Chapter 6

The next day, she was summoned to enjoy tea and watch a traveling merchant showcase his wares inside their mansion in the orchid garden by her brother.

The orchid was a special flower growing from their south duchy, Anping.

The flower that caused her death. How ironic.

He had seen them when they were coming back from the temple and thought of it.

The master and the fū ren had no objections so he invited them to display their wares in the mansion and had invited everyone to join.

Shen Ting knew she would be meeting the concubine daughters today so she spent an extra hour dolling up.

With a satisfied glance at the mirror,she waltzed away to the garden.

When she got to the small water bridge connecting to the garden,she adjusted her temperament and walked elegantly.

Her appearance drew everyone to a hush.

Truly, Shen Ting was a world renowned beauty when she grew up,but now, she looked like a little fragile porcelain doll that would break with the slightest fall. With her big watery eyes full with healthy lashes, to her button nose and small pink mouth.

She wore a white dress with orchids patterned at the edges of her sleeves and gown. The ornaments worn on her head were made from pearls deep in the south sea.

She wore a silver twined hair pin made from white coloured ice jade.

Every other daughter felt inferior at the sight of that, their concubine mothers had dolled them up in order to outshine the Di daughter but it was a waste it seems.

The fū ren smiled haughtily at that. All of these vixens and their daughters tried to upstage her own daughter.

Shen Ting walked up to her father and mother and properly greeted them.

With a nod from the minister,the merchant started displaying his wares and trinkets.

Bai Shen Min walked up to Shen Ting and eyed her in distaste.

"Why are you acting differently, like a totally different person?."

Shen Ting eye rolled at her brother's behavior.

"Younger brother, when you see an elder, you properly greet them."

Shen Ting smiled knowing she had just poked a hole at this hornet's nest.

"By a minute! That doesn't make you my elder!."

"Oh! The sad life of an elder sister trying to teach her younger brother."

She held out her fan on her forehead and dramatically sighed.

Bai Shen Min walked away not wanting to get more annoyed today causing her parents to laugh at their antics.

Her cute brother was easy to rile up.

Bai Shen Min was making rather dangerous comments that needed to stop.

Even for a child, her brother was too perceptive.

The last thing she needed was a rumor story of ghost possession in the capital.

She turned and paid attention to the merchant finding him familiar to someone she knew.

After presenting his wares on a platform he prepared,he bowed to the nobles and waited for them to come and start perusing his wares so he could start presenting them.

In a short while,the courtyard was packed with noble ladies, mamas and servants all eagerly looking and buying.

It was rare for the noble ladies to come out and enjoy this type of thing.

Shen Ting looked bored at everything going on.

Bai Shen Min felt annoyed at his sister's behavior and dragged her to go look at the storytelling part of the show.

It was a live action drama about a village and a little girl.

The moment Shen Ting looked at the girl,her blood ran cold.

It felt like she was steeped in ice water.

She wound up a fist so tight she drew blood.

"beautiful sister can I be your sister?…"

'sister Shen Ting can I have this, it's really pretty…'

'Oh it's a blood coral. What is that, is it expensive?...'

'Sorry sister Shen Ting I misplaced the blood coral, but you can give me the other part right?...'

'Bai Shen Ting, greet your parents in the underworld for me'

Shen Li Hua!.

Although dressed in cheap clothes and a bare face, she had a clean temperament that would cause you to like her immediately you saw her.

But Shen Ting knew it was all a lie.

This girl was no better than a white eyed wolf*.

The glare from Shen Ting's eye could melt even the sun.

She spied a sword from one of the patrolling guards on duty and wished she could take it to this little witch.

She did it.

Well almost did it.

After the performance, Shen Li Hua walked up to Bai Shen Ting with wide eyes and an innocent smile whilst Shen Ting led her away from everyone with the excuse of going to play elsewhere.

She brought her underneath the water bridge away from the crowd and when Shen Li Hua wasn't looking,she knocked her out cold with a stone.

She obviously couldn't get a sword so she decided to push her into the lake to drown.

She was about to do so when a child came out of nowhere.

"What are you doing?!"

'Damn it!'

I wanted to shout at the child but when I turned to face him, I stopped cursing inwardly.

It was the third prince.

She recognizes him from when she entered the palace in her past life. Apparently he was born weak and would die in ten years.

