Chapter Sixteen: Jealous of Her Beauty

She was already quite gratified to see that he had changed at all.

Gao Xueluo nodded in agreement. However, she hadn’t yet seen the person she was looking for, and couldn’t help but mutter, “Where did he run off to?”

Shen Nanyuan heard her and glanced over, curiosity in her voice. “Who are you looking for?”

“Oh, no one, no one,” Gao Xueluo hastily waved her hands, picking up her teacup to hide her embarrassment and taking a sip of water, her eyes darting about in confusion. Just then, a familiar figure appeared in her line of sight. She suddenly raised her hand high, calling out, “Brother, over here!”

Shen Nanyuan was a little puzzled. She lifted her gaze and saw a man dressed in elegant white brocade coming into view—a refined and handsome gentleman. Gao Xueluo went over, pulling Gao Yuanlang to sit beside her.

Watching the siblings together, Shen Nanyuan suddenly remembered. The book briefly mentioned that Gao Yuanlang had liked the original Shen Nanyuan since childhood, but as she had been engaged to someone else, he could only bury his feelings. After the Shen family was wiped out, it was these two siblings who braved great danger to recover her body and see that she was properly buried.

Jun Ci never did such a thing, and the ministers who had always been close to Shen Yi didn’t dare, but these siblings gave her the last rites.

When she read the book, Shen Nanyuan had always had a favorable impression of them. Now that they stood before her, her attitude naturally warmed; yet, having no interest in Gao Yuanlang and fearing a misunderstanding, she thought for a moment and then greeted him formally, “Brother Gao.”

In the past, because of his sister, Gao Yuanlang and Shen Nanyuan would occasionally meet, but never had he been as nervous as today. Now that she was no longer engaged, he finally had a chance. Gao Yuanlang even found it difficult to meet her gaze. “Miss Shen.”

Sitting between them, Gao Xueluo glanced at her brother and shook her head helplessly. Such a good opportunity, yet her brother was still acting so shy!

She cleared her throat. “Shall we go admire the chrysanthemums? There’s one that my brother planted himself, from seeds he got in the south. We thought it wouldn’t survive here, but it actually flourished. Yuan, would you like to see it?”

Shen Nanyuan smiled and nodded. “That sounds lovely.”

When Jun Ci arrived, he happened to see, not far away by the pond, Shen Nanyuan heading toward the garden with her companions, radiant with laughter. He felt a twinge of discontent in his heart, his lips pressed into a hard line. As he turned his head, his eyes met Lin Yan’s.

He had only recently broken off his engagement. If he were to get close to Lin Yan now, there would inevitably be rumors that could tarnish her reputation, so they had agreed he would wait a while before visiting the Lin family to propose marriage.

Such an occasion was not the time for intimacy, so he averted his gaze and walked toward Liu Yuli.

Lin Yan glanced at the spot where Shen Nanyuan had just been, her expression becoming rather unpleasant.

“There really are quite a few beautiful young ladies here,” Liu Yuli said, closing the fan in his hand, “but the most striking is still Miss Shen. You arrived late and missed it—every one of those young gentlemen couldn’t keep their eyes off her.”

“Is that so,” Jun Ci replied coolly.

Liu Yuli shot him a look. “You don’t care about that sort of thing. Your mind is all over there.” He purposely glanced toward Lin Yan and continued with a laugh, “Good news coming soon, I suppose.”

“It’ll be a while yet,” Jun Ci said. “There’s no hurry.”

Liu Yuli was a bit surprised. Not long ago, he had seemed desperate, yet now with the engagement broken, he claimed there was no rush. Shaking his head, he said, “I really don’t understand you.”

—

Shen Nanyuan strolled through the garden, a maid left behind by Gao Xueluo trailing after her. The siblings had been called away for some matter, and Gao Xueluo, worried she might encounter trouble alone, had arranged for the maid to keep her company.

It was almost as if she feared Shen Nanyuan would be bullied—she had fussed over her before leaving, urging her not to wander and promising to be back soon.

Not fond of crowds, Shen Nanyuan walked against the flow of people until she found a quiet spot and sat down. The maid said, “Allow me to fetch you a pot of hot tea.”

After walking for so long, Shen Nanyuan was indeed a little thirsty, so she nodded. Watching the maid’s figure recede, she propped her chin in her hand, listless with boredom.

According to Gao Xueluo, the original Shen Nanyuan rarely attended such gatherings, which made sense. So many eyes fixed on her made her uncomfortable; she would much rather be in her own courtyard, where it was comfortable and relaxing.

She had wondered why Shen Sinian, who was clearly free today, hadn’t come—now it was obvious he was deliberately avoiding it. With Shen Yi so esteemed at court and Shen Sinian a commander, everyone wanted to curry favor, but countless eyes were also watching, ready to pounce on any misstep. It just wasn’t in Shen Sinian’s nature.

Shen Jinyu might have been different. If not for his injuries and house arrest, he certainly would have come.

She was lost in thought when she sensed someone approaching. Thinking it was the maid with her tea, she looked up, only to see Lin Yan—always so hostile toward her.

She had chosen quite a secluded spot. Lin Yan’s presence could only mean she had come on purpose.

Withdrawing her gaze, Shen Nanyuan stretched lazily. How tiresome.

Lin Yan sat down across from her, looking delicate and frail, the sort to inspire pity. “Miss Shen.”

Shen Nanyuan smiled. “And you are?”

“Lin Yan,” she replied. “You may not know me, Miss Shen, but I know you.”

“Oh?”

Shen Nanyuan thought for a moment, then nodded. “It makes sense that you know me. I’m the most beautiful woman in the capital—many people know of me.”

The composure on Lin Yan’s face faltered for a moment, her lips twitching. “You’re… a bit different from what I imagined, Miss Shen.”

“How so?” Shen Nanyuan said earnestly, “Am I even more beautiful than you expected? Of course—how else would I earn such a reputation?”

Lin Yan could only stare in silence.

“Did you come to ask how to become more beautiful? I’m afraid that’s not something I can teach. I’ve always looked this way.”

Lin Yan was speechless. If anyone else had said such things, she might have suspected sarcasm, but Shen Nanyuan’s expression was so serious she truly didn’t know how to respond.

“Miss Lin, though your looks can’t compare to mine, don’t belittle yourself. Is there anything else you wanted?”

How annoying.

She and Jun Ci had ended their engagement long ago—what was Lin Yan doing here? It could only be jealousy.