The new day had barely broken. Morning mist drifted through the courtyard, casting a soft, hazy glow over the window paper.
The room was peacefully quiet, the air still carrying the faint warmth of the night.
When Su Liwan woke, her clothes were slightly disheveled, wrapped loosely in thin, soft sleepwear. Morning light fell upon her neck, highlighting her smooth, glowing skin, giving her a drowsy, gentle tenderness.
Her eyes fluttered open in panic, and she glanced timidly at Yun Xiu beside her.
At the sight of her, Yun Xiu's eyes softened with quiet joy. She reached out gently and pulled Su Liwan into a warm embrace.
Su Liwan's body tensed slightly, but soon melted into the familiar warmth, her voice trembling.
"Yun Xiu… was I too rude to you last night?"
"You were not rude, Miss. You simply did not sleep well, and leaned closer to this servant," Yun Xiu whispered, patting her back lightly.
"But… between young ladies, how could we be so close?" She buried her face into Yun Xiu's shoulder, flustered and ashamed. "Am I shameless?"
"No," Yun Xiu said steadily and softly. "If it makes your heart feel warm and safe, then it is not shameful."
Su Liwan's fingers twisted at the front of Yun Xiu's clothes, her voice small and confused.
"But I am a noble lady. I should obey the rules… Am I being improper? Have I become a bad girl?"
"You are only feeling lost and in need of comfort," Yun Xiu murmured, pressing her forehead gently against Su Liwan's hair. "This is not being bad. It is only human."
The more she listened, the more flustered she became, her voice growing even quieter.
"But… when I leaned against you like that last night, I did not feel uncomfortable. I even felt a little at ease… Am I strange?"
"Not at all strange," Yun Xiu held her more gently and steadily. "This servant also feels only peace when staying beside Miss. There is nothing wrong with it."
Su Liwan lifted her head abruptly, her eyes filled with confusion and trust.
"Really? But Father and Mother always taught me that such behavior is improper and wrong."
Yun Xiu looked at her, meek yet firm.
"Rules exist to protect people from harm, not to stop you from feeling safe. As long as your heart is pure, no kind of closeness is wrong."
At that moment, she suddenly remembered what Qin Ruhai had told her.
He said that street courtesans laughed freely and lived boldly. Their happiness was not filthy—it was merely the world's prejudice.
Even then, she had quietly suspected that the teachings at home were not entirely correct.
Hearing Yun Xiu confirm it now, her heart finally settled.
She looked at Yun Xiu and softly voiced the doubt deepest in her heart.
"Yun Xiu… are all the rituals and teachings my family taught me wrong?"
Yun Xiu nodded slightly, guiding her thoughts gently.
"If those rules prevent you from seeking even a little warmth, then they are nothing but chains."
Su Liwan stared blankly for a moment, then came to a complete realization.
She murmured softly, speaking to Yun Xiu as much as to herself.
"Then… what Qin Ruhai said is true?
In the past… was I just like livestock trapped in a cage?"
Yun Xiu did not refute her. She only held her gently and replied softly.
"It is not too late for you to understand now, Miss."
Su Liwan leaned against her chest, feeling all her tight shame and restraint melt away.
She thought she had only come to an understanding.
But she did not know—
the second step of Qin Ruhai's plan had already been perfectly laid.
By midday, the market was bustling with noise.
Accompanied by Yun Xiu, Su Liwan walked slowly to Qin Ruhai's bookstall on the main street.
She stopped before the stall, her fingers brushing lightly across the pages as if browsing casually, yet a suppressed brightness flickered in her eyes.
Qin Ruhai lifted his gaze toward her, his expression calm and gentle. "What books would you like to read today, Miss?"
Su Liwan bit her lower lip gently, lifted her eyes to him, and spoke in a soft voice.
"Young Master Qin, I have thought a lot about the things you told me the other day… I think I understand some of it now, but there is still much I do not."
Qin Ruhai closed the book in his hand and listened quietly.
"I have always lived by the rules my family taught me, never daring to overstep," her voice turned slightly hoarse. "But now I realize those things are like chains, binding me until I can barely breathe."
She looked at him, her eyes dazed yet unusually sincere.
"You said that a courtesan's happiness is not filthy, and that women do not have to be restrained in everything… is that really true?
As long as one's heart is pure, no way of living is shameless, right?"
Qin Ruhai looked at her, his voice soft but certain.
"It is true. You have never been the one at fault. The world is simply too harsh on women."
Tears pricked at Su Liwan's eyes, as if her long unrest had finally been soothed.
"So… I was never wrong," she whispered. "I do not have to live so carefully forever."
Qin Ruhai nodded slightly, his gaze turning toward one side of the street, his voice lowering even more.
"There are too many people here. Some things are not convenient to say. At noon tomorrow, there is a deserted field beside the busy market. The flowers are in full bloom there, and it is quiet and secluded."
