Chapter 3: The Punished Courtesan

"Oh, dear Xiao! You should have seen him! Mr. Kazama is so handsome!" Pei-pei gushed as she burst inside her friend's room.

Of that I'm equally certain, Xiaoyu thought dryly. He caught her attention alright, but she was not exactly sure why Pei-pei was ready to swoon at the mere thought of the Pavilion's latest patron. Maybe he was comparatively handsome because of his youth, and they really have not had such customers since... Who knows when? Was he really THAT handsome? But then again, her friend was the better judge since she had only seen him from a distance and in the dark, not to mention, in brief. "He doesn't seem so bad," she mumbled to herself.

It did not take long for her put the pieces of the puzzle together. With so many clamors being created, Xiaoyu did not have to ask who Mr. Kazama was, where he came from, and what he did for a living. She even learned that Mei would not take a bite of food and was drowning herself in tears as Mr. Jin Kazama barely remembered her name or the flowery promises he had made to her the previous night. He changed interest as if he merely took a change of shirt.

"Mei was utterly enamored by him," Pei-pei animatedly narrated, "She was throwing herself at him practically all night! Of course we all wanted to drag her claws out of him, but who could blame her?! He's quite vicious and dangerous, in an exciting sort of way."

"Tell me about it," Xiaoyu muttered. She had naively expected the visit to last only one night, but felt dismayed when she learned that he would be not be leaving anytime soon. This meant more gushing, hair-pulling, and throttling for virtually each and every Pavilion girl wishing to be Mrs. Kazama, or not quite Mrs. Kazama; a royal rumble she did not wish to be caught in the middle of. He's just another man, she thought. He will keep you and enjoy you. But that doesn't mean you're going to be his last, and he would eventually tire of you.

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Madam Yi was dubbed as the "Dragon Lady" of the Peony Pavilion. She had been a courtesan herself, and happened to be the most popular during her time. Many would even argue that she was the best courtesan the establishment ever had. Under her supervision, the Pavilion had turned into something comparable to a military camp, as girls received stringent training in manners and social graces, culture and the arts. The Spartan system she introduced was undoubtedly a success, as Peony Pavilion courtesans became widely sought, highly prized, and respected.

A scrupulous woman by nature, nothing escapes Madam Yi's observation. While remotely tolerant of the Pavilion girls' frolicking ways ("playfulness" was considered necessary to enchant men), she never failed to discipline them as soon as she noticed a sign of wavering and lackadaisical performance. After all, she painstakingly taught her charges to avoid mistakes at all costs; and complacency was something paid dearly for.

"Peony Pavilion women are artists, professionals of the highest level," she would always say.

Walking like an empress, Madam Yi went about her regular routine of inspecting every nook and cranny of the Pavilion for some sign of defect. She had been scrutinizing a slightly whitewashed wall in the halls when she noticed one of the wards in haste, a package in hand. She approached the young girl and asked, "What is that and where are you taking it?"

Jen, Xiaoyu's most trusted apprentice, tried to hide her apprehension. While fulfilling her senior's request was not at all a big matter to her, it was for other people such as Madame Yi. If the mistress of the establishment ever learned that her most prized courtesan was drowning herself in books on science and astronomy, history, philosophy, and mathematics, she would surely have a fit. One of the first things taught to them was that a woman's intelligence could only go so far, and that she should confine herself to the mastery of culture and arts. It was, according to instruction, horribly unattractive and distasteful to dabble on other affairs. A woman was meant to be seen, not to be heard.

Not wanting to arouse more suspicion, Jen steeled herself and replied, "Oh, this? Ah, yes, this. Erm, stacks of paper and works, Madam. Miss Xiaoyu requested me to buy them while she was in confinement. She says that her impulsiveness will be the end of her, and not being able to partake in the Pavilion's recent parties has motivated her to train harder in the arts. She says that when you finally decide to lift her punishment, you would be most pleased to know the improvements she has gained in poetry-writing."

"Did she really say such things, kid?" asked Madam Yi warily. Such conceding words coming from a rebellious and perpetually mulish imp like Xiaoyu, though, was like saying one actually witnessed a crow's feathers turn white.

