“Even after your coming-of-age ceremony, you must not be idle, young lady. Soon, you’ll have to go and pay respects to the Empress.”

The elderly woman behind her kept nagging endlessly.

Fu Zanying returned from her thoughts, lightly stroking her right arm.

Under the soft silk, her skin and bones were well-proportioned and unscathed.

Her heart settled as she gracefully rose.

Her wide sleeves fluttered like the wings of a jade butterfly, then fell back into place.

The white jade key at her waist clinked against the agate ornament, producing a crisp sound.

The old maid, Madam Lu, immediately frowned, about to reprimand the young lady for her overly large movements, which were not in accordance with etiquette.

Fu Zanying glanced at her casually. “Madam Fu, such good manners.”

Her voice was soft and tender, like a bowl of sweet red bean soup cooked with the misty spring rain of Jiangnan.

Every word carried a hint of sweetness and warmth.

Yet, Madam Lu felt an inexplicable strangeness, as if this soft Suzhou dialect had struck her.

Upon closer inspection, the young lady’s expression was as obedient and well-behaved as always.

Madam Lu, smiling, accepted the compliment. “It’s good that you, young lady, always adhere to the rules. Among the daughters of the great families, there’s no one more proper and dignified than you. When you become the Crown Princess, you’ll certainly be graceful, virtuous, and serve the Crown Prince well, earning praise from inside and out.”

This kind of rhetoric was something Fu Zanying had heard hundreds, if not thousands of times growing up.

In the past, she had even considered it a sacred duty to become Li Jinghuan’s wife and a qualified Crown Princess, as if it was her sole wish in life.

How foolish a person could be to such an extent.

No wonder she had destroyed herself early, with no one to pity her.

Without any joy or sorrow, Zanying walked to the embroidery frame, found the nearly finished golden sachet, picked up a pair of bamboo scissors, and forcefully cut it in two.

Madam Lu’s chatter abruptly ceased.

Then she yelped, as if her tail had been stepped on. “Oh no, young lady, why did you cut it? That’s the sachet you painstakingly made for the Crown Prince!”

“It wasn’t done well. I cut it, so what?”

Zanying turned to glance at Madam Lu, her tone slow and deliberate. “If you ‘oh no’ in my ear once more, you may leave.”

Madam Lu was utterly baffled.

She thought about how much effort the young lady had put into every stitch of that sachet.

It was the most exquisite thing she had ever seen.

And with the coming-of-age ceremony in less than a month, how would the young lady find time to make another one for the Crown Prince?

In her confusion, Madam Lu suddenly realized something was off—the young lady’s last sentence was practically telling her to leave.

Madam Lu abruptly raised her head, looking at Fu Zanying in disbelief.

She had been sent by the Empress herself to take care of the young lady.

For many years, she had diligently guided Zanying, who had always been gentle and obedient, never showing any signs of disrespect or defiance.

How could she dare to speak out against her today?

Before she could make sense of it, a palace maid with a high bun and dressed in green, Chun Jin, entered the room.

She was Zanying’s personal attendant.

Chun Jin stepped forward and announced, “My lady, the Crown Prince, Young Master Fu, and Miss Fu from your family have come to visit you.”

Hearing these three names, Zanying’s eyes darkened, and her delicate face was covered with a layer of icy coldness.

She remembered that, in her previous life, this had indeed happened.

On the eve of her coming-of-age ceremony, the Crown Prince had brought a gift box and presented her with a hairpin made of pink jade from Dushan.

At that time, she didn’t know Fu Zhuangxue’s identity, nor did she know that the hairpin had been chosen by Fu Zhuangxue for the Crown Prince.

After receiving it, she had delighted in it for a long time, oblivious.

Zan Ying let out a deep breath, releasing the stifled emotions in her chest.

Timing is everything.

Madam Lu, still confused, stood to the side. However, she noticed that the young lady’s peach blossom eyes, slightly curved, now held a coldness like silver.

With her hands folded in front of her, Zan Ying walked out of the hall, her expression indifferent.

Lu Ao(Madam Lu) shrank her neck, feeling an inexplicable sense of weakness in front of the usually obedient young lady. Bewildered, she followed behind in small, cautious steps.

Outside, the sun shone brightly.

Beneath the oakwood veranda, Li Jinghuan and Fu Ze’an were indeed with a young girl in a pink skirt, admiring the pomegranate tree heavy with bright red fruit in the courtyard.

The three were chatting and laughing.

Zan Ying stopped in her tracks, as if the sunlight before her eyes had pierced them.

Though she stood in the heat of summer, her body felt like a straw hut in the midst of a cold wind.

The sincere affection and deep love she had once poured out were now like a dilapidated shelter with holes everywhere, letting the wind rush in.

But in just an instant, the thousands of emotions in her heart were swept away, leaving her with nothing but a cold indifference as she looked down at the man in the white robe with a coiled dragon pattern.

It was fashionable at the time for young noblemen to powder their faces and paint them like women, considering it refined.

However, the Crown Prince, with his natural, jade-like complexion, never indulged in such practices.

His handsome face remained clean and pure, as if no betrayal had ever occurred.

But in this world, there is no love that is truly indestructible.

Childhood sweethearts can be discarded as easily as old shoes.

