"Then you had better keep a close eye on him, and make absolutely sure not to give me a chance," Cui Yunchu said lazily, picking up the fruit wine on the table and pouring herself a glass.
The young woman's lips were full and rosy, looking especially alluring and ripe now that they were moistened with the crystal-clear wine.
Cui Yunfeng stared for a moment, and upon noticing Cui Yunchu looking her way, awkwardly averted her gaze. "A calamitous beauty."
Cui Yunchu gave a mocking smile. "You were the one staring blankly at me, so why are you scolding me?"
Cui Yunfeng froze.
"It is only normal, I suppose. Just like when Young Master Wang was driven by lust, you all thought it was my fault, did you not?"
Cui Yunfeng's heart inexplicably stirred. She turned her head to look at Cui Yunchu, but Cui Yunchu said no more, lowering her eyes to focus intently on sipping her fruit wine.
His Highness the Crown Prince—she admitted to seducing him. Prince An—she indeed had ulterior motives toward him, and she admitted to that too. But Young Master Wang...
Since she could not explain it clearly, she had admitted to that as well.
Cui Yunchu cast a sidelong glance at Cui Yunfeng's perfectly upright posture and smiled. "Do not hold yourself so stiffly. Today's banquet will be quite lively, so save some of your strength."
Cui Yunfeng furrowed her brows.
With only the two sisters left in the entire banquet hall, Cui Yunfeng felt a bit bored and sent her maid to the back garden to join the bustle.
"If the young lady of the Liu family does not win first place, then this round cannot be considered your victory, Eldest Sister."
"Mhm." Cui Yunchu nodded.
The little maid went back and forth between the back garden and the banquet hall to report the news.
Upon hearing the latest update on the competition, Cui Yunfeng curled her lips into a smile. "Given the current situation, the daughter of the Zhao family will be the champion. You are going to lose, Eldest Sister."
"Is that so?" Cui Yunchu chuckled softly. "It is not over yet, Second Sister. Do not be so hasty."
Painting was Miss Zhao's strong suit, but the outcome of the competition was already predetermined. In order to achieve the desired result, the process could be altered at any time.
"Miss, Miss!" The little maid hurried back once more. "Miss Zhao and Miss Liu have both won this round. The Grand Princess has set up one final match to determine the ultimate winner."
Hearing that Miss Liu had indeed made it to the finals, Cui Yunfeng could not help but glance at Cui Yunchu. If she remembered correctly, this Miss Liu was not particularly skilled at painting.
"What are they competing in?"
"They are competing over their fathers," Cui Yunchu chimed in.
Both the little maid and Cui Yunfeng looked at Cui Yunchu in unison. The little maid said, "They are competing in zither skills. Miss Liu seems to have come prepared, as she brought her own zither. Miss Zhao, on the other hand, is using a zither from the princess's estate. I reckon... she will not be able to win."
Cui Yunchu laughed lightly. "Second Sister, stop struggling. Who in the entire imperial capital does not know that Miss Liu's zither skills were taught by a famous master whom Lord Liu hired at a heavy price?"
But since everyone knew this, the Grand Princess naturally would not be unaware of it either. Cui Yunfeng frowned slightly. "A competition like this is unfair."
Cui Yunchu smiled. Fairness? Where was there any fairness? Not being able to compete with someone else's father—that was their version of fairness. Just like herself: although she was despised by everyone, even the Grand Princess would respectfully address her as Eldest Miss Cui.
Giving her plenty of face.
The little maid went out to scout again. Cui Yunfeng lowered her eyes in silence. She suddenly recalled Cui Yunchu's earlier words, as if she had just realized something.
"Did you know all along, Eldest Sister? What did you mean by competing over their fathers, and what exactly are you scheming now?"
Cui Yunchu shot Cui Yunfeng an exasperated look. "I have not even stepped out the door, so what could I possibly be scheming?"
Cui Yunfeng thought about it: That was true.
As expected, Miss Liu won first place in one fell swoop. Before long, the young ladies returned in twos and threes, most of them looking crestfallen and full of regret.
Miss Liu, who had won the championship, and Tang Qingwan accompanied the Grand Princess, standing on either side of her.
Tang Qingwan's expression was dark, but she tried her best to conceal it. "Congratulations, Miss Liu. The phoenix hairpin is precious, so you must keep it safe."
Miss Liu smiled sweetly. "Thank you, Miss Tang. It is Wanting's good fortune to receive a reward from Her Majesty the Empress. Wanting will naturally do her utmost to never disappoint Her Majesty's kind intentions."
Both girls had smiles on their faces as they looked at each other, yet an invisible smoke of gunpowder permeated the air between them.
The Grand Princess broke their standoff. "You are both excellent girls. I am truly delighted to see you." She took one of their hands in each of hers and placed them together.
The other young ladies, either due to their angle or because they were still regretting their recent losses, did not notice this scene. However, Cui Yunchu and Cui Yunfeng saw it clearly.
After all, she was a daughter raised by the Cui family. Cui Yunfeng frowned slightly and immediately grasped the underlying implications. Combining this with what Cui Yunchu had said earlier...
Her face fell slightly, and she cast a worried glance at her cousin, Tang Qingwan.
The official consort had not even married into the household yet, but the Empress was already in such a rush to secure a candidate for the side consort. This was truly too chilling.
"How did you know the intentions of Her Majesty the Empress and the Grand Princess?" Cui Yunfeng asked Cui Yunchu in a lowered voice.
"I guessed."
Cui Yunfeng shot her a glance, clearly unconvinced. "If you actually had those kinds of brains, my surname would not be Cui."
"Do you dare to repeat that in front of Grandmother and Father when we return to the estate?"
"..."
Up at the seat of honor, the Grand Princess was still holding onto the two girls, earnestly mediating between them. Miss Liu looked shy and timid, while Tang Qingwan pursed her lips, struggling to maintain her facade of gentleness.
"After the banquet ends later, the two of you should stay behind for a bit. Keep me company and chat with me before you leave. I have no daughters of my own, so I simply adore seeing you young girls."
"Yes," the two girls agreed in unison.
No matter what undercurrents were surging among those in the higher seats, it ultimately had nothing to do with Cui Yunchu.
She could not help but recall her past life, when Tang Qingwan and Liu Wanting had engaged in a bitter, life-and-death rivalry.
She could not help but sigh in relief. Fortunately, the Crown Prince had not taken a fancy to her. Otherwise, her fate would have been even more tragic than when she had slept with Shen Xiabai and been stabbed to death.
What her grandmother had said that morning might have been unpleasant to hear, but it was absolutely correct. If she were to marry into the palace, she would undoubtedly just be offering up her head on a silver platter.
But... thinking of Shen Xiabai... Cui Yunchu suddenly shuddered. A chill rose from the soles of her feet, seeping into her limbs and bones until a bone-deep coldness permeated her entirely.
Weighed down by her thoughts, Cui Yunfeng remained very quiet throughout the rest of the banquet.
Maids and older servant women filed in, serving up rare delicacies, beautiful dishes, fresh fruits, and pastries, all paired with fruit wine. The young ladies from the various families quickly cast their earlier regrets to the back of their minds.
Chattering and joking in small groups, they talked endlessly about dresses, jewelry, rouge, and cosmetics.
Tang Qingwan gripped her wine cup so tightly that her fingertips turned pale. The wine tasted smooth as it entered her mouth, yet she could not help but feel a bitter, burning aftertaste.
