“Stay away from Shi Huai? Why?”
Shi Youlan pulled her hand from her elder sister’s grasp, the bewilderment in her eyes gradually giving way to unease.
“Because Shi Huai is a son born to a concubine, while you are the legitimate daughter. If you spend too much time with him, outsiders will think you’re lowering yourself.”
Shi Lingyi continued coaxing her. “The princess is the Emperor’s most beloved daughter. Her friends must be proper and respectable.”
Shi Youlan lowered her head and stared at the tips of her shoes.
The embroidered shoes, decorated with orchids, were the birthday gift Shi Huai had given her last year. She had always been reluctant to wear them.
Her lips moved slightly, as though she wanted to say something but didn’t know where to begin.
“Elder Sister, he’s always been good to us. He’s been good to us ever since we were little.”
Shi Youlan’s voice was muffled, carrying a trace of grievance even she herself hadn’t noticed.
“He’s never deliberately tried to curry favor with me just because I’m the legitimate daughter.”
Shi Lingyi reached out and took her sister’s hand, her fingernails digging into the back of Shi Youlan’s hand with enough force to make her frown.
“He’s good to you because he needs your status to elevate his own. Do you really think he’s sincere? Don’t be foolish.”
Shi Youlan abruptly raised her head, her eyes already brimming with tears.
But she bit her lip and refused to let them fall.
She pulled her hand from her sister’s grasp and lowered her head to look at the deep nail marks on the back of her hand. They were red enough to sting the eyes.
“Elder Sister, you’ve changed. You weren’t like this before.”
Shi Lingyi was momentarily choked by the words. The smile on her face stiffened for an instant, then returned to its gentle, dignified form.
“Elder Sister hasn’t changed. I’ve simply grown up and learned to see through people’s hearts. You’ll understand when you’re older.”
A cat meowed outside the window. Tangerine was chasing a butterfly around the courtyard.
Its chubby body rolled through the flowerbeds, crushing several newly blossomed flowers.
Watching the orange cat, Shi Youlan suddenly remembered the way Shi Huai held Tangerine in his arms. A smile unconsciously lifted the corners of her lips.
“Elder Sister, I’m going to embroider a handkerchief for the princess. I still haven’t finished the one I promised her.”
Shi Youlan rose to her feet and smoothed the wrinkles from her skirt. Without looking back, she walked out of the courtyard.
Shi Lingyi watched her younger sister’s figure disappear beyond the moon gate. Her fingers slowly tightened on the table, her nails scratching a faint mark into its surface.
Shi Huai. It was Shi Huai again.
Shi Youlan didn’t go to embroider the handkerchief. Instead, she walked to the entrance of Shou’an Hall and stood beneath the moon gate for a while.
The sound of Shi Huai practicing swordsmanship drifted from the courtyard. His blade sliced through the air with a series of sharp whooshes.
She poked half her head out to look.
Shi Huai was dressed in a slightly worn short tunic, his hair casually tied back with a cloth band.
Sweat trickled from his brow and fell onto the flagstones, vanishing almost at once.
Tangerine had no idea when it had come running over.
The cat sat on the steps, its round eyes following Shi Huai’s movements. Its head swayed from side to side like a chubby spectator watching a ball game.
“Second Elder Sister?” Shi Huai brought his sword to a stop and turned around.
Shi Youlan stepped out from behind the moon gate, her fingers twisting her handkerchief.
“You… keep practicing. I was just passing by.”
“You’re about to twist that handkerchief to shreds.”
Shi Huai returned the sword to its sheath on the rack, then took the handkerchief Qinghe offered him and wiped the sweat from his face.
Shi Youlan looked down. The handkerchief in her hand had already been twisted into a lump of pickled vegetables, all crumpled and wrinkled. The orchid embroidered on it was almost unrecognizable.
She hurriedly stuffed it into her sleeve, her face turning slightly red.
“Second Elder Sister, is something troubling you?”
Shi Huai sat down on the stone bench and took a large sip of the cooled tea on the stone table.
Tangerine jumped down from the steps, leaped onto his lap, and curled into a ball.
Shi Youlan sat down across from him. After a long silence, her fingers began absently tracing circles on the tabletop.
“Little Brother, if someone treats you well, how can you tell whether they’re sincere or just taking advantage of you?”
Shi Huai set down his teacup and glanced at her, the corners of his lips lifting slightly.
“That depends on who the person is.”
“What if it’s the princess?” Shi Youlan blurted out.
“Has the princess treated you badly? She seems to like you quite a lot. Last time, she even had a box of the palace’s latest silk flowers delivered to you.”
Shi Huai reached out and flicked Tangerine on the head.
The cat narrowed its eyes at the flick. Instead of running away, it pushed its head into his palm.
Shi Youlan pulled the crumpled handkerchief from her sleeve and slowly smoothed it out, her fingers trembling slightly.
“Elder Sister said the princess is kind to me because she wants me to marry into the imperial family.”
Shi Huai’s hand paused. Tangerine let out an unhappy little “mrow” and nudged his palm with its head.
“Eldest Sister said that?” Shi Huai’s voice revealed nothing of his feelings.
Seeing the thoughtful look on her brother’s face, Shi Youlan suddenly felt a little flustered.
“Little Brother, do you think Elder Sister is right too?”
Her voice was faint, and her fingers twisted the handkerchief again and again.
Shi Huai didn’t answer immediately.
He picked up the cooled tea and took another sip. When he set down the cup, his lips pressed together slightly.
“What else did Eldest Sister say?”
“She also told me to stay away from you.”
Shi Youlan lowered her head, her voice muffled.
“She said you’re a son born to a concubine and I’m the legitimate daughter. If we spend too much time together, outsiders will think I’m lowering myself.”
Shi Huai let out a soft laugh.
It wasn’t loud, but Shi Youlan’s ears suddenly burned.
“Eldest Sister certainly has thought everything through on your behalf.”
“Are you angry?” Shi Youlan looked up at him, her eyes slightly red.
“No.”
Shi Huai placed Tangerine on the ground, stood up, and straightened his collar.
“Second Elder Sister, what do you think? Do you want to become the Crown Princess, or not?”
Shi Youlan’s heart began to race under his gaze. She lowered her head and stared at the tips of her shoes.
A bit of mud had stained the embroidered shoes. She instinctively bent down to wipe it away, but only after rubbing it twice did she realize what she was doing.
“I don’t know. I’ve never thought about becoming the Crown Princess. Elder Sister was the one who said it.”
Shi Huai sat down on the stone bench again and reached out to scoop Tangerine off the ground.
The cat struggled briefly, but when it realized escape was impossible, it resigned itself to its fate and nestled into his arms with an aggrieved “mrow.”
“Second Elder Sister, hasn’t Eldest Sister been away from the Shen residence for a long time?”
Shi Youlan froze for a moment. After thinking it over, she nodded.
“I think so. She always says she wants to stay at her mother’s home a few more days to keep Mother and me company.”
“The Shen residence isn’t far from the Marquis’s residence. It takes less than half an hour on horseback.”
Shi Huai’s voice was quiet, but every word was perfectly clear.
“If she wants to spend time with you, she can come back whenever she likes. Does she really need to leave her husband’s household and stay at her mother’s home for several days at a time?”
His words made Shi Youlan’s heart sink. Her fingers twisted the handkerchief even more tightly.
“You mean… something happened to Elder Sister at the Shen residence?”
“I didn’t say that.”
