It's a warm night in summer, and there's a celebration going on. However, Jiang Cheng has snuck away from the party, as no one was paying attention to him, only to Wei Ying. He sits under a tree, and puts his head against his knees. Just then, he hears footsteps, and another boy his age comes stumbling into the clearing.

Cheng: "Who are you?"

The boy has leaves in his hair, but other than that, his hair is silky and straight, and pulled up into a ponytail, with delicate braids leading to it, and adorned with elaborate jewels and ornaments. His robes are muddy and slightly torn from brambles, but other than that, the fabric is expensive and there's delicate, elaborate embroidery. It's obvious that the boy is from an incredibly rich family.

Meng: "I'm Xue Meng... Didn't think anyone else was out here... M'sorry... Just wanted to get away from everyone else... They're all ignoring me..."

Cheng: "M'Jiang Cheng... They ignore you too?! Everyone but Mama prefers Ying-gege more..."

Meng: "Yeah... Everyone likes Ran-gege more than me... It's unfair! I did better in school, and they still like him more!"

Cheng: "Same with us! I study so hard, and they just say that I can't compare, and they never even try to hide that they prefer him over me! And the servants are all nicer to him! It's not fair!"

Meng nods, and plops down onto the ground. He's obviously exhausted, because he's all dirty, but he still looks much more regal than Jiang Cheng. The two sit together in silence for a while. Jiang Cheng notices the intricate jewelry that clinks with every movement that Xue Meng makes.