n mentioned ‘prince regent’ or ‘etiquette’, she deliberately spoke louder.Anyway, at this point, being rude wouldn’t get her expelled; sooner or later she was going to die anyway. It might as well be...Chapter 2: Willingly Bound by Dust and Smoke

In this world, there are no things that cannot be obtained; the only thing is whether one desires them or not. If you want something, go all out to get it. If you want the best, then strive for it. In Ice & Fire Chinese Romance Transmigration novels updates premiere first on 151 Reading Network. That which can't be had will be destroyed; at least don’t let your opponent have it.

"Miss, everything is ready." A young maid in green robes bowed respectfully without daring to lift her head to look at the lady before her.

The woman inserted a jade hairpin into her hair and tidied up all her makeup tools. Satisfied with the lovely smile she saw in the mirror, she finally got up.

The maidservant hurried forward to support her. The woman wore a plum-colored vest under a pink wide-sleeved robe, cinched at the waist by a light golden sash tied into a bow, and draped with a simple silk scarf. Her long hair reached her shoulders, perfectly coiffed.

As she approached the door, the woman slowly took out a veil from her waist, covering half of her face, before signaling for the maidservant to open it.

The woman stepped out; the madam hadn’t expected the lady to appear partially veiled. But the cheers that reached her ears made her nod approvingly and she waddled over, grabbing the woman’s hand and squinting as she announced,

"Gentlemen, this is our new flower, Miss Bu Yao, who has come to greet you."

Hardly were her words out when there was a burst of cheers downstairs, with all guests focusing their attention on where Bu Yao stood.

Other women would fully display their faces, but this one covered half hers behind the veil. Was she doing it intentionally or hiding something

Despite that, the translucent veil made Bu Yao look like an ethereal goddess, mysterious and beautiful.

The men were already roused, eager to spend a night with such beauty.

Bu Yao gave them a disdainful glance but her lips curved into a pleasant smile nevertheless.

Women always love to hear compliments.

Following the madam's guidance, Bù Yáo slowly descended the stairs step by step. With each step she took, cheers and applause grew louder, making her feel increasingly proud.

She didn’t know where she came from or why she was here; she even forgot her own name. The nickname given to her by the madam was just picked at random, but she wasn’t bothered by it and actually liked it. It had only been a few days since she became this glamorous figure, yet she still remembered that a few days ago, she lived in hell.

That place was a dark, damp room where rats and cockroaches roamed freely as if they were granted special privileges to do so.

In one corner, bound to a pillar, was Bù Yáo herself. She wore tattered clothes, her long hair covering her face, her head hanging down in exhaustion, looking like she had fainted. Even when a rat ran up to bite at her toes, there was no reaction from her. This only spurred the rats on; they climbed right onto her torn skirt and began their little game.

Seemingly over-tormented by the rats, Bù Yáo finally reacted. Her exhausted face behind her long hair creased with a frown as she pulled at her lips, causing dried blood to drop from the corners of her mouth.

The rats inside her clothes continued their mischief; twisting her stiff body, she tried to remove them, but the stubborn rodents clawed viciously into her flesh. This caused Bù Yáo to bite her lip in pain, fresh blood seeping down her chin as she suddenly raised her head, revealing her entire face.

Despite her makeup completely washed away, her delicate little face couldn’t be hidden, making her look even more pitiful and sympathetic.

Bù Yáo was struggling to get the rats off of her when she heard footsteps outside. Her already pale face turned ashen; fear gripped her as she stared at the door.

“Bang,” the door was pushed open by several burly men, scaring away all the rodents inside the room.

"Ah, miss is awake." A sharp voice came from outside. Bù Yáo knew without needing to be told who it was; it was that madam who had tormented her these past days.

As expected, the madam entered with a fan in hand and her thick waist swaying. Her face must have been painted dozens of layers white to hide her dark skin, but she looked more like an old zombie with her willow-leaf eyebrows drawn on and purple eyeshadow applied.

Looking at Bù Yáo’s exhausted face, the madam deliberately softened her tone: "Why are you doing this to yourself Women must rely on their bodies for survival. See, when men are happy, you can live. Besides, it makes you happy too. You’re only making things hard for yourself in the end; you’ll have to obey eventually anyway. Think about it—might as well submit and suffer less. Your body won’t hold up under much more torment."

"Heh heh··· Heh heh" Bu Yao looked at the madam with a mocking gaze, her aura instantly intensifying, making others feel uneasy.

