Chapter 510 – Post-Wedding Extra Chapter: A Dance That Captivated the City and Spread Across the World – A Heart Moved Is Better Than No Action (02)
Bai Tang genuinely regarded Sang Tiantian as a friend, but he had never imagined that their years of sharing hardships together could be worth less to her than a private room and a few plates of pastries.
He had considered explaining himself, but she hadn’t even given him a chance to speak. She simply refused to listen and sentenced him without hearing his side of the story.
Years of overwork, beatings, and abuse had left Bai Tang with numerous hidden injuries. Combined with the emotional blow from Sang Tiantian, a sickly sweetness rose in his throat, and he spat out a mouthful of blood.
“Tang Tang!”
Qiu’er hurriedly began treating Bai Tang. They had only just arrived in this world, and the female protagonist had already shown up as soon as Tang Tang finished merging with the original character’s memories. They hadn’t even had time to examine his body yet.
The young man lay weakly on the ground, his face ashen. Tears slid from the corners of his eyes.
His heart was completely shattered.
In Wanhua Pavilion, Sang Tiantian had been the last source of warmth in his life. Now, even that last bit of warmth was leaving him.
After fully merging with the original character’s emotions, Bai Tang was also affected by them. He couldn’t let go of Sang Tiantian’s misunderstanding and harsh words.
Qiu’er finally managed to repair the hidden injuries in Bai Tang’s body. Seeing how heartbroken Tang Tang was, he took out the voodoo doll he hadn’t used in a long time and was about to stick needles into it.
“Xiao A, let me go! That woman hurt Tang Tang. I’m going to curse her to death!”
Qiu’er was furious. How could anyone reject Tang Tang, whom he cherished like a treasure? Whoever dared to look down on Tang Tang, he would make sure they paid for it.
“Did you fall for that woman or something? Tell me!”
Xiao A stopped Qiu’er—not because he had any favorable feelings toward the female protagonist, but because Sang Tiantian had only just left.
If something happened to her now, given her personality, she would certainly make sure everyone knew about it. And the only person who had been alone with her immediately beforehand was the host.
In a place like Wanhua Pavilion, where everyone was jealous of the host’s appearance, Bai Tang’s situation would become even more difficult.
“Wait a couple of days. At the very least, it can’t be today. If something happens to the female protagonist’s body a few days from now, no one will be able to blame the host for it,” Xiao A persuaded.
Qiu’er was still furious, but he knew Xiao A had a point.
“Fine, I’ll listen to you this once. That Sang Tiantian is definitely going to die in a couple of days!”
He lowered the voodoo doll in his hand. Then, an idea suddenly struck him. He grabbed Xiao A’s hand instead.
“I remember you have a Bad Luck Talisman. Hurry and take it out! As long as she gets unlucky on her own—tripping while walking, choking to death while drinking water, or whatever—it can’t possibly be blamed on Tangtang.”
Qiu’er gave himself a mental thumbs-up for his brilliant idea.
He really was too clever.
After obtaining the Bad Luck Talisman, Qiu’er recited the incantation and stuck it onto Sang Tiantian’s back.
However, a flash of golden light suddenly appeared.
The Bad Luck Talisman actually sank into Sang Tiantian’s body and disappeared.
“What happened?”
Qiu’er was stunned.
“Probably the protagonist’s halo,” Xiao A said, narrowing his eyes.
“The female protagonist of this world seems to have an unusually powerful halo.”
The Heavenly Dao protected the male and female protagonists, with the male protagonist taking precedence and the female protagonist coming second.
In the previous mission world, the male protagonist had been Jiang Liangwu, who was devoted to the little squirrel. The male protagonist’s halo naturally suppressed the female protagonist’s halo, allowing him to nullify its effects.
But this time, Jiang Liangwu hadn’t arrived yet.
“It’s okay. We’ll think of another way,” Xiao A comforted him.
Inwardly, however, he was calculating the timing. The Northern Emperor should have received the message and returned to the Northern Forest by now. As long as he went back and saw the name of the small world Xiao A had left behind, he would definitely come after them to make sure his host didn’t suffer any grievances.
…
Inside the imperial palace, the Third Prince, who had been bedridden with illness, suddenly began to show signs of recovery.
The imperial physicians were overjoyed. At long last, they no longer had to spend every day trembling with fear, worrying that they might lose their heads if anything happened to the prince.
The Empress hurried over as soon as she heard the news. When she saw Yu Weikang’s healthy, rosy complexion, tears of emotion filled her eyes.
She clasped her hands together and thanked the gods and Buddha.
“Thank Buddha for his blessings. Thank Buddha for his blessings.”
Yu Weikang narrowed his eyes slightly.
