“Indeed, the embroidery skill is exquisite, with the essence of Shu embroidery.” The Second Madam looked at her handkerchief, with the orchid truly embroidered beautifully on it.

But in her heart, she was thinking of something else. This embroidered handkerchief was presented by Ye Xian… How did Gu Jin Chao’s handkerchief end up in Ye Xian’s hands?

She softly asked Jin Chao: “Zhao-er, is this handkerchief truly yours?”

Gu Jin Chao took a deep breath, stood up, and calmly replied: “Young Master, perhaps you’ve made a mistake. If it were my embroidered handkerchief, how would it be in your hands?”

Ye Xian stood under the winter plum tree, with gentle sunlight falling upon him. He smiled: “In the upper left corner, ‘Jin Chao’ is embroidered with water-blue thread. I couldn’t possibly mistake this.”

Gu Jin Chao clenched her hand. Why had she offended the Heir of Marquis Chang Xing, causing him to treat her this way… An unmarried lady’s handkerchief ending up in another man’s hands—if she couldn’t explain clearly, it would be troublesome! Moreover, among the official young ladies present, how many had their eyes on the Heir of Marquis Chang Xing? She had no intention of competing, nor did she want to become the target of everyone’s arrows.

Gu Jin Chao quickly calmed herself, felt her sleeve, and then said with slight surprise: “My handkerchief is indeed missing. Perhaps I dropped it where we were watching the play. Thank you, Young Master, for noticing it.”

Ye Xian tilted his head slightly, seeming somewhat reproachful: “Why do you call me Young Master? You should call me Maternal Uncle!”

“…Yes, Maternal Uncle.” Looking at this youth who was about the same age as herself, Jin Chao could only submit to his irregular behavior.

Fortunately, Gu Jin Xian said: “We went back to the stage, but you all weren’t there anymore. However, Big Sister lost an embroidered handkerchief on the table, and Uncle picked it up casually, saying the orchid on it was well-embroidered. What kind of orchid is this? It looks unique. Is it a Jian Lan?”

Jin Chao answered: “This orchid is called Si Ji Lan (Four Seasons Orchid). It’s similar to the pure-hearted Jian Lan, and some consider it to be a Jian Lan, but the Si Ji Lan has lighter leaf color and clearer veins, so some have classified it as a new species. This type of orchid is more common in the misty mountain ravines of the south.”

Gu Jin Xian’s eyes suddenly brightened: “You also know orchids?” He walked up to Jin Chao, momentarily excited, “I love cultivating orchids, but there’s no orchid manual at home. The orchid manuals I’ve found outside aren’t special. Big Sister, may I come to ask for your guidance in the future?”

The two were cousins, with the same surname, so there wasn’t a severe barrier between men and women.

Jin Chao nodded with a smile and said: “If you wish to come, I would naturally welcome you.”

Second Madam also showed her handkerchief to everyone, and all who saw it indeed found it astonishing; the orchid on it was truly beautiful.

Gu Lian had lost face and remembered her mother’s rebuke earlier. Biting her lip and holding back, she eventually said: “Big Sister, although this handkerchief is yours, did you embroider the pattern on it? I saw that the butterfly you were embroidering on your small frame was somewhat clumsy. How could you embroider such a beautiful pattern… Lan-er has also mentioned that you aren’t skilled in needlework. Why don’t you embroider something for us to see right now, so we can also appreciate it?”

Gu Lan lowered her head to drink tea, her jade bracelet tinkling, without saying a word.

She was certainly pleased to see Gu Lian raise the issue. She knew from seeing the embroidered handkerchief that it wasn’t Gu Jin Chao’s handiwork. She had seen Gu Jin Chao’s embroidery—crooked and extremely ugly. Even if she was taught by Master Xue, how could it possibly help?

Thinking of this, she also felt somewhat resentful. She was the one with more talent for needlework between the two sisters. Why did Father invite Master Xue to be a teaching master only for Gu Jin Chao? Was she not a daughter of the Gu family?

Gu Jin Chao took a deep breath. She didn’t want to show off or attract attention, yet someone was pressing step by step without letting go. Since that was the case, she wasn’t easy to bully either! Jin Chao looked up with a smile: “How can a single butterfly be the measure? Please trouble Chen Mama to bring me another small embroidery frame.”

Second Madam nodded, and Chen Mama beside her brought over another small frame. Jin Chao sat down, and threaded the needle anew, her gestures very skilled.

Ye Xian and others found it interesting and sat down on embroidered stools to watch.

Gentle sunlight filtered through the plum tree, falling on Gu Jin Chao. Dressed simply in a moon-white satin jacket with inlaid patterns and a water-blue embroidered skirt, her strikingly beautiful features appeared exceptionally calm and serene. Her slender, fair fingers lightly moved on the silk, skilled and graceful.

Gu Jin Xian was stunned and said to Gu Jin Xiao: “I didn’t know that needlework could look so beautiful…”

Half an hour passed, and Heng Xie’s Residence was so quiet that not a sound of conversation could be heard.

After Jin Chao finished, she put away the needle and said softly: “No flower surpasses this flower when viewed, Cutting clouds, spreading snow, dipped in cinnabar. Opening during the second and third months of spring, Breaking into thousands of homes in Chang’an.” She laid the embroidery frame flat, and the embroidered flower leaped before everyone’s eyes.

