin will definitely come tonight. Therefore, I must kill him tonight."
A fleeting cold glint flashed in her eyes. She covered her face again with a light veil, revealing only a pair of dark pupils, looking up at the mirror with a somber gaze.
The Spring Breeze Tower at night was as bright as day, bustling with activity, a stark contrast to the quiet of the daytime.
Because the Spring Breeze Tower had produced a top courtesan, the business today seemed even better than usual. The proprietress was smiling so widely her mouth wouldn't close, joyfully greeting guests at the entrance of the tower.
Unexpectedly, at the very end, a person of great importance arrived – Prince Yin of Qingluo.
The proprietress was immediately filled with dread. This Changsun Yin was not comparable to the Crown Prince. He was extremely cunning and cruel; everyone in the capital knew it. There was a common saying: it is better to offend a gentleman than a villain.