Water Mirrored Moon - 水鏡月

Part II - Cosmetics Goddess: 26. Drunken Music

After the incident with the Crown Prince, Cui Xi woke to find the Seventh Prince had already left. She was so exhausted that Jian had to carry her back across the mezzanine to her own rooms, but he was careful enough to avoid the guests who were still carousing in the pleasure house.

That jerk! she fumed as she drifted in and out. Seeing her grumpy expression, Jian simply leaned her head against his chest and patted her back. She puffed a bit of air out her nose at the absurdity of a grown woman being carried like a baby, but Jian didn't seem to mind it at all. Su Rou was with them and looked a little worried, but Cui Xi was too tired to care.

When she had finally woke again a bit after midday, she decided to take a holiday from the shop.

Yue Xia was already doing a very good job of managing and keeping accounts, and she had hired two more helpers to make the products and serve customers. As the owner, Cui Xi still retained tight quality control over everything and nothing left the mixing room without her approval, but she didn't worry about Yue Xia who had already proved herself many times over. With the shop being properly managed, Cui Xi could focus on creating new products and meeting clients. Despite having to pay back the advance and the monthly cut owed to the Seventh Prince, money was spilling into her purse and she was now undeniably rich.

Also, as her clientele grew, she found herself spending more time making consult visits to the noble houses in the city. Knowing that she wouldn't have time today, she had deliberately cleared her schedule so she could recover from last night's performance, and was now trying to relax in the connecting pavilion between her shop and the pleasure house.

So what if she took a day off from the shop? Surely, she could now be considered as living in the lap of luxury, right? So why, despite being surrounded by friends, music, and good wine, was she so bloody unhappy?

Dammit! Dammit!

Cui Xi covered her face thinking about how gently the Seventh Prince had held her while she cried in his arms. Why would he do that? Especially since everything had started because of that humiliating spanking. If he hadn't ambushed her, she would have been able to escape to the mezzanine before the Crown Prince had arrived. Why the hell did Zhao Ling Xian always cause her trouble?

The breeze blowing through the pavilion did not give her any answer.

Shaking herself off, she twirled herself around, swinging a wine skin in one hand, her bell bracelets and anklets tinkling. Raising one leg all the way up, she held it next to her head and then pirouetted while holding it, just like a figure skater. The world spun pleasantly with her. She stepped out it and skipped toward the musicians.

"Again!" she cried. "Just like this!"

She hummed the tune and the pipa player repeated the melody until he had it and after that she tapped the part for the drumbeat until the drummer was able to put it together with the pipa. Normally the main melody line would be played by a sitar, but it didn't really matter to Cui Xi at the moment. The flutist joined in a second later, weaving an intricate wail in between the pipa and the drums.

The night the Seventh Prince had first pushed his way into her room, she had considered quietly leaving the city, but then all her effort for the last few months would be squandered. She was also braver than that. Clenching her jaw, a sudden surge of fierceness went through her.