Chapter 54
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Chapter 54:
After successfully climbing the stairs, Bi Yuansi turned back to see Li Chunzhou standing still with her head down, lost in thought. Finally, silently, he walked away.
Gu Lingfan was watching Li Chunzhou intently, but it wasn’t until they entered the elegant room that she suddenly spoke, "Lady Chun… Li Chunzhou is actually a bit immature in her personality. She’s a child who really likes to receive attention and admiration from others."
No lady in the brothel would openly talk about other women in front of their guests, but perhaps Gu Lingfan had truly developed feelings for Bi Yuansi, as she unexpectedly brought up past events with him.
With eyes downcast, she calmly said, "What that child likes… is not a specific person, but to see others infatuated with her and feel a sense of satisfaction from it."
Gu Lingfan pursed her lips and said, "It’s true. People like us, with our backgrounds, rarely encounter true affection. Besides, Lady Chun’s determination and courage are not something ordinary people possess…"
Her gaze was clear as she spoke, not clouded with the lingering attachment and reluctance like Li Chunzhou’s.
The Spring Flowers Tower was built on the flesh and tears of prostitutes, and all the girls in that building were as fragile as willow catkins in the wind.
Gu Lingfan reached out from the window to catch the swiftly falling droplets from the eaves. Lost in thought as she gazed outside, she suddenly remembered many years ago when the twelve-year-old Li Chunzhou was forced by a drunken young nobleman to entertain guests as a young courtesan.
With the madam absent at the time, Gu Lingfan braved the snow to seek help from her own clients to uphold justice, but they were unwilling to offend the powerful for her sake.
Gu Lingfan had long known how cruel the world could be, but it was only at that moment that she truly despised her own helplessness.
Gu Lingfan felt sad after being rejected by a cautious guest. Just when she was about to give up, she saw the Second Prince wrapping Li Chunzhou in his cloak.
He gently checked Li Chunzhou’s temperature, then calmly dealt with a troublemaker by stopping the fight and leaving with Li Chunzhou in his arms.
On that same day, Gu Lingfan saw how powerful and terrible power could be, and how people were drawn to it.
At that time, Gu Lingfan was worried about the Oiran Contest but she wanted to stay true to herself and not depend on others.
To buy jewelry, she saved money for a month by cutting back on expenses and not going out, even avoiding socializing to save money.
Gu Lingfan had a natural talent for music, art, and writing than others, and she worked harder for it.
Every female teacher teaching the girls in the tower praised Gu Lingfan, but she always stayed humble.
She knew that without fighting for herself, she wouldn’t have a future in this world.
Like many other girls her age, she knew how easily time passes by and the importance of staying focused to avoid missing opportunities.
Li Chunzhou is different because Mama Li always supports her. Mama Li will give her the best resources and choose the best path for her, providing a bright future. As a result, Li Chunzhou has plenty of time to enjoy her youth without worries.
Gu Lingfan often practices boring music sheets repeatedly, while young Li Chunzhou wanders aimlessly in the Spring Flowers Tower. Li Chunzhou’s innocent and clear eyes always follow Gu Lingfan. When Gu Lingfan finally finishes a tiring day and can rest at night, Li Chunzhou bright-eyedly comes to her.
While Li Chunzhou enjoys carefree days, Gu Lingfan is fearful of tomorrow. Sometimes she silently watches Li Chunzhou’s untouched by hardships face, feeling a mix of emotions. Many times, she can’t help but feel jealous, even envious to the point of resenting her.
But Li Chunzhou always sticks to her like a little dog, looking at her obedient and sensible face, making Gu Lingfan’s heart soften.
However, on a snowy night when the Second Prince takes Li Chunzhou away, Gu Lingfan feels a sudden emptiness in her heart. She realizes, unprepared, that she is about to be left behind by Lady Chun.
When Lady Chun gains higher status and a broader perspective, what would she mean to Gu Lingfan then…?
