Rose Lock - Chapter 65

“How does Madam Gong know Yiyi doesn’t like me?” Lu Nian retorted unhurriedly. “It’s hard for others to guess a person’s thoughts. Since Madam Gong insists on interfering with the teaching matter, I will have to ask Yiyi myself.”

Gong Yan sneered, glancing at the documents on the table. “Lu Nian, I hope you understand this is not a discussion with you; this is a notification.”

“You…” Lu Nian suppressed her anger. Lu Zi’ang’s matter couldn’t be exposed, but regarding Hua Manyi…

“Give me some time, I will make it clear to her.” In the end, Lu Nian still compromised.

After Gong Yan left, the study room returned to quietness. Huo Suqiu emerged from the secret chamber, lifted a corner of the window, and looked thoughtfully at the departing figure in the courtyard.

“Lu Nian, do you like this woman, Hua Manyi?” Huo Suqiu turned back to size up her former classmate and friend. “What is there about her worth your affection? At best, she’s just the daughter of a ruined wealthy merchant, whose family was raided, and she’s been mingling in a place like Fenghai, a pleasure house—a crimson lip tasted by countless men—”

“The Jiang Yin you like is no different.”

“Shut up!” Huo Suqiu was infuriated. “She’s different. She’s a Qing Guan (a high-class courtesan who only sells her art, not her body)…”

Lu Nian said coldly, “Huo Suqiu, my helping you doesn’t give you the right to casually criticize me and the people around me. You weren’t like this before; you’re full of malice now.”

Huo Suqiu turned her face away. Under the black coat, her right hand wore a black lace glove, but the two fingers underneath the finger covers were empty.

“Lu Nian, people change,” she closed her eyes deeply.

Lu Nian fell silent, knowing she couldn’t fully empathize with what happened to Huo Suqiu, so she changed the subject. “How are the two of them?”

Huo Suqiu glanced at the clock. “Still unconscious inside. I can’t stay here long; I’ll leave the rest to you.”

Lu Nian: “Alright.”

Hua Manyi heard every word of their conversation. Before long, light shone through the secret chamber, illuminating her and Kou Qian’er’s faces. She continued to feign unconsciousness, but felt Lu Nian squatting in front of them, examining them for a good while, before finally struggling to help them onto a bed one by one.

When Kou Qian’er woke up, she heard people talking.

“Doctor, how are they?” The speaker sounded like Lu Nian.

The doctor replied, “They’re not in serious danger; they just fainted from anemia. They should pay more attention to diet and rest.”

Kou Qian’er slowly opened her eyes and was surprised to see Hua Manyi lying beside her, covering her mouth. “Sister Manyi?”

She shook her a few times, and Hua Manyi finally pretended to wake up slowly. “What happened to me? Why am I lying in bed?”

Lu Nian walked over to explain, “You two just fainted, which scared me badly. Fortunately, the doctor said you only fainted because of anemia.”

Kou Qian’er suddenly realized, “So that’s it. No wonder I suddenly passed out.”

Hua Manyi’s face was a little pale. When she looked at Lu Nian, she didn’t meet her eyes directly. She had been conscious the entire time. Lu Nian’s pretense of inviting a doctor to examine them and bribing the doctor to change his statement was only to prevent her and Kou Qian’er from being suspicious.

Hua Manyi nodded apologetically. “I’m sorry for causing you trouble.”

Lu Nian didn’t doubt her and consoled her, “It’s no trouble.”

Kou Qian’er also seemed to believe the explanation. Thinking of the fact that she and Hua Manyi were sleeping in the same bed, a hint of shyness involuntarily appeared on her face. She half-pressed the quilt, propped up her chin, and walked over. “Sister Manyi, are you alright? Are you uncomfortable anywhere? The doctor is still outside. If you’re uncomfortable, let him come over and check.”

Hua Manyi shook her head. “No need, I’m fine.”

The two then left Lu Nian’s white apartment. Kou Qian’er finally woke up from the “sleeping in the same bed” dream, and only then realized that Hua Manyi seemed to be in a bad mood.

“Sister Manyi, what’s wrong? Are you unhappy?” Kou Qian’er looked at her from the rickshaw.

Hua Manyi lifted her eyelids, her voice cold and indifferent. “Then tell me what I have to be happy about?”

Kou Qian’er was speechless. It seemed there really wasn’t anything. The doctor said she was anemic, she troubled someone else in their home, and she didn’t learn any English. There really wasn’t anything worth being happy about.

She put away her smile, pursed her lips. “I’m sorry… I said the wrong thing…”

Hua Manyi closed her eyes to rest. “Sit properly.”

Kou Qian’er quickly sat up straight. “Okay!”

Back at Fenghai, Hua Manyi went upstairs without looking back. Kou Qian’er followed closely, finally calling out to her at the door. “Sister Manyi, do you want me to massage your back and shoulders?”

Hua Manyi leaned against the door frame and glanced back at her, seemingly pondering what her little scheme was. After a moment, Kou Qian’er heard a “You can,” and she joyfully followed her in.

