In a vast hall, where dim lights flickered like pale flames, Yu Yu stood, draped in her fiery red outfit, its fabric resembling tongues of flame devouring the air around her. A sharp gaze danced with the hint of a smirk, as if she were inviting a game where Ruo Yu had no choice but to accept.
"Come."
Yu Yu extended her hand, grasping Ruo Yu's fingers gently, pulling her into a world where rules were written by movement and decisions were made through rhythm. The soft pink fabric of Ruo Yu's attire, delicate like the petals of a rose, flowed with their first step, refusing to be outshined by the burning red before it.
The dance began...
A soft motion, a graceful bow, a slight twist—like a river flowing gently between cherry blossoms. Their toes brushed the ground lightly, their breaths synchronized with the warm melody. But something burned between them, something more than just an elegant performance.
A step... a turn... a glance.
Yu Yu smirked with confidence. Ruo Yu answered with a matching smile, laced with caution. The movements grew bolder, sharper, more intense. The air carried the edges of their garments, revealing glimpses of bare skin beneath the fluttering fabric, as if the wind itself was trying to strip away all restraint.
"You think you can keep up with me?"
The pace quickened. The dance became a competition, each trying to prove something to the other. Yu Yu moved with deadly precision, while Ruo Yu answered every step with an equally daring one.
Xue Yan and the other three were watching every move.
A leap... a spin... the light reflecting briefly off their exposed skin.
Then—suddenly, in the midst of Ruo Yu's final twirl, everything stopped.
Not the air, not the music, but a cold blade pressing against her throat.
A dagger, slender and gleaming, held in Yu Yu's hand.
So close... Its sharp edge kissed Ruo Yu's skin, and Yu Yu's warm breath hovered near her ear. This was not just a dance, not just a display.
It was a message.
Silence.
The lights flickered dimly. The audience, once mesmerized by beauty, now stood frozen between awe and fear.
"You lost."
Yu Yu's voice was calm, but her eyes told another story...
Ling Yi watched silently.
Ruo Yu took a step back.
Suddenly, in the blink of an eye, the palace door was knocked on, and people wearing scary black masks entered. Ruo Yu looked at them, then quickly looked at Yu Yu hand. One of the masked men aimed an arrow at Yu Yu. Amidst the chaos and running in the place, Ruo Yu turned to run away, but the dagger was faster and reached the side of her stomach. Yu Yu's hand holding the dagger was pushed away, and the blood-filled dagger flew away, and the arrow reached Yu Yu, who fell to the ground. Ruo Yu tried to run, and saw Xue Yan - watching.
The situation was like an incomprehensible dramatic scene.
Ruo Yu dragged herself to safety, she was supposed to gain her freedom faster than any other woman here, but it was also possible that she would lose her freedom to live just as quickly.
In the bathroom, she threw herself on the floor, her dagger was in front of her, she looked at it. And saw her reflection. She saw the reflection of the past.
The red color filled the ground, the smell of blood that resembled rusted iron was more fragrant than any perfume.
She held the dagger in one hand and brought it to her other, her eyes slowly closing and she began to lose her bearings, until someone opened the door, black clothes, Ruo Yu whispered, "Ling Yi?" before she lost consciousness.