Now I couldn't kill in the presence of royalty and not knowing this idiot, I'm not sure if he would tell anyone.

'fine then'

Knowing I couldn't continue what I was doing anymore, I still pushed Shen Li Hua into the freezing lake before I started screaming for help.

Just because I was not going to kill her doesn't mean I wouldn't make her suffer.

The third prince was in shock.

Who was this mad child?

Earlier on he strayed away from his retinue of maids and to admire the orchids when he saw a pretty girl dragging another peasant girl to play.

He followed to satisfy his curiosity only to see the pretty girl hit the peasant.

He was still in disbelief only to see the girl about to toss the peasant into the lake.

He stopped her immediately, only to see her eye him bitterly before still pushing her in the lake and then start shouting for help.

He hid behind the bridge at the other entrance as he saw servants come and fetch them both.

"I don't know what happened,we were playing close to her when she fell and hit her head. Quickly call the physician."

He watched this little liar spin up a tale so quick with tears and hiccups.

Even he would have believed her if he had not seen what happened with his eyes.

Shen Li Hua's father came and carried his daughter, apologizing for her unruly behavior to Shen Ting who kept on nodding, and bawling and asking about her wellbeing.

The prince silently left to catch up with his retinue who were running crazy for losing the third prince.

He came to the Bai mansion for his lessons with the minister per his Royal Father's request on reaching his thirteenth year of age. He arrived a bit late to the Prime Minister's mansion due to a faulty carriage wheel but he heard the Minister was taking a stroll with his family in his famous orchid garden so he and his retinue went for a stroll and he decided to stray off.

He was still in shock and disbelief of what he saw and even doubted whether he saw wrong. After a quick look at his hidden guards, they nodded and one went off to go and investigate who that girl was.

The physician said all was well only she would develop a slight cough and her head had formed a bump from the fall.

Shen Ting cursed thinking she could have waited longer before calling for help.

Maybe the witch would grow up with fragile lungs or pneumonia if she was lucky.

Because of the mishap,the Shen family had to spend the night at the Bai mansion causing Mr Shen to fidget and fuss because they were invited for a meal.

Shen Li Hua looked at her reflection in the bronze mirror, nodded, then proceeded to add more layers to her clothing and asked her father to call the physician and asked him to add more bandages to her wound dressing on her head.

' I cannot leave this mansion empty-handed'

It was dusk already and everyone was gathered in the dining hall and seated according to station and ranks.

Dinner had been served with everyone in attendance except for the Shen father and daughter.

The table was wafting with steam from all the delicacies properly arranged yet no one dug in. Everyone was looking and signaling with eye contact when they could start eating.

"Servant!."

"Yes Master!"

"Where are my guests? Did they not receive my invitation to join us for dinner?"

"Replying to the Minister, they received the invitation and agreed to come but this servant knows not the reason for the delay."

Snorts and scoffs sounded round the table at this statement, it was already the peasants greatest glory to dine with nobility and yet they decided to show up tardy.

With a swift glance from the Prime Minister round the table, everyone was brought to a hush.

Just then, the Shen father and daughter walked in with the father supporting the daughter.

One had to say they both had a timely entrance.

When they got to the dining table, they curtseyed to everyone before Shen Li Hua broke away from her father to trot slowly to Bai Shen Ting's spot.

With a nervous stutter, she asked nervously if she could sit down with this big sister.She was clearly older than Bai Shen Ting.

Bai Shen Ting smiled.

"I'm afraid no, you see everyone here sits according to the rules, and your table is over there."

She pointed to a smaller table already set with two pairs of cutlery.

"Oh" Shen Li Hua blushed furiously and apologized.

"It's okay, you are just a child after all".Bai Shen Ting consoled her.

This statement caused snickers around the table.

'hmph! This peasant is rather presumptuous to want to dine with the Di daughter,she obviously wanted to spread rumors of being close with the young miss round the capital '

This was what Shen Li Hua wanted to do the most.

If she could use her naivete to trick the Di daughter into allowing her to sit on the same table as her, she was halfway through her plan.

white eyed wolf" and 狼心狗肺 (láng xīn gǒu fèi) – literally "heart of a wolf and lungs of a dog" are both used to describe a particularly cold-hearted, cruel person.

A/N: Hello lovelies. Don't forget to like, comment and refer my story to everyone you know.