Chapter 61 If you don't want to lose face, just tear it off
"Miss Lin." A maid bowed and saluted, "The lake pavilion will entertain male guests later, and the master has ordered that female relatives are not allowed to approach."
Lin Yurou restrained her expression and nodded calmly, "I have a few words to say to Mr. Shen. I won't disturb the male guests. I'll leave in a moment."
The little maid had no doubt and bowed immediately in response.
After all, she was the future mistress of the mansion, and it was not something a little maid like her could have any say in.
"Xiao Jie, you wait outside, I'll be back soon." Lin Yurou looked at the pavilion by the lake, her eyes slowly filled with determination.
No matter what, she has to face it and know what's going on. How can she be so muddled about such a big matter as marriage?
"Miss, how about this servant go with you?"
The maid was worried that the girl, who was kind-hearted, would suffer a loss.
Lin Yurou shook her head lightly, "No need."
She calmed herself down and walked in.
Just after taking a few steps, there was a noise at the entrance of the lake pavilion. The male guests were coming. Lin Yurou's heart tightened and she immediately found a place to hide.
With her peripheral vision she could see a corner of something behind a rockery not far away. The color and pattern were exactly what the second young lady of the Duan family was wearing today. Lin Yurou bit her lower lip and stared at it without blinking.
"Brother Shen's marriage has been decided. When do you plan to get married?" The Fourth Prince and Shen Changhe walked in front, talking in a low voice.
"The wedding date will be subject to family arrangements, and it shouldn't be too far away. I will not forget this glass of wedding wine from the Fourth Prince."
The corners of Xiao Yuan's lips twitched slightly, and suddenly, his eyes fixed, his steps stopped, and he looked in one direction.
At the same time, Shen Changhe also looked towards the rockery vigilantly, and when he saw a piece of clothes falling outside, his brows furrowed.
"First, I will take you to the flower hall behind the lake pavilion for tea."
He tilted his head and instructed the servant beside him. The servant responded and immediately told everyone to leave.
Xiao Yuan did not leave. He stared at the person hiding behind the rockery with a dark and heavy gaze.
Shen Changhe's expression was particularly ugly. He had already asked the servants to evacuate the place, but there was still a girl hiding here. His thoughts were self-evident. However, he did not expect that there would be a girl so bold as to block people on the territory of the Shen Mansion.
All the guests invited today are ladies from noble families. How could there be such a person with impure thoughts and scheming, who even doesn't care about the reputation and upbringing of his family?
The first thought in his mind was that this girl must be here for Xiao Yuan.
"The gentleman has left, the girl can come out now." His voice was deep and cold.
The person behind the rockery seemed to shiver, and quickly pulled her exposed clothes closer.
Listening to Shen Changhe's voice, Duan Yingying was both happy and nervous, and tried hard to choose her words and make herself look more haggard.
"Are you waiting to be invited downstairs, girl?"
When he said this, his tone was obviously unhappy and cold.
Duan Yingying tried hard to calm down her mood and bravely walked out from behind the rockery. Her clear and careful eyes were now filled with mist.
She bowed and said, "Master Shen."
When she looked up, she saw Xiao Yuan was there too. Duan Yingying's heart skipped a beat and she immediately saluted again out of fear, "Fourth Prince."
She bit her lips tightly, feeling panicked and embarrassed, her face burning and she felt extremely awkward.
What she had done was not honorable in the first place, and now it was seen by the Fourth Prince.
Xiao Yuan simply glanced at Duan Yingying, his lips pulling out a half-smile, "I think the poetry competition should start now, this prince will go first."
After being shocked, Shen Changhe regained his composure. His face was filled with awe and he cupped his hands, "Thank you, Fourth Prince, for helping me look after our distinguished guest."
"Yeah." Xiao Yuan walked towards the flower hall behind the lake pavilion, but he had not gone far when he stopped again, his eyebrows raised slightly.
Lin Yurou's heart was in her throat. She tried to curl up into a ball, fearing that she would be discovered again and be embarrassed.
Unexpectedly, Xiao Yuan just glanced at where she was, and said in a low voice with a hint of teasing, "It's quite lively today."
After saying that, he left.
Shen Changhe looked at the weak girl who was about to cry, without any emotion on his face, "Miss Duan Er is lost, I will have someone take you back to the banquet hall."
As he was about to call someone over, Duan Yingying quickly said, "No."
She mustered up the courage to look directly at Shen Changhe, “I’m not lost, I… am waiting for you here.”
She twisted the handkerchief so hard that her fingers were bruised.
Shen Changhe's expressionless face changed, and his eyes became a little gloomy. He didn't say anything, but just looked at Duan Yingying indifferently, with his thin lips pursed into a straight line.
Duan Yingying was so nervous that she didn't notice his subtle change at all. She was still considering how to start the conversation.
The atmosphere was silent for a while, even a little awkward.
