Lin Wan’er, standing by the pond, was about to step forward when Shen Xi steadied herself, turning to press the jade pendant back into Gu Qianqian’s hand. She stumbled backward half a step, the hem of her dress brushing against the stone railing and scattering a spray of water droplets.
She rose and said something to Gu Qianqian, her mock-chiding tone mixed with laughter.
Gu Qianqian was amused by her flustered yet playful demeanor, rushing to steady her: “You scared me to death! Thank goodness for you, Shen Xi—otherwise I’d never have gotten my pendant back.”
Shen Xi pushed her hand away, tapping her lightly on the forehead: “Still laughing? I ought to feed your precious pendant to the koi fish.”
The commotion startled the fish in the pond, and they swam over in a flurry of tails, splashing water that left faint damp spots on the hem of Shen Xi’s dress.
A breeze carrying mist from the water drifted by, carrying her stubborn retort just far enough to reach the three men upstairs.
“Miss Shen certainly has quick reflexes,” Yun Zilan couldn’t help but remark, turning to Yunxiao. “Won’t Your Highness go down to meet her?”
Yunxiao’s fingers paused slightly around his teacup, his eyes half-lidded as his tone gave nothing away: “It’s just young ladies fooling around—hardly worth making a fuss over.”
Yun Zilan raised an eyebrow mischievously: “If Your Highness thinks it’s just fooling around, then what were you staring at for the better part of a cup of tea?”
Yunxiao finally looked up, shooting him a cool glance: “Are you that idle, Fourth Brother?”
Yun Zilan immediately made a zipping motion over his mouth, waving his hands with a smile: “Not idle at all! I just think the breeze is nice downstairs—why don’t we go for a walk? It’s stuffy up here, and watching you two play go has made my neck ache.” He glanced toward Yun Zhao, who remained as unruffled as ever, then added: “What do you think, Yun Zhao? A breath of fresh air would do us good.”
At this, Yun Zhao didn’t even lift his eyes, only giving a quiet “Hmm”—it was impossible to tell if he was agreeing or just humoring him.
“Let’s go.” He had already started walking, the hem of his robe brushing past a potted plant by the steps and dislodging a magnolia petal that hovered in the air before beginning to fall.
Yun Zilan hurried to catch up, nudging him lightly with his elbow: “That ‘hmm’ of yours is giving me some face, at least.”
Yun Zhao paid him no mind, descending the stairs slowly as his gaze settled on the crimson figure by the pond.
“You little troublemaker—I’ve been looking everywhere for you! You told me not to leave your sight, so how come you disappeared first?”
A clear male voice suddenly rang out by the pond, breaking the quiet.
It was Shen Mo.
At the sound of her brother’s voice, Shen Xi’s face lit up with a bright smile. Turning toward him, her crimson skirt swirled gently in the wind: “Sorry, Brother—I completely forgot about you, haha…”
Shen Mo strode over quickly, his eyes sweeping over her. When he spotted the damp marks on her skirt, his brows furrowed slightly as he began to unfasten his outer robe: “How did you get wet? You’ve only just recovered—don’t catch a chill.”
Seeing this, Lin Wan’er and Gu Qianqian stepped forward with a curtsy: “Master Shen—Miss Shen Xi got splashed while helping me retrieve my pendant by the pond.”
Gu Qianqian added hastily: “It was all my fault for being careless.”
At this, Shen Mo glanced at the pendant in her hand, then back at Shen Xi. His brows relaxed a little, though his tone remained serious: “Helping others is good, but you must take care of yourself too.”
Looking at her brother’s stern expression, then at the nervous looks on Lin Wan’er and Gu Qianqian’s faces, Shen Xi pretended to be annoyed: “Hey! Don’t go scaring them.”
She tugged at the outer robe Shen Mo had draped over her shoulders, putting on a deliberately stern face: “Brother, you always taught me that when someone is in need, we should lend a hand. Now I’ve only helped Qianqian pick up a pendant, and you’re looking at me like I’ve committed some great crime.”
Her clear voice carried a hint of playful petulance that diffused most of Shen Mo’s seriousness. He sighed in resignation: “My young lady—you certainly have a way with words.” Even so, when he looked at Lin Wan’er and Gu Qianqian, his tone was much gentler. “I was just worried earlier—please don’t take it amiss.”
Gu Qianqian waved her hands quickly: “Master Shen is too kind—it was entirely my fault.”
