Love's Debt Comes Knocking - Chapter 15

On the Double Ninth Festival, strolling through autumn, hand in hand singing a song, with the stars and moon as witnesses, and the surrounding crowd as witnesses, often after a dance, many lingering affections would be stirred.

Tao Zheng had secretly practiced many times for tonight’s dance, hoping to shine in front of Xie Liulang for once, but the opportunity was ruined.

She stared fiercely at Tao Yuan, expecting her to make a fool of herself next, secretly resenting that she didn’t need to do anything. Just standing there made her the focus of everyone’s admiration.

Xie Liulang was usually a reserved and well-mannered scion of a noble family, but upon seeing Tao Yuan, he acted like a young man whose soul had been stolen. Tao Zheng hated Tao Yuan for her dazzling brilliance and, by extension, resented Xie Liu as well. Suppressing her anger, her gaze grew increasingly hostile.

She was so filled with hatred that she could almost imagine sticking pins into a doll in her heart, chanting curses. Tao Yuan, in turn, held Lu Yang’s hand, deeply feeling how wonderful it was to be young.

The bright moon hung high, stars twinkled, and the young people were like green mountains and elegant bamboo—who could resist dancing with her?

No one.

Even someone as stubborn as Tao Zheng was now captivated by the brilliance in Lu Yang’s eyes, secretly comparing her to Xie Liulang.

After all the comparisons, aside from the fact that Xie Liulang could father children, in terms of appearance, figure, and vitality, this unknown young woman seemed more in line with the delicate and gentle aesthetic of the Zhou people.

Nurtured in luxury, refined by poetry and account books, Lu Yang stood tall under the moonlight, her smile carrying a hint of aggression.

She still looked innocent, so innocent as to seem harmless.

But this innocence, taken to an extreme, revealed a mischievousness that could make one’s waist ache and legs weak.

It was all too obvious.

The way she looked at Tao Yuan was filled with fire, like sparks igniting a prairie. Their mutual gaze was a heat that no one else could intrude upon.

Like a leopard fiercely pursuing a female leopard.

Allowing no external interference.

Open and fearless, bold and passionate.

Pure in thought.

In this alone, Xie Liulang had lost.

The dazzling Xie Liulang was truly overshadowed tonight.

Tao Zheng was annoyed at Xie Liu’s incompetence, blaming him for failing to bring glory to her as his female companion, resenting the young woman in Hu attire who burned like fireworks, and hating Tao Yuan for being utterly detestable. Not only was she herself hateful, but the female companion standing beside her was equally infuriating.

She hoped they would lose all face and dignity!

Best if the young woman in Hu attire stepped on her elder sister’s foot, or if her elder sister rejected the young woman’s advances.

She thought angrily.

Han Chan, with a heart as cold as piled snow, wanted to step forward but dared not.

Truly, one cannot judge by appearances. The young lady seemed small but was quite capable of making people blush and their hearts race.

It looked as though she wanted to devour her elder sister whole.

Tao Yuan, after all, was older—a twenty-six-year-old woman. Even though she was still unmarried, she was far from being someone whose heart could be swayed by a mere touch of the hand or a flirtatious glance.

She accepted Lu Yang’s provocation with grace, reciprocating by gently squeezing the other’s fair fingertips.

As a response to her earlier boldness.

The beauty of the autumn night lay in the young people’s mutual teasing and flirtation.

The beauty of the dance also lay in this.

Even before it officially began, the unmarried young women in the crowd couldn’t take their eyes off Young Master Lu’s face and figure.

The Zhou people loved delicacy.

They loved delicate young men, and even more so, delicate young women.

Even though noble families looked down upon same-sex marriages, they couldn’t stop the pairs of loving couples among the common people.

Lu Yang had long maintained a face three shades fairer than ordinary people, appearing fragile and evoking a protective instinct. She looked innocent, with a straight back, a slender waist, long legs, and limbs that moved with graceful beauty.

She was only eighteen, and by all accounts still had room to grow taller. Yet standing beside Tao Yuan, she subtly surpassed her in height, especially wearing the figure-flattering Hu-style attire—her legs seeming to stretch endlessly from the waist down. As she moved, she stirred a restless thirst in the inexperienced young girls around her.

On this Double Ninth Festival, who wouldn’t want a companion who could bring them face wherever they went?

