#138: The Blossoming of Love

On an early February evening, after washing clothes, Yunyi returned to find Jiang Caiping sitting in front of a bronze mirror, holding a pink camellia flower and comparing its placement near her temples. Upon seeing Yunyi enter, she quickly asked, “Sister, does this look good here? But it feels too low, like it might fall off at any moment.”

Yunyi approached, took the camellia from her, and placed it on the left side of her hair bun. “There, isn’t this better? But didn’t you always dislike wearing these ornaments and flowers?”

“I used to dislike them, but now I think they look nice.” Smiling, Jiang Caiping checked her reflection in the mirror. “It looks much better when you place it. I tried for so long earlier and couldn’t get it right.” Rising, she lifted her skirt and prepared to leave. Yunyi, surprised, asked, “Where are you going so late?”

Jiang Caiping casually replied, “Third Young Master said last night to meet him by Yuehua Pond at this time tonight. He promised something interesting to see.”

Watching her hurried departure, Yunyi’s eyes filled with worry. Jiang Caiping’s interactions with Li Xuanba were becoming increasingly frequent. Moreover, lately, her attitude toward him had shifted—she no longer resisted him as before. In fact, there was a faint trace of fondness.

Since Mo Ping’s death, no one had been closer to her than Jiang Caiping. Yunyi genuinely liked the latter’s candid and straightforward nature, treating her like a younger sister. Precisely because of this, she worried deeply.

Setting aside the difference in status between Jiang Caiping and Li Xuanba, the precarious situation of the Li family loomed large. Despite apparent wealth and peace, their position was fraught with danger. The emperor harbored deep suspicions and animosity toward Li Yuan. The only reason they hadn’t been executed was the unstable situations in Hedong and Guandong, which might trigger greater turmoil. Even so, tolerance had limits. Even if Yunyi didn’t kill the Li family herself, the emperor would eventually order their deaths.

She understood the emperor’s temperament—either he wouldn’t act, or he’d act decisively. Once he decided to eliminate Li Yuan, no one in the Li family would survive, not even outsiders.

If Jiang Caiping remained unmarried to the Li family, she might escape—but otherwise, it would surely mean death, and Yunyi couldn’t save her!

Jiang Caiping returned at the second watch, her face glowing with excitement. “Sister, guess what I saw at Yuehua Pond?” Without waiting for Yunyi to respond, she eagerly revealed, “Lotus flowers! So many lotus flowers!”

“Lotus flowers?” Yunyi frowned. “They bloom in April or May. How could there be any now?”

“I was surprised too, but then I realized they weren’t real flowers—they were floating lanterns shaped like lotuses! When you looked across the pond, it was breathtaking, as if summer had arrived early!” Recalling the sight, Jiang Caiping’s eyes sparkled with fascination, lost in thought for a long while.

Yunyi remarked coolly, “So Third Young Master called you out just to see these lanterns?”

Jiang Caiping wrinkled her nose. “It wasn’t that simple. He was drinking wine and asked me to perform the Hu Xuan dance I recently learned to entertain him. But…” She bit her lip and whispered, “Third Young Master complimented me for the first time, saying I danced beautifully.”

Yunyi pulled her to sit down, her expression solemn. “Caiping, I need to ask you something. You must answer honestly and not lie.”

Confused by her tone, Jiang Caiping asked, “Sister, what’s wrong?”

“Promise me first.” Seeing her reaction, Jiang Caiping obediently nodded. “I promise, I won’t lie.”

“Do you have feelings for Third Young Master?” At Yunyi’s words, Jiang Caiping was startled, pulling away and standing up. “Sister, what nonsense are you spouting? I… how could I like Third Young Master!” Despite her words, her cheeks flushed crimson, as though on fire.

Yunyi stared at her. “If you truly don’t, why are you blushing?”

Jiang Caiping tightly covered her burning cheeks and turned away. “Of course I’d blush when you suddenly ask such an embarrassing question. What’s so strange about that?”

Yunyi sighed. “If you truly felt nothing for Third Young Master, you wouldn’t light up at the mention of him or smile so happily. Caiping, I’ve known you for so long and have never seen you smile like that.”

“No, I… I’ve always been like this. Third Young Master keeps teasing me—I’m constantly annoyed with him. How could I possibly…” Jiang Caiping trailed off as Yunyi pulled her back to sit in front of the mirror. Pointing at her reflection, Yunyi said, “Look at yourself. Which part of your brow or eye shows annoyance? And…” She removed the pink camellia from Jiang Caiping’s hair. “You’ve always disliked wearing these, yet today you deliberately picked one to wear before meeting Third Young Master. Isn’t that proof?”

Jiang Caiping was flustered by her words. Deep down, she knew the truth. Somewhere along the way, she had stopped disliking Li Xuanba. Though he often teased her, he also frequently made her laugh and remembered her casual remarks. Like tonight’s floating lanterns—they stemmed from her offhand comment about wishing for summer and seeing a pond full of blooming lotuses.

When they parted tonight, Li Xuanba suddenly held her hand, making her heart race. She knew it meant she liked him, but she thought it was her own little secret. To have it uncovered so abruptly by Yunyi left her unsure how to respond.

Snatching the camellia from Yunyi’s hand, Jiang Caiping moved to the side, lowering her head. “Even if… even if I do like Third Young Master, so what? Is that forbidden?”

Yunyi sighed. “It’s not forbidden, but… inappropriate. You’ve always said Second Young Master treats me kindly, yet I’ve never dreamed of marrying him. Why? It’s not because he’s unworthy—on the contrary, he’s extraordinary, humble, noble, and perfect beyond measure. But precisely because he’s too good, even if I gave everything, I couldn’t match him.”

She walked over, placing her hands on Jiang Caiping’s trembling shoulders. “Caiping, you’re my best friend. I want you to find a good future and live happily. But Third Young Master—he’s the son of the Taishou. Do you think he’d marry you as his main wife? Even if he agreed, would the Taishou or Second Madam allow a common girl like you to become their daughter-in-law?”

Jiang Caiping stared at the crumpled camellia in her hand. After a long pause, she gritted her teeth and softly said, “Then I… I could settle for being a concubine.”