Inside the box, resting on a bed of deep crimson velvet, lay a small seal.
At a glance, it was obvious that it had been carved from premium Shoushan Furong stone. The stone was pure white, smooth and lustrous like fine jade.
Pei Lingrong picked up the seal, unable to hide the delight on her face.
“It must have been carved by Eldest Brother himself! It’s my name!”
The crowd couldn’t help but look on enviously. Not only was the seal precious, but it was also an incredibly thoughtful gift.
Only Lü Lanxun wore an ugly expression. She stared uncertainly at Shen Yunshuang. She had assumed Shen Yunshuang was merely trying to show off, but who would have thought she could actually open the puzzle box?
Being proven wrong so quickly left her utterly humiliated.
Pei Lingrong, however, was deeply grateful to Shen Yunshuang and treated her with even greater affection.
After carefully putting away the seal, she linked arms with Shen Yunshuang and asked warmly,
“Sister Shen, how did you know how to solve it?”
“I happened to read a few books on the subject before… so I know a little.”
Shen Yunshuang did not elaborate.
“You’re amazing! But why did you press the raised pieces in that order? Upper left, lower right, upper right, then lower left?”
Even after Shen Yunshuang finished writing the prescription for the scented sachet in Luoxue Pavilion and came out with Pei Lingrong and the others, the ladies were still eagerly asking her about the mechanism of the puzzle box.
Patient as ever, Shen Yunshuang explained,
“It’s related to the Five Elements. The directions correspond to the Five Elements, so the order follows that principle.”
“The Five Elements?”
Pei Lingrong’s eyes widened as she stopped in her tracks.
“Eldest Brother was deliberately making things difficult for me! He actually designed such a complicated solution!”
The moment she finished speaking, a chuckle sounded nearby.
“Chengyuan, did you hear that? I’ve somehow become the villain just for giving a gift.”
Only then did Pei Lingrong realize that the owner of the gift had overheard her complaint. She immediately fell silent.
Turning around, she saw that beside the Lengxiang Pavilion stood a round stone table. A chessboard had been set upon it, and beside it a small tea stove bubbled merrily with steaming water.
Two men sat across from each other, one dressed in blue, the other in white.
They were the Pei family’s eldest son, Pei Jingheng, and third son, Pei Jingnian.
Pei Lingrong instantly behaved herself and called out obediently,
“Eldest Brother, Third Brother.”
The other young ladies were equally surprised to encounter the Pei family’s eldest and third young masters here.
Ordinarily, it was considered improper for unmarried young ladies from other households to meet unrelated men. However, with Pei Lingrong and the others present—and Shen Yunshuang among such a large group—it no longer seemed inappropriate.
Pei Jingheng and Pei Jingnian walked over from the pavilion.
Shen Yunshuang could feel Pei Jingnian’s gaze resting on her, but instead of meeting his eyes, she looked toward Pei Jingheng.
He wore a blue robe and held a folding fan in his hand. Tall and refined, he carried himself with scholarly elegance, yet his naturally captivating peach blossom eyes, now filled with amusement, lent him an unmistakable air of effortless charm.
Objectively speaking, all the men of the Pei family were handsome.
Even so, compared to Pei Jingnian, Pei Jingheng still fell a little short.
Pei Jingnian was the very image of flawless jade beneath clear moonlight—like snow-white jade hidden deep within the mountains.
Unfortunately, his temperament was equally as cold and distant as mountain snow.
Still, no matter how exceptionally handsome Pei Jingnian was, he already had a wife and was famous throughout the capital for doting on her.
Naturally, he was far less desirable than the widowed Pei Jingheng.
Even Shen Yunshuang noticed Lü Lanxun’s eyes constantly drifting toward Pei Jingheng.
Smiling, Pei Jingheng looked at Pei Lingrong.
When his gaze swept across the unfamiliar young woman standing beside her, he paused ever so slightly.
The young woman before him possessed skin as fair as snow, a face as lovely as a blooming lotus, and a delicate figure that looked as though it had stepped straight out of a painting.
“And this is…?”
Before Pei Lingrong could answer, Pei Jingnian spoke first.
“This is my mother’s niece, my cousin—Shen Yunshuang.”
Shen Yunshuang hadn’t expected him to introduce her.
Their eyes met briefly, and she smiled, her brows curving gently.
That single smile instantly unsettled Pei Jingnian’s heart.
Ever since he had angered her earlier, he had secretly regretted it. Moments ago, sensing the coldness in her attitude toward him had left him unable to suppress the sadness in his heart.
Yet Shen Yunshuang’s smile mysteriously soothed all of that melancholy.
Shen Yunshuang curtsied gracefully to Pei Jingheng.
“Greetings, Young Master.”
“No need for such formalities,” Pei Jingheng replied pleasantly. “Just make yourself at ease.”
Unable to contain herself, Pei Lingrong eagerly chimed in,
“Eldest Brother, do you know? Yunshuang just solved the puzzle box you gave me!”
A flicker of surprise crossed Pei Jingheng’s eyes, while Pei Jingnian’s gaze deepened.
Looking somewhat bashful, Shen Yunshuang lowered her head with a modest smile.
“I was only fortunate, that’s all.”
Closing his folding fan, Pei Jingheng asked,
“Miss Shen, are you versed in the craftsmanship of Master Lu Ban?”
No one knew the puzzle box better than its creator.
He had designed it to be genuinely difficult, giving it to Pei Lingrong merely as a playful challenge.
After all, if she couldn’t solve it, she could always ask her elder brother for help.
He had never imagined that someone would actually unlock it.
Pei Jingnian was equally astonished.
He had never expected his cousin to possess such extraordinary intelligence.
Shen Yunshuang shook her head.
“I simply happened to read a few books on the subject. Nothing more.”