This blush made Xiao Yu in a good mood. He strode out of the rockery, waving his folding fan: "Miss Shen, this play was well performed." Shen Weiwan bowed and said in a soft voice: "I'm sorry to make you laugh, Your Highness. I was just telling the truth."
"Tell me the truth?" Xiao Yu approached, lifting her chin with his folding fan, his warm breath sweeping across her flushed cheeks. "Then I'd like to hear how you 'told the truth' and transferred the grass scraps into Miss Shen's skirt pocket?" Shen Weiwan's eyes flickered, and her almond-shaped eyes rolled around. "Why do you say that, Your Highness? I only found out about it later."
"Oh?" Xiao Yu put away his folding fan with a half-smile, his fingertips unconsciously stroking the fan bones, "It seems that this king has to keep a close eye on you, lest one day you sell me out and help you count the silver." Shen Weiwan blinked, a sweet smile on her lips: "Your Highness, you are joking. How could I have such a great ability?"
Xiao Yu gave her a deep look before turning and leaving. A gentle breeze blew from his dark robe, ruffling the strands of hair from Shen Weiwan's temples. She watched the receding figure and subconsciously touched her burning cheek. The Seventh Prince's presence made her heart beat like a drum, yet his all-seeing eyes seemed to see through all her disguises.
"Miss, the Seventh Prince seems to have seen through your plan." Chun Tao came over and whispered. Shen Weiwan chuckled softly, looking at the gorgeous sunset in the sky, her eyes firm: "So what if he sees through it? As long as he doesn't expose it. Besides, I think it might be more exciting with him watching this scene."
When they returned to Tinglan Courtyard, the sunset glowed intensely in the west. Just as Shen Weiwan sat down on the beauty couch, a servant arrived bearing a gilded lacquer box. Opening the lid, a jade hairpin, shimmering gracefully on the brocade, its head carved with twin lotus flowers, lifelike and softly shimmering in the candlelight. Beneath the brocade box lay a sheet of plain paper, inscribed in the Seventh Prince's uninhibited handwriting: "I heard you've received new clothes, so I present you with this jade hairpin as a gift of congratulations. Also: Miss Shen's story of scratching herself is quite fascinating."
"Miss, do you think the Seventh Prince is interested in you?" Chuntao teased, her eyes curved into crescents. Chen Weiwan's cheeks flushed, and she glared at her angrily, "Don't talk nonsense." But inside, she felt a sweet sensation, like a piece of sweet-scented osmanthus candy. She tucked the jade hairpin into her hair and turned gently in front of the bronze mirror. The silver lotus pattern on her moon-white skirt complemented the jade hairpin, making it look as if it had been tailor-made for her.
"Chun Tao," Chen Weiwan suddenly stopped smiling, her eyes becoming as cold as frost, "Go and call the old housekeeper. It's time to put Liu's matter on the agenda." Chun Tao nodded seriously, and when she turned around, her skirt swept across the ground full of rosy clouds.
At the same time, in the Seventh Prince's study, wisps of green smoke rose from the bronze Boshan furnace. Xiao Yu was playing with the peach blossom pastry in his hand when he suddenly laughed without warning. The attendant's hand shook in shock, and the ink splattered onto the rice paper, creating a dark cloud.
"Your Highness, what makes you so happy?" the attendant asked curiously. Xiao Yu raised his eyebrows, his phoenix eyes gleaming with interest: "This king has found an interesting prey. This great show in the capital has just begun." He stood up and walked to the window, looking in the direction of the general's mansion, the smile on his lips deepening. Shen Weiwan, this king wants to see what more exciting tricks you can play.
The late spring breeze swept across the capital, carrying the fragrance of magnolia blossoms. Fallen petals swirled across the bluestone pavement. Within the General's Mansion, a new storm was quietly brewing. And at the center of this storm lay the woman who had even the Seventh Prince paused to watch—Chen Weiwan. Her every move felt like a meticulously choreographed drama, compelling the reader to delve deeper. What kind of twists and turns would the Seventh Prince's involvement in this legitimate daughter's quest for revenge unleash? And how would Shen Weiwan, navigating the treacherous harem of conflict, achieve her goals step by step?
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