The grove wasn’t far from the Bagua Pavilion. While Sang Shisi was warmly engaging Young Master Zhu in conversation, a servant approached with a devastated expression, carrying the chrysanthemum pot: “Young Master! Someone’s maliciously picked off the chrysanthemum!”

This pot contained a single plant of the Ziyan Xinzhuang chrysanthemum variety. With the flower picked, only half a stem with leaves remained in the ceramic pot. The break at the stem was fresh.

Sang Shisi released his grip on Young Master Zhu’s arm in great anger: “This is outrageous!”

Young Master Zhu also became agitated: “It was perfectly fine just moments ago! Who would stoop so low as to destroy such a flower!”

As his arm dropped to his side, half of the chrysanthemum that Yang Jingyuan had slipped into his sleeve as a projectile fell out. Before Young Master Zhu could notice, Sang Shisi’s expression changed, and he pointed at him, shouting: “How dare you, Zhu Shi from Sandaoyan! You broke my flower! No wonder you were trying to buy it from me earlier! I treated you as a friend, yet you dare deceive me like this!”

“What?” Young Master Zhu was completely bewildered.

The servants’ voices rose even louder than Sang Shisi’s: “Our young master kindly invited you for tea and offered to gift you the flower. Who knew you were a thief! Breaking our young master’s flower!”

People had been brewing tea and chatting quietly in the grove, but the commotion drew them all over.

Young Master Zhu waved his hands frantically: “I didn’t break it!”

This only made things worse, as the gathered crowd watched a broken chrysanthemum slip from Young Master Zhu’s sleeve and fall to the ground. Their gazes turned hostile. The group of scholars who had been composing poems and painting chrysanthemums earlier became particularly incensed, quoting classics and making definitive judgments, condemning Young Master Zhu as an utterly deplorable villain.

Being straightforward by nature and poor at debate, Young Master Zhu couldn’t counter the scholars’ accusations and could only repeat: “It wasn’t me! Someone’s framing me!”

With both witness testimony and physical evidence, Sang Shisi furiously declared: “Even if someone framed you, why would they choose you specifically? You broke the flower, and fearing someone would see you at the Bagua Pavilion, that’s why you tried to buy it from me! Otherwise, why would you want to buy the flower?”

“My friend admired it and couldn’t bear to part with it, that’s why I wanted to buy it as a gift for her!”

Perfect, that’s exactly what I wanted to hear. Sang Shisi snorted: “Indeed, to please your friend, you broke off this flower.”

“That’s not what happened!”

“Master Zhu, we clicked instantly, and I was willing to gift you the flower, believing you weren’t the type to do such a thing,” Sang Shisi deliberately sighed, his expression grave. “I understand now. Your friend broke the flower. You tried to buy it to cover up for them, didn’t you?”

The crowd’s perception of Young Master Zhu shifted again. He was trying to take responsibility to protect a friend who had done wrong. How noble!

“Who is this friend? Why aren’t they stepping forward to admit their wrongdoing?”

“Such poor choice in friends!”

Sang Shisi advised solemnly: “Master Zhu, you must see through people’s malicious intentions!” His face took on a righteous expression. “I cannot watch you be deceived and dragged down by this person. We must find out who they are! Master Zhu, who broke the flower? You’re taking the blame while they hide – stop protecting them.”

During the argument, Young Master Zhu’s servant came looking for him and, upon hearing the situation, hurriedly informed the Ji siblings. Ji Yaoting and Ji Yingying rushed over in alarm. The two servants called out “Young Master” and pushed through the crowd to protect Young Master Zhu.

When Ji Yingying arrived, Yang Jingyuan made a perfectly timed appearance, and with exactly the right amount of surprise, recognized the Ji siblings and Young Master Zhu, exclaiming loudly: “Isn’t this Young Master Zhu from Boqilin? Brother Ji and Second Miss Ji, you’re here too? What’s happening?”

He successfully redirected everyone’s attention to the Ji siblings.

Young Master Zhu panicked, quickly stepping in front of Ji Yingying and shouting: “She didn’t break the flower! She loved this chrysanthemum so much, how could she possibly break it?”

Oh, Zhu Shi, Zhu Shi, do you not understand the concept of “protesting too much”? Your head must be filled with pig excrement to jump out and implicate us so eagerly! Ji Yaoting and Ji Yingying, who had just arrived and barely grasped the situation, both silently cursed Young Master Zhu.

The crowd looked at Ji Yingying with contempt, thinking appearances truly are deceiving – this young lady might look sweet and lovely, but her character was deplorable, destroying the flower out of selfish desire. And she even let Young Master Zhu, who admired her, take the blame and cover for her.