The young ward nodded furiously, and proceeded to fumble with the package. "I most certainly heard them straight from her, Madam Yi. If you would like, I would show these to you—"

"Oh, never mind, there is no reason to do that. Be quick about it, carry on." Madame Yi waved a hand of dismissal, and then promptly continued her walk.

Jen let out a sigh of relief. For a moment she had thought that Madame Yi would actually look through Xiaoyu's purchases. "Oh Miss Xiaoyu, you most definitely owe me a hefty some of pocket money and a basket of sweets," she muttered. She then walked in a quick pace, barely noticing a man leaning casually against the wall.

Jin had been exploring the Pavilion grounds and trying to find his way to the peach gardens when he accidentally heard Madame Yi and a young ward talking. He had heard them speak of a certain courtesan who, from what he had heard, was being punished and kept away from joining gatherings. "Xiaoyu?" Jin asked himself absently, turning away from the wall. With arms folded across his chest, he watched as the ward hurried off to her mistress.

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"Goodness Jen! What took you so long?"

The young apprentice handed the small pile of books and sank to the polished floor. "Miss, you shouldn't ask…but who could possibly stop you?"

"How much do I owe you?" Xiaoyu asked, scavenging for some coins inside her purse.

"A million," Jen mockingly answered. "Madame Yi almost found out! I had to slither my way out of her questioning by inventing some silly little story, which I do not think she believed a word of. Oh Miss, you mustn't really test Madam's temper, or her observation. You're exhausting your chances for outside activity."

"I know, I know. I'm terribly sorry for making you put up with this. But I have full trust in you. By the way, did you get to see Lei?"

The mention of "Lei" made Jen forget all about her worries. Lei was around the same age as she was, a son of the owner of a popular restaurant in town. They had met unexpectedly when Xiaoyu sent her to buy some candy and cakes at the sweet shop. Jen never really enjoyed being ordered around mercilessly, but her mistress was considerate and afforded her every opportunity to meet up with the young lad. "Yes, I did," she replied, her cheeks instantly flaring into crimson.

Unlike the others, Xiaoyu treated her apprentice with kindness and sisterly affection. To her, Jen was family, and not just some dispensable runner. She encouraged Jen and gave her the freedom to express herself. While it would have seemed, at the moment, like she was buoying a doomed love affair and sowing seeds of rebellion, Xiaoyu sincerely wanted her apprentice to experience the things she never did. She never knew what it was to have puppy love. Nobody approached her with pure honesty for something such as that. She once told a fretful Jen that love and its related feelings will bring both happiness and sadness, but rarely regret.

Setting her new books aside, Xiaoyu clapped her hands and smiled at her lovesick apprentice. "Well then, tell me all about it."

Later that afternoon, Madam Yi decided to pay Xiaoyu a visit. Nothing short of a surprise, Xiaoyu recklessly hid her books, covering them in piles of silk patterns. When the older woman entered the room, she bit her lip into a hyphen, hiding her displeasure at how poorly it was kept. "Has chastisement bore you to death that you had to turn your living quarters upside down, hm?" Madam Yi asked, arching a brow.

Xiaoyu gave a plastered smile. "Well Madam, I was actually in the process of reorganization. I never truly realized I had so much clothing and effects!" I'll be damned before you burn these books. Before the older woman could speak, she quickly asked, "What brings Madam here?"

Giving a disbelieving look, Madam Yi replied, "I happened to talk with your apprentice this afternoon. She tells me that you have been occupying yourself with poetry?"

Oh, good one, Jen. Now she'll ask me to recite a poem. My poem! Xiaoyu thought sarcastically. It was not far from happening at all. "Yes. Solitude offers one the luxury of spending time with one's own thoughts. And they do say writing poetry is the best cure for insanity –"

She was about to continue her elaborate oration when Madam Yi abruptly announced, "Summon your ward. You are going to entertain a very important guest tonight."

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Will Jin and Xiaoyu meet face to face in the next chapter? The answer is yes, definitely yes, but exactly how is something I encourage you to find out. Until then, teetering would be the best course of action not just for all of you, but for me as well.

I don't Jin or Xiaoyu. How I badly wish I did.