Chapter 14 She Comes to Seduce Men

The last time was in the boudoir a long, long time ago, a lifetime ago.

"It's getting late, young lady, it's time to go." Nanny Zhang called her back to her senses.

"kindness."

Outside the mansion gate, the carriage was already waiting there. Madam Shen was standing on one side. When she heard the footsteps, she turned her head and was startled, then her eyes were filled with amazement.

"Mother." Shen Anan bowed.

"Okay." Mrs. Shen held her hand, "An An is so beautiful."

It is gorgeous yet dignified, bold yet not harsh, gentle yet bright, everything is just right.

"When you come back, Madam Zhang will give you a reward."

"Thank you, Madam. It's because the girl has a good foundation. She looks good no matter how she dresses."

The group got on the carriage with smiles on their faces and headed towards the Yongning Marquis' Mansion.

On the way, Madam Shen briefly told her about the situation in Yongning Marquis Mansion. Shen Anan knew everything, but she still listened very seriously.

"The Prince of Yongning is also a handsome man with great talent. Although he is not as talented as the Fourth Prince, he is also a popular young man in the capital."

Shen Anan smiled and nodded.

That person, like Li Huaiyan, is a loyal follower of Xiao Yuan, but he is far inferior to Li Huaiyan. After all, he is blind and stupid, and likes Duan Mengmeng.

In the previous life, he had often ridiculed and mocked her, and was very picky and looked down on her.

She understood what her mother meant, but there was absolutely no way that Ling Chenyi would be her husband.

Thinking of this, she suddenly raised her eyebrows slightly. If she remembered correctly, Ling Chenyi fell in love with Duan Mengmeng at the Chrysanthemum Banquet because of a painting.

I heard that the princess held a talent contest that day, and Duan Mengmeng, the most talented girl, won first place as expected, and received applause from the whole room, winning the hearts of many young men, including Ling Chenyi.

Should she stir up trouble in this life?

"An'an, we're here. What are you thinking about?" Madam Shen's voice rang in her ears, and she suddenly came to her senses and found that she had arrived at the Yongning Marquis Mansion.

There was a constant stream of traffic outside the mansion gate. The servants of the mansion respectfully bowed to every distinguished guest who came to the banquet and led them into the courtyard.

When the ladies met acquaintances, they would greet and laugh in groups of three or four.

As soon as Mrs. Shen got out of the car, she started chatting with the lady of the family, and Shen Anan stood behind her in a proper manner.

At this moment, there was a sudden commotion. She turned her head and saw a fast horse coming out from the corner, followed by a carriage.

The man on horseback was tall and sturdy, with broad shoulders and a narrow waist. His dark suit perfectly outlined his sturdy figure. He wore a jade crown high on his head and had a stern expression. Every part of his face contained a sharp chill.

As soon as he appeared, many girls were stunned and their eyes were wide open.

Shen Anan's eyes swept over Xiao Yuan lightly and fell on the carriage behind.

It’s from the Duan Mansion, and the person sitting inside is Duan Mengmeng?

Xiao Yuan ignored the tender looks from the women and his gaze suddenly fell on a slender figure in the crowd.

The jewels and jade on her head did not detract from her beauty in the slightest, and the plain long skirt only made her face look more rosy than a peach, dazzling the eyes.

He narrowed his eyes. She was dressed so seductively, was she here to attend the banquet or to seduce men?

"An An."

"Hmm?" Shen Anan looked back, and her eyes met Xiao Yuan's deep black eyes for a moment. She looked away calmly, treating it as air.

"..." Walking closer, Xiao Yuan threw the reins to the servant and dismounted.

The distance was not far, and he had sharp ears and eyes, so he happened to hear the conversation over there from Shen Anan.

"Mrs. Liu is praising you, what are you thinking about?" Mrs. Shen said with a smile.

Shen Anan lowered her eyes, acting shy like a girl being praised, "I was distracted for a moment, sorry for being rude."

"It's okay, it's okay." Madam Liu's eyes almost glued to An An, "I often heard your mother mention you before, but I've never seen you. Now I see you, you really are like snow in the moon, with a fairy-like appearance."

"Oh, Miss Liu is not bad either, Madam Liu, thank you for the compliment." Madam Shen held Shen Anan's hand modestly, but her face was full of pride.

“Hey, if my girl was half as pretty as Miss Shen, I would wake up laughing in my dreams.”

