…
At the same time, Liu Ruyan came to the gate of the villa compound with an invitation.
"It turns out to be Master Liu." The guard checked the post and handed it back to her, "Please come in. There will be an attendant leading the way, you just need to follow."
"Thank you." Liu Ruyan saluted, walked through the door, and followed the attendant up the mountain.
This was her first time entering this suburban villa.
Everyone in Jinxia knows that this is the residence of Princess Guangping, and before the princess came to Jinxia, it was also a palace where only the royal family was eligible to stay.
The scale of the villa is the best proof.
More than a dozen majestic palaces and pavilions stand against the mountain, connected by gravel paths; flower gardens, rockeries, pavilions, and water pools are all available. Near the outer edge of the wall, there are many exquisite bungalows. If you get up, it is estimated that it will not be crowded if there are thousands of people living there.
Liu Ruyan never imagined that she would one day step into a place like this.
And the inviter is not the princess herself, but Lord Xia Fan.
From the fork in the mountain road, they turned into a courtyard, then walked along the boardwalk through a long pavilion and corridor, and the two of them came to a large hall.
"Miss Liu, this is it." The attendant bowed slightly, "Please go in, Master Xia is waiting for you inside."
Liu Ruyan suddenly felt her heart beating a little fiercely.
It's not that she hasn't thought about some things, but where her status and identity are, this idea is just like many fantasies, just passing through her mind.
She took a deep breath and walked forward into the hall.
Before entering the lobby, Liu Ruyan heard a familiar voice.
The tension suddenly disappeared. She took two quick steps and pushed open the main door of the lobby, "Yan'er? It's really you!"
"R-Ruyan?" Yan'er looked at her in surprise, "Why are you here too?"
"This is also what I want to ask you." Liu Ruyan said while looking around - besides Yan'er, there were more than a dozen women in the lobby, all of whom looked good. She had a vague impression of some people, while others were strangers she had never met before. "I heard that you also left Zui Qing Lou, but why didn't you come to the school to be a teacher?"
Yanzi hesitated before replying, "Because I'm afraid of seeing you."
This answer made Liu Ruyan stunned for a long time, "We used to... weren't we sisters?"
"Yes, that's why I feel sorry for you." Yan Zi scratched his head in embarrassment, "When you were locked up by the landlady, I said bad things about you..."
Liu Ruyan stared at her for a while, "Did you think at that time that I was ignorant and actually refuted Mr. Zhou's face, or that I wanted to be an official in the Secretariat because of my whims?"
Yanzi couldn't help but lowered his head and punched her, "You really know everything!"
"I guessed it," Liu Ruyan couldn't help laughing, "Isn't this what everyone discusses in the Qingguan Courtyard on weekdays? They hope to win the favor of a good man, but Mr. Zhou happens to be The kind of person who pretends to be good on the surface. If I hadn’t experienced it personally, I’d probably have the same thoughts as you, right?”
Yanzi raised his head unexpectedly, "...don't you blame me?"
"Well, it's all in the past, there's nothing to be surprised about. If I have to say who is at fault, I think it should be Zui Qinglou itself."
"I'm sorry..." Yanzi whispered.
"I accept your apology." Liu Ruyan took two steps forward and hugged her gently.
"But having said that, do you know how jealous the other sisters were at you at that time?" Yanzi suddenly muttered after a moment of silence, "I just made Mr. Zhou so angry that he was almost half dead, but then he turned around and got an interview with Mr. Xia. In the end, he really became A wife appeared on the stage with Her Royal Highness the Princess and others in the first class of the school. That day was also the most devastating day for the Zui brothel. Nearly half of the sisters decided to find their own way out. I heard that the proprietress even fainted. "
"Is there such a thing?"
"Yes, the people who laughed at you before ran faster than anyone else, of course... including me." Yanzi's tone seemed to be more relaxed, "When I just received the invitation from Mr. Xia, I was still thinking that finally It's my turn to have good luck. I didn't expect that he would call so many girls, including you. It seems like I'm just being sentimental."
This obviously half-joking remark made Liu Ruyan laugh. Although she had a similar mood, she felt more relaxed after confirming that it was not the case.
"Then do you want to be a master? The school department is short of people recently."
"Forget it, I have no interest in brats." Yanzi separated from her. "It's annoying enough to hear them making noise, let alone teach them. After leaving Zui Qinglou, I found a job in a cloth shop. Color work, as you know, I usually like painting."
"And he also plays the piano very well." Liu Ruyan nodded.
"Forget about the piano. Once you don't need to please the guests, you won't have much chance to play it again."
At this moment, there was a whisper among the women.
The two interrupted their conversation and looked across the hall, only to see a man walking towards them.
The person who came was none other than the person who sent the invitation—Xia Fan.
"Good afternoon, ladies." He gestured to everyone to sit down and moved a cushion in the middle of the lobby to sit down. "Thank you all for taking the time to come to the villa. This time I invited you just because I wanted to. Your outstanding talent and vast experience performing.”
"One week later, it will be the New Year announcing the end of winter and the arrival of the New Year. Her Royal Highness the Princess decided to hold a grand celebration ceremony on this day and designated it as Jinxia's first long holiday. The ceremony will last for three days in total, and finally Many performances will be staged in the city on one day, and music and dance are indispensable. And this requires your full help to achieve a complete success." Xia Fan smiled, "Although I am responsible for the overall planning and program arrangements, The specific details still depend on the guidance of professionals.”
"Sir, you are too polite." A woman leaned forward and said, "Compared to what you are doing to help my little girl, this request is nothing."
"Indeed. We may not know anything else, but we still know a little bit about playing, singing and dancing."
Xia Fan waved his hand, "This is not a simple help, but an additional job. The remuneration and necessary subsidies will not be less during the period. If you are not willing to accept it, you can always put it forward - since it is the work of the Secretariat, naturally It won’t be mandatory.”
No one quit.
Liu Ruyan also had a strange feeling in her heart.
Obviously, when I showed my talents in Zui brothel, I always felt indescribable boredom and boredom, but at this moment, I didn't feel repelled at all.
"I understand." Xia Fan nodded after looking around for a week, "By the way - in addition to providing consultation and guidance for the celebration, there is another thing that requires your professional ability, and that is to teach a person to sing."
"Who is that person?" Liu Ruyan asked curiously.
"Chi."
I seem to have seen this name somewhere...
Liu Ruyan thought for a while, then showed a surprised look, "Could it be that she is—"
"Yes," Xia Fan confirmed her guess, "She is the dragon girl in Shenjin Weekly."