This was precisely where Shen Ruolan’s cunning lay.
As Yuan Siyin was inwardly marveling at this, Shen Ruolan had already approached her.
“Sister Yuan, were you waiting for me? My maid is rather clumsy—if I don’t give her detailed instructions, she ends up forgetting everything and bungling tasks. I’m afraid I’ve embarrassed myself in front of you.”
Shen Ruolan held a pale orchid-patterned round fan in her hand, her delicate floral forehead decoration adding a unique charm to her every glance.
Excellent. She was really giving off those delicate, innocent female lead vibes.
At first, she had genuinely mistaken Shen Ruolan for the female lead, only realizing later that she was merely a supporting character.
“It’s no trouble. Let’s go to the private room on the third floor.”
“The third floor… Very well, I’ll follow your lead, sister.”
She had long heard that the third floor of Gathering Immortals Pavilion wasn’t accessible to just anyone—one needed either wealth or status. She had only ever been to the elegant seats on the second floor but had never set foot on the third.
Shen Ruolan used her fan to conceal the envy in her beautiful eyes and quickly caught up with her.
The interior of Gathering Immortals Pavilion was exquisitely decorated, with the third-floor private rooms being particularly splendid. Carved beams and painted rafters adorned the ceiling, creating a magnificent sight. The paintings hanging on the walls and the flowerpots placed throughout the room were all priceless treasures.
The moment the waiter spotted Yuan Siyin, his eyes practically lit up. He casually slung his towel over his shoulder and hurried over. “Miss Yuan! It’s been a while since we last saw you! The usual?”
Yuan Siyin casually took a seat by the window, lightly tapping the table with her knuckles. “One of each, please. I imagine Younger Sister Ruolan doesn’t come here often. Even if she only takes two bites of each dish, it’s best to sample a variety.”
“Right away!”
The waiter responded confidently before rushing off to relay the order to the chef.
Shen Ruolan had just sat down opposite her when, upon hearing this, the smile on her face instantly stiffened. “Oh… oh my, sister, there’s no need to worry about me. Compared to me, it’s you who should eat more—you seem to have lost weight since last time.”
“Really?”
Seeing that the waiter had left and there were few people upstairs, Yuan Siyin seized the opportunity to launch her offensive.
She let out a deliberately mysterious sigh and then touched her own clearly vibrant face. “Please, don’t remind me. You don’t know the whole story—I’ve been looking rather haggard lately.”
“If you’re troubled by something, sister, why not share it with me? Perhaps I have some way to comfort you.”
The moment Shen Ruolan heard there was more to the story, she perked up her ears.
To properly convey her distressed mood, Yuan Siyin forced herself to act coy for a while longer, ensuring she had fully piqued Shen Ruolan’s curiosity. Only then did she let out a soft sigh. “I’ve noticed that the Crown Prince has been showering me with attention lately, and I’m somewhat overwhelmed by his favor.”
“The Crown Prince?”
Shen Ruolan pressed her lips together and fell silent.
In her childhood, she used to see the Crown Prince often.
Because of her father’s position, the Crown Prince would frequently visit the Grand Tutor’s residence.
She still remembered how he looked standing in the pavilion studying, and how deeply she had adored him back then.
But now, it had been three years… no, four years since she last saw him.
Shen Ruolan’s gaze fell on the string of emerald-green jade beads around her wrist. When she lifted her eyes to look at Yuan Siyin’s troubled expression, a thread of resentment and unwillingness welled up in her heart.
“Does sister not like the Crown Prince?”
“We grew up together as playmates, so of course, there’s affection between us. But I sense that his heart belongs to someone else.”
Yuan Siyin let out a slight sigh, her tone filled with melancholy.
“Never mind, let’s not talk about it anymore.”
“By the way, my coming-of-age banquet will be held soon at the palace. Would you like to attend?”
Yuan Siyin shifted the topic smoothly, smiling like a fox.
Of course, this was done where Shen Ruolan couldn’t see her.
After all this preparation, she could finally steer the conversation back to the main subject openly.