The Price of a Private Dance

Xiang Qing felt her very dignity had been insulted.

“Just like now…”

Gu Wei’s voice, imbued with a strange magic, resonated in her ear.

The hand that had been roving mischievously at her waist suddenly shifted course, brazenly sliding up her smooth back and disappearing beneath the loose folds of her nightgown!

The icy touch of those fingertips against her warm skin sent a shiver through Xiang Qing’s entire body.

She froze completely, not daring to even draw a breath.

For she could distinctly feel the pressure of Shen Lanzhi’s leg, entwined with her own on the other side, seem to tighten ever so slightly.

‘Could Lanzhi be waking up?!’

“She’s sleeping right beside us, under the impression that you’re safe,” Gu Wei murmured, her breath hot and ticklish against Xiang Qing’s earlobe.

“Yet she’ll never guess that I’m doing this to you, right under her very nose.”

Gu Wei’s palm pressed flat against Xiang Qing’s spine, her calloused fingertips stroking upwards inch by excruciating inch, as if meticulously mapping every bone.

‘What a pervert!’

‘This is pure perversion!’

‘Fifty-two thousand for occupational injury compensation—was that not nearly enough? They absolutely had to pay more! Without a raise, this job was utterly impossible!’

Even as Xiang Qing reeled in shock, Gu Wei’s hand had already moved past her mid-back, ascending to a much higher position.

Her voice dropped even lower, laced with a hint of playful amusement, a devil’s whisper in the profound silence of the night.

“Tell me, what if I were to go just a little further…”

“Would she suddenly wake up?”

‘Wake up?’

‘Waking up would mean utter pandemonium!’

‘It would mean a sleepless night!’

‘And the one caught in the crossfire, suffering the most, would undoubtedly be me!’

Xiang Qing’s mind raced with unprecedented speed.

‘No!’

‘I couldn’t let things escalate to that degree!’

‘All I wanted was to quietly earn my money; I certainly didn’t want to sacrifice my precious limbs for the sake of their twisted romance!’

In a flash of insight, a long-forgotten memory surged to the forefront of her mind.

It was the ultimate technique for reeling in wealthy patrons, a strategy she’d perfected during her days of cross-dressing for live streams!

‘What did the top donor, the ‘big sister’ type, always fall for?’

‘That’s right! Dancing!’

‘Unleash this ultimate weapon, and no top donor could ever resist!’

An idea struck Xiang Qing in that instant.

Suppressing the full-body shivers Gu Wei’s wandering fingers provoked, she turned her head slightly, whispering urgently into Gu Wei’s ear.

“CEO Gu! CEO Gu! Please, stop!”

Her voice was small and hurried, imbued with a perfectly pitched tremor.

“I… I’m begging you… Lanzhi really will wake up!”

Gu Wei’s movements paused, as if she found Xiang Qing’s tearful plea utterly captivating.

“And what if she does wake up?” Her voice was laced with malicious amusement. “I simply adore tormenting you right in front of her.”

Internally, Xiang Qing cursed Gu Wei a hundred times over.

‘She’s insane! A complete and utter lunatic!’

Steeling her heart, she played her trump card.

“I… I’ll dance for you tomorrow! I’ll perform… I’ll perform the exact dance you tipped the most for last time!”

She paused, then upped the ante.

“It’ll be private! In the room! Just… just for your eyes only!”

The moment these words left her lips, Xiang Qing distinctly felt Gu Wei’s hand, which had been roaming her back, freeze completely.

‘It worked!’

Xiang Qing was ecstatic internally.

‘This trick never failed!’

She recalled her glory days, when she’d used this exact tactic—’initial refusal, followed by tantalizing push-and-pull, culminating in a limited-edition reward’—to utterly charm the wealthy patrons in her live stream, prompting them to shower her with gifts.

For a top-tier ‘whale’ like Gu Wei, whose possessiveness knew no bounds, nothing was more enticing than ‘limited edition skins’ and ‘exclusive perks’!

Just as expected, Gu Wei let out a soft chuckle.

“You said it yourself.”

The dangerous, oppressive quality in her voice finally dissipated, replaced by the distinct pleasure of triumph.

The hand that had nearly sent Xiang Qing to her early grave finally withdrew slowly from beneath her nightgown, only to settle once more upon her waist.

While it hadn’t been completely removed, at least her life was no longer in immediate peril.

Xiang Qing let out a long, shuddering breath, feeling as though she had just narrowly escaped the jaws of death.

‘Good heavens, being a nanny was proving far more thrilling than her days as a streamer!’

‘Streamers at least only fleeced wealthy patrons of their money; this, however, was genuinely life-threatening!’

****

The following morning, at the crack of dawn.

