So no matter what Nan Zhiyun ultimately chose, these items would only ever be hers.
As Nan Zhiyun was selecting, a familiar face appeared. It was Bai Yusheng…
"Greetings, esteemed lady." Bai Yusheng seemed surprised to see Nan Zhiyun, but her reaction was swift. She stepped forward immediately and offered a bow.
Since they were outside the palace, she addressed Nan Zhiyun as "guiren" (esteemed lady). (A note for clarity: "Guiren" here does not refer to a rank. Our harem ranking system does not include this title. It is simply a respectful address for someone of noble status.)
"Miss Bai?" Nan Zhiyun was also surprised to encounter her here.
"What a coincidence today, meeting Miss Nan here. Why are you here, Miss Nan? Are you alone?" Bai Yusheng's tone was very warm.
"Miss Bai, it would be better if you called me Madam." Nan Zhiyun disliked being called 'Miss' by her.
"Yes, yes, it was thoughtless of Sheng'er. Please forgive me, Madam." Bai Yusheng changed her address very quickly, showing no hint of embarrassment.
"Madam, are you here to select jewelry? What a coincidence, so am I." Bai Yusheng said, looking at the pieces.
"Are these new arrivals? I haven't seen them before, and they seem much more beautiful than the previous ones." Bai Yusheng reached out to touch the items.
"Madam is naturally beautiful, so whatever you wear will look good. If these pieces were worn by Madam, they would truly be the icing on the cake," Bai Yusheng was very adept with her words.
"They look good when worn a lot? Peacock," Nan Zhiyun couldn't explain why, but she always felt a little uncomfortable around her.
"Madam is quite amusing. But why do you have time to come out today?" Bai Yusheng returned to the original topic.
"I was bored, so I came out," Nan Zhiyun's response was somewhat perfunctory.
"I also had nothing to do today, so I came out for a look. I never expected to run into Madam. It is my honor. However, I did not come alone today; Madam Yuan is also with me." Bai Yusheng suddenly mentioned Madam Yuan. Madam Yuan? Nan Zhiyun was confused. She couldn't think of any noble ladies in the capital with the surname Yuan.
As Bai Yusheng spoke, another person approached. Ah, it was her. Yuan Fei's sister, Yuan Shuyi.
"Madam Yuan, come and see who this is," Bai Yusheng pulled her over.
Yuan Shuyi was also somewhat surprised to see Nan Zhiyun.
"Quickly, greet Madam!" Bai Yusheng prompted.
"Yes, greetings, Madam," Yuan Shuyi also offered a bow.
Nan Zhiyun ignored her. She disliked Yuan Shuyi. Seeing this, Bai Yusheng gently nudged Yuan Shuyi, who then quickly opened her mouth to speak, "Madam..."
However, before Yuan Shuyi could even finish speaking, Nan Zhiyun said, "Madam Yuan, you won't push me down the stairs again this time, will you?"
"Madam is joking. How could I dare?" Yuan Shuyi quickly denied it, and the atmosphere became awkward.
"But I'm afraid. So it's best if Madam Yuan keeps a distance from me. Otherwise, I will feel uneasy," Nan Zhiyun offered no pleasantries.
Seeing this, Bai Yusheng quickly stepped in to smooth things over. "Madam is joking. It was all a misunderstanding before. By the way, since Madam is out today, will you be visiting General Nan? Father was saying the other day that he wanted to visit General Nan at the Nan family. Father has always been very grateful to General Nan, and the year is almost over, but Father still hasn't found the time to visit." Bai Yusheng invoked Nan Su.