hile continuing to think, he played with the fruit until nearly all its juice was squeezed out before finally stopping. He then turned and looked at Zǐ Yìn, who had patiently waited."I've made up my m...Chapter 26 The Floral Charm

"Sister, look."

Frowning slightly, she heard sighs of surprise from behind her. As she was about to turn around, a white object flew past her eyes. On closer inspection, it was a butterfly... How could there be butterflies

But there wasn't just one butterfly; when she turned back around, the entire stage had been filled with colorful butterflies of all kinds as they fluttered by, carrying a faint fragrance on the breeze.

Just then, several women in light blue long dresses gracefully walked onto the stage, each holding a white plum blossom and a red plum blossom. They formed an arc shape and knelt down, waving their plum blossoms while softly singing, "You are the wind, I am the sand; entwined and boundless across the horizon."

"What's this performance about" Qing Kong knew that Qi Lin would appear but wasn't sure why such a scene was necessary.

Zi Yin watched with interest from below. He had heard stories of the Fragrant Consort before, and he never expected them to be sung out. How amusing! Yu Mu certainly didn't foresee this either; Zi Yin looked at Yu Mu across from him, making tsking sounds. Pity that he couldn't see it.

"You are the wind, I am the sand; entwined and boundless across the horizon."

Zi Yin was drawn back to his sight by a clear voice. When he saw Qi Lin sitting on a swing made of flower vines slowly descending from above, he was startled.

He had thought Bù Yáo's attire was unprecedented, but Qi Lin's attire was equally unique and innovative.

The adornment on her head was merely a floral wreath woven with various tea blossoms. Her black hair fell freely behind her shoulders, and she wore a white long dress that appeared spotless. At the hem of her skirt were embroidered tea blossoms, and it seemed larger than usual skirts.

Most importantly, around Qi Lin, there were many colorful butterflies all dancing around her, as if she was an angel descending from heaven when viewed from any angle.

Though not as beautiful as Bù Yáo's glamour or Mu Dan's gracefulness, or Xiao Ran’s innate nobility, Qi Lin’s beauty was natural and pleasant to look at. Thinking about it, Zi Yin noticed that Qi Lin didn’t wear rouge or powder like the others but appeared in her true face.

How bold, incredibly bold.

But this must have been a successful way of making an impression.

When Qi Lin was still half a person's height above the ground, she let go of the flower vines with both hands and landed on one foot first. She quickly spun around several times at her spot, spreading out her wide skirt to reveal all the tea blossoms embroidered on it.

"Look quick! What is that" Someone shouted in surprise from below the stage.

Hearing this, everyone looked towards Qi Lin and finally saw clearly. "Butterflies, butterflies are flying out of her body."

"Such a thing... Impossible." Xiao Ran abruptly stood up; while the myriad butterflies weren't the focus, what mattered was that they were emerging from Qi Lin’s body. "Is she a demoness"

Bù Yáo coldly glanced at her and sneered inwardly. Anyone with clear eyes could see those butterflies had flown out of Qi Lin's sleeves and skirt hems; it must have been prearranged beforehand. Considering the winter season, it was truly difficult for her to find these butterflies.

Meh, her voice wasn’t that great, so she needed women as accompaniments, right Compared with her, they were leagues apart.

Receiving everyone's exclamations of surprise, Qi Lin felt satisfied. She had guessed correctly; just her appearance and these butterflies would cover up the flaw in her voice’s quality.

The next part was ballet, which she still excelled at.

Closing her eyes, she lightly tiptoed and raised her hands above her head. Skilled in dance, she gracefully moved on the stage while softly singing.

Cherish our parting; tonight's wine for tonight’s drunkenness.

Raising a cup to drink, always recalling butterflies fluttering about.

No longer linger on wealth and honor that are but illusions; entwined like the wind and sand.

With thousands of words and farewells, nothing can hold back.

In this vast world, where shall we meet again Together at the horizon, watching the colorful sunset.

Entwined like the wind and sand.

Drops falling one by one from past clouds and flowers; in an endless universe, love is home.

Morning to night without letting go, but still on this dusty road; entwined like the wind and sand.

After singing this song twice, Qi Lin did not stop immediately. Instead, she stood on one foot, tiptoed and started using her unique advantage as a ballerina.

