Like a gentle hand, the late spring breeze slowly pushed open the study window. Willow catkins, drifting like snow outside, drifted leisurely into the room, a few strands landing quietly on the rice paper spread out on the desk. Su Jinli stood quietly in the study, brush firmly gripped, staring at the blank page before her, her thoughts drifting away.

Jiang Yan's appearance emerged in her mind. She recalled his half-smile every time she met him, as if hiding endless tenderness and playfulness; she also recalled that day when he squatted on the street like a child, fighting with a group of children for a sugar painting. His serious yet adorable look was really hilarious. Thinking of this, Su Jinli unconsciously raised a playful smirk at the corner of her mouth, and lightly tapped the tip of the pen in her hand, and wrote on the paper -

"Jiang Yan is an idiot."

The five characters were crooked and twisted, their strokes revealing an undisguised childishness, as if reflecting her current, slightly vindictive mood. After writing these five characters, she seemed unsatisfied and meticulously sketched a little figure with its tongue sticking out beside it. The figure's eyes and eyebrows moved, as if making faces at the imaginary Jiang Yan, a vivid and lifelike expression.

Just as she put down her pen, before she could carefully admire her "masterpiece", she heard a sudden cry of feigned surprise from outside the door:

"Oh! Why is Miss Su here?"

Before he finished speaking, Madam Li, holding Madam Liu's arm, rushed in. Behind them, several other noble ladies gathered, each with a look of triumph, as if they had caught someone in the act, as if they were certain Su Jinli would be doomed. Princess Pingyang was even more arrogant, her hands on her hips, and she shouted sternly:

"Su Jinli! How dare you trespass into Jiang Zhuangyuan's study? Such behavior is so disrespectful!"

Hearing the sound, Su Jinli pretended to be panicked and turned around quickly, her eyes full of innocence and surprise:

"I...I came here to help Madam Li find an embroidery pattern. How come I'm here? I was just following Madam Li's servant, and he said the embroidery pattern is right here."

"Looking for embroidery patterns in the top scholar's study?" Liu immediately agreed. She hypocritically took out a handkerchief and gently wiped away her nonexistent tears. She said in a sobbing voice, "Jinli, how can I explain to your father in the future how foolish you have been?"

At this tense moment, a clear voice came from the door:

"What are you looking for? It's so lively."

Everyone turned around to see Jiang Yan, dressed in simple yet elegant attire, standing quietly at the door. He was holding an exquisite food box, which exuded a faint, alluring aroma, suggesting some delicious food. His gaze first stumbled upon Su Jinli, and he paused for a moment before settling on the inscribed sheet of rice paper on the desk. The corners of his mouth couldn't help but twitch slightly.

"Jiang... Jiang Zhuangyuan!" Madam Li's face turned pale as paper, and her voice trembled unconsciously. "We... We came here to look for embroidery patterns, and somehow ended up here. I didn't expect Miss Su to be here too. It's really... what a coincidence."

Jiang Yan pretended not to hear and walked straight towards the desk. He gently picked up the piece of rice paper. The six large characters "Jiang Yan is a fool" were particularly eye-catching in the sunlight. The little man beside him, tilting his head and sticking out his tongue, added a bit of humor. He slowly raised his head and looked at Su Jinli with a gentle and doting look. A hint of helplessness flashed in his eyes, and he said softly:

"Miss Su, you are so elegant. I wonder if you could give me this unique calligraphy. I really can't let go of such an interesting masterpiece."

Su Jinli blinked her bright eyes, deliberately put on a serious face, and said:

"No, this is the evidence I used to scold you. If you ever bully me, I'll show this to everyone and let them judge."

The surrounding noble ladies were all stunned. This development was completely different from what they had envisioned. According to their assumptions, Su Jinli should be panic-stricken and at a loss, and Jiang Yan would righteously drive her out to protect his reputation and the dignity of the study. However, the interaction between the two of them looked more like flirting, completely disrupting their plans.

Seeing this, Princess Pingyang immediately became so anxious that her face flushed and she couldn't help but shout:

"Jiang Zhuangyuan! She broke into your study and wrote... something so disrespectful. How could you protect her like this? If this gets out, will your reputation be ruined?"

"Oh?" Jiang Yan raised his eyebrows slightly, a hint of displeasure in his eyes, and looked coldly at Princess Pingyang, "Who is allowed into this top scholar's study, and who is not allowed to enter? Are you, Princess, also going to interfere and meddle so much?" After saying this, he paused slightly, then turned his gaze to Liu, his tone questioning, "And Madam Liu, I heard that the Prime Minister's Mansion has always had strict family education. Could it be that you are the one who instigated the legitimate daughter in this way and tried to ruin the reputation of the Prime Minister's Mansion?"

Jiang Yan's barrage of questions left Liu speechless. Her face first paled, then sank to a sullen hue. Her lips trembled slightly, yet she couldn't utter a single word. Madam Li was also panicking. She had never expected Jiang Yan to defend Su Jinli so unhesitatingly. The situation, which had seemed certain to win, suddenly became precarious.

Seeing Jiang Yan's firm support for her, Su Jinli felt a surge of warmth in her heart, like the warm sun in winter, dispelling all the gloom and coldness. She took a step forward and said to everyone in an elegant manner:

"Since I can't find the embroidery pattern, I'll take my leave. I'm sure the ladies have important matters to attend to, so I won't bother you any more."

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