Ji Yan's smile carried a warmth she didn't usually possess, but for some reason, it made Shen Qingye even more uneasy. It seemed that this dancer was indeed very favored by the emperor.

Sweat beaded on his forehead. He lowered his head and said, "Yes."

It was no secret that the tyrant had a beautiful young woman by his side. When the news first spread, the entire capital was shocked for half a month.

Even the major gambling dens and restaurants set up betting games, betting on how many days the dancer could live. Some bet on three to five days, while others bet on ten days or half a month. Unexpectedly, the dancer was quite capable and managed to live safely for four or five months by the tyrant's side.

Now that things have come to this, it's no longer surprising that the dancer had received any favors. Surviving under a tyrant is an astonishing miracle. Therefore, even though Shen Qingye, as a subject, had some complaints about Shen Jiao, he didn't dare to look up at her. However, when he accidentally glanced at her twice, he felt that her figure looked somewhat familiar.

I feel like I've seen this somewhere before?

But he didn't think much of it. Beautiful women often have some similarities. It was probably because this dancer was about the same age as Shen Yu and had a similar figure that he had this absurd illusion.

Ji Yan couldn't stand Shen Qingye's timid and submissive demeanor. She found fault with everything about him and asked impatiently, "What's your sister's name?"

Shen Qingye was terrified. It was common for men to ask a girl's name when they wanted to see her. Moreover, this man was the emperor. If he really had feelings for Yu'er, how could she resist?

He pondered for a long time before slowly uttering two words, "Chen Jiao".

Anyway, they're both his sisters. Shen Yu is in poor health and gets sick all year round. Last time she was seriously ill, she almost lost her life. How could she withstand the tyrant's torment? In any case, Shen Jiao herself isn't in Rongcheng, so it's not a big deal to borrow her name.

Since the tyrant couldn't recognize him, he probably couldn't distinguish between Shen Yu and Shen Jiao either, Shen Qingye thought.

Upon hearing this, Shen Jiao's heart skipped a beat because of the shared name. Fortunately, she didn't blurt it out, otherwise it would have been embarrassing. She would have to be extra careful when choosing a name in her next life, and not be so careless as to be so naive.

Shen Qingye was making his plans perfectly timed, but Ji Yan understood his intentions without even thinking. She said coldly, "Oh, since your sister is named Shen Jiao, what business is it of yours if I throw someone else away?"

Shen Qingye: "..."

I've attended several palace banquets, and I even sat in a seat near the front. How come you don't remember me? Shen Jiao has never even entered the palace gates, and her reputation is infamous, yet you know her so clearly.

Shen Qingye's feelings were very complicated. He wondered if it was a case of birds of a feather flocking together. From many perspectives, the tyrant and his other sister, Shen Jiao, were both the type who used their hands but not their words.

Since things had come to this, he had no choice but to bite the bullet and continue to challenge Ji Yan's authority. Shen Qingye said, "I have another younger sister."

Ji Yan had already arrived in front of Shen Jiao, playing with the frizzy hamster's long black hair that reached her waist. His tall figure stood in front of her, covering most of her body. Even if Shen Qingye dared to peek, he could only see a glimpse of the hem of a skirt embroidered with gold roses.

He sighed inwardly, thinking that this dancer was quite capable, managing to wear the same outfit as His Majesty, truly a favorite.

Ji Yan: "Born by your father?"

Shen Qingye explained, "No, it was my father who..."

"If she's not, what kind of sister is she?" The tyrant's patience was running out, so he interrupted directly. Not only that, he also coldly mocked, "You want someone that ugly? Marquis Anbo's taste isn't very good either."

Shen Jiao: "..."

She silently gave the tyrant an inappropriate thumbs up in her heart. When it comes to offending people, you are second to none. You are as excellent as ever. You even looked down on someone's sister in front of him and then looked down on his own father. What kind of grudge do you have against the Marquis of Anbo's family?

But she clearly underestimated the tyrant's perverse pleasure in dragging her down with him. Ji Yan glanced at Shen Qingye, whose face was pale and black, and said slowly, "He's not even as pretty as half a finger of my beauty."

Shen Jiao: "???" You can't get any energy unless I get scolded every day, can you? Although this does sound a little bit smug, it's strictly forbidden to put one down to praise another, or you'll just attract negative attention!

As expected, Shen Qingye's already unpleasant expression turned even more unpleasant. Even the bottom of a pot that had been burning for over a decade couldn't compare to his current complexion. Shen Jiao stole a glance and felt that if the tyrant were present, this Second Young Master Shen would probably stuff her into the stove and burn her to ashes, turning her into charcoal.

Shen Qingye was still young and impulsive. He could tolerate minor grievances, but now that the tyrant was slandering him one after another, the burning sense of responsibility he felt as an older brother was like a bucket of gasoline that had been poured on him, and it ignited instantly.

He clenched his fists tightly and retorted through gritted teeth, "Isn't what you're saying going too far? Although Shenyu is not a daughter of the Marquis of Anbo's family, my parents have treated her as their own daughter all these years. That dancer, although favored, is of lowly status, like grass, just a mere servant. How can she be compared to the daughter of the Marquis of Anbo?"

"Hey, hey, I don't like hearing that."

Hearing this, Liang Heng, who had planned to quietly watch the show, couldn't help but stand up for his beloved Shen. He took two steps forward, full of vigor, "What's wrong with a dancer? Aren't dancers human? Besides, my Shen knows everything from astronomy to geography, she's skilled in both literature and martial arts, she's proficient in all eighteen kinds of martial arts, she's elegant in the living room and capable in the kitchen. Although she couldn't choose her birth, she lives life to the fullest, she loves life, she's free-spirited and adorable, she's the leader of all the adorable girls in the world."

Shen Jiao: "..." Enough, enough. Even I can't listen to this anymore. If this continues, it will constitute a crime of deception.

Shen Qingye then noticed Liang Heng.

Just now, he was intimidated by the tyrant and dared not look around. Now that he saw Liang Heng, he immediately remembered that Liang Heng had refused to help a group of random women who were dying. Now, he was probably just saying such a ridiculous story because of the dancer's appearance. That's enough, he is unworthy of being a doctor!

Shen Qingye: "Young Master Liang, your words are too exaggerated."

Liang Heng could selectively ignore even the tyrant's rage, and he didn't care about the two sparks in Shen Qingye's eyes at all.

He cleared his throat, fan in hand, a master of showing off. "Am I exaggerating? No, right, Second Young Master Shen? A frog in a well can never see the vastness of the world. There are always people better than you, and there is always something beyond your understanding. If Miss Shen Yu hadn't been adopted by Marquis Anbo, she would be just as worthless as Sister Shen now. However, even though she has the same status, she doesn't necessarily have the same intelligence as my Sister Shen."

Shen Jiao: "..." First of all, I sincerely thank you for praising me. Secondly, with your hard work and seriousness in putting me down to the extreme, I suppose this Second Young Master Shen has even thought about where to bury me, thus saving a sum of money for my coffin by some twist of fate.

After much deliberation, she decided to say something, otherwise, if things continued this way, her reputation might rival that of a tyrant, which terrified her greatly.

Unexpectedly, before she could even open her mouth, Ji Yan delivered a flying kick to Shen Qingye, the tyrant coldly and mercilessly mocking, "Tsk, what's so great about him?"