Wei Qingming gave me a cold sidelong glance before turning away to pour wine for Lu Kaifeng. The two began to drink, exchanging polite toasts. Realizing I had made a fool of myself, I awkwardly buried my head in my bowl, taking large gulps of soup. Yin Deng, who had been sitting across from me, rose gracefully and walked behind me. With a smile, she said, "Miss Su’s hair has come loose. Allow me to tidy it for you."
I grew even more flustered, but as her supple, boneless hands touched the crown of my head, her fingertips slid through my hair with a tingling itch. It felt just like the way Master used to scratch me when I was a cat in my younger years. I narrowed my eyes in comfort, a silly grin spreading across my face once more.
Wei Qingming had surely intended to visit me alone, only to be saddled with Yin Deng. Seeing things develop to this point, her expression turned colder than the chilled Shi Dong Chun wine. Yin Deng, smiling all the while, took in her expression with satisfaction before returning to her seat to converse with Master Lu.
I dropped my chopsticks and covered my face for a while before timidly looking up. Leaning toward Wei Qingming’s ear, I said coaxingly, "Cousin, are you off duty now?"
She took a sip of wine, her eyes lowered, before giving a low, muffled "Mm."
I wanted to clamber onto her to give her a massage and ask if she was tired, but I was mindful of my Senior Brother’s presence. He was already casting occasional searching, warning glances at Wei Qingming—viewing her as a dangerous individual intent on "luring away" his junior sister. I had no choice but to pull back. Seeing that she was still ignoring me, I grew anxious and reached under the table to grab her hand. However, I completely misjudged the distance; my hand missed its mark and my claws—so to speak—sunk into Wei Qingming’s thigh instead... The sensation was actually quite firm.
Only then did Wei Qingming turn her face to frown at me. I blinked rapidly, and instead of withdrawing, I pressed further, flashing my most adorable smile to play the victim. Wei Qingming stared at me for a moment, unable to stay angry yet unable to scold me. Finally, she couldn't hold it anymore and let out a soft, smiling huff.
Seeing that Yin Deng and Lu Kaifeng were deep in conversation and had no time to watch me, I pressed my advantage. I leaned in close, my finger poking at the upward curve of her lips. "Smile, come on, give me a smile... There it is, you smiled! Hooray!"
She reached up to catch my mischievous hand. Her smile vanished, replaced by a cold tone: "Since you like Yin Deng so much, perhaps I should redeem her from the temple and give her to you as a gift."
I gave a roguish grin, resting my hand on her shoulder and hooking her chin. "I like you more. When my shop makes a fortune, I’ll redeem you from your yamen and take you back to be the lady of my mountain stronghold."
She glanced at me, a nonchalant smile playing at the corners of her lips. "I fear A-Zhi cannot afford the price."
"A-Zhi," my Senior Brother called out calmly. "Eat properly. Do not disturb Master Wei’s meal."
I pulled my hand back like a wilted chick. I saw Wei Qingming switch her wine cup to her left hand, while her right hand moved like lightning. She accurately caught my retreating fingertips mid-air and pulled them back without a trace, not stopping until her entire hand enveloped mine. While she continued to drink and chat with Lu Kaifeng with an impassive face, she began to rub my palm suggestively. I lowered my head in shame, shoveling plain rice into my mouth, yet the sensation was so strange and wonderful that I felt I never wanted to let go.
Her slender fingers seemed like living things, intertwining and toyed with the base of my fingers for a moment before her soft tips insistently parted my fingers, locking them firmly in a ten-finger clasp. I couldn't pull away, nor did I want to. My entire body felt weak and pliant, my breathing grew ragged. Afraid of being seen, I simply buried my face against the table.
Lu Kaifeng heard the *thud* of my head hitting the table and looked over with concern. Wei Qingming, with a half-smile, raised her wine cup in a gesture of explanation. "She stole a sip of my wine and has grown intoxicated."
"How reckless," Lu Kaifeng muttered, turning to call a waiter for some sobriety soup.
