An early summer breeze, laden with the fragrance of lotus from the back garden's lotus pond, swept past the moon-shaped gate of the west wing of the General's Mansion, yet it couldn't dispel the air of decadence lingering from the rose bushes beneath the corridor. Chen Weiwan, clutching a plain white silk scarf, traced her fingertips across the peeling vermilion lacquer on the corridor's pillars as she slowly strolled into the courtyard. The once-blooming red roses on the redwood stand beneath the corridor were now covered in a thin layer of dust, much like the people who lived there—since rumors of Li Xiu's "homosexuality" spread like plague, Shen Ruorou hadn't left her room, and even the window paper had taken on a stale, yellowing hue.
"Cousin~" Shen Weiwan's voice was as sweet as freshly brewed maltose, the last syllable drawn out as she pushed open the half-closed lattice door. The room was dimly lit, and the scent of sandalwood mixed with the stench of stale powder filled the air. Shen Ruoruo sat at her dressing table, her hair loose. Her face, reflected in the bronze mirror, was swollen like a steamed bun, and the red marks from last night's crying still snaked across her cheekbones.
Shen Ruorou turned around suddenly, and the ebony comb fell to the ground with a "bang". The anger in her eyes almost burned through Shen Weiwan's plain skirt: "Chen Weiwan! What are you doing here again?!"
Chen Weiwan blinked in feigned surprise, then picked up a piece of plum blossom cake with green hair on the table with her slender fingers: "Ah! Why is my cousin eating this?" She turned her head and winked at the door, "Chun Tao, go to the kitchen and bring some freshly baked lotus cakes, and make a pot of jasmine tea to wake the second young lady up."
Chun Tao responded with a "Hey" while suppressing a laugh, and as her skirt swept across the threshold, she shook off a cloud of catkins. Shen Ruoruo stared at the moldy pastry at Shen Weiwan's fingertips, her temples throbbing with anger: "Stop pretending here! Li Xiu has become a laughing stock for homosexuality, and you're satisfied? Now you come to see me make a fool of myself, right?"
"Look at what my cousin said~" Chen Weiwan sat on the embroidered cushion, holding up the hem of her skirt. Her fingertips traced the dust on the table, leaving a clear mark. "I heard that my cousin had lost her appetite for days, so I came to check on her." She suddenly lowered her voice, revealing a "worried" expression. "The abbot of the Fahua Temple outside the city sent someone to tell her yesterday that they've hired new nuns to clean the temple..."
"Nun?" Shen Ruorou stood up suddenly, crushing the wooden comb on the ground with her brocade shoes. "You want me to become a nun?!"
"Not a nun~" Chen Weiwan tilted her head, smiling like a fox that had successfully stolen something fishy, the tassels of the jade hairpin in her hair swaying gently, "I'm going to do the cleaning, specifically responsible for taking care of... uh... the clean rooms." She deliberately emphasized the word "clean rooms" and observed Shen Ruorou's pale face, "I heard that the toilets in that temple are very clean, and they use sandalwood to fumigate every day. They need someone who is quick and skillful. If my cousin goes there, she can not only cultivate her character, but also stay away from those... ahem, gay sleeves, how great~"
"You're looking for death!" Shen Ruoruo screamed, picking up the mother-of-pearl dressing box on the table and throwing it over, scattering the pearls and jade jewelry all over the floor. Shen Weiwan leaned sideways, and the dressing box slammed against the door with a "bang", shaking off a piece of lacquer.
"What happened to my cousin?" Chen Weiwan covered her chest with her hands, looking "hurt". "I meant well. Now the whole capital knows that my cousin is involved with Duanxiu. Which young man would dare to propose marriage? Going to the Fahua Temple to sweep the toilet, at least you can have a full meal~" She took a half step closer and lowered her voice. "Oh, by the way, I have agreed with the abbot that if my cousin goes there, he will give her the Dharma name 'Jing Gu', which means to wash away the dust and dirt. How appropriate!"
"Get out! Get out of here!" Shen Ruoruo grabbed the bronze mirror and was about to smash it, but Shen Weiwan dodged it nimbly. Seeing her cousin shaking with anger and her lips turning purple, Shen Weiwan forced herself to hold back her laughter and left the room. Chuntao came over with a box of snacks, her shoulders shaking from trying to hold back her laughter.
"Miss, you are really irritating!" Chun Tao followed Shen Weiwan to the moon cave door, "Second Miss's face turned green, like a little ghost in the City God Temple!"
"This is just the beginning." Shen Weiwan picked up a piece of mung bean cake and stuffed it into her mouth. She looked up and saw a moon-white corner of clothing passing by the moon cave door. A smile immediately appeared on her lips. "Your Highness the Seventh Prince, did you come here because of the excitement?"
Xiao Yu walked in, waving a broken jade fan. The ink bamboo on the fan flickered in the sunlight, and there were a few willow catkins on the toes of his shoes. "I heard things being smashed in the west wing while I was in the mansion. I thought it was haunted." He glanced at the cake crumbs at the corner of Shen Weiwan's mouth and raised an eyebrow, "Are you teasing your cousin again?"
"Your Highness is joking," Shen Weiwan wiped her mouth and deliberately handed over the mung bean cake, "I'm just pointing her in the right direction." She looked at Xiao Yu's hand that took the cake, and suddenly remembered something, "How come Your Highness has time to come to the General's Mansion today?"
"Of course I'm sending you something." Xiao Yu gestured to the eunuch behind him. The brocade box opened, revealing two uniquely shaped peach blossom pastries. The pink and white pastry was dotted with real peach petals. "I want to try the newly opened 'Su Xiang Ju' on West Street?"
Chen Weiwan picked up a piece, the sweet fragrance of peach blossoms mixed with the oiliness of the pastry lingering on her nose. "Your Highness is very thoughtful." She took a bite and suddenly asked casually, "I heard that the Minister of Personnel's 'cold'... is it better?"
Xiao Yu chuckled softly, tapping his palm with his folding fan. "Almost there. But..." He suddenly took a half step closer, the crisp scent of ambergris wafting towards him. "Some people, if they know what's good for them, will recover faster."
Shen Weiwan curled her lips knowingly. Just as she was about to respond, the old housekeeper came running in from the hanging flower gate, his gray beard trembling: "Miss! Madam Liu locked herself in her room, saying...she said she was going on a hunger strike to express her determination!"
"Hunger strike?" Shen Weiwan raised an eyebrow and stuffed the remaining peach blossom cake into her mouth. "She knows how to pick the time. Knowing that tomorrow's monthly fee is due, she wants to play pitiful and get away with it?"
Xiao Yu put down his folding fan and looked at her with interest: "It seems that someone can't sit still anymore."
"That's right, you can't sit still." A cold light flashed in Shen Weiwan's eyes, and she said to Chuntao, "Go to the kitchen and tell Madam Liu to send some... well, yesterday's leftovers. Even if you're going on a hunger strike, you have to eat a full meal so you have the strength to die."
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