Just then, the sound of hurried horse hooves approached from afar. Seventh Prince Xiao Yu dismounted, his moon-white brocade robe billowing in the wind. In his hands, he held a food box, the lid still stained with fresh osmanthus crumbs. "I'm here to deliver osmanthus cake to Miss Shen," he said, raising an eyebrow as he glanced at Shen Weiwan on the second floor, a smile in his eyes. "By the way... solve a puzzle."
Shen Weiwan's eyes lit up, and she deliberately made things difficult: "Your Highness, please tell me, this eternal question, which came first, the chicken or the egg?"
Xiao Yu walked forward and suddenly leaned close to her ear, his warm breath caressing her temples. "I think it was you who came first—" He paused, looking at her instantly flushed cheeks, and lowered his voice to a whisper only the two of them could hear. "It was your quirky little head that gave rise to so many tricky puzzles."
The people around them cheered and some whistled. Chun Tao laughed so hard that she covered her mouth. Shen Weiwan's heart was beating like a drum, but she stiffened her neck and said stubbornly: "Your Highness's answer... barely correct!"
Xiao Yu chuckled softly and opened the food box. Inside was a crystal clear osmanthus cake, still steaming. "Since the calculation is correct, may I please come in for a cup of tea?"
Liu watched the two of them exchange glances in front of everyone, trembling with anger. Suddenly, she screamed and rushed forward: "Chen Weiwan! How dare you meet the prince in private! How dare you! I will sue you for being unfaithful to your husband!"
Chen Weiwan turned around and smiled innocently, but her voice was like ice: "Auntie, you are joking." She shook the food box in her hand, "Your Highness came to solve the problem and gave me some osmanthus cake by the way - unlike Auntie, who is obsessed with marrying me to a pig butcher or a lame man, and is afraid that I will marry well!"
The people immediately remembered the scandal of Liu's previous proposal to Shen Weiwan, and they pointed and laughed like a tide. Liu's face turned pale and she was supported by Shen Ruoruo so that she did not collapse to the ground.
The Seventh Prince stepped forward, blocking Liu's path, his eyes cold as ice. "Liu," he said in a low voice, yet with undeniable authority, "The marriage of the General's daughter is the sole decision of His Majesty. If you dare to interfere again, I wouldn't mind asking His Majesty to judge the matter right now and see how your aunt 'dotes' your niece!"
The word "Your Majesty" was like a heavy hammer, smashing Liu's soul to pieces. She looked at the coldness in the eyes of the Seventh Prince, and then looked at the contemptuous eyes of the people around her. Finally, she couldn't hold it anymore, and she pulled Shen Ruorou away in a hurry. Even one of the gold hairpins in her bun fell off.
Shen Weiwan looked at their embarrassed backs, bowed to the Seventh Prince, and a cunning flashed in her eyes: "Thank you, Your Highness, for rescuing me."
Xiao Yu looked into her sparkling eyes and whispered, "Thank you, no need." He shook the empty food box, "How about... please let me try the osmanthus cake you made yourself? I heard it's even better than the one in the imperial kitchen."
Shen Weiwan's cheeks flushed slightly, but she nodded generously: "Your Highness, please."
Chun Tao watched her young lady and the Seventh Prince walk side by side into Tinglan Courtyard. The sunlight shone on them, and they seemed indescribably well-matched. She muttered to herself, "Why does the solution to this puzzle... seem like a sugar-sprinkling?"
As the sun set, the crowd in front of the General's Mansion gradually dispersed. Only the "Which came first, the chicken or the egg?" riddle remained hanging on the door lintel, swaying gently in the evening breeze. Shen Weiwan stood in the courtyard, watching the Seventh Prince squat in front of the parrot cage, teasing the green-feathered parrot with osmanthus cake, listening to him recount interesting stories from the palace, and occasionally being amused by him.
She picked up a piece of osmanthus cake, the warmth of the cake lingering on her fingertips. She thought of the cold and despair in the snow in her previous life. Then she looked at the man in front of her who was willing to block all the wind and rain for her, and suddenly she felt that the sunshine in this life was particularly warm.
Liu, Chen Ruorou, your schemes are but the tricks of a clown. My happiness has only just begun. She watched the gentle smile in the Seventh Prince's eyes as he turned back, a sweet smile curling her lips. This perplexing mystery has not only stumped the talented men of the capital, but has also quietly captured the heart of a certain prince.
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