For some reason, Pei You felt that after she answered Chen Yunxin’s question, the girl was no longer interested in talking to her. Not that she minded; she was used to being on her own. Perhaps her sister felt humiliated by her performing a village fitness dance at the palace banquet.
Pei You rested her chin on her hands, leaving a faint red mark on her soft, pale cheeks. She sighed, thinking that if she could dance as gracefully as Auntie Wang, she probably wouldn't have been looked down upon.
After Pei You’s performance, no other young lady of the nobility volunteered to take the stage. The guests went back to clinking their glasses and sipping wine. Chen Boyuan, the Marquis of Wangyuan, felt inexplicably embarrassed when his colleagues praised her. To him, the fact that Pei You had some talent but hadn't volunteered it showed a lack of refinement.
Meanwhile, Pei You, the person in question, was silently reflecting on how she should increase her practice sessions once she returned home.
During the remainder of the banquet, many young ladies suddenly appeared wanting to befriend her. Pei You turned no one away, greeting them all with a smile. Her manners were flawless, yet her polite, soft-spoken demeanor carried a faint sense of detachment.
Only when she finally left the banquet and climbed into the carriage did Pei You exhale a long, deep breath. Having grown accustomed to the casual nature of the village, dealing with a group of Capital noblewomen—all scented with perfume and obsessed with music, chess, calligraphy, and painting—was truly exhausting.
However, after carefully reviewing her behavior at the banquet, she decided she hadn’t made any major mistakes, and she finally allowed herself to relax.
When they returned to the manor, Chen Yunxin’s eyes were still red. Both brothers were busy comforting her, and no one paid any attention to Pei You. Seeing Chen Yunxin surrounded by the others, Pei You hesitantly took two steps forward, only to be pushed aside. After standing in place with wide, bewildered eyes for a moment, she gave up on the idea of joining the comforting circle and returned to her Feihua Courtyard alone.
As soon as she stepped into Feihua Courtyard, Pei You smelled the familiar fragrance of peach blossoms.
Dusk was falling, and two candles had been lit in the yard for light. Pei You saw Nanny Xu standing there and hurried over.
Nanny Xu gently draped a cloak over Pei You’s shoulders, her warm gaze filled with affection. "You're back, Miss. The food at the palace looks beautiful but rarely fills the stomach. I went out and bought some snacks; I hope they are to your liking."
Pei You had been chilled to the bone by the cold wind, and her spirits had been dampened, but at Nanny Xu’s words, her heart warmed, just like the soft rabbit fur of the cloak.
Dimples appeared on her soft, white cheeks as she gave a wide, brilliant smile, though her clear, almond-shaped eyes grew slightly moist. "Nanny is so thoughtful. I really didn't eat enough."
Nanny Xu led her to a stone table in the yard and opened the food box, revealing the familiar peach blossom pastries.
"Nanny, you should sit too."
Nanny Xu initially wanted to refuse, but Pei You insisted, pulling her down to sit. Since there was no one else in the courtyard, Nanny Xu finally complied.
Watching the distant, bright stars and the hazy veil cast by the moonlight, with a cool breeze brushing past and the warm yellow lantern light sealing off the darkness, the Feihua Courtyard felt entirely separated from the chaotic Wangyuan Marquis Manor.
Pei You ate some peach blossom pastry and went to sleep, dreaming as if she were resting in a peach blossom orchard in March.
Nanny Xu gently tucked the corners of the blanket around Pei You before stepping out of the room.
***
The next morning, the sound of chaotic footsteps burst into Feihua Courtyard and stopped outside Pei You’s bedroom.
Nanny Xu was deft, and within half an hour, she had styled Pei You’s hair into an exquisite, elegant *suiyun* bun, pinned with a lustrous pearl hairpin that made her look both lively and endearing.
Pei You looked left and right in the bronze mirror. She rarely wore such intricate styles, and now, she truly looked like the noble daughters she had seen the day before.
Once she was ready, she went to the outer room to meet the servant from the main courtyard who had been waiting.
Wancui, dressed in the deep purple uniform of a first-class maid, had been waiting a long time. She bowed indifferently and said, "I am Wancui, a first-class maid in the Madame’s service. The Second Young Master has returned to the manor today and is currently accompanying the Madame in Wanhe Courtyard. Please make your way there immediately."
After Wancui left, Pei You bowed her head, speechless. The shock of her eldest brother, Chen Yunwen, returning had been enough; now that her second brother was back, would she even get to eat tonight?
People are like iron, and food is the steel; one gets famished without a meal. Even as she bowed to pay her respects to the Marquis’s wife, Chang Wan, Pei You was still distracted by thoughts of tonight’s dinner.
"Sit," Chang Wan said, sipping her tea without looking at Pei You. "It’s a rare occasion for Yan’er to return. Tell the kitchen whatever you want for lunch today."