Several people laughed together.

Xiao Yuan raised his lips sarcastically and stood there without moving.

Duan Mengmeng lifted the carriage curtain and enjoyed the envious looks from everyone. She shyly thought that Xiao Yuan would help her get off the carriage, but he turned his back to her with his head slightly lowered, and no one knew what he was thinking.

"Senior Brother." She called out weakly.

Xiao Yuan seemed to have heard it, but also seemed not to have heard it. He just tilted his head slightly and did not turn around.

"Miss, let me help you." The maid stretched out her hand and gave Duan Mengmeng a step. She could only bite her red lips and slowly get off the car.

Shen Anan didn't care about them, because Madam Liu was trying to find out about her marriage in a roundabout way.

"An An just came back, I thought it wouldn't be too late to keep her for two years before discussing marriage."

"If I want to keep such a well-behaved and beautiful daughter for two years, it doesn't conflict with choosing a husband. If there is a suitable one, it would be better to settle it early."

Mrs. Shen smiled and nodded.

Madam Liu continued, "My unpromising son also passed the imperial examination this year. Although he didn't rank among the top, he still has a reputation. He has a good personality and is not the kind of person who idles around."

Madam Shen tilted her head to glance at Shen Anan, and said politely, "Madam Liu is too modest. Young Master Liu is also a leader among the sons of officials."

"Oh, you're so kind. I'll definitely bring him to visit you when I have the chance." Mrs. Liu smiled happily and began to finalize the date with Mrs. Shen, as if she couldn't wait to settle the matter immediately.

Shen Anan followed the two of them inside obediently, moving lightly with lotus steps, a standard noble lady's demeanor.

Xiao Yuan's heavy gaze was fixed on that hint of pink.

This woman is used to putting on airs.

She just rejected his marriage proposal the day before, and now she dresses up as a rooster to seduce men. Is she afraid that she won’t be able to get married?

"Senior Brother." Duan Mengmeng followed his gaze and her red lips almost bled from biting them.

"Do you like Miss Shen?"

Hearing this, Xiao Yuan retracted his gaze and glanced at Duan Mengmeng, "I don't like others discussing or speculating about me."

These words were spoken calmly, but contained a fierce tone.

Duan Mengmeng's face turned pale. "It's Mengmeng who talks too much. I've overstepped my authority. But... Grandfather hasn't been feeling well recently. If you have time, could you... visit him more often?"

The old man of the Duan family once taught Xiao Yuan, and they became close friends as a teacher.

"Yeah." Xiao Yuan replied calmly, "I have something to ask the princess, you go in by yourself." After that, he strode into the mansion.

"But I'm not going to see Marquis Yongning." Duan Mengmeng bit her lip and muttered.

They were clearly on their way.

As soon as Xiao Yuan left, a girl approached Duan Mengmeng and asked, "Miss Duan San, why did you come with the Fourth Prince today?"

"My senior brother went to see my grandfather and came along." Duan Mengmeng was still reserved.

"I see that the Fourth Prince treats you very specially. Maybe Miss Duan San can get the upper hand over you because she is close to him." A girl smiled and held Duan Mengmeng in her arms.

After all, she has a good family background and is a talented woman, and her grandfather is the fourth prince's husband.

"Marriage is decided by parents and matchmaker. It's not something we can discuss." Duan Mengmeng looked shy.

The girls looked at each other. Could it be that the Duan family was already discussing a marriage with the Fourth Prince?

Duan Mengmeng smiled shyly and walked into the Marquis' Mansion.

——

Shen Anan followed Madam Shen to pay a visit to Madam Yongning Hou first.

She kept her head down and bowed along with everyone else, trying to reduce her presence as much as possible.

The eldest princess is not a person who puts on airs. Instead, she is approachable, easy to talk to, and has a cheerful and forthright personality.

It was just that in the previous life, because of her various behaviors, she didn't like her, and could even be said to hate her.

So she thought about avoiding contact with her as much as possible, just in case their auras didn't match.

"This must be Miss Shen who just came back from Jiangnan." The princess suddenly said in a gentle voice.

"It's my daughter." Madam Shen moved sideways and made some room so that the princess could see Shen Anan.

"She's a beauty, really beautiful." The eldest princess' eyes flashed with surprise, and she felt a little sorry for her fourth nephew.

"Thank you for the compliment, Princess." Shen An bowed, very politely.

