Shen Jue had a younger sister named Shen Shaoyuan, who was three years younger than Wen Jinxin.
Their birth mother, Li Shi, had passed away from excessive bleeding after giving birth to her.
Because Shen Shaoyuan was so young at the time, she was raised by a wet nurse under Li Qiuhua’s care after her birth and grew closest to Li Qiuhua.
She was also the only person in the entire mansion who was close to Li Qiuhua yet not disliked by Shen Jue. In Wen Jinxin’s memory, Shen Jue doted on this sister immensely.
Shen Shaoyuan had been born prematurely. Although her health was fine, she learned things slower than others, whether it was speaking or recognizing characters, which made her more timid and self-conscious than her peers from a young age.
Additionally, she somewhat resembled Prince Zhennan in appearance—with a square face and ordinary features—which further deepened her insecurity. She spent most of her time staying indoors and rarely went out.
Thus, in her previous life, Wen Jinxin had spent two years in the Prince’s mansion but had few private interactions with Shen Shaoyuan, and their relationship remained quite distant.
When Wen Jinxin heard that Shen Shaoyuan had come to visit her, she was somewhat surprised. Still, she was happy to know someone had come to see her.
She had Lan Hui prepare dried fruits and pastries. Not long after breakfast, Shen Shaoyuan arrived.
Shen Shaoyuan looked much as Wen Jinxin remembered—already taller than her at just twelve years old, with neatly styled hair and wearing a peach-pink dress. Her face was square and unremarkable, and she avoided eye contact when looking at others.
As a guest had arrived, Wen Jinxin naturally had to get up to greet her. After resting in bed for half a month, she could occasionally sit up, as long as she avoided any vigorous movements that might strain her wound.
As soon as Shen Shaoyuan entered the room, she seemed uneasy, standing awkwardly with her hands and feet unsure of where to place them. When she caught sight of Wen Jinxin’s face, she gasped softly, momentarily entranced.
It was only when her maid, Qiaoyun, gently reminded her that Shen Shaoyuan, pale-faced and flustered, stood frozen in place, murmuring like someone who had done something wrong, “Cousin… Cousin…”
Wen Jinxin didn’t find Shen Shaoyuan’s behavior rude at all. On the contrary, she found this little cousin particularly adorable and genuine for the first time.
She felt that describing her as “slower than others” was both unreasonable and inaccurate. What Shen Shaoyuan possessed was the innocence and childlike charm of a young girl.
Pretending not to have noticed anything, Wen Jinxin took small steps forward, took Shen Shaoyuan’s hand, and led her to sit on a flower stool. “Cousin, please sit.”
Shen Shaoyuan stole a few glances at Wen Jinxin, and only after confirming that she hadn’t noticed her earlier awkwardness did her pale expression relax slightly, though her movements remained somewhat stiff.
“I’m not sure what you like to eat, Cousin. The kitchen just prepared some pastries. Would you like to try them and see if they suit your taste?”
A round-faced little maid swiftly stepped forward with a food box. She was the most outstanding among the three or four maids newly assigned to Wen Jinxin by Li Shi, and Wen Jinxin had named her Cai Zhu.
Cai Zhu was a nimble and observant maid, and Wen Jinxin was quite satisfied with her in every other aspect. However, one thing bothered her: in her previous life, Cai Zhu had also been among those who served her.
When she first arrived at the Prince’s mansion in her previous life, she knew nothing about the place. Li Shi treated her well, so she naturally grew close to her.
It was only after living in the mansion for some time that she learned Shen Jue and Li Shi had an extremely strained relationship. However, because Shen Jue had a notorious reputation for being unruly and she rarely interacted with this fierce cousin, she had sided with Li Shi without fully understanding the situation.
Thus, she had always believed that Shen Jue disliked her; otherwise, he wouldn’t have given her cold, disdainful glances every time they met. Even until her death, she had held this belief.
When Shen Henglin accused her of having an affair with Shen Jue, she scoffed at the idea and even died to prove her innocence.
It was only after her death that she realized Shen Jue understood her better than she had imagined and loved her more deeply. It was she who had never truly understood Shen Jue.
In this life, it was her turn to understand Shen Jue and treat him well.
On the day she entered the Prince’s mansion, she had been too impulsive and lost her composure. Not only did she fail to leave a good impression on Shen Jue, but she also nearly caused trouble. Every time she recalled this in recent days, she couldn’t help but regret it.
During her time bedridden with illness, she had also come to a realization. Within the Prince’s mansion, she would only stay close to Laotaifei, keep a low profile, and maintain her distance from everyone else, especially Li Shi.
She believed Shen Jue wouldn’t confront Li Shi without reason. He must have his own justifications for doing so, and the first step she needed to take was to trust him.
However, Cai Zhu was someone Li Shi had assigned to her. In her previous life, she had only thought Cai Zhu was obedient and knowledgeable about the affairs of the Prince’s mansion. For a time, she had been quite fond of Cai Zhu, even neglecting Lan Hui.
Upon careful reflection, everything Cai Zhu told her was about Li Shi’s virtues, and whenever Shen Jue was mentioned, it was only to speak ill of him. No wonder she had been so biased against Shen Jue back then.
Wen Jinxin’s momentary distraction made Shen Shaoyuan uneasy. She remembered her mother’s instructions before coming: she should get closer to her cousin and talk to her more often.
But she was too clumsy. As soon as she entered the room and saw Wen Jinxin, she was struck dumb.
Before meeting Cousin Jin, she had always thought Miss Ye was the most beautiful woman she had ever seen. But after seeing her cousin, Miss Ye seemed to pale in comparison.
