Chapter 7

"I don't even know why the Madam even hired her." Someone muttered from the other side of the shared dressing room.

Yin carefully painted a thin line, the brush gliding across her skin. She watched with a careful eye in the mirror until she angled the stroke upwards at the very end.

Upon inspection, a small crease formed between her brows. The wing-like lines had stubbornly refused to align yet again. The veil on the bottom half of her face was made of a delicate fabric that rippled like moonlit waters as she shook her head. With a barely audible sigh, she reached for a nearby cloth and gently wiped away the evidence of her previous efforts.

"Heavens, she's so annoying."

"Can she even hear us?"

A group of courtesans sneered contemptuously at her behind folded bamboo fans and in between layers of powder and rouge.

After many interrogations of palace servants and trips to Auntie Liu, the culprit of Emperor Li's assassination was found to be paid indirectly by a western pottery merchant that had arrived in the capital only a month prior. The personal guards had determined four key locations that the merchant was to visit in the next week, including a store in Beilan market, a tea house, the residence of a known sponsor, and a brothel.

Brothel searches were usually done by Yin herself. Hui and AnNing were far too virtuous to be assigned the vulgar location, and Shen was sure to enjoy himself far more than necessary.

The establishment she had infiltrated, JingLu house, was a rather high end brothel right outside the capital. The other courtesans there had been understandably annoyed at Yin's sudden arrival three days before. They had all been carefully selected and taught by the madam to follow a set of strict rules, yet a stranger had arrived only three days before and was facing close to no consequence for doing as she pleased.

Of course, this was thanks to Auntie Liu's influence and insistence to the brothel's owner and a large sum of money compensating for any loss Yin's presence caused. But the courtesans didn't need to know that.

"Hey." One of the older ones snapped. "Do you come from a noble family or something?"

"What?" Yin dipped her brush into powder, lightly tapping it against the edge of the container. "Do you want me to sponsor you LiHua?"

LiHua's delicate features twisted into a scowl as she started towards Yin with her right hand raised before a bell sounded, signaling the start of work.

"Come on." A courtesan held her back. "It's not worth it."

"Madam will kill us for laying a hand on her." Another chimed in. "Let's just go."

LiHua continued walking to Yin's seat until their bodies were inches apart.

"If you lose me money tonight," She spat. "I'll scratch off that ugly face of yours."

Yin smirked as she stood up. She was shorter than LiHua, but the height difference didn't stop her from being a nuisance to the fuming courtesan.

She leaned in, further closing the distance between them. LiHua's eyes widened as she found herself moving backwards.

Yin stopped abruptly, tilting her head to the side.

"LiHua?"

"W-What?"

She paused, frowning.

"Your eyebrows are uneven."

XXX

The air was heavy with the aroma of steeped leaves, wrapping its tendrils around incoming patrons who slowly filtered in through the gates of JingLu house. Etched with countless ornate carvings, they welcomed each one with quiet anticipation. It was as if the building itself had also grown accustomed to the unhurried pace of life within.

Yin's presence had become an almost static force in the tranquil expanse, caught in a loop. The past few days had blurred together–a repeated routine of plucking the same strings on her pipa, watching the dancers execute the same movements she had already seen at the same exact time the day before. She was careful to probe the patrons that looked like they might be associated with the merchant. Unfortunately after countless conversations and tea refills, none of them seemed worthy of suspicion.

Tonight however, an unsettling dissonance arose as a group of men entered. Clad entirely in black linen, their garments seemed to drink in the light around them. Each figure was masked, their faces and expressions entirely with the exception of pairs of narrowed eyes.

Descending the main staircase, Yin's steps were synchronized with the soft murmur of hushed conversations. She was joined by a cohort of courtesans that had also been lingering on the balcony above, their gazes fixed on the doorway that had now drawn them downward.

Yin's lips parted in a greeting, but before she could say anything, a mass of lilac silk and the scent of lotus flowers pushed in front of her.

"Welcome gentlemen." LiHua bowed.

The leader of the group slipped his leather gloves off his hands disinterestedly, looking around behind her. He was taller than the others, and carried an air of calm confidence.

"Has a pottery merchant come in today?" He asked with a tone of detachment, his voice a smooth baritone.

A jolt of familiarity shot through her and recognition hummed in the spaces between her thoughts. It was a familiarity that carried with it a warning, a whisper that cautioned her that this couldn't be a coincidence.

Yin's gaze swept over the men before her. They stood in stark contrast to the group that Kai had dispatched— evident not only in their unfamiliarly fitted attire, but also in the subtleties that danced within the lines of their faces. Someone else with unknown motives was also looking for the merchant. It was now all the more vital that she found him first.

"No sir." Yin answered, smiling behind her veil. "Would you like us to tell you if one does?"

The tall stranger nodded slowly, his gaze remaining on her as his brow furrowed. For a fleeting moment, it was as if he recognized her. His gaze was penetrating, she had never felt so seen through while masked before. She held her breath and hoped that he would simply brush off any residual suspicions.

"Let's get you gentlemen into a room now shall we?" LiHua laughed, turning the leader's gaze back to her.

They walked through a rosewood adorned hallway lined with doors to other rooms, where servants rushed in and out with plates of desserts and porcelain teapots.

"Out of my way." LiHua whispered. "And don't you dare play out of tune."

The men were quickly shown to their seats around a polished, rectangular table. There were already places set out and teapots set at both ends. LiHua rushed to the seat next to the leader while Yin and the other musicians took their places.

Yin's fingers danced across thin strings, a rehearsed melody weaving its way through the air. Unlike the past few days, her notes carried a troubled undertone that made them seem to drag on forever. The peaceful lack of annoyance on LiHua's face reassured her that she had yet to make a mistake. In fact ,she played perfectly. But there was still an uneasiness that she couldn't shake.

The rest of the group had taken their masks off and begun consuming the refreshments brought in by servants, but their leader's face remained obscure. His mask remained stubbornly glued to his face, much to the visible dismay of many of the courtesans.

After her performance had ended, Yin's steps carried her towards the stranger's seat, a sense of purpose guiding her movements. There was something she needed to confirm.

She gently rested her hand on his shoulder and smiled when she watched his eyes widen slightly. LiHua, who had been unsuccessfully coaxing him into drinking for the better half of the hour, looked up. She arched her brow, her glaring eyes warning Yin to leave.

"Is there a problem?" She asked pointedly.

Yin ignored her, instead slowly running her fingers downwards. She expected him to slap her hand away with a flick of irritation. To her surprise, he allowed her to continue, watching as she traced along the pronounced contours of his arm.

"What is the meaning of this?" He raised a brow, seemingly unfazed now.

"Let's spend some time together sir." She said deliberately, "Alone."