Cen Tong had only been in Zhoushan for a few days, yet it seemed he had not yet had the chance to visit this famed literary and artistic hall. When he arrived at the door, the matron welcomed him with a warm smile, but did not recognize his identity. Cen Tong tossed several gold pieces onto the table. "Who is your finest girl?" The matron, having long been immersed in the world of romance and elegance, immediately sensed the significance of this generous gesture and the refined bearing of the visitor. She thus invited one of the girls to accompany Cen Tong temporarily and sent someone to summon the head girl, Lu Yan, to prepare for his arrival. With all these calculations in mind, Yun Rao fetched a delicate yellow sheer gown from her room and changed into it—temporarily stepping in for young Ru Yan might well suffice. After all, these were garments from a teahouse setting, made of economical fabric. Even in this severe winter, the dresses often required the women to expose their chests and arms and legs. Though Yun Rao had chosen the most modest attire, the flowing sleeves still revealed half of her soft, full breasts. She felt rather awkward, pulling up the bodice with some hesitation, and complained to Qu Xiaoman, pursing her lips, "What kind of clothes are these? To save fabric, they shouldn't be saved this way." It truly was a great sacrifice to see Ji Xie Yue so compromised. Qu Xiaoman smiled and said, "I think these garments are quite good—only by wearing them in this way can one truly captivate a man to the point of making him gasp in admiration. Otherwise, how would these young ladies ever manage to draw money from men's pockets?" "Taking her in and out from head to toe, nodding continuously," said he, "this attire truly suits you. With such a face, you already have the power to captivate an entire kingdom—add this delicate yellow robe, and you gain even more charm. Lively, graceful, and full of grace, just a single glance from you, and Cen Tong will surely be enchanted beyond measure. As for the tokens, gold, or silver—how could he possibly resist handing them over to you?" "Indeed, with just a little touch of makeup, you'd be a celestial goddess descending from heaven," Qu Xiao Man added, gazing at Yun Rao in her yellow robe, eager and excited. Without hesitation, she strode toward the dressing table and began searching. "What are you doing, Xiao Man? Someone will be coming soon," Yun Rao said, lowering her voice as she noticed the commotion. Qu Xiao Man produced two boxes of unused rouge and held them up. "Let me give you a little enhancement." She then pushed Yun Rao gently onto the dressing mirror to begin applying makeup. Startled, Yun Rao quickly grasped her hands. "What for? I don't need any of this." Qu Xiao-man glanced at the beautiful figure in the mirror and nodded. "Yes, indeed, it's not necessary, though your hair should be combed." She set aside the rouge on the side, then skillfully combed her hair with both hands. Finally, she took the golden hairpin from the flower-queen's hand, inserted it into the bun at the top of her head, and stared intently at the reflection, her face glowing with admiration. She then gently pressed down on her shoulders, saying, "Madam, if you go out just like this, no doubt many men will vie for your attention. I'm certain that by now, Cen Tong won't hesitate to hand over his token to you." Yun Rao pouted, glancing at her and tugging at the sash around her chest. "You've really helped me." Suddenly, a sound came from outside the door, making both Yun Rao and Qu Xiao-man stiffen—having been so absorbed in their conversation. Qu Xiao-man swiftly turned around, exerting strength in her hands, though before her palm could fully extend, she paused, startled. "An Sir?" Yun Rao instinctively turned to look, and upon seeing An Zi-yuan in his white robe, she And hasn't he already returned to Weizhou? An Zi yuan's gaze lingered on her, his calm black eyes now subtly darkened, yet his expression remained composed. He looked at Qu Xiaoman and said, "Xiaoman, go ahead and step out." Qu Xiaoman glanced at Yun Rao, seeking her opinion. Yun Rao nodded. "Go ahead, Xiaoman." Qu Xiaoman bowed and stepped out. An Zi yuan approached her, his hand resting gently on her slender shoulders, draped only in a light silk shawl. His dark eyes deepened. "Yun Rao, are you dressing like this to seduce Cen Tong?" It was only then that Yun Rao remembered her current attire, her face flushing slightly. She unconsciously covered her chest with both hands, feeling a bit embarrassed. "How did you come here? Didn't you just return to Weizhou?" "I arrived in Cangzhou yesterday," An Zi yuan replied calmly. "I had some matters to attend to that prevented me from going to find you." "Then how did you know I was here?" Yun Rao said, frowning. "Or did you actually come here to look for Ru Yan all along?" "I sent a detachment of Xuan Yi Still with a detached tone, she acknowledged it promptly, showing no sense of guilt at all. It was no wonder she had been so smoothly successful all along. Yun Rao murmured under her breath—with him there, she no longer needed to think about going to Cen Tong to claim that token. An Zi yuan reached out and pulled her up. "Come with me first." "I'll return later," Yun Rao whispered softly, watching her success unfold. An Zi yuan glanced at her chest, and unconsciously, Yun Rao reached up to cover it, her face turning slightly pink as she murmured, "I won't let him take advantage of me." Two light taps on the door sounded, and Yun Rao's expression stiffened immediately. She pushed An Zi yuan aside. "Go ahead and step out." Those two taps were her and Qu Xiaoman's signal—meaning Cen Tong had arrived. An Zi yuan turned and grasped her arm, determined to take her away, but Yun Rao twisted her hand aside, urgently saying, "I truly won't let myself be outdone." As she spoke, she casually took the sable fur cloak hanging by the bed and tied it around herself, drawing the cloak tightly to shield her body. An Zi yuan merely glanced at her calmly, then grasped her wrist and reached for her, intending to carry her out through the window. Cloud Rao felt a surge of urgency, pressing her fingertip upward to press on his pulse point and stop him. At that moment, the door was pushed open. Cloud Rao reacted swiftly, dragging An Zi yuan close to the bed and squeezing them into the narrow gap between the bed and the wardrobe, pressing down on An Zi yuan and crouching beside him, using the bedpost and the sheer curtain to shield their figures. An Zi yuan glanced at her, and Cloud Rao blushed, rubbing her nose gently, whispering, "I'm sorry," as she tried to push him to rise. But An Zi yuan suddenly pulled her hand, turning to look out the window. Cloud Rao followed his gaze, her face flushing from red to pale. In moments, the floor was scattered with a heap of garments, the four pairs of smooth, pale feet entwined and rubbing against each other, accompanied by the man's deep, labored breaths, the woman's soft, tender sighs, and the intimate sounds of lips and tongues kissing and caressing. Qu Xiao-man had not informed her that there was another woman who had come in with them. Yun Rao, secretly annoyed, tapped her forehead. Now that the door had just closed, the two of them were already eagerly entangled in each other's arms. Their breaths and moans grew stronger with each deep suck and kiss, interwoven with lustful murmurs, becoming especially noticeable in this relatively small room. Yun Rao felt deeply embarrassed, gazing at An Zi-yuan, who in turn looked at her with a calm, almost indifferent expression—clearly conveying that she had deserved to stand by and watch. Yun Rao pleaded, clutching his hand, asking him to do something, for she couldn't just stay here watching the two of them entwined in passion. Yet An Zi-yuan paid no attention to her, instead slowly withdrawing his hand, maintaining an air of complete detachment.