Chapter 6

When a palace servant told me Chi Yan was waiting beneath the ginkgo tree beside Kunming Pool, I did not want to go. Yet my traitorous legs carried me straight there.

Seeing his graceful figure in the distance, I sighed. After a moment’s thought, I turned to leave, only to hear him call behind me. “Rourou, I’m here.”

I looked back. He stood quietly beneath the tree, gazing intently at me, a brocade box in his hands. I had no idea what was inside.

I bowed. “Young Master Chi, please go home. The Princess Royal will be angry if you stay too long.”

“Rourou.” He hurried over and caught my sleeve. “You’re angry because I stood by while everyone shut you out last time, aren’t you?”

Ha.

I turned my face away, refusing to look at him. “Of course not,” I lied.

We were not the same sort of people. What was there to be angry about?

Those imperial relatives and noble children had never thought anything of me. Why should I keep offering warmth where I received only coldness and make myself miserable?

But a soft sigh reached my ear. “I’m useless, aren’t I? I knew what they were doing was wrong, but I still didn’t dare speak for you. All I could do was protect myself. You have every right to be angry.”

I could not help turning to look. His lips were pressed together and his beautiful eyes lowered. Long lashes cast a small fan of shadow over his snow-pale face.

Seeing me turn, he quickly raised his head and held out the box. “Look. It was such a pity the bracelet you won broke. But it doesn’t matter. Your wrists are too slender for such a large bangle anyway. I asked a goldsmith to remake it as a chain bracelet with jade set in gold. Will you try it?”

That made me curious. I carefully lifted the lid and stared in astonishment.

The three broken pieces had been shaped into ruyi motifs, one large piece in the center and two smaller ones on either side. The smaller pieces were exactly matched in size. Each was edged in gold, and gold chains linked all three. It looked incomparably precious and beautiful.

I could not resist touching it. The vivid green made my fingers look pale as snow.

“May I put it on for you, Rourou?”

Chi Yan lifted the bracelet and asked with a smile.

I said there was no need, yet let him take my wrist and gently fasten the gold clasp.

Gold and jade chimed together with a lovely, clear sound. Looking down, I saw how exquisite the bracelet was.

“Beautiful.” Chi Yan smiled so brightly that he seemed to glow. “You know, you’re remarkable. One little flick, and that ball acts as though it has feet. Wherever you want it to go, it goes. You must have worked very hard.”

“No, no. I only play for fun.”

Only practiced for months until my fingers grew calluses. Nothing more.

“Then you must be naturally gifted.”

“Not at all. I’m quite dull.”

Only three or four or five or six or seven or eight times better than you young lords and ladies.

“Will you teach me next time, then?”

Holding my sleeve, Chi Yan looked at me expectantly.

“We’ll see if there’s a chance.”

It was my own special trick. If he learned it… No, he would never put in that sort of effort. How could he learn it?

“It’s a promise, then!”

Seemingly oblivious to my evasiveness, he smiled, said his mother would worry if he returned late, and ran off. Before I could take the bracelet off and return it, he was already far away.

I wanted to call after him, but he could no longer hear me. Biting my lip, I stroked the bracelet and wondered how to explain it to Mother. I had just turned around when someone shoved me from behind.