"Forget it," Xiao Yu retracted his gaze, his tone returning to his usual indifference, and said indifferently to Liu who was kneeling on the ground, "Since it is a family matter, it is not convenient for me to interfere. But Mr. Li's body is in bad condition, so you should ask a good doctor to take a look--" He paused and looked at Li Xiu's limp body, "Don't turn around and fail to 'compete', and break your other leg as well. That would really become a big joke in the capital." After that, he no longer looked at the two embarrassed people on the ground, turned and walked towards Shen Weiwan.

A moon-white figure stood still before her, the clear scent of ambergris lingering around her. Shen Weiwan gathered her composure, bowed, and put on an innocent smile: "Greetings, Your Highness."

"Just now, I was outside the palace and saw you squatting by the fish pond." Xiao Yu's voice was a little softer than before, but still contained a hint of inquiry. "Are you admiring the fish?"

"Your Highness," Chen Weiwan raised her eyes, her eyes were clear as water, and she tried hard to maintain an innocent look on her face, "I just wanted to avoid the shade because it was hot. Who knew that as soon as I sat down, I saw my cousin and Master Li..." She showed a trace of panic at the right time, "Alas, I don't know how I fell like that, it scared me." She deliberately emphasized the three words "scared", and saw Chuntao's face flushed with laughter from the corner of her eye, and she almost couldn't hold it back.

Xiao Yu stared into her eyes. Those eyes clearly reflected his presence, yet they seemed to conceal two deep pools, bottomless. "Oh?" He suddenly chuckled, took a half step forward, and lowered his voice. "I think Miss Shen's terrified expression is quite captivating."

Shen Weiwan's heart skipped a beat, but her face remained ignorant: "Your Highness is joking, I'm just worried about my cousin." She unconsciously took a half step back, but her lower back bumped into the rough trunk of the pomegranate tree. Her fingertips subconsciously pinched the tassels at the corner of her skirt, and the cold touch made her calm down a little.

Xiao Yu didn't ask any more questions, but just looked at her deeply, that look seemed to be able to penetrate all her disguises and reach her heart. Shen Weiwan's back tightened when he looked at her, and she didn't breathe a sigh of relief until he turned and walked towards the horse, but her palms were already sweating.

"Madam Liu," Xiao Yu said, clambering onto his horse. The snow-white steed pawed its hooves restlessly, neighing, "You'd better hurry up and take care of your household affairs." He emphasized the word "take care of" with undisguised sarcasm. Before he finished speaking, the steed galloped off, its snow-white tail tracing a smooth arc in the sunlight, leaving the room filled with laughter and Madam Liu's sullen face.

It was not until the Seventh Prince's figure disappeared behind the moon-shaped gate that the suppressed laughter completely broke out.

"His Highness the Seventh Prince is full of golden sentences! His tongue is even more powerful than the Imperial Censor!"

"Those four words 'unique taste' give me a stomachache! Li Xiu is probably going to find a hole to hide in!"

"That's right. Look at the blood he spitted out. I'm afraid his lungs must have exploded from anger!"

Liu Shi felt dizzy and her vision went black as she listened to these words. She glared at Shen Weiwan fiercely, the hatred in her eyes almost enough to torture her to death. However, because the prince had just left, she did not dare to lash out, and could only tightly clench the handkerchief in her hand.

Chen Weiwan seemed unaware of this, and bowed to Liu, saying in a "concerned" tone: "Aunt, since His Highness has left, I will go back to my room first. Cousin and Mr. Li...you'd better call a doctor as soon as possible, don't delay the illness." After that, she turned around and took Chuntao with her, and left the garden calmly under the gaze of countless people. The hem of her skirt swept across the ground, leaving a neat arc, and her back was as straight as a pine tree.

"Miss," Chun Tao sighed, patting her chest after walking a long way away, her eyes shining like stars, "The Seventh Prince's words were simply a divine assist! He made Li Xiu spit blood, and the Second Miss was so embarrassed that she couldn't even put her face down!"

Shen Weiwan's lips curled up, and she was in a good mood: "Yeah, I didn't realize that the Seventh Prince was so... funny." Thinking of Xiao Yu's deep gaze before he left, her heart couldn't help but ripple, but she quickly suppressed it, "Let's go back to the room and wait to listen to more lively drama."

Soon after returning to Qinghui Courtyard, Chuntao came back breathlessly to report, her hair loose: "Miss, Li Xiu fainted on the spot after being confronted by the Seventh Prince! He was carried home like a dead dog, and children even threw mud at him on the way! The second young lady was even worse off. She was dragged back to the courtyard by Liu and confined to her room. I heard she was even beaten with twenty boards. She's crying so hard that she can't catch her breath!"

Chen Weiwan sat by the window, toying with a dragon-patterned jade pendant she had just retrieved from the storehouse. It had once been her father's personal belonging, and it felt warm to the touch. Sunlight filtered through the window lattice, casting a faint halo on the pendant. A sneer played on her lips, her eyes cold as ice. Li Xiu, Chen Ruorou, Liu Shi... this is just the beginning. In my past life, you made me marry in vain, and I died tragically in the snow. I will reclaim every debt, principal and interest.

Meanwhile, in the Seventh Prince's study, Xiao Yu stood by the window, fiddling with a black jade chess piece. The sunlight outside was bright, illuminating the banana leaves in the courtyard, but he ignored it. His mind replayed the image of the girl hiding behind the pomegranate tree in the garden, smirking but trying to feign innocence.

"Your Highness," the guard reported in a low voice, "Li Xiu has been carried back to the palace. The doctor said he has a heart attack from anger and needs to rest for several months. Miss Shen Er is under house arrest, and there has been no action from the Liu family for the time being."

Xiao Yu hummed, his gaze fixed on the chessboard, but he didn't place a move. "That Chen Weiwan..." He suddenly chuckled, the black jade chess piece making a clear sound as it spun around on his fingertips. "She's quite an interesting girl."

The guard stood there in a daze, not understanding why His Highness was so interested in a general's daughter, but he didn't dare to ask more.

Xiao Yu remained silent, his smile only growing. Just when he thought he had seen through her, Shen Weiwan always revealed something new and amusing. She wasn't as coy as other ladies, nor did she fear imperial authority like other women. Instead, she was like a cunning little fox, always finding the most unexpected solutions to problems, even with a touch of hilarious audacity. It seemed this long summer, thanks to this intriguing girl, wouldn't be too dull. He decided to "visit" the General's Mansion again someday to see what new, hilarious and astonishing tricks this Miss Shen could come up with. With this thought in mind, he looked down at the chessboard, and the black jade piece finally landed on his fingertips. The sound of a "pop" echoed distinctly in the silent study, like the opening gongs and drums of a new play about to begin.