After what happened with Qiu Hui and Lady Bianca of Wu'an, Serena Feng was no longer that silent girl who hid in the corner and wiped away tears. Now, standing among the noble girls dressed in their riding outfits, she could see how the atmosphere had changed—every eye was sharper, every smile more guarded.
Just as Serena was about to slip away, a lively young girl followed her out, her face bright with a naturally winning smile and an air of easy familiarity. She hooked her arm around Serena’s, leaving her no room to refuse.
“Sister Serena, you’re incredible! You actually scared Qiu Hui—the tiger—so badly she wet herself, hahaha, it was priceless. You don’t know how fierce she was at first, always showing off her archery and firing arrows near us just for fun. I can’t stand her at all.
And Lady Bianca of Wu'an, always acting high and mighty, constantly lecturing people like she’s so noble. I used to think she was something special, but in private, she’s just that kind of person.” The girl’s thoughts were simple and her moods written all over her face; her bright eyes were full of admiration.
Serena could only laugh—she never expected a noble girl to admire her. She’d thought that, in the eyes of these highborn daughters, she was no better than a stray dog: either disgraced before marriage, or ready to bite anyone who came close.
Serena was just about to remind the girl to let go, when someone called out for her: “Yici, come here.”
The girl who spoke bore a strong resemblance to Yici—about sixty percent alike.
“Oh, my sister’s calling me!” The girl clinging to Serena stuck out her tongue, reluctant to let go. “Sister Serena, I forgot to tell you—my name’s Yici, and that’s my elder sister, Sun Yijin. My sister’s amazing at riding, so when the race starts, I’ll have her look after you. But you need to be careful too—someone fell off their horse two years ago.”
With that, she bounced over to another young lady, but not before flashing Serena a cheering gesture.
Serena shook her head—she hadn’t said a single word from start to finish.