Tao Zheng was so furious she nearly ground her silver teeth to dust, only to end up with a throbbing ache in her gums.

Lu Yang had lost all awareness of her surroundings, her mind fixated solely on the girl before her, who had boldly taken hold of her fingertips.

Now, those fingertips were burning.

So were the tips of her ears.

She was easily flustered, and Tao Yuan quite liked that about her.

Losing oneself to a youth of pure, jade-like character was far better than giving in to some coarse, unworthy man.

“Too shy to look at me now?” Tao Yuan’s laughter was soft.

It drifted lightly on the evening breeze, setting Lu Yang’s heart ablaze and warming her ears.

It was precisely at this moment that Lu Jinhuan arrived.

Her face hidden behind a mask, she blended into the crowd, thoroughly amused as she watched her family’s precious phoenix egg flustered and at a loss. Shaking her head with a smile, she confirmed that Lu Yang was unharmed before turning her attention to the girl beside her.

One glance, and she was instantly delighted.

No wonder she had their precious egg utterly bewitched.

They had already slept together—and slept so intensely that it left Lu Yang drained. Given the fervor of that night, it wouldn’t be surprising if a child was already on the way.

Tsk, tsk, tsk.

Lu Jinhuan leisurely took a couple of sips of chrysanthemum wine from her bamboo flask.

As she drank, she felt a surge of annoyance toward Lu Yang.

She had positioned herself right at the front, yet this young mistress still hadn’t noticed her?

Served her right to be laughed at!

“Miss, please.”

“Please.”

As for stepping dances, spring had its way, autumn had its own; the elderly followed their traditions, while the youth embraced their spontaneity and sincerity.

Stepping dances were, after all, highly recreational activities—driven by the heart. When danced with abandon, technique often faded into unimportance; what mattered was capturing the mood.

The mood of an autumn night, ripe for flirtation and interaction.

Lu Yang’s hand rested on Tao Yuan’s slender waist, so delicate it seemed it could be held in one grasp. Before her eyes flashed the memory of tracing every inch of that waist that night.

She had not only held that waist in her hands but had also witnessed the flowing grace beneath it. A sight no one else had ever beheld.

Amidst the flowing allure, the beauty’s face flushed with the warmth of peach blossoms, yet her eyes remained cold.

A chill that seemed to crush ice and snow.

A sense of detachment that could drive one mad.

And when had that detachment begun to show signs of cracking?

Was it when she shamefully admitted, “I don’t know how,” or when she stumbled through her words, begging the young lady for guidance?

“Come back to yourself.”

A soft sigh.

Lu Yang’s dazed peach-blossom eyes gradually regained their sparkle as she smiled. “Miss, is this… acceptable?”

Tao Yuan raised an eyebrow. “At this moment, could I possibly refuse my companion?”

“Please don’t refuse—it would ruin the mood.”

Afraid she might slip away, Lu Yang held firmly to that willow-like waist, unwilling to let go.

“Relax.”

Slender arms wrapped around Lu Yang’s waist from behind. Under the clear, bright moonlight that dusted Miss Tao’s long lashes, Tao Yuan suddenly felt a spark of mischief. “Do you know how to dance a seductive dance?”

The question nearly overwhelmed Lu Yang. “Y-yes, I do!”

Worried about being misunderstood, she quickly added, “I’ve learned it, but I’ve never danced it with anyone.”

In Great Zhou, people of all ages and genders were skilled in dance. They danced when happy and danced even more when unhappy.

Elegant dances, seductive dances, ceremonial dances—those beginning with “seductive” emphasized subtle, suggestive emotions, bold and intimate physicality, and meaningful eye contact.

“What a coincidence—so have I.”

With those words, Tao Yuan seemed to tear away the seal of propriety within her, unleashing a breathtaking, captivating beauty.

She was seducing Lu Yang.

With thoughts even she herself couldn’t quite articulate.

Perhaps it was the moonlight being too beautiful, perhaps it was life being too exhausting.

Or perhaps it was the way Lu Yang looked at her, reminding her of that unbearable night, stirring the last remnants of desire.

Who knows.

Why bother with so many reasons?

If she wanted it, then she would burn like a phoenix.

“Seductive dance!”

Tao Zheng exclaimed in shock.

Was she insane?

Born into a noble family, dancing a seductive dance in public with an unknown young lady—wasn’t she afraid of facing family discipline when she returned home?

