Bai Lian

Yan Wanning's and An Yingying's maids smiled helplessly as they wiped the sweat from their mistresses' faces. Liyue was wiping her own brow when a fair, delicate little hand suddenly reached out to her, an embroidered handkerchief with plum blossoms resting on it. A soft voice said, "Sister Liyue, use this to wipe your sweat."

Liyue waved it away and looked at Yan Wanning's flushed face. "There's no need to dirty the Princess Consort's handkerchief. I can just wipe it off."

She gave her an alluring smile. "Besides... if I take it, your prince will get jealous."

"Don't talk nonsense, Sister Liyue." Yan Wanning's face grew hotter as she said softly, "My husband wouldn't."

An Yingying found the exchange amusing and said, "Sister Liyue wasn't talking nonsense. Back in the private room, she only looked at you a few times, and the Prince's gaze turned cold."

Flustered, Yan Wanning stuffed the handkerchief into Liyue's hand. "Keep it, Sister Liyue."

Liyue accepted the handkerchief with a smile, but instead of using it to wipe her sweat, she folded it and put it away.

"Sister-in-law?"

A woman's voice suddenly rang out. An Yingying, who had been covering her mouth and laughing, turned to look. A woman dressed entirely in green, with a pitiful expression on her face, was slowly approaching them in green embroidered shoes, clutching a little embroidered handkerchief.

A flash of displeasure crossed An Yingying's eyes. She frowned and said, "What are you doing here?"

The woman seemed startled by her and drew in her shoulders. Her voice seemed to tremble slightly as she said, "Brother Qingshi asked me to come. He... told me to find him a little later."

"Heh! Is that so?"

"Are you angry, Sister-in-law? I... didn't know you were here too. If... if I had known, Lian'er certainly wouldn't have come and caused you to misunderstand."

An Yingying sneered. "I don't want to waste time tangling with you today. Get out of my way."

"You really are angry, Sister-in-law. I'm sorry. Lian'er will go back at once." Bai Lian dabbed at nonexistent tears in the corners of her eyes with her handkerchief, her body swaying as though she might collapse at any moment.

The sight stirred pity in the onlookers, who gave An Yingying rather peculiar looks.

"But Grandmother..."

The little maid in pink beside Bai Lian supported her slender frame and said, "Miss, the Old Madam told you to keep the General company. If you go back just like this, I'm afraid she won't be pleased."

"It's all right. I'll explain it to Grandmother." Bai Lian put on the appearance of someone who had been wronged but was still trying to be brave. "Chunxiu, let's go. Let's not upset Sister-in-law."

Clap, clap. The beauty Liyue looked at Bai Lian with a faint smile, clapping her hands as though in play and leaning lazily against Yan Wanning. "You're quite a piece of work. The person concerned hasn't said a thing yet, but you've already said everything, good and bad."

Yan Wanning studied Bai Lian discreetly for a few moments. For some reason, the mere sight of this woman made her uncomfortable. She reminded her of Yan Wanwen, whose manner was much the same.

Yan Wanning frowned. "You're a very strange woman. Yingying only said one thing, yet you insist you've upset her. You keep saying you're leaving without making a move, and you even brought up Old Madam Gu to pressure her."

"What are you trying to do? Are you trying to splash Yingying with dirty water and make people misunderstand her?" Yan Wanning looked at Bai Lian impassively.

"Who are you two ladies? How can you misunderstand me like this?" Bai Lian secretly sized up Yan Wanning and Liyue.

The clothes and ornaments both wore were beyond the means of ordinary people. In particular, the woman in peach-red brocade with a red veil over her face wore clothes made of Yunjin, which Bai Lian had only ever seen at Old Madam Gu's residence. Yunjin was so precious that even Old Madam Gu had only been willing to give Gu Shuang a small bolt of it.

The extraordinarily beautiful woman beside her, who wore no veil, had clothes made of fabric that was less precious than Yunjin but still uncommon. She was looking at Bai Lian with impatience and disdain.

Bai Lian immediately concluded that both women were of extraordinary status.

When had An Yingying made friends like these? Heh! What good luck.

Whatever she was thinking, Bai Lian put on an innocent expression and looked at An Yingying. "Sister-in-law, Lian'er didn't."

An Yingying ignored her and gave the two women a grateful smile. Then she said to Bai Lian, "I don't care who you came to see. If you're looking for Gu Qingshi, go find him. If you show up in front of me again, I won't let you off easy."

"Sister-in-law, you've misunderstood. I'm not... ah—"

Bai Lian shrieked and fell toward An Yingying. Chunxiu hurried to catch her, but Liyue pulled An Yingying aside and swiftly kicked Bai Lian away. Bai Lian's scream rang through the Fragrant Fullness Tower.

Meanwhile, in the private room, the group had finished discussing business. Recalling how Si Yunqi had acted like a good husband toward Yan Wanning earlier, Shi Jinyan asked, "Has Your Highness taken the Princess Consort to heart?"

"Mm." Si Yunqi answered calmly, but Shi Jinyan's jaw dropped. "Why?" he asked.

"She's young and needs someone to take care of her." His little Princess Consort was young and looked so delicate and soft. As her husband, if he didn't take care of her and someone bullied her, what would he do?

"Uh..." Shi Jinyan thought about it. Yan Wanning was fifteen, and Si Yunqi was twenty-two. With seven years between them, she was indeed still young.

"Besides that, she's good in every way. Everyone was hoping I'd take a wife. Now that I've married her, shouldn't I cherish and protect her? What else would I do, throw her away?"

When Si Yunqi thought of Yan Wanning, even his cold, hard face softened. The others were astonished. They had never seen him like this before, and they had no idea what his little Princess Consort had done to make him care so much.