Shen Jinhua wanted to turn around and leave, but so many eyes were staring at her, even Song Zhiyu was casting a mocking glance. Her pride got the better of her, and she stammered, "Big sister, I..."
As soon as Shen Jinhua opened her mouth, Shen Jinshu's brow twitched violently. She seemed to have already anticipated what she was going to say next, and hurriedly interrupted her, "Jinhua, didn't you tell me a few days ago that you wanted the glass pendant from the Treasure Pavilion? I'll bring it back to your residence for you later, so you won't keep thinking about it."
Shen Jinshu secretly gave Shen Jinhua a warning look, reminding her to know her limits and know when to stop.
Three thousand taels is no small sum, so why would she be willing to pay that amount for Shen Jin?
But she could only say this in her heart. In front of outsiders, she couldn't let it slip. She still had to pretend to be a good older sister.
"Yes, then I'll have to trouble you, elder sister." Shen Jinhua almost ground her teeth to powder, but despite her reluctance, she had no choice but to grit her teeth and agree.
It's because her father wasn't the Marquis of Chengen or a high-ranking official in the court; otherwise, why would she have always lived in Shen Jinshu's shadow?
She thought she could take Shen Jinshu's place during the three months she was confined to her home, but she never expected to be defeated by Song Zhiyu.
She glared at the two of them subtly, then covered her face and slunk away, her departing figure conveying a sense of fleeing in disarray.
The people who had been drawn by the excitement dispersed when they saw that Shen Jinshu and his group had entered the shop and the usual tranquility had returned.
The gatekeeper clicked his tongue in regret as he watched his three thousand taels slip away, remarking that there was indeed only one truly unfortunate person.
*
Inside the Treasure Pavilion.
Qin Xu presented the orchid earrings he had chosen to Song Zhiyu as if they were a treasure, his gentle smile carrying a hint of calculation that was not easily detected.
Standing not far away, Shen Jinshu took in the whole scene before her. Her slightly ambiguous gaze lingered on the two of them before she suddenly laughed out loud, "Cousin Qin is really thoughtful. My second sister has always liked orchids, and you know how to cater to her tastes."
"I just noticed that the Second Miss's clothes and sachet were embroidered with orchids, so I made a bold guess about her preferences. I didn't expect to have stumbled upon this by accident." Qin Xu smiled gently and politely. He had been secretly observing Song Zhiyu ever since he first met her.
This woman was beautiful, but she was not easy to approach. Her deep, dark eyes seemed to be able to see into people's hearts and reveal the darkness in their hearts.
In order to make Song Zhiyu develop a good impression of him as soon as possible, Qin Xu investigated Song Zhiyu thoroughly, even finding out her preferences clearly.
These orchid earrings were the cheapest and most suitable treasures he had chosen for Song Zhiyu.
Based on his years of experience navigating the world of women, he knew that with just a little effort, there was no woman he couldn't win over, and Song Zhiyu was no exception.
In this way, he could win the heart of the beauty with the least amount of money.
By marrying Song Zhiyu, he would not only be able to get back a hundred times the money he spent on her, but also gain the support of the Marquis of Chengen's mansion and the Duke of Ling's mansion.
Besides these two, Song Zhiyu also has the Eldest Princess and Pei Qingyan, among others, behind him.
One of them is His Majesty's own sister, holding a prominent position. The other is a high-ranking official in the court, highly regarded. Whoever is willing to help him will have an incredibly smooth career path.
Qin Xu was engrossed in his own scheme, completely oblivious to Song Zhiyu's increasingly cold gaze.
"Second sister, you mustn't let down your cousin Qin Xu's good intentions." Shen Jinshu felt that the fire wasn't burning bright enough, and wished she could accept the gift on Song Zhiyu's behalf.
Seeing this, Song Zhiyu reached out and took the earrings. Under Qin Xu's surprised gaze, she asked in a deep voice, "Since you've given them to me, then you can do whatever you want with them?"
"Of course, you can decide for yourself." Qin Xu hurriedly spoke up to express his attitude, as long as Song Zhiyu accepted the earrings in front of everyone.
"Okay, then it's yours." Song Zhiyu nodded slightly, casually tossing the earring in her hand, her nonchalant tone as if she were throwing away something insignificant.
The little beggar, squatting in the corner, stared blankly at the exquisite and dazzling orchid earrings in the broken bowl, and unconsciously swallowed.
In his eyes, this thing could be exchanged for food.
Noticing the menacing stares of the other beggars around him, the little beggar instinctively gripped the broken bowl tightly, his whole body tense.
He gave Song Zhiyu a deep look, grabbed the earring, and ran away, leaving the beggar staring at him far behind.
Qin Xu stared dumbfounded at the dramatic scene before him, his tone stiff, "You actually gave the earrings I gave you to a beggar? Even if you look down on me, you shouldn't humiliate me like this, right?"
He seemed to have suffered a great blow, or perhaps he was heartbroken about the money he had spent.
Song Zhiyu shrugged helplessly. "Didn't I say I could do whatever I wanted with him? That little beggar looked so pitiful, I should help him if I could. Just like my older sister said, we can't choose our birth, so let's be as kind as possible and accumulate good karma for ourselves."
Besides, you bought the items and spent the money; you don't need to worry about innocent people coming to settle scores with you in the dead of night.
Song Zhiyu had a sharp eye; she immediately noticed that Qin Xu's complexion was unusual and that he looked very weak, probably because he had done too many bad things and couldn't sleep at night.
Qin Xu was shocked, his heart pounding. He thought Song Zhiyu knew those secrets.
But he didn't detect anything amiss in Song Zhiyu's expression; it was as if she had just said it casually.
Qin Xu breathed a sigh of relief. "Second Miss is kind-hearted, and I am ashamed of myself for not being kind enough. It's just a pity about those orchid earrings. I looked for a long time, but I didn't expect that they still wouldn't meet Second Miss's standards."
At this point, Qin Xu lowered his eyes in disappointment, his lips slightly pursed, and he let out a bitter laugh.
To an unsuspecting person, his distraught appearance might make him seem like a deeply affectionate man.
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