The early summer sun was at its peak, filtering through the leaves of the old sycamore tree in the west wing, casting specks of light like copper coins across the blue brick floor. Chen Weiwan, clutching a plain white handkerchief embroidered with lotus flowers, strolled slowly into the courtyard. The vermilion roses beneath the porch were in full bloom, but they couldn't hide the desolation of the moss-covered corners. Ever since the matchmaker arrived to propose marriage to the fifty-year-old widower, Shen Ruorou hadn't left her house, and even the carved wooden windows were covered in a thin layer of dust.

"Cousin~" Shen Weiwan's voice was as sweet as freshly brewed honey, the last syllable lingering as she pushed open the half-closed lattice door. The room was dimly lit, and the scent of sandalwood mixed with the odor of stale cosmetics filled the air. Shen Ruoruo, her hair loose, sat at her dressing table. Before her was a bronze mirror shattered into a spiderweb. A broken mother-of-pearl dressing box lay scattered on the floor. A silver-gilt hairpin with a broken head rocked to Shen Weiwan's feet.

Shen Ruorou turned around suddenly, and the ebony comb fell to the ground with a "smack". Her eyes were red and swollen like peaches, and bloodshot eyes: "Chen Weiwan! What are you doing here? Do you want to see me laugh at you?"

Shen Weiwan blinked in feigned surprise, her long eyelashes casting fan-shaped shadows under her eyelids. She bent down to pick up the broken hairpin: "Ah, cousin, what's wrong? Who made you so angry?" She turned her head and winked at Chuntao behind her, "Hurry up and sweep up the mirror fragments, or you'll prick your cousin's foot."

Chuntao pursed her lips and replied "yes", her shoulders still shaking slightly when she took out the small broom. Shen Ruoruo stared at the broken hairpin on Shen Weiwan's fingertips, her fingertips trembling with anger: "Stop pretending here! If you hadn't ruined my reputation, how could I have ended up being picked on by a fifty-year-old man? Are you satisfied?"

"Look at what cousin is saying~" Shen Weiwan sat on the carved and embroidered cushion, her fingertips tracing across the dusty dressing table, leaving a clear trace. "Didn't I come here specifically to congratulate cousin? A fifty-year-old widower is so much better, much better than that lame and broken-sleeved Li Xiu - at least Wang Yuanwai is in good health and can live longer, unlike Li Xiu, who is afraid that he can't even get a hot meal now."

"You're looking for death!" Shen Ruoruo screamed, grabbing the rouge box on the table and throwing it at him, but Shen Weiwan dodged it sideways. The rouge box slammed against the door with a "bang", and the cinnabar red powder fell, leaving a glaring mark on the blue brick, which was very similar to Shen Ruoruo's shattered heart at this moment.

Chen Weiwan tilted her head, smiling like a fox that had successfully stolen something. The tassels of the jade hairpin in her hair swayed gently. "Why are you angry, cousin? What's wrong with being fifty? They say that older people know how to care for others. Unlike some people, who pretend to be affectionate on the surface, but secretly know which direction the door of Qingbai Tower opens." She deliberately emphasized the word "broken sleeves", looked at Shen Ruorou's face that turned pale in an instant, and slowly added, "Besides, Mr. Wang's family is wealthy and powerful. If your cousin marries him, she will be the mistress of the house. It's much better than living with a broken-sleeved cripple and starving. How glorious!"

"Glory?" Shen Ruoruo stood up suddenly, her brocade shoes crushing the mirror shards on the ground. "You let me marry an old man who can be my father, and this is what you call glory? Shen Weiwan, what a ruthless person you are!"

"Oh, cousin, you can't say that." Shen Weiwan also stood up, walked to the broken bronze mirror, bent down to pick up a palm-sized lens, and handed it to Shen Ruoruo, "Back then, cousin was determined to marry Li Xiu, that lame man. Now you've changed to a fifty-year-old man, which is a huge improvement. Come, look at your beautiful face and get used to the style of being a lady in advance."

Shen Ruorou looked at her haggard and sallow face in the mirror, and thought of the irony in Shen Weiwan's words. She was so angry that she trembled all over and raised her hand to slap the mirror away. The fragments hit the corner of the wall with a "ding". She pointed at Shen Weiwan's nose and her voice was hoarse with anger: "Get out! Get out of my yard!"

"Okay, okay, I'll go now~" Shen Weiwan shrugged, walked to the door and turned back, her tone sweet but every word stinging, "By the way, cousin, I heard that Wang Yuanwai likes young and beautiful girls the most. After you marry him, you must serve him well and strive to have children as soon as possible - otherwise, when the old man passes away, this huge fortune will be gone for you~"

Seeing Shen Ruoruo so angry that she was shaking all over and almost fainting, Shen Weiwan turned around with satisfaction and walked out of the yard, trying hard to suppress her laughter. Chuntao followed closely behind her and couldn't help laughing as soon as she walked out of the moon-shaped door: "Miss, you really know how to poke a sore spot! The second young lady's face, first white and then blue, like a dye vat!"

"To deal with this kind of person, you have to use words she can understand." Chen Weiwan took the sour plum soup handed to her by Chuntao, took a sip and suppressed her smile. She looked up and saw a moon-white corner of clothing passing by the moon cave door. The corners of her mouth immediately raised a cunning arc, "Look, His Royal Highness the Seventh Prince has come to watch the battle on time."

Xiao Yu walked in, waving a broken jade fan. The ink bamboo on the fan flickered in the sunlight, and the toes of his shoes were stained with a few newly fallen sycamore leaves. "I heard people smashing things in the west wing at the entrance of the alley and thought I had entered a bandit's den." He glanced at the sour plum soup stains on the corners of Shen Weiwan's mouth and raised an eyebrow, "Are you teasing your poor cousin again?"

"Your Highness is joking," Chen Weiwan wiped the corner of her mouth and deliberately handed Chuntao the sour plum soup. "I just went to congratulate her on finding a good match." She took the brocade box held by the eunuch, opened it, and saw the exquisitely shaped lotus cakes. She couldn't help but curl her eyes. "The cakes from 'Ou Xiang Zhai' on East Street? Your Highness is well-informed."

"I'm naturally well-informed." Xiao Yu sat down at the stone table and watched her pick up a piece of lotus cake. "For example, the Minister of Personnel's 'wind-cold' has worsened today, and he can't even get out of bed." He took a half step closer, and the crisp scent of ambergris mixed with the sweet aroma of pastries filled him. "But if some people are more sensible, they can recover quickly."

Shen Weiwan smiled knowingly. Just as she was about to respond, the old housekeeper came hurriedly from the hanging flower gate, his gray beard shaking violently: "Miss, Madam Liu wants you to go to the main hall. She said...she said she has something important to discuss."

My dear, there is more to this chapter. Please click on the next page to continue reading. It will be even more exciting later!