The needle of the table gramophone slid across the record, and the low, heavy horn poured out rich and melodious music.

Kou Qian’er prepared to walk around to the back of the sofa, but Hua Manyi lay directly on the sofa, facing the ceiling. Her butterfly shoulder blades, tightened by the cheongsam, displayed smooth lines. Her waist was slender like a willow branch, and further down was…

Kou Qian’er bit her lower lip, not daring to look closely. She circled from the back of the sofa to the front, bent down, placed her hands on Hua Manyi’s shoulders, and began to massage.

“Sister Manyi, is this pressure alright?” Kou Qian’er asked cautiously.

“Mm, go down a little further. My waist hurts a bit too.”

Kou Qian’er’s hand paused, feeling somewhat flattered. She slowly and hesitantly placed her palm on the tiny waist, saying with composure, “Sister Manyi might have been wearing high heels for too long, that’s why your waist is aching. Qian’er will… will massage you now…”

Her voice grew softer and softer, until she touched the area and the other party didn’t notice her suppressed joy, then she relaxed and massaged seriously.

Sometimes while massaging, she would hear Sister Manyi sigh comfortably from time to time, making Kou Qian’er’s ears turn crimson.

Gong Yan couldn’t find Hua Manyi outside. She sent someone to inquire and found out she had returned to Fenghai with Kou Qian’er. She had no choice but to return and discuss the teaching matter. If everything went as expected, the teaching arrangement with Lu Nian could end today. After all, with the scandal about the Lu family that Gong Shulan had painstakingly dug up, Lu Nian had no choice but to compromise.

The tall figure ascended the stairs, wearing high heels, an expensive shawl casually draped over her shoulders, her face languid and content, her red lips hooked into a faint smile.

In front of Hua Manyi’s room, the conversation between the two suddenly came out.

Kou Qian’er: “Sister Manyi, does your waist still hurt?”

Hua Manyi: “My chest hurts a little, probably because it’s being pressed.”

Kou Qian’er stammered: “Actually, I can also rub your chest. If Sister Manyi doesn’t mind…”

Hua Manyi: “How do you rub it? Do I need to take off my clothes?”

Kou Qian’er swallowed hard: “It’s fine without taking off clothes, but the effect might be better with them off…”

“Then just leave it, I’m too lazy to undress.”

“Okay.”

As soon as the words fell, Kou Qian’er saw the door suddenly opened, and Madam Gong’s face came into view, though her expression was somewhat unpleasant. She subconsciously drew back her hands guiltily. “Madam Gong, why are you here?”

“Can’t I come in?” Gong Yan’s eyes fell on Hua Manyi’s back, who was lying face down on the sofa. Seeing that she had no intention of turning her head, she shifted her gaze to Kou Qian’er. “What are you two doing?”

Kou Qian’er was about to answer when Hua Manyi suddenly spoke, “Qian’er, continue.”

Kou Qian’er was speechless, her eyes anxiously darting between the two. In the end, she first obeyed Hua Manyi’s command, “Okay, Sister Manyi.”

Then Kou Qian’er turned her head and quickly explained, “Madam Gong, I’m just massaging Sister Manyi. If you need me to, I can also—”

“Does a massage require pressing here?”

Kou Qian’er watched her wrist being seized and suspended in mid-air, like she had been caught red-handed. Her face flushed, and she glanced at Hua Manyi, stammering, “Madam Gong, this, this is actually just a massage technique. Any place… can be rubbed.”

Gong Yan took a deep breath and pulled Kou Qian’er up. “You go out. I need to talk to Manyi.”

“Oh.” The nearby benefit was interrupted. Kou Qian’er still wanted to struggle a few words, but seeing Madam Gong’s darkened face, she sensibly left.

As the door closed, only Gong Yan and Hua Manyi were left in the room. Hua Manyi was still lying on the sofa, seemingly resting her eyes. Gong Yan moved a chair closer. “I’ve made things clear with Lu Nian. She said she agrees to end the tutoring. If you truly want to learn, I can hire another tutor to teach you.”

“No need, I don’t want to learn anymore.” Hua Manyi refused her offer with little expression.

Gong Yan thought she was just feeling unwell. “That’s fine, it’s all up to you. It’s getting late, and you have a performance tonight. If you’re not feeling well…”

Her red lips paused, and Gong Yan stood up. “You don’t have to go on stage for tonight’s performance. I’ll have someone cover for you.”

Hua Manyi let out a cold “No need” from her throat.

Gong Yan only took her coldness as a sign of physical discomfort. Before leaving, she remembered Kou Qian’er’s actions and frowned, advising, “Kou Qian’er’s massage technique is unprofessional. You should let her massage you less, lest she injure your body.”

“She massages quite well.”

Gong Yan choked. Thinking of her lack of enthusiasm, she gave up on arguing and turned to leave.

Hua Manyi was stunned when she heard the door close. She slowly turned her head towards the door. She had thought this woman would forcefully impose her views on her, making her submit to her will.

