Late spring sunlight streamed through the carved window lattices, casting dappled shadows on the bluestone slabs. Chen Weiwan was squatting under the grape trellis in Tinglan Courtyard, using bamboo strips to build a trellis for the newly sprouted vines. Chuntao squatted beside her, stuffing freshly picked rose petals into her apron pocket.

"Miss, why didn't the Second Miss come to pick a fight today?" Chun Tao lowered her voice and crushed a pink petal with her fingertips. "A few days ago, the Second Madam was so annoyed by you that she couldn't eat. Shouldn't she have come to stand up for her mother?"

Shen Weiwan stuck the bamboo stick into the soil, a cold smile on her lips: "What's the hurry? Even a desperate dog will jump over the wall, let alone Shen Ruorou." She shook her apron, and petals fell on the grass. "Yesterday, Liu was fined half a year's salary. I'm afraid she can't sit still anymore."

Just as she finished speaking, a sweet voice came from outside the courtyard gate: "Sister, what are you busy with? Sister is here to see you~"

Shen Weiwan raised her eyebrows and winked at Chuntao. Chuntao immediately understood and shouted exaggeratedly: "Ah! It's the Second Miss! Miss, please wipe your hands quickly!"

Shen Ruoruo, wearing a water-green skirt with delicate lotus embroidered on the hem, and holding a glittering hairpin in her hand, walked in gracefully. She had a gentle smile on her face, but the corners of her eyes twitched unconsciously - Shen Weiwan's plain cloth apron was covered in mud, how could she look like a legitimate daughter?

"My cousin is here?" Shen Weiwan stood up and deliberately used her muddy hands to take the hairpin she handed over. "This hairpin is really beautiful. Is it for me?"

Seeing this, Shen Ruorou quickly retracted her hand, covered her mouth with an embroidered handkerchief and smiled: "My hands are dirty, I'll put it on for you." She raised the hairpin, aimed it at Shen Weiwan's bun, but her fingertips gently pressed under the ruby ​​on the hairpin - there was a tiny sharp thorn hidden there, which she specially asked the blacksmith to make, enough to pierce the scalp and make Shen Weiwan embarrassed in public.

Chun Tao was so frightened that she wanted to step forward, but was stopped by a look from Shen Weiwan. Shen Weiwan lowered her head obediently, but her peripheral vision was fixed on the sharp spikes on the hairpin. Just when the hairpin was about to touch her scalp, she suddenly straightened up, pointed her finger at the ruby ​​on the hairpin, and exclaimed: "Ah! Cousin, why is there a sharp point under this ruby?"

Shen Ruorou's hand trembled, and the sharp thorn scraped across Shen Weiwan's hair, ruffling her bun. She feigned composure, "Sister, are you mistaken? This is the tassel pendant on the hairpin..."

"It's not a pendant!" Shen Weiwan snatched the hairpin and held it up to the sunlight for a closer look. "Look at the tip. It's exactly the same as the embroidery needle that pricked my hand yesterday!" She suddenly turned to Chuntao and said, "Chuntao, quickly bring me my insoles! My cousin must have given them to me to play with because she was afraid I'd get bored!"

Chun Tao's face flushed from trying to suppress her laughter, and she yelled in agreement, "Hey! Coming right up! Miss, you finally have a new needle!"

Shen Ruorou's face turned pale. She had carefully hidden the spikes, so how could they be discovered? She looked at Shen Weiwan's innocent face and suddenly felt that the girl in front of her was like a cunning fox. She had evidence in her hand, but she pretended to be crazy and put her on the fire.

"Sister, you're joking," Shen Ruorou forced a smile and tried to grab the hairpin. "This is a top-quality red gold hairpin inlaid with gemstones. How could it be used to tie a shoe insole..."

"Isn't it?" Shen Weiwan dodged backwards, and the hairpin flashed a silver light in the sunlight. "But the tip is really sharp! Look," she suddenly grabbed Shen Ruoruo's hand and pressed the hairpin head on her handkerchief. "It broke with just a slight poke! Did my cousin think my previous embroidery needle was too blunt?"

A hole was instantly poked in Shen Ruoruo's gauze handkerchief. She retracted her hand in shock, angry and anxious: "Chen Weiwan! You..."

"What are you talking about, cousin?" Shen Weiwan tilted her head and raised the hairpin high. "Didn't you say that this hairpin looks good on me? But it will prick people!" She suddenly raised her voice and shouted outside the yard, "Someone come! Cousin gave me a hairpin that will prick people! Are you trying to turn me into a hedgehog?"

The servants who were sweeping the yard heard the shouting and looked out. Shen Weiwan took the opportunity to throw the hairpin on the table and pointed at the spikes on the hairpin: "Look! How sharp these spikes are! My cousin said it wasn't for shoe insoles!"

The servants looked at the gleaming spikes, then at Shen Ruorou's pale face, and instantly understood what was going on. Some couldn't help but sneer, then quickly lowered their heads. Shen Ruorou felt her face burning, as if she had been slapped a dozen times in public.

"I, I didn't!" Shen Ruorou stomped her feet, tears welling up in her eyes, "You did it yourself! You want to slander me!"

"Slander?" Shen Weiwan picked up the hairpin, suddenly moved closer to Shen Ruoruo, and lowered her voice, "Cousin, this thorn is hidden so well, if I hadn't been stabbed by you once in my previous life, I wouldn't have been able to find it."

Shen Ruorou froze, looking at Shen Weiwan in horror. Past life? How could she know? !

Shen Weiwan straightened up and put on an innocent smile again: "Don't be angry, cousin," she stuffed the hairpin back into Shen Ruorou's hand, "Since this hairpin is so precious, cousin should keep it for yourself. I'm so clumsy, don't break it."

Shen Ruorou held the hairpin tightly, her fingertips hurting from the sharp thorns, but she didn't dare to let go. She looked at the contemptuous eyes of the servants around her, and listened to Shen Weiwan's half-smile and half-smile words, feeling ashamed.

"I, I'm leaving first!" Shen Ruoruo turned around abruptly, her skirt sweeping over the flowerpot next to her, spilling dirt all over the floor. She ran out of Tinglan Courtyard without looking back, as if there was a flood or a beast behind her.

After Shen Ruorou left, Chuntao could no longer hold back her laughter and squatted on the ground: "Miss! That trick you just used was amazing! The second young lady's face was as white as paper!"

Shen Weiwan picked up the hairpin on the ground, wiped it with a cloth, and sneered at the sharp thorns on the hairpin: "You think you can hurt me with such a little trick?" She remembered that in her previous life, Shen Ruoruo had pierced her scalp with a similar hairpin, and the blood kept flowing. But she bit back and said that she was careless. A cold light flashed in her eyes, "Shen Ruoruo, I will take back every penny you owe me."

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