The first time I saw Shen Yanzhi was in the pear orchard at the end of spring. Dressed in a moon-white robe, he stood beneath a pear tree, pinning a blossom into Su Qinghe's hair. A petal drifted onto his own crown, making him look precisely like an immortal who had stepped down from a painting. Meanwhile, I was squatting behind the rockery, clutching freshly picked apricots and devouring them until the juice ran down my hands, just as I heard Su Qinghe giggle softly, "Brother Yanzhi, you've pinned this flower all crooked."
"Clumsy fingers." Shen Yanzhi's tone carried a trace of helplessness as he reached out to readjust the pear blossom in her hair himself. My legs grew numb from squatting, and I could not help standing up, causing the jade pendant at my waist to drop against the bluestone pavement with a sharp *clatter*.
The two of them turned in unison. I saw Shen Yanzhi frown slightly, while Su Qinghe's eyes held a three-tenths look of vigilance.
Chapter 26