Moreover, Cousin Jin was truly gentle. She didn’t mind her lack of proper manners, spoke softly and sweetly, and even pulled her along to eat delicious treats. She was the very best woman Shen Shaoyuan had ever met.
So much so that Shen Shaoyuan began to overstep her bounds, even offering her a pastry and asking if she wanted to eat it. Cousin Jin fell silent, and Shen Shaoyuan thought she must dislike eating something someone else had touched.
Feeling dejected, Shen Shaoyuan lowered her head and was about to withdraw her hand when, just before she regretfully put it down, she felt the pastry slip from her grasp.
Timidly looking up like a fawn, she saw Wen Jinxin had taken the osmanthus cake from her hand. “Is this for me? Thank you, cousin.”
As she spoke, she brought it to her lips and took a bite. Shen Shaoyuan stared wide-eyed, watching her expression intently, afraid Wen Jinxin might be forcing herself to eat something she didn’t like.
Unexpectedly, Wen Jinxin not only didn’t mind but savored it carefully. After eating it, she even smiled with her eyes. “The one you chose is truly delicious.”
Shen Shaoyuan’s expression instantly relaxed. It was the first time she had been sincerely praised by such a beautiful woman, and her face flushed red.
“If Cousin likes it, have a few more pieces…” This was the second sentence Shen Shaoyuan had spoken since entering the room.
Though she still avoided eye contact and spoke slowly, her gaze was sincere, and no one could bear to refuse her.
And then, Wen Jinxin ate until she was full…
But it must be said, the two sisters got along very well that morning.
Although most of the time Wen Jinxin did the talking, with Shen Shaoyuan responding intermittently, their relationship was still much closer than when Shen Shaoyuan had first arrived.
As noon approached, Wen Jinxin invited her to stay for lunch, and Shen Shaoyuan was tempted.
It was only when a maid by her side reminded her that her mother was waiting that Shen Shaoyuan reluctantly rose to bid farewell.
Supported by Lan Hui, Wen Jinxin escorted Shen Shaoyuan to the door. “Thank you for coming to keep me company today, cousin. If you don’t find me too dull, please visit me more often.”
Shen Shaoyuan’s face flushed, and she nodded vigorously, finally mustering the courage to voice a thought she had held back for a long time.
“Cousin Jin, you… you are so beautiful. I… I’ll come see you again.”
Not only beautiful but also exceptionally gentle. Apart from her elder brother and Sister Ye, this was the first time someone had treated her so kindly.
Most importantly, this kindness wasn’t because she was the prince’s daughter, nor was it out of pity—it was simply genuine friendliness and affection.
It made her want to draw closer.
Wen Jinxin had actually had few playmates since childhood. As an only child, with her father frequently promoted and transferred over the years, she had even fewer opportunities to make friends.
Hearing Shen Shaoyuan’s heartfelt words, she felt deeply moved.
“Alright, I’ll be waiting for you whenever you come.”
After Shen Shaoyuan left, Wen Jinxin found herself lost in thought during lunch, smiling foolishly at her plate for a moment.
Lan Hui noticed her expression and couldn’t help but smile as well. Thinking Lan Hui was laughing at her absent-mindedness, Wen Jinxin pouted in playful reproach.
Lan Hui quickly explained, “I’m not laughing at you, miss. I’m just happy for you. Sometimes you push yourself too hard—you should smile more often.”
Wen Jinxin was slightly taken aback and reached up to touch her cheek. Was she really that obvious?
Since her rebirth, she had subconsciously become much more cautious and guarded.
How should she adapt to her current life?
When Shen Shaoyuan returned to the main courtyard, Li Shi was already waiting for her to have lunch. It was a rare day when Prince Zhennan was also present, and the three of them dined together.
“I heard you went to see your cousin?”
Prince Zhennan was usually busy with official duties and rarely had the chance to dine with his wife and daughter. Shen Shaoyuan still felt somewhat nervous in his presence.
At his question, she nearly dropped her chopsticks in fright, lowering her head and mumbling a nod. Originally, she had wanted to share her feelings about meeting Wen Jinxin, but now she couldn’t bring herself to say anything.
Prince Zhennan truly cherished his daughter, especially since his son was disappointing, and he had placed all his hopes on her. Unfortunately, his daughter was somewhat timid.
Li Shi sat beside him, serving him dishes while speaking up to help Shen Shaoyuan out. “Our Yuan’er is truly capable. She spent a long time chatting with Jinxin—the maid told me all about it when she returned.”
Shen Shaoyuan gave Li Shi a grateful glance and buried her head even lower, causing Prince Zhennan to sigh inwardly.
What other girl of twelve needed praise just for visiting a cousin?
But what else could he do with his own daughter besides doting on her? So, he followed Li Shi’s lead and praised her for being sensible.
“It’s good to visit more often. If there’s anything you don’t understand, you can ask your cousin for advice. She knows a lot.”
Shen Shaoyuan was quite pleased. Her father rarely praised her, and with her not-so-sharp little mind, she thought it was all thanks to her cousin. She was growing fonder of this cousin by the day.
After lunch, she returned to her room to complete the assignments Sister Ye had given her. When she happened to see the character “Jin” from Wen Jinxin’s name, she couldn’t help but feel happy.
Next time, maybe she could ask her cousin to teach her how to write?
A piece of candy landed on her book—it was Suji’s sesame candy, her favorite.
Shen Shaoyuan immediately stood up from her chair and looked toward the door. Shen Jue was toying with the candy in his hand, a roguish grin on his face. His fiery red riding outfit shone even brighter than the midday sun.
Her eyes curved into a smile as she called out brightly, “Brother!”
“Come on, Yuan’er, I’ll take you horseback riding.”