Spring was deepening, the lingering chill as gentle as water.
After last night’s light rain, the air felt even cooler.
Even though the brazier in the room radiated warmth, Shen Youran still clung to her quilt, unwilling to get up.
Danruo and Qinghe, the two maids, knocked on the door for the third time, but there was still no response from inside.
Left with no choice, they carried in warm water for washing and entered directly.
Walking to the yellow rosewood canopy bed with its moon-shaped opening, they lifted the drooping brocade curtains and saw their young lady snuggling under the covers, her brows curved in a lazy pout.
Smiling, Danruo called out, “Miss, aren’t you supposed to accompany the eldest young lady to the Rainbow Bridge by the East Water Gate today to meet the eldest son of the Pei Family? If you don’t get up now, you’ll be late…”
The eldest young lady, Shen Yunshu, was famed for both her beauty and talent.
Gentle and refined, she had been in the capital for only two years, yet her reputation already preceded her.
Half a month ago, Old Madam Pei was granted a court title and held a tea party at the manor to express gratitude for the imperial favor.
At that tea party, Old Madam Pei took a liking to Shen Yunshu at first sight.
She favored her as a granddaughter-in-law and wished to match her with her legitimate eldest grandson, Pei Huaijin.
However, at that time, Pei Huaijin was still serving as an assistant magistrate in Lingzhou and would not return to the capital for another half year.
The day before yesterday, the Pei Family sent word that Pei Huaijin would be returning to the capital soon to report on his duties.
Old Madam Pei intended to take advantage of his brief stay to let him and Shen Yunshu meet in advance.
Nowadays, these matchmaking meetings usually took place at a banquet or elegant gathering.
The prospective bride and groom would exchange a few glances across the crowd—if they fancied each other, all would rejoice; if not, it would be as if they had never met, sparing everyone any future awkwardness.
But during these few days that the eldest son of the Pei Family was in the capital, there were no suitable banquets or gatherings.
So, the Pei Family decided to set the meeting at the Rainbow Bridge by the East Water Gate, at three-quarters past the Mao hour this morning.
At that time, dawn was just breaking and there would be few people by the bridge.
One would be on the bridge, the other below, and they would exchange a few glances from a distance—not too close, not too far.
When the meeting was over, it would not delay their return home for breakfast.
It was already close to the appointed time.
The eldest young lady was surely ready by now, yet the third young lady accompanying her was still lazing in bed.
“Miss, please get up quickly…”
Danruo had grown up with her young lady since childhood.
Though master and servant, their bond was like sisters.
Seeing that her lady’s long lashes fluttered—clearly awake but too lazy to rise—
Danruo simply sat on the bed and helped her up.
Qinghe handed over a warm, damp cloth at just the right moment.
Danruo skillfully wiped her lady’s cheeks and forehead before those thin eyelids finally opened, revealing eyes as bright as morning dew.
“I’ll do it myself.”
Shen Youran, still groggy, took the cloth from Danruo’s hand and rubbed her face carelessly.
Her fair, delicate skin was reddened by the rough motion, stinging a little, which finally woke her up.
She climbed out of bed, yawning as the two maids helped her dress.
She wore a simple lake-blue silk skirt, the cool color accentuating her youthful beauty without overshadowing the main event—it was her elder sister’s day, after all.
Once dressed, Shen Youran let Danruo style her hair into a simple cloud bun, pinning it with a pair of pearl-inlaid jade hairpins.
She wore no makeup and left her room with a bare face.
The courtyard, freshly washed by the rain, was filled with a clean scent.
The crabapple blossoms, beaded with dew, bloomed delicately on the branches.
As Shen Youran walked into the courtyard, she happened to meet her elder sister, who had come to fetch her.
Her elder sister was dressed today in a tea-white robe, with a pale yellow inner dress and a gold-embroidered rose skirt with layered pleats.
As she walked gracefully, the jade pendants at her waist chimed softly.
