The Imperial Garden in early summer resembled an overturned palette, its peonies in bloom overflowing, pink, white, and red, forming small hills of blossoms. Chen Weiwan, hiding behind a rockery, was poking a plump, chirping sparrow with a bamboo pole. Chuntao, squatting nearby, watched, anxiously tugging at her skirt. "Miss, please stop poking! His Highness the Seventh Prince is talking to the Minister of Personnel's daughter over there!"
"Oh?" Chen Weiwan raised an eyebrow, the bamboo pole tilted, and the sparrow flew away. "Which daughter? Liu Ruoyan or Su Qingyue?"
"No, no," Chun Tao lowered her voice, "It's the newcomer, Lin Wanrou, the newly adopted daughter of the Minister of Personnel. I heard she's both talented and beautiful, and she's secretly in love with His Royal Highness the Seventh Prince!"
Shen Weiwan's eyes lit up, and she stuffed the bamboo pole into the crevice: "Let's go! Let's go watch the fun!"
Crouching, the two men circled behind the peony bushes and, as expected, saw Xiao Yu reclining against a Taihu rock. Opposite him stood a girl in a lilac-colored skirt. It was none other than Lin Wanrou. She had her hair in a double bun, a pearl hairpin in her hair. Her eyes were red, like a frightened deer. "Your Highness, it's not that I'm being nosy, but Miss Shen..."
Xiao Yu raised an eyebrow, turning a jade pendant in his hand: "What happened to Miss Shen?"
Lin Wanrou twisted her handkerchief, her voice as soft as a mosquito's: "I have heard that Miss Shen has a vulgar personality, speaks and acts without rules, and likes to... like to set traps and harm others. She is really not worthy of such a noble and graceful person as Your Highness..."
Shen Weiwan rolled her eyes and couldn't help but poke Chuntao: "Did you hear that? You're saying I'm vulgar."
Chuntao covered her mouth to hold back her laughter and nodded vigorously.
Before Xiao Yu could speak, Shen Weiwan suddenly jumped out from behind the flowers, clapping her hands and laughing: "Oh! Miss Lin is really my confidant!"
Lin Wanrou was so scared that she almost fell into the peony bushes. When she saw Shen Weiwan's smiling face, her face turned pale instantly: "Ms. Shen, Miss Shen?"
"Don't call me Miss," Shen Weiwan walked to Xiao Yu and tugged at his sleeve familiarly, "Miss Lin is absolutely right! I really don't have any merits. I only know how to cheat people and eat candy cakes. How can I be worthy of our prince?"
Xiao Yu sighed in agreement: "Alas, this prince is also distressed."
Seeing that Xiao Yu did not refute, Lin Wanrou's eyes flashed with a hint of joy, and she quickly replied: "Your Highness is wise! In this case, why not..."
"How about Miss Lin become the prince's consort?" Shen Weiwan's eyes sparkled, as if she had seen gold. "Oh, that's great! I was just worried that no one would take over!"
Lin Wanrou was stunned and didn't react for a moment: "Your Highness... Your Highness didn't mean that..."
"Don't be modest!" Shen Weiwan patted her shoulder and smiled like a fox. "Isn't it just being a prince's consort? It's simple! But..." She deliberately dragged out her voice, "My cheating skills are inherited from my ancestors, and I can't teach them for free. If Miss Lin wants to learn, she must first pay 10,000 taels of silver as tuition!"
"Ten thousand taels?!" Lin Wanrou was so frightened that she almost fainted. "Miss Shen, you...you are blackmailing me!"
"You can't say that," Shen Weiwan counted on her fingers, "To trick someone, you have to learn how to dig holes, lay mines, shift the blame, and build momentum. The four major sects have thirty-six tricks. Ten thousand taels is a bargain for you!"
Xiao Yu was trying to suppress his laughter so hard that his shoulders were shaking. Finally, he couldn't help but speak: "Wei Wan is right. But I think Miss Lin might be more suitable to learn embroidery. I'm afraid she won't be able to learn the skill of cheating people."
The noble ladies watching the excitement around them could no longer hold back, and "puff" sounds came one after another. Lin Wanrou's face turned red and white, and she pointed at Shen Weiwan and was so angry that she couldn't speak: "You...you..."
"What do you mean by 'I'?" Shen Weiwan tilted her head. "If Miss Lin doesn't have money, you can just write an IOU. But the interest rate has to be higher. After all, cheating people is a risky business!"
"Enough!" Lin Wanrou stamped her feet, tears finally falling. "Your Highness, look at her! She's so vulgar, she doesn't look like a lady from a noble family at all!"
Xiao Yu took a step forward and calmly protected Shen Weiwan behind him. His tone was light but with pressure: "This king likes her like this. As for Miss Lin..." He glanced at Lin Wanrou's makeup that was smudged from crying, "You should learn how to speak properly first before discussing this king's fiancée."
"Fiancée?" Lin Wanrou was struck by lightning, "Your Highness, the Emperor hasn't issued an order yet!"
"It's almost time." Xiao Yu said, no longer looking at her, lowered his head and asked Shen Weiwan, "Are you hungry? The king asked someone to prepare plum blossom cakes."
Shen Weiwan immediately threw Lin Wanrou behind her mind, her eyes shining: "It needs to be hot!"
"Of course." Xiao Yu smiled and rubbed her hair. The two of them walked towards the snack stand as if no one was around, leaving Lin Wanrou standing there trembling with anger.
"This is too much! You are totally disrespectful to your elders!" Lin Wanrou stomped her feet, almost tearing her handkerchief.
Liu Ruoyan, who was standing nearby, came over and said sarcastically, "Sister Lin, calm down. After all, they have the protection of His Royal Highness the Seventh Prince. Let's not make things difficult for ourselves."
Lin Wanrou looked at the backs of Xiao Yu and Shen Weiwan leaving together, with a trace of resentment in her eyes: "I don't believe it, how can I, Lin Wanrou, be inferior to her, Shen Weiwan!"
Here, Shen Weiwan dragged Xiao Yu to a deserted place and couldn't help asking: "Your Highness, where does this Lin Wanrou get the confidence to snatch a man from me?"
Xiao Yu raised his eyebrows: "Oh? Do you admit that I am your man?"
"Bah!" Shen Weiwan blushed and slapped his hand away, "Who admitted it! I mean, where does she get her confidence from?"
Xiao Yu chuckled softly and plucked the petals from her hair. "The Minister of Personnel wanted to curry favor with me, so he adopted her as his daughter. But..." He paused, a sly glint in his eyes. "I think Lin Wanrou would be a good bait."
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