Days passed, and winter arrived in the blink of an eye. Since being angered unconscious by Xiang Wan, Qin Rong had been staying quietly in her courtyard. Xiang Wan continued to busy herself with learning her craft and running the clothing shop. Unfortunately, Master Qin followed the same path as in the original story, falling ill on his business trip as winter approached. This time, the Queen Mother found trustworthy people to escort the ailing Master Qin back, accompanied by a fairly renowned doctor. Medicine in this era wasn't very advanced, and Xiang Wan couldn't help. Despite consulting many doctors and spending a considerable amount of money, they still couldn't save Master Qin's life.

On the day Master Qin passed away, it was snowing heavily. Qin Rong cried uncontrollably, and the three women, including Wang Mu, also had red eyes. According to local custom, when a family member dies, the widow must observe three months of mourning.

Qin Rong stopped targeting the mother and her two daughters. Later, she took the initiative to apologize to Wang's mother and also tried to befriend Xiang Xia and Xiang Wan. Thanks to her efforts, the previous conflict between them had become a thing of the past.

The Qin family mansion was much more desolate than before, but under the Queen Mother's management, the original story's ending of bankruptcy did not occur; instead, it showed signs of becoming increasingly prosperous. Qin Rong devoted herself wholeheartedly to learning her skills, because it was a ball issued by the royal family that all unmarried girls in the country could participate in.

Qin Rong, having lost her support, naturally didn't want her mother to remarry and was very filial. Regardless of her true feelings, her actions were impeccable. When her mother became the head of the household and received the royal invitation, she didn't hold back, summoning all three daughters and telling them the truth. She then instructed Li Niangzi to teach them strictly, not expecting them to be exceptionally talented, but simply to maintain their dignity. After all, Xiang Wan had spent far more time on costumes than honing her skills, making her the least impressive of the three.

Since her parting with Yuan Feng, Xiang Wan had been hoping for a reunion that never came. She wasn't without regret, but considering this ball was for him, she figured they could meet again then. However, if Yuan Feng still fell for Qin Rong this time, she would have no choice but to play the villain and break them up. The original owner's ending was so tragic; she didn't believe Qin Rong would easily let the Queen Mother and her two companions off. She was only compromising because she hadn't found an opportunity yet. Actually, breaking up other people's relationships wasn't a pleasant thing for her, and she didn't want to do it unless forced to.

Amidst the hustle and bustle, the time for the ball arrived quickly. Mother Wang had prepared outfits for all three, mostly custom-made at her own shop. The colors varied, but the styles were largely similar. Xiang Wan had also prepared a pair of transparent soft shoes for herself and Xiang Xia, as well as a modern wedding dress and cheongsam hybrid. She didn't know if Qin Rong had secretly prepared anything; she only knew that outside of teaching hours, Qin Rong was generally unavailable.

The distance between Anyang City and the royal palace was quite far, so the group needed to set off early and find a courtyard to stay in outside the palace. There were quite a few people coming, and the number of carriages and horses coming and going in the royal city gradually increased. If the Queen Mother hadn't arranged for someone to reserve a place to stay in advance, they might have had to stay outside the city gate if they had arrived late.

The grand gathering held at the royal palace was a cause for national celebration, inviting not only young women from within the country but also many noble princesses from neighboring nations. The closer one got to the palace, the higher the chance of encountering foreign guests. Squads of soldiers patrolled day and night, fearing any unforeseen events.

As evening fell, the Queen Mother and her entourage, carrying invitations, arrived at the palace gates in a carriage.

Xiang Wan wore a beige cheongsam with dark blue piping on the cuffs and collar, its lines soft. The bottom was a pleated skirt that reached her ankles, with small blue flowers embroidered on the white hem. She wore low-heeled women's shoes that exposed her instep, and crystal chains hung from her wrists and neck. Her hair was styled in a girlish bun, and her teardrop-shaped earrings swayed as she walked. Overall, she was graceful yet playful. She wasn't the most outstanding, but once you noticed her, it was hard to look away.

Xiang Xia wore a fitted, floor-length pink dress with wide sleeves and a straight neckline edged with gold thread, below which hung a row of tiny crystal beads. A cluster of green branches wrapped around her waist from the right side of the neckline, branching out to encircle her waist and then extending down to her ankles, creating a sense of drape. The hem of the dress flowed gently, and the floral decorations at her ankles were faintly visible as she moved, drawing the eye. This time, Xiang Xia didn't wear her hair up; instead, she simply clipped the hair at her temples with small butterfly hair clips, letting two strands fall to her chest, making her delicate face appear even smaller.

Qin Rong wore a light blue, belted long dress with a high collar that completely covered her neck, but a simple, crystal-clear heart-shaped pendant hung down her chest, attracting attention. Her long hair cascaded down, with a braided ponytail on top adorned with colorful ribbons, and a round beaded ornament draped over her forehead, giving her a very youthful look. The long sleeves clung to her arms, perfectly outlining her curves, and a wide belt was cinched at her waist, secured with a palm-sized swan buckle. The skirt was wide at the hem, and with a turn, the hem would flutter, revealing her crystal shoes.

Indeed, Qin Rong didn't wear the shoes prepared by the Queen Mother; instead, she wore the crystal shoes from the original story. Xiang Wan wasn't surprised at all. After all, it's only natural for a woman to dress up carefully to attract attention and use some tricks. However, Xiang Wan was very much looking forward to seeing what effect this unique and eye-catching approach would have after entering the palace.

The Queen Mother straightened her attire, dismounted, and stood still. Qin Rong, who was sitting near the outside, was the first to get off the carriage. Just as Xiang Xia was about to get off, Xiang Wan pulled her back, took out two pairs of shoes that looked like transparent glass slippers from a small compartment in the carriage, and without saying a word, took off Xiang Xia's shoes and put the shoes she had prepared on her. She then changed into the shoes herself before pulling Xiang Xia down from the carriage.

Neither the Queen Mother nor Qin Rong noticed these things. After the guards finished checking the invitation, they lifted their skirts and walked into the palace.

"Wan'er, what were you doing just now? Why are you making me wear shoes like these? Where did they come from?"

Xiang Xia and Xiang Wan lagged behind. She quietly pulled Xiang Wan aside and asked in a low voice.

"Shh, these are shoes I made specially. You'll find out what they're for later."

Xiang Wan didn't elaborate, but gave Xia a wink before quickly catching up with the Queen Mother.

Xiang Xia looked puzzled, but seeing that the shoes on her feet were comfortable and stylish, she stopped asking questions and followed behind the Queen Mother.

After climbing up the steps, everyone was covered in sweat, especially Qin Rong, who dared not take big steps and did not want to distance herself from the Queen Mother. She walked very hard, and her makeup was almost ruined by the sweat.

Xiang Wan watched with great interest, silently giving herself a thumbs up. Luckily, she hadn't followed Qin Rong's example and tried to wear glass slippers; only a fool would do something so difficult to walk in.