Young Master Zhu shouted even louder: “It wasn’t her!”

Ji Yaoting stared at Young Master Zhu’s broad back, desperately wanting to kick him face-first into the dirt.

Anyone would be angered being stared at with such contempt. Ji Yingying, thoroughly blocked by Young Master Zhu’s back, felt her anger rising. She pushed aside the Young Master standing before her and declared clearly: “Who broke the flower? If anyone saw me do it, step forward and confront me!”

The crowd’s expressions and gazes unanimously conveyed one message: Oh my, still denying it? Look at how purple that big fellow’s face has become from holding it in.

“The flower was found in Young Master Zhu’s sleeve. If he didn’t break it, then you must have!”

Young Master Zhu timely shouted again: “It wasn’t me!”

The crowd’s heads moved in unison, their gazes fixed squarely on Ji Yingying. Did you hear that? It wasn’t him! Then it must be you!

Ji Yingying nearly fainted from anger.

Only then did Young Master Zhu realize his mistake, spreading his arms to block Ji Yingying again: “It wasn’t her!”

Who would believe that?

Ji Yaoting silently kicked Young Master Zhu off his potential brother-in-law list and stepped forward: “My sister and I did admire this Ziyan Xinzhuang chrysanthemum. When we left the Bagua Pavilion, there were still other visitors around. If any friends remember this, please testify for us.”

As he said this, someone in the crowd did remember: “Ah yes, I believe I saw this young lady. She and her two maids were admiring this chrysanthemum in the pavilion for quite a while. If she had wanted to break it, she would have done so then.”

“I remember now. I saw them leaving the Bagua Pavilion towards the grove, and the chrysanthemum with its golden calyx and purple-pink petals was still beautifully intact on the railing. Though Young Master Zhu did leave midway…”

“This must be a misunderstanding!” Sang Shisi cut off the speaker, leaving plenty of room for the crowd’s imagination. As the wronged party, he naturally had the authority to settle the matter. Assuming his most elegant manner, he said softly: “Since the young lady was so fond of this flower, how could she bear to break it? And with witnesses present, we’ve wrongly accused her. I believe some black-hearted fool must have broken the flower and discarded it. Master Zhu mistakenly thought it was the young lady’s doing, which is why he rushed to buy it from me. Just a misunderstanding – sorry to have disturbed everyone’s tea!”

He finished with a graceful bow, perfectly playing the role of an elegant, courteous young nobleman.

Black-hearted? Fool? Sang Shisi, you’re helping your brother by stabbing him while secretly enjoying it, aren’t you? Yang Jingyuan rolled his eyes and smirked. He quietly took out a small silver ingot from his purse and whispered instructions to a watching Taoist novice.

Since no one had actually seen Young Master Zhu break the flower from his sleeve, and Sang Shisi only said it was found, the matter was dropped. With the owner not pursuing it further, the crowd dispersed, shaking their heads.

“Beautiful flowers should be gifted to beautiful people. Since the young lady admires this Ziyan Xinzhuang, I have several pots at home. I’d be happy to gift one to her.” Sang Shisi had flirted with countless young ladies. He could effortlessly switch between the roles of playboy and elegant gentleman, performing each to perfection.

“I am Sang Shisi of Yizhou, and my father is the Prefecture’s Chief Secretary.” — Telling the siblings: I’m from an official family, you can’t escape the temple even if the monk runs away, so feel free to associate with me.

“What a fortunate encounter! Why don’t you all sit down and enjoy a cup of my tea?” — After sharing tea, we’ll be familiar. Once familiar, there’s a chance to pursue further and perhaps take her home as my fourth concubine.

“I am Yang Jingyuan of Yizhou, third in my family. I’ll impose on Master Sang for a cup of tea.” Yang Jingyuan strode over and naturally took a seat. By pure coincidence, he sat directly opposite Ji Yingying.

At the head table, Sang Shisi was performing his tea ceremony again. His cloud-gray flowing sleeves moved gently, like a long wind sweeping across the blue sky.

At the opposite table, Third Young Master Yang in his fitted brocade sleeves radiated vigor and pride, handsome and arrogant. His gaze occasionally drifted away before returning to her face, as if wanting to speak but holding back.

Below, Young Master Zhu’s gaze passed over himself toward her, showing signs of drooling again.

All around, the ginkgo trees had ripened to golden yellow.

Ji Yaoting felt somewhat dazed – summer hadn’t even arrived, and spring was long past, so why was his little sister’s sky abloom with peach blossoms?