Usually disinclined to makeup, today she wore a light touch of powder and her brows were delicately drawn, making her already luminous features even more striking.
The sisters originally looked quite alike, but now, with one in splendid makeup and the other bare-faced, the resemblance was less apparent.
Shen Youran, her eyes still drowsy, hooked her arm around her elder sister’s and leaned against her, inhaling the faint fragrance from her sister’s clothes and acting spoiled.
“I got up so early today. When we come back, I need to catch up on sleep. Can I skip practicing calligraphy and needlework this morning?”
“No,” Shen Yunshu replied, doting yet helpless, casting her sister a resigned look.
“If this marriage goes through, I won’t have much time left to watch over you in the manor. You’re sixteen already—girls your age are learning to manage accounts and household affairs. But you can’t play a single instrument, nor paint, nor embroider, and you’re always looking for ways to shirk your lessons…”
“But I’m just not talented. I’m hopeless at these things—they’re too hard for me.”
“Who says you’re hopeless? It’s only because Mother wasn’t around when you were little, and Father neglected your upbringing, that you turned out this way. If you don’t change, you’ll suffer after you’re married…”
Shen Youran was unconcerned.
“Father is the Minister of Revenue. As long as I don’t marry above my station, who would dare make me suffer?”
Shen Yunshu poked her forehead, making her stand up straight: “Don’t think marrying beneath you will keep you safe. There are plenty of women in the inner court who have ways to torment a new wife…”
Shen Youran grumbled as she straightened up: “Then I just won’t get married, how about that?”
“With a father like yours, there will be no shortage of suitors. It’s not up to you to say you won’t marry.”
Shen Yunshu looked at her sister, whose face resembled hers but still had a childish air between the brows, and sighed.
“But I’ve already spoken to Father—your marriage will need my approval before it’s agreed. Mother isn’t here, so as your elder sister, it’s my duty to look out for you…”
Twelve years ago, their parents quarreled and divorced.
Their mother took the two sisters back to her family in Chengzhou.
Father went after them, but couldn’t save the marriage.
After the separation, Shen Yunshu stayed with their mother in Chengzhou, while Shen Youran returned to the capital with their father.
The sisters were separated for ten years.
Two years ago, Shen Yunshu returned to the capital and found her younger sister, two years her junior, spoiled beyond recognition by their father and stepmother, Weishi, and with a poor reputation in the capital.
At that time, the Marquis of Changxing Manor sent a matchmaker to propose for their grandson, Lin Wulang.
Because of the Marquis’s noble status, their father and Weishi were inclined to accept, but Shen Yunshu persuaded their father to delay the decision.
After making inquiries, she learned that Lin Wulang, though outwardly virtuous, kept a beautiful Tongfang by his side and doted on her, just waiting to marry a proper wife so he could promote the Tongfang to a favored concubine.
The Marquis’s family, after some thought, set their sights on Shen Youran, the third young lady of the Minister’s household.
At that time, Shen Youran was only fourteen, as beautiful as a budding lotus, but lacking in learning and utterly naive, without a trace of cunning.
If she entered the Marquis’s household, wouldn’t she be at the mercy of others behind closed doors?
Shen Yunshu, leveraging their father’s guilt toward her and their mother, convinced him to refuse the Marquis’s proposal.
She then stayed at the manor to personally guide Shen Youran.
She had been teaching her for two years now.
Shen Youran had improved greatly, but was still far from Shen Yunshu’s expectations.
Shen Yunshu wished she could stay longer to teach her sister, but this match with the Pei Family was one she had chosen with care.
Besides, she was already nineteen—if she delayed any further, she might miss her chance at such a good marriage.
Thinking of all this, Shen Yunshu took her sister’s hand and gracefully walked toward the front gate.
When the sisters arrived at the entrance, Li Mama, Weishi’s trusted attendant, was already waiting by the carriage.
