In the banquet hall of the Imperial Tutor's Mansion, the sound of stringed instruments filled the air. Noble ladies gathered in groups of three or four, and the tables were filled with exquisite refreshments. Shen Ruorou forced herself to sit in a corner, her lake-blue dress making her look even paler.
"Sister, why don't you have some snacks?" Shen Weiwan came over with a plate of peach blossom cakes, and the hem of her pomegranate red skirt swept across Shen Ruoruo's knees. "This peach blossom cake is delicious. I specially saved a few pieces for you."
Shen Ruorou forced a smile, but pinched herself hard under her skirt with her fingertips. The itch on the inside of her thigh spread like a vine, from the initial slight sting to a piercing itch, making her want to tear off her skirt immediately and scratch it.
"I... I'm not very hungry." She lowered her head to avoid Shen Weiwan's gaze, but caught a glimpse of a bit of grass debris on her cuffs - it was accidentally stained when she changed clothes just now. Her heart skipped a beat, and she subconsciously tugged at her skirt pocket, touching the rough grass debris inside, and her face turned pale instantly.
"Sister, look," Shen Weiwan suddenly pointed at her cuffs, "there seems to be grass debris on your clothes too!"
The noble ladies around looked over at the sound. Shen Ruorou hurriedly wiped it with a handkerchief, but the more she wiped, the messier it became, and she ended up shaking the grass scraps from her skirt pocket onto the hem of her skirt.
"Oh," Shen Weiwan pretended to be surprised, "cousin, did you get something dirty on you? When I was changing clothes just now, I seemed to see some grass scraps in your skirt pocket."
"You're talking nonsense!" Shen Ruoruo screamed and interrupted her. The itch on the inside of her thigh suddenly intensified, making her unable to help but arch her body and touch her lower back in a panic. "I...I just accidentally got it on me!"
"Really?" Shen Weiwan tilted her head, "But when I was changing clothes just now, I clearly saw Qinghe patting your skirt for a long time."
The noble ladies all looked at Shen Ruoruo, and the suspicion in their eyes was like a needle that made her feel uncomfortable. She couldn't bear it anymore and stood up suddenly, but she almost fell because of the itchy legs.
"Sister Ruorou, what's wrong with you?" Madam Taifu happened to be passing by and quickly supported her. "You look so pale, are you feeling unwell?"
Shen Ruorou opened her mouth, wanting to say that Shen Weiwan had framed her, but the words turned into a moan when they reached her lips. The itch in her lower back had spread to her entire back, making her twist her body uncontrollably, her fingers scratching frantically through the fabric of her clothes.
"I...I'm itchy..." She finally couldn't help it and her voice was filled with tears.
"Itchy?" Madam Taifu frowned. "Where is itchy?"
Shen Ruorou pointed to her waist and then to her thighs, anxiously crying. The noble ladies around her let out a low cry of surprise and moved away from her.
"Could it be that he's been possessed by some evil spirit?"
"It looks scary, is it an infectious disease?"
"Call the doctor!"
The sound of discussion surged like a tide, and Shen Ruoruo was filled with shame and anger, and just wanted to find a crack in the ground to crawl into. She pushed the Taifu Madam away, covered her face and ran out, but because of the itch and panic, she twisted her foot and fell to the ground with a "thump".
"Cousin!" Shen Weiwan exclaimed and wanted to help, but was quietly pulled back by Chuntao.
"Miss, don't go," Chuntao whispered, "Look at what fell out of her skirt."
Shen Weiwan looked closely and saw that when Shen Ruoruo fell, the grass scraps in her skirt pocket fell all over the floor, and even a few pieces stuck to her hair. Seeing this, the noble ladies around her covered their noses and stepped back, looking at Shen Ruoruo with eyes full of disgust.
"Oh my god, why are her skirt pockets full of grass clippings?"
"No wonder it's itchy. Is this because I'm wearing grass?"
"That's disgusting, stay away from her!"
Shen Ruorou lay on the ground, listening to these discussions, and felt the itchiness on her body getting stronger and stronger. Finally, she couldn't help but burst into tears. She no longer cared about her image and rolled on the ground, tearing her clothes frantically with her hands. The exposed skin was covered with red and swollen bumps.
"That's enough!" Madam Taifu's face turned pale. "Come here, send Miss Shen to the side hall! And then go get the doctor!"
Several maids came forward to help Shen Ruorou, but she pushed them away: "Don't touch me! Don't touch me!" She rolled to her feet, her hair disheveled, her makeup smudged like a ghost, and ran out of the banquet hall screaming.
Shen Weiwan looked at her embarrassed back, with a smug smile on her lips. She turned to Madam Taifu and said, "Madam, my cousin..."
"Okay," Madam Taifu waved her hand, looking at the direction where Shen Ruorou disappeared, her eyes complicated, "Weiwan, I'm glad you're okay."
Shen Weiwan immediately showed an aggrieved expression: "I'm fine, I'm just worried about my cousin... She seems to be in great pain."
"Uncomfortable?" Madam Taifu snorted coldly, "How can it not be uncomfortable to stuff straw scraps into your skirt?"
Shen Weiwan was shocked. She didn't expect that Madam Taifu had already seen it. She lowered her head and whispered, "Madam, actually...my cousin insisted on lending me her skirt before, but I felt it was a bit prickly, so I didn't wear it..."
Madam Taifu looked at her deeply and sighed, "Okay, enough. Your dress looks great, just wear it."
Shen Weiwan immediately burst into laughter: "Thank you, Madam!"
Behind a pillar not far away, the Seventh Prince Xiao Yu waved his folding fan and took in the whole farce. When he saw Shen Ruorou rolling on the ground, he couldn't help but laugh softly.
"Your Highness, this Second Miss Shen is too miserable." The guard whispered.
"Miserable?" Xiao Yu raised an eyebrow. "It's all your own fault." He looked at Shen Weiwan, who was smiling at Madam Taifu with her eyes curved like a little fox that had tasted honey. "But Shen Weiwan, this trick of counter-treating was beautiful."
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