The furnishings in Luoxue Pavilion were exquisitely elegant.
The heated sitting room was carpeted with a lotus-colored cloud-brocade rug woven with subtle patterns. By the window stood a pearwood dressing table, and on the antique display shelf beside it sat a Ru kiln celadon vase holding several fragrant jasmine blossoms.
Pei Lingrong was an exceptionally hospitable young lady, and it was obvious that the other noble girls had visited Luoxue Pavilion many times before. They all behaved with perfect ease.
The Seventh Miss of the Pei family’s Third Branch, Pei Lingzhu, was still only nine years old. She had come to Luoxue Pavilion not for the sachets but simply to have fun.
Thus, when she noticed a sandalwood puzzle box resting on Pei Lingrong’s dressing table, she picked it up without hesitation.
The Sixth Miss, Pei Lingzhang, the Third Branch’s concubine-born daughter, was always cautious and reserved. Seeing her younger sister’s behavior, she gently scolded her.
“Zhuer, don’t be rude. Put it down quickly. It would be terrible if you broke it.”
Her words immediately drew everyone’s attention.
Pei Lingrong, however, showed no trace of annoyance. Instead, she burst into laughter.
“Let Seventh Sister play with it. Honestly, if she broke it, that might even be a good thing! My eldest brother gave this to me as my coming-of-age gift. He said the present is hidden inside this box, but no matter how many days I’ve tried, I still haven’t managed to open it. Isn’t that infuriating?”
Her words instantly aroused everyone’s curiosity.
The “eldest brother” she referred to was Pei Jingheng, the eldest son of Pei Yuanshao and the senior-most among all the Pei cousins. He was twenty-eight this year.
Although he only held the leisurely post of Gentleman Cavalier Attendant, he was renowned for his refined tastes. His calligraphy and paintings were exceptional, and his masterpiece, The Lone Fisherman on the Wintry River, had become highly sought after among the scholars of the capital. He was truly a rare gentleman of culture.
“So it was a gift from the Eldest Young Master. No wonder it’s crafted so exquisitely,” remarked a young lady dressed in pink.
Pei Lingrong secretly rolled her eyes.
As if she couldn’t see through Lü Lanxun’s intentions.
Seeing that her eldest brother had been widowed for years, the girl clearly harbored dreams of marrying into the Pei family as his second wife.
But she was merely the concubine-born daughter of an Assistant Director in the Ministry of Works. Did she really think she was worthy?
If not for her sweet tongue and thick skin, she wouldn’t even have been invited into this room.
The moment Shen Yunshuang saw the puzzle box, her heart stirred.
In her previous life, Lingdang’s elder brother had been exceptionally skilled in the craftsmanship and mechanical arts of Master Lu Ban. She had often watched him work from the sidelines and had learned quite a bit herself.
Compared to the noisy chatter of the others, the quiet and gentle Shen Yunshuang was naturally much easier to like.
Glancing at the sachet hanging from her own waist, Pei Lingrong took Shen Yunshuang’s hand and led her to the dressing table.
Opening her jewelry case, she smiled brightly.
“Miss Shen, you gave me such a lovely sachet, so of course I should return the favor. Take a look inside. Pick whichever piece of jewelry you like, and it’s yours.”
In her previous life, Shen Yunshuang had never attended such banquets, nor had she known Pei Lingrong.
But this lively, cheerful, and utterly adorable young lady was genuinely lovable.
Shen Yunshuang politely declined.
“There’s no need. You’re being too generous.”
“Oh, don’t be shy.”
Pei Lingrong sincerely wanted to give her something.
Seeing that Shen Yunshuang refused to choose, she began selecting one herself.
A pearl tassel hairpin…
A kingfisher-feather floral ornament…
After searching for quite some time, she finally picked out a peacock hairpin holding a pearl in its beak. Its workmanship was exquisite; the peacock was carved so lifelike that it seemed ready to spread its feathers, and the pearl glowed with a soft, lustrous sheen.
She carefully pinned it into Shen Yunshuang’s hair and nodded in satisfaction.
“Perfect. This hairpin suits you wonderfully, Sister Shen.”
Shen Yunshuang smiled gently and no longer declined.
Just then—
Click.
A crisp sound came from the puzzle box in Pei Lingzhu’s hands.
Immediately afterward came the little girl’s delighted cry.
“Wow! I opened it!”
Startled, Pei Lingzhang shifted her gaze from Shen Yunshuang’s face to the box.
Sure enough, a wooden latch had popped out from the side, and a narrow gap had appeared along the lid.
“It’s no use.”
Pei Lingrong took the box from her younger sister.
“I can get it this far too, but after this… I can’t open it anymore.”
She tried lifting the lid.
As expected, it wouldn’t budge.
Disappointment spread across Pei Lingzhu’s little face as well.
At that moment, Shen Yunshuang spoke.
“Third Miss… would you allow me to give it a try?”
She had been so quiet all this time, almost like a wisp of smoke drifting unnoticed through the room. No one had expected her to suddenly step forward.
Lü Lanxun inwardly scoffed.
This was a puzzle box crafted by Pei Jingheng!
A man like him would surely have poured countless ingenious ideas into something he made.
That was why, although everyone was curious about its contents, none of them—aside from the young Pei Lingzhu—had dared volunteer to solve it. They all knew they were unlikely to succeed and didn’t want to embarrass themselves.
So what made Shen Yunshuang think she could?
She was nothing more than a fallen noble girl from the south, without any reputation for talent.
Did she really believe she could unlock the box?
She was simply asking to be humiliated.
“Miss Shen,” Lü Lanxun said with a smile hidden behind her handkerchief, “don’t force yourself just to attract attention. If you fail, you’ll only make yourself a laughingstock.”
She envied Shen Yunshuang’s beauty.
But even more than that, she envied how effortlessly Shen Yunshuang had won Pei Lingrong’s affection—and had even received that peacock pearl hairpin.
She had stayed by Pei Lingrong’s side for so long and hadn’t been given so much as a single pearl.
Shen Yunshuang sensed Lü Lanxun’s hostility, yet her expression remained perfectly calm.
She merely glanced at her before replying softly,
“I am simply curious. I can’t say I’m completely confident either. But I believe that even if I fail, none of the ladies here would laugh at me.”
Her gentle words not only eased her own awkward position but also subtly complimented everyone present.
As expected, Pei Lingrong and the others nodded in agreement.
Shen Yunshuang then turned her attention to the puzzle box.
She pushed the wooden latch to the left.
Immediately, four small raised buttons appeared at the four corners of the lid.
She cautiously pressed one of them.
A faint mechanical click sounded from within the previously silent box.
Without hesitation, she then pressed the remaining three buttons in the order of lower right, upper right, and lower left.
The moment her final finger lifted—
Click!
The lid sprang open by half an inch.
The puzzle box…
Had been opened.
The corners of Shen Yunshuang’s lips curved into a faint smile, like a gentle breeze rippling the surface of a spring lake. Her bright eyes shimmered with quiet delight.
For a moment, Pei Lingrong was so dazzled by her breathtaking beauty that she forgot to look at the box.
Only after regaining her senses did she hurriedly lower her gaze, eager to discover what treasure had kept her in suspense for so many days.