Hu Shihua looked at Jiang Qianqian with deep affection, and a slight smile appeared on his lips.
Jiang Qianqian nodded slightly, shifting her gaze elsewhere, thinking that the person she met in the temple's backyard that day was Hu Shihua.
If Li Youran hadn't kindly reminded Jiang Qianqian, she wouldn't have realized that Hu Shihua was unreliable.
After hearing You Ran's words that day, she secretly sent someone to investigate and found that a maid had indeed been bribed by an outsider.
Jiang Qianqian wasn't stupid. She was always careful when chatting with the young ladies, subtly steering the conversation towards this topic. She noticed that several of the young ladies blushed when they heard Hu Shihua's name.
Jiang Qianqian had a bold guess: Hu Shihua was casting nets directly into the lake to catch fish, and she was just one of the big fish among them.
It was just a guess at first, but seeing Hu Shihua flirting with Qian Qingqing today, she was certain that her guess was correct.
While Jiang Qianqian was in a daze, Li Youran had already reached into the bamboo tube and pulled out a stick.
"Miss Qian, it's your turn."
After hearing Li Youran's words, Qian Qingqing nodded slightly, then gracefully and slowly pulled a bamboo skewer from the pile.
"Mine is about lotus flowers. I wonder what the topic is on Miss Li's fortune slip?"
Qian Qingqing spoke with a very relaxed demeanor, which showed that this was a topic she was good at.
“Mine is more in line with the occasion; it’s about the love between a man and a woman.”
As Li Youran spoke, she shook the skewer in her hand.
Upon hearing Li Youran's words, a hint of smugness flashed in Qian Qingqing's eyes. They were both unmarried girls. If Li Youran wrote well, it would reveal that she had a man she admired. If she wrote poorly, it would mean that she was not as skilled as Li Youran.
In any case, Li Youran is pleasing neither side.
"Does Miss Li have any ideas?"
"We haven't figured it out yet, so why don't you go first, Miss Qian?"
Qian Qingqing didn't stand on ceremony. She took two steps, put on a sorrowful and melancholic look, and recited a poem that was rhymed for the sake of rhyming.
Although there is nothing wrong with it on the surface, the poem lacks aesthetic appeal.
Normally, it would be fine to show off one's skills among the girls, but with so many young masters present today, it pales in comparison.
"Miss Qian's poem is quite standard, so let's hold off on commenting for now and wait for Miss Li's poem to be discussed together."
After Hu Shixiong finished speaking, he looked at Li Youran with expectant eyes.
Hu Shihua silently observed Hu Shixiong's actions, then cast what he thought was a charming glance at Li Youran.
But Li Youran completely ignored him, which made Hu Shihua feel quite frustrated.
"Miss Li, if it's inconvenient, we can draw lots again."
Wu Yong also felt a little embarrassed by the topic, since she was an unmarried girl and it was not appropriate for her to write such a poem, so he took the initiative to speak.
"Cousin Wu is truly a man of great tenderness towards women. I wonder if Miss Li would accept his kind offer?"
Hu Shihua's teasing made Wu Yong blush. Although Wu Yong is usually outspoken and righteous, he is actually quite shy and has never been joked about like this by so many people.
"Thank you for your kind offer, Young Master Wu. No need to make any changes."
As Li Youran spoke, she glanced at Hu Shihua with a look of disdain.
From the moment Hu Shihua uttered his first words, Li Youran felt a growing displeasure.
Li Youran finally fixed her gaze on Chen Qingqing, and raised an eyebrow with a knowing look.
"When lotus leaves sprout, spring sorrow arises; when lotus leaves wither, autumn sorrow is complete. I know that as long as I live, my feelings will endure; I gaze sadly at the riverbank, listening to the sound of the river."
As soon as Li Youran finished reciting the poem, the young ladies and gentlemen began to discuss it.
The fact that Li Youran chose lotus flowers as the subject shows that he was after Qian Qingqing. Qian Qingqing's cheeks turned bright red with embarrassment, but she had nothing to say.
Hu Qinqin, who had been sitting silently in her home seat, subtly swirled the wine glass in her hand. She hadn't expected Li Youran to be so talented.
Moreover, Wu Yong seemed to be very supportive, which made Hu Qinqin even more distressed.
She and her cousin Wu Yong were a perfect match, but her mother and father only wanted her to marry the Third Prince and become Empress, so she could only bury this feeling deep in her heart.
Over the years, Wu Yong has never married and has publicly rebuked many women who were interested in him. This made Hu Qinqin feel much better, as she believed that Wu Yong rejected those women because he was interested in her.
But seeing Hu Yong's lavish support for Li Youran today, Hu Qinqin felt as if a fishbone had been stuck in her heart.
Cai Die stood beside Jiang Qianqian, praising Li Youran together.
Jiang Qianqian was initially worried that Li Youran wouldn't be able to compose poetry and would embarrass herself on the spot, but she didn't expect Li Youran to be so outstanding.
Zhou Caidie, who was standing to the side, was deeply impressed by Li Youran's literary talent. She not only wrote a good poem, but also used lotus flowers to write a poem, which made Qian Qingqing look bad.
"Miss Li has excellent writing skills."
Hu Shixiong's words carried great weight. After he acknowledged Li Youran's poem, the other young men followed suit and praised Li Youran.
It was certainly satisfying to be proven wrong, but Li Youran only then realized that she had made a huge mistake.
The purpose of this poetry gathering was to help these young men and women find partners, but she was making such a scene here. If this caused unnecessary trouble, it would be terrible.
So Li Youran retreated at the opportune moment and disappeared into the crowd, as if everything that had happened before had nothing to do with her.
"Young Master Tian, our young lady has gone out on some business and has not returned yet."
This chapter is not finished, please click the next page to continue reading!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
