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After all, a male player creating a female character would undoubtedly base her on the image of the woman they admired most. In essence, the Ye Qingrou currently before them was the very woman Ye Qingyun held in his heart.

The moment her voice and melody filled the air, the audience fell silent, captivated. Everyone listened in a trance, utterly enchanted.

Ye Qingyun himself was also a spectator, or rather, he considered himself a student.

Every movement the body made was clearly etched into his memory, impossible to forget.

This sensation was incredibly strange. It felt both not his own, yet undeniably his, though simultaneously too unreal to grasp.

Beyond the music and singing, even during the final dance, Ye Qingyun felt a profound connection. The movements were so real, as if he himself were performing them, a truly wondrous experience.

He dared to claim that after this experience, even without system control, he could replicate the singing and dancing himself.

The performance lasted over an hour. After the dance concluded, Ye Qingyun felt utterly exhausted, his breath coming in ragged gasps.

This sense of fatigue was as real as any other, demanding rest.

After regaining his composure, Ye Qingyun once again bowed respectfully to the assembled crowd.

“Thank you all for your patronage. This maiden’s performance concludes today. Please, esteemed guests, do return tomorrow.” Ye Qingyun wiped the sweat from his brow as he addressed the audience below.

With that, he turned and departed. There was no need for Ye Qingyun to concern himself with other matters; the guests were already paying, though the exact sum remained unknown for now.

Upon returning backstage, Ye Qingyun heard the sound of Ye Qingxue retching.

“Ugh, I’m going to throw up! ‘This maiden’? Big brother, I find this truly hard to stomach!” Ye Qingxue complained relentlessly.

“I can’t be bothered with you,” Ye Qingyun replied simply.

Ye Qingyun then approached Li Yulian.

“Mama Li, my task for today is complete,” Ye Qingyun informed Li Yulian.

“Hmm, you worked hard. Qingrou, as long as you’re obedient, Mama will never mistreat you. You’ve been with us in Sweetwater Lane for ten years now.”

“It’s not that I’m lecturing you, but you should have grown accustomed to life here. You must understand that you are no longer a princess. Staying here, at the very least, you can survive.” Li Yulian, of course, was well aware of Ye Qingyun’s background.

Ye Qingyun nodded subtly.

“There’s no need to feel ashamed. Our Sweetwater Lane is a place of elegance and refinement; at the very least, we don’t sell our bodies. Your singing, dancing, and music are all exceptional.”

“If you continue like this, the title of Flower Queen of the pleasure district will undoubtedly be yours,” Li Yulian declared with utmost confidence.

Indeed, Li Yulian was wholly dedicated to cultivating Ye Qingyun into a Flower Queen. Once the title belonged to someone from Sweetwater Lane, their establishment’s reputation would undoubtedly soar to a new level.

Having finished her remarks, she departed, presumably to count her earnings.

Ye Qingyun, however, had no intention of lingering. Since this was a game, he naturally had to find a way to break free from his predicament.

Fortunately, he had an abundance of time: one hour in reality equated to one day in the game world.

Twenty-four hours in reality meant twenty-four days in the game, and thus, half a month in reality translated to a full year within the game.

After parting ways with Li Yulian, Ye Qingyun returned to his room and informed a maidservant at the door.

“Prepare bathwater for me; I wish to bathe,” Ye Qingyun stated coolly.

One of the maidservants immediately nodded. These two girls, though called maidservants, were more accurately described as overseers. His current identity forbade him from leaving the room freely; even if he could, a retinue of guards would likely follow.

To call him the top courtesan was inaccurate; he was, in truth, a prisoner.

After much deliberation, Ye Qingyun finally posed a question to the system: “System, what would be the consequences if I were to secretly escape Sweetwater Lane?”

While the system wouldn’t offer solutions, it could answer player inquiries based on the given circumstances.

[Notification: You are considered private property of Sweetwater Lane, officially registered with the government. Should you leave Sweetwater Lane through unauthorized means, you will be branded a fugitive by the Song Kingdom. If apprehended, the repercussions will be severe. Player, please consider this carefully.]

The system’s reply to Ye Qingyun was concise and to the point.

In essence, this meant that if Ye Qingyun fled Sweetwater Lane, he would become a wanted criminal. Unless he was confident in becoming a martial arts master in a short span, the situation would prove exceedingly troublesome.

“Alright, I understand.”

Ye Qingyun nodded, a conflicted expression on his face. This was a last resort, a desperate measure to be used only if all other options failed.

[Notification: Daily quest completed. Player’s Courtesan fame increased by 200 points, Identity points +30, Silver +1500 taels. However, as the player is an official courtesan, the silver belongs to Sweetwater Lane.]

The system’s notification appeared abruptly.

The sum of 1500 taels of silver, however, startled Ye Qingyun.

“So much! If I were a free person, I could probably earn a fortune in a year!” Ye Qingyun exclaimed.

After a moment of thought, he once again queried the system.

“System, I have a question: How can I shed my identity as an official courtesan?” Ye Qingyun asked.

[Apologies, the identity of an official courtesan can only be pardoned by the imperial court. As a former princess, you currently hold the status of a permanent s*ave. Unless you receive an imperial pardon or forcefully sever this identity, it will remain with you indefinitely.]

The system finished its reply, though its answer felt as good as no answer at all.

“Forcefully sever it? How does one forcefully sever it?” Ye Qingyun’s interest was piqued.

[Player, you may devise a plan to escape this place, but once you do, you will be declared a fugitive by the imperial court.]

Upon hearing this, Ye Qingyun fell silent once more. The predicament of his current identity was proving difficult to resolve.

Escaping was merely a last resort. He still needed to conceive a better plan.

Thus, he promptly opened his Identity Skills panel. Under the “Unlearned” section, numerous songs and dances were listed. However, these required him to seek out Li Yulian for instruction, as they were not inherent system skills but had to be acquired through learning.

This presented a slight dilemma. These particular songs and dances were undoubtedly more captivating, and learning them would significantly increase Ye Qingyun’s daily earnings and fame.

Yet, it would also consume a considerable amount of his precious time. Could he afford to abandon such a promising path?

“Big brother, I have an idea,” Ye Qingxue interjected at that moment.

“Oh? An idea? Do tell, but please, no outrageous schemes,” Ye Qingyun cautioned.

Ye Qingxue immediately relayed her thoughts to Ye Qingyun. Upon hearing them, Ye Qingyun’s mouth twitched involuntarily.

It was clear that Ye Qingxue’s suggestion was somewhat underhanded.

“I told you, no outrageous schemes! What kind of idea is this? ‘First, let me become the Flower Queen, then seduce a member of the Song imperial family’—are you trying to make me a vixen?” Ye Qingyun retorted.

Ye Qingxue, however, remained unfazed.

“Boss, this is just a game; don’t take it too seriously. If you can’t do it, then I will. This is currently the most viable solution,” Ye Qingxue asserted.

Ye Qingyun hesitated. Yet, it seemed there were no other viable options. Sweetwater Lane was located directly under the Emperor’s gaze, making it certain that imperial family members would visit.

If Ye Qingyun could discern their identities and cultivate a good relationship with them, it shouldn’t be an insurmountable problem.

“We’ll see,” Ye Qingyun eventually said. “I’m still a long way from becoming the Flower Queen. For now, I’m merely a renowned courtesan.”