Xin He chuckled, handing an envelope over to her: "Take this letter to Hua Man Tower. They will undoubtedly promote Miss Jinghua as their top attraction, with a treatment comparable to, if not surpassing that of Yi Ling."
Noticing Jinghua’s increasingly astonished gaze, Xin He continued: "Miss Jinghua is intelligent and I’ve explained everything clearly. Your prominence at Yihong Courtyard will inevitably be overshadowed by the ten new girls. You might even fade into obscurity. But if you choose Hua Man Tower, how you will be treated, you should know. I won’t say anymore, make your choice wisely. As to who I am, there’s no need for you, Jinghua, to know."
With that, she showed a fleeting smile before turning to leave.
Jinghua stood there blankly, still clutching that letter, revisiting the young master’s words, her heart pounding.
——
Xin He stepped out of Fanghua Pavilion, feeling rather relieved. Her persuasive talk was enough for Jinghua to understand what she really wanted.
Anyone with a brain would know how to make the right choice.
It wasn’t so much awaiting her decision, but rather, her choice was inevitable.
"Madam, why go to such great lengths to persuade Jinghua? After all, she is from Yihong Courtyard. How do we know if she’s truly loyal?" Shulan mumbled, clearly upset about Yi Ling’s predicaments.
Xin He chuckled and shook her head: "It’s because she’s from Yihong Courtyard that it’s worth the trouble. Can you think of anyone else who could be the centrepiece of Yihong Courtyard at this time? The ten new girls waiting to debut? Ha! Once Jinghua leaves, Yihong Courtyard will collapse." 𝒻𝑟𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝑛𝘰𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮
At this, Shulan’s eyes lit up: "So madam is planning to take out Yihong Courtyard once and for all?"
"I won’t be the one to demolish it, they are digging their own grave," Xin He answered cryptically. She caught sight of a boy on the street extravagantly wielding a piece of artwork, announcing loudly.
"In three days, ten beauties to debut at Yihong Courtyard! Each more beautiful than the other... guaranteed to be unique! Each having their own unique charm!" As the boy sprang this way and that, he showed the drawing in his hand to passersby.
Every street and alley was plastered with such beautiful paintings.
Unable to contain herself, Shulan scoffed: "Damn it! Even their advertising style copies ours! Shameless!"
Xin He, however, laughed lightly, the tinge of mockery evident: "Let them be. Without such pomp, how can the event catch public attention? Now the whole city knows about the grand event at Yihong Courtyard three days later. Aren’t we waiting to see what’ll happen next?"
Looking at the smile on her mistress’s face, Shulan shivered.
Xiaoyu curled her lip: "Now that Madam had dug Jinghua from Yihong Courtyard, isn’t it equivalent to pulling the rug from under them? Just imagine their reaction when they find out they’re left with nothing after three days."
Shulan blinked, seemingly grasping something. No wonder the madam insisted on getting Jinghua. This move would certainly crush Yihong Courtyard.
"Indeed, Jinghua is talented. Although she imitated Yi Ling, she has indeed outperformed her. That’s a fact. If I want to cultivate another girl of this type in the future, it would be hard to find such a promising one," Xin He said.
Actually, it is not easy to train girls. To find one with talent, a suitable image, and personality is even harder. Yihong Courtyard must have realized this, hence their decision to poach the ten girls we have selected, instead of buying new ones.
With the loss of Yi Ling, Hua Man Tower did suffer. If Jinghua can fill that gap, it would be perfect.
That night, Jinghua’s placard was missing in Yihong Courtyard.
When clients asked about it, the steward of Yihong Courtyard could only apologize with a helpless smile saying that Jinghua was indisposed due to ill health.
Indeed, Jinghua was unwell, suffering from a heavy cold that showed no signs of abating despite the doctor’s visit. Initially, they thought it would subside after a day or two. But who knew that her condition worsened over the three days, leaving the doctor helpless.
Jinghua was the pillar of Yihong Courtyard. News of her sudden illness was disastrous!
The steward immediately informed Sun Yaowen.
Sun Yaowen visited Jinghua, who lay collapsed on the bed, pale and hardly breathing. He found it ominous and left promptly, saying, "Useless creature!"
"Young Master, calm down. Tonight, the Ten Maidens debut. It won’t matter if Miss Jinghua is absent," the steward tried to placate.
Sun Yaowen thought the same, and his mood brightened somewhat. He waved off the matter, stating, "Forget about her, the new girls tonight are more important."
"What about Miss Jinghua..."
Sun Yaowen scoffed: "She’s on her deathbed, are you going to let her die at Yihong Courtyard? Quickly get her out of here and arrange for her stay elsewhere."
"Yes."
At that moment, Yihong Courtyard was buzzing, preparing for the grand event tonight, the debut of the Ten Maidens who could turn the fortune of the establishment. No one noticed Jinghua being carried out of a secluded exit.
Even those who did just sighed: "Just a few days earlier, she was the talk of the town. Look at her now, dreadful!"
"It’s her own misfortune and bad luck, who’s there to blame? Ha!"
Amidst the buzz, Jinghua didn’t seem to hear anything, allowing others to carry her out. When she was placed on the rickety horse carriage, a trace of a smile flickered across her lips.
Since she was cast out to fend for herself, of course, she got her servitude contract. After all, Yihong Courtyard had no interest in keeping the contract of a dead woman.
Who said she wasn’t lucky?
Someone from Yihong Courtyard had been watching all along. When Jinghua was "discarded", a quick-witted stable boy immediately reported to Xin He.
Xin He chuckled: "This Jinghua, she has got some brains."
"She’s the star attraction at Yihong Courtyard. The Ten Maidens haven’t yet debuted, Yihong Courtyard will not let her go easily. For her to make an escape, this seems to be her only way. So, congratulations to madam, seems like a bargain fell into her lap for free," Xiaoyu laughed.
Xin He raised her eyebrows: "The bargains of today, are not limited to this one."
With that, she closed her fan and sauntered towards Hua Street: "It’s getting dark and the grand event at Yihong Courtyard will soon begin. We have nothing better to do, why not join in the fun? They must have made quite a preparation for this day."
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