From the corridor not far away, a group emerged. At their head were two young ladies of exceptional beauty and bearing—the daughters of Grand Tutor Yuan, the most senior official in the imperial court: Yuan Jingxian and Yuan Zhilan.
Yuan Jingxian wore a deep purple robe embroidered with subtle interlaced branch patterns. Her dark hair was pinned up simply with a mutton-fat jade hairpin, and her expression carried a calm, detached air. Even her steps were steadier than those around her. Beside her, Yuan Zhilan wore a sky-blue silk dress and had a slightly more approachable look than her elder sister.
Following them was a young maid with hair styled in two buns, carrying a gold-painted lacquer box—likely fresh from collecting some imperial gift from the palace. Two steps behind walked another young lady in moon-white robes: Su Yao, daughter of Vice Minister Su of the Ministry of Justice.
“Isn’t that Miss Lin and Miss Gu?” Yuan Jingxian spotted the group under the corridor first, calling out in a clear voice as she came to a stop.
Yuan Zhilan followed her gaze, her eyes lingering briefly on Lin Wan’er and Gu Qianqian before finally settling on Shen Xi.
“Who is this young lady?”
Su Yao hurried forward with an eager smile, addressing Yuan Zhilan first: “Sister Zhilan—this is the daughter of the Grand General’s household, Sister Shen Xi.”
She then turned quickly to Shen Xi, her smile overly warm and familiar, her tone carrying a mock-chiding affection: “When you fell into the water a while back, I was so worried! I thought of you every day. I never expected you to recover so quickly—what a coincidence to run into you here! You should have sent word when you arrived—I’ve been fretting over you for nothing all these days!”
Shen Xi did not look at her, her gaze calm and impassive as she gave a slight nod: “Hmm.”
Her lukewarm response caused Su Yao’s smile to freeze for a moment.
Shen Xi found it amusing. Su Yao’s display of warmth seemed friendly enough, yet the calculation in her eyes was impossible to hide. She had been the one to cause Shen Xi’s drowning, yet now she called her “sister” with sickening sweetness—her face changing faster than a flipped page.
Looking at the Yuan sisters: they spoke little, but their eyes were like ice-cold needles. When their gaze fell on the red gold and ruby bracelets on her wrist, it was clear they were weighing the power and influence of the General’s household, assessing whether it could be challenged.
Yuan Jingxian in particular—on the surface a well-educated young lady from a scholarly family, her every word and gesture perfectly proper—but her heart was likely darker than anyone’s.
As if unaware of the undercurrents, Yuan Jingxian nodded slightly, her voice as clear and cool as jade striking jade: “Miss Shen—good to see you. I’ve long heard that the Grand General’s daughter has a straightforward nature. Seeing you today, I find your bearing truly remarkable.”
Shen Xi lifted her eyes to meet Yuan Jingxian’s gaze. A faint flash of sharpness and hatred passed through her otherwise calm eyes.
“You’re too kind, Miss Yuan,” she replied with a slight nod, her tone neither humble nor overbearing. “My father often says that military families need not learn to be devious—what matters is acting with integrity. As for you, Miss Yuan—coming from a scholarly family, every word and action carries the grace of nobility. That is truly admirable.”
Her words sounded like praise, yet subtly turned the tables on the “straightforward” comment—by accepting the description, she implied that Yuan Jingxian’s praise of her “noble grace” carried an undercurrent of scrutiny.
Yuan Jingxian’s smile did not waver, though her fingertips brushed lightly over the patterns on her sleeve as if dusting away something invisible. “You flatter me, Miss Shen—I hardly deserve such words.” She paused, her eyes resting on the bracelets. “These red gold and ruby bracelets are quite rare—their color is so rich and vibrant.”
Gu Qianqian and Lin Wan’er, oblivious to the tension between the two, chimed in enthusiastically: “Oh—what beautiful bracelets! We’ve never seen such fine quality before!”
Lin Wan’er leaned closer to examine the subtle patterns in the jade: “The red is like the finest rouge, yet it has the clarity of jade. The gold setting is elegant—not ostentatious at all, truly luxurious.”
