Reborn and returned, sisters swapped

On this day, in the flower hall of the Gu Family Prince's Mansion, sunlight streamed through the carved windows onto the table, the aroma of tea filled the air, and dappled shadows of flowers danced in the air.

The flower hall was set up with exquisite embroidery frames. Four young ladies sat in front of the frames, embroidering and chatting. The atmosphere was peaceful on the surface, but undercurrents were brewing.

Qulan broke the silence first, picked up her teacup and smiled slightly, but her eyes held a hint of pride: "Sister, I heard that your embroidery has improved recently?"

As she spoke, she lowered her head and began sewing the embroidery in her hands. On the surface, she was asking casually, but her tone carried a hint of disdain.

Her embroidery is extremely delicate, with soft color transitions in the petals and leaves, making them as lifelike as real flowers.

Sitting next to her, Li Qing glanced at her and casually said with a smile, "Lan Ci, what are you saying? Although Sister Jin Yan's embroidery is not as delicate as yours, it has its own unique charm, doesn't it?"

Although Li Qing smiled, she did not personally inspect Gu Jinyan's embroidery work; her mind seemed to have wandered elsewhere.

She gently placed the teacup on the table, leaned back lazily in her chair, seemingly not paying much attention to the rules of the tea party.

Gu Jinyan nodded slightly, calmly continuing to embroider her design.

She stitched the pattern stitch by stitch, embroidering an autumn leaf design.

Each leaf has a slightly yellowish tinge along its edge; the colors are understated yet subtly convey a sense of resilience.

Zhang Wan'er glanced at Gu Jinyan's embroidery and couldn't help but whisper, "Sister Jinyan's autumn leaves painting is becoming more and more elegant."

After saying that, she lowered her head and said no more.

Qu Lanci raised an eyebrow, seemingly dissatisfied, and deliberately put down his embroidery, saying to Li Qing, "Qing'er, why don't you come and take a look at my plum blossom painting? Is it pretty?"

Her voice rose slightly, deliberately carrying a touch of coquettishness.

She showed everyone the embroidered fabric; the plum blossom branches were intricate, delicate yet with a touch of coldness, truly exquisite.

Li Qing glanced at them casually and smiled, "Lan Ci, your plum blossoms do have a unique kind of cold beauty, but... they seem to lack a bit of vitality."

As she spoke, she winked at Gu Jinyan, her wink carrying a hint of teasing.

Qulan's expression changed slightly, and he forced a smile, saying, "The beauty of solitude is precisely the charm of plum blossoms."

No matter how lifeless it may be, it's still not as good as some haphazardly drawn pictures of wild grass.

Gu Jinyan smiled calmly, concealing a hint of coldness in his eyes, and replied gently, "Plum blossoms are indeed beautiful, but autumn leaves also have their own unique charm."

As the saying goes, each has its own merits; embroidery is for personal enjoyment, there's no need to compete.

As soon as she finished speaking, Li Qing laughed heartily, seemingly unaware of the undercurrents between them.

She picked up her teacup and said, "It's still more fun when we sisters get together!"

Compared to those well-behaved families in mansions, it's truly rare to find someone like Sister Jinyan and Lanci with such refined tastes.

She nodded casually to Qu Lanci and added, "When it comes to embroidery skills, Lanci is undoubtedly the best here."

As soon as he finished speaking, a look of satisfaction appeared on Quran's face.

Zhang Wan'er kept her eyes down, quietly embroidering her little flower pattern, without saying a word.

But she would steal glances at Gu Jinyan from time to time, her eyes filled with worry and a hint of admiration, seemingly secretly pleased by Gu Jinyan's dignified and unyielding attitude.

The atmosphere at the tea party seemed harmonious, but everyone had their own thoughts.

After a few pleasantries, the subtle relationships hidden beneath the surface gradually became apparent, and everyone tried to conceal them but could not.

Gu Jinyan had no interest in competing; he was focused on the autumn leaves in his hand.

Although the Quran won praise, he felt a hidden displeasure, always feeling that he could not completely suppress Gu Jinyan;

Li Qing, on the other hand, remained carefree, seemingly undisturbed by the subtle atmosphere as if he were an observer.

Zhang Wan'er silently supported Gu Jinyan, and her estrangement from Lan Ci became increasingly apparent in the silence.

The tea party gradually dispersed after a few lighthearted smiles and pleasantries, but the ripples in their hearts had just begun to stir, as if foreshadowing that the undercurrents in this relationship would eventually erupt completely due to a small incident.