It was as if everything around them had fallen into a dead, heavy silence. Even time seemed to stop.
But the peach blossoms were in full bloom in the spring sunlight. Looking at the blossoms, then at her soft, gentle face behind them, he felt an unusual sense of calm settle in his chest.
Chunxing hurried over and took the bundle of peach blossoms from Lichu’s arms.
Only then did Lichu free up her hands and take the handkerchief Lu Shiji handed to her. Her bright, sparkling eyes showed a hint of cunning, and the corner of her lips lifted slightly.
“Thank you, Cousin.”
Lu Shiji gave a faint smile and stepped back into the main hall.
Zhang Jingshu ran excitedly to Lichu’s side. “Oh my gosh, Chuchu, you’re amazing! Prince Ning really picked up your handkerchief!”
Lichu lifted her chin proudly and said in a small voice, “I told you before, Cousin is very kind. For something this small, he wouldn’t refuse.”
To be exact, up until now, Lichu had never been refused by Lu Shiji on anything.
There was probably no one in this world easier to talk to than Lu Shiji.
Zhang Jingshu kept praising her. “So impressive! It really has to be you, Chuchu. None of them dared to go up to him, but you had the courage! If Prince Ning doesn’t fall for you, then who would he fall for?”
Lichu immediately felt extremely proud and straightened her back.
All those romance storybooks she had read over the years really weren’t for nothing. Her first time trying to seduce someone, and it worked so smoothly. She really felt like she was naturally talented at this.
Inside the main hall.
Whispers of discussion slowly started to spread.
“Did you hear? Prince Ning picked up Miss Shen’s handkerchief.”
“Which Miss Shen?”
“Who else? The cousin staying at the Duke’s residence, Shen Lichu!”
“Really?!”
“Completely true. I saw it with my own eyes. That Shen Lichu is so calculating. She clearly dropped the handkerchief on purpose to seduce Prince Ning!”
“Such a clumsy trick, and Prince Ning still picked it up?!”
“Who knows? But everyone saw it. That Shen Lichu… she’s really shameless.”
The handkerchiefs in everyone’s hands were practically twisted to pieces.
They had all thought Prince Ning, someone so pure, elegant, gentle, and noble, would definitely dislike girls who crossed boundaries and broke rules.
So none of them had dared to act rashly.
But Shen Lichu boldly used such a low-level trick in public, and Prince Ning still took the bait.
If they had known it was this simple, why would they have held back before?
But now, saying all this was already too late.
Since the handkerchief had been picked up, whether Prince Ning meant it or not, what came next would naturally follow.
Song Qinghe almost lost her grip on the teacup she was holding. Hot tea splashed out and spilled onto the back of her hand, instantly turning it red.
“Miss, be careful!” Huashan quickly took the teacup from her and wiped her hand with a handkerchief.
But Song Qinghe didn’t seem to feel the pain at all. Her fingertips dug into her palm as she clenched her teeth. “Shen Lichu actually used such dirty tricks to deceive Shiji gege!”
“That Miss Shen has clearly been plotting this all along, using all these disgusting methods!”
Panic appeared in Song Qinghe’s eyes. “But if that’s the case… with so many people seeing it, doesn’t that mean this marriage…”
Wouldn’t it become completely certain?
She turned her head in a panic and looked toward Lu Shiji. But a screen separated the male and female guests. She could only see his tall figure sitting prominently at the head seat, but she couldn’t see his expression.
The Duchess also sensed that something felt off about the atmosphere at the banquet. She glanced at Nanny Cai and signaled for her to go find out what was happening.
After a short while, Nanny Cai hurried back and lowered her voice to speak into the Duchess’s ear.
“This servant just heard that earlier in the garden, the Young Master helped the cousin young lady pick up her handkerchief.”
The Duchess’s eyes lit up. “Really?”
“Absolutely true. Many people saw it! With everyone watching, this matter can’t be denied. Naturally, the marriage can’t be delayed anymore. It should be finalized!”
The Duchess could hardly believe things had gone this smoothly.
Nanny Cai smiled. “Madam was worrying too much. This servant said before, the Young Master and the cousin young lady have been getting along very well lately. The Young Master probably also likes this marriage. Before, it was only because the rebel case wasn’t closed yet, and he didn’t want distractions. Now that the case is finished, things are naturally different.”
The tight worry in the Duchess’s heart finally eased, and she let out a small breath of relief.
No matter why Lu Shiji picked up the handkerchief today, he picked it up. With so many people watching, how could anyone deny it?
She had to immediately push forward and finalize this marriage.
“Aunt.”
Lichu skipped in happily. Madam Shen reached out at once, pulled her down to sit beside her, and scolded her in a fond, teasing way. “You child, where did you run off to again?”
“I just picked a bunch of really beautiful peach blossoms and sent them back to Jinxiu Garden. I even put a vase of peach blossoms in Aunt’s room, the ones I arranged myself.”
