She refused to marry.

Furong Garden is located in the southern suburbs of Beijing, nestled against the mountains and beside the water.

The garden gate is a three-bay archway with carved beams and painted rafters.

A plaque hangs in the center, bearing the three gilded characters "Hibiscus Garden".

The brushstrokes are vigorous and powerful, and it is said to be the work of Prince Changxin.

The area in front of the gate was already full of carriages, one after another, stretching from under the archway all the way to the willow grove in the distance.

The servants busied themselves unloading food boxes, brocade mats, and zither cases from the carriage, moving back and forth.

The air was filled with the scents of perfume, flowers, and a faint aroma of wine.

After Su Wanwan entered the garden, Lu Huai'an went to deliver the gifts.

She walked alone toward the peony garden.

As I passed through Ziyun Tower, my path was suddenly blocked.

"Oh, isn't this Miss Su the Second?"

Su Wanwan looked up and saw Zhou Lingyi surrounded by three or four maids, blocking her way.

What a small world!

The Zhou family had long coveted the position of Grand Commandant, so they secretly used many underhanded tricks against my father.

"Miss Zhou, it's been a long time." Su Wanwan bowed.

Zhou Lingyi also bowed slightly, "After Miss Shen left, Miss Su has been absent from all the gatherings among the sisters, big and small. What has she been busy with lately?"

"Just killing time at home," Su Wanwan chuckled.

"Since you're here, why don't we go sit down together and meet the sisters?" Zhou Lingyi stepped forward, took her arm, and walked towards Ziyun Tower.

The corridor on the second floor of Yunlou was already filled with noble ladies from the capital.

Some were sipping tea, some were chatting and laughing in hushed tones, and some were leaning against the railing admiring the flowers, their clothes fragrant and their hair elegant.

Zhou Lingyi led Su Wanwan over, immediately attracting everyone's attention.

"Sisters, look who's here!" Zhou Lingyi released Su Wanwan's arm and clapped her hands. "Second Miss Su, it's a rare treat to have you grace us with your presence today."

Everyone turned to look.

Some nodded in greeting, some whispered among themselves, and a few who were on good terms with Zhou Lingyi smirked.

"Why is she here too?"

"I haven't seen her for a while now, I thought she'd secretly gotten married..."

"Isn't that right? The Su family has suffered a major setback; who would dare marry her now..."

Zhou Lingyi glanced at everyone, gave Su Wanwan a disdainful look, and returned to her seat with a gloating expression.

Su Wanwan stood in the center, intending to leave, but upon seeing Princess Huayang, she bowed.

"Miss Su, please have a seat." Princess Huayang sat in the main seat and nodded slightly when she saw Su Wanwan.

Su Wanwan turned around, and everyone looked disgusted, as if afraid to sit next to her.

"Sister Wan!" Su Jinning waved to her from the last row, "Come sit here."

Su Wanwan walked over with a smile.

"Sister Wan, didn't you say you weren't coming?" Su Jinning asked, pulling on her wrist.

"I wanted to catch up with you, but your carriage was going too fast," Su Wanwan said with a smile.

"Then how did you get in?" Su Jinning asked.

"They came in with Young Master Lu."

Su Jinse twirled her fan and asked with a light laugh, "I heard from Chunhua that you rescued Young Master Lu from the pleasure boat?"

Su Wanwan felt awkward. "Yes..."

Chunhua, that big mouth, we must shut her up when we get back; she's always gossiping in the backyard.

"Sister Wan, no wonder Young Master Lu has been hesitant to propose marriage. So it's because of this. Sigh, it's nothing serious. If you like him, what's wrong with coming out on a pleasure boat? He doesn't seem like one of those frivolous people."

Besides, we know whether he treats you well or not...right, Sister Wan...?"

Su Jinse chuckled, "What do you know, you little girl?"

Su Jinning puffed out her chest defiantly: "Every time Young Master Lu comes, he brings us delicious food and rare trinkets for Sister Wan."

The peony dew I had the other day smelled even better than the ones bestowed upon me from the palace. You couldn't find someone like that even with a lantern.

As Su Wanwan listened to the two sisters chatting away, her ears began to burn slightly. She quickly picked up her teacup and pretended to drink tea.

I felt a strange, inexplicable flutter in my heart.

The two exchanged a few words, and Su Jinse was clearly losing ground.

"Sister Wan has been of marriageable age for two years. If things continue like this, she might really have to marry that Young Master Lu."

"You're overthinking it. Young Master Lu and I are old friends in the martial arts world. Besides, I owe him a lot of money, and he owes me a favor, so we see each other more often," Su Wanwan said in a low voice.

"Huh? Sister Wan, how much do you owe him?" Su Jinning turned her head.

Su Wanwan raised two fingers.

Su Jinning counted on her fingers: "Two hundred taels?"

Su Wanwan shook her head.

