At the beginning of the You hour, the lanterns in Qinfang Garden lit up one by one, casting the peach blossoms along the winding, secluded path in a glow like red clouds. Jiang Wan stood on the steps of the water pavilion, watching the young noblewomen depart in twos and threes, her fingertips gently clutching the sachet that Chen Yutong had just pressed into her hand—it was embroidered with a Twin Lotus design, the stitches as fine as spring drizzle.
"Miss Jiang, please wait!" a crisp voice called out from behind. Jiang Wan turned to see a young girl in a honey-colored ru dress walking gracefully toward her, a rare lapis lazuli necklace tied at her waist. It was Ren Yao, the daughter of the Minister of Personnel. Remembering how Ren Yao had used her poem "Spring Fields" at the poetry gathering yesterday to mock her, Jiang Wan felt a flicker of intrigue at this sudden show of goodwill.
"Is there something you need, Sister Ren Yao?" Jiang Wan offered a polite curtsy, her tone distant but courteous.
Chapter 41