When Ren Yaoqi followed Lady Zeng to the flower hall to sit and drink tea, the maid Pingguo, who had quietly slipped away earlier, had already returned. After nodding to Ren Yaoqi, she silently took her place behind her once more.
Ren Yaoqi calmly picked up her teacup to drink. Though it was summer and the freshly served tea was still somewhat hot, she drank it with unruffled composure.
Although they had already sat down to rest, the young ladies' enthusiasm remained undiminished. They gathered together, chattering one after another about the group of talented scholars in the lakeside pavilion. A poetry gathering, which sounded so refined, gave them a legitimate opportunity to openly discuss young men.
Lin Baoling was resting in Su Fangfei's side room. Su Fangfei did not have an independent courtyard; she lived in the courtyard of First Madam Su. Fortunately, First Madam Su resided in a small three-section courtyard, which was quite spacious.
The atmosphere in the room was somewhat stifling. For a long while, no one spoke. Finally, without warning, Lin Baoling covered her mouth and began to cry. She had always been fond of covering her mouth when she laughed, so this sudden weeping left everyone present at a loss.
The other three young ladies of the Lin Family looked at each other, hesitated for a moment, but ultimately did not step forward to speak with Lin Baoling. The sisters had never been particularly close, or rather, Lin Baoling had never been close with her three sisters. Seeing this sister, who was usually showered with endless affection, cry for the first time left them truly unsure how to react.
Instead, Su Fangfei sighed softly, stood up, and walked over to Lin Baoling, gently patting her shoulder. "Baoling..." she called her name but then didn't know what else to say.
The eldest daughter of the Su Family was also clever. She and Lin Baoling had known each other since childhood, and their interactions were relatively frequent; one could say their relationship was quite good. However, in families like theirs, it was common even for biological sisters to keep secrets from each other, let alone confide in others. So, she and Lin Baoling could hardly be considered intimate sisters.
But today's incident had already unfolded before her eyes, and since it happened in her own home, the eldest daughter of the Su Family couldn't pretend to know nothing.
After some thought, the eldest daughter of the Su Family made an effort to organize her words, keeping her voice and expression as nonchalant as possible. "Baoling, how did your pouch end up with that young master Fang?"
No matter how intelligent the eldest daughter of the Su Family was, she was still an unmarried young lady. Though her face showed nothing, her ears turned slightly red as she spoke.
When she first saw the pouch on Fang Shuzhou, she had been stunned, because she immediately recognized that deep purple pouch embroidered with the "certainty of good fortune" pattern as the handiwork of Lin Baoling.
To be honest, Lin Baoling was a rather easygoing girl. She was cheerful and lively, sweet-tongued, able to chat with anyone and naturally familiar. However, Lin Baoling had one flaw: she loved to show off and had a vain desire to hear praise.
In recent years, Lin Baoling had been learning needlework from her grandmother. Truth be told, her skill wasn't particularly outstanding. However, her stitching technique had been personally taught by Third Madam Lin, née Yuan, and was said to be passed down from the Yuan family ancestors. Moreover, Lin Baoling enjoyed putting effort into her patterns, so the embroidery that came from her hands did have a certain unique quality.Therefore, anyone who got close to Lin Baoling would be dragged by her to admire the embroidery in her hands. Last time, when the Lin Family held the full-month celebration for Lin Cen, Lin Baoling had already displayed her embroidery before several sisters and friends, receiving quite a few compliments.
Coincidentally, the pouch Fang Shuzhou wore today had been admired by several of those present, leaving a deep impression.
Upon hearing this, Lin Baoling sobbed, "I don’t know. I clearly gave that pouch to Sister Yaoying of the Ren Family. I have no idea how it ended up with him. I really know nothing about it."
Su Fangfei, who had initially intended to say more, swallowed her words and instead said, "Then perhaps it was worn by mistake. Didn’t you send your nanny to ask for it back? It’s fine." Su Fangfei restrained herself from asking further. Though she was curious, her curiosity had its limits, and she also feared trouble.
She had learned quite a bit about the affairs of the inner household by now, understanding that many things that seemed simple might not be so straightforward. Even Lin Baoling, who wept pitifully before her, might not be as clueless as she appeared.
She had followed Lin Baoling here because she had witnessed the incident, and Lin Baoling, along with several other young ladies of the Lin Family, had seen her witnessing it. Avoiding the matter would only make it harder to stay clear of it later.
Lin Baoling’s sobs softened slightly upon hearing her comfort.
At this moment, Lin Baoling was genuinely afraid. She had heard plenty about the consequences of improper exchanges between men and women. A pouch was considered a personal item, not something to be casually given between the sexes. She feared her reputation would be ruined.
Lin Baoling had been favored by her elders since childhood, standing out among her peers. At times, even her brothers were not as doted upon as she was, so her future was highly valued by the Lin Family. To be honest, someone like Fang Shuzhou—without scholarly achievements or good looks—was not someone she particularly admired.
