"You are up in three minutes. Are you ready?" Master He asked, his voice carrying natural concern for his golden goose — the performer who had single-handedly elevated his pavilion to the pinnacle of entertainment in Great Qan.
She nodded once, stretching forth her right hand for her pay.
He handed her a very heavy pouch. She peeped inside it through the narrow slit of her mask, eyes gleaming with quiet satisfaction at the gleam of silver and gold. With a graceful curtsy, she signaled she was ready to take the stage.
"I spotted General Weiyun in the crowd today. It is his first time here; I am sure he came specially for you."
She tilted her head slightly, signaling that she did not understand.
"I mean…" Master He went further to explain. "You are very famous and lots of people leave the comfort of their homes every night you perform, just to come watch you. He must be here to find out what you are all about. Do not worry — he might be the terrifying General we all know, but I will not let him hurt you or do anything you are not comfortable with. At the end of the day, this is still my pavilion, okay?"
She nodded again.
Master He had long accepted that she was not someone of many words. In fact, she rarely spoke, and he barely knew her at all beyond the stage.
She had been brought to his pavilion two years ago by his nephew Taiyi, who claimed she was a friend who truly loved to dance and hoped to become an entertainer. When Master He had asked about the mask, Taiyi explained she had a very ugly scar from childhood — the reason no other pavilion wanted her. He promised she was an exceptionally good dancer and that the mask would not scare away customers.
Master He had only given her a chance because of Taiyi. His sister — Taiyi's mother — would never forgive him if he refused such a favor. So far, he had never regretted the decision.
His pavilion had risen quickly above all others, becoming the finest throughout the capital and beyond. Her fame kept growing, dominating the entire entertainment industry of Great Qan. What pleased him most was that she showed no interest in performing anywhere else. She was loyal to him alone, and he had agreed to her strict terms: never seek her true identity and never allow customers to make her feel uncomfortable Their relationship remained strictly business. Beyond that, they were strangers.
"Good. Quick now — the presenter is already calling you in." Master He left her, returning to check on how his customers were faring.
As soon as he departed, she wrapped the heavy pouch carefully with the long outer robe lying nearby and tucked it safely away.
This was her personal dressing room, and no one dared enter while she was performing — Master He's strict orders.
She exhaled deeply, smiled softly to herself beneath the mask, then walked out to entertain her most wonderful audience.
The moment she was sighted, a thunderous round of applause erupted through the crowded hall.
She took her stance at the center of the well-prepared stage. The lanterns glowed warmly, bathing her in golden light. She felt the energy of the entire pavilion coursing through her veins. As the guqin's gentle notes began to weave through the air, she emerged like a ghostly flower in bloom. Her sheer purple robe, adorned with intricate silver patterns, subtly revealed the graceful lines of her skin, shimmering under the lanterns like moonlight on water.
The mask denied everyone a full view of her face, but her movements told the story. With each fluid step and sway, she waded through the hearts of the audience — including the General seated somewhere in the crowd.
She had in mind that he was present. A quiet anxiety stirred within her about why he had come to see her. While dancing, she tried to catch a glimpse of him, scanning the sea of noble faces without breaking her rhythm.
She had no idea what this fearsome General looked like. She had only heard his name and the countless tales of mystery and terror that shrouded his existence — the fear he instilled in people, his ill fate of being born without divine channels. He was also the greatest rival of her third brother, Ming Yueling, and her husband-to-be, Crown Prince Murong Jing.
Ming Yueling was a general too and constantly rivaled General Weiyun for military credits. However, he never came close most of the time. General Weiyun's army surpassed his both in strength and capability. Yueling could only strive to reach that level, still viewing him as a formidable opponent.
On the other hand, Murong Jing had declared his own rivalry against General Weiyun the moment he took over the Crown Prince title from him.
Both of them possessed something the General did not — the love and acceptance of the people — but that gave them no upper hand in strength. This fact made her believe he was even more formidable than she could imagine. Having someone that powerful become interested in her was not something anyone would feel comfortable with.