"Two thousand taels??"

Su Wanwan continued to shake her head.

"It can't be twenty thousand taels, can it?" Su Jinning's voice began to tremble.

Su Wanwan nodded.

Su Jinning pressed her hand to her chest, gasping for breath: "Twenty thousand taels? Sister Wan, why do you owe so much money?"

Su Wanwan said helplessly, "It's a long story, but it's a life-saving money. Young Master Lu is very generous, I'll owe it to you for now and pay you back slowly in the future."

My third aunt has recently withdrawn far too much money from the Su family's account.

If these words reached Auntie San's ears, they would have some effect.

Su Jinse recovered first and gently tapped Su Jinning's forehead: "Alright, don't be so startled. Sister Wan knows what she's doing."

In the distance, Princess Huayang stood up, clapped her hands, and said with a smile, "Sisters, let's move to the Agarwood Pavilion, the flower festival is about to begin. Today we'll compete to determine the queen of flowers."

The gifts were sent by the Crown Prince of Changxin: a set of filigree hairpins in pure gold, a ruyi scepter made of mutton-fat jade, a pair of white jade bracelets, two turquoise beads, and a set of celadon porcelain by a master craftsman.

The crowd erupted in commotion, rising to their feet and surging toward the Agarwood Pavilion.

Su Jinse hurriedly pulled Su Jinning away and quickly left.

"Crown Prince Changxin? Isn't he recuperating in his fiefdom?"

"I heard he went to the capital, but he's in poor health and doesn't go out much."

"He's in high spirits, still thinking about the flower festival... and he's quite generous."

"Perhaps the Crown Prince of Changxin is enjoying tea up high while we admire the flowers, but he's choosing a Crown Princess, Miss Zhou, don't you think?" said Zhao Zhao, the daughter of the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice.

"Don't talk nonsense. The Crown Prince of Changxin is frail and has been ill for many years. How could he have the strength to choose a concubine?" Zhou Lingyi lowered her voice.

"I heard that the young master grew up in the northern border region, where the sandstorms are not good for people. He must be pale and thin, withered and haggard, unlike the handsome young men in our capital."

"Sister Zhou is right. My father said that the people in the Northern Border are mostly illiterate and all they know is fighting and killing. I'm afraid the young master can't even compose a poem." Zhao Zhao's disdain was obvious.

Zhou Lingyi chuckled lightly: "You, you can't keep your mouth shut. No matter what, the Crown Prince is of royal blood; how dare you speak carelessly about him?"

Zhao Zhao, however, didn't take it to heart: "Sister Zhou, I didn't say anything wrong. Besides, the young master is frail and takes medicine all year round. He'd probably be blown away by a gust of wind. Whoever marries such a person is doomed."

Sun Jingyu, standing to the side, said with pity, "In the capital, which family with any standing would want to marry their daughter off to that harsh, desolate place?"

Everyone nodded in agreement.

Zhou Lingyi nodded slightly, her gaze sweeping over Su Wanwan, and a plan formed in her mind.

"Sister Sun is right. For a young lady like us, marriage is a once-in-a-lifetime event, and we can't be careless. Miss Su, why aren't you saying anything? Could it be that you're interested in the young master?"

All eyes turned to Su Wanwan.

Su Wanwan was drinking tea when a question almost made her choke. After swallowing, she gently placed the teacup on the table.

"The Crown Prince has long resided in the northern border, guarding the frontier for the country, and his contributions are invaluable to the nation. As we enjoy flowers and tea in the capital, we should always remember his kindness. As for his appearance and physique, since we haven't seen him in person, it's best not to make any rash judgments."

Zhou Lingyi chuckled: "Miss Su is kind-hearted. However, we were just saying it casually, so don't take it seriously."

Could it be that Miss Su has met the young master? Or are you intentionally speaking well of him so that he might take a liking to you?

These words were rather harsh, and several noble ladies burst into laughter.

"How could they talk like that..." Su Jinning was so angry that she grabbed her sleeves, wishing she could rush out right now to vent her anger for her sister Wan.

Zhou Lingyi looked her up and down: "With Miss Su's appearance, even if the young master were weak, he wouldn't look at her."

His words drew laughter from the noble ladies.

"Miss Su, just kidding, don't take it seriously," Zhou Lingyi chuckled.

"Miss Zhou's words remind me of a proverb: If you have Buddha in your heart, you will see Buddha everywhere; if you have defilement in your heart, you will see defilement everywhere."

I was merely mentioning the young master's arduous service on the frontier, and Miss Zhou immediately brought up the word "taken a fancy" to it. It seems Miss Zhou often takes fancy to others in this way.

"Since Miss Zhou is so picky, your family must have extremely high standards for choosing a husband. I just wonder, is Miss Zhou's marriage already arranged?"

Zhou Lingyi's expression finally changed. She put down her fan, turned her gaze away, and ignored her.