Chapter 70: Will Big Sister Get Jealous?

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“Eighth Sister, you don't look too well today. Did you not sleep well last night?” Shen Fuyu gently fanned herself as she looked at Shen Liyu, who sat beside her with dark circles under her eyes, and inquired softly.

Shen Liyu gave a cautious smile, lowering her head as she replied, “Third and Seventh Sister came by yesterday. We chatted for quite a while, so I went to bed late. Thank you for your concern, Fourth Sister.”

“Eighth Sister, though you wish to grow closer to Her Ladyship, your status is after all different now. You should address her as ‘Your Ladyship’,” Shen Tangyu, bearing the air of the eldest sister, gently corrected her. “Don’t let decorum slip.”

“Yes, you are right, Eldest Sister.” Shen Liyu accepted the rebuke with remarkable docility.

“Oh, come now! We’re all sisters here. I may now be only the Virtuous Consort, but even if I become the Imperial Noble Consort in the future, we’re still family, still sisters. There’s no need to be so formal—we can call each other as we always have,” Shen Fuyu declared grandly, patting her own chest in a display of sisterly loyalty. “Eldest Sister, you too. I’ve been meaning to say this for days—why be so overly proper? It only makes us all feel like strangers.”

Shen Tangyu opened her mouth, her face flushing as if she’d suffered a slight. On the day of the birthday banquet, when she’d said these very words to Shen Moyu, Shen Fuyu certainly hadn’t responded like this! Was she deliberately making things difficult for her? Just as she was about to retort, Shen Fuyu continued, “Besides, we’re out and about today. It’s best I not reveal my status. If we attract the attention of the wrong people, that could be a real problem.”

“…Fourth Sister is absolutely right,” Shen Tangyu finally managed, swallowing her annoyance and biting back her retort.

“There, that’s better!” Shen Fuyu nodded, suddenly as if struck by inspiration, grabbing Shen Tangyu’s hand. “But Eldest Sister, you don’t seem very happy. Do you think I was wrong to say that?”

“No, it was my own oversight just now. I don’t think you were wrong, Fourth Sister.” Shen Tangyu tried to pull her hand free, but Shen Fuyu held it tightly, refusing to let go. This wretched woman—what was she playing at?

Did Shen Fuyu intend to give her such an opportunity? Of course not. She was set on stirring things up—what kind of troublemaker would she be if she didn’t? Feigning surprise, she looked at Shen Tangyu and said, “Then, could it be you’re upset because I only showed concern for Eighth Sister and not for you? Are you… jealous?”

“You—!”

Who would be jealous over something like that! Shen Tangyu ground her teeth in fury, meeting Shen Fuyu’s sly, mocking gaze. That mischievous smile was clearly meant to taunt her—she wanted nothing more than to tear the smug look off this woman’s face.

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“How could I be? Fourth Sister has always been the most playful among us,” Shen Tangyu said tightly, finally managing to wrench her hand away. She was seething—this woman grew more insufferable by the day. How could the Emperor possibly be fond of someone like her?

Yet Shen Fuyu, as if reading her thoughts, sat serenely in the carriage, smiling. “Well, it’s become a habit speaking this way in the palace. After all, His Majesty is most fond of my playful manner—he says it amuses him. Over time, I just got used to it. Don’t take it to heart, Eldest Sister.”

Shen Tangyu clenched her jaw, her hand balled into a fist inside her sleeve as she fought to maintain her composure. “Of course not. We are sisters, after all.”

But inside, Shen Tangyu seethed. The Emperor, favor her? She didn’t believe it for a moment. What man wouldn’t prefer a gentle, tender woman? This could only be a passing fancy. In the end, he’d still want a demure, considerate woman to bear and raise his children.

“And the Emperor’s tastes are truly strange,” Shen Fuyu continued, as if intent on rubbing salt into the wound. “I never sought his favor after entering the palace, but for some reason, he only has eyes for me. Even when I urge him to visit my other sisters, he’s always so reluctant. Thankfully, I’m carrying his child—otherwise, things would surely be difficult for me.” She touched her face, a hint of shy pride in her expression. The more Shen Tangyu didn’t want to hear, the more she said, determined to shatter her eldest sister’s confidence and pride in the cruelest way.

Ah, the satisfaction of this righteous anger!

Shen Fuyu was delighted—she was leveling up once again.

But to Shen Tangyu, these subtle gestures were nothing but Shen Fuyu’s blatant gloating. What others longed for, she possessed and still seemed to disdain—there was nothing more infuriating in the world.

As if she wanted the whole world to know! What was she so pleased about?

“There’s a jewelry shop over there—let’s have a look,” Shen Fuyu said, glancing out the window at a bustling shop that caught her interest. The craftsmanship of the ancients was truly exquisite, refined over millennia; their sense of beauty never seemed to fall out of fashion. It was one of the few things she’d always adored.

The three of them alighted from the carriage together, and entered the shop. The attendant, noticing their fine attire, hurried over to greet them and laid out several exquisitely crafted pieces for their inspection.

“This little trinket is rather charming,” Shen Fuyu remarked, picking up a pair of earrings shaped like rabbits. The blue enamel work was typically grand, but this pair was clever and endearing, the little rabbits clutching jade-carved moons, with glass beads dangling below that caught the sunlight beautifully—a truly fine piece. “Eighth Sister, do you like these? They’d suit a young, unmarried girl perfectly.”

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“I saw them first!”

But suddenly, the box was snatched away. Shen Fuyu was momentarily baffled—ah, what an old, tired plot device. How dull and outdated!

Looking up, she saw it was a man who had taken the earrings—a strikingly flamboyant figure, his long, upturned eyes giving him a seductive air. He clutched the box with a look of absolute determination.

“Very well, you can have them,” Shen Fuyu said with a wave of her hand. Men, after all, were entitled to their peculiar little preferences. She had money; there was no need to squabble over such things.

In truth, Shen Fuyu lacked for nothing—her private trove held more treasures than one could count. She’d only intended to buy a pair for Shen Liyu to foster some sisterly affection.

The man seemed surprised by how readily she yielded. He was clearly displeased—she’d seemed so taken with the earrings, and yet she gave them up so easily?

“Eighth Sister, let’s look at something else,” Shen Fuyu said, ignoring the man and not bothering to call Shen Tangyu over. She led Shen Liyu away, casually picking up a crystal hairpin and holding it up to Shen Liyu’s head. “How about this one?”

“I want that too!” came the man’s voice again.

“This gentleman, we were the first to look at these pieces. Isn’t it a bit improper to snatch them away?” Shen Tangyu interjected, stepping in to block the man, clearly unwilling to yield this time.