Chapter 19: Unexpected ChangesOn the afternoon three days before their departure for the Third Ring, Selena sent a maid to summon Shan Xiaoxi to the Night Rose.In the reception room on the third floor, several of the Night Rose’s top courtesans had gathered. Since it was daytime and there were no clients to attend to, everyone was there to watch the spectacle.Selena sat on the central sofa, holding a cup of hot coffee. From time to time, she would inhale the aroma of the coffee, a look of contentment on her face, as if the current situation had nothing to do with her.Ellie sat opposite Selena, idly playing with a bone folding fan. Her eyes darted around, faintly betraying her impatience.The other courtesans sat together, nibbling on the snacks laid out on the tea table. They occasionally covered their mouths, whispering among themselves, their expressions clearly indicating they were there for the show.Shan Xiaoxi stood there like a criminal awaiting judgment.Beside her stood two others: a burly, tattooed bald man and a strikingly beautiful maid.The man appeared indifferent, his eyes fixed on the floor as if he had no interest in the room full of women.The maid, however, though dressed in the uniform of a Night Rose attendant, carried herself with an alluring grace. Her curvaceous figure was so provocative it could make one’s nose bleed, and she seemed to possess a wealth of worldly experience.Yet, despite her beauty, there was a certain vulgarity about her, lacking the refined air of high society.She seemed somewhat nervous, repeatedly pinching and twisting the hem of her skirt with her fingers.Shan Xiaoxi suspected there was an eighty percent chance the woman was a streetwalker.Selena, having seemingly savored enough of the coffee’s aroma, waved Shan Xiaoxi closer. “Xiaoxi, let me introduce you. This is Miss Ellie.”Shan Xiaoxi looked at Ellie with a bewildered expression, offering a slight nod of greeting.Ellie snorted, twirling her fan a few times but saying nothing.Selena ran her fingers along the rim of her coffee cup, speaking as if it were of little consequence. “For this trip to the Third Ring, Miss Ellie will be joining us.”Shan Xiaoxi’s brow furrowed almost imperceptibly before her face quickly registered surprise.Snap. Ellie opened her bone fan and forcefully snapped it shut again, pouting coquettishly. “Selena, you’ve got it wrong. For this trip to the Third Ring, it’s you and I going together. As for others… that’s not yet certain.”What did Ellie mean by that? Did she not want to take her along?Shan Xiaoxi asked with evident urgency, “Miss Selena, has there been a change regarding the trip to the Third Ring?”Selena took a sip of coffee to moisten her throat and, looking at Ellie, began explaining the situation to Shan Xiaoxi.That day, after Ellie discovered Julio had given her a counterfeit item, although they had reconciled as if nothing had happened, Ellie remained wary.After several days of covert observation and probing, Ellie finally confirmed that Julio was utterly unreliable. His words were sweet, but his actions amounted to nothing. Ellie came to her senses, realizing Julio would never take her to the Third Ring.Though Julio was no longer an option, Ellie was now determined to go to the Third Ring.She had known earlier that Selena was going to the Third Ring and had accepted that she couldn’t compete with her, so she hadn’t dwelled on it. But now her perspective had changed.Why should seniority alone determine eligibility? Clearly, she was the one who earned the most money for the Night Rose every day. By merit, she should be the one going to the Third Ring.Ellie was a woman of action. First, she ruthlessly drove away the freeloader Julio, then used every means possible to pester the boss, even going so far as to treat guests specifically to speak well of her in front of him. For this, she paid a considerable price.In any case, Ellie's efforts paid off. The boss, thoroughly annoyed by her persistence, agreed to let her go to the Third Ring with Selena.As a result, the number of people heading to the Third Ring from Night Rose increased from just Selena to both Selena and Ellie, so the number of assistant slots accompanying them also increased from one to two.Originally, it would have been perfect for each of them to bring one assistant, allowing them to operate independently without interference. But Ellie, unpredictable and willful, refused to follow convention. She found two assistants and claimed she was willing to share them with Selena.The bald, burly man standing next to Shan Xiaoxi and the maid disguised as a prostitute were the assistants Ellie had found.Just by looking at these two, one could guess why Ellie had chosen them.The bald man was clearly a bodyguard type, capable of handling situations requiring force.The maid exuded a seductive charm, not only able to attract customers for them but also, if used properly, compensating for their shortcomings in certain areas and even helping them bear the pressure from clients.Judging by the roles of these two, it seemed related to Ellie's circumstances. She hadn't been working at Night Rose for long, yet she had suffered more hardships and setbacks than others.She had learned from experience, which was why she had sought out these two individuals. Finding them had cost her considerable time and money.After securing these two, Ellie didn't consult Selena first. Instead, she went straight to the boss to report. She explained her reasoning and the intended roles of the two assistants, and the boss praised her lavishly. With the boss's approval, Ellie then approached Selena about the matter.She wanted to present Selena with a fait accompli. Knowing full well that Selena would never agree, she deliberately used the boss's authority to pressure her.When Lin Ting had introduced Ellie to Shan Xiaoxi, she had mentioned that Ellie wasn't as innocent as she appeared.But Selena refused to give Ellie face. Even after Ellie invoked the boss's name, Selena still wouldn't agree unless Ellie brought the boss to speak with her personally.Of course, Selena wouldn't agree. This wasn't just about making a concession or showing understanding—it was about who would have the final say after they went to the Third Ring.Originally, if Selena had gone to the Third Ring alone, she could have made decisions on her own. But now, with Ellie added to the mix, who would take the lead? If a situation arose requiring a joint decision, whose voice would carry more weight?Selena would rather not go to the Third Ring at all than hand over decision-making power to Ellie before even arriving. Of course, she wouldn't actually voice such a refusal—that would only play right into Ellie's hands.Even if Selena hadn't been set on taking Shan Xiaoxi before, after Ellie's antics, she now felt she had to bring Shan Xiaoxi along.Putting aside the issue of decision-making power after arriving at the Third Ring, if Selena allowed herself to be pressured by Ellie like this, she might as well give up her position as the top performer at Night Rose and move from the third floor down to the lower levels.Selena refused to back down, and Ellie couldn't bring the boss to confront her. Having grown utterly fed up with Ellie, the boss had retreated to the Third Ring and hadn't been seen in the Fourth Ring for days.As the two of them argued relentlessly, the matter became known to everyone at Night Rose. With more and more onlookers gathering, Selena and Ellie grew even more unwilling to back down.With the departure date drawing closer, the decision of who to take to the Third Ring had to be made. So, at the suggestion of several other top courtesans, they called Shan Xiaoxi and the other two over, intending to settle the matter that very day.

The Fashion Rookie and The Mysterious Gentleman