In late spring, the sweet scent of sandalwood wafted through Ci'an Temple. The peonies in the backyard were in full bloom, with the Yaohuang and Weizi flowers blooming profusely. Yet, few noble ladies had the heart to admire the blossoms. Lin Churan, clinging to the cracks in the rockery, her pearl earrings dangling, waved vigorously at the young ladies behind her, the red velvet flower in her bun trembling with her movements. "Come and see! Miss Shen is wearing that lilac dress again! Tsk, tsk, the material is pilling, and she's not even afraid of getting grass dust on it!"

The eldest daughter of Censor Li's family bent over with laughter, clutching her gold-sprinkled handkerchief. The hem of her skirt, embroidered with lotus flowers, swept across the bluestone slabs. "My mother was nagging me the other day, saying that I should avoid Miss Shen the Second in the future, lest she 'borrow my clothes'. Last time, our new maid was so clueless that she almost handed over her old skirt covered in straw, and my mother gave her twenty lashes!"

Before she finished speaking, the tinkling of rings and pendants could be heard from a distance. Shen Ruoruo came angrily with her maid, her steps stumbling as if she were treading on cotton. The scar on the back of her neck was faintly visible under the moon-white collar, the frayed edges of her cuffs swayed with her movements, and the pearl flower in her bun was tilted behind her ear. Every step she took felt like she was treading on needles.

"What are you laughing at?" Shen Ruoruo's eyes widened, her voice piercing her eardrums. Her pearl flower headband trembled with her movements, almost falling off. Lin Churan immediately frowned and covered her mouth in feigned surprise, the nail polish on her fingertips glaring red. "Ah! Second Miss, you're here to burn incense too? I thought you were applying anti-itch mud at home—Miss Shen said it's quite effective, but it smells like hay in the stable and gives me a headache."

The noble ladies around them burst into laughter, their shoulders shaking. Some couldn't help but cover their mouths with handkerchiefs, letting out a "chi chi" laugh. Shen Ruoruo's face flushed red from her ears to her neck, like a cooked shrimp: "Shen Weiwan is talking bad about me behind my back again! That little bitch!" She turned around and ran to the meditation room, her skirt rising up to reveal the traces of mending inside, but she heard someone muttering quietly: "Why are you running away? Is there really anti-itch mud? I want to borrow some!"

In the Zen room, smoke curled up. Shen Weiwan was burning incense at the Guanyin statue. A sly smile curled up at the words, and the jade bracelets on her fingertips shone brightly in the candlelight. Chuntao came over, holding three incense sticks, and laughed softly, her shoulders shaking. "Miss, Miss Lin and the others have spread the 'itchy skirt' incident everywhere. Now, every time they see Miss Shen, they ask if she wants to borrow some clothes. She was so scared that she burned all the old skirts in the mansion yesterday!"

"Really?" Chen Weiwan took the incense and inserted it into the incense burner. The ashes fell on the cushion. "Someone asked me the other day if Miss Shen's skirt was made of nettles and had a built-in scratching function." When she turned around, she caught a glimpse of a figure in the crack of the door. She immediately covered her mouth in surprise and said in a sweet voice, "Cousin? Are you here to pray to Buddha and ward off disasters too?"

Shen Ruorou was caught eavesdropping, her face turning pale and blue, like an eggplant hit by frost: "Who, who has eliminated the disaster! I came... to pray for my grandmother!" She caught a glimpse of the mutton-fat jade bracelet on Shen Weiwan's wrist, and suddenly screamed and pounced on her, her nails almost digging into her face: "Chen Weiwan! You are wearing new jewelry again! Did you steal something from the warehouse? I knew you had dirty hands and feet!"

"Cousin, what are you talking about?" Shen Weiwan tilted her head and pretended to be innocent, the jade bracelet making a crisp sound on her wrist. "This is a reward from His Royal Highness the Seventh Prince. He said I helped him find the lost Xuetuan last time - the snow-white rabbit." She deliberately shook her wrist, smiling innocently. "But cousin, the red bump on the back of your neck... hasn't healed yet? I still have half a box of anti-itch mud, how about you take it?"

Shen Ruoruo subconsciously covered her neck, revealing the frayed edges of her sleeves. Lin Churan, with his sharp eyes, immediately pointed at her sleeves and exclaimed, "Oh my! Second Miss, why are your sleeves torn? Could it be that they were rubbed by grass? I heard that nettles are very sharp and can scratch delicate skin and make it bleed!" The ladies immediately burst into laughter. Some laughed so hard that they slapped their thighs, and some laughed so hard that tears came out.

Shen Ruorou stamped her foot in anger, turned around and ran, but with a "bang" she knocked over the fruit plate on the incense table, sending apples and pears rolling all over the floor. The old nun came in with a frown, twisting her Buddhist beads and chanting "Amitabha". Shen Ruorou hurriedly apologized, but heard Shen Weiwan say "kindly": "My cousin didn't mean it, she just... her hands are not very steady. Last time at the Spring Festival, she spilled tea all over me and insisted on lending me her skirt to wear."

These words were like a key, instantly unlocking everyone's chatterbox. "Yes!" the young lady from Li Yushi's family immediately chimed in. "That time I splashed the eldest lady with water and 'kindly' lent her clothes—but ended up wearing that itchy skirt and scratching myself like a monkey's butt at the banquet!" Shen Ruorou couldn't hold it in any longer and burst into tears. She turned and ran out of the Zen room, the gold hairpin in her bun falling to the ground with a "clatter" and rolling under the altar.

"Miss, you have a real tongue." Chun Tao handed over the handkerchief, her eyes narrowed into crescents as she smiled. "But Liu had people spread lime in the mansion yesterday, saying it was to drive away evil spirits. I'm afraid she's going to cause trouble again." Chen Weiwan wiped her hands and watched the incense ash fall onto the futon. Her eyes turned cold. "Trouble? Then let her make it a big one. I just need some fun."

On her way home that evening, Shen Weiwan ran into the old housekeeper at the corner gate. The old man trembled as he handed her an oil-paper bag, his voice low and hushed like a fox stealing a chicken: "My lady, this is the arsenic that Liu had the servant buy. I replaced it with a bag of glutinous rice flour. Look at this snow-white thing, it looks just like the real thing!" Shen Weiwan opened it and saw that it was indeed fine glutinous rice flour. She couldn't help but laugh out loud: "Well done! Next time she 'accidentally eats' it, don't blame me for not warning her."

As soon as she entered Tinglan Courtyard, she saw the Seventh Prince's servant waiting at the door, holding a gilded brocade box and smiling mysteriously. "His Highness said he heard Second Miss Shen was 'itching' again, so he sent some osmanthus cakes to calm her nerves." Shen Weiwan opened the box, revealing a few shimmering cakes. Next to them was a note, written in unrestrained handwriting: "Ruorou is dull, so please don't worry. Also: The peonies at Ci'an Temple are more beautiful than those at Xiefang Courtyard."

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