Phoenix Rising

009

Zi-ning turned around, surprised to find a familiar face standing behind her. The girl had her hair done up with a silver butterfly pin, which matched the butterfly embroidery on her cream-coloured dress.

"Zhenzhu?"

Bai Zhenzhu was the second daughter of Official Bai, a senior official within the Ministry of Protocol. When they were younger, Zi-ning and Zhenzhu used to spend plenty of time together because their mothers had been close friends, but they had quickly drifted apart after her mother passed away. A lot of that had to do with Zi-ning's transformation into the arrogant and obnoxious brat that her stepmother carefully fashioned her to be.

Zhenzhu slowly walked up to her side. "You look... different," she said hesitantly.

"In a good way?"

"Definitely in a good way."

The two girls exchanged smiles as though it had only been yesterday that they had last spoken to each other instead of five years ago.

"How's your family?" Zi-ning asked.

"We're doing alright. Father just got a promotion a couple of months ago, and my brother will be taking the imperial examination this summer. We don't really fancy his chances though. Father would rather have him wait another year or two, but Shengwu is just too stubborn."

"There's no harm in trying. You never know what could happen."

If her memory served her right, then Bai Shengwu would not only ace this year's imperial examinations, he would also emerge as the youngest top scholar in the history of the exams. Shengwu was turning eighteen this year and had inherited a mind that was a sharp and astute as his grandfather, the late Chief Minister Bai. However, besides his stubbornness, he was also detached and reserved to a fault. In her previous lifetime, Bai Shengwu had scaled the political ladder at breakneck speed and eventually became the top candidate for Chief Minister. The fifth prince had tried to rope him into his faction several times but always failed miserably because Shengwu cared little for political intrigue, preferring to devote his time and energy to bettering the welfare of the people. As a result, he had eventually been banished for a fabricated crime, putting a premature end to what would have been an illustrious career.

"Well as long as he doesn't embarrass us too badly," Zhenzhu replied, pulling a face. "How are things like in your family now? Your sister," she jerked her head in Meiyan's direction, "is obviously enjoying the limelight. Does she honestly think that she'll manage to hook herself a prince by putting on this charade?"

Zhenzhu had never liked Meiyan. She had once told Zi-ning that she thought Meiyan was pretentious and hypocritical, but Zi-ning had dismissed her concerns and even told her off for badmouthing her sister. On hindsight, Zhenzhu had a better eye for judging people after all.

Zi-ning smiled wryly. "She has every reason to be in the limelight. After all, she has worked so hard to be where she is today," she said.

Zhenzhu looked at her strangely. "Something's definitely changed about you." In the past, Zi-ning would never have said something like that about her older sister. Although there was nothing obviously wrong with what she had just said, there was no disguising the sarcasm lining her words. "Did something happen to you when you went to Taishan? I still can't believe you actually stayed there for such a long time. The place is so isolated from civilisation! I don't think I would have lasted a week at a place like that."

"I guess I grew up," Zi-ning replied simply. "We all change with time, don't we?" She linked her arm with Zhenzhu, leading down the pathway back towards the gardens. "You're looking quite different yourself. I almost didn't recognise you. I don't see you in two and a half years and all of a sudden you've blossomed into this beautiful flower? If one of the princes catches sight of you today, perhaps I'll end up attending your wedding soon."