He recognized her as the current Empress—and the biological mother of this body.
“Your son has been unfilial and caused Mother Empress to worry.”
Yu Weikang was none other than Jiang Liangwu, who had chased after them into this world.
The male protagonist of this world had already been determined, so Jiang Liangwu couldn’t simply seize someone else’s body. Instead, he possessed a minor cannon-fodder character.
Coincidentally, this cannon-fodder character was the very man who, according to the original plot, had taken Bai Tang’s first time and sold him into the dark quarters.
In the end, because of his poor health and the fact that he had also exhausted his essence, he died before the struggle for the throne even began.
“Silly child, what are you talking about? The fact that you’ve recovered is the greatest filial piety you could show your mother,” the Empress said gently.
She then summoned the imperial physicians and had them examine Yu Weikang one after another.
Yu Weikang calmly extended his hand.
The physician who stepped forward to take his pulse was astonished.
Just moments ago, the Third Prince had merely shown signs of improvement. How had he suddenly become so strong and vigorous, without the slightest trace of illness?
The physician looked up and happened to meet Yu Weikang’s sharp gaze.
His heart jolted.
An absurd thought suddenly occurred to him:
The Third Prince has been replaced.
The physician immediately composed himself. Lowering his gaze, he reported only on the Third Prince’s physical condition.
There were some things he had no business talking about, and he had no desire to get involved in the palace’s power struggles.
He was merely an imperial physician, a doctor whose job was to treat the distinguished members of the imperial household.
“Congratulations, Your Majesty. Congratulations, Third Prince. The Third Prince’s pulse is strong and steady, and his health has greatly recovered. However, since the Third Prince has been bedridden for a long time, the muscles in his legs will need to be rehabilitated for some time before they can fully recover…”
Hearing that the Third Prince was now healthy, the Empress burst into tears once again.
“Reward them! Everyone in the Imperial Medical Academy shall be rewarded!”
“Thank you, Your Majesty!”
Who wouldn’t be happy to receive a reward?
The physicians collectively knelt and enthusiastically offered their congratulations.
The corners of Jiang Liangwu’s lips curved upward slightly.
His effort to use spiritual energy to repair this body hadn’t been wasted.
Just as he was about to leave the palace to search for Bai Tang, however, the Empress sent people to stop him.
Her reason was simple: he had to make a complete recovery before he was allowed to leave the palace.
Jiang Liangwu had no choice.
Even though he was the Northern Emperor Immortal Lord, once he entered a small world, he still had to follow its laws and the rules of the mortal realm.
Otherwise, he could easily cause the small world to collapse—and would then have to bear the karmic debt of tens of thousands of lives.
Inside Wanhua Pavilion, Bai Tang had little time to wallow in his heartbreak over what happened with Sang Tiantian. The senior male courtesans in the South Courtyard were already busy teaching him how to please their patrons.
He stared at the incredibly suggestive illustrated manuals, and a deep blush spread from his cheeks all the way to the tips of his ears, adding an alluring charm to his already stunning appearance.
“This…”
“You have to learn all of this. No matter how much those men admire your looks or talents, in the end, the money they spend on you has to be earned back from you,” the senior courtesan responsible for teaching Bai Tang explained.
“But…”
“No more ‘buts.’ Just be obedient and study properly. It will do you good and won’t hurt you. What you’re learning now is still relatively tame. Later… once you have more clients, you’ll understand. Men who come here seeking pleasure never treat us like human beings. Only by keeping them happy can you suffer a little less. Hehe~”
The senior courtesan smiled sweetly, but Bai Tang could hear a bitter, self-mocking sadness beneath his laughter.
“This is our fate. Once you accept your fate, you can at least enjoy a better life.”
The senior courtesan sympathized with Bai Tang. There had been a time when he had refused to accept his fate just like Bai Tang. In the end, things had turned out even worse for him.
Only after he resigned himself to his circumstances did his quality of life improve, even though his situation itself had not changed.
Bai Tang had nothing to say. With his face flushed scarlet, he could only accept the senior courtesan’s instruction.
Every movement had to be practiced—how to attract a man’s attention, how to seduce him, how to appear as though he wanted to approach while deliberately holding back…
“Rest your hand against your cheek and slightly curl your index finger. Show about three-quarters of your profile. Yes, just like that. Your face is incredibly beautiful. Once you enter a room in the future, sit here. The candlelight will cast the shadow of the curtains across your face, making your features appear and disappear beneath the dim light. It’s the most enticing look…”
They were all unfortunate people, so the senior courtesan held nothing back. He taught Bai Tang everything he knew.
How much Bai Tang could learn, and what kind of life he would eventually lead, would depend on Bai Tang himself.
Days passed one after another.