Gu Lan, who had been waiting to laugh at Gu Jin Chao, couldn’t laugh now. On the snow-white silk was a single light red peony, its petals layered, the red fading from light to nothing, with a pale yellow center, like a real flower blooming on the silk, elegant and lively.

Gu Jin Xian, having taken a liking to Jin Chao because of the orchid matter, said: “‘No flower surpasses this flower when viewed, Cutting clouds, spreading snow, dipped in cinnabar. Opening during the second and third months of spring, Breaking into thousands of homes in Chang’an’… It’s a poem by Xu Yin. This Big Sister isn’t as ignorant as rumored!”

Gu Jin Xiao frowned without speaking, still despising Gu Jin Chao’s arrogance in his heart.

Ye Xian thought for a moment, then nodded: “This poem is good.”

Second Madam was shocked, and even the few ladies playing cards nearby came over. Fifth Madam looked for a long time before saying: “This is Shu embroidery technique, rarely seen in Yan Jing, yet so refined to this extent as if it has come alive…”

Second Madam exclaimed in a low voice: “Zhao-er, how can you say your embroidery skills aren’t good!”

That Gu Jin Chao had such excellent embroidery skills, yet had been so modest earlier. Could this be what they call ‘a full pot doesn’t sound, but a half-full pot jingles’? Second Madam couldn’t help but glance at Gu Lan, whose face didn’t look good either.

Gu Jin Chao had directly slapped her in the face!

Jin Chao respectfully said: “It is indeed Shu embroidery, something I learned privately in my spare time. However, to complete a whole piece would take no less than ten days to half a month, so I only embroidered one peony. I didn’t mention it earlier, not out of modesty, but because I was taught by Master Xue, who instructs in Su embroidery, yet I excel in Shu embroidery. If word got out, I feared it might affect her reputation, so I didn’t say anything… I hope Second Aunt understands.”

How could Second Madam say anything against Gu Jin Chao? She smiled and asked her to sit down: “With such good embroidery skills, your Master Xue would be delighted for you, how could there be anything bad? Looking at the orchid embroidered on the handkerchief… it’s not as beautiful as this peony!”

Saying this, she was about to return the handkerchief to Jin Chao.

Ye Xian, who had been sitting to the side with his chin resting on his hand watching the show, suddenly spoke leisurely: “Since I’m the one who found it, isn’t it mine now? Why does Second Madam still want to return it?”

Hearing these words, Second Madam nearly broke into a cold sweat. What did the Heir of Marquis Chang Xing mean by this?

Everyone fell silent for a moment. After a while, Ye Xian slowly added: “…If it’s difficult, forget it. I’ll go find another one with this pattern.”

Only then did Second Madam relax. If Ye Xian had taken a liking to Gu Jin Chao here, she would face a lot of trouble after returning. This young master always acted as he pleased, not paying much attention to etiquette; it should just be a casual remark. So she smiled and said: “If you like the orchid pattern, I have a gold-inlaid purple sandalwood screen with Su embroidery of orchids and plums. I’ll have someone send it to you later.”

Gu Jin Chao’s tense heart also relaxed. When the handkerchief returned to her hands, it carried a faint medicinal fragrance.

By this time, it was almost evening, and someone came from the Elderly Madam to relay a message for everyone to go to the Chui Hua Hall for the banquet.

Gu Jin Chao deliberately avoided the crowd and walked behind. After her Shu embroidery peony appeared earlier, people’s gazes had been subtly focused on her, seeming to size her up. After today, she feared she would become even more famous.

Mo Xue couldn’t help saying: “Today frightened your servant to death. Young Miss, you have such excellent embroidery skills, yet even I didn’t know… And that Young Master, who knows what he was trying to do. If things hadn’t been clarified, what about your reputation…”

Gu Jin Chao was about to speak but held back, eventually only saying: “He’s just too casual. It’s best to ignore such people; getting entangled with them is most troublesome.”

“Are you talking about me?” A light voice came from behind, startling the three people walking on the path.

Gu Jin Chao turned to look. Ye Xian was crouching on a branch of the plum tree. His long belt hung down with a jade pendant, its soft light illuminating his handsome profile. His long eyelashes had a layer of velvet light, making him appear somewhat childish.

With a faint smile on his face, he said: “You don’t seem to like me helping you.”

Gu Jin Chao bowed and said: “Maternal Uncle is joking. How could you be helping me? It’s fortunate enough if you don’t harm me.”

He tilted his head to look at Gu Jin Chao: “You’re strange. Others would be glad if I helped them!”

Gu Jin Chao sighed: “…My reputation is bad enough that I don’t care anymore. Please don’t be associated with me; I fear it would ruin my Maternal Uncle’s reputation. With that, I take my leave.” She bowed, turned, and walked away quickly.

Walking on the path, Mo Xue hadn’t yet recovered: “What a strange person… Fortunately, you won’t have to deal with him in the future!”

But Gu Jin Chao remembered rumors she had heard about this person in her previous life… The Heir of Marquis Chang Xing was once famous throughout the capital.