Yi Xue had lied to her. It was not the kind of lie that could hurt her, but it was like the lie a mother would tell her daughter when she didn't want her daughter to know that she was hurt.
Actually, Yi Xue knew most things about Xia Qiao, but Xia Qiao knew nothing about Yi Xue. It might sound unfair, but Xia Qiao didn't mind it because Yi Xue was still her hero no matter what, and if her hero wanted to hide something from her, as long as it didn't hurt her, then she wouldn't mind.
That was why Xia Qiao had never been curious about Yi Xue even after knowing the woman for three months, and it was because she respected her privacy.
However, the main star of Tiantang suddenly revealed one of her secrets that was also related to Duan Shuchun, and now Xia Qiao finally felt curiosity in her heart about Yi Xue and Duan Shuchun's past.
'So, that's the real reason why I never saw our boss in the backyard ever since I joined Tiantang a month ago?' Xia Qiao finally could draw a conclusion after she heard the further revelation coming from Yi Xue.
Not only did the boss never visit this backyard, but the area seemed to have long since been forgotten, and the boss didn't even ask the servants to clean it even if Tiantang didn't lack servants.
Xia Qiao had just learned the truth, and now she didn't even know how to react after Yi Xue told her about it. Yi Xue had lost her aunt in this place, and Duan Shuchun had lost her close friend here.
Coming to this place would definitely be painful for both of them, but Yi Xue had steeled her heart and was still able to bring Xia Qiao to this place so that the veiled girl could start training in this place.
Both Yi Xue and Duan Shuchun looked like cold people who didn't care about anyone, but Xia Qiao knew that the assumption was not true.
'Both my master and my boss have gone through many hardships in their lives,' she thought to herself once again.
The two of them were engulfed in silence, but then the older woman's heavy sigh managed to break the uncomfortable stillness.
"That's a story from the past, and we don't need to think too much about it," Yi Xue spoke again. "You just need to focus on your goals without needing to think that someone else will snatch this place away from you. Duan Shuchun won't come here, and the other girls won't dare to come here either without her permission."
Xia Qiao silently nodded her head. Everyone had their past, and she also had her own. However, unlike Yi Xue who wanted to forget what happened in the past, Xia Qiao wanted to dig up the truth regarding her past, and she didn't want to stop until she had uncovered everything.
"So…" Yi Xue once again spoke after seeing the younger girl nod her head. "I'm going to start teaching you today, and I don't think I'll stop until midnight. However, I also have to join other dancers to practice in the hall, so maybe I'll leave you alone for a few hours each day. What do you think about it?"
Xia Qiao had been experiencing difficulties since four years ago, and she was confident that practicing from morning to midnight would not be too hard for her. Thus, she firmly replied, "I will follow your guidance, master. When you need to join the other girls in the hall, I will continue to train alone here."
After all, Yi Xue also had her own responsibilities, and the woman wouldn't be able to help her every second. Yi Xue was going to help her, but Xia Qiao knew that she could only rely on her abilities if she wanted to make her way to the Imperial Palace.
"That's good," Yi Xue replied. "Before we start practicing, do you have any dances you'd like to learn? I know you've never practiced dancing before, but you often see other girls' performances at Tiantang, right? You can choose any dance, and I'll try to teach you how to do the solo version of the dance."
It was like the first time Yi Xue taught her how to sing and play the pipa three months ago. Before meeting Yi Xue three months ago, Xia Qiao had never learned to sing and play the pipa, but Yi Xue patiently introduced the two to her. At first, Xia Qiao was willing to learn the two things just because of her goals, but as time went on, she began to fall in love with them.
Now, singing and playing the pipa had become a part of her life, and maybe after learning to dance, she would also fall in love with dancing and it would become a part of her life too.
"Should I choose one of the dances performed by the other girls in Tiantang, master?" Xia Qiao asked when she suddenly thought of one dance she wanted to learn from the older girl.
Yi Xue suddenly turned to her with a frown on her forehead. "Do you know any other dances besides what the girls in Tiantang usually performed?" She asked instead of answering. "You stayed away from society in the past four years, and I didn't expect you to know something from outside Tiantang."
Xia Qiao smiled bitterly, but she didn't feel offended by what Yi Xue had just said to her because it was the truth. Ignoring the bitter past, she confidently replied, "I want to learn to dance 'Little Feet Under the Rain,' master."