After what felt like an eternity, the nanny Lin Baoling had sent out returned. Lin Baoling nearly jumped from her chair, stammering, "Well? Did you get it back?"
The nanny also looked anxious. "Miss, by the time this servant arrived, Young Master Fang had already left."
"Left?" Lin Baoling widened her eyes, biting her lip in distress.
The nanny, whom Third Madam Lin had specifically placed by Lin Baoling’s side and who had some experience in such matters, thought for a moment and said, "Miss, this matter could be big or small. We should return and inform Madam first."
Lin Baoling quickly nodded. "Alright, let’s go back." As she spoke, she glanced toward Su Fangfei.
The nanny followed Lin Baoling’s gaze and noticed Su Fangfei, hurriedly stepping forward with a smile. "Miss Su, thank you for being here today. Originally, this matter shouldn’t have been known to outsiders, but our miss has known you since childhood and trusts you deeply, so she doesn’t mind you being aware..."
Su Fangfei interrupted the nanny’s words. The young lady smiled and said, "You’re too kind, Nanny. My friendship with Sister Baoling runs deep, and I naturally wish her well. I will keep today’s matter to myself and won’t speak of it carelessly. However... Sister Baoling’s embroidery has been seen by many. While I’ve promised not to say anything, others haven’t. It would be wise for you to prepare for both possibilities."The nanny couldn't help but sigh inwardly: these Su family young ladies are all formidable. However, on the surface she said, "Miss Su is right. Actually, today's matter is nothing much. My young lady usually has no other hobbies, she just enjoys embroidering a few pouches. She has given away quite a few as gifts."
Su Fangfei smiled, comforted Lin Baoling a few more words, and saw them out the door.
Once outside, the nanny said to Lin Baoling, "This servant will send someone to inform the two Ren Family young ladies, saying you're feeling unwell and left early. Young lady, have the two Ren Family young ladies also seen that pouch?"
Lin Baoling replied with reddened eyes, "They have, but just now they didn't seem to notice."
The nanny thought for a moment and decided to let it go for now, planning to report it to the madam after returning.
When Ren Yaoqi and Ren Yaoyin received the news that Lin Baoling was leaving early, they inquired with concern.
Ren Yaoqi didn't know whether Ren Yaoyin had seen the pouch on Fang Shuzhou at the time, but Ren Yaoyin's expression was perfectly controlled, showing not the slightest trace. Even Ren Yaoqi had to admit that someone like Ren Yaoyin was truly formidable.
Afterwards, the poems written by the young masters and gentlemen were brought in by maids and nannies on trays for the young ladies to evaluate.
Ren Yaoqi and Ren Yaoyin gathered together to look at a few. Although Ren Yaoqi wasn't particularly fond of poetry and songs—those sentimental things—her appreciation skills, cultivated by her father and tutors, were still present. After reading a few, she found them dull, unable to find any that truly stood out, so she simply lowered her head and focused on drinking tea.
Ren Yaoyin, on the other hand, was quite interested in poetry and songs. One of her usual excuses for visiting the Yun Family Eldest Miss, Yun Qiuchen, was to discuss poetry, so she examined them very seriously and even casually commented on a few with others.
Finally, they managed to select a top scholar, second-place, and third-place, and only then were both men and women satisfied.
Ren Yaoting had been gone for a long time without returning. Yaoqi, thinking of how she had looked when she left, guessed that Han Yunqian might have arrived. However, Ren Yaoting hadn't informed her when she left, clearly disliking her blunt advice and fearing she would be stopped. So, in the end, Ren Yaoqi couldn't be bothered to interfere.
For Ren Yaoqi, the main show was already over, and she didn't want to stay at the Su Family any longer. Therefore, as noon approached, she took her leave.
Ren Yaoyin was having a pleasant conversation with several young ladies who enjoyed poetry, so she didn't leave with Ren Yaoqi.
After bidding farewell, Ren Yaoqi led her people out through the Inner Gate. Unexpectedly, as she walked along the corridor, she encountered Han Yunqian emerging from a garden path.
Ren Yaoqi instinctively glanced behind him but didn't see Ren Yaoting.
Han Yunqian looked up and saw Ren Yaoqi. A flicker of complexity quickly passed through his eyes, though he didn't show much surprise at Ren Yaoqi's presence.
Ren Yaoqi bowed slightly in his direction and then started walking. After only a few steps, she realized Han Yunqian had caught up.
When Han Yunqian reached Ren Yaoqi's side, she glanced at him. He still wore that composed and dignified expression, not looking in her direction.
The two walked in silence, as if they had truly met by chance on the road and were merely sharing the same path for a while.Han Yunqian's voice broke the silence between them: "Fifth Miss Ren indeed has remarkable composure." His voice was deep and pleasant, giving no hint of emotion.
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