"Get out! Get out!" I shouted when no one seemed to react to Pupu's scream.
Exasperated, I waved my arms and screamed, "Run, you idiots! Do you want to DIE?!" At my final word, the guests scrambled up from their seats and took for the exit.
"The - the whole courtyard - is on - fire!" Pupu choked out.
People began to scream and the main hall descended into madness in everyone's rush to get out.
Smoke was rising rapidly from the corridor, darkening the entire building as snaked its way upwards to the ceiling.
The courtesans were standing around and staring at each other, at a loss of what to do.
"Li Mei, Jing Se, go upstairs and warn Hong and Chun jiejie! Pupu, go find Nian Zhen! The rest of you, run out on the streets and scream that there's a fire! There must be some people who'd be willing to help us!"
At my instructions, the other girls charged into the winter night with their bare clothes. Li Mei and Jing Se ran upstairs, screaming for the others to get out.
