Shen Xihe's coming-of-age ceremony concluded smoothly, with a banquet hosted in the palace for all guests. By the time the feast neared its end, night had already fallen.
Shen Yueshan had been plied with copious amounts of alcohol throughout the day, yet he refused no one. On the women's side, Shen Xihe was similarly surrounded like the moon among stars. However, because the Youning Emperor had bestowed upon her such a given name, many couldn't help but regard her with a trace of pity in their eyes.
Shen Xihe understood their thoughts perfectly—they simply assumed she would become a widow at a young age. Even when Hu Yingrao toasted her, she couldn't resist sneering, "Congratulations on your coming-of-age, County Princess. It seems your auspicious event is approaching. We look forward to witnessing your phoenix-like grace. Should that day come..."
Her final words carried profound meaning, deliberately drawn out with a provocative glint in her eyes.
Before Shen Xihe could respond, Xue Jinqiao, who stood beside her, reached out with a smile and took the wine cup from Hu Yingrao's hand. "Third Lady Hu, your health is frail—you shouldn't drink. To be so careless with yourself... have you forgotten the sensation of falling into water?"
Hu Yingrao's smile stiffened, and she shuddered visibly, a reaction born of her fear of drowning. Regaining her composure, she glared venomously at Xue Jinqiao. "It was you!"
She had deliberately provoked Shen Xihe today to confirm whether it was Shen Xihe who had been secretly targeting her. In her view, only Shen Xihe—with her hundreds of private guards—possessed the capability to repeatedly make her fall into water without leaving a trace.
Yet her parents forbade her from opposing Shen Xihe, even insisting that if Shen Xihe were truly behind it, she must endure it until Shen Xihe grew weary and ceased to bother with her. When she sought her aunt's support, her aunt likewise advised patience.
Why? Why must she endure? Why must she tolerate being toyed with by Shen Xihe like a civet cat?
It had never occurred to her that the culprit wasn't Shen Xihe, whom she suspected, but the unexpected Xue Jinqiao!
"So what if it was me?" Xue Jinqiao looked her up and down contemptuously. "If you seek revenge, I await your challenge. But... you'd best prepare for my retaliation. When I deal with people, I can be quite brutal."
The Xue family had always suppressed news of Xue Jinqiao's "illness," fearing it would affect the marriages of other Xue daughters. Only the Xue family knew about her crazy outbursts, so Hu Yingrao had never taken Xue Jinqiao seriously. "Do you think I'm Second Lady Yuan?"
"Whoever you are, as long as you can afford the stakes, I'll accompany you to the end." Xue Jinqiao smiled, her almond-shaped eyes sparkling like clear water, yet in the candlelight filtering through the glass cup, they shimmered with faint, eerie glimmers.
Hu Yingrao retreated a step in fright, but when she looked again, Xue Jinqiao's smile appeared pure and harmless, making her wonder if she had imagined it.
"Today is the County Princess's joyous occasion. Since A'rao cannot drink, let her not hinder our congratulations to the County Princess." Wang Yuhui stepped forward to support Hu Yingrao, smoothing over the situation.
Shen Xihe raised a brow slightly as she glanced at Wang Yuhui. Last time, when Chen Jiaxu had caused her displeasure, Wang Yuhui had stepped in to side with Chen Jiaxu. Now, with Hu Yingrao, she intervened again. Previously, Shen Xihe had dismissed it as coincidence, but this time she sensed that Wang Yuhui harbored hostility toward her.
Only, last time, Wang Yuhui had concealed it well, not revealing it through her gaze. Shen Xihe had never interacted with Wang Yuhui before—where did this animosity come from?
With a hypothesis forming in her mind, Shen Xihe smiled faintly. "Does Lady Wang wish to toast me?""Of course, the County Lord's coming-of-age ceremony is a grand occasion in this prosperous era. To have the honor of witnessing it fills me with immense joy. It would be a regret not to propose a toast." Wang Yuhui raised her wine cup with both hands, offering a toast to Shen Xihe.
Shen Xihe glanced down briefly, a distant smile gracing her lips. After returning the gesture, she took a small sip and leaned forward slightly: "Lady Wang, if kneeling in the ancestral hall as punishment fails to serve as a warning, perhaps you should reflect upon Minister Wang's temporary suspension from court affairs."
Under the hazy moonlight, her tone was gentle, her voice ethereal, brushing past Wang Yuhui's ears before dissipating into the music.
Wang Yuhui's expression shifted slightly. The reason for Wang Zheng's temporary suspension was entirely due to the Crown Prince. Before this, they were uncertain whether it was the Crown Prince's deliberate action, but today, after His Majesty hinted at betrothing Shen Xihe to the Crown Prince, they realized the earlier incident was no coincidence.
Shen Xihe's crimson lips curved into a relaxed smile as she turned to exchange pleasantries with other young ladies who came to offer congratulations.
Both Wang Yuhui and Hu Yingrao sat down with unpleasant expressions. Shen Yingluo had also attended Shen Xihe's coming-of-age ceremony. Watching from afar as everyone vied to flatter Shen Xihe, she appeared like the brilliant moon elevated high above, surrounded by stars—aloof and solitary.
When pleased, she would respond with a smile; when displeased, she would immediately darken her expression. Yet no one considered her impolite. Instead, they would cautiously self-reflect, anxiously wondering if their words had somehow offended the County Lord.
To claim she felt no envy would be a lie even to herself. Taking a deep breath, Shen Yingluo seized the moment when no one was looking her way and left the banquet with her maid. After visiting the toilet, she did not return.
She hadn't missed those glances shifting between her and Shen Xihe—they were comparing her to Shen Xihe.
"County Lord, people are born different. Some blessings are beyond envy." Wet nurse Tan Shi looked at Shen Yingluo standing by the lake, braving the cold wind rather than returning, and softly comforted her.
Shen Yingluo turned her head with a strained smile: "Nurse, I know. I just don't want to go back and be pitied."
What right did those people have to pity her? Even as a concubine-born daughter, she carried the blood of the imperial Xiao clan and the prestigious Shen family. Though bearing the title of a secondary daughter, her wealth and status remained beyond their reach.
"It's good that the County Lord understands." Tan Shi breathed a sigh of relief, smiling with relief. "It's good that you understand. They envy you, County Lord, but dare not speak openly, so they elevate themselves by highlighting your disadvantages."
Shen Yingluo slowly leaned against Tan Shi's shoulder: "Nurse, I'm so fortunate to have met you."
Without Tan Shi's guidance, she couldn't imagine what kind of person she would have become with such a mother and father. Would she be crude? Bitter? Domineering? Or perhaps as mad as her mother?
A tender smile appeared on Tan Shi's face as she gently smoothed Shen Yingluo's hair. She too regarded this child as her own, despite the girl's noble status and her own position as a servant.
In the deep winter's chill, a gust of wind cut through like knives. Yet between the two leaning against each other, a gentle warmth lingered.
Just then, a cat suddenly darted out, lunging toward them. The completely black feline with glowing green eyes startled Shen Yingluo, draining the color from her face. She stumbled backward abruptly, forgetting the icy lake waters behind her."County Lord—" Tan Shi, who had reached out to block the cat, turned to pull but failed to grasp Shen Yingluo, watching helplessly as Shen Yingluo plunged into the lake with a splash before immediately jumping in after her.
Another person leaped into the water alongside her.
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