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[ he's not surprised when one of the courtesans floats toward him. he knows he's good looking, and moreover, he knows he's recognizable, too, that it's known that he's wealthy from his position, and would surely offer a good tip if he were pleased. but surely she's no different from the others - beautiful, but leaving him feel empty inside.

as he exhales a plume of smoke, yingxing lifts his tired eyes to meet.. soft sea green, a beautiful, unforgettable shade, and he's sure that his heart stops in his breast.

it's been thirty years. thirty years, but he'd know dan feng anywhere, recognize him among a thousand faces - but.. no. no, it's not him. it's someone else, someone youthful, a beautiful young woman with dark hair and arresting eyes, the curves of her face softer than dan feng's had been, her eyes wider, but even still.. even still.. ]

I - [ he starts, inhaling sharply, his free hand moving toward her as if to take her wrist before he catches himself. she's not to be touched unless she offers herself, he knows that, even if in the moment he'd thought he was going crazy. ] - uh, yeah, yes, sure. Thanks.

[ It's true that any of the others would know that Yingxing is wealthy just to look at him. But Xiangyue... she's sheltered enough, has been lonely enough, that she's never seen his face. The identity of the furnace master is unknown to her. She had just simply noticed that his drink needed filling.

Yet, as his eyes meet hers, he freezes in a way that gives her pause. She half-turns, waves another courtesan over to take the glass and return to the bar to top it up.

And she crouches, looking up at him with something on her face that he will recognize as genuine concern. ]

Xiansheng. Are you alright? You look as if—

[ —you've seen a ghost— ]

—you feel quite unwell. May I take you somewhere quieter?

[ she crouches before him, looking into his face with naked concern, and for a moment yingxing is sure that he's about to pass our, or burst into tears, or run right out of this place with his tail between his legs.

but he does none of that. instead, he nods numbly. ]

.. yeah. Okay.

[ his ears are ringing, and he can't look away from her. the more he stares, the more he sees the differences, but even still, the resemblance is.. remarkable. ]

Sorry. I just - I thought you were someone else.

[ Sheltered though she might be, Dan Heng does know the circumstances of her birth.

And so, when Yingxing says what he does, her heart sinks in her chest. He's the right age, and...

Still, she keeps herself professional. With that same gentle smile on her face, she stands again, reaching a hand out for him to take. When he does, she'll lead him not to her room—he hasn't asked for that kind of service—but to a quiet lounge set aside for private use. The other courtesan follows only for long enough to give Yingxing his refilled drink before disappearing once more. ]

Come. Sit with me.

[ She perches on the plush sofa, releasing his hand to allow him to sit—either on the same seat, or a different one. ]

[ she takes his hand, it's warm, and so soft, and as they walk together he catches her scent, and even that much is also familiar. beneath her soft perfumes is more - a rainy, sea-salt smell..

dizzy, yingxing follows her into the private lounge, and when she sits, he sits beside her without thought, because of course he would, why wouldn't he want to be close to her? but he's beginning to recover now, his heart having come back down from his throat to settle into his chest again. ]

Sorry. Maybe the smoke was getting to me. [ he says, and smiles, lopsided and warm. ] Or maybe your beautiful face was too much for me.

[ when in doubt, charm is the way out. ]

You don't need to apologize. [ Her voice is gentle, warm with natural affection she's learned to have in talking to any of their clientele. ] This is your first time here, isn't it? Sometimes the atmosphere can be overwhelming. We have rooms like this for just that reason.

[ Her hands fold primly in her lap as she offers him a small smile, one entirely void of any judgement. Now that she's not worrying about his health or what he's seen in her, she can take a moment to look at him—to really look. He's a short-life species, that much is clear from the soft lines that crease the corners of his eyes and the white of his hair. But he's remarkably handsome too, and there seems to be a strength to the way he moves.

She bows slightly to him, even though they're still sitting. The bells tinkle, delicate, like chimes on the wind. ]

My name is Xiangyue. May I know yours also, xiansheng?

[ xiangyue..

no dan surname. no surname at all. but why would she have the dan surname, anyway? the ichor line ended with dan feng, and yingxing saw him die with his own two eyes -

he shakes that thought away immediately. even thirty years later, it still chills him to the bone, still makes his chest feel uncomfortably tight with longing and pain and vengeful desire. instead he focuses his energy on her. ]

Yingxing. The Flying Comet.

[ normally the title wouldn't be necessary, but.. well, she really, genuinely doesn't seem to know who he is. ]

[ The Flying Comet. In his title, she understands exactly why he looked at her so strangely. He isn't merely the right age, he's— ]

...of the High-Cloud Quintet, [ she says, and her voice is a tiny bit softer for a moment than perhaps it should be. She's quick to pull herself back together, though, not wanting him to find himself uncomfortable all over again.

The High-Cloud Quintet, made up of Dan Feng and his four closest friends and allies...

The playful smile on her lips, though, belies the swirling discomfort in the pit of her stomach. ]

In that case, it's no wonder that everyone out there was looking at you, Yingxing. [ She leaves room for a slight pause before she teases: ] Or maybe that's just because of your handsome face.