Once the meal was finished and the table cleared, Yin Deng bowed elegantly to take her leave. The nights of women like her were sold in segments, and she had to hurry to her next engagement. Thinking about it, this time slot during the night banquet was incredibly precious; she must have had an appointment long ago. Why did she come to us? It certainly wasn't because she liked Wei Qingming. From the way she looked at Wei Qingming, she seemed to want nothing more than to strip her of her rank as an Emissary and take the seat herself...
Wei Qingming did not leave. The three of us sat in a row facing the stage. The penultimate program of the night began: the Dance Queen and the Zither Queen performing *A Thousand Autumns' Revelry*. Just as I thought it would be some dance praising the peaceful reign, a couch appeared on the upper right of the stage. A person sat there, dressed in a pale yellow hemp robe, an ancient zither resting across their knees. Desolate music spread out like autumn waters; a single note was enough to wash away worldly thoughts and strip away the surrounding opulence, plunging the noisy venue into sudden silence.
Recovering from my shock, I looked at the beauty in male attire, playing with a bare face and crossed legs. I whispered, "Is she the Zither Queen? I thought musicians had to stay in the orchestra pit at the side."
Wei Qingming nodded. "Xue Yishan’s beauty was famous far and wide in her youth. At twenty, she realized that prosperity is but a dream. She declared the zither to be a gentleman and that it should not be defiled by gaudy makeup or fine silks. Since then, she has worn the robes of a scholar and followed the rites of the Buddhist path." Seeing me leaning obediently against her arm, she added softly, "She is also Yin Deng’s zither instructor."
I clicked my tongue in admiration, biting my finger as I watched without blinking. A shroud of mist drifted across the stage, and a lampstand was suddenly lit. A group of laughing men and women walked onto the stage. Xue Yishan’s melody abruptly turned cheerful, yet her expression amidst the indulgence of the senses revealed a hint of loneliness. I felt as if their attire and poses were familiar. As I was racking my brain, a voice whispered in my ear: "*The Night Revels of Han Xizai*."
I whipped my head around. "Second Senior Sister, you’re here!"
The makeup on Lu Lingfeng’s face had not yet faded, making her look even more radiant. She nodded silently at my voice. I hurriedly introduced her and Wei Qingming. Lu Lingfeng said expressionlessly, "I know of you. You are Su Yuzhi’s paramour."
Wei Qingming smiled at those words, seemingly gaining a sudden surge of goodwill toward this Second Senior Sister of Mount Gomeng whom she was meeting for the first time. Lu Kaifeng pretended to watch the dance, turning a deaf ear like a true gentleman. Only I covered my face in embarrassment, giving up on any explanation—it would be useless anyway...
It turned out that *A Thousand Autumns' Revelry* was based on the famous painting *The Night Revels of Han Xizai*, recreating the five scenes of banqueting and entertainment in Han Xizai’s home. In fact, three "Queens" participated in the performance: the Zither Queen Xue Yishan played Han Xizai; the Dance Queen Dong Banyuan played his household courtesan, Wang Wushan; and another Queen played the sister of Li Jiaming, the Deputy Commissioner of the Instruction Quarter, who played the pipa. However, the "Zither Queen" was the sovereign of all courtesans skilled in instruments; there were no specific titles like "Pipa Queen," "Flute Queen," or "Pellet-drum Queen." There was a Zither Queen, a Dance Queen, and a Song Queen, each with their own ranking. The top ten of each could be broadly flattered with the title "Lady Flower Queen." The other two rankings changed frequently, but only this Zither Queen, Xue Yishan, had never moved from her spot since she became famous.
I was completely captivated by this group of ethereal beings. I tugged at Wei Qingming’s sleeve, asking about everything. For the tenth time, I said, "Xue Yishan, she—"
Before I could finish, I felt a chill on my cheeks. Wei Qingming’s fingers were as dangerous and cold as her voice: "Try saying someone else's name one more time."
I glared at her. My entire lower face was pinched, so I could only mumble, "My Senior Brother and Sister are right here, how dare you bully me!"
