The atmosphere at the flower-viewing gathering instantly grew subtle.
The moment Shi Youlan took her seat, a pair of hands reached over from beside her, holding a delicate plate of tea cakes.
“Sister Youlan, try one of these. The Imperial Kitchen just made them. They’re even better than the last batch.”
The speaker was Shen Yuetang, the legitimate daughter of the Minister of Rites.
At thirteen, she was as charming as could be, with two shallow dimples that appeared whenever she smiled.
As she spoke, she leaned forward slightly.
By sheer coincidence, she blocked Fang Ruoyun, the daughter of the Vice Minister of Revenue, who was holding out a cup of tea beside her.
The corners of Fang Ruoyun’s mouth twitched. Her teacup hovered in midair, neither advancing nor retreating.
Her gaze fell on Shen Yuetang and the embroidered flowers on her pale green jacket. Shen Yuetang’s outfit today was certainly “charming.”
“Sister Youlan, have some tea to soothe your throat. This Longjing was newly presented to the court this year. The princess specifically had two liang set aside, saying it was prepared especially for you.”
Fang Ruoyun shifted to the side and, without drawing attention to herself, bumped Shen Yuetang’s elbow with her shoulder.
The plate in Shen Yuetang’s hands wobbled, and the tea cakes nearly went flying. She steadied her wrist and turned to glare at Fang Ruoyun.
Fang Ruoyun acted as though she had not noticed the look at all. Her smile remained perfectly composed as she placed the teacup steadily on the table beside Shi Youlan.
Caught between the two of them, Shi Youlan found herself in an awkward position.
She lifted the cup and took a sip, then glanced toward the flowerbeds.
Princess Jinse was standing beside a peony, speaking with a young woman in a light purple jacket.
The princess’s profile glowed white in the sunlight, and a faint smile curved her lips. She seemed to have heard something amusing, because her eyes bent into crescents.
“Sister Youlan, how has your younger brother been doing at the Imperial College lately?”
Shen Yuetang pushed the plate a little closer to Shi Youlan and lowered her voice, making the question sound as casual as though it had simply occurred to her.
But her fingers tightened slightly around the plate.
Before Shi Youlan could answer, Fang Ruoyun, who was beside her, paused with the teacup in hand.
She lifted her eyes and said matter-of-factly, “Young Master Shi is both scholarly and kind. I heard he came first in Class A again in the last periodic examination. Even the instructors at the Imperial College say he has a brilliant future ahead of him.”
Fang Ruoyun’s voice was neither loud nor soft—just loud enough for several people nearby to hear.
The young ladies who had been chatting around them all fell silent at once, discreetly pricking up their ears.
A girl in a lotus-colored jacket edged half a step forward. She held a plate of fruit, as though she wanted to offer it but was too shy to interrupt. She stood there hesitating for quite a while.
“Sister Youlan, these fruits are very sweet. Please try one.”
Her voice was as soft as a mosquito’s buzz, but her eyes shone brightly.
Shi Youlan accepted the plate and thanked her.
The girl’s face immediately reddened all the way to her ears. She turned and hurried away, her steps so quick that she seemed almost to be running.
Shen Yuetang watched her retreating back, the corners of her mouth dipping slightly. When she turned back, however, her face once again wore that gentle, proper smile.
“Sister Youlan, the peach blossoms at the estate outside the city should be blooming next month. Shall we go admire them together?”
It would be even better if we could bring Huailang along…
Fang Ruoyun understood at once and picked up the thread.
“I heard the peach grove there covers hundreds of acres. When the blossoms are in bloom, the mountains will be covered in pink. It’s supposed to be breathtaking.”
As she spoke, however, she discreetly stepped on the hem of Shen Yuetang’s skirt.
Shen Yuetang felt the fabric tug. When she looked down, she saw a gray, dusty footprint on the pale green hem.
Her smile stiffened for an instant, and she raised her head to look at Fang Ruoyun.
Fang Ruoyun was holding her teacup and gazing innocently at the scenery, as though she had nothing whatsoever to do with that step.
Shen Yuetang drew a deep breath and swallowed the words that had risen to the tip of her tongue.
She lowered her head and used her handkerchief to wipe at the footprint.
After two swipes, it still would not come off. The gray mark clung stubbornly to the pale green satin like an ugly insect.
“Sister Shen’s skirt is dirty. Would you like to go change?”
Fang Ruoyun set down her teacup and turned toward her, her voice filled with just the right amount of concern.
The corners of her lips lifted ever so slightly—a curve so faint it was almost impossible to see.
Shen Yuetang pulled at the corners of her mouth, forcing the words out through clenched teeth.
“No need. You can’t tell unless you look closely.”
Fang Ruoyun nodded, then turned back to continue admiring the scenery. The curve at the corner of her mouth grew a little wider.
A girl in a sapphire-blue jacket had witnessed everything. She waved her round fan, using it to hide the trace of schadenfreude at the corners of her lips.
Her gaze swept back and forth between Shen Yuetang and Fang Ruoyun, and she thought:
Fight, fight! The sooner the better. If those two would only start fighting, there would be two fewer competitors.
Princess Jinse walked over from the flowerbeds, her butter-yellow palace robes shining in the sunlight like a blooming winter jasmine.
She glanced around at the group, and her gaze finally settled on Shi Youlan. Her smile deepened.
“Youlan, why didn’t you call for me when you arrived? What are you doing standing here?”
Princess Jinse walked up to Shi Youlan, took her hand, and led her deeper into the flowerbeds.
“Come. I’ll show you the newly transplanted green peony. It’s blooming beautifully. There’s only one in the entire Imperial Garden.”
Shen Yuetang and Fang Ruoyun remained where they were, watching the backs of the princess and Shi Youlan disappear among the flowers.
Neither of them looked pleased. Their expressions were equally dark.
Shen Yuetang lowered her head and glanced at the dusty footprint on her skirt. At last, she could not hold back. She took her handkerchief and scrubbed at it several times with considerable force.
When she looked up again, she happened to meet the gaze of the girl in the sapphire-blue jacket.
The two exchanged a glance.
Then, at the same time, they looked away.