[ she recognizes his name, that much is clear, and there's something in the way that her demeanor shifts..

.. but he can only assume it's something like pity. or at least sympathy. the high cloud quintet was never quite the same after dan feng's passing, and while the four of them continue to spend time together, the dynamic isn't quite the same, dan feng's ghost always lingering behind every corner. the others are still yingxing's family, but they no longer call themselves by that title. doing so would only be a slight to his memory.

so yingxing chuckles lightly instead. ]

Well, I've been known to have that effect on people, now and then. [ he says, teasing gently. ] Not on you, though, hmm?

[ She offers him a playful wink. ]

Or maybe you did, and I just have an excellent poker face.

[ He's flirting, which leaves her to reciprocate. It's the dance they're taught to follow—or lead, if necessary—with their clientele, noting their interest and returning it, offering just enough of a taste that they leave their cards with the house.

But she's also genuinely interested, something inside her stirring awake, interested in him and what he has to say. In that smile. ]

I leave it to you to find that out, Yingxing-xiansheng~.

[ at last yingxing lifts his drink again and takes a long sip. he'd already had a few before she came across him, but a little more won't hurt, especially when he needs to soothe his nerves. it definitely helps. ]

Heh, maybe you do.

[ he wouldn't put it past her. selling the fantasy is her job, after all, which means painting on whatever face she needs to in order to please her clientele.. an idea that makes his stomach twist with envy. to think that anyone would be permitted to touch her..

she's not him. ]

I guess I'll have to try a little harder.

[ he says, and offers one forge roughened hand. ]

Try a little harder, hm?

[ She reaches out, placing one delicate hand in his as her head tilts, curiosity in her eyes. She can tell he's nervous. But, truth be told, so is she: the (broken) reincarnation of someone famously very important to him.

(Of course, she has no idea how important.)

With any luck, this will be his first and only visit, and it will never have to come up between the two of them. And yet... somehow, even now, she suspects that won't be the case.

Still, she smiles. ]

What, exactly, do you propose?

[ her hand is warm, and so, so soft, her fingers delicate as webs of woven spider's silk, her skin like smooth jade.. he can only imagine that she must be popular here, but then again, yingxing might be biased toward her beauty, given who she reminds him of. still, he can't imagine that anyone would be fool enough not to want her. ]

Heh, hard to say, I don't usually have to try so hard to impress people.

[ and he can feel it - her reticence. she's hiding it very well, but it feels like there's a bit of a wall up between them. maybe that's just normal, in her line of work. ]

But I did come here for a reason, after all.

[ he says, lifting her hand and pressing a kiss to the back of her knuckles, then another, lingering. ]

[ She laughs softly, eyes twinkling, although she falls quiet once more when he lifts her hand to press a kiss against the skin.

Just a moment ago, she was telling herself that this would be okay, as long as he didn't come back again. But the feeling of his mouth against her skin is fire, and it takes everything in her not to tear it back.

She has the freedom to choose her own clientele, nowadays. She would be a fool to deny him, but...

This isn't fair. Not to him, for his closeness to Dan Feng.
Not for her, for not being the person he sees in her.

Her smile is a little more strained than normal as she withdraws her hand from his. ]

Then, I should bring you out to the others again, should I not? Let you find someone suitable with whom to spend your time.

[ her hand pulls back from him, and it feels like a trickle of icewater down his spine, all the warmth of the moment dissipating. yingxing's heart tightens up in his chest. dan feng had played hard to get a little, but he'd never -

she's not him.

if she isn't interested, she isn't interested. ]

I - [ he begins, startled, a crease between his brows, before he exhales and glances away. ] - right. Sure. The others. I can take a hint.

[ he says quietly, then climbs to his feet, leaning to take his glass with him. ]

[ He startles, and there's a strange hurt in her, not only because she knows she caused it, but because she doesn't actually want him to pull away.

But this is what's best. She knows that, and so she doesn't relent.

Instead, she offers him a small, distant smile as she also rises to her feet. ]

I will tell the madam that you are looking for a companion. She can help you.

[ And she'll lead him back to the main room before separating to do just that and then staying out the back so she doesn't have to talk further to him.

He doesn't see her again during his visit.

But she still sees it, through the silky curtain, as he's paired off with one of her coworkers.

She hates, more than anything, how sick she feels at the sight. ]

[ she takes him out, and the madam pairs him off, and it's.. it's fine. this is what yingxing came here for anyway, right? to bury himself in someone soft, to forget his terrible loneliness for a little while. why not allow that to happen?

so he does, and it feels good for a little while, the courtesan he's paired with is a gorgeous non-binary beauty who takes good care of him, but yingxing can't stop thinking about her. even once he's home again, he can't stop thinking about her. a week later, he can't stop thinking about her.

so he's back in the lounge again that weekend, nursing a cup of baijiu and smoking his pipe and watching the beautiful courtesans float about like flower petals on water.

but he's only looking for one. ]

[ That night, she doesn't sleep.

The night after isn't much better.