He paused, then looked back at her, his tone calm yet impossible to refuse.
"If you are willing, come meet me there. I will tell you the rest then."
Su Liwan's heart fluttered softly. Without the slightest hesitation, she nodded gently.
"Alright. I will be there at noon tomorrow."
By evening, the sky had dimmed. A gentle wind blew, and the back alley in Qingxi Town was almost completely deserted.
Moss grew along the walls, and the low enclosures on both sides blocked the light, leaving the lane dim and quiet—perfect for private conversation.
Shen Ruoxi stood in the alley, her hands clutching the hem of her dress tightly, her heart pounding with fear.
The places where her parents had beaten her the day before still hurt, but her mind was filled only with Qin Ruhai's words—if she did this well, he would not abandon her. The thought that he might be watching nearby gave her the strength to go on.
Before long, Zhao Sanduo sauntered over.
Short and fat, with a pockmarked face and shifty little eyes, he looked vulgar and greasy. At the sight of Shen Ruoxi, he froze for a moment, then broke into a lewd smile and slowly approached.
"Well, well—if it isn't my cousin Ruoxi. Hiding in a place like this?"
His voice was rough, his gaze lingering over her in an uncomfortable way.
Shen Ruoxi shrank back instinctively, terrified and disgusted, yet forced herself not to run.
She quickly glanced around, making sure no one was nearby, then lowered her voice and spoke softly.
"Cousin… come here. I have something to say to you."
Zhao Sanduo raised an eyebrow and deliberately stepped closer, a foul odor wafting toward her. "Say it then."
Shen Ruoxi lowered her head, not daring to meet his eyes. Her hands trembled as she pulled a few pieces of silver from her sleeve and thrust them quickly into his palm.
"Here… take this."
Zhao Sanduo held the silver, pleased at first, but suspicion soon darkened his face.
"Giving me money for no reason? Yesterday you were crying and cursing me, avoiding me like a ghost. Why are you so eager today?"
Shen Ruoxi panicked instantly.
She was never good at lying. Questioned directly, her eyes reddened and her voice shook.
"I… I was just scared… I didn't mean it…"
"Scared?" Zhao Sanduo scoffed, stepping closer. "Scared, yet you asked to meet me in a deserted place? You wouldn't be setting me up, would you?"
Having lived among the lower class, he was naturally suspicious. One day she had rejected him violently; the next she was acting differently. Anyone would doubt her.
Shen Ruoxi backed away until there was nowhere left to go. She lowered her head and spoke in a tearful, soft voice.
"I'm not… I can't stay at home any longer. My parents don't love me. They beat me in public yesterday. I really have no one else to turn to…"
Her voice grew softer, looking pitiful and helpless.
"I only have you, cousin."
Zhao Sanduo stared at her for a long while.
The young lady's eyes were red, her expression full of sorrow. She did not seem to be pretending. It was as if she had been driven to despair by her family and now sought someone to rely on.
His suspicion faded, replaced by satisfaction at the sight of her delicate face and the silver in his hand.
Few women ever paid him any attention. Having such a pretty young cousin take the initiative to approach him flattered him greatly. With such a tempting opportunity right before him, how could he refuse?
"Fine," he relented, returning to his greasy, flirtatious tone. "Where do you want to meet?"
Shen Ruoxi's face burned with shame. She could not lift her head, her voice so quiet it was almost inaudible.
"At noon tomorrow… come meet me at the haunted deserted house beside the market, okay?"
Zhao Sanduo's eyes lit up instantly.
A deserted house, remote, with no one around—the meaning could not be clearer. Just thinking about it excited him.
"Why meet me in such a lonely place?" he teased.
Shen Ruoxi bit her lip, speaking clumsily yet obediently.
"No one will see us there. I'll listen to whatever you say."
Afraid he might still refuse, she added timidly, her voice trembling softly.
"Don't tell anyone… just keep me company."
Looking at this pure, weak girl offering herself so willingly, Zhao Sanduo could no longer contain his lust. Ugly satisfaction spread across his face.
Never in his life had he encountered such a good opportunity.
"If my cousin asks so nicely, how could I refuse?" he chuckled, his voice low. "Don't worry. I'm good at keeping secrets."
Shen Ruoxi sighed in relief, a foolish sense of security appearing in her eyes.
"Then… it's a promise. You must come."
"I will," Zhao Sanduo agreed readily, his eyes still wandering over her. "And don't you regret it then."
Shen Ruoxi said nothing, only nodded gently. Then, like a frightened little bird, she turned and hurried away.
The alley fell silent again.
Zhao Sanduo squeezed the silver in his hand, staring at her fleeing back, a greedy, lewd smile curving his lips.
He did not care why she had suddenly changed her mind.
A free gift was a gift, after all.