Pei You followed her gaze to Chen Yunyan, who sat diagonally across from them. He wore a purple-toned, wide-sleeved robe, his lips vibrant, his nose bridge straight, and his fox-like eyes slanted upward.
He sat casually in a sandalwood chair, and as he lifted his gaze, his eyes locked with Pei You’s, who hadn't looked away in time.
Seeing Pei You startled into immediately averting her eyes, Chen Yunyan retracted his gaze with a faint, amused smile. At the banquet, she had looked like a noble, untouchable little phoenix; now, she was as timid as a rabbit.
"Very well," Chen Yunyan replied casually to his mother, then took out two brocade boxes. "There isn't much to do in Hezhou, but the lotus blossoms are worth seeing. These are two lotus hairpins; take them as a gift from me."
Pei You was dazed when she received the box from Nanny Xu. So, there was a gift for her too!
She gently lifted the lid to reveal a finely carved white jade lotus. Delicate gold threads traced the outline of the petals, and the touch was cool and smooth. Pei You touched the blooming jade lotus with care, her dimples appearing before her joy even reached her eyes.
Chen Yunxin looked at the hairpin in her hand and pulled a tight smile. "Thank you, Second Brother."
Despite her words of thanks, her eyes reddened. Chang Wan hurriedly pulled her daughter close and wiped her eyes with a handkerchief. "My heart, what is the matter?"
Chen Yunxin’s voice was choked with sobs. "I’m sorry, Mother. Second Brother. I just can't bear the thought of my brother being separated... It’s like this hairpin, having to split half away for someone else."
As soon as these words were spoken, Chen Yunzhou stood up abruptly and snatched the brocade box from Pei You’s hands.
"Don't cry, Xiner. Brother will always be your brother," he said, before glaring at Pei You. "Ever since you entered this house, Xiner has taught you and spoken up for you, yet you steal her jewelry, claim you can’t dance, bully her at the banquet, and now you’re even snatching her hairpin."
Pei You instinctively reached for the box, but Chen Yunzhou dodged her, and the delicate case ended up back in Chen Yunxin’s hands.
A surge of bitterness welled up inside her, and Pei You fought back tears.
"Utterly incorrigible!" Chen Yunwen slammed his armrest. "You will reflect in your own courtyard today, and no one is to give her any food!"
Pei You bit her lower lip and wiped her eyes. She felt that starving for a day wouldn't matter, as long as she could just have the hairpin back.
"I really don't know how to dance. Everyone in the village dances a little; my dancing isn't special," Pei You, her eyes red, suppressed her self-doubt and timidity to speak up with courage. "I didn't know people in the Capital called it the *Jinghong Dance*. Please, can you give the hairpin back to me..."
Hearing this, Chen Yunxin was even angrier. What kind of village would treat the *Jinghong Dance* like a village dance? Pei You was clearly lying!
"Tsk. I gave the hairpin; why are you bullying her?" Chen Yunyan’s smile didn't reach his eyes. "Eldest brother, Younger brother, why are you being so petty?"
Chen Yunyan stood up, took the box, retrieved the hairpin, leaned over, and placed it directly into Pei You’s hair. He stood back up after gently adjusting the dangling pearl chain.
"I said I gave it to her; wouldn't it be breaking my word to take it back?" Chen Yunyan turned his head to meet Chen Yunwen’s gaze. "Eldest brother, the Crown Prince favors the conduct of a gentleman. If rumors of mistreating one's own sister reach his ears, I fear I won't be able to help you."
His tone was frivolous and his posture relaxed, yet his words were impossible to refute. Chen Yunwen clenched his fists. Both brothers served the Crown Prince, but the Prince trusted the second brother more, and the eldest often found himself constrained by him.
"...Fine," Chen Yunwen muttered after a long pause. "You’ve just returned. It’s better if the whole family eats the first meal together."
Seeing their eldest brother back down, Chen Yunzhou didn't dare say a word. Their second brother had been raised by their grandmother and had a distant relationship with them. Although he was always smiling, he had plenty of ways to make life difficult for others, so Chen Yunzhou didn't dare cross him.
With Chen Boyuan not present, Chang Wan felt heartbroken watching her three sons secretly maneuvering against each other. She patted Chen Yunxin’s back. "Alright, if you feel slighted, go find something you like in my vanity case."
Seeing that the situation was not going her way and feeling a shiver at her second brother’s smiling fox-like eyes, Chen Yunxin didn't dare cry anymore. The room went cold in an instant.
Pei You breathed a sigh of relief. At least she had gotten the hairpin back. Her eyes, still glistening with tears, stared unblinkingly at Chen Yunyan.
Chen Yunyan acted as if he hadn't noticed the tense atmosphere at all and looked at Pei You with a smile. "Pei You."
Pei You was startled by the sudden mention of her name and immediately straightened her back.
"Minister of Rites, Jiang Chen, wishes to see you. Of course, whether you go or not is up to you."