The next day, Seventh Prince's Residence.
"Please slow down Lady Gao, the ground is slippery!" Eunuch Chen cried as he ran after Gao Yulan and her maid Erqing.
Gao Yulan was surprisingly fast for a woman bundled up in four layers of winter clothes. Eunuch Chen stopped by a tree a short distance away from the main courtyard to catch his breath.
He held on to the tree trunk and bent over, "young lady Gao," he called in a breathless voice but the lady in question ignored him and continued running toward the main courtyard.
Gao Yulan stopped just below the stairs leading up to the door. She pulled her louse down and arranged the sleeves, her maid took out a silk handkerchief and wiped her face.
Once everything was set Gao Yulan turned to her maid and asked, "how do I look Erqing," she touched her hairpin and grinned, "do you think brother Yize will notice the hairpin? It was among the gifts he sent over last year!"