Water Mirrored Moon - 水鏡月

Part II - Cosmetics Goddess: 20. One Pervert Master

Cui Xi snipped another flowering branch with her little wide-handled scissors, intending to make a flower arrangement for her living quarters, when Xiao Yu peaked her head around the corner to announce a visitor. It was just about time for tea so the timing was good. She nodded at Xiao Yu and put the scissors down. Xiao Yu murmured that the guest was someone named Zheng. Cui Xi noticed that her expression had seemed a little strange before she hurried off to get tea.

Cui Xi shrugged as she strolled leisurely, almost skipping down the garden path, twirling the branch and scattering a few blossoms as she walked. She sighed...flowers give way to leaves and fruit. The summer is almost here.

She was wondering if she knew a Master Zheng. Certainly, it was not unusual at this point for strangers to seek her out. Within a few months of her amazing demonstration of skill, she had already established her reputation as a cosmetics goddess and with the information she'd obtained from Zhao Yu business was going very well.

Perhaps this Master Zheng was seeking her services for a daughter marrying into a noble family? She had done make-up at a few weddings now (at an exorbitant fee) and the recommendation letters out of this had greatly increased her reputation amongst the great houses in the city.

Her palm itched and she grinned in anticipation of more money falling into her hand, but as she stepped through the moon gate, she stopped short. Standing against the flowering trees was a tall, spectacularly handsome man.

As he turned to face her, a breeze swished his flowing pale blue robes and pelted him with a sudden shower of pink blossoms. Cui Xi felt that this was not right. Trying to control herself, she barely prevented a flicker of dismay from going across her face as the blossoms swirled beautifully around them. This...what was this? What the hell??

This is not a manhua! This is not a manhua! Oh my God, I'm in a manhua*...

Seeing that he had startled her, his lips curved upward, the smile becoming almost mocking. With a jade token hanging at his waist and his silver-grey hair hanging loose over his shoulders, he moved toward her like a big, graceful jungle cat, gently tapping a white jade flute against his thigh. A silver hair ornament in the shape of stag horns and blossoms held back a portion of hair away from his face, climbing like an interesting vine up one side of his head, and a single red pearl hung enchantingly from his earlobe. As he came forward, she could see that his robes were loose revealing an almost unseemly expanse of naked muscled chest. Elegant and carefree, the man was the picture of wanton indolence. In short, he was breathtaking.

This person seemed less impressed with what he saw. Although her clothes were well made, they were very plain, and three quarters of her face was concealed by an embroidered silk mask.

As Cui Xi stared at him, her breath stuttered in her chest. A sticky and indecent feeling crawled through her abdomen and she felt her temperature rise. Scrapping together her scattered wits, she crossed her hands at the side of her waist, still holding the branch, and dipped gracefully with her head lowered. When she straightened, he was annoyingly close to her. In fact, he was so close that she could smell the warm scent of sandalwood on him.

Where have I seen him?

"Master Zheng," she greeted him politely, taking a very small step back.