Seeing them, Li Mama gave a respectful curtsey and said politely, “Eldest Miss, Third Miss, Furen originally intended to accompany you today, but Xu Ge’er wasn’t feeling well last night, so she had to stay and care for him. She asked this old servant to accompany you instead…”
Xu Ge’er was Weishi’s second child, just five years old, with an older sister, Yumian, who was seven.
Weishi had married into the family when Shen Youran was eight—old enough to remember.
The two were not related by blood.
Weishi spoiled Shen Youran, giving her anything she wanted, but genuine motherly love was something she could not give.
As for Shen Yunshu, Weishi had never raised her, and since Shen Yunshu had not changed her surname, she and Weishi were only stepmother and stepdaughter in name.
There was no need for Weishi to accompany her to meet her prospective husband—sending Li Mama was already a show of courtesy.
Shen Yunshu didn’t mind.
She said to Li Mama, “You are Furen’s most capable attendant. Since my fifth brother isn’t well, you should go back and help Furen take care of him. Having my third sister accompany me is enough.”
Her voice was gentle and soft, with a touch of the Wu dialect from Chengzhou, but Li Mama knew well that the eldest miss, for all her delicate appearance, was a person of strong will.
Since she said so, Li Mama didn’t insist: “Yes, then I’ll stay in the manor and await your good news.”
Shen Yunshu nodded, took the Makeup Box from the maid Tinglan, and led Shen Youran into the carriage.
The carriage rumbled off.
Inside, as the carriage swayed gently, Shen Youran lay across her sister’s lap to catch up on sleep.
Suddenly, something soft and warm brushed her cheek, followed by a wave of her sister’s familiar scent.
Shen Youran opened her eyes and saw her sister’s fingertip stained with rouge, smiling at her.
“This is the rouge I had someone buy from Three-Spring Studio yesterday. They say it’s made from coral—no one else has this kind of rouge…”
Shen Youran looked at the blush on her sister’s cheeks, its color matching her lips.
She asked, “Sister, did you use this rouge on your lips too?”
“Yes, do you like it?”
“It looks beautiful.”
Shen Yunshu helped her up and dabbed some on her cheeks and lips as well.
“It looks good on you too—your complexion looks much better now…”
After applying the rouge, Shen Youran leaned against her sister’s shoulder again.
Even when scolded for her lack of proper posture, she didn’t mind—being close to her sister was always more comfortable than sitting alone.
After a while, she noticed her elder sister scratching her cheeks and pressing her lips together more and more often.
At first, she thought her sister was just nervous about meeting her prospective husband, but gradually realized something was wrong.
“Big sister, why is your face turning so red?”
Shen Youran raised her face for a closer look.
“It looks like you’ve broken out in a rash.”
She glanced at her sister’s lips.
“Your lips look swollen too.”
“Really?”
Shen Yunshu hurriedly took the Copper Mirror from the Makeup Box and checked.
Sure enough, hives had appeared on both cheeks, and her lips were red and swollen.
No wonder her face had felt itchy after putting on makeup—she’d thought it was just unfamiliarity, but now it was clear the Coral Rouge didn’t suit her skin and had caused an allergic reaction.
“Quick, wipe off the rouge!”
Shen Yunshu grabbed a cloth, but went to wipe the rouge from Shen Youran’s face first.
Shen Youran realized the rouge was the problem and quickly took out a cloth to help wipe her sister’s face.
“Don’t worry about my face—the important thing is yours…”
The two sisters hurriedly wiped at each other’s faces, but the rouge had been on Shen Yunshu’s face too long; even after wiping it off, the rash only worsened, and her lips were now badly swollen.
Shen Youran grew anxious.
“Sister, you’re supposed to meet the eldest son of the Pei Family soon—what are we going to do?”
Shen Yunshu, frowning at her reflection in the mirror, thought for a moment.
Then she looked at Shen Youran, whose face showed no reaction to the rouge, and an idea struck her.
“Good sister, let me put makeup on you. You can pretend to be me and go meet Pei Langjun in my place, all right?”