The peonies at the Spring Banquet were in full bloom, and the fragrance of the flowers mixed with incense in the back garden of the Taifu Mansion was so strong that it made people feel dizzy. Chen Weiwan, wearing a plain spring peach coat, stood in the corridor watching the maids pick up the broken teacups, but out of the corner of her eye she caught sight of Shen Ruorou scratching her head not far away.
"Miss, look at Miss Shen Er," Chun Tao lowered her voice, "She's so itchy that she's almost torn her skirt."
Shen Weiwan didn't say anything, but just sighed softly. The sound was neither loud nor soft, just loud enough for the noble ladies passing by to hear. Sure enough, several noble ladies who had originally surrounded Shen Ruoruo exchanged glances and quietly retreated to her side.
"Ms. Shen, you are so generous," a concubine whispered, "If it were me, I would have been furious with Miss Shen."
Shen Weiwan raised her head, with tears in her eyes: "We are all family, and my cousin didn't mean it."
Just as she finished speaking, she saw the Taifu's wife approaching, surrounded by a group of maids. The old lady was wearing a stone-blue jacket, and the red-gold hairpin with a phoenix pattern on her head swayed slightly with her steps. Her eyes vaguely swept over Shen Ruoruo and Shen Weiwan.
Shen Weiwan's heart trembled, knowing that the highlight was about to begin. She immediately stepped forward, bowed, and said with a hint of grievance in her voice: "Madam, it's all my fault for being careless and making my cousin worry about me."
Madam Taifu didn't say anything, but just looked at the old coat she was wearing, then looked at Shen Ruoruo's casual clothes that were stained with grass debris, and frowned slightly.
"I heard that it was Miss Shen Er who spilled tea on you?" Madam Taifu's voice was not loud, but it stopped the discussions around them.
Shen Weiwan lowered her head and twisted the corner of her clothes with her fingers: "My cousin didn't mean it. She even gave me her spare skirt to wear. It's just...it's just that my figure is a little fuller than my cousin's, so I can't wear it."
As soon as these words were said, the noble ladies around them suddenly understood. Before, they only thought that Shen Ruorou’s sudden itchiness was strange, but now they understood that she wanted Shen Weiwan to wear the skirt with grass scraps!
"Oh?" Madam Taifu turned her gaze to Shen Ruorou, "Where is Miss Shen's spare skirt?"
Shen Ruorou was itching so much that when she heard this, she subconsciously said, "In... in the side hall..."
"Is that so?" Madam Taifu said indifferently, "But why did I hear that Miss Shen was wearing her plain clothes from beginning to end, while Miss Shen was wearing a casual dress stained with grass debris?"
Shen Ruorou's face turned pale and she was speechless: "I...I..."
How could she know that Chen Weiwan had asked Chuntao to hide the moon-white skirt a long time ago, and even deliberately left some grass debris in the side hall to make people think that she was wearing casual clothes.
"Madam," Shen Weiwan interrupted at the right time, "maybe my cousin's regular clothes were accidentally stained with grass debris. It's all my fault. If I had worn my cousin's spare skirt, my cousin wouldn't be like this..."
These words seemed to be self-blame, but in fact they confirmed Shen Ruoruo's calculations. Madam Taifu looked at Shen Weiwan's clear eyes, and then at Shen Ruoruo's embarrassed look, and she had already made a judgment in her heart.
"Forget it," Madam Taifu waved her hand, "Chun Tao, take your young lady to change her clothes. Let's wear the new lilac-colored skirt from my storeroom."
The noble ladies around let out a low cry of surprise. The clothes in Madam Taifu's storehouse were all tributes, so many people begged for them but couldn't get them, and she was actually going to give them to Shen Weiwan?
Shen Weiwan was delighted, but a surprised expression appeared on her face: "This... How can I be so embarrassed..."
"That's all right," Mrs. Taifu smiled, a rare smile. "You, child, are actually more honest than your cousin."
As soon as these words came out, Shen Ruorou almost fainted. Really? Doesn't this clearly mean that she is hypocritical?
Shen Weiwan bowed and followed Chuntao to the inner room. When she passed by the Seventh Prince, she secretly raised her eyes and found that Xiao Yu was looking at her with a smile. The profound meaning in his eyes made her cheeks hot.
"Miss Shen is very resourceful." Xiao Yu said in a low voice.
Shen Weiwan paused, then smiled and said, "Your Highness is joking, I'm just telling the truth."
"Oh?" Xiao Yu raised an eyebrow. "Tell me the truth, did you know there was grass debris in Miss Shen's skirt?"
Shen Weiwan was shocked, but remained calm on the surface: "Why did your highness say that? I only found out later."
Xiao Yu didn't say anything else, just waved his folding fan and looked at her back, his eyes showing more interest. This Shen Weiwan is really getting more and more interesting.
In the inner room, Chuntao helped Chen Weiwan change into a lilac-colored skirt embroidered with lotus flowers in silver thread, which made her skin look whiter than snow.
"Miss, you are really amazing," Chun Tao said as she helped her adjust her skirt, "Now the whole capital knows who Miss Shen Er is."
Shen Weiwan turned around in front of the mirror, a sneer on her lips: "This is just the beginning. I will get back what Liu and Shen Ruorou owe me bit by bit."
She thought of her tragic death in her previous life, and a cold light flashed in her eyes. In this life, she not only wanted to survive, but also to live beautifully, making all those who had hurt her pay the price.
"By the way, Miss," Chun Tao recalled something, "what did the Seventh Prince say to you just now?"
Shen Weiwan's cheeks flushed slightly: "Nothing, just said it casually."
In her heart, she was wondering what the Seventh Prince meant. He always appeared at the critical moment. Could it be that he was interested in her, as Chuntao said?
Just as she was thinking, there was a noise outside. Shen Weiwan straightened her clothes and walked out.
Shen Ruorou fell down in the peony bushes for some unknown reason. The red bumps on her body were rubbed by the branches and leaves, and she rolled on the ground with itching. The noble ladies around her all hid far away and pointed at her.
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