Xiang Qing, sporting two prominent dark circles under her eyes, sat at the dining table with an air of utter resignation.

She hadn’t managed to sleep a wink during the latter half of the previous night.

With Shen Lanzhi’s warm body on her left and Gu Wei’s burning gaze on her right, she felt like a piece of teppanyaki, constantly flipped and seared on both sides.

The atmosphere at the dining table was even more unsettling.

Shen Lanzhi, as gentle as ever, continuously heaped food onto Xiang Qing’s plate.

“Xiao Qing, eat more. Look how thin you’ve gotten.”

“Xiao Qing, have some milk; it’s good for your health.”

Meanwhile, Gu Wei, sitting opposite, leisurely sipped her coffee with legs crossed, her eyes fixed on Xiang Qing with the predatory gaze of a hunter, a knowing smile playing on her lips.

Xiang Qing kept her head down, shoveling rice into her mouth, not daring to utter a single word.

Eating that meal felt heavier than attending a funeral.

Having finally endured until breakfast concluded, Shen Lanzhi rose, carrying her bowl and chopsticks towards the kitchen.

“I’m going to warm up my traditional Chinese medicine.”

‘Now’s my chance!’

Just as Xiang Qing was about to seize the opportunity to slip away and wash the dishes, her wrist was abruptly seized.

‘It was Gu Wei!’

“Come with me.”

Gu Wei’s tone brooked no refusal, and she tugged Xiang Qing directly towards the bedroom.

“CEO Gu! CEO Gu! I haven’t washed the dishes yet!” Xiang Qing pleaded, her voice tinged with desperation.

“No need.”

Without so much as a backward glance, Gu Wei dragged her into her bedroom, then with a decisive click, locked the door from the inside.

Xiang Qing’s heart instantly leaped into her throat.

Gu Wei released her, then sank languidly onto the edge of the bed.

She wore a black silk robe, its sash loosely tied, revealing a matching camisole nightgown underneath and a generous expanse of dazzling white skin.

“Take it off.”

Gu Wei lifted her chin, her command blunt and concise.

Xiang Qing: “???”

‘Take what off?’

“No… CEO Gu, didn’t we agree on dancing?” Xiang Qing was utterly dumbfounded.

“To dance without taking that off? Would you perform in your nanny uniform?” Gu Wei raised an eyebrow. “It would spoil the mood.”

‘Fine, whatever the benefactor wants.’

Resigned, she began to mentally prepare herself, while simultaneously pulling out her phone, pretending to search for suitable music. In reality, she was just stalling for time.

‘Every second counts!’

“Hurry up,” Gu Wei urged, a hint of impatience already in her gaze.

Xiang Qing’s heart skipped a beat; she dared not procrastinate further, so she haphazardly tapped on a high-energy K-pop dance track.

She took a deep breath, just about to strike her first pose.

“Knock! Knock! Knock!”

The sudden knocking startled them both into stillness.

Shen Lanzhi’s gentle yet clear voice came from outside the door.

“Xiao Qing? Are you in there?”

‘Holy crap!’

Xiang Qing was so startled she nearly dropped her phone.

Gu Wei immediately shushed her, an annoyed expression crossing her face.

Xiang Qing didn’t dare move, even holding her breath.

‘Oh, heavens! Not again! Can I even live like this anymore?’

Receiving no response, Shen Lanzhi knocked twice more.

“Xiao Qing, I know you’re in there. Ms. Gu, would you please open the door?”

Her tone remained gentle, but the implication was firm.

Gu Wei’s face darkened.

She lowered her voice, mouthing to Xiang Qing, “Don’t make a sound.”

Xiang Qing nodded frantically.

However, Shen Lanzhi was clearly not so easily fooled.

“CEO Gu, Xiang Qing is here to be your nanny. It’s working hours now. Locking her in the bedroom isn’t quite appropriate, is it?”

Shen Lanzhi’s voice carried clearly through the door, every word distinct, a velvet glove concealing an iron fist.

“If you don’t open the door, I can only assume you’re bullying Xiao Qing. In that case, I might choose to call the police.”

‘Call the police?!’

Xiang Qing’s eyes widened.

‘Sister! You’re serious about this!’

Gu Wei’s patience had clearly run out.

She irritably ran a hand through her hair, then abruptly rose from the bed and strode decisively to the door, pulling it open with a yank.

“Are you finished?” Gu Wei leaned against the doorframe, a look of profound impatience on her face.

Shen Lanzhi stood outside the door, wearing an impeccably gentle smile.

“I’m looking for Xiao Qing; it’s time for her to clean.”

“I don’t know where she is.” Gu Wei lied through her teeth.

Shen Lanzhi’s smile remained unchanged, her gaze sweeping past Gu Wei to land precisely on the flustered Xiang Qing inside the room.