When Baiyi presented herself as "Cold Smoke Lady," she was lofty and aloof, tranquil in word and deed, almost like a young lady of a great household. There was only a faint air of gloom about her. Even behind the bed curtains, no matter how Yu Ci tormented her, she remained low and yielding, like spring tides washing the shore and flying rain falling upon a lake—soft, enchanting, and utterly captivating.
But now, she laughed without restraint. It was not the sort of laughter that made one double over, but one naturally edged with sharp mockery and ridicule. Yet her pearl-lit skin was snowy all over, her beauty beyond compare, making him involuntarily recall all the delightful things about their previous wild revelry. It was truly both hateful and irresistible, soul-hooking and heart-shaking.
Perhaps it was precisely this unique bearing that kept Yu Ci from feeling awkward. The look he cast her way still held appreciation and enjoyment.
Yet once her abandon had passed, the atmosphere could no longer return to what it had been. Baiyi said no more. Throwing aside the thin quilt, she rose from the bed. Her smooth, snow-white body still bore traces of their pleasure, but she paid them little heed. Instead, the maid by the bed hurriedly brought over a thin gauze robe and draped it over her shoulders.
Only then did Baiyi look back and smile faintly. "Master Yu is most righteous, but Cold Smoke is lowly and her life is cheap. She has no such fortune. One night of pleasure, and payment settled in full—that is all."
Her words demeaned herself, yet her posture remained lofty. It seemed like a courtesan's tactic, but her intention to have no further entanglement with Yu Ci was plain as day. At last, her tone cooled.
"Someone,