Her previous record was spinning 36 times on one leg; she didn't know how long she would last this time.

"This is possible." Seeing Qi Lin's graceful movements among the butterflies, Zi Yin was somewhat surprised. Having seen so much in his years of warfare, he had never witnessed such a dance before.

At present, Qi Lin seemed like a butterfly dancing amidst flowers, lost in her own world. She didn't know how many times she spun; only when the burning sensation at her toes became unbearable did she gradually stop and kneel down on the ground with arms outstretched, slowly bowing.

The butterflies slowly dispersed around Qi Lin, adding a beauty that was hard to describe to this scene.

Lifting her gaze slightly, her vision spun but she hid it well. Withdrawing her hands and smiling gently, she slowly stood up, trying to look composed as she observed the people below who seemed still in awe of her dance.

“Wonderful! Truly wonderful!”

Zi Yin was the first to break this silence, clapping continuously as he walked forward. “Miss, what kind of dance is this”

Before Qi Lin could answer, applause and cheers from the crowd drowned out his voice.

Seeing Zi Yin's bewildered look, Qi Lin didn't mind but politely bowed in response. Once the applause subsided, she said to the Prince Regent, “Your Excellency, this is a dance from my hometown, called Ascending to Immortality.”

Honestly at a loss for words, Qi Lin just came up with something random. After all, wasn't Empress Ji believed by people to have reached enlightenment and ascended to immortality Wouldn’t that better reflect her respect for the empress And it also highlighted Empress Ji's attachment to the mortal world and the emperor.

This was a two-birds-with-one-stone approach.

“Ascending to Immortality, indeed.” Zi Yin raised his eyebrows as he looked at the fine sweat on Qi Lin’s forehead. He could tell she had prepared thoroughly, which left him amazed and impressed. Waving his long arm, he opened his white fan with a smile and said, “Hahaha... Haha Truly magnificent! You are the wind, I am the sand; entwined, we wander across the horizon.”

He then turned around and left, leaving the decision to those in the hall.

However, his intention was already quite clear, and now the only issue left was whether she had a flower token.

"Miss, where are you from"

Looking in the direction of the voice, it was an approximately forty-five-year-old man sitting at the VIP seats downstairs. He must be someone of high rank. Qi Lin politely bowed and smiled as she replied, "Your Excellency, I am Hong Xue, a personal maid to Mr. Yu Mu from Drunken Flower House."

This detail was what Yu Mu instructed her to mention; at first, she feared that her unclear identity might cause suspicion, but Yu Mu insisted that she must say that she is his personal maid. She guessed it should be beneficial because everyone knows the good relationship between Yu Mu and Zi Yin.

When she mentioned "Yu Mu," she clearly saw the surprise in a few of the officials' eyes, followed by disbelief. This left Qi Lin puzzled but she could only wait quietly for their response.

"I heard that Mr. Yu Mu never takes on women as maids before, and the dance just now was profound indeed. Such an outstanding talent, no wonder he would take her in." The official who asked the question stroked his beard and nodded satisfactorily; then continued: "We have no further requirements here. Are there any questions from other officials"

Although it was a question, Qi Lin could tell that this official had high rank—his decision would be final. Thus, all the officials bowed in agreement: "Your Excellency is wise; we also think so."

Fake.

Despite her thoughts, Qi Lin still maintained decorum and said politely, "Thank you, Your Excellency."

"Then does Miss have a flower token"

A flower token Qi Lin was taken aback. She thought of the silk pouch given to her by Mu Qingfeng. Due to time constraints and some unexpected incidents, she had not managed to look inside it; but since he told her to bring it along, there must be no problem with it. Thus, she took out the pouch from her sleeves and handed it to a nearby eunuch.

Qi Lin's gaze never left the silk pouch as she was unsure of what was inside, so she felt anxious.

The official received the pouch; he was initially surprised by its rare material. The pattern on the pouch gave him reassurance; opening it revealed a transparent white jade carved in rose patterns.

When held, the jade was chilling to the touch. Its quality and craftsmanship were of exceptional rarity. But after only a short while, something strange began to happen.

A hint of blood red slowly appeared on the jade and started spreading. Within an hour, the once clear and transparent jade had turned completely into a deep red hue; it looked as if pressing down might make the jade drip with blood.