Lin Yurou, who was standing by, felt nervous and anxious about the depressing atmosphere.
If you like it, you like it. If you don’t like it, you don’t like it. What does it mean to keep silent?
A quick victory would put her at ease. A short pain is worse than a long one, and this could be considered a result for herself.
Time passed little by little, and a hint of impatience flashed across Shen Changhe's eyes. He still had arrangements for the male guests and didn't have time to waste here. Moreover, there was the variable of the Fourth Prince today, so he had to be cautious.
So, he spoke first, "Miss Duan Er is waiting here specially, what do you want to say?"
She would go to great lengths to avoid the servants and wait here, which reminded Shen Changhe of Shen Anan's words on the day of the engagement.
Some people really can't be judged by their appearance. How could a weak and timid girl be so courageous as to intercept a man on the way to the outer city?
"I..." Duan Yingying bit her lip before mustering up the courage to speak, "I want to explain to you what happened on the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival."
"That night, I...I..."
"It's all in the past. Miss Duan Er doesn't need to worry about it anymore." Shen Changhe interrupted her.
At that time, I thought she was kind-hearted. But now that I think about it carefully, she didn't ask my name because she was worried that if I was penniless, I would be dependent on the prosperous Duan Mansion.
Duan Yingying’s face turned pale instantly and she shook her head with tears in her eyes. "Mr. Shen,"
How could it be allowed? Doesn't that mean they have nothing to do with each other?
Aren’t he and Lin Yurou together because of their parents’ arrangement and the matchmaker’s words? Could it be that he likes her?
No, she wasn't mistaken. The way he looked at her that night was clearly one of pity and amazement.
“I have been looking for you these days. I even prayed to God. Miss Shen knows about it. If you don’t believe me, you can ask her. I…”
"Miss Duan Er." Shen Changhe's tone became heavier, and his eyebrows were slightly frowned, "You lost your composure."
Those words should never be said to the two of them now, especially since he is already engaged. Even if Shen Changhe cannot be called a gentleman, he is not a shameless person.
Having said this, Duan Yingying still had something to understand, and her tears couldn't be controlled and burst out, falling down.
She was crying like a pear blossom in the rain, and I felt pity for her.
Shen Changhe frowned even tighter.
She cried so hard that if others saw it, they would not know what to make of it. They would think that he had done something to her.
"It's getting late. I'll have someone send Miss Duan back home."
Duan Yingying felt as if she had fallen into an ice cellar, and her entire body was shivering as she stood there.
She just couldn't understand why it turned out like this. A man who was obviously attracted to her would reject her so coldly.
Looking up at Shen Changhe's departing back, he was a gentleman, upright and tall. She suddenly realized the meanness and inappropriateness of her behavior.
A lady from a prominent family, actually intercepted a man from another family's house. What was she doing?
Mr. Shen is such a brilliant man, so naturally he would look down on her for not respecting herself.
Duan Yingying was filled with remorse, and she hated Duan Mengmeng's instigation which made her lose her mind and completely lose the opportunity to fight for a good marriage.
However, Shen Changhe stopped again at the place where Xiao Yuan had just stopped, and looked at the slightly swaying flower tree with heavy eyes.
Lin Yurou's heart tightened, she bit her red lips, stood up and walked out, she bowed gracefully, "Mr. Chen."
Shen Changhe looked at her, his forehead throbbing, but he still managed to suppress the displeasure in his body.
At this time, a maid came in and asked Duan Yingying to leave.
When leaving, Duan Yingying took a deep look at the pair of people standing opposite each other. Her lower lip was bitten and blood was oozing out.
Her face was pale.
It is said that the girl from the Lin family is respectful, gentle and kind-hearted. Now it seems that she is actually very capable. It was really a good trick to kick her out so easily.
Her eyes gradually became filled with resentment, and she attributed all the grief, despair, and humiliation to Lin Yurou who suddenly appeared.
At this moment, Lin Yurou had no time to care about how others looked at her. She lowered her head, clutching the handkerchief, looking as if she had done something wrong.
From Shen Changhe's attitude towards Duan Yingying just now, she knew that Shen Changhe was a person who valued education and rules.
Now that she was caught red-handed, she felt extremely panicked and guilty.
Lin Yurou didn't say anything, and Shen Changhe didn't say anything either. He just looked at her steadily, waiting for her to speak first.
After all, she was an engaged fiancée, so he naturally couldn't just send her away like he did to Duan Yingying. Besides, Shen Changhe also guessed why Lin Yurou was here.
Although it is said that a gentleman should not eavesdrop, he did not hate it as much as what Duan Yingying did.
Lin Yurou pursed her lips, raised her head bravely, and said, "At the banquet, the third daughter of the Duan family suddenly ran to my side and said something nonsense, saying that you and the second daughter of the Duan family were in love with each other. I wanted to find out what was going on, so I followed her."
Thinking that if they were truly in love, she might be willing to bear the pain and let them be together.
