Xie Lin reached out and picked up a plate of vibrant red cherries from the tea table. The freshly washed cherries glistened with droplets of water, resting on a white porcelain plate chilled by ice beneath, cool to the touch.
His fair, slender fingers gently plucked a crimson cherry and held it before Jiang Yunshu.
"Does Your Majesty find this cherry exceptionally beautiful?"
"More radiant than the most translucent ruby."
Bathed in the light, the cherry between Xie Lin’s fingertips appeared almost translucent, undeniably exquisite.
Yet Jiang Yunshu, staring at the tiny fruit, had no mind to admire its beauty—nor to savor its sweet-and-sour flavor.
Her heart pounded with dread, fixated only on the cherry’s fragility.
The cherries of the Great Qi Dynasty differed from those she had eaten in her past life. These were small, no larger than a fingernail, their skins paper-thin, tender, and easily bruised.
The flesh inside was nothing like the firm, crisp cherries she once knew. Instead, it was soft, yielding, and brimming with juice—as if a delicate membrane encased a droplet of liquid.
A mere brush of teeth against the cherry would release a burst of tangy sweetness.
Xie Lin’s long fingers held one up to the light, the juice within nearly visible through its translucent skin.
The slightest pressure would rupture that tender peel, spilling its contents.
...Jiang Yunshu exhaled deeply, feeling as exhausted as if she’d fought a battle.
No longer needing to hold herself rigid with caution, her temper flared. She bit down hard on Xie Lin’s moon-pale wrist.
A bead of crimson blood welled up, and Jiang Yunshu lightly ran her tongue over her teeth.
Xie Lin had been right—this shade of red was truly striking.
Xie Lin stared blankly at the blood on his wrist. It had been too many years since he’d last seen his own blood.
The days of rivers running red seemed like a lifetime ago.
In all these years, Jiang Yunshu was the first to dare make him bleed. He gripped her chin, his voice low. "Such sharp teeth... such audacity."
Jiang Yunshu met his gaze without flinching.
Xie Lin hadn’t harmed her earlier... so biting him once was hardly excessive!
A soft chuckle escaped Xie Lin as he studied her expression. She looked like a bristling cat—frightened yet putting on a brave front.
He wiped away the blood with his finger, the faint smear of red accentuating his jade-like skin.
The world knew him as a man steeped in bloodshed, assumed he was numb to its scent.
Only Xie Lin himself knew how deeply he loathed the stench of blood.
Eager to wash it away, he turned to leave, but Jiang Yunshu tugged at his sleeve.
"Grand Steward, the palace maids outside are playing shuttlecock. May the maids of Weiyang Palace join them?"
Xie Lin scoffed. "The maids? Or is it Your Majesty who wishes to play?"
Jiang Yunshu froze. She had genuinely asked on behalf of the maids—but since Xie Lin misunderstood, perhaps she should seize the opportunity?
Before she could decide, Xie Lin unexpectedly agreed. "Very well."
"Your Majesty may take the maids out to play shuttlecock, but no outsiders may enter Weiyang Palace."
"Upon returning, you must change shoes, bathe, and change clothes."
"If I discover even a single footprint from outside shoes on Weiyang Palace’s floors... Your Majesty will scrub every inch of this palace clean."
"Understood." Jiang Yunshu smiled in agreement, silently cursing Xie Lin’s incurable fastidiousness.
His own feet had trodden outside Weiyang Palace—why didn’t he chop them off?
Though Xie Lin’s rules were tedious, the mere chance to step beyond Weiyang Palace’s walls, even just to play shuttlecock under the nearby trees... filled Jiang Yunshu’s lungs with the sweet scent of freedom.
The next day, she rose unusually early, coinciding with Xie Lin’s departure.
The moment he left, she gathered Weiyang Palace’s maids and challenged the others to a shuttlecock match!
Jiang Yunshu led her team to an effortless victory.
Within days, word spread of Weiyang Palace’s unbeatable shuttlecock skills, drawing more and more maids to challenge them.
Jiang Yunshu defeated every opponent—one team, then two, then more.
Her two lifetimes of dance training hadn’t been wasted. The strength, flexibility, and agility honed through dancing proved invaluable in shuttlecock.
After days of crushing victories, an unfamiliar group arrived.
The woman leading them wore plain attire, minimal adornments, her hair tightly bound—yet Jiang Yunshu instantly knew she was no palace maid.
Her identity was unmistakable. Jiang Yunshu bowed deeply. "This humble one greets Empress Dowager Wu—"
Before she could finish, a maid at the Empress Dowager’s side lifted her up.
Empress Dowager Wu studied her with sharp eyes, then suddenly smiled.
"Since I am two years your senior, I shall not stand on ceremony—allow me to call you Sister Jiang."
"I’ve heard Sister Jiang is unmatched at shuttlecock, leading your maids to victory after victory."
"Dare you face me in a match today?"
