When Shen Miao emerged from the plum grove, Gu Yu and Jing Zhe, who had been waiting, both sighed in relief. Jing Zhe glanced inside but saw no one and asked in confusion, "Why is there no one there?"
Shen Miao also turned to look. The plum grove was lush with branches and leaves swaying gently in the wind, but there was no sign of anyone. Xie Jingxing was skilled in martial arts and had likely vanished over rooftops and walls.
"Let's go," she said.
Upon returning to the banquet, Feng Anning hurried over, complaining, "I told you to wait for me, but you disappeared in the blink of an eye. I couldn’t find you anywhere when I got back. Where did you go?"
"I saw the chrysanthemums blooming beautifully and took a stroll," Shen Miao replied, glancing toward the stage. "Has it started already?"
"You were gone for so long—the men’s Drawing round is already over," Feng Anning said with a pout. "Now it’s the men’s Selection round."
The young men on stage were competing. The first round, "Drawing," had concluded, but Shen Miao paid no attention to the results. The second round was "Selection," where participants chose their preferred category of expertise.
Shen Miao’s gaze settled on the young man dressed in lake-green robes sitting at the far left of the opposite seats.
He was dark-skinned and burly, with features that might have been handsome if not for his overly robust frame, which made him appear somewhat brutish. The green robes he wore only accentuated his dark complexion. To make matters worse, he wore his hair in a high topknot fastened with a jade-inlaid bamboo hairpin, likely attempting to emulate the refined elegance of ancient scholars. Yet, his unwillingness to forgo ostentatious adornments made the whole ensemble incongruous. In short, though he desperately tried to appear lofty and untouchable, his clumsy imitation only highlighted his vulgarity.
This was Gao Yan of the Capital Censor’s family. Still young at sixteen, his influence was yet to flourish. Later, after Fu Xiuyi ascended the throne, Gao Yan’s status rose due to Gao Jin’s influence, and he became notorious in Fixed Capital for bullying men and harassing women—even daring to covet Wan Yu. His audacity knew no bounds.
The mere thought of Wan Yu enduring Gao Yan’s lewd remarks in the palace filled Shen Miao with fury. She stared at him from afar, as if watching prey prance into a trap.
Gao Yan, oblivious, was currently beaming with joy as he spoke to Gao Jin.
Naturally, he was delighted. He had obtained an exceptionally unique essay on statecraft. During the "Drawing" round, he had drawn classical interpretation and performed averagely. But in the upcoming "Selection," presenting this essay would surely astonish everyone.
Shen Miao sneered inwardly. Go ahead—take that essay and stand beside Fu Xiuyi! Entering officialdom before Gao Jin’s promotion, with Gao Yan’s methods, he would surely bring ruin upon the entire Capital Censor’s family himself.
This was the grand gift she had prepared for them.
As for Pei Lang... Her gaze shifted to the man in blue robes seated not far from Fu Xiuyi. Starting from this life, you will slowly repay the debts of your past!
"Shen Miao, after the men’s rounds, it’ll be the women’s 'Selection.' Will you participate?"
"No," Shen Miao answered.During the Verification, the "Drawing" was mandatory for every student, while the "Selection" was optional based on one's own will. If one chose not to participate, they could abstain. Thus, rather than being a compulsory part of the Verification, the "Selection" was more of an opportunity to showcase one's strengths. If someone had a particular skill, they could naturally display it during this segment. As a result, compared to the "Drawing," the students were far more enthusiastic about the "Selection."
This was because the "Selection" allowed them to present what they were most confident in. However, for someone like Shen Miao in the past, who had no notable talents, it was better to skip the "Selection" altogether—attending would only invite ridicule.
"Why?" Feng Anning was visibly disappointed. "You paint so well now, and you must have other strengths too. Why not take the chance to show them off?"
"There's no need," Shen Miao replied without looking up, fiddling with the chessboard on the table. "What difference does it make whether I stand out or not? It means nothing to me. Besides, I’ve never been skilled in music, chess, calligraphy, or painting. My earlier performance was just luck."
"You..." Feng Anning was exasperated. "Who talks about themselves like that?"
"Fifth Sister." A voice interrupted their conversation. Shen Yue had appeared before them unnoticed, her face etched with concern. "Fifth Sister, are you really not participating in the next 'Selection'?"
"Does Second Sister wish for me to participate?" Shen Miao countered.
Shen Yue was momentarily speechless. Lately, Shen Miao seemed determined to sever ties with her, and Shen Yue couldn’t fathom why. Was it lingering resentment from the drowning incident directed at the second and third branches of the family? Though puzzled, Shen Yue had grown increasingly frustrated with Shen Miao’s defiance. Biting her lip, she feigned hurt and said softly, "Of course I want you to participate. Your painting earlier was excellent. Since you have such talent, why not choose 'painting' again for the next round? That way, people will stop gossiping behind your back. If you perform well again, the rumors will die down."
Shen Yue’s voice was loud enough for the surrounding ladies and noblewomen to hear every word. Though her words seemed innocuous, they blatantly voiced the suspicions in everyone’s minds. Shen Miao’s earlier white chrysanthemum painting had earned First Class, but after years of being known as an Incompetent, people’s perceptions wouldn’t change easily. Many doubted she had painted it herself, suspecting outside guidance.
Shen Yue thought the same. She believed that if Shen Miao attempted another painting in the second round without assistance, her lack of skill would be exposed, leading to inevitable humiliation.
Feng Anning saw through the ploy and sneered, "Second Miss Shen makes it sound so easy. Painting requires inspiration—even you couldn’t produce two masterpieces in a row, could you?" Shen Miao was just a student, not a renowned artist.
"I only asked because Fifth Sister has improved so much," Shen Yue replied sweetly. "If she could paint so beautifully earlier, what’s stopping her from doing it again?"
Shen Miao hadn’t looked up the entire time, merely placing a chess piece at the center of the board. "No interest. Spare me the trouble."Shen Yue hadn't expected Shen Miao to respond so indifferently in front of so many people, and for a moment, her expression turned awkward. Perhaps the most infuriating thing in this world was setting up a perfect trap only for the other party to refuse to take the bait.
Even faced with everyone's suspicions, Shen Miao wouldn't rise to her provocation, which only strengthened Shen Yue's belief that the meaning behind that painting wasn't what Shen Miao had intended. The desire to humiliate Shen Miao took deeper root in her heart. After a pause, she suddenly smiled again and said, "Since Fifth Sister insists, then I won't say anything more." With that, she turned and returned to her seat.
Among the male guests, Cai Lin had been stealing glances at Shen Yue when he suddenly noticed her looking his way from afar, seemingly giving him a gentle smile.
Cai Lin froze, then grew somewhat excited—only to see Shen Yue lower her head again, as if distressed.
His heart tightened abruptly.
...
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