pleasure in watching a woman move. There is a joy in being that beautiful woman, admired by all.’
‘But I’m not beautiful—’
He hushed her with a raised hand. ‘Do you think Fei Long would choose an ugly girl?’
She considered telling him that Fei Long had simply chosen her because he had been desperate and she had been scared of being in the streets.
‘Convince me that you’re beautiful,’ he said in a tone that would not be refused. ‘Not by trying to hide the servant girl, but by overshadowing her with the woman.’
She laughed, part in disbelief, but part in hope. The heaviness within her lifted just listening to him. ‘How did you do that?’
‘Li Bai Shen is the best,’ he boasted.
Bai Shen was a quintessential performer. He knew how to act the part on stage and that was exactly what she had to do. She needed to make the world her stage.
He worked with her for the rest of the morning, walking beside her and demonstrating the ‘water sleeve’ techniques he used on stage. Her robe swirled about her feet while Bai Shen stepped around her, sometimes nodding, sometimes frowning.
‘The silk is a banner,’ he instructed. ‘Drawing attention to you.’
Yan Ling followed his lead and shifted her arms from one side to the other, feeling the fool, but doing it anyway.
‘The clothing says, “look at me, I am an object of grace and beauty.” Say it.’
She giggled. ‘I am an object of grace and beauty.’
Though she knew she wasn’t. Fei Long hadn’t chosen her for her manners or her appearance. Their paths had simply crossed at the right time and place.
‘Good,’ he finally declared. He affected a yawn. ‘For a novice. Tell your Fei Long to plan his lessons later in the day next time. Li Bai Shen does not wake up before noon.’
With that, he raised his arm, palm flat to chest, and executed a sweeping bow.
Yan Ling watched as the handsome actor withdrew from the courtyard. She wasn’t sure if half of the movements she learned could actually be used, but she was no longer thinking of every misstep and mistake. Instead, she was dreaming of becoming a phoenix.
* * *
Several hours later, she was actually excited when Fei Long summoned her to his study. He stood from behind his desk as she entered and she imagined herself catching his eye.
‘Miss Yan Ling.’
She inclined her head and gave a bow, already feeling more graceful and feminine. ‘My lord.’
When she glanced up, Fei Long’s familiar stare greeted her along with the same rigid set of his jaw and hard line of his mouth that always hinted there was something more pressing on his mind. Something more important than her. Her spirits sank mid-flight. She supposed she couldn’t expect him to fall to his knees with admiration.
‘How was the morning lesson?’
‘The lesson went very well! Your friend—’ She stopped short, biting down on her lip to pull back her exuberance. He didn’t want to hear about how she’d paraded and laughed. He wanted to see that she could be elegant and controlled.
‘I learned something of great value,’ she amended.
Fei Long nodded, yet he didn’t seem pleased. The muscles of his jaw remained tense. ‘It’s of the utmost importance that you pay careful attention.’
‘Yes, my lord,’ she replied, feeling as if she was being unjustly admonished.
He was always so stern, his expression like stone. For weeks, she had worked at trying to gauge his displeasure or approval, but from what she could see, it was between the hard line as opposed to a slight curve of his mouth. Sometimes his eyes would light curiously when he regarded her. It was more cryptic than reading tea leaves.
He came around the desk to direct her to a smaller table against the wall. It was positioned directly beneath the window that opened into the courtyard. The blinds were rolled up and tied to allow the late-afternoon sunlight to flow into the room.
The chair had been arranged to face the desk. He urged her to sit. Yan Ling smoothed out her robe as she did so. A scroll of paper stretched out in front of her, weighted down by a smooth, black stone. Beside it, a slender brush rested against an ivory holder along with a shallow ceramic dish.
‘We need to begin your writing lessons.’
She stared at the implements before her. ‘But we have only two more months.’
‘My father was known for his talent for words. He taught both my sister and myself.’ He came to