In the vast world of fame and fortune at Spring Flowers Tower, Gu Lingfan seems like an outsider from beginning to end.
So she finally couldn’t resist and accepted an invitation from a nobleman who had been pursuing her for a long time.
That was Gu Lingfan’s first time drinking alcohol. As she felt the effects of the alcohol, she thought, "So this is what drinking is like, it’s not that bad after all…"
After one night, the young man became even more attentive to her. He sent her treasures like gold and silver as if they were nothing. When Gu Lingfan received a box of gold, she opened it and saw it was filled with tiny goldfish-shaped gold pieces, stacked into a small mountain.
That was enough gold to buy many, many lifetimes’ worth of gold for Gu Lingfan.
After being chosen as the Oiran that year, Gu Lingfan finally gained confidence. She no longer needed to flatter and smile at those ordinary men.
She was naturally cold and proud. What used to be seen as flaws when she was unknown, now became her personality when she became famous. She only spent money to make others smile.
As the years passed at Spring Flowers Tower, Li Chunzhou became more and more beautiful, leading to intense rivalry between the two.
Despite being only eighteen or nineteen, Gu Lingfan already had a feeling of getting old. The heavy snow from many years ago had long stopped, but it had also buried the old Gu Lingfan from that winter.
Gu Lingfan knew that Li Chunzhou would eventually replace her, and the trend was already appearing. However, Gu Lingfan didn’t want to gracefully step down and give up her position as the Oiran.
Just like she hadn’t tried to befriend Li Chunzhou when she was younger, Gu Lingfan unreasonably distanced herself from Li Chunzhou. Not only did she stop talking to her, but she also started to ignore her.
Gu Lingfan wasn’t afraid of a possible rivalry with Li Chunzhou. She knew that in Shengjing City, the Oiran was chosen yearly and the longest-serving one lasted only four years. Once they grew old and lost their charm, the patrons would forget about them.
No one will remember the second place, but the next Oiran who competes fiercely with her will always remember the name of the previous Oiran.
Growing up surrounded by people like Li Chunzhou did, she wouldn’t hold onto her attachment to anyone for too long. As long as she received enough attention and love from the other person, she would lose interest in them.
Trying to persuade her later would only have the opposite effect, like holding onto sand tightly, the more you grasp, the faster you lose it, and in the end, you can only slowly erode the original feelings away.
Li Chunzhou, who grew up in the heartless world of the pleasure quarter, was actually the most perfect creation in that house.
Rather than being hated and detested by Li Chunzhou, Gu Lingfan didn’t want her to forget about her. So, she chose the most extreme way to separate herself from Li Chunzhou – she crossed the river of time, leaving Li Chunzhou alone on the other side.
…
Gu Lingfan snapped out of it, withdrawing her slightly damp hand from the window outside. She chuckled self-deprecatingly and murmured, "Pure-hearted people cannot survive in this world."
Bi Yuansi naturally stood from Gu Lingfan’s perspective and considered her, "She really troubles you, doesn’t she? You must be having a hard time, Fan Nuo."
Gu Lingfan shook her head, lowered her eyes, and said, "Actually, Spring Flowers Tower wasn’t as large as it is now ten years ago, times were tough back then…"
Bi Yuansi looked at her with concern, "You must have suffered a lot back then."
"I didn’t feel mistreated," Gu Lingfan held Bi Yuansi’s slender and fair hand, smiled and said, "It’s just when you are poor, your dignity is worth more than anything else… If my husband doesn’t mind my humble background, I’m already very grateful."
"If you two don’t get along, I will help you out. We can just avoid seeing her." Bi Yuansi firmly held her hand back, his handsome face full of caring and concern.
Gu Lingfan didn’t reply, she just bowed her head and quietly held his hand.
Gu Lingfan lowered her head, her face expressionless, like a blank canvas. She closed her eyes slowly, repeating in her mind "Don’t be soft-hearted, don’t be soft-hearted…"
Those who are hated are not pitiful, it’s the forgotten ones who are.