Chapter 2

5

“Waaah! Gu Xing, you heartless betrayer! I gave you my true feelings, and you threw them away!”

I wailed.

“Qiao Qiao, I’ve been wronged!”

Gu Xing was sweating with panic. He couldn’t soothe me by himself, so he signaled with his eyes.

Gu Xian and Zhen Niang rushed over together.

“I swear, Young Master Gu and I are innocent.”

“I can vouch for that, too. But, Lin Qiao, when did you and my brother get together?”

I stopped crying.

I gave Gu Xing a chance to explain himself.

“Qiao Qiao, there are things I can’t explain just yet. When the time is right, I’ll tell you everything. But I’ve never had any other intentions.”

Seeing that, Zhen Niang quietly asked me:

“Miss Lin, if that’s settled… shall we continue today’s lesson?”

Gu Xing was confused and asked what had happened.

I never expected Zhen Niang to be so honest. I frantically tried to signal her with my eyes.

Instead, she told Gu Xing every last detail about me.

Perhaps he had connected it with my strange behavior lately. Gu Xing seemed to have guessed most of it.

His hand trembled as he wiped away my tears, and the handkerchief slipped to the floor.

I studied his face, but couldn’t read his expression.

For the first time in my life, I was truly afraid.

Gu Xing gave a self-mocking laugh.

“I had no idea Qiao Qiao liked the Crown Prince.”

Then he told Gu Xian:

“Without my permission, no one is to enter this room today.”

My legs went weak.

Was Gu Xing going to kill me in secret because love had turned to hate?

Only Gu Xing, Zhen Niang, and I remained in the room.

The three of us stood there in unbearable awkwardness.

Gu Xing and I were locked in a standoff, neither willing to speak first.

Zhen Niang couldn’t take it anymore.

“Young Master, about this…”

Gu Xing leaned back on the chaise longue and let his gaze roam over me.

His tone was flirtatious.

“The dignified daughter of the General’s household is willing to enter the pleasure quarters and learn its arts just to win over the Crown Prince. Why don’t I, her former lover, see what tricks Qiao Qiao has learned to seduce men?”

My eyes turned red with embarrassment, and I stood frozen.

Zhen Niang saw how uncomfortable I was and hurried to smooth things over.

“Young Master, you’re teasing her. An unmarried young lady is shy. Knowing a little but not too much is what makes things truly deadly. A Jiangnan musician is performing today. Would you care to stay and enjoy the show?”

Gu Xing turned the jade ring on his finger.

His gaze burned.

“Knowing a little but not too much? Is that because you didn’t teach her properly—or because the student didn’t pay attention?”

Zhen Niang was at a loss.

She couldn’t go forward or back, and glanced at me.

In truth,

the Crown Prince wasn’t all that different from the other pleasure-seeking guests.

What Zhen Niang had taught me was nothing more than a few tricks of playing hard to get.

I worked up my courage and stepped closer to Gu Xing.

I did as Zhen Niang had taught me.

I hooked a finger into his sash.

Unlike his usual loose robes,

this fitted outfit showed off Gu Xing’s firm waist.

Before I could think of what to do next,

his arm tightened around my waist.

With a tug, I tumbled into his lap, and he caught me securely.

But my whole body was stiff as a board.

Zhen Niang had witnessed the entire thing. She stood beside us, coaching me:

“Miss, loosen your waist a little. Make your eyes more alluring.”

Gu Xing’s aura was too intimidating.

I didn’t dare look him in the eye. I wanted to dig a hole and disappear on the spot.

Gu Xing picked up a lock of my hair and brushed it lightly across my face.

It tickled, as if he were teasing a cat or a dog.

His voice was cool, with a hint of mockery.

“Does Qiao Qiao think the Crown Prince is some empty-headed fool, easy to trick? That if you take the initiative, he’ll willingly fall for you the way I did? Zhen Niang once shook the capital with nothing but a pipa performance. Her talents go far beyond the bedroom. If you’re going to do this, pay attention and learn properly. That way, a man won’t deceive you and take both your body and your heart.”

I felt embarrassed and angry.

Gu Xing’s words made me feel completely useless.

So much for being the heroine.

Maybe Gu Xing had simply spoiled me all along.

7

I knew he’d only said it in anger, but I still couldn’t accept it.

I pushed Gu Xing away.

I held my head high.

“I, Lin Qiao, am neither talented nor virtuous. If I dare to perform a dance, I fear I’ll offend Young Master Gu’s eyes.”

Last year, during the Lantern Festival,

I sneaked out with Gu Xing to see the lanterns.

In front of Yunhui Tower,

a dancer performed beneath the lanterns, as beautiful as a fairy descended from heaven.

I secretly memorized the dance.

I practiced for more than half a year.

I wasn’t good at dancing.

My feet rubbed raw and blistered, but I didn’t care.

I only wanted to dance for Gu Xing on his birthday.

My sleeves fluttered.

I saw the darkness in Gu Xing’s eyes gradually give way to life again.

His gaze stayed fixed on me.

When I finished, Gu Xing looked dazed.

Zhen Niang was the first to praise me.

“It seems you really did put in the effort.”

I snapped:

“I’d planned to dance for you on your birthday. Now I don’t think I need to. I’m done with this awful dance, and I’ll never dance again!”

I could no longer hold back everything I’d bottled up.

My nose stung, and tears streamed down my face.

The next second, Gu Xing pulled me into his arms.

His voice softened.

“It’s my fault. I shouldn’t have said those outrageous things. You can hit me or punish me however you like. From now on, Qiao Qiao will dance only for me, all right?”

My tears and snot soaked the front of Gu Xing’s robe.

I didn’t even notice when Zhen Niang slipped into the secret room behind us.

“So… in Qiao Qiao’s heart, I still matter a little more than the Crown Prince?”

His voice was probing.

Gu Xing stared at me without blinking, as if afraid he’d miss any reaction.

Outside, we heard the sound of a fight.

Someone kicked the door open.

Gu Xing instinctively moved in front of me to shield me.

I peered over his shoulder, showing only my eyes.

A furious man stood in the doorway, scanning the room.

He couldn’t find the person he was looking for.

The madam and Gu Xian hurried over to him.

“Oh, your lordship, I told you Zhen Niang wasn’t here, but you wouldn’t believe me.”

The man glanced contemptuously at Gu Xing.

“Hmph. What a sanctimonious hypocrite.”

Then he waved a hand and left.

He must have known who Gu Xing was.

That was why he’d mistaken me for a courtesan at the Hongyu Pavilion.

I pouted.

“How rude. Why do you know someone like that? Who is he?”

Gu Xing’s long, narrow eyes narrowed slightly, and the corners of his mouth lifted.

He slowly said the two words that made my heart go cold:

“The Crown Prince.”