The band in the corner played passionately, the melody graceful and flowing. The songstresses wore gowns as thin as cicada wings, revealing their snow-white necks and arms as they moved among the guests, speaking softly and sweetly, their eyes glistening.
Under the flickering candlelight, their beauty seemed almost unreal, carrying a seductive charm.
A young singer holding a pipa leaned gracefully against a carved pillar, her red lips slightly parted as she sang:
"Candle shadows flicker, casting red across painted beams, gold threads entwine decayed wood, permeating with fragrant nectar..."
"Makeup covers half the face, bones buried in frost, past favors turned to tattered attire..."
The sound wept and lamented, carrying the soft and sticky tone characteristic of Jiangnan's water towns.
Yet upon reaching this point, the songstress turned her face, her eyes hollow and numb, devoid of any charm, filled instead with an unfathomable despair.
