Xin He chuckled, "No need to worry, Madame Chen. Today, I just wanted to get to know everyone. From what I can see, the girls at our Flower House have quite a potential. It all looks promising."
Madame Chen didn’t quite understand. Where did the promise lie?
But if the boss said it was promising, then it must be. Who was she to challenge?
Madame Chen let out a forced chuckle, relieved, "That’s good then."
Xin He announced, "Next."
She spent the entire day watching the girls’ performances, trying to understand their strengths through their displays. She introduced new elements to their routines, aiming to add a breath of fresh air.
By the end of the day, she felt her thoughts swirling, but she’d gathered a lot of valuable information. She had nothing to complain about.
On their way back, Xin He leaned back in the carriage, closing her eyes for a bit of rest.
Shulan sat by her side, massaging her shoulders, and chattered, "Why is Madam so interested in these women? Taking over a brothel and having to meet all those girls personally, even I’m tired from watching. It seems you enjoyed it thoroughly, but now your eyes are blurry from watching so much! If it weren’t already dark outside and we had to return, I bet you would’ve stayed there until tomorrow, right? But the master will get angry..."
Feeling helpless, Xin He tugged at the corner her lip and turned to Xiaoyu, chuckling, "Will you please get this nagging girl out of the carriage? My ears are probably going to get callouses if she stays here any longer."
Unable to hold back, Xiaoyu burst into laughter, "Hear that, Shulan? Watch what you say or Madam might make you walk back."
Shulan played the victim, "I’m genuinely worried about Madam. How could Madam be so heartless as to leave her servant behind?"
Xin He let out a fed-up laugh and said, "Your never-ending chatter could last a lifetime. I’m already cross-eyed from watching so much, and yet you persist in plaguing my ears? How did a teenager like you become as prone to gossip as all those old nannies?"
Shulan mumbled under her breath, "When I worked in the Old Lady’s chambers, those old dames would never stop chattering. Compared with them, I talk very little."
"So, you picked it up from them", Xin He laughed at her.
Xiaoyu laughed even harder, and chimed in, "By the way, Madam, you seemed to be watching the Flower House girls’ talents carefully. Do you have a plan of your own?"
Xin He lightly chuckled, "Certainly, I have a plan. Why else would I idle away my time watching a bunch of girls showcase their skills? I might as well have headed over to the Martial Arts Field and watched the matches."
Shulan slapped her forehead, "Oh! I see it now. Madam would never do anything without expecting something in return. But what’s today’s move all about?"
"A redesign", Xin He answered, her eyes subtly lighting up, sparkling with brilliance.
"Ah?"
Xin He let out a sigh, "The tasks I have in mind are labor-intensive and time-consuming considering the number of girls we have."
Though Shulan still seemed clueless, Xiaoyu ventured to ask, "Are you thinking of transforming each girl, creating a brand new Flower House where every girl showcases a different form of beauty?"
Upon Xiaoyu’s explanation, everything clicked for Shulan! She remembered that Xin He had directed each girl in a different direction after they’d showcased their skills, even though it had sounded a bit weird at the time. Now that she understood the reasoning behind it, everything made sense!
Xin He nodded in agreement, "Exactly. As long as the Flower House can accommodate a variety of beauties, it will be a hit no matter what."
"Indeed! The Madam is always full of brilliant ideas. Is there anything Madam can’t accomplish?" said Shulan gleefully.
But Xin He hesitated for a moment, looking slightly worried, "The only issue is, something is still missing."
"What’s missing?" asked Shulan curiously.
While Xin He seemed to be recalling something, her gaze fixed straight ahead, she said, "We have Leng Qing’s pride, Hua Rao’s charm, and Qing Lei’s elegance – they all have their own distinct strengths. Despite this, no one seems a perfect fit. And without such a figure, it feels like we’re missing something."
"What kind of beauty?"
Xin He stated firmly, "A seductive woman."
Shulan raised her eyebrows, surprised. She scratched her head in thought for a while, then echoed in confusion, "Seductive?"
"How can we depict a multitude of beauties without the seductive one?" Xin He mused, "The problem is, among the girls at Flower House I saw today, hardly any of them give off this vibe and even those that do aren’t strong enough. It feels far from enough."
Shulan hesitated, "Ah Lian, the girl from the capital, is said to be extremely seductive. Especially when she danced the Drunken Concubine, people couldn’t take their eyes off her."
Suddenly, Xin He’s eyes lit up. She slapped her palm on the table and exclaimed, "Exactly! It has to be Ah Lian! Only she can pull it off!"
No wonder she had found the air around the Flower House girls insufficient; she’d already seen the best there was. Ah Lian’s seductiveness had subconsciously set the standard in her mind.
Ah Lian’s performance of the Drunken Concubine had taken the entire capital by storm.
Her naturally enchanting eyes easily bewitched anyone who dared to meet them. She was a born siren! Furthermore, the grace she had honed over the years was unmissable. At twenty-five, by the standards of their time, she was considered old. Most girls got married at fifteen.
But Xin He knew better. Only at twenty-five does a woman truly blossom. It simply depended on one’s perspective.
Though she might not possess the innocence of a sixteen-year-old, she had a sense of seduction and maturity that time had bestowed upon her. Ah Lian had made the most of this gift from God and preserved it beautifully.
That’s precisely why she was able to hold the title of the finest courtesan in the city for ten consecutive years.
Xin He clenched her fist and announced firmly, "It’s her! Only Ah Lian can carry the role of the seductive woman!"
Xiaoyu said uncertainly, "But Ah Lian is in demand in the capital right now. She might not be interested..."
Xin He just smiled, "We should send her a letter to find out. If she’s not interested, so be it."
For some reason, Xin He wasn’t too apprehensive. She knew Ah Lian well; she was a clever woman who understood how to seize chances for her own benefit. Her sharp eyes allowed her to identify the path forward that suited her best.
She had stunned the capital with just one dance, the Drunken Concubine. But the buzz was fleeting and was bound to fade in just a few months if she didn’t produce any new pieces. It was highly likely that she might again be forgotten, especially considering she was already twenty-five.
However, the one person capable of prolonging the glow of her twenty-five-year-old life was Ji Xin He.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