The eldest princess nodded, and suddenly felt that her personality was too gentle. If she were to match with that taciturn man, she would probably be wronged.

That brat should be paired with someone more aggressive to be successful.

"Princess." The little maid walked in quickly, "The Fourth Prince is here to see you."

The eldest princess' face was filled with joy, and she said to the noble lady in the room, "You guys continue chatting, I'll be back soon."

"Yes." The eldest princess left, and the suppressed voice just now became much louder. Shen Anan felt a little bored listening to the ladies complimenting each other.

Suddenly someone suggested that the girls go to the back garden to appreciate the chrysanthemums.

They were all girls, so naturally they couldn't sit still. When they heard that they could leave, they naturally stood up. Shen Anan also took the opportunity to say something to Madam Shen and went out with the crowd.

She had few friends in either this life or the previous one. She walked alone, staggering behind the other ladies towards the back garden, not noticing that there were people walking behind her.

Shen Anan was listening to the group of people in front of him flattering Duan Mengmeng, and her lips raised in sarcasm.

Thinking about whether she should also participate in the talent competition to make her the most talented woman...

"hiss-"

While she was in a trance, she was suddenly kicked hard on her right ankle, and her whole body lost balance and fell forward.

The people in front heard the sound and turned around. In a hurry, Shen Anan saw the smile that flashed across Duan Mengmeng's eyes.

Suddenly, a pair of slender hands supported her arms, and both of them in the gravity belt staggered, but fortunately they did not fall to the ground in embarrassment.

Shen Anan's forehead was in pain and cold sweat broke out. Mo Xiang hurriedly stepped forward to support her.

"Miss Duan Er, are you okay?" Shen Anan looked at the woman who had just helped her.

"It's okay." She rubbed her wrist gently.

Shen Anan took a look and saw that half of her hand was red and it would probably be swollen tomorrow.

"The cobblestone path is uneven, please be careful, Miss Shen." Miss Duan Er said softly.

"Thank you, Second Miss." Shen Anan thanked her and turned his cold gaze to Duan Mengmeng.

The girl beside her seemed to be walking behind her just now.

Duan Mengmeng looked away guiltily and said in a bad tone, "Second sister, why don't you leave? Are you going to stay with Miss Shen?"

Duan Ersi frowned and said, "You go first, her foot is injured, I will stay with her for a while."

Duan Mengmeng's eyes flashed with hostility, but she still smiled and said, "Second sister is kind-hearted. I feel relieved that you are guarding Miss Shen. Then we will leave first."

Duan Er nodded, and after everyone left, he said to Shen Anan, "There is a pavilion over there, you can go there and take a rest."

"good."

Her foot injury wasn't serious, and it didn't hurt much after a while.

Sitting in the pavilion, Shen Anan's eyes were filled with coldness.

She hasn't even bothered her yet.

"Miss Shen, drink some water and relax." Miss Duan Er handed her a glass of water.

Shen Anan smiled, "Thank you."

Duan Yingying shook her head, “It’s nothing, I just didn’t want to be with them, so I took the opportunity to get away, Miss Shen doesn’t have to take it to heart.”

Shen Anan smiled and lowered her head to sip her tea.

Miss Duan Er is kind-hearted and a person who does not like to fight with others. It's a pity that because of this, she was plotted against by Duan Mengmeng in her previous life and ended up marrying far away.

"The girl who hurt me just now is from the Shangshu family, right?" she asked casually.

Duan Yingying was startled, lowered her eyes and said nothing.

After a while, he whispered, "I'm sorry."

Others may not understand her own sisters, but she understands her third sister. The reason why Miss Chen behaved like this was probably because of her instructions.

"My third sister has deep feelings for the Fourth Prince. Maybe she misunderstood Miss Shen. I will persuade her to apologize to Miss Shen later."

"If the second girl could be persuaded, she wouldn't choose to stay away." Shen Anan said with a smile.

Duan Yingying choked and couldn't speak for a long time.

The two sat quietly, listening to the girls' laughter and noise.

It turned out that Duan Er had always known what kind of person Duan Mengmeng was, but he had always kept silent about it, and even never said a word about the plot against him.

Shen Anan didn't know whether to say that she was too kind, or stupid, or that it was because of their blood relationship.

It’s a pity that although she loves her younger sister, Duan Mengmeng doesn’t treat her as an older sister.