If you talk about how uncomfortable and anxious she was just now, Lin Yurou is now very comfortable. Her mother once said that a man's love is only temporary, and education and kindness are the bottom line of whether he can protect her for a lifetime.
As his fiancée, although her behavior was inappropriate, she felt it was understandable.
Thinking of this, Lin Yurou became a little bolder and slowly raised her eyes to look at Shen Changhe.
At this moment, a servant came running over and said, "Sir, something bad has happened in the hall."
Shen Changhe's expression changed slightly, and his brows immediately wrinkled into a ball. He said to Lin Yurou, "You go back first, I still have some things to deal with."
Lin Yurou nodded immediately, "Business is more important, go ahead. Don't worry about me."
Shen Changhe bowed and said, "Excuse me."
After saying that, he walked away quickly. Lin Yurou looked at his back, her heart at ease, and she breathed a long sigh of relief.
——Banquet hall.
The little maid quickly walked into the room and leaned over to hear what Shen Anan said.
Her smiling brows furrowed, and her eyes glanced at the two sisters of the Duan family who were sitting in a daze, and her eyes darkened.
In the Shen Mansion, she blocked her eldest brother right under her nose and instigated Miss Lin to make a mistake. The two sisters really took her for granted.
"If you have no shame, just tear it off."
Her eyes fell on the wine cup on the table and she whispered a few words to the maid.
The maid immediately retreated.
At noon, maids and old women came in one after another, removed the tea, fruits and snacks, and served the delicacies.
The girls were not good at drinking, so Shen Anan specially asked someone to prepare some non-intoxicating fruit wine in advance. It was mellow, sweet and had an excellent taste.
"Girls, you are welcome. Fruit wine is not intoxicating. We have plenty of it at home. Just enjoy yourself."
The girls from each family expressed their gratitude and the banquet began.
Fruit wine is indeed not intoxicating, but if you drink a lot, you will feel dizzy, so the girls from each family control the amount, drinking a little to enjoy themselves without getting drunk and losing their composure.
Lin Yurou was in a very good mood after she came back. Shen Anan knew at a glance that her elder brother must have handled the matter properly and did not get entangled with Duan Yingying, so her mood brightened for a moment.
Now that everything was going well, she could finally put her mind at ease after having been worried for months.
After today, everything was settled. She and Lin Yurou chatted and laughed with many ladies, and the atmosphere was harmonious.
The Duan sisters were in a bad mood, and they drank one glass of fruit wine after another to vent their anger. Shen Anan caught a glimpse of the two of them from the corner of her eye, her eyes turned cold, and she winked at a maid.
Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, the maid walked to the table of the Duan sisters in small steps and bowed respectfully to remind them, "Two girls, drinking too much fruit wine will make you dizzy. Be careful and don't get drunk."
For a moment, everyone's eyes turned to them, and there were whispers and sneers in the hall.
The Duan sisters are all people who care about their reputation. Seeing this, their faces burned with embarrassment and they felt extremely embarrassed and ashamed.
Duan Mengmeng put down the wine cup, her face stiff and she wanted to refute, it was just a few glasses of fruit wine, it wouldn't make her drunk, could it be that Shen Anan couldn't afford to treat her?
But as soon as she stood up, she suddenly felt dizzy, her head felt heavy, the world turned upside down, her body tilted uncontrollably and she staggered, almost falling to the ground.
"Miss Duan San, be careful." The maid hurriedly supported her and said to Shen Anan, "Miss, it seems that Miss Duan San has drunk too much."
Everyone looked at Duan Mengmeng who was staggering and unsteady on her feet and sneered at her. She couldn't even hold her head up straight, and it was leaning on her shoulders. She must have drunk too much.
Such a talented lady was actually drunk like those dandy men.
Duan Mengmeng's body was out of control, but her mind was extremely clear. She drank too much fruit wine, but she definitely wouldn't drink to this extent.
She wanted to argue that she was not drunk, but damn, the faces of the girls who were laughing at her kept swaying in front of her eyes, and from her angle, they even seemed to be hanging upside down in front of her.
She was not sitting in a chair, but seemed to be hanging on the beam. She couldn't help but tilt her head to look at them.
But the more she did this, the louder the laughter became. She knew she was making a fool of herself, but she couldn't control herself.
Duan Yingying, who was sitting motionless on the side, gradually realized something was wrong. She did not move, but fell straight to the side.
It would be better to faint than to make a fool of oneself.
She drank more than twice as much fruit wine as Duan Mengmeng. Even if she was carried out, it would be more decent than being carried out by the old women and maids as a drunkard.
The most important thing is that this is the Shen Mansion.
Duan Yingying's last thought was to never meet Shen Changhe, and also, the thing on the table was definitely not fruit wine.
Before her reason completely disappeared, she heard the maid report to Shen Anan, "Miss, look, the two girls of the Duan family drank two jars of fruit wine. No wonder they are so drunk."
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