SES Chapter 66 Part 2

These weren’t just any embroidered shoes—their narrow, arched shapes betrayed the horror of the footbinding they were made for.

Lian Shu opened the glass door and carefully removed the red pair. There was a soft clinking—not from her bracelets, but from the shoes themselves.

She turned them over. Tiny bells were attached to the soles.

“These are called ‘jin shoes.’ Do you know why they have bells?”

Luo Ren frowned, but stayed polite. “For the sound?”

“To remind the woman to walk gracefully. The goal was to move so smoothly the bells wouldn’t make a sound.”

She returned them to the case and pulled out the blue pair. Again, she turned the sole toward him.

At first glance, nothing special—except a lotus flower was carved into the sole. The recessed part was hollowed out.

When Luo Ren leaned closer, she pulled a small drawer out from the heel. It was lined with gauze and filled with scented powder.

Then she pushed it back in and said, “When walking, each step presses out a lotus print on the floor—step by step, a lotus blossoms. Some women could even walk in such a way that the prints formed a giant lotus pattern.”

“Imagine that… nightfall, skirts swaying, lotus blooming underfoot—unspeakably beautiful…”

“188,000 for both?” Luo Ren asked.

“For one,” Lian Shu replied, gently brushing the silk surface. “But even if someone offered the money, I might not sell. As I said, it takes someone who truly appreciates them.”

Luo Ren smirked. “You mean, someone with a fetish?”

Lian Shu’s expression darkened.

He corrected himself. “Oh, I phrased that badly. I meant someone with a very specific taste—collectors and scholars excluded.”

Her face turned stormy.

Luo Ren continued, “Sorry, I just can’t see the beauty in this. I’ve heard of footbinding, even those ridiculous golden-lotus wine cups. But I always thought it was some creepy obsession of men with weird kinks.”

“And Miss Lian, you’re a woman. I honestly can’t understand how you can be fascinated by these things, calling them unspeakably beautiful. I just don’t see it. Maybe our aesthetics are worlds apart.”

Lian Shu’s face was ashen. Her fingers, clutching the edge of the embroidered shoes, trembled slightly.

“Luo Ren, you have no sense of basic courtesy or respect.”

He chuckled. “Do I?”

Then, in a perfectly polite tone, he said, “Thanks for your time. No need to see me out.”

As he walked away, Luo Ren finally figured out why the store felt so off to him.

Lian Yan—was it really about preserving all the beautiful things women love, or was it just shaping women into objects of beauty based on male fantasies?

Still early, Luo Ren headed to Jusan Suiyuan for a break.

Cao Yanhua was bustling around the bar, serving drinks. Maybe it was all that martial arts training, but despite his chubby build, he moved surprisingly lightly. When he saw Luo Ren, he beamed and raised his voice like a street vendor, “Hey, Brother Luo! Come on in! I’ll be right there!”

Some guests chuckled—Cao had singlehandedly transformed this artsy little bar into something that sounded like a rowdy tavern.

The tension and discomfort from earlier faded away. Compared to the previous store, Luo Ren much preferred this kind of vibe. Maybe it wasn’t as refined—but it was open, easy, and genuine.

Luo Ren took a seat in the corner. Yi Wansan came over and handed him a large kraft paper envelope.

Luo Ren accepted it and first thanked him. “Uncle Zheng told me—thanks for taking time to keep Pingting company.”

Yi Wansan hadn’t expected that. He looked awkward.

Luo Ren asked, “Do you like Pingting?”

Yi Wansan deflected. “Would your family even accept someone like me?”

Luo Ren set the envelope aside. “Neither I nor Uncle Zheng has the right to make decisions for Pingting. It’s up to her.”

Yi Wansan laughed, leaning back in his chair, arms open, eyes fixed on the ceiling.

After a moment, he said, “I feel comfortable around her. The rest of you…”

He ticked them off: “Your boss’s wife thinks I’m a con artist. Uncle Zhang thinks I’m just mooching around. Cao, though he calls me ‘bro,’ already decided what kind of guy I am. And that rich lady—don’t even get me started, she wants to chop me up and sell me in parts. Even you…”

He looked Luo Ren in the eye. “Even you don’t think much of me. With a past like mine, always grifting and scamming—does your family think I’m good enough? You were being diplomatic, but you don’t, right?”

He pulled out a cigarette, lit it, and gave Luo Ren a lopsided smile. “So yeah, I feel comfortable with Pingting. She doesn’t look at me through a dozen filters.”

“But once she’s better, that comfort’s probably over too…”

Before he could finish, Uncle Zhang stormed over and yanked the cigarette from his mouth. “You brat! A customer complained again! How many times do I have to tell you?!”

Yi Wansan shrugged at Luo Ren, like, see what I mean?

Cao Yanhua bounded over. “Brother Luo! What do you want to drink?”

Then to Yi Wansan, “Three-Three Bro, you gotta be more upbeat! That’s how you earn a bonus! Don’t let money run away from you!”

He dashed back to the bar after taking their order.

Luo Ren said, “Don’t you think Fatty Cao is kind of inspiring?”

Yi Wansan snorted. “He’s broke and obsessed with pearls. What’s inspiring?”

“He said he wanted to train—I thought he was just talking. But he’s stuck with it. Said he’d quit stealing, and he did. Works the restaurant by day, bar by night. I don’t know if he’s tired—but he sure looks better.”

Luo Ren picked up the envelope and unspooled the string closure.

“You blame Mu Dai for seeing you as a con artist—but have you thought, maybe she caught you in the act, and you’ve never tried to change?”

“Cao used to be a thief too. But have you ever seen Mu Dai call him one? Doesn’t matter what your past is—it’s who you are now, and who you’re trying to be. You’re being paid to work, yet you’re sprawled out, smoking—why wouldn’t Uncle Zhang judge you?”

“Even I have doubts about the idea of Pingting getting involved with you.”

Yi Wansan didn’t speak—but he slowly sat up straight and reined in his usual slouch.

Luo Ren pulled out the documents.

They were white A4 sheets, neatly drawn and pinned together—two sets.

The first set included the string-pulled puppet scene, the water reflection of the dog and phoenix clasp, and the rooftop beast “Guiding Immortal.”

The second set included the giant underwater bone drawing near Wuzhu Village, and a woman engulfed in fire reflected in the water.

Luo Ren looked up at Yi Wansan.

Yi Wansan said, “That room where you’re keeping the Xiong Jian—it’s empty anyway. You should post these on the walls. I’ve got a feeling this isn’t over yet.”

He flipped both sets to the water reflection pages and pushed them toward Luo Ren.

“Don’t you think it’s weird? Both water shadows show a dog—but everything we’ve been through so far? Has nothing to do with a dog.”