It was Lin Wan’er and Gu Qianqian’s first time meeting the legendary Shen Mo, and it was clear at a glance that he and Shen Xi were siblings. Unlike Shen Xi’s soft, delicate features, Shen Mo was tall and upright—standing as firm as a pine or cypress, with an air of quiet gravity. His brows and eyes held the sharpness of someone who had spent years on the battlefield; his high nose and defined lips gave him a rugged, steadfast handsomeness. Gu Qianqian glanced at him only briefly before her cheeks flushed and she lowered her head.
Seeing the two relax, Shen Xi smiled in satisfaction: “You see? My brother may have a sharp tongue, but he has a soft heart—don’t take it to heart.” She turned back to Shen Mo with a huff: “Did you hear that? No more scaring my friends like that.”
Shen Mo was about to speak when he saw Yunxiao and the other two approaching.
Yun Zilan, fanning himself, spoke first with a teasing smile: “Looks like we’ve come at a bad time—interrupting Shen Mo’s lecture to his sister.”
Recognizing them, Shen Mo quickly composed himself and bowed respectfully: “Your Highness the Crown Prince, Fourth Highness, Your Highness the Prince.”
At the sight of these high-ranking figures drawing near, everyone around fell silent, hurrying to bow low and not daring to look up.
Shen Xi looked up in surprise—what was happening? Why were all three of them here at once? This had never happened in her past life…
In her previous life, Yunxiao would have been in the main hall discussing state affairs with the Grand Tutor at this time, Yun Zilan playing pitch-pot in the garden, and Yun Zhao would have already taken his leave of the banquet. How had they all ended up together today?
Shen Xi steadied herself, forcing down the strange feeling in her heart as she curtsied: “Your Highness the Crown Prince, Fourth Highness, Your Highness the Prince.”
Yunxiao nodded slightly, his gaze sweeping over her before settling on the outer robe—clearly Shen Mo’s—draped over her shoulders. His expression remained calm and gentle as he spoke softly: “No need for such formality.”
That warm, gentle tone was like sugar laced with poison, creeping into Shen Xi’s ears and sending a chill through her.
She lowered her eyes, her nails digging almost deep enough to break skin on her palm. It was this same seemingly kind face that, in her past life, had sentenced the entire Shen family to death with just four words: “The law is merciless.”
“Miss Shen?” Yun Zilan called out when she remained motionless.
Shen Xi snapped back to her senses, her fingertips leaving red marks on her palm. She straightened up slowly, forcing a faint smile to her lips—but it did not reach her eyes, only making her gaze seem colder still: “Thank you, Your Highness the Crown Prince.”
Standing slightly to the side, Yun Zhao had clearly seen how tightly she was clenching her hands and the pale red marks on her palm.
Yun Zilan closed his fan, tapping it lightly against his palm as his eyes moved between the group. “The hunting match will be starting soon—teams will be drawn by lot. Would Miss Shen be interested? I hear General Shen is an excellent archer—I imagine his daughter must be skilled as well.”
Shen Xi’s smile faltered slightly. The hunting match?
Her heart sank. In her past life, she had never suspected that what seemed like an accidental incident during the hunt might have been a trap set by Yunxiao from the very beginning.
The Shen family held military power, with her father and brother both serving as high-ranking officials. Though Yunxiao was Crown Prince, his position was not yet secure, and he had always wanted to win the Shen family’s support to strengthen his power. The most direct way to do this was through marriage—he must have calculated that her brother would be desperate to protect her, deliberately setting a trap during the hunt before “happening” to come to her rescue. This would not only earn him the Shen family’s gratitude but also allow him to propose marriage as repayment for saving her life—a favor the Shen family could not refuse.
To hide such scheming behind a gentle, jade-like facade was more repulsive than outright trickery.
“Miss Shen—you don’t look well,” Yun Zilan said, tapping his fan against his palm. “Are you perhaps not confident about the hunt?”
Shen Xi lifted her eyes, passing over Yun Zilan to look directly at Yunxiao. He still wore that calm, gentle expression, as if Yun Zilan’s words had nothing to do with him—but Shen Xi caught a flash of barely concealed anticipation deep in his eyes.
“Fourth Highness is joking,” she replied slowly, pressing her fingertips against the red marks on her palm. “I was just thinking that on the hunting field, weapons are unpredictable. It would be unfortunate if we were to accidentally inconvenience Your Highnesses.”
Very well—she would not only get through this hunting match unscathed but also ensure Yunxiao’s schemes fell completely apart. That bastard—thinking he could marry her and bind the Shen family to him? Over her dead body!