Summary

Six months after Violet is kidnapped, she attends Loyalty Fang’s party. Although it was intended for Violet only to stand in the background and observe, she and Magic Gourd both are pushed forward to wait on a man when two courtesans begin fighting over him and are thrown out. Magic Gourd pinches Violet as a way to entice her to be attentive to the man. Violet gets tired of the punishment and finally returns a pinch getting anger from Vermillion and Mother Li, but positive attention from Loyalty Fang. He asks Violet to sing a song. Although Magic Gourd mutters afterward the song is a disgrace, Loyalty Fang asks Violet to sit next to him.

As she sits there, Loyalty reminds Violet they have met before in her mother’s house. He is the boy who was scratched by...