She divided her attention between dancing and searching for the General. Not knowing his appearance, she simply looked out for any sign of imperial guards or Weiyun army officers. There was certainly no way he would go around unguarded. He was a Murong after all — the son of the Emperor — and alongside the Emperor and Crown Prince, he was royalty too.
Her waist swayed like a willow in the wind. Her slit sleeves added drama to her movements, flowing like water and weaving an enchanting spell over the audience.
The music swelled — the guqin's cry, the drums' heartbeat, the harps' whisper. She danced faster, her body becoming a graceful blur of purple and silver.
The crowd's gasps were her fuel; their awe was her rhythm. She was already nearing the end of her performance and so far seemed to have satisfied them greatly. However, her goal to spot the General still remained unaccomplished.
She saw no imperial guards in sight, no Weiyun army officers around either, making her believe that maybe Master He had been mistaken about seeing the General — or that he had already left. Perhaps something important had come up and he had to depart quickly. That was perfect then; she would not be any happier seeing him anyway.
Giving up the search, she focused entirely on her dance.
As the finale approached, she twirled like a falling leaf, her movements slowing… slowing… until she froze in a final, elegant pose.
Silence fell for a heartbeat. Then thunderous applause erupted, shaking the pavilion. She bowed gracefully, her mask hiding the happy tears that welled in her eyes.
They loved it. They always did. Moments like this were what she lived for. She felt seen. She felt alive.
The performance had been a dream; she gave them mystery, and they gave her their hearts.
It was over, and now it was time to go. She exited the stage swiftly, hurrying back to her dressing room to prepare for departure.
She could still hear the crowd cheering and appreciating her dance. As much as she would love to stay and savor their praises, she could not stop thinking about A'bao and Yu'er, whose heartbeats were probably pounding hard against their chests out of fear and worry.
She must return home immediately and not keep them waiting in anxiety any longer.
She unwrapped the outer robe from the pouch and put it on. It totally swallowed her whole, hiding her purple dance robe beneath, and the hood covered her head as well. She kept the mask on, however; who knew what problems she might encounter before making it back to the Ming mansion? No matter what happened, the only thing she could not risk revealing was her face.
Without wasting more time, she left through the hidden passage in her dressing room, the heavy pouch secure in her grasp. It was specially provided by Master He, and that was one of the reasons she could not leave Lan Pavilion to work elsewhere. The working conditions here suited her perfectly.
Just like always, the hidden passage was clear, and she made it outside safely. Not wanting to draw any attention to herself, she instinctively stayed out of the lantern light.
She reached the stable without incident. But just as she was about to mount her horse, two men entered the stable as well. They seemed to be servants to one of the nobles inside, coming to retrieve their carriage. She remained hidden in the shadows, waiting patiently for them to leave.
Soon after, more servants began to troop into the stable, all arriving to collect their masters' carriages.
'Why do you all decide to leave at the same time?!' she cried silently.
Normally, her performance was the finale of the night, and her audience left shortly after she was done. It would have been better to wait inside the pavilion until everyone was gone before heading home, but that would only put A'bao and Yu'er in greater danger. She always returned immediately after performing because not this many people usually entered the stable at once.
The last time it had happened, Taiyi had come to her aid. This time, she had no idea if he was even nearby.
It was almost as if she was being set up by someone, and if she did not act fast, she was definitely going to be caught today.
She darted her eyes around immediately, looking for an escape route, and spotted one.
It was an untitled carriage — very odd, because every carriage belonging to nobles or even wealthy merchants was clearly marked. For this one to be untitled meant it belonged to no one in particular.
Smiling at her jackpot, she quickly made her way to it and slipped inside. She sat still, praying that A'bao and Yu'er were not suffering too much worry as she delayed her return.
She did not know how long she would have to wait before she could leave today, but she was determined to stay hidden until all the servants had taken out the carriages and the stable was clear once more.
She sat there in the darkness, the weight of the night pressing upon her. Soon, exhaustion crept in. Before she knew it, she closed her eyes and drifted into a deep, uneasy sleep…