Gu Xu had gotten her wish and accompanied them to the capital’s largest jewelry shop—the Emerald Sparrow Pavilion.
Upon seeing them, the shopkeeper hurried out to greet them, addressing Gu Xu first as usual. After all, everyone in the capital knew that Gu Xu was the backbone of the Gu family. Although the eldest branch was in charge, Gu Qinghan was too weak-willed and always deferred to Gu Xu in everything.
“Miss Gu, you’ve grown even more beautiful since I last saw you,” the shopkeeper said, his face plastered with an ingratiating smile. Gu Xu was used to such flattery and maintained her gentle, considerate demeanor.
“Today, I’ve brought my two younger sisters to pick out some trinkets…”
Before Gu Xu could finish, Gu Rongxin could no longer hold back. Her soft, delicate voice turned firm: “Shopkeeper, sixty percent of your earnings last year came from business my sister brought you. Yet now, you don’t even greet her?”
Gu Xu’s expression instantly darkened, and the shopkeeper looked both awkward and flustered.
Having watched enough of the spectacle, Gu Qinghan lightly patted Gu Rongxin and said, “Today, Sister Xu is the generous host, buying us lots of jewelry~ Let’s thank her first.”
Hearing this, Gu Rongxin also smiled and bowed to Gu Xu. “Thank you, Sister Xu, for your generosity. I’ve always heard how generous you are to noble ladies from various families. I’m sure you won’t be stingy with your two younger sisters either.”
Gu Xu’s face had already turned ashen. She had originally intended to make Gu Qinghan pay dearly to vent her anger from yesterday, but she never expected to be outmaneuvered instead.
Seeing the situation clearly, the shopkeeper immediately had the shop assistant lead them inside to make their selections.
“This is the capital’s latest jade pendant—Purple Cloud Jade, carved by a master artisan with lifelike soaring clouds.”
“We’ll take it!”
“This hairpin is inlaid with a once-in-a-millennium black pearl, and the body is made of pure gold.”
“This would be perfect for Concubine Yun!”
“And also…”
“Wrap it up!”
No matter what the shopkeeper recommended, Gu Qinghan insisted it be wrapped up.
Gu Xu’s entire body trembled slightly, but she still had to maintain the image of a virtuous and kind elder sister.
Only when the wrapped items nearly filled the carriage did Gu Qinghan finally stop.
“And here I thought this was the capital’s largest shop. There really isn’t much here,” she said, her chin slightly raised, her charming and noble demeanor leaving the shopkeeper momentarily stunned. Gu Qinghan continued, “Do you think my sister doesn’t have enough silver?”
Gu Xu could no longer hold back. Forcing a smile, she said, “Qinghan, with so many items, even if you changed them daily, it would take half a year to wear them all. Next month is Grandfather’s fiftieth birthday, and I need to save my silver for that.”
This was a veiled accusation that she was disregarding their grandfather’s birthday and spending recklessly for her own selfish desires. Even in her anger, Gu Xu hadn’t forgotten to set a trap for her.
Who would have thought Gu Qinghan would put on a pitiful expression again? “Is Sister blaming me? But everything Sister wears, and even the collections in your courtyard, were bought with my silver. Today, you insisted on taking us out, so I thought you wanted to repay a little.” With that, she sighed, her delicate, radiant face perfectly portraying sorrow.
The onlookers and other noble ladies in the shop all looked at Gu Xu with reproachful eyes.
Gu Xu nearly choked on her anger. After having her attendant settle the bill, she claimed she was feeling unwell and hurried back to the estate.
As Gu Qinghan bid her farewell, she called out, “Sister, remember to have all these ornaments delivered to my courtyard. I still need to give them away~”
Hearing this, Gu Xu stumbled slightly and quickened her pace.
After she left, the two sisters were overjoyed. Gu Xinrong’s eyes sparkled brightly. “Sister, you’re so clever!”
Gu Qinghan lifted her little head and called out to them, “I have plenty of cleverness left! Xinxin, Sister Chun Tao, let’s go buy dresses!”
The three of them led a large group of servants and made a grand procession to the Lotus Bud Pavilion. The dresses sold there were highly sought after by noble ladies in the capital as soon as they were released. Many noble ladies took pride in purchasing dresses from this place, and even some palace consorts came here to buy their attire.
The servants waited quietly at the entrance. As soon as Gu Qinghan and the other two entered, they heard a delicate voice.
“Isn’t this the Third Miss of the Gu family? Why aren’t you following behind Xiao Yinghuai today, begging him to marry you?”
The speaker was dressed in pink, adorned from head to toe with luxurious jewelry. A hibiscus jade pendant hung at her waist, the floral pattern on her chest embroidered with gold thread in the shape of peach blossoms, and a large piece of jade dangled from her neck.
This person was Guo Yan, the daughter of Guo Pin, the Right Censor-in-Chief and a favorite of the current emperor.
In her previous life, Guo Yan had caused Gu Qinghan no small amount of trouble, humiliating her to tears and then mocking her for being ungrateful.
“Where did this jewelry rack come from? So noisy.” Gu Qinghan furrowed her willow-like brows, holding a small feather fan that she gently waved near the tip of her nose. The people inside the Lotus Bud Pavilion felt a faint fragrance lingering around them, unable to resist being captivated by Gu Qinghan.
Seeing that Gu Qinghan did not react with the flustered anger she had expected but instead mocked her so boldly, Guo Yan nearly lost her composure.
She had often heard Gu Xu complain about being bullied by Gu Qinghan, both openly and covertly, and how Gu Qinghan relied on her parents being renowned generals to act domineeringly in the household.
Xiao Yinghuai was originally Gu Xu’s fiancé, but Gu Qinghan had taken a liking to him, snatched him away, and even flaunted their sweet relationship in front of Gu Xu. Gu Xu, being of low status with her father and brothers holding only seventh or eighth-rank positions in the court, could only endure the humiliation in silence.
“Gu Qinghan, you rely on your fox-like charms to seduce men everywhere! But this Lotus Bud Pavilion is not a place where you can act as you please!” Seeing that Gu Qinghan had finally turned her attention to her, Guo Yan continued smugly.
“The Lotus Bud Pavilion has a rule: buyers must be exceptionally talented, whether in music, chess, calligraphy, or painting. Only those proficient in at least one of these arts are allowed to purchase dresses. Who in the capital doesn’t know that you, Gu Qinghan, are an empty-headed fool? You have no right to be here!”
Hearing this, Gu Qinghan recalled how she had been deceived by Gu Xu into hiding her brilliance and acting cautiously, while Gu Xu herself had gained a reputation as a “talented lady,” ranking among the top five in the capital.
Gu Xu had flaunted the poems and paintings that Gu Qinghan had discarded, passing them off as her own creations. In reality, Gu Qinghan’s talents far surpassed theirs.
Guo Yan curled her lips, expecting to see Gu Qinghan slink away in disgrace. But before Gu Qinghan could react, hurried footsteps echoed from upstairs. The rarely seen owner of the Lotus Bud Pavilion appeared before them, dressed in purple, with a string of prayer beads hanging from his slender wrist. His originally handsome face now carried an even more enchanting allure.
Guo Yan widened her eyes in delight. Being able to meet the legendary owner of the Lotus Bud Pavilion was something she could boast about for a long time. She leaned forward, hoping to strike up a conversation with him, but he walked straight toward Gu Qinghan.
She assumed Gu Qinghan was about to be thrown out, and a smile began to spread across her lips.