She was-gentle and sweet;
She was-beautiful and gracious!
If Le Xiaopang ever heard Wang Yang humming "Late," he would surely think those two lines described Lady Shen perfectly.
Lady Shen sat with them for less than the time it took to drink a cup of tea, yet she left everyone feeling bathed in a spring breeze.
She never interrupted to show herself off, nor did she simply shrink into a corner and remain silent. She was as good at responding as she was at listening. Even if you spoke of something utterly trivial, she seemed to listen as though it were something important, never dismissing you or merely going through the motions.
Speaking before her, you felt confident, never awkward or at a loss for words. Even if you briefly "lost your footing" and said something foolish, you felt no burden, because you knew Lady Shen would not think you foolish.
With anyone else, such behavior would inevitably make you feel they were deliberately winning you over or accommodating you. Take the mistresses of certain households on the social circuit: their lips were always curved in a smile, their nods always warm, and even the words "What happened next?" were often delivered with perfect timing. Though they made guests feel at home, it was ultimately a polished skill, the product of worldly experience.
Lady Shen, however, gave you no such impression.
She was gentle and serene, kind and perceptive.
She made you feel that her composure was no social technique, but simply her nature.
When others were happy, she naturally shared their happiness;
When others were embarrassed, she instinctively lent them a hand.
She never deliberately catered to anyone, yet always made people feel well treated. Even Wang Yang and Yu Yuling, who had barely exchanged a few words with