The late spring breeze, wrapped in willow catkins, blew through the hall, rustling the petals on the wisteria trellis in Tinglan Courtyard. Shen Weiwan reclined on the window couch, twisting a bright white lychee between her fingers as she listened to Chuntao's vivid recounting of the latest gossip. Her throat tightened, and she nearly spat the fruit pulp onto the moon-white gauze curtains.
"Miss, you didn't see it!" Chun Tao laughed so hard that she nearly threw the gold-sprinkled silk in her hand onto the celadon vase on the antique display case. "Yesterday, Second Miss Shen went to the Prime Minister's residence for a flower viewing banquet. As soon as she entered the garden, she was surrounded by three or five noble ladies. The daughter of Minister Zhang's family shouted, 'Second Miss, has your itching gotten better?' The girl from Minister Li's family followed suit, saying, 'I heard that grass scraps will leave scars if they scratch your skin.' She was so embarrassed that she covered her face and ran away. The red gold and kingfisher hairpin on her head fell into the peony bushes!"
Chen Weiwan laughed out loud, and the lychee seeds were flicked into the copper basin by her, making a crisp sound: "Itchy? I think the itch in her heart is more unbearable than the itch in her body. She wants to steal my things, but she doesn't even consider whether she deserves them." She shook her wrist, and the gold and jade bracelet shone warmly in the sunlight. It was a relic of her mother that was cheated away by Liu in her previous life, and now it was worn on her hand.
Ever since Shen Ruoruo scratched her head and ears in her straw-stained pomegranate-red dress at the Spring Banquet, her image as the "capital's most talented woman" has shattered like a piece of porcelain on the ground. Now, at the tea party for the ladies, who wouldn't cover their lips and smirk at the sight of Shen Ruoruo? The Imperial Tutor's wife even took back the invitation she had sent to Shen Ruoruo and invited Shen Weiwan to her house to appreciate her newly acquired Suzhou embroidery atlas.
"There's something even more satisfying!" Chuntao took two steps closer, lowering her voice. "Yesterday, Liu went to Daxiangguo Temple to burn incense. As soon as she knelt in the Guanyin Hall, several old feudal lords pointed at her back and scolded her, saying, 'You've brought up your daughter badly and brought shame to your family.' I heard she went home and smashed everything in the house. Even the jade bracelet she always wore broke into three pieces!"
Shen Weiwan lazily turned over, the quilt sliding down to reveal a white wrist. She stared out the window at the crabapple branches jutting out into the corridor, her pupils reflecting the swaying flower shadows, but a hint of coldness flashed across her eyes. This mother and daughter were now the scoundrels of the capital. Liu's greed was insatiable, and Shen Ruorou's cleverness had backfired, and she truly deserved it.
"Oh, Miss," Chun Tao suddenly remembered something and pulled out a gold-embossed invitation from her sleeve, "The Seventh Prince has sent a letter inviting you to his house tomorrow to admire the peonies."
Shen Weiwan took the note, her fingertips warming slightly as they touched the words "Xiao Yu." Ever since the chicken-and-rabbit puzzle, the Seventh Prince had become a frequent visitor to the General's Mansion. Today he'd send lychees, a tribute from Guangdong, and tomorrow he'd send a newly mounted copy of "Fishing Alone on a Cold River." Even the most staid of the housekeepers whispered, "The Seventh Prince truly cares about the eldest young lady."
"I understand." She placed the note on her dressing table, her face feigning composure, but the tips of her ears were faintly red. The Seventh Prince had a cold, jade-like appearance, but when he was alluring, he was like the warm spring sun, always unsettling her without her realizing it.
While she was pondering, a servant's voice came from outside the door: "Miss, Madam Liu and the Second Miss from Xiefang Courtyard want to see you. They said they came to apologize to you."
Shen Weiwan and Chuntao exchanged a glance, a playful glint in their eyes. An apology? If that stingy Liu was willing to pluck out her feathers, I'm afraid the sun would soon rise from the west.
"Let them in." Shen Weiwan sat up straight, straightened the hem of her gold-embroidered skirt, and instantly put on an innocent smile, like a harmless little white rabbit.
When Liu and Shen Ruorou entered Tinglan Courtyard, their steps felt as light as if they were treading on cotton. Her once dazzling dress was now somewhat faded, and Shen Ruorou kept her head down. Under her carefully painted eyebrows, a faint red scratch on the back of her neck still peeked through the powder.
"Wanwan..." Liu forced a smile that was uglier than crying. She reached out tremblingly to grab Shen Weiwan's hand, but she dodged it sideways, and her fingertips only touched the slightly cool air. "Before...before, it was my aunt who was confused and wrongly blamed you. Your cousin also regrets it. This is the pearl flower she found specially for you..."
Chen Weiwan took the ordinary silver-inlaid beaded flower and deliberately opened her eyes wide in surprise: "Oh, cousin, you are so expensive! But this beaded flower looks familiar. It reminds me of the red gold hairpin that mother used to wear when she was alive. It was said to be made by a craftsman from the Western Regions, and the phoenix feathers on it would change color with the light."
Liu's face paled to a pale white. That red-gold hairpin was a thorn in her heart. She hadn't tried to trick her, but had been publicly humiliated by Shen Weiwan with a basin of grains mixed with stones. Now, hearing her mention it, she felt the sting of the stones rubbing against her palms again.
Shen Ruorou raised her head suddenly, a glint of resentment flashing in her eyes, but Liu secretly pinched her arm, causing her to almost cry out in pain. She could only humbly say, "As long as my sister likes it..."
Chen Weiwan played with the pearl flower and said slowly, "Aunt and cousin are too polite. Actually, I forgot about it a long time ago. But there is something that always lingers in my mind—" She suddenly leaned close to Shen Ruoruo, her voice very low but every word clear, "The 'rubella' that cousin had on the day of the Spring Festival, is it better now? I heard from the court doctor that those wild grass debris are the most severe. If you scratch your skin, I'm afraid it will leave a scar for life."
Shen Ruorou shuddered and subconsciously touched the back of her neck. Her fingertips rubbed off a piece of powder, revealing a hideous red mark underneath. Seeing this, Liu hurriedly tried to smooth things over, dragging Shen Ruorou out and said, "It's just a child's joke. Wanwan, please forgive me for laughing! We have things to do. We'll leave now!"
Watching the mother and daughter flee in panic, Shen Weiwan leaned against the door frame, laughing so hard that she couldn't straighten her back. Chuntao handed over the warm tea and said admiringly, "The young lady's mouth is getting more and more powerful. She can poke them to pieces with just a few words."
Shen Weiwan took the teacup, the steam misting her eyelashes, but it couldn't hide the sharpness in her eyes. "This is just the beginning. Liu and Shen Ruorou are just clowns. The real battle is still to come." She thought of the clash of sticks in the snow in her previous life, of the hypocritical face of the lame scumbag Li Xiu, and her nails dug deep into her palms. Li Xiu, you owe me, and I will get it back with interest!
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