Seeing Bu Yao's smile, the madam knew that she had not made any concessions. She was experienced in dealing with people; even stubborn women usually gave in within three days once they were brought to her place. However, it had been five days since she bought this unconscious girl, and now two months had passed, yet Bu Yao remained the longest one for her.

Thinking of this, the madam grew angry, put her hands on her waist, glared with her already small eyes, walked up angrily, and pinched Bu Yao's chin. She was getting impatient.

"Miss, I've said countless good and bad words to you, and I've tried every method possible. But there hasn't been any change in your attitude. Even a Buddha would lose patience after some time. This is your last chance. Give me one day's time, if you don't change your mind by then... heh heh, I'll make sure you won't even get on stage."

Bu Yao frowned slightly at the madam’s distorted face from anger and found it amusing but she lacked the strength to laugh.

She raised an eyebrow and said, "Do you think making this lady serve those fellows will make her give in Or do you think throwing her at someone and forcing her would make her frown"

The madam was surprised that her thoughts had been seen through; it was the first time anyone had done so. Though she was exposed, she didn't expect Bu Yao to calmly say this.

Actually, Bu Yao wasn’t sure why she could speak so calmly. However, seeing those fellows enter with lecherous faces, she guessed what would happen if she refused to give in. Yet, she felt somewhat accustomed to the environment and managed to remain calm

But since the moment she opened her eyes, her past was blank, only vaguely aware that she had been sold here without knowing it. Now, she was a prisoner.

Bu Yao gave a mocking smile and looked at the madam, saying, "Listen well: if there's something I don't want to do, even putting a knife to my throat won’t help. But..."

The madam narrowed her eyes as she looked at Bu Yao, asking, "But what"

"Don't you just want me to earn money for you Isn't that easy" Bu Yao said casually. "Only a stupid woman would rely solely on her body to make money."

The madam stared at Bu Yao with astonishment flashing in her eyes, remained silent for a moment, then waved a fan and let her go. She wanted to see how far Bu Yao could go; if she tried any tricks, it would be worse than death.

The name of this brothel is Drunken Flower Tower. Each courtesan here takes a flower as her name, but Bu Yao refused to do so, believing that flowers are trivial objects and men's attraction to them is just part of their nature. The madam could not persuade her otherwise and, in frustration, grabbed a hairpin from the dressing table intending to throw it at her. She suddenly paused.

"How about calling you Golden Hairpin"

Bu Yao looked at the jade hairpin in the madam's hand, frowned slightly, but the image of that hairpin lingered in her mind for a long time before she slowly raised her gaze and calmly said two words: "Bu Yao."

With her superb skill on the zither and perfect singing voice, Bu Yao quickly won the madam’s approval. Her graceful dancing further endeared her to the madam. However, Bu Yao knew that this was not enough. The madam's favor was necessary but it wasn't sufficient.

In Drunken Flower Tower, she intended to become the top courtesan and gain the love of even more people so as to build her own world. At that time, her first action would be to settle accounts with the madam.

Once a decision was made, one must present something unique.

She observed that women here liked to wear flowers representing their names in their hair or embroidered patterns on their clothing. They wore heavy makeup and fragrances, though beautiful and alluring, they were also overpowering with scent.

Therefore, she chose to put her own makeup on; proficient at it as she was, although where she learned these skills from was unknown, sometimes subtle touches are more favored.

The crowd below had nearly gone wild and only refrained from rushing up to tear off Bu Yao's veil out of sheer restraint.

Seeing this scene, Bu Yao smiled triumphantly. She walked over to the zither that was already prepared for her performance, elegantly knelt on a cushion, extended her delicate hand with long fingers gently plucking at the strings...

The melodious and graceful sound of the zither captivated everyone’s heartstrings. People below started out curious but then closed their eyes to listen attentively; even those preoccupied with revelry were persuaded by others around them to do the same, perhaps lost in thoughts they'd rather not dwell on.

Bu Yao watched all this and her eyes gleamed with satisfaction. Those present here were mere commoners—far from what she desired, but she believed that her talent would be spread far and wide, attracting more talented scholars and nobles. Then, it would truly become her world.

She always believed that wherever there are men, there is a struggle for power; obtaining the one in high position equals obtaining everything. What did it matter if she forgot her past What difference did it make to be stranded among the courtesans As long as she could get what she wanted, anything was acceptable. She didn’t just want to survive; she wanted to live atop everyone else, under everyone's admiration..And Empress Ji's poem too; Qi Lin couldn't hear any love in it either.But perhaps it was because Empress Ji was frail and the emperor heartbroken that Wait a moment, it seems Qi Lin realized somethin...