The crowd erupted in excitement.

Lu Jinhuan let out a low chuckle: “A visual feast.”

Even though both were fully dressed, their hands caressing, their backs touching, their eyes filled with affection, it felt as if they had tightened everyone’s desires, pulling them taut like a drawn bowstring.

Lu Yang’s abdomen tensed.

If one were to lift her clothes, they would surely see her beautiful, smooth, and finely sculpted body.

Tao Yuan’s hand brushed over the delicate fabric.

“Young… young lady!”

Lu Yang’s voice was low and hoarse, her eyes pleading.

It wouldn’t do to push her too far.

Tao Yuan smiled gently.

The two of them danced gracefully, their steps tapping the ground in rhythm.

One wore crimson, a narrow-sleeved, high-collared robe embroidered with golden threads of flowers, grass, and auspicious clouds, cinched at the waist, and long boots—perfectly embodying the elegance and beauty of Hu-style attire.

The other wore milky white, a narrow-sleeved, round-collared robe, with a folding fan tucked at her waist, her figure delicate and graceful.

In this era, wearing Hu-style clothing was a trend. The women’s Hu-style attire of the Great Zhou Dynasty had undergone several improvements, emphasizing the harmony of form, expression, and spirit, blending both boldness and beauty.

The red and white intertwined, like a pair of jade companions.

Under the layers of lamplight, sweat beaded on Lu Yang’s forehead: “What is your name, young lady? Where do you live?”

Tao Yuan held onto her belt, smiling without a word.

She asked three times, and Tao Yuan laughed at her three times.

Lu Yang knew what she was laughing at—nothing more than her own impatience.

But how could she not be impatient?

She truly adored this endlessly captivating young lady.

Unfortunately, even a seductive dance must come to an end.

In the final moment, Lu Yang, who had never begged anyone before, brushed her lips against the beauty’s ear, her longing reaching its peak: “Please, tell me.”

Tao Yuan shot her an exasperated glance.

Before Lu Yang could get an answer, a long line of people arrived to deliver red beans.

They earned several trays full of red beans.

Tao Zheng left in a huff.

Xie Liulang was furious at Tao Yuan for her lack of self-respect, for her boldness and audacity, for deliberately embarrassing the Tao family in public. After much thought, he had no choice but to chase after his fiancée.

The middle-aged man who organized the dance competition clasped his hands in admiration: “You two are remarkable. We have truly witnessed something extraordinary.”

With affection lingering in their brows, their movements captivating hearts, the beauties danced under the moonlight, embodying the myriad charms of the mortal world. Seductive yet pure, alluring without being vulgar—this was the highest realm of a seductive dance.

He presented the prize for the dance competition to the final winners.

It was a pair of jade pendants symbolizing unity, passed down for five hundred years.

“You keep it.”

Tao Yuan had no intention of accepting it.

Lu Yang’s heart suddenly felt empty.

This emptiness was like waking up to find no one beside her on the pillow.

After finishing the dance, some of Tao Yuan’s pent-up frustration dissipated. She was cool and distant, like the moon in the sky or autumn in the mortal world.

Compared to her now, the earlier shared dance felt like a dream.

Lu Yang knew she had been rejected.

The young lady wasn’t rejecting the cold jade pendants. She was rejecting Lu Yang’s desire to continue their connection.

The pride of youth was strong and stubborn. Swallowing her bitterness, Lu Yang recklessly shoved one of the jade pendants into Tao Yuan’s hand, no longer asking for her name, and turned to leave.

She left in a hurried, disheveled state.

Lu Jinhuan exclaimed, “Oh no!” and rushed out in a panic: “A Yang!”

Lu Yang’s back stiffened.

Turning to look, she confirmed it was indeed her Jinhuan sister. Her breath caught in her throat—how long had her sister been watching?

Having her confession rejected and witnessed in full by a family member, she felt a wave of shame and annoyance, and immediately took off running.

“Hey? A’Yang! Wait for me!”

“A’Yang.” Tao Yuan stood in the evening breeze for a long time, recalling the young couple she had accidentally seen earlier that night—wasn’t that “A’Yang” and the masked girl who had run after her?

Suddenly, she felt a sense of emptiness.

Her brows and eyes were tinged with frost.

If she already had a ‘good sister,’ why bother provoking her tonight?

“How infuriating.”