Rose Lock - Chapter 59

“Mother Gong, you like it too, don’t you…” Hua Man Yi was lying on top of her, skin pressed against skin, wholeheartedly embracing her. She loved this sticky feeling so much. “Mother Gong, have I ever told you that I’ve never liked anyone else? The person I’ve always admired is actually you, it’s you, Gong Yan. When I see you being nice to others, I can’t help but feel jealous, but I can’t do anything about it. When will there be a place for me in your eyes…”

Gong Yan looked at the mumbling woman in front of her, her expression slightly moved. “You said… it’s true? Never liked anyone else?”

Clothes were scattered all over the floor. Hua Man Yi’s raven hair, like a waterfall, cascaded from her smooth back down to her waist. She pressed her face against Gong Yan’s. “Mhm.”

“If I find out you’re lying to me, Hua Man Yi, watch your skin.” Gong Yan flipped over and pinned the person beneath her.

Hua Man Yi wrapped her arms around Gong Yan’s neck, her lips slightly parted, her gaze shimmering, and her breath like orchids. “Man Yi will never lie to Mother Gong.”

After a sweat-soaked session, Hua Man Yi rested on the bed, feeling completely satisfied. The clothes on the floor were picked up and folded. As the door opened and closed, the figure disappeared from the room.

The next day, it was already late morning. Kou Qian’er came upstairs with a bowl of porridge, hesitating whether to knock on the door. Who knew that in the instant of her hesitation, the door was opened.

Meeting Hua Man Yi’s lazy and indifferent gaze, Kou Qian’er asked with concern, “Sister Man Yi, how did you sleep last night? Are you okay?”

Hua Man Yi gave a casual “Mhm.” “Did you bring me back yesterday?”

Kou Qian’er replied, “Besides me, there was Mother Gong, but Sister Man Yi, Mother Gong said you got drunk outside and broke the rules, so you have to be punished when you return.”

“I know.” Hua Man Yi didn’t seem too bothered by it.

Kou Qian’er: “Is the punishment very severe?”

“Just hitting the palms,” Hua Man Yi bypassed her and walked straight downstairs. Kou Qian’er followed closely.

In the Fenghai Cabaret, there was a room with many objects for punishment: rulers, bamboo whips… In the past, some dancers who were dishonest or didn’t learn their lesson were punished with these things by Fang Yu. For the lead singers who performed on stage and broke the rules outside, such as getting drunk or staying out all night, they would be hit on the palms with a ruler or even locked in a small dark room for a day and a night without food.

Later, Gong Yan established her authority, and people learned their lesson and didn’t dare to commit offenses anymore. These things were rarely used.

The most recent time was half a year ago when Xue Wenyan’s maid, Lingdang, stole her jewelry and was beaten until her palms were red and swollen and locked in the dark room for a day before the matter was dropped.

She just hadn’t expected that it would be her, Hua Man Yi, this time.

“Man Yi…” Fang Yu held a ruler in her hand, feeling a bit reluctant. “Why did you…”

Hua Man Yi extended her left hand. “Sister Fang Yu, go ahead. I was wrong this time.”

She originally thought her alcohol tolerance would make the other person pass out first, who knew it was herself who got drunk.

Kou Qian’er stood by, watching with wide eyes, as if seeing this thing for the first time. Suddenly, her sharp eyes caught sight of the person at the doorway, and she called out, “Mother Gong!”

As soon as she spoke, the few people in the room all looked towards the door.

“Mother Gong, look at this…” Fang Yu was the first to speak.

Kou Qian’er also pleaded, “Mother Gong, Sister Man Yi didn’t do it on purpose. If you really have to punish someone, you can hit my hand.”

Hua Man Yi looked at Kou Qian’er, her gaze briefly complex, but she quickly figured it out. This Kou Qian’er was trying to look kind and understanding in front of this woman. Who wouldn’t call her kind?

She scoffed inwardly, “I’ll bear what I’ve done myself. Hit me.”

The woman standing by finally spoke, “Use one month’s salary to offset this time. Don’t let there be a next time.”

Fang Yu breathed a sigh of relief and was about to put the ruler away. The next second, she heard Hua Man Yi say, “Then just hit me.”

Compared to a month’s salary, she chose the salary.

Kou Qian’er looked at Hua Man Yi, then at Gong Yan. How much pain would that cause?

Fang Yu subconsciously looked at Gong Yan, momentarily unsure of what to do. “Mother Gong, this…”

Gong Yan frowned, glanced at Hua Man Yi’s delicate palm, and said coldly, “Are you serious?”

Hua Man Yi: “Of course.”

Gong Yan: “Then as you wish.”

Coming out of the punishment room, Hua Man Yi walked through the dance hall with a pale face. Her left palm was burning with pain. Bending her finger bones slightly brought excruciating pain. Her palm was red and swollen, and she could even see streaks of blood seeping out.

Kou Qian’er was extremely distressed and wanted to bandage her. Hua Man Yi’s wound was touched by her, and her brow furrowed. She subconsciously pushed the person away, “Don’t touch me.”

Kou Qian’er was unprepared and staggered back several steps. Just as she was about to hit a pillar in the dance hall, a pair of hands held her steady.

“Mother Gong?” Kou Qian’er looked up, quickly stood straight, and bowed her head to say, “Thank you, Mother Gong.”

