The Golden Hairpin

Wang Shao had long since moved back into the residence where Wang Fu once lived. The three of them sat in the courtyard in the afternoon, enjoying pastries by the shimmering water, watching the gentle breeze skim over the lotus pond where only one or two withered flowers remained.

Extra: Sunlight Shadows (4)

Ling Hui finished her walnut pastry and fixed her gaze on the red-and-green pastry in Guo Wan's hand. Guo Wan had already eaten most of it but seemed to dislike the candied fruit strips, leaving a large portion untouched.

Noticing Ling Hui's stare, Guo Wan scooped out the fruit strips, intending to give them to her.

Wang Shao, sitting nearby, remarked coolly, "I advise you not to feed that to your daughter."

Guo Wan, holding the empty bowl, looked up at her in confusion.

Wang Shao gestured for everyone around them to leave, including Ling Hui, who was taken to the back. Then, resting her delicate chin on her hand, she gazed at the emerald-green lotus leaves ahead and said with a faint smile, "Otherwise, if your daughter also becomes infertile for life, you, as her mother, might regret it."

Guo Wan glanced down at her hands, then back at Wang Shao, suddenly understanding. The empty bowl slipped from her grasp and shattered on the ground.

A dull pain began to twist in her abdomen, and cold sweat broke out across her body. Weakness overtook her, forcing her to slump onto the table. Pointing a trembling finger at Wang Shao, she gritted her teeth and demanded, "What... what did you give me...?"

"Nothing much. Just a little something to ensure you’ll never bear children again—so you won’t have to worry about the pains of childbirth."

Leaning over the crumpled figure of Guo Wan, Wang Shao’s smile remained gentle, her voice as soft as the summer breeze. "You’ve been with Prince Yun for years, so of course you resent me. I can understand that. But if you were to have a child, it might become a problem for me. After much deliberation, this seemed the simplest solution. Now, we can both move on and live our lives in peace."

"You... you vile creature... the prince will never forgive you..." Clutching her stomach, she collapsed to the ground, her cries ragged and desperate.

The maids had long since vanished, leaving only the two of them in the courtyard.

Wang Shao gathered her skirts and rose gracefully, stepping back toward the veranda. Ignoring Guo Wan’s agonized writhing, she gazed at the lotus blossoms swaying serenely in the pond and murmured, "Guo Wan, if only you’d been as obedient as the others, none of this would have happened. Even if you orchestrated Fang Fei’s plot against Wang Fu, what did that have to do with me? But now you’ve crossed me, and I had to show you that you picked the wrong enemy."

Guo Wan could only gasp wordlessly, her throat rattling with pain. Wang Shao leaned against the crimson pillar behind her, savoring the tranquil summer afternoon, her mind drifting back to the stifling, storm-laden spring day a year ago when she had first arrived.

Back then, Guo Wan had stood beneath the pomegranate blossoms, radiant in her orange-red dress, vibrant and alluring.The agonized moans of Guo Wan reached her ears, but to her, they sounded like sweet music, and she couldn't help but laugh. "I've tasted every cruelty this world has to offer, and I wouldn't hesitate to inflict them myself. You women who've never weathered storms—how could you possibly know who I am?" Her gaze lingered on Guo Wan for a moment before she looked up at the sky with a disdainful smile. "You don't know yourself, nor do you know me, yet you dare provoke me. How foolish. Tell me, if I were to reveal everything to the prince now, would you live or die?"

The excruciating pain in Guo Wan's belly finally subsided. She lay prostrate on the ground, weeping pitifully, too afraid to answer.

"Live..."

A childish voice suddenly struggled to utter two words from behind.

Wang Shao turned and saw Ling Hui, who had somehow sneaked in unnoticed. The girl stood dumbly at the back hall's entrance, her lips parting before she repeated with difficulty, "Live."

A child of just over four years old had spoken for the first time—and those were the words she chose.

Wang Shao stared at her intently. The girl was only four, with a round face and large eyes. When she looked up, there was an innate stubbornness in her gaze, an unshakable resolve that seemed etched into her very being.

Why were some children born so obstinate? Just like when she had left Xue Se, the girl had cried, staring at her with those same unblinking eyes, as if she would remember her for the rest of her life.

For the first time, Wang Shao lowered her head, unable to meet the child's gaze.

Her heart, which she had believed was hardened beyond all feeling, twisted painfully in that moment, squeezing out drops of anguish that seeped through her entire body.

She raised a hand, signaling the maids who had just arrived to seize Ling Hui. Guo Wan, summoning strength from somewhere, lunged forward to shield the girl, ready to claw at her.

"Don't touch me!" Wang Shao slapped her hand away harshly, her voice icy. "If you want to live, take your daughter and go back to where you belong!"

Still in pain, Guo Wan could only bite her lip and lead Ling Hui away under the maids' tugging, her steps slow and despairing as they headed for the door.

Just as they reached the entrance, they encountered Prince Yun entering from outside. He barely glanced at them before turning to Wang Shao. "His Majesty is unwell. I've returned to gather a few things—I may need to keep vigil at the palace again tonight..."

Before he could finish, Ling Hui tugged at his sleeve and looked up at him.

Surprised, he glanced down at his daughter, who had never spoken before.

"Live," Ling Hui said clearly.

"What?" He didn't quite catch it, his eyes absently skimming over Guo Wan's pale face before he crouched down to look at his firstborn, a flicker of delight crossing his features. "Ling Hui can speak now? What did you say?"

"Live," she repeated, not understanding the meaning but wearing a proud little smile.

Before Prince Yun could praise her, someone rushed in from outside. "Your Highness! Your Highness! The Emperor... has passed away!"

Prince Yun's eyes widened in shock. He shot to his feet, mouth agape.

Before he could speak, hurried footsteps echoed from outside. The eunuch who had delivered the news wept with joy and added, "The palace procession has arrived... to escort Your Highness for the enthronement!"