For nights on end, Dan Heng finds herself tossing and turning in her bed, far too awake no matter how bus she has been over the course of her evening. When she does sleep, she's haunted by dreams that feel like memories of roughened hands on her waist, a mouth leaving burning kisses on her skin.

She takes a day off work, claiming she's sick, to try and catch up on the sleep. To no avail.

She's back to work today, makeup concealing the dark circles under her eyes and a professional, dazzling smile hiding the burning frustration—the obsession keeping her awake.

And then.. she sees him, and it's as if the rest of the world grinds to a halt.

She shouldn't, not after last time, but she can't help the way she drifts to him. Her professional smile wobbles just a little, revealing—to her chagrin—her uncertainty in having done so. She fixes it a moment later. ]

You must have had a pleasant experience last time, xiansheng, to do us the honor of visiting us again so soon.

[ and there she is, breathtaking, beautiful, and yingxing smiles broadly to see her, no matter how mildly annoyed she appears to be before she fixes her smile. in the weeks since he last saw her, he convinced himself that perhaps he was just being nostalgic, that maybe she didn't look quite so much like him after all, but seeing her again..

he can't help his smile. ]

I did, yes. [ he says, and reclines back on his chair, crossing one leg over the knee. ] This is a nicer establishment than I gave it credit for. I never expected to find myself here once, let alone twice.

[ and all to see her again, to see her soft smile and glass green eyes. ]

[ His smile is natural. Welcoming. None of the rejection she convinced herself for a moment she would see. (And how could she blame him for it, if that is indeed what she saw?) She takes it for what it is, moving to prop herself on the arm of his chair and turning herself toward him.

Her interest is no doubt clear, despite her having turned him away last time. ]

Have you been given the full tour yet? I would be happy to show you around, if you like.

[ She pauses for a moment. After what occurred between them last, she owes him more than just a sign of her interest. She's quite sure he could sense it then, and yet she turned him away. So... ]

Or, if you prefer, I could show you to my room instead. [ Her practiced smile turns a little rueful. ] I was feeling under the weather during your last visit...

[ he's.. more than a little surprised by her sudden display of interest. yingxing knows that he's a handsome man, enough so to catch the interest of many of the courtesans here, but still she had turned him down, so even though he's here to see her specifically, he didn't expect her to extend a hand.

not that he's about to complain. ]

I'm sorry to hear that. Glad you're feeling better.

[ it's a thin excuse, but he won't push her. instead, his smile softens into something gentler, and he takes a sip from his drink, then sets it aside. ]

I'd love a tour. Show me around, then maybe when we're done.. you can show me your room.

[ if she hasn't changed her mind again. ]

[ With his agreement, Xiangyue slips her arm through his and takes him through the establishment, showing him the private lounges, the game rooms, the bars, everything that could hope to be of interest. Only when they're done does she guide him back through the wing where the courtesans' public rooms are, explaining to him that each of them has rooms for pleasure and rooms for their private use during their downtime.

They come to a halt outside one of the rooms, her hand resting on the doorframe. Silks and thin metal chains cascade down her pale arms as she smiles at him. ]

This one is mine.

[ She's feeling, suddenly, all too vulnerable. Night after night spent with him on her mind—but she wouldn't blame him if he walked away from her now. She knows how thin her reasoning was; as a customer she slighted, she's lucky he accepted it.

She hides it behind a warm smile. ]

Would you still like to tour it, xiansheng? Or should I take you back so you can choose someone more to your liking?

[ she guides him around, and the establishment is certainly interesting, but not half so interesting as she is, and mostly he's just content to listen to her voice as she speaks. still, he pays attention, keeps it all in mind for future visits.

he hopes there will be many. ]

You're to my liking.

[ he says, smiling as he takes one of her delicate hands again, and as he did before, presses kisses to the backs of her knuckles. ]

Show me whenever you're ready.

[ She smiles even as his lips sear her knuckles. She dare not say it, but she knows too that he is to her liking, moreso than any client she's ever stood in this place with before. ]

Then, please. Come in.

[ Opening the door, she leads him into a beautiful room. At first glance, it might look like any higher-end hotel room: a large, plush bed sits in its center, decorated with teals and golds. Across from it is a large television screen, under which sits a well-stocked bar. On the far side of the room, a large windowed space leads through to a bathroom. A small, private toilet is tucked away to the side, but the shower and oversized bathtub are able to be seen even from the door.

The rest of the room makes it abundantly clear what it's made for. The opposite side of the room, when they walk in, holds a mirrored wall. In front of it, a deliberately empty space, but for the dark cabinet that sits against the back wall, clear in its intent.

With a wave of her hand, the lights dim, and she closes the door behind them. ]

What do you think?

[ it's been a lovely tour, and the entire establishment is incredibly luxurious, but her room really drives it home. it's lovely and well furnished without being too opulent or ostentatious, suiting her perfectly, he thinks, right down to the teal and gold bedding. yingxing smiles. ]

It's beautiful. I can see why people would want to linger here for hours and hours.

[ if not longer. days, especially if it meant spending time in her company. his eyes pass over the bar, the bathroom, the bed.. ]

You must do well here, if you're able to choose your own clientele.