When the music is play, Hu Li wait for the signal to fly down via the red satin ropes. When the signal of it comes, she leap down gracefully while turning in circles. At the same time, the birds are following her. Everyone at the reception watch with their mouth open. To them, she looks like a fairy who is ascending from the sky. When her clean white feet touch the floor, it chimes and becomes a strange enchanting sight. As she dance around the organza curtains on the stage, She disappear and appear. With the nature lights, she dance behind the curtains. They watch her shadow as she dance. The birds continue to chip along with the music played. As the stage is surround by the guests, each angle they watch are different. Even with the wind, they enjoy this one in a life time dance performance.
Hu Li is wondering when the music is ending. The steps she knows are coming to an end. So she decided to use abit of her magic to end her appearances. She cling on the red satin rope and it lift her up slowly. She twirl around the stage before she disappear at the top. Just then the music ends and silence follows. She land on the balcony and put the rope aside. All a suddenly there is a eruption of hands clapping and shouting that it is an amazing preformance. Hu Li walk down the back stairs quietly into the same passage way to the carriage. She suddenly hear someone is clapping his hands behind her. She ignore it and hurry to the carriage. That person stand in front of her and block her way. She look at the ground and ignore him.
"Missy, that is a good performances. Can i know your name?"
She refuse to talk to him and try to walk pass but he keep blocking. Till the male servants from the brothel stop him from blocking the way. That person got angry and grab her hand. The bells chime loudly. She look up and she feels sad all sudden. He had the face of Shen Qin. She blow a smoke on his face. The moment he smell it, he release his grab and faint on the ground. She hurry to get to the carriage and ask the driver to go.
Inside the carriage, she want to cry again. She tell herself, she mustn't and he doesn't know who she is. He doesn't know how she look like either. Once she return to the brothel, she hurry to remove all her makeup and leave via the backdoor. She return to the inn edgy. She stay in the boudoir for days. Even when Madame Han comes to visit with thank fun gift, Hu Li did not go out to meet her. She soon hang out in the kitchen to help with the cooking since they can't cope with the number of orders.
A month pass and madame Han comes asking for help form Hu Li.
"Just tonight. The original background dancer have twisted her leg. The rest of my dancers have already dispatched to private functions. Please Yu'er just tonight."
Hu Li watch madame Han who is on her knees with her hands place in front of her chest pleading for help. She sigh loudly.
"Madame Han ..."
"Just once. Please i can't have the main dancer and one background dancer, it is too odd. Please just once."
"Can this be the last time?"
"Yes!"
"Fine, i will come by after dinner."
"Thank you Yun'er!"
She gets up on her knees and run off. Meng Lan who is standing on the side and watching it. Comes out
"There is no end to human greed."
"I know. Since it's just to dance. There is no harm doing so."
That evening she arrive and put on a pink dress. The main dancer is happy to see Hu Li. They talk and she help Hu Li to fix her hair. Today the background dancers have bun up their hair with flower hair pins while the main dancer have her hair down halfway. Their faces are powered and eyebrows are darken. Hu Li's eye is draw darker too. Her lips are color with pink only at the center straight down. Two pink dots on the side of the lips. Another two dots on the side bottom of her eyes. Her checks are drawn with flower patterns. She put on the bells on her arms and feet. Together they walk out to the stage area and remove their shoes. They wait for the music to start playing. The music starts and they enter the stage.
The guests who are in the brothel are watching each with at least a woman in their arms. Some continue to talk and laugh. Some tease the dancers by dancing at the front empty space. Hu Li and the dancers continue to dance without getting disturbed. Some drunkard men attempt to climb onto the stage and so the staff have to stop them and be courteous to them. They will be bring back to their seat and continue to drink. After dancing for awhile, the heat begin to built in the stage, two male servants standing on each side of the stage begin to manually turn the big fan on the side of the stage. A gently breeze is blow on the stage and the heat is disperse. Even the musicians who are playing the music feels the cool breeze. Thus the night ends well with the night dance in the brothel. At midnight, they send off the last guest home. The ladies in there are tired but happy. They make enough money for the day. Madame Han give Hu Li some coins to compensate for the last minute request. Hu Li accepted it. She remove all her makeup and dress. She say her good bye and walk back in the lonely street.
"Beautiful girl. Walking alone?"
"Yes, mister. Where are you going?"
"Home with you."
"Just you? Where is Hei?"
"Haven't see him for awhile. Like my new outfit?"
"No too attractive."
"Like me?"
She laugh and look at Fei. He is indeed a vision of an attractive man. With his long flowy hair that glows. When he smile, there are side dimples. He reach out and take her hand, together they walk back to the inn quietly in the night.