As one of the most beautiful gardens in Eastlyn, the exquisite Blossom Garden is beyond dispute—otherwise it wouldn’t have attracted the covetous gaze of the Lu Clan.
Blossom Garden spans ten thousand acres. Though built within the city, it nestles beside mountains and water, seemingly crafted by nature itself. Its construction emphasized natural harmony, avoiding excessive artifice; every detail is perfectly placed. Stepping into Blossom Garden feels like entering another world, making visitors linger, unwilling to leave.
For Serena’s birthday banquet, only two sub-courtyards are used: Blossom Hall, where Ninth Royal Uncle Nolan entertains the male guests, and Pure Grace Court, where Serena hosts the female guests.
This is the first banquet hosted by Ninth Royal Uncle since arriving in Shandong Circuit. Every prominent figure is scheming for an invitation, hoping to make an impression before him.
As for those without invitations, they still deliver gifts in person, just hoping Ninth Royal Uncle will know there is such a person in Shandong.
A middle-aged man dressed as a wealthy merchant, not having received an invitation, offered his birthday gift and was politely turned away at the gate. Yet he didn’t get angry, leaving with a broad smile.
Once in the carriage, the merchant’s wife spoke up: "Dear, with so many people sending gifts, will Ninth Royal Uncle even notice ours? That warm jade is our family’s heirloom, passed from father to son, never to daughters. If Ninth Royal Uncle doesn’t see it, we’ll have lost out."
"Women always think too narrowly. What do you know? Usually, we have no way to send gifts to Ninth Royal Uncle. Now that he’s throwing a birthday banquet for Miss Feng, we’ve delivered our gift. If Ninth Royal Uncle or Miss Feng happens to notice it, and remembers us, our family could prosper." The merchant looked hopeful, imagining Ninth Royal Uncle summoning him and praising his gift. The more he thought about it, the more excited he became, smiling unconsciously.
But his wife poured cold water on his hopes: "If they don’t see it, then we’ve lost that warm jade for nothing."
Hearing this, the merchant’s fervor instantly froze. He glared fiercely at his wife, refusing to admit he’d gone too far, and gritted his teeth: "Impossible. The jade we sent is perfect for a lady to wear and can nourish a woman’s health. Ninth Royal Uncle will definitely notice it, and Miss Feng will surely like it."
Just like the wealthy merchant, there were plenty of people hoping to latch onto power. Shandong Circuit isn’t rich overall, but there’s no shortage of moneyed families. Many believed that if they could catch Ninth Royal Uncle’s eye, their rise would be just around the corner. Even a mere trickle from his fingers would be enough to feed their families for generations.
And to catch Ninth Royal Uncle’s eye, this was the perfect chance. If they missed it, there’d be no way to present gifts in the future. Some families even tightened their belts just to scrape together a present worthy of notice.
So, on Serena’s birthday banquet, carriages lined up endlessly outside Blossom Garden. Guests came and went, servants rushed about, but as hosts, Ninth Royal Uncle and Serena stayed tucked away in their room, completely ignoring the early arrivals.
Inside, only Serena and Ninth Royal Uncle were present. Serena sat at the dressing table, watching herself in the mirror—and watching Nolan draw her brows. Serena closed her eyes, lips curving up, happiness overflowing from her expression.
It was the most lavish birthday she’d ever had, in this life or the last. Though Serena found it extravagant and a bit wasteful, her heart was full of joy. It felt wonderful to be cherished.
Sure, Nolan was throwing this grand banquet partly to expand his influence in Shandong and test the Lu Clan, but he hadn’t skimped on any of the preparations.
Today, Serena wore a gold palace gown, rushed over by Nolan’s order and only delivered that very morning.
Nolan always knew what suited Serena best. The gold palace gown wasn’t the current fashion, but styled after noblewomen of the Former Dynasty—yet even more luxurious and intricate than anything before.
After so long in this world, Serena understood that a gown like hers required at least a hundred seamstresses and half a year to complete. Clearly, Nolan’s plan to host her birthday banquet was no spur-of-the-moment idea—it had been in the works for ages.
The gown was stunning, and Serena loved it. But what she cherished most was Nolan’s thoughtfulness. The twelve-layer palace gown she wore was put on by Nolan himself; every accessory, no matter how small, was arranged by his own hands.
"Beautiful," Nolan said sincerely after dressing Serena, standing before her and studying her for a long moment.
"The clothes are beautiful?" They were so close that Serena could see a miniature reflection of herself in Nolan’s eyes.
Noble, dignified, graceful—wearing this gown, her entire aura changed. She was like a luminous pearl in the night, standing there with a radiance and nobility no one else could match.
Just as Nolan said, she was more noble than anyone else in the world.
"The clothes are beautiful," Nolan replied honestly. Serena smiled softly, then teased, "Is it only the clothes that are beautiful? What about the person? Am I not beautiful?"
"Serena, that doesn’t matter. Your looks don’t matter at all—you are who you are. As for the clothes, they exist because of you. If you like them, then they are beautiful." Serena was beautiful, but there were other women in the world just as lovely. For her, beauty was only a minor adornment.
Women love hearing men praise their beauty, but they also fear being valued only for their looks—because even the fairest face cannot withstand the passage of time.
Nolan’s answer wasn’t romantic or sweet, but it made Serena truly happy from the bottom of her heart.
Serena’s eyes grew misty. Moved, she stepped forward and embraced Nolan. "I really like this." She liked everything about today, and she liked his answer.
"As long as you like it." Nolan didn’t hug her back. Instead, he gently pushed her away: "Don’t be naughty. I don’t have a second gown for you to change into."
Serena couldn’t let her gown get creased. Whatever the purpose of today’s banquet, she was the true center—the woman standing above the crowd, basking in their flattery, envy, and admiration.
"Be good, sit still. I’ll do your hair." Nolan smoothed out the wrinkles in Serena’s gown, helped her sit properly, and, with great care, styled her hair into a simple topknot, securing it with a single red plum blossom hairpin.
Once her hair was done, it was time for her brows...
Nolan was a bit clumsy at these tasks—anyone could tell he hadn’t been practicing for long.
For a man who’d never been close to women, learning to style a woman’s hair and paint her brows was no easy feat. Serena didn’t know how long Nolan had practiced in secret; she only knew her eyes kept stinging today, as if she might cry at any moment...
Nolan was always so busy, yet he’d learned how to do her hair and brows just for her. How could she not be moved? She could only keep that feeling in her heart.
Nolan seemed to understand Serena’s thoughts. With a gentle flick of the brow pencil, he hooked a stray lock of hair with his pinky, an almost tender gesture.
After finishing her brows, Nolan studied her face for a moment, added a few more strokes, and finally set the brush down, satisfied: "From now on, every year on your birthday, I’ll do your hair and paint your brows myself."
Nolan reached out and helped Serena to her feet. His Serena didn’t need elaborate hair ornaments or heavy makeup—this was enough.
Their eyes met. Serena saw the seriousness in Nolan’s gaze and choked up, bowing her head: "Every year, I’ll wait for you to do my hair. As long as you never abandon me, I’ll follow you in life and death."
Her sixteenth birthday—she would never forget it!