Late spring sunlight slanted through the carved latticed windows of the Liushang Pavilion in the Imperial Tutor's Mansion. The scent of ambergris rising from the gilded animal-patterned incense burner mingled tenderly with the fragrance of peonies wafting from the corridor outside. Seventh Prince Xiao Yu reclined on the Xiang Concubine's bamboo couch, his dark robe draping across the scarlet rug. A white jade wine cup twirled slowly between his slender fingers, the amber wine reflecting off his languid features. The carefully choreographed flattery of the surrounding noble ladies, like the cacophony of cicadas, had lingered in his ears since the banquet began, now drawing a furrow of impatience between his brows.

"Your Highness, something seems to have happened to Miss Shen Er." The personal attendant Ah Fu came to the couch with his waist hunched over, and his voice was very low, but it startled Xiao Yu so much that the wine cup in his hand tilted slightly, and a few drops of wine splashed onto the cuffs embroidered with gold thread dragon patterns.

The flick of the fan against her chin suddenly stopped, and her half-closed phoenix eyes suddenly opened, their cold star-like gaze sweeping towards the peony bushes a hundred paces away. Shen Ruoruo was seen frantically scratching at her neck, her jeweled bun askew, threatening to fall. The pearl tassels fell like raindrops from a broken string with her violent movements. Her emerald skirt was stained with grass debris, and she looked as disheveled as a servant who had just tumbled out of the woodshed. Meanwhile, Shen Weiwan, a thin figure wrapped in a maid's plain coat, her pale face with reddened eyes, resembled a white plum blossom swaying in the cold snow, causing the surrounding noble ladies to pull out their handkerchiefs to wipe their tears.

"Interesting." Xiao Yu's thin lips curled up in a meaningful arc, and he placed the wine cup heavily on the mother-of-pearl-inlaid table. As he stood up, the Xiangfei bamboo couch creaked slightly, startling the white doves in the corridor and sending them flying skyward. His dark sleeves swept across the table, picking up a few falling petals, which drew a graceful arc in the air.

The cool bluestone steps of the rockery blew past as Xiao Yu ascended. The jade belt buckle with its python pattern gleamed coldly in the sunlight. From his commanding vantage point, Shen Ruorou's screams and Shen Weiwan's suppressed sobs intertwined into a strange melody, far more stirring than the allusive poetry at the banquet. The attendant, Ah Fu, hesitated to speak, but Xiao Yu raised a hand to stop him. The characters "Xiao Yao" engraved on his folding fan swayed gently in the wind.

"No, it's just too interesting." Xiao Yu waved his folding fan, his eyes fixed on Shen Weiwan like a hawk. He watched her take the handkerchief handed to her by Chun Tao, her fingertips trembling as she wiped the corners of her eyes, like a frightened little white rabbit. But the moment she turned her back to the others, her almond-shaped eyes winked cunningly at the maid, and the curve of her mouth was clearly that of a fox who had stolen something fishy. A soft laugh escaped Xiao Yu's throat, and he slammed his folding fan against the back of his hand, startling the sparrows perched on the rockery. The fluttering of their wings startled the noble lady admiring the flowers in the distance.

The sound of Madam Taifu's sedan chair, emblazoned with eight treasures, rolling across the bluestone pavement drew closer, and Xiao Yu quickly vanished into the shadows of the rockery. The sound of gilded armor scraping against the carved railings was crisp and melodious. Madam Taifu, surrounded by a group of noble ladies, strode gracefully towards the stage, the red gold and kingfisher hairpins jingling with her movements.

"Madam, it's all my fault for being careless and making my cousin worry about me." Shen Weiwan's soft voice was punctuated by a well-placed sob, her shoulders trembling slightly, like a frightened deer. Xiao Yu narrowed his eyes, observing her fingers twisting the ribbon of her skirt closely—their fingertips had turned pale from excessive force, clearly trying to suppress a smile. Then, watching Madam Taifu embrace him with a look of pity on her face, he nearly laughed out loud. This clumsy yet exquisite acting would even dwarf the famous actors of the Imperial Music Bureau.

When Shen Weiwan lowered her eyes to refuse the cloud pattern satin skirt, Xiao Yu finally couldn't hold back and came out from behind the Taihu stone, waving his folding fan: "Oh, Miss Shen, are you upgrading your shotguns?"

The moment the girl looked up, startled, the spring sunlight passed through her eyelashes, casting a fan-shaped shadow beneath her eyes. Her moist almond-shaped eyes were covered with a thin layer of mist, like peach blossoms covered with morning dew. Xiao Yu's breath hitched slightly, and he suddenly felt that the sunlight was particularly bright today, making the blush on the tips of her ears almost transparent. The words "I'm afraid my aunt will say I'm greedy" seemed cowardly, but in fact they concealed a sharp edge, clearly setting a trap for the Liu family. This tactic of retreating to advance was truly brilliant!

"Your Highness, do you also think this skirt suits Weiwan?" Madam Taifu's smiling question interrupted his thoughts. Xiao Yu's gaze fell on Shen Weiwan again. The silver-threaded lotus embroidered on her moon-white skirt swayed gently with her movements, and the beaded bow at her waist rose and fell with her breathing. She looked like a fairy from the painting "The Goddess of Luo River".

"It's really good. Much better than some people wearing skirts covered in straw." Xiao Yu glanced at Shen Ruoruo, who was being carried away by the maid. She was now in tears, the pearl hairpin in her bun tilted to the back of her head, making her look like a ridiculous actor. When Shen Weiwan looked up at him, surprise flashed in her eyes, and then she lowered her eyelids. Her long eyelashes cast fine shadows under her eyes like butterfly wings. Her shy appearance would make anyone feel pity. But Xiao Yu knew very well what sharp claws were hidden under this fragile appearance.

"Your Highness, it's time to return to the palace," Ah Fu whispered. Xiao Yu waved his hand, leaning back against the rockery, his folding fan tapping against his palm intermittently. "No hurry, let's watch the show a little longer." He watched with interest as Shen Weiwan smiled sweetly before the Imperial Tutor's wife, sometimes lowering her head to play with her handkerchief, sometimes lightly frowning, perfectly portraying both naiveté and fragility. This girl always managed to surprise him, from teasing Liu with the "Five Grains Clean Hands" trick, to using the same trick against Shen Ruorou, to now easily "cheating" the tribute from the Imperial Tutor's wife. Her methods were so sophisticated that they far exceeded his imagination.

"Chun Tao, is your young lady always so clever?" Xiao Yu suddenly asked, startling Chun Tao, who was adjusting her skirt, so much so that she almost fell. The maid hurriedly bowed, her cheeks flushed: "Your Highness, the young lady... the young lady seems to have suddenly become smart recently."

"Getting wise?" Xiao Yu chuckled and tapped Chuntao's shoulder with his folding fan. "In my opinion, she is clearly pretending to be ignorant." Before he finished speaking, Chen Weiwan suddenly turned her head to look in the direction of the rockery. The moment their eyes met, she seemed to be burned by fire, and her cheeks turned red. When she lowered her head in panic, the jade hairpin in her hair swayed gently, making a crisp and pleasant tinkling sound.

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