The days after the banquet were abuzz with gossip.
"She dared to challenge Zhao Rui in front of everyone!"
"Hua Lian isn't the same as before…"
"Perhaps the Hua family's quiet flower has grown thorns."
Hua Lian heard every whisper, but she didn't gloat. "One victory doesn't win a war", she reminded herself. But it unsettles the enemy. That's enough.
At home, trouble was already brewing.
Her cousin Hua Mei, the ever-smiling jade of the family, had not taken kindly to Hua Lian's sudden rise. In the last life, Hua Mei had slowly poisoned her reputation with petty rumors, each one eroding the family's trust.
This time, Hua Lian was ready.
It started at dinner. A jeweled hairpin went missing — one belonging to Second Aunt, who valued it greatly. When the servants searched, it mysteriously appeared beneath Hua Lian's pillow.
Hua Mei's voice rang out, soft with fake concern.
"Cousin, how strange… Why would Second Aunt's hairpin be found in your room?"
In her past life, Hua Lian had panicked, denied helplessly, and lost face before the whole household.
But now, she only sipped her tea. Calm. Unshaken.
She looked around the room, then spoke gently.
"How strange indeed. A hairpin from Second Aunt's chamber… in my pillow. But tell me, Cousin Mei — who visited my room earlier today?"
The maid shifted nervously. "It was… it was Young Miss Hua Mei. She said she came to bring pastries."
The hall grew silent. All eyes turned to Hua Mei.
Her face paled, her sweet smile cracking for the first time.
"I—I only meant to be kind. Perhaps… the maid is mistaken."
Hua Lian's lips curved ever so slightly. "Whether mistaken or not, it is best we investigate. Surely Cousin Mei, who values honesty above all, wouldn't mind clearing her name."
Second Aunt narrowed her eyes, suspicion rising. The once-perfect jade of the Hua family had, for the first time, a shadow of doubt cast upon her.
Hua Mei clenched her fists under her sleeves . You dare turn my game against me, Hua Lian?
But Hua Lian only lowered her gaze, hiding the glint of triumph in her eyes.
This was not a full strike. Just a thorn, pricking Hua Mei's flawless mask. Enough to make her bleed in silence.
The war between flowers had begun.