Upon hearing the voice, Shen Xiyin looked over and saw a handsome young man with an elegant bearing.
She had seen him before.
Previously, when she went to Qingyin Pavilion to buy a flute for Rendong, she encountered a heavy rain. A kind young man gave her his umbrella, and that young man is the one standing before her.
Furthermore, given that Song Huai recognized the umbrella at Guangrentang and said it belonged to his second brother, it's not hard to guess the identity of the person in front of him.
Song Chen, the second son of the Marquis of Jianning.
Shen Qiyin gave a slight curtsy and said in a cool tone, "Greetings, young master."
Upon seeing this, Song Chen's joy froze, and after a moment's hesitation, he cupped his hands in greeting to her, saying, "Lady Yun'an."
He greeted Feng Ruoying again, then turned his gaze to Shen Qiyin once more: "We've met before, don't you remember?"
Upon hearing this, Feng Ruoying's eyes widened suddenly, her dark pupils darting around as if she had "gotten some big gossip".
To the disappointment of both her and Song Chen, Shen Qiyin looked puzzled and asked, "Have I met you before, young master?"
Song Chen said urgently, "A few days ago, it rained heavily, and you didn't have an umbrella. I lent you my umbrella."
“Oh…” Shen Xiyin seemed to realize something: “The rain was so heavy that day that I didn’t get a good look at your face. I never expected to see you today.”
"It's just that I accidentally broke your umbrella, young master. I don't know how much it's worth, but I'll compensate you for it."
Song Chen waved his hand dismissively: "It's just an object, nothing special."
He was about to speak again when Xie Qing suddenly walked up to Feng Ruoying and asked, "Ying'er, what are you talking about?" She was speaking to Feng Ruoying, but her eyes were darting back and forth between Shen Qiyin and Song Chen.
"We didn't talk about much."
After saying that, Feng Ruoying pulled Shen Qiyin to sit down on the other side, leaving Xie Qing, who was full of doubts, and Song Chen, who was slightly regretful, looking at each other.
"Young Master Song..."
"The banquet is about to begin, please take your seats." Song Chen said this rather coldly, and then left without looking back.
Xie Qing's face turned pale, and she felt quite unhappy.
The two had already been intimate, and he had promised that he would not only take responsibility for himself but also live in harmony with her, becoming an enviable couple.
But that's exactly what he's doing now?!
Thinking of something, Xie Qing turned to look in the direction Shen Qiyin had left and asked the maid beside her, "Did you see how happy Young Master Song was when he was facing Shen Qiyin just now?"
"...No, no." The maid dared not tell the truth and quickly advised her, "Miss is overthinking it."
"Young Master Song did not speak much with you, probably because he was worried that there were too many people around and that after the marriage was settled, some rumors that would be detrimental to you would spread. It was not that he was truly neglecting you."
"What you said makes sense."
However, she still cannot let her guard down.
Her mother had told her that there were few men in the world who were not philanderers, and she did not expect Song Chen to stop thinking about others after having her, but Shen Qiyin was the only exception!
She and her partner were not on good terms. If Song Chenruo had feelings for Shen Qiyin, wouldn't that be a blatant slap in her own face?
unless--
Since Shen Qiyin willingly became a concubine, I might consider whether or not to keep her.
After all, the thought of her being held in his palm and kneaded at will is not bad.
Feng Ruoying shivered as she looked at Xie Qing's ambiguous smile from afar. She unconsciously snuggled closer to Shen Qiyin, hugged her arm, and whispered in her ear, "Let me tell you, you'd better stay away from that Song Chen, or who knows what Xie Qing might do."
Ever since she saw Xie Qing's true colors, Feng Ruoying has been on guard against her at all times.
"But I'm just reminding you, if those two go looking for trouble, don't be afraid." With that, Feng Ruoying patted her chest: "I'm here for you, I've got your back!"
Shen Qiyin chuckled softly, "Alright."
Before the two had even finished talking, the banquet had already begun.
The banquet was filled with singing and dancing, and the atmosphere was lively and festive.
During this time, a maid came to pour wine for Shen Qiyin. The apricot wine, with its rich fruity aroma, was poured into a crystal glass, making it look so tempting.
Feng Ruoying suddenly reached out and covered the cup, saying to the maid, "The lady is not feeling well and should not drink alcohol. Just pour some hot tea."
The maid had no choice but to do as she was told.
Upon hearing Feng Ruoying's words, Shen Mengyin immediately asked Shen Qiyin with concern, "Second Sister, are you feeling unwell? Would you like someone to take you to a guest room to rest?"
Shen Qiyin replied indifferently, "I don't know what's wrong with me."
After saying that, she looked at Feng Ruoying curiously.
The latter explained, "Although this apricot wine is sweet and delicious, it is quite strong. It is fine to drink it alone at home, but if you go out to visit someone, it would be bad if you made a fool of yourself or caused any trouble unintentionally."
She said that, but she herself took a big gulp without any hesitation.
Shen Xiyin tried to stop him, but it was too late.
"Aren't you afraid of getting drunk?"
"You wouldn't believe it, I can really hold my liquor!" Miss Feng said proudly. "Not only can I drink, but I can also appreciate the nuances of alcohol. My brother taught me all of that."
Her brother said that it's not a bad thing for a young lady to drink some alcohol.
Firstly, enjoying delicious food shouldn't be a matter of gender; secondly, girls tend to have a higher alcohol tolerance, so they're less likely to be tricked by scoundrels.
Upon hearing this, Shen Qiyin's gaze softened even more: "Your brother treats you so well."
“I am his own sister, if he doesn’t treat me well, who will he treat well!” After saying that, she suddenly remembered that Shen Qiyin’s two brothers were worse than the other. Fearing that it would bring up her sad memories, she quickly comforted her, saying, “If you don’t mind, I will ask him to treat you as well as he treats me.”
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