The Courtesan Competition was being held tonight, and Bai Tang was finally released from his training.
The person being freed from confinement in the imperial palace was Jiang Liangwu.
Today was the day of the Courtesan Competition. If he didn’t leave now, someone was going to deceive his Tangtang and take him away.
Originally, the Empress still refused to let him leave.
But Jiang Liangwu eventually lost patience with explaining himself. After knocking down all the guards in Kunning Palace with just a few moves, he left everyone completely stunned by how vigorous and energetic he looked.
Naturally, the Empress stopped trying to hold him back.
Wanhua Pavilion was the most famous pleasure house in the capital. Tonight’s Courtesan Competition attracted virtually every man with a little spare money to spend.
Everyone was eager to see who would become the newest top courtesan. No one knew which young woman or handsome young man would take first place, nor how much money someone would be willing to spend simply to win a beauty’s smile.
All the men and women participating in the competition were virgins.
Backstage, the contestants waiting to go onstage were dressed in all sorts of beautiful styles. Without exception, however, they all wore expressions of nervous embarrassment or shyness.
After all, this was their first time performing onstage, and it was also…
Bai Tang had been dressed up exquisitely by the senior courtesan. The moment he entered the backstage area, he attracted everyone’s attention.
His face was as delicate as a hibiscus, and his beauty surpassed that of the flowers themselves.
He was so stunning that he completely outshone the other contestants, who had all been carefully made up and dressed for the occasion.
Before Bai Tang appeared, Sang Tiantian had been the most beautiful among the contestants, earning the envy and jealousy of the other girls. Now, all that resentment had shifted to Bai Tang.
Bai Tang really disliked being stared at by so many people. He tugged at his wide sleeves, trying to cover his face, fooling himself into thinking that if he hid his face, they would stop looking at him.
Qiu’er clutched his chest, completely captivated by Tang Tang’s beauty.
“As expected of me! If I hadn’t appeared in that senior’s dreams and told him how to dress Tang Tang according to his features, would he have had such good taste?!”
Xiao A held up a DV camera and recorded everything. Suddenly, he felt a familiar fluctuation.
“The Northern Emperor is here.”
“Go for it, Tang Tang! Make your master completely fall for you!”
Qiu’er put one paw on his shoulder and raised the other toward the sky, cheering Bai Tang on.
Meanwhile, Bai Tang was still trying to convince himself that nothing was wrong.
Why do I suddenly feel a chill? Ah, it must be because I’m wearing too little. I should probably go back and put on another layer.
Because Bai Tang was hiding his face, he didn’t notice Sang Tiantian among the crowd.
At that moment, he was still debating whether he should go back for another layer of clothing. However, he was worried that if he went back and forth, he wouldn’t make it onto the stage in time. Not only would that anger the madam, but it might also get the senior who had painstakingly trained him into trouble.
“Bai Tang, it’s your turn.”
A young servant hurried inside and called out to him.
Bai Tang quickly lowered his sleeve.
“Coming!”
He had no time to worry about the others’ gazes and hurried toward the stage.
Unfortunately, the outfit had been designed with an unusually long hem to emphasize his ethereal, otherworldly appearance. While stepping onto the stage, Bai Tang failed to notice the last step and stumbled forward.
He reacted quickly.
Bai Tang immediately caught himself with one hand against the floor, pushed off with his toes, and leaped into the air.
The stage was decorated with numerous lengths of red silk. As he looked at the ribbons, Bai Tang suddenly felt an inexplicable sense of familiarity.
He grabbed the nearest one and began moving gracefully through the air, leaping lightly from one red silk ribbon to another.
“Bravo! Bravo!”
Thunderous applause erupted from the audience.
Every year, the performances at every pleasure house consisted of poetry, songs, music, calligraphy, painting, and other similar acts. People were already tired of seeing the same things over and over again.
It was rare to see something so different this year.
As expected of Wanhua Pavilion—they really knew how to come up with something creative.
Bai Tang looked at the applauding crowd below.
Among them, one man wearing a mask caught his attention more than anyone else.
For some reason, Bai Tang instinctively wanted to get closer to him.
And what Bai Tang thought, he did.
His actions moved faster than his thoughts. By the time he realized what he was doing, he was already in the arms of the man wearing the golden mask, with the man’s arms firmly wrapped around him, leaving him unable to break free.
Being held so intimately by a man, the young man became incredibly shy. His handsome face flushed like peach blossoms, while his bright, watery eyes seemed to ripple like spring water, making him irresistibly endearing.
Jiang Liangwu smiled knowingly and lightly tapped Bai Tang’s delicate nose.
Naughty little thing. He actually sealed away his memories.
But even with his memories sealed, Tang Tang still cares about me.