“A’Li is really thoughtful.” Madam Shen patted her hand, clearly pleased. “But you should also send a bouquet to your cousin.”
Lichu froze for a moment.
Madam Shen smiled. “Your cousin has taken such good care of you these past few days. He even taught you calligraphy. And today, when you almost lost your handkerchief, he was the one who picked it up for you. So tell me, shouldn’t you thank him?”
Madam Shen didn’t bother lowering her voice. The moment people at the banquet heard this, the whole place quieted down, waiting to hear what came next.
Sure enough, from the other side of the screen, the Duke of Ning laughed and asked, “What’s making you all so happy?”
Madam Shen smiled. “Earlier, my lord mentioned Ji’er’s marriage. I was thinking about it seriously, and suddenly it occurred to me that Ji’er and A’Li are very close. If our two families become even closer through marriage, wouldn’t that be even better?”
She said it like a joke, but everyone knew she wasn’t really joking.
The Duke of Ning stroked his beard and looked at Lu Shiji. “I think this marriage is good. Ji’er, what do you think?”
The entire hall fell silent. Almost everyone’s eyes turned to Lu Shiji.
Lu Shiji stood up and cupped his hands respectfully. “I will follow Father’s decision.”
Madam Shen finally relaxed, and the smile on her face bloomed fully.
The Duke of Ning clapped happily. “Good, good, good! This is wonderful. Our Lu family will have another happy event.”
Congratulations and flattering words swept through the hall again.
The whole place became even livelier than before.
Lichu sat there on her round stool, stunned. So many people were congratulating her that she felt dizzy, like she was dreaming.
Did she really just get such a huge advantage this easily?
On the other side of the screen, Lu Shiji was already surrounded by people. One after another, they came over holding wine cups to toast him.
In life, the two biggest happy events are promotion and marriage. Now Lu Shiji was a rising star in the court, gaining more and more power, and he was about to get engaged. Of course people would rush to congratulate him.
Vice Minister Zhang had just finished toasting him and came back, clicking his tongue as he spoke to his son.
“This Ning heir is still so young, yet he’s already made so many achievements. This time, after returning to the capital, he directly entered the Censorate and holds real power. His future is limitless. The Shen family is clever too. They immediately sent their daughter to the capital to arrange this marriage. The Shen family will probably rise along with him.”
Zhang Rongyu looked toward the other side of the screen. He could vaguely see her surrounded by people talking to her. Among so many noble ladies, only she wore such a bold red dress. Even through the screen, she stood out.
He remembered the rumors from earlier, saying she deliberately dropped her handkerchief for the Ning heir to pick up. They also said that ever since she entered the residence, she had been constantly sticking close to him.
Thinking about it now, she probably liked the Ning heir too.
Zhang Rongyu curled his lips into a small smile and shook his head lightly, letting it go.
“Miss Shen and the Ning heir really are a perfect match. They suit each other.”
Only when night fell did the lively banquet finally end.
The Duke’s residence was still brightly lit. Servants kept escorting guests out, while maids hurried around cleaning up the mess.
Lichu walked along the long corridor. Chunxing followed beside her, chatting excitedly non-stop.
“Since your engagement with the heir is going to be settled, Madam said the process should start as soon as possible. The Shen family is in Jiangnan, but they also bought a residence in Yanjing. Later, the heir will send betrothal geese there. That counts as the formal proposal.”
“After that, your birth dates will be matched. At the right time, both your birth details and the heir’s will be sent to Fahua Temple for the monks to check if the match is lucky. If it’s good, then the engagement will be officially confirmed! Maybe you’ll even get married this year!”
Lichu suddenly asked, “What if the fortune check says it’s unlucky?”
“Pah, pah, pah! Miss, don’t say such unlucky things! How could it be unlucky? It will definitely be extremely lucky!”
Would the monks at Fahua Temple dare to give an unlucky result? Did they not want incense money anymore?
But Lichu remembered the nightmare she had half a month ago. Lately, she had been sleeping while holding her safety charm, and she hadn’t dreamed about it again.
Still, she kept feeling uneasy for no reason.
It seemed that nightmare really was a bad omen. She really should go to the temple and hold a ritual to get rid of bad luck.
Lichu frowned, thinking seriously. Then she suddenly looked up and saw a figure ahead.
Tall, straight posture. Broad shoulders and back. In the hazy night, the silhouette felt so familiar it made her heart tighten.
It looked exactly like the person in her dream.
She suddenly stopped walking, her face turning slightly tense.
“Heir.” Chunxing quickly bowed in greeting.
Lichu looked carefully and realized it was Lu Shiji.
He was wearing a pale moon-white robe, tall and elegant, standing under the hanging flower gate. The moonlight traced his handsome face, making him look even more gentle.
He looked at her, the corner of his lips lifting slightly, his voice soft.
“A’Li, come here.”