Perhaps the Departed Still Shine on the Morning Blossoms

On the eve of entering the palace, my elder sister, who shared my father but not my mother, suddenly acted out of character and asked me to accompany her as a maid.

"Zhaozhao, come to the palace with me tomorrow. Your sister will take you around to try all the delicacies. How does that sound?"

I chewed with earnest concentration, amusing my sister. She stared at the cinnabar mark on my arm, her smile growing wider.

But she didn’t notice that my silly grin never reached my eyes.