Hua Man Yi froze when she heard Kou Qian’er’s voice, turned her head and took a look. Sure enough, she saw the woman supporting Kou Qian’er, and her eyes suddenly felt a stinging pain.

She forcibly turned her gaze back and walked upstairs without looking back, but her back figure was somewhat more disheveled.

On this side, Kou Qian’er was about to follow her upstairs, but before she took two steps, Gong Yan stopped her.

Kou Qian’er: “Is something wrong, Mother Gong?”

Gong Yan: “In the future, stop hovering around her.”

Kou Qian’er was puzzled, “Why? Shouldn’t sisters here help each other?”

Gong Yan was speechless for a moment. “If you meddle in other people’s business again, you’ll go back where you came from.”

Kou Qian’er’s eyes were momentarily flustered. “Mother Gong, I understand.”

Gong Yan took a drag on her cigarette and scoffed.

In the room, Hua Man Yi struggled to open the medicine box. She couldn’t unscrew the cap of the disinfectant alcohol bottle and was so angry that she wanted to smash the bottle.

“Why are you taking it out on that? I told you to choose one month’s salary, but you didn’t. You insisted on suffering this pain.” Gong Yan pushed the door open, slowly approached Hua Man Yi, sat beside her, took the tweezers and the alcohol bottle, and slowly dipped the tweezers in alcohol.

Gong Yan: “Hand it over.”

Hua Man Yi instead pulled her hand back. Her right hand wanted to take the tweezers. “I can do it myself. I don’t need to trouble Mother Gong.”

“Why are you being stubborn?” Gong Yan grabbed her wrist. Hua Man Yi quickly clenched her hand, but who knew she accidentally used too much force and touched the wound, causing her to let out a low hiss of pain, and all the color drained from her lips.

“Open your hand.” Seeing her expression, Gong Yan put away the sarcasm at the corner of her mouth, held her wrist, brought it to her mouth, and gently blew on it.

Hua Man Yi was stunned in place, unable to react for a long time, until a sudden coolness came from her palm, accompanied by an agonizing pain, she snapped back to attention and subconsciously withdrew her left hand.

But Gong Yan held it back, not letting her move a bit. “Don’t move.”

“Why… why are you suddenly being nice to me again?” Hua Man Yi lifted her eyelids, staring intently at Gong Yan’s slightly lowered profile, her voice so small it was almost inaudible.

Gong Yan paused. “Do I need a reason to be nice to you?”

Hua Man Yi was silent, then slowly nodded, “Yes, I do.”

“Then what do you hope it is?” Gong Yan asked her back.

“I don’t know.”

Gong Yan hummed in her throat, her red lips curving. “Whatever you hope it is, that’s what it is.”

Hua Man Yi suddenly looked up, somewhat disbelieving. “Are you serious?”

“Naturally.” Gong Yan bandaged her up with gauze. “Later, I’ll take you to the clinic to see a doctor. This injury won’t heal in less than ten days to half a month. It won’t look good if your palm festers.”

Hua Man Yi nodded, “Mhm.”

Gong Yan finished bandaging and started putting away the medicine box. “Either don’t go to English class these few days, or I can teach you.”

“Mother Gong… this, I can’t agree to.” Hua Man Yi recalled Gong Shulan’s words. She couldn’t miss this opportunity to observe Lu Nian.

Gong Yan’s red lips tightened. “Why can’t you? Am I not as good as Lu Nian?”

Hua Man Yi explained, “No, it’s because I promised Lu Nian.”

Gong Yan took a drag of her cigarette, not feeling very pleased by the remark. “How much is your tuition?”

“Tuition…” Hua Man Yi looked at Gong Yan, her expression hesitant.

Gong Yan frowned, “A lot?”

Hua Man Yi shook her head. “No, she didn’t charge me tuition.”

“She’s teaching you for free?” Thinking of this, Gong Yan lost all trace of a smile. There’s no such thing as a free lunch. That woman Lu Nian probably has ulterior motives.

“After studying every day, I sing a song for her as tuition.”

“Hua Man Yi, do you know what your status is? Singing casually for just anyone?!” Gong Yan was furious and stood up, wanting to say a few words, but seeing Hua Man Yi’s injury, she abruptly stopped herself.

“Mother Gong, I…” Hua Man Yi didn’t understand the reason for her anger. “I’m just a songstress, after all. Besides other things, I don’t have much else to give her.”

Gong Yan stubbed out the cigarette, picked up the medicine box, and put it back in its original place. “End the tutoring with Lu Nian within these two days. If you really want to learn, I’ll hire someone else to teach you. Now, come with me to the clinic.”

Hua Man Yi was in a dilemma. “Mother Gong, I already promised her. How can I end it just like that?”

“What do you mean?”

“…Mother Gong, give me some time.” Hua Man Yi’s mind was a mess. She had promised Gong Shulan to help her investigate Lu Nian, but Mother Gong had only just changed her attitude today and gotten a little closer to her. Call her greedy, but she didn’t want to lose the opportunity on either side.

Especially with Kou Qian’er’s presence at Fenghai, if she fell out with Mother Gong, the loss would outweigh the gain.

“Mother Gong, my hand hurts a bit.” Out of necessity, Hua Man Yi looked at her bandaged left palm and pretended her hand hurt to change the subject.

“Let me see if it’s bleeding again?” Gong Yan’s attention was indeed diverted. She pulled her wrist over for inspection, her eyebrows tightly furrowed. “We still need to go to the clinic. Let’s go.”

“Okay.”

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