“Isn’t this Miss Long?” The voice came from a girl who was standing not far away from Yuelan and her two friends. The girl was pretty, with a small face, large eyes, and pouty lips. Her hand was hidden inside the long sleeves of her outer robe as she lifted it to cover her mouth, large eyes twinkling with mocking laughter. “Here to purchase premade accessories? What, you can’t even afford to have them custom made?”

Yuelan thought the girl looked vaguely familiar, but didn’t actually recognize her. Another girl stood beside the first. The two looked like identical twins and even wore the same mocking expressions. Yuelan didn’t feel like arguing with them and chose to ignore them instead as she turned her attention back to the displays. “Hanju, I think sapphires like these would look very good on you,” she said cheerfully, pointing at a hairpin with blue and pink sapphires.

Hanju and Xiuya looked at each other, then looked over at the hairpin that Yuelan was pointing at. “Those are quite pretty,” she agreed. “But what are the pink ones?”

Yuelan smiled. “Oh, they’re sapphires as well. Some sapphires form in blue and others in pink. It’s quite pretty when you combine them like this, don’t you think?” She frowned as a thought occurred to her. “Though maybe something like this would be better for spring?”

“I think the stones will be perfect to go with what I’m wearing, and I’m ordering custom accessories, so we can have the design be different,” Hanju replied, smiling.

“I agree,” Xiuya spoke up. She was about to continue when the three were interrupted by the twins again.

“Don’t you know it’s rude to ignore someone? How did your mother teach you growing up?” the first twin demanded, stamping her small foot.

Yuelan lifted her eyes to look at the girl. “My mother died when I was still small and my father never remarried,” she answered calmly. “But I still had instructors in etiquette. I’m not sure who Miss is, but I was taught that it was impolite to speak of my financial situation with anyone not related to me and not to criticize someone else’s. As I come from Kilin, I’m still not entirely clear on all the rules of etiquette here in Longuo. Also, I am not sure where Miss’ hostility is coming from? I don’t recall ever offending Miss.”

The girl’s face turned red and she glared at Yuelan as the second twin stepped forward and gave a polite smile. “I am Wu Ying and this is my twin sister, Wu Yan. We happened to see Miss Long at Princess Liling’s cherry blossom viewing, but didn’t have the opportunity to speak.”

“Oh.” Yuelan slightly drew out the single word and she smiled. “Could it be I somehow upset Miss Wu Yan at the cherry blossom viewing? I don’t recall seeing her at all since then.”

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Wu Yan continued to glare at Yuelan. “You’re just a nobody from a place that no one has ever even heard of pretending to be something she isn’t. Your very existence is offensive!”

Yuelan’s eyes dimmed and her thin lips formed an even thinner line. When Hanju and Xiuya stepped forward to try to defend her, Yuelan stretched out a hand to hold them back. “Just because you have not heard of a country does not mean it doesn’t exist,” she said calmly. “And spouting words such as these in public will only highlight your own ignorance. Would Miss Wu please consider her own reputation. It would be terrible if you were considered too stupid to become someone’s wife.” She put her hands together and performed a polite salute, then turned and started walking toward the other side of the shop with a stiff expression. After only a few steps she collided into a rather firm object and looked up.

The ‘object’ turned out to be a smiling Xiong Guangfeng. He lifted a hand and gently helped her fix a lock of hair that had fallen into her face when she collided with him. “Yuelan, did you come with your friends to choose accessories for the mid-autumn festival?” he asked her in a pleasant tone. His eyes lifted to give the Wu twins a piercing stare, causing Wu Yan’s face to pale. The look only lasted a moment before he lowered his hazel eyes to Yuelan’s face again. It was obvious he had overheard the conversation between the twins and Yuelan.

Yuelan blushed as soon as she recognized Guangfeng and she quickly took a step back. “Yes,” she admitted in a quiet voice. “I came to help Hanju and Xiuya order their accessories. I’m not going to buy any today.”

Guangfeng looked a bit confused. “Why not? Is there nothing here that you like?”

Her blush deepened and she shook her head. “That’s not it. I already have a set of accessories that I’ve decided to wear, so I don’t need to order something new.”

His eyes softened and he smiled at her. “I see. If there is something you like you need only say so and this prince will happily buy it for you.” The third prince’s hand reached up to stroke her cheek, but Yuelan dodged and shot him an angry, pouting look, her cheeks slightly puffed out. As usual, the expression she was making caused him to smile and he chuckled. “Enjoy your time with your friends. This prince won’t disturb you and will just wait on the side for you to finish.”

Yuelan’s expression softened a little and she even gave him a slight smile as she nodded and looked back at Hanju and Xiuya. Her two friends looked like they were doing their best not to laugh and Wu Yan looked like she was going to explode in anger. The expression on Wu Yan’s face enlightened Yuelan and she smiled, then turned back to the third prince, stretched onto her toes, and beckoned for him to lean over.

Curious, Guangfeng did what she wanted, leaning down until she stopped beckoning him. The result caused his entire body to turn stiff and his eyes to widen. Yuelan kissed his cheek and gave him a shy smile. “Thank you, Guangfeng,” she said quietly before stepping over to Hanju and Xiuya, looping her arms through theirs, and pulling the two girls over to another display.

Guangfeng was frozen in the bent over position for several seconds as he watched Yuelan walk away from him with a stupefied expression on his face. He didn’t even notice Wu Yan’s hands clench as her face twisted with anger and jealousy, nor did he notice when Wu Ying pulled her sister toward the stairs to leave the shop.