Even an emperor’s heart cannot withstand the fickleness of human nature.

Zan Ying thought, those gold and silver threads—she could cut them with just one snip of the scissors.

She had her mother’s inheritance and could live comfortably in grand houses.

Why should she cling to a rundown hut as if it were a matter of life and death?

It was too foolish.

Li Jinghuan looked up when he heard the movement and saw Fu Zanying.

He was used to seeing her, so he just glanced briefly before signaling the attendant beside him to present a small purple sandalwood box.

Standing beside the tall Crown Prince, Fu Zhuangxue’s pink skirt made her look even more delicate.

Smiling charmingly, she said, “Sister Zan Ying, His Highness specially picked this gift for you. Have a look—see if you like it.”

Fu Ze’an, standing by, raised his brow slightly but said nothing.

Zan Ying’s gaze didn’t waver.

Before the attendant could even open the box, she said, “I don’t like it.”

Fu Zhuangxue’s smile faded a little.

Li Jinghuan was momentarily stunned by her response, only now noticing something different about Fu Zanying today.

She was usually obedient, always with a pair of charming dimples on her cheeks.

She would greet everyone with a gentle smile.

Seeing her like this for a year or two, it felt endearing.

But as the years passed, her constant compliance became tiresome.

Today, however, she did not smile.

Even upon seeing him, she didn’t run over with her skirt lifted as she usually would, talking to him warmly.

Her eyes, once clear and bright as snow, had lost their usual flattery.

Instead, they now held a cool aloofness that was oddly captivating.

Li Jinghuan’s eyes lingered on her face for a moment longer than usual.

For once, he found a sliver of patience, and with a slight smile, he asked, “Then what do you like?”

Women’s desires were simple things. Whatever she wanted, he could have it sent with just a word.

Fu Zanying stood on the high steps, her eyes downcast as she glanced at Li Jinghuan and repeated, “Your Highness, I no longer like anything.”

These words came out of nowhere.

Li Jinghuan’s heart suddenly skipped a beat when he heard them.

In his daze, Fu Zanying had already withdrawn her gaze and was gracefully walking down the corridor towards Ruihua Palace, her jade-colored dress trailing behind her.

Since heaven had granted her mercy and allowed her to live again, she would no longer be as weak and ignorant as before.

Now that the long dream had ended, the first thing she had to do was break off the engagement.

After the engagement was broken, there were still some old debts waiting for her to settle.

The few remaining people in the courtyard stood there in bewilderment.

Such cold indifference and abrupt departure—this was not the graceful and courteous Fu Zanying of the past.

Li Jinghuan gazed in the direction where the jade figure had disappeared, his fingers gripping a white jade pendant with a dragon pattern, turning it over in his hand.

After a while, he turned his head and asked Madam Lu, “Did you offend her?”

Madam Lu had been puzzled all morning.

She bowed with a forced smile and said, “Your Highness, everyone in the palace knows that the young lady is the cherished pearl of both the emperor and the empress. Who would dare to upset her?”

“Your Highness,” Fu Zhuangxue hesitated, “Perhaps my sister doesn’t like me? Maybe it was something I said earlier.”

“What does it have to do with you?”

Li Jinghuan frowned.

His features, like those of his father, Emperor Jin, had sword-like eyebrows, phoenix eyes, a high nose, and thin lips.

When he put on a serious face, he exuded the regal aura of royalty.

Thinking back to the key that had hung at Fu Zanying’s waist, his expression darkened.

The slight feeling of pity he had felt earlier was instantly extinguished. Now that she was grown up, she had learned to throw childish tantrums.

He casually handed the box with the hairpin to Fu Zhuangxue. “This color suits you better. Wear it if you like.”

….

“Ah Ying.”

The Crown Prince didn’t pursue her, but Fu Ze’an hurried around the garden and quickly caught up with Fu Zanying, calling her to stop.

Fu Zanying had no desire to engage with him, but Fu Ze’an raised his voice, “Stop, Ah Ying.”

His tone was stern, causing the palace servants tending the flowers nearby to pause and, sensing the tension, quietly retreat.

The weather was irritatingly hot, and after only a short walk, a thin layer of sweat had formed on Fu Zanying’s back.

She frowned and turned around, her expression even calmer than the stern one behind her. “What is it, elder brother?”

Fu Ze’an, in the prime of his youth, was known for his refined appearance and profound knowledge.

He had earned the reputation of “Gentleman Jiang Li.” That day, he wore a far-traveling hat, high-soled shoes, and a flowing green robe with wide sleeves, looking no less elegant than the famous scholars who drank wine and engaged in refined discussions.

But when he saw Fu Zanying’s expression, his brows immediately furrowed.

“What’s the matter with you today? Why were you disrespectful to the Crown Prince?”

After a pause, Fu Ze’an softened his tone. “The palace is not like the outside world. As a daughter of the Fu family, you must always speak and act with caution. You cannot rely on your status.”

It was no wonder he was the youngest professor of the Five Classics at the Imperial Academy.

His ability to lecture others came effortlessly, his presence commanding.

In her previous life, Fu Zanying had indeed been subdued by such speeches.

No matter what her elder brother said, she would obediently nod and agree.