Gu Qianqian nodded in agreement: “Yes indeed! Ordinary shops could never have such treasures. They make your wrists look even fairer, Miss Shen.”
Yuan Jingxian listened, her smile unchanged, though her eyes seemed clouded over, her true emotions hidden from view. “Naturally—items from the Grand General’s household are always exquisite.”
Hearing this, Shen Xi knew Yuan Jingxian must be seething with jealousy. Despite her noble demeanor, she was more jealous than anyone else. As the eldest daughter of the Grand Tutor, she had been the most celebrated young lady in the capital since childhood, surrounded by finery and flattery—she could not bear to be overshadowed by anyone. Every word of praise from Lin Wan’er and Gu Qianqian felt like a needle pricking at her heart.
Shen Xi lowered her eyes to take a sip of tea, suppressing her amusement. She deliberately raised her hand to adjust her hair, letting the bracelets catch the sunlight as she spoke with exaggerated modesty: “You’re too kind, Miss Yuan. These are just old pieces—they can’t compare to the heritage of the Grand Tutor’s household. Take your robe alone—the intricate embroidery must have taken your seamstresses three months to complete. That is true refinement.”
She intended to spell it out clearly, to see how Yuan Jingxian would maintain her composed facade.
Yuan Jingxian’s smile froze for a split second—so brief it seemed almost an illusion. Her fingertips clenched tightly around her handkerchief, crumpling the embroidered patterns, yet her voice remained steady: “You overpraise me, Miss Shen. It was merely a piece our seamstresses made in their spare time—hardly worth mentioning.”
Even so, her gaze seemed burned by the gleaming bracelets.
Noticing her sister’s strained expression, Yuan Zhilan hurried forward to intervene, though her attempt at mediation was ill-judged: “Sister—while Sister Shen’s bracelets are beautiful, they can’t compare to the golden hairpin you just received! Just the other day, the third Miss Zhang from the Minister of War’s household said the pearls on your hairpin are as big as pigeon eggs!”
The moment she spoke, Yuan Jingxian’s face darkened sharply—the pearls on her hairpin were actually Dongzhu pearls, which were round but far smaller than pigeon eggs. Yuan Zhilan’s foolish words were pushing her straight into the trap of being labeled a braggart.
Shen Xi raised her eyebrows in feigned surprise: “Oh? Pearls as big as pigeon eggs? That is rare indeed. I’ve only read of such things in tribute records—surely they’re not easily found among ordinary noble families?”
Yuan Zhilan failed to catch the implication, nodding eagerly: “They truly are! My sister’s hairpin—”
“Zhilan!” Yuan Jingxian cut her off sharply, her voice barely containing her anger. “Nonsense! They’re just ordinary pearls—there’s no need to make such a fuss!”
Yuan Zhilan shrank back, looking at her sister with a hurt expression.
Su Yao watched, breaking out in a cold sweat. She hurried forward to change the subject: “Oh my—look at us, just standing here talking! The peonies in the garden are in full bloom! The steward said they’re rare varieties imported specially from foreign lands—shall we go take a look?”
Yuan Jingxian’s voice still carried a hint of anger, though it had softened slightly. “Since we’re here, we may as well go see them.”
Su Yao turned to Shen Xi and the others, her smile warm but her eyes holding a cautious, probing look—after the tense exchange just now, she was anxious to smooth things over. “Sister Shen Xi, Sister Wan’er, Sister Qianqian—won’t you come with us? These rare peonies are seldom seen—you’d be sorry to miss them!”
Shen Xi glanced toward the greenhouse, where sunlight filtered through the leaves to cast dappled shadows on the ground. Her fingertips brushed lightly over her bracelets as she gave a faint smile: “I’m sorry, sister—but I’m rather unrefined. I have no great love for flower-viewing.”
At this, Su Yao’s smile froze completely. Her hand remained extended as if guiding the way, leaving her caught between advancing and retreating. She forced a laugh to salvage the moment: “You’re joking, Sister Shen Xi—everyone has their own preferences! Well… we’ll go take a look first then. If you change your mind, please come join us anytime!”