In an instant, the courtyard fell silent, save for the sizzling sound of the dishes cooking on the charcoal stove.
Immediately, whispers arose. The noblewoman next to Yao Shiyu whispered, "Shiyu, why does the person in that painting look like you?"
"Yeah, this person doesn't look like Jiang Luoluo at all!"
Xie Yizhi remained calm and composed, his gaze as cold as frost, as he looked towards Jiang Luoluo in the women's section.
Jiang Luoluo twirled her wine glass and, across the crowd, raised it to Xie Yizhi in a toast, her lips seemingly saying, "Thank you, Your Highness!"
Looking into those eyes that shone like stars, Xie Yizhi felt his anger subside. He smirked, thinking, "Women are such jerks."
He blatantly exposed the relationship between Gu Boyuan and Yao Shiyu in front of everyone. Shouldn't Jiang Luoluo be angry? Why is she happy about it?
Xie Yizhi had been thinking about this for the past few days. He sent Mo Yang to the Weiyuan General's Mansion in secret. In Jiang Luoluo's courtyard, Mo Yang overheard a conversation between Jiang Luoluo and her servant. Mo Yang then returned and reported back.
Jiang Luoluo said she must prepare a big gift for Gu Boyuan. For some reason, Xie Yizhi felt very uncomfortable after hearing this. Even as an outsider, he could see that Gu Boyuan and Yao Shiyu were exchanging glances and were very affectionate. Gu Boyuan was not a good match for her.
Xie Yizhi has always prided himself on giving his paintings only to those who are destined to receive them, but since he and Jiang Luoluo are allies, it wouldn't hurt for him to make an exception this once.
"This, this, this, General Gu is so intimate with Doctor Yao."
"This terrain looks like Yunchuan. Could the two of them be in Yunchuan?"
"Don't talk nonsense. Miss Jiang also went to Yunchuan. Just ask her and you'll know!"
"What do you mean I'm talking nonsense? Would His Highness Prince Yi draw something randomly?"
Hearing the discussions, Gu Boyuan's face changed drastically, turning bright red. He quickly bowed to Xie Yizhi and said, "Your Highness, I'm afraid you've mistaken the woman in the painting."
His tone was slightly flustered: "She doesn't resemble my fiancée at all."
Yao Shiyu had already lowered her head very early on, like an ostrich, sitting quietly at the table, not daring to speak.
Xie Yizhi's expression was indifferent, his thin lips slightly pursed, and a hint of amusement flashed in his eyes. "Oh, really? When General Gu returned to the capital, wasn't he riding the same horse as Physician Yao?"
Xie Yizhi's gaze was like a cold knife, pinning Gu Boyuan firmly to the spot. "So it turns out that General Gu's betrothed is not Physician Yao, but someone else."
Gu Boyuan was speechless after being rebuked, his face flushed red, and he dared not utter another word.
Everyone in the capital knew that Jiang Luoluo was chasing after Gu Boyuan, and Xie Yizhi couldn't possibly not know that. Xie Yizhi did it on purpose.
At this moment, Jiang Luoluo slowly stood up, glanced indifferently at the painting, and said with a slight smile, "Your Highness Prince Yi, your painting skills are indeed extraordinary. The portrait is so lifelike. It is truly a fortunate event to see it today!"
A gentle smile appeared on Xie Yizhi's icy face.
Everyone chimed in, "His Highness Prince Yi's painting skills are truly remarkable; the painting is indistinguishable from the real person."
Then Jiang Luoluo raised her hands and clapped them. Several servants from General Weiyuan's mansion carried in a large screen covered with red silk cloth.
Xie Yizhi looked at the dazzling red silk cloth and found it extremely irritating. "Hmph, it really is a grand gift. It looks impressive and valuable. It seems she has put a lot of thought into it these past few days!"
The smile that had just appeared on Xie Yizhi's face vanished instantly, as if it had never existed.
When Madam Gu saw the gift Jiang Luoluo gave her, she breathed a long sigh of relief. From the outside, it looked like a jade screen or something similar, and it was obviously very valuable!
Although they all knew that Gu Boyuan liked Yao Shiyu, many of the guests who came today were there because of General Weiyuan. If this matter were exposed, there would be a lot of discussion and dissatisfaction about the Gu family.
Gu Boyuan was overjoyed. He had told Jiang Luoluo before that he was missing a screen in his study. At that time, he just wanted to get rid of Jiang Luoluo, this annoying girl.
Unexpectedly, Jiang Luoluo remembered his casual mention and even went out of her way to search for a screen that was carried by three or four people, which was obviously very valuable.
As expected, Madam Gu was right. All that happened in Yunchuan was just Jiang Luoluo, a daughter of an official, throwing a tantrum. Now, all she does is show that she is completely devoted to Gu Boyuan.
Jiang Luoluo was using the opportunity of giving him a gift to cover up the little incident caused by Xie Yizhi.
The painting depicts Gu Boyuan, so what if he's riding a horse with another woman?
Jiang Luoluo, as the betrothed, didn't say anything, so others didn't dare to comment too much either; they just watched the show.
Yao Shiyu peered through the gaps in the crowd at the screen. Jiang Luoluo was always generous. Back in Yunchuan, she had caused quite a scene, almost as if she had broken ties with Gu Boyuan. But back in the capital, she was back to her old ways, eagerly throwing herself into Gu Boyuan's arms.
Yao Shiyu sneered, thinking that Jiang Luoluo had been reborn, but it seems she was overthinking it.
Jiang Luoluo is no longer the Jiang Luoluo who cautiously tried to please Gu Boyuan. In her previous life, she was an ant that Yao Shiyu could crush with one step, and she is the same in this life.
Everyone's eyes turned to the screen. Some felt sorry for Jiang Luoluo, some felt it was unfair to her, and some were just waiting to see her make a fool of herself.
Jiang Luoluo gracefully raised her hand and ripped off the red silk cloth, her eyes crinkling as she said, "Young General Gu, this generous gift is most fitting for you today!"
Beneath the red silk cloth was nothing more than a simple wooden screen, the surface of which was merely a thin red cloth. On the red cloth were three large black characters, sharp as knives and swords: "Letter of Annulment of Engagement," which pierced everyone's eyes.
The courtyard fell silent instantly, so quiet you could hear a pin drop. The guests looked at each other in dismay, some covering their mouths as if about to gasp, others taking a sharp breath.
There were also some people who were waiting to see Jiang Luoluo make a fool of herself, and their eyes were filled with complicated disbelief.
"A letter of annulment? What, a letter of annulment?"
Even Xie Yizhi's cool gaze was momentarily startled, but he quickly recovered. He adopted a relaxed posture, his gaze casually sweeping over Gu Boyuan, a smile that was hard for others to notice.
Gu Boyuan stood there, his face alternating between pale and flushed. A faint throbbing appeared on his forehead.
He clenched his fists, staring intently at Jiang Luoluo, as if trying to bore a hole through her.
He took two steps forward, lowered his voice, and gritted his teeth, saying, "Has Jiang Luoluo had enough? There's a limit to how much you can mess around. Don't expect me to forgive you for what you've done today!"
"Forgive?" Jiang Luoluo raised an eyebrow, her red lips parted slightly. Today, she had specially put on a fiery red makeup look to tear apart the scumbag. "I don't care at all about General Gu's forgiveness!"
The guests had already begun to whisper among themselves. Madam Gu hurriedly stood up, her face ashen, but she forced an awkward smile. "Ladies and gentlemen, this letter of annulment was just a joke that Luo Luo played on a whim. Please don't take it seriously."
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