TGCFNM -Chapter 348 Courtesan Yunliu

Chu Ling silently set down her teacup and couldn’t help but glance at Hua Si.

Hua Si had grown up in the flower house, so she surely knew the tricks used there. Since it was said that the deaths happened “outside,” that meant the courtesans’ deaths were caused while they were out.

Moreover—

In such a bright room, quietly sitting all night—wasn’t that for a painting?

So, after the Painting Sage’s viewing this time, the courtesans would still sneak out to have themselves painted?

Paintings to sell for money?

And the madams of the flower house, knowing the courtesans sneaked out to be painted, didn’t intervene, and even kept it a secret?

Ghost Scholar furrowed his brows, his gaze darkening slightly as he asked, “Miss Hua Si, since you linger here in the Hidden Flower House after death, did you see how Yuncha died?”

“I saw it,” Hua Si said sincerely. “She died beautifully.”

By now, Bai Su had gone around and brought people back. Hearing Hua Si, she frowned and sneered, “Can you speak even more nonsense? Did she get up, look in the mirror, realize she was too beautiful, and then die of fright?”

Hua Si looked up at Bai Su and nodded seriously. “Yes, I saw it with my own eyes. She screamed once, then collapsed and died. She died with her eyes wide open, not at peace.”

Bai Su frowned, sat down, and tossed her fan back to Ghost Scholar, asking in disbelief, “Are you serious?”

“Really. She seemed terribly frightened, screamed so loudly, and many people rushed in. The madam came over, glanced at her, and immediately had her subordinates wrap her in a mat, saying she’d be thrown out,” Hua Si said, a fearful expression appearing on her face.

Ghost Scholar picked up the fan and quickly asked, “Miss Hua Si, if you saw a courtesan die with your own eyes, why did you remain in the Hidden Flower House, still obsessed with becoming a courtesan?”

“Being a courtesan brings so much money!” Hua Si’s eyes widened in envy. “Even though Madam deliberately held back quite a bit, what she gave to the courtesans’ families wasn’t small either. And though the daughter was gone, having that large sum made them very happy.”

Chu Ling was speechless—these women truly were the most unfortunate.

Hua Si continued, “Not long after Yuncha died, Madam had someone clean a room casually and arranged for the next girl to move in. The room still had jewelry given by Yuncha’s patrons; the next girl could continue using it.”

Bai Su frowned. “What kind of cannibalistic place is this?”

Ghost Scholar asked again, “So, every girl is like this: on the day of the street inspection, the Painting Sage paints them, then for six days they sneak out daily to be painted, and on the seventh day, they look in the mirror, realize they’re too beautiful, and die of fright?”

Hua Si nodded, then shook her head. “Every girl died like this, but I don’t know if they really went out to be painted—I never left the Hidden Flower House.”

Cui Xi grabbed Hua Si’s arm and asked, “Do you have any injuries?”

Hua Si shook her head.

Cui Xi was puzzled. “You saw the madam of the flower house, and then you died? Could it have been fright that killed you, so you have no wounds?”

Hua Si thought hard for a while. “I just remember Madam taking my hand, bringing me to her room, saying she wanted to reward me with a hairpin… then I died.”

Cui Xi put down Wangcai and leaned closer. Hua Si looked at her with confusion as Cui Xi examined her neck, parted her hair, and then looked disappointed. “No wounds… so she really did die of fright?”

Hua Si pushed Cui Xi away. “I wasn’t injured. There’s no wound on me.”

Chu Ling rubbed the rim of her teacup. Piecing together Hua Si’s words, it became clear that the madam of the flower house knew about the courtesan going out to have her portrait painted—and she may have even arranged it herself.

And the courtesan going out to have her portrait done was for money.

“Master! Master!” Wan Sanjin shouted several times, then tapped Chu Ling’s arm with Fu Qingyu’s fan. “Master, didn’t you hear? The lock’s been opened!”

Chu Ling snapped back to attention and hummed, then snatched the fan from Wan Sanjin and returned it to him.

Shiyu twisted her hands nervously and glanced toward the door inside. “This is my first time seeing a painting master at work with my own eyes.”

“Don’t be nervous, Miss Shiyu, it’s everyone’s first time,” Shangguan Shi said, then rose to move the table forward a bit, giving everyone a better view.

Click. The lock on the inner door was undone and removed. A bent figure slowly pushed the door open, revealing the scene inside.

As Nangong Han had described, it was actually a circular platform. The painting master’s position was closer to them, and the spot arranged for the courtesan was also nearby.

The other half of the scene wasn’t clearly visible yet, so before the painting master came over, they craned their necks to find the best vantage point.

Wan Sanjin sighed, “It’s so bright.”

Chu Ling nodded. Indeed, it was very bright, and the painting master’s workspace was all white, which made it even more luminous.

At that moment, a sudden burst of commotion rose—shouts of admiration and exclamations mingled together like a tsunami.

Chu Ling then saw a woman in a floor-length white gown, tightly woven with silver clouds, walking gracefully forward.

Her brows arched like clouds over peaks, delicate and refined; her lips were lightly touched with vermilion—colorful yet not flirtatious. Her hair was black, loosely coiled in a bun, exuding a certain ethereal charm reminiscent of a sickly beauty.

Once she reached her position, she slowly sat down. Her eyes swept the room. They were like autumn waters, tinged with a faint sorrow, leaving a deep impression on anyone who met her gaze.

“She’s called Yunliu,” Shiyu whispered. “She’s about my age and has been in this house for six months. She earned five hundred taels from parading in the flower carriage, and this portrait will earn her another thousand.”

“So the money she earns… is it to redeem herself?” Chu Ling asked.

Shiyu smiled bitterly and lowered her head. “First, she has to redeem her family—one by one—then it will be her turn.”

Chu Ling fell silent for a moment, then asked softly, “But… what if Yunliu dies in the end? If she dies, she won’t be able to earn money to free her family.”

“If she dies, the madam will add another ten thousand taels. If she doesn’t, she stays in the house and earns properly. The madam said there’s nothing in this world money can’t do,” Shiyu said, casting a glance at Yunliu with some envy.

Chu Ling leaned slightly, resting her chin on her hand as she looked.

Yunliu on the circular stage looked extremely unwell, yet she forced a smile and waited quietly.

“I want to give her some money so badly,” Wan Sanjin murmured.

“You can. That counts as extra income—generous clients sometimes give it,” Shiyu quickly replied. Then, realizing her words might have been rude, she knelt immediately in apology. “It was careless of me to speak so quickly. I meant nothing else.”

Wan Sanjin quickly signaled Shangguan Shi to help her up and comforted her, “We aren’t angry. We just see Yunliu sitting there, uncomfortable, yet smiling. Maybe she lacks money, so we want to give her some.”

Shiyu frantically wiped the tears from her eyes. “Master Wan… she… she does lack it.”