…

In the evening, the Fenghai Ballroom was still bustling and noisy. Xiaoxiao saw Kou Qian’er emerge from a corner. “What’s wrong? You look like you’re about to cry. Who bullied you?”

Kou Qian’er told Xiaoxiao about Madam Gong’s reprimand, only changing the reason for disobeying Madam Gong and lingering around Hua Manyi to having done something wrong. Xiaoxiao could only comfort her, “Don’t be sad. Madam Gong is just like that. Just don’t make mistakes usually. None of us haven’t been scolded by her. You’ll get used to it.”

“Sister Xiaoxiao, did you see where Sister Manyi is?” Kou Qian’er still subconsciously looked for Hua Manyi.

“She’s drinking alone in the corner,” Xiaoxiao said. The guests who were drinking tonight had been out-drunk by Hua Manyi and had already been sent back. But usually, Hua Manyi would go upstairs to rest at this time. Only today, she kept drinking, even ordering new bottles when the previous ones ran out, one bottle after another.

Others seeing this only assumed she was troubled and didn’t dare to approach, fearing they might anger her.

“I see. I’ll go check.” Kou Qian’er felt extremely distressed and quickly walked over. Sure enough, she saw Hua Manyi drinking alone in the corner.

However, what she didn’t expect was that as soon as she sat down, the woman who was still drinking collapsed onto the table with a bang, drunk.

“Sister Manyi…” Kou Qian’er had to get up again, supporting the person as she struggled up the stairs to the room. “Hold on a little longer, we’ll be in the room soon.”

After finally moving her onto the bed, Kou Qian’er wanted to wipe her face. After searching for a bit, she couldn’t find a towel. The person on the bed then said she was thirsty, so she rushed downstairs to boil water.

Gong Yan calculated the time. At this hour, this woman Hua Manyi was probably quite drunk. No one could match her stubbornness. Sometimes, drinking in a crowd of men, she inevitably suffered losses. She had no choice but to rush down at the precise time to retrieve the person.

As she walked up the corridor and passed Hua Manyi’s room, she noticed the door wasn’t fully closed. She frowned, pushed the door open, and looked inside. A small, almost inaudible voice came from behind the bead curtain. Gong Yan stepped in. “Manyi?”

“Thirsty… so thirsty…” Hua Manyi propped herself up from the bed, stumbling to look for water. She caught a glimpse of a figure, which seemed to be Madam Gong. After the person approached, the familiar face came into view, and the words she had heard in Lu Nian’s house that day unexpectedly echoed in her mind.

—I care about Hua Manyi because she is Fenghai’s person. Since she is mine, I have absolute power to decide what she does and who she associates with. When I, Gong Yan, tell her to go east, she cannot go west.

“Why are you drunk again?” Gong Yan hugged her, her tone slightly scolding, but she didn’t expect the woman in her arms to start crying the next second.

“Go away, I don’t want to see you…” A rush of grievance surged in Hua Manyi, and her nose felt sore.

“What is wrong with you now?” Gong Yan was confused. She hugged her onto the sofa and spoke gently to comfort her.

Hua Manyi’s face was full of intoxication, but she let out a cold snort, and big teardrops fell. “I heard everything you said at Lu Nian’s place. ‘I care about Hua Manyi because she is Fenghai’s person. Since she is mine, I have absolute power to decide what she does and who she associates with. When I, Gong Yan, tell her to go east, she cannot go west,’ right?”

She repeated her words verbatim, her eyes full of self-mockery and accusation. “In your eyes, am I just a little dancer? Did you… did you never look at me properly? Do you think I, Hua Manyi, am aspiring above my station by being with you?”

Gong Yan’s heart tightened when she saw her tear-filled, misty eyes. “Yiyi, listen to me. I said those things to make Lu Nian give up, to let her know what she shouldn’t covet. I admit those words were indeed inappropriate, and I regretted them after saying them…”

“Enough, I don’t want to hear your excuses anymore.” Hua Manyi pushed her away painfully. “I won’t believe anything you say anymore. Yes, I’m young, but that doesn’t mean I’m easily fooled.”

Gong Yan’s red lips pursed slightly, her gaze fixed on her. “Yiyi, let’s get married.”

“Married?” Hua Manyi was stunned. “Really married?”

“Not just married, I will also take you to see my father. From now on, your name, Hua Manyi, will have a place in our Gong family’s genealogy, okay?”

Hua Manyi placed her hands on the woman’s shoulders, still unable to believe it, and spoke haltingly, “What if your father disagrees? What if he wants to drown us in a pig cage?”

Gong Yan smiled and kissed her on the corner of her mouth. “I am the eldest daughter. It’s impossible for him to drown us.”

Hua Manyi felt relieved. Her anger from the daytime vanished, and she laughed through her tears, letting herself be immersed in her kiss and nestled into her embrace. “Madam Gong… I still have one request.”

“Tell me.”

Hua Manyi pressed her ear to Gong Yan’s chest, listening to her heartbeat, circling her finger on her collarbone. Her eyes were shimmering with intoxication, and her words were unrestrained and bold. “Can you lie underneath tonight?”

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