Lan Hua's fame spread like spilled ink on silk.
After the banquet with the noble ladies, whispers of her wit and elegance swept through the capital. Merchants boasted of overhearing her clever words. Scholars quoted her lines as though they were poetry. Even generals chuckled that she was "a courtesan with the tongue of a strategist."
By the third night, the Red Lantern House was more crowded than ever. Nobles competed for a seat near her, merchants offered lavish gifts, and Madam herself beamed like a cat who had swallowed a goldfish.
But not everyone was pleased.
In the dressing chamber, courtesans powdered their faces and arranged their hair. Lan Hua's seat at the mirror was surrounded by gifts—silk scarves, jade pendants, rare teas. The other women pretended not to notice, though their glances betrayed envy.
At the far corner, a courtesan in emerald robes sat stiffly, lips pressed into a smile that never touched her eyes. Her name was Yue Niang.
Until Lan Hua's rise, Yue Niang had been the unrivaled star of the Red Lantern House. Poets compared her to a goddess, and ministers paid fortunes for her attention. But now, patrons flocked to the Peony Matchmaker, and Yue Niang's audience dwindled.
"Quite the fortune you've stumbled upon, Sister Lan Hua," Yue Niang said sweetly, sliding closer. Her voice carried just enough for the room to hear. "Such luck, to have noble ladies laughing at your jokes."
Lan Hua lifted her brush, calmly painting a thin line of kohl on her eyes. "Luck favors those who prepare."
The courtesans tittered, quickly silencing themselves.
Yue Niang's smile hardened. "Of course. But do be careful. The higher a lantern rises, the stronger the wind that seeks to snuff it out."
Lan Hua finally turned, meeting her gaze in the mirror. "Then I'll make sure my flame burns brighter than the wind can blow."
The tension crackled, though Madam entered before it could ignite further. "Girls, girls. Patrons are waiting. Save your words for the stage."
But Yue Niang's eyes glittered with malice.
---
That night, Lan Hua played her role perfectly—reciting verses, laughing lightly, weaving subtle compliments that left ministers nodding in approval. Her body moved with the grace of the courtesan, but her mind was a battlefield, calculating every alliance and every opportunity.
She noticed the change in the atmosphere around her. Patrons leaned closer, hanging on her words, while Yue Niang's corner of the room sat emptier than usual. Even the lute player seemed to strum with more enthusiasm when Lan Hua entered.
Envy lingered in the air like perfume gone sour.
Lan Hua filed each reaction away. One merchant who smiled too eagerly. A noble's son who blushed when she praised his verse. A wife's maid who slipped out to deliver a secret note. These were pieces on a board, and she was already playing the game.
By the time the lanterns dimmed, she had secured two discreet requests: one from a merchant's daughter seeking a better match, another from a scholar's wife who wished her son placed in the right academy.
Each secret whispered into her ear was another thread in her growing web.
Yet she felt Yue Niang's gaze follow her all evening, sharp as a blade hidden in silk.
---
When the guests finally departed and the courtesans retired, Yue Niang lingered by the doorway. She watched as Lan Hua accepted a parting gift of rare tea leaves from a nobleman, her smile never faltering.
"Careful, Sister," Yue Niang murmured, her tone honeyed, but her eyes dark. "Tea can be soothing… or it can choke you."
Lan Hua tilted her head, her smile just as sharp. "Then I'll be sure to let the Madam taste it first. After all, we wouldn't want our patrons to be disappointed."
Yue Niang's fan snapped shut with a crack. She swept away without another word.
---
Back in her chamber, Lan Hua removed the heavy hairpins from her head, her scalp throbbing with relief. Yet her mind buzzed with sharper thoughts.
The courtesan world was not just painted smiles and flowing sleeves. It was warfare fought with gossip, with glances, with poisoned cups and whispered rumors. Every courtesan here dreamed of survival, wealth, or escape. To shine too brightly was to paint a target on one's back.
She leaned against the table, gazing at the jade box of tea left by her admirer. Beautiful. Innocent-looking. Yet she couldn't ignore Yue Niang's words.
Poison, her instincts whispered. They'll come for you the way they did in your last life.
Lan Hua's lips curved into a dangerous smile.
"Then let them try," she murmured. "I was poisoned once. Never again."
The lantern flame flickered across her face, throwing shadows that looked almost like a crown.
And in another chamber, Yue Niang plotted with clenched fists, rage twisting her beauty.
The game had begun.