It was only after Si Fangming left that Yuan Siyin could finally calm down and sort through everything that had happened over the past two days.
First, in the original story, the protagonist never encountered Yu Shiyan’s red bean hairpin being stolen, yet she had stumbled upon the scene while delivering ginseng on a whim.
Second, Si Fangming was the second male lead. He was supposed to return from the border after the female lead appeared and fall in love with her at first sight.
Everything’s gone haywire, completely haywire.
This is absolutely disastrous.
Could it be that her actions had triggered a series of changes in the plot?
But what does this have to do with Si Fangming?
Yuan Siyin felt utterly frustrated but helpless.jpg.
However, aside from striving to cling to a powerful figure for survival and cautiously making it to the grand finale, there seemed to be no other path for her to choose.
That’s why she wondered if she could make the most of the situation with Shen Ruolan.
Although her methods might be underhanded, it would benefit both herself and Shen Ruolan. Why not go for it?
“Zi Yuan!”
Yuan Siyin called out toward the inner room.
Hearing the noise, Zi Yuan soon emerged carrying a bowl of chilled plum soup. “Has Lord Si left? What a pity, I just brought out the plum soup.”
“He’s gone. He came purely to annoy me. Let’s not talk about him anymore for no reason.”
Yuan Siyin waved her hand, took the porcelain bowl, and sipped the ice-cold plum soup. Having made up her mind, she instructed, “Didn’t I previously ask you to commission a coming-of-age Ruqun dress from the capital’s embroidery workshop? Go there again. Tell them to work overtime and rush another one for me. It doesn’t need to be identical—just similar in appearance will do.”
“O…vertime?”
Zi Yuan was momentarily stunned.
The young lady had been spouting all sorts of new phrases lately, leaving people utterly confused.
“Oh, right. Tell them overtime pay will be calculated separately. They needn’t worry—I’m very fair. After all, we must safeguard workers’ basic rights.”
Though she didn’t fully understand, it sounded quite reasonable.
As expected of the young lady!
Zi Yuan took a moment to process this before nodding and preparing to leave. But before she had taken more than a couple of steps, she turned back.
“By the way, young lady, the Qiqiao Festival is in a few days. Will you be entering the palace this year or staying outside?”
“Of course, I’ll go to the palace.”
Yuan Siyin answered without hesitation.
How could she miss such an opportunity to increase her favorability?
“In that case, we must prepare a few handkerchiefs.”
“Why?”
Had she missed some important plot point again?
“Young lady, have you forgotten? In previous years, during the palace’s Qiqiao Lantern Festival, the invited young ladies would exchange embroidered items—either handkerchiefs or scented sachets—with close friends and the young masters who also entered the palace. Although you have no one to give them to, presenting one to the Empress Dowager would still be appropriate.”
Yuan Siyin: “…”
Zi Yuan, you’ve betrayed me.
What do you mean, “your young lady has no one to give them to”?
Who would dare refuse a gift from her?
Huh?
Yuan Siyin indignantly finished the plum soup.
But now that she thought about it, this Qiqiao Lantern Festival probably wouldn’t turn into a large-scale matchmaking event, would it…
She shuddered inexplicably.
By the time Yuan Siyin arrived at the brilliantly lit and decorated imperial garden, clutching two handkerchiefs, the scene before her pierced her eyes.
It was as if everyone had arranged it in advance—they stood in pairs, chatting and laughing. At a glance, each couple was a perfect match of talented scholars and beautiful ladies, a truly pleasing sight.
Even her handkerchiefs came in a pair!
She was the only one left disheveled in the cool night breeze.
What had she said?
Her words had come true!
She turned around and silently separated the two handkerchiefs: “You two aren’t suited for each other. It’s better to part ways.”
A light, silvery laugh suddenly chimed in her ears.
Yuan Siyin looked up and saw a young woman in pink, her hair styled in a double-loop hairstyle, tilting her head as she held a small lotus lantern. Two shallow dimples made her look especially adorable.
Yuan Siyin unconsciously swallowed.
Her cheeks look so soft… so cute… I really want to poke them.