Indeed, the crimson color seeped out and finally dripped from between his fingers onto the desk.

"This is not..." The official stared at the jade in astonishment, then turned to look at Qi Lin; he opened his mouth but no words came out. He quickly put the precious item back into the pouch, ignoring the eunuch's support as he got up and walked toward Qi Lin with a stern expression.

Qi Lin was equally puzzled: could this be some lost treasure Could she be mistaken for a thief Seeing him approach her, Qi Lin maintained composure and greeted him with a professional smile. She mentally prepared herself for any scenario.

"This humble official's eyes are not good enough; please forgive me, Miss Hong Xue."

Huh Staring at the official who bowed and offered back the pouch, Qi Lin was stunned: what is going on here But she still accepted the pouch; even through it, she could feel the warmth of whatever was inside.

What exactly does Mu Qingfeng do

Could he be a prince from Fenghuang Dynasty

That's all she can think of.

Although she had thought so much, Qilin slowly knelt down and said, "Your Excellency is being too kind. Hongxue is just a personal maid. Your Excellency’s excessive praise will harm her."

"What nonsense are you talking" He hurriedly helped Qilin up and respectfully said, "It's my fault for not taking care of things properly."

Not taking care of things properly Did he misunderstand something

Qilin blinked rapidly. Seeing that he was being so respectful, she decided to be equally respectful in return. She softly said, "Your Excellency is incorruptible and upright. Hongxue admires you very much."

Their low conversation was a puzzle to everyone else, but his respect for Qilin marked the beginning of everyone's admiration for her.

The final selection included Qilin from Drunken Flower Pavilion, Buo Yan and Mudan, Xiao Ran, the daughter of the Chancellor, Du Ruhuan, the daughter of the Minister of Rites, Bai Lu, the daughter of the Minister of War, and Jun Zi, the daughter of the Chief Imperial Physician.

"These are all expected outcomes," he put down his teacup, as relaxed as ever. "The only one who surprised me is you. You actually thought to use butterflies to help yourself."

Seeing Yu Mu’s leisurely manner, Qilin also relaxed a little. Since the selection was already made, they would wait for the Emperor's final choice ten days later, much like in the imperial selection.

Mm... It had been so long since she last danced, these two days really wore her out. She leaned on the desk and said lazily, "Ah, to find so many butterflies in such cold winter is also a surprise."

Although it was just a casual remark, when she saw those many butterflies, she was still very surprised. If there had been no sash on him, she would have thought Yu Mu was a deity.

"I’m merely giving you the butterflies I use for my experiments," he placed camellia flowers at the hem of his skirt and sprinkled some medicinal juice used to feed the butterflies on it. The butterflies naturally circled around her. "That scene would be worth seeing."

Looking up, she wondered if he would clap in admiration without that sash.

"Tell me then, how did you meet Prince Nine from the Coral Kingdom" He immediately changed the topic to an unrelated one.

Prince Nine From the Coral Kingdom Qilin lifted her head with a blink of confusion. "What prince are you talking about"

Hearing Qilin’s response, Yu Mu was also slightly surprised and said, "Don’t you have a blood amber That is something only Prince Nine from the Coral Kingdom has; it's priceless. You don't know Prince Nine at all"

What!

Qilin quickly stood up and took out the brocade pouch. After taking out what was inside, a blood-red liquid seeped through her fingers in no time.

This was something Mu Qingfeng had given to her. Could it be that he is the so-called Prince Nine But Mu Qingfeng was a merchant from the Phoenix Kingdom.

No wonder... He had said she could not tell anyone about this.

Was he referring to this

"I suggest you return it to its original place. This is no ordinary blood amber; what comes out of it is your own blood. If you keep holding onto it, you might bleed excessively and die," he said nonchalantly, no longer dwelling on Qilin’s connection with Prince Nine.

Hearing this, Qilin was startled and quickly put the item back into the brocade pouch. In her heart, she planned to find an appropriate opportunity to return it to Mu Qingfeng.bbed her nose, realizing her rudeness and quickly said, "I apologize.""It's alright." The Empress Dowager was not bothered by it as she lifted a cup of hot tea to her lips.The scent of tea lingered in...