Wei Qingming glanced sideways with a faint, cold smile. I followed her gaze and was shocked: I didn't know what magical treasure she had used, but she had completely enclosed the two of us. Above, below, left, and right was a dark, translucent barrier. I kicked and thrashed desperately, but my Senior Brother and Sister were just a hair's breadth away, focused on the dance and completely unmoved... Was the dance really that good? Couldn't they look at me in my dire straits?
Seeing that my shouting was fruitless, my temper flared. To spite her, I shouted the names of everyone in my sect, then the names of the Wen sisters one by one. I went through everyone I knew in one breath, even including Xu Xingze, Tong Jinhu, those senior brothers from the Wujing Sect, and Hong Lu. Wei Qingming waited with cold eyes until I finished, her hand still not letting go. Fortunately, I had retained a shred of sanity and avoided the few names that truly provoked her.
When I could no longer find a single name to say, I gritted my teeth, panting as I kicked her. Only then did she give a cold laugh. "Finished?"
I was about to curse her when she suddenly moved infinitely close to me—so close that I could clearly see a small, light-brown mole at the corner of her brow, like a tiny speck of ink accidentally left by a brush as fine as a hair when the goddess was molding her.
I froze completely. My heart beat louder than the most joyous music on stage. I wanted to flee but could not move. Then, the pressure on my cheek vanished. With the rustle of fabric, she released her hand, hid it in her sleeve, and sat back upright. I couldn't quite explain what had just happened; it felt as if some expectation had gone unfulfilled, yet I had been terrified that the expectation might actually come true. Looking back at my oblivious Senior Brother and Sister, it all felt like a dream.
"Ahem." I lowered my head to hide my flustered expression, intentionally clinging to her arm with a playful grin. "I didn't realize Master Wei was such a vinegar jar—sourer than the depths of the North Sea, narrower than the heights of Mount Heluo..."
To my surprise, she turned back and looked at me fixedly. Her eyes reflected the dim lamplight with an indescribable, lingering tenderness, yet her expression was as lonely and desolate as the zither music on stage. My heart felt as if it had been struck by a fist—a dull, aching pain. I heard her sigh and say softly, "A-Zhi, you..."
I silently hooked her hand into mine, our fingers interlocking, and rested my face against her chest. On stage, Wang Wushan in her blue-green skirt was spinning round and round, performing the *Liu Yao* dance. Han Xizai had stopped his playing and leaned back, watching her with a distant, long-reaching gaze. I stared entranced at this scene from a painting, finally understanding why the play was called *A Thousand Autumns' Revelry*: a joyous banquet is as fleeting as morning dew, but beauty remains eternal for a thousand years.
As the dance ended, Xue Yishan stepped down from the couch and took Dong Banyuan’s hand. The two bowed gracefully to the audience in all directions. The cheers of the crowd were incessant, and even the Emperor was greatly pleased. He bestowed gifts on the spot and made an exception to invite the two Queens to the viewing gallery for an audience. The magical treasure Wei Qingming had set up was gone. With tears streaming down my face, I clapped and cheered loudly, yet I also worried for Xu Xingze. "After such a dance, there truly can be no successor. How will the subsequent plays even manage to close the show?"
Wei Qingming did not answer. She gazed at the stage, which was dimming as the props were being arranged. She narrowed her eyes and turned the ring on her finger.
The sounds of silk and bamboo instruments rose—familiar tones, yet the melody was entirely unheard of. I was so surprised that I shook Wei Qingming’s hand vigorously. "What play is this? I didn't see it during the rehearsal!"
Wei Qingming said, "It is also not on the official playbill submitted to the government."
I hurried to use my illusory vision to look at the viewing gallery. The imperial relatives were also whispering among themselves. I saw the Emperor fold his fan and tap it against his palm, asking Feng Zhen, "Does my old companion know what play this is?"
"This old servant does not know." Feng Zhen bowed, a faint, barely perceptible sharpness appearing at the corner of his mouth. "However, I have heard that the Yushan Troupe invited the great scholar Qian Yong to write the lyrics for a new play that has never been performed. It is titled *The Qilin Hunt*. Perhaps this is it."
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