Xiao Yu didn't even bother to give her a glance, spurring his horse and whipping it: "This king never humiliates anyone, he just states the facts." He paused, glanced back at Shen Ruorou who was slumped on the ground, and added, "Also, this king has no interest in a 'talented woman' who steals things."
Before she finished speaking, the sound of horse hooves faded away. Shen Ruoruo sat slumped in the dust, her light blue skirt stained with mud, her carefully combed hair loose, a few strands of hair stuck to her tear-soaked cheeks. The laughter around her drowned her like a tide:
"Did you hear that? The Seventh Prince said he's not interested in her!"
"This should have happened a long time ago. Is this kind of person worthy of being near the prince?"
"Come and see! The 'talented woman' who stole things is crying!"
Xiaolian was so frightened that she rushed forward to help, but Shen Ruorou pushed her away: "Don't touch me!" She struggled to her feet and stumbled home, attracting countless pointing and talking along the way. Returning to the dilapidated side yard, she fell headfirst onto the bed, grabbed the bronze mirror on the table and smashed it hard on the ground. The mirror shattered into pieces, reflecting countless distorted images of herself.
"Chen Weiwan... Xiao Yu..." She lay on the broken mirror, her nails digging deep into the wood, "I won't let you go... Never..."
At the same time, Shen Weiwan in the general's mansion was listening to Chuntao's vivid report, laughing so hard that she almost spilled the iced sour plum soup in her hand: "Chuntao, didn't you see that your cousin was so angry at the prince that she couldn't even cry?"
Chun Tao laughed so hard she slapped her thigh: "That's right! The Seventh Prince said it perfectly - 'At least those who can't read won't steal poems', hahahaha! I was listening to this and my stomach hurt from laughing!"
Shen Weiwan wiped away the tears of laughter, her eyes gradually turned cold: "Liu is still restless in prison, and Shen Ruorou can't hold it back. Do you really think that you can turn things around by hooking up with Xiao Yu?"
"Miss, the rumors are spreading all over the capital now, saying that the second young lady is a 'poetry thief' and a 'nymphomaniac'. No one wants to pay attention to her anymore." Chun Tao handed over a clean handkerchief. "Even the young lady from Minister Li's family avoids her when she sees her!"
Shen Weiwan took the handkerchief and ran her fingertips across the cool silk. "This is not enough." She walked to the window and looked at the pomegranate flowers blooming in the courtyard. "Chen Ruorou owes me more than just copying poems and stealing bracelets."
As he was speaking, a voice came from outside the door: "Miss, the Seventh Prince is here!"
Shen Weiwan raised her eyebrows and winked at Chuntao: "Quick, bring out my sour plum soup. His Highness loves it the most."
When Xiao Yu walked in, he saw Shen Weiwan sitting under the grape trellis, playing with a bunch of fresh grapes in her hand. The sunlight shone through the gaps in the leaves onto her face, making her eyes sparkle.
"Your Highness, how come you have time to come here today?" Shen Weiwan stood up and bowed, with a smile in her tone, "Did you go and teach someone a lesson again?"
Xiao Yu sat down across from her, and Chun Tao brought him some sour plum soup. "Miss Shen is quite well-informed," he said. He scooped a spoonful of the soup, the sweet and sour taste spreading in his mouth. "It was just that I was passing by and saw someone 'just happened to pass by' in front of this prince's mansion."
Shen Weiwan burst out laughing: "Your Highness, you used the phrase 'just happened to pass by' very cleverly. I'm afraid you must have pissed off my cousin."
"Angry?" Xiao Yu raised an eyebrow. "This prince sees that she is about to explode with rage." He put down the soup bowl and looked more serious. "But then again, Shen Ruorou's troubles are almost over. Shouldn't it be Li Xiu's turn next?"
When Li Xiu was mentioned, a cold light flashed in Shen Weiwan's eyes: "Him? Ever since the rumor of 'Broken Sleeve', he has been like a turtle hiding his head. But I heard that he is going to hold a poetry meeting recently to restore his reputation."
"Poetry gathering?" Xiao Yu laughed, "Is he worthy of it?"
"Whether they are suitable or not, we have to let him try it to know." Shen Weiwan picked up a grape, twisted it lightly with her fingertips, and purple juice oozed out, "After all, the good show has just begun."
Xiao Yu saw the cunning light in her eyes and knew that she had a new idea: "Do you need my help?"
Shen Weiwan blinked and smiled brightly: "Of course it is necessary. But this time..." She moved closer to Xiao Yu and lowered her voice, "Let's change the game. I guarantee that he will never dare to mention the word 'poetry meeting' again in his life."
Xiao Yu raised an eyebrow and listened to her plan with great interest. The more he listened, the more his smile grew. "Miss Shen, your idea... is truly wicked."
"Same here." Shen Weiwan raised her chin proudly, "Compared to your Highness's venomous tongue, this is just a small quarrel."
The two smiled at each other, a tacit understanding flowing in the air. The sun was shining, and the shadows under the grape trellis gradually lengthened, shrouding the figures of the two. Shen Weiwan knew that Shen Ruoruo's end was just the beginning. Next, it was Li Xiu's turn to taste the taste of despair.
At that moment, back at the Li Mansion, Li Zhengxiu practiced smiling in the mirror, trying to hide the anxiety in his eyes. He had spent a fortune inviting talented scholars from across the capital, and tomorrow's poetry gathering was his last chance to redeem his reputation. He stroked the delicate embroidery on his cuffs and muttered to himself, "Chen Weiwan, Xiao Yu, after tomorrow, we'll see who has the last laugh..."
What he didn't know was that a huge net had been quietly spread out against him. Shen Weiwan and Xiao Yu had already prepared to give him the heaviest blow at his most proud moment.
In the dead of night, Shen Weiwan sat by the window, looking at the crescent moon in the sky. She thought of the misery of being deceived into marriage by Li Xiu in her previous life, and the cold sticks in the snow. There was no more ripple in her heart, only a cold calm.
"Li Xiu," she whispered softly into the moonlight, "In this life, I will take back everything you owe me, with interest."
The wind blew past the window, bringing with it the faint sound of a distant children's song, seemingly still singing a joke about Shen Ruorou. A sneer rose from the corner of Shen Weiwan's mouth. She knew that Li Xiu's "joke" was about to be staged. And she would be the perfect director of this play.
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