"Shen Jinxiu, should I praise you for being foolish or for being loyal? A single word from Shen Jinshu is enough to make you charge into battle for her and do all sorts of bad things."
But now that things have been exposed, you're in dire straits, while she can wash her hands of everything and continue being the eldest daughter of the Marquis's mansion. And you? What good will your fate be?
Upon hearing this, Shen Jinxiu glared fiercely at Song Zhiyu, wishing she could pounce on her and tear her apart. "Stop trying to sow discord. My eldest sister knew nothing about what I did. If she knew, she definitely wouldn't have agreed to what I did."
My biggest regret is not having the heart to kill Lin Er, which gave you leverage over her and almost implicated my older sister.
"If she were truly as pure and kind as she appears, she wouldn't have used you to eliminate any of the noble ladies in the capital who might become the Princess Consort of Li."
Don't you understand yet? She's been using you from the very beginning. And now, you're no longer of any use to her.
Song Zhiyu paused, and through Shen Jinxiu's bloodshot eyes, she clearly saw the panic hidden deep in her heart. "Actually, you also have doubts in your heart, but you just don't want to believe it."
She was really looking forward to seeing these two self-proclaimed sisters turn on each other; it would definitely be a spectacle.
*
Leaving the Prince's Palace.
*Smack!*
The concubine of the Prince of Li was slapped to the ground by the Prince of Li. Her fair cheek was swollen high, and blood was flowing from the corner of her mouth, which showed how strong the slap was.
Li Wang's expression was sinister, his once handsome and gentle face now appearing extremely ferocious. "Fool, your Tan family's fine daughter has ruined the good reputation I've built up over the years."
Not only that, he was also impeached by the Crown Prince's faction, and the emperor took the opportunity to take back his power in the Ministry of Justice. His carefully planted mole in the Ministry of Justice was completely rendered useless.
Ignoring the pain on her face, Consort Tan scrambled over and hugged Prince Li's leg, begging for mercy, "Your Highness, I know I was wrong. I will definitely discipline my sister and never let her ruin Your Highness's plans again."
The Prince Li calmed his anger slightly, then grabbed Consort Tan's cheeks with his large hands and pinched them hard, watching with satisfaction as she looked at her pained expression. "For the sake of what your father presented, I will spare her life for now."
But while she might escape death, she couldn't escape punishment. If she couldn't successfully marry the heir of the Marquis of Anyang within a month, then she should give up on that idea completely and obediently become the Minister of War's second wife, so that the Tan family wouldn't have wasted their time raising her.
"Yes..." Consort Tan collapsed to the ground, still in shock.
The Minister of War is over fifty years old and has countless concubines in his household. How could her younger sister, in the prime of her life, marry such a man?
But recalling the twisted and ferocious face of the Prince and the terrifying aura emanating from him, she dared not plead for Tan Yingying any longer.
Inside the study, Prince Li opened the portrait delivered by his secret guards, narrowed his eyes, and said with a dark and inscrutable expression, "So she is the daughter that the Marquis of Chengen's mansion just found."
He could lead Tan Yingying into a trap with just a few words, ruining his reputation that he had worked so hard for for many years. He was not as innocent and harmless as the investigation said.
"Send someone to keep an eye on Song Zhiyu. Report any movements she makes immediately." Li Wang stared intently at the beautiful, smiling face in the portrait, a flash of murderous intent crossing his eyes.
He would never allow anyone to sabotage his great cause.
*
The next day.
As soon as Song Zhiyu stepped out of the courtyard gate, she ran into Shen Yuzhou and his servant Changde. The two stood not far away, seemingly having been waiting for her for a long time.
"Zhiyu, let's talk." Shen Yuzhou spoke calmly, but his gaze on her was no longer as indifferent as before.
Shen Yuzhou unwrapped the oil paper package in Changde's hand, revealing the crystal-clear pastries inside. His eyes were gentle. "This is your favorite water chestnut cake. Try it and see if it tastes the same as before."
I remember the first pastry you ate at Songzhuyuan was water chestnut cake; in that respect, we have the same taste.
“I don’t like it anymore. People’s tastes change. Besides, the person making the pastries has changed. Even if they are made to look exactly like the originals, they will never taste the same again.” Song Zhiyu glanced at Shen Yuzhou, her words carrying a hidden meaning.
He still thinks of her as the Song Zhiyu he knew before.
It's laughable that giving her a few small favors or expressing some insignificant concern can erase all the hurt and make her continue to give her all to them.
Some people, you just have to let go of them.
Cut your losses in time to avoid getting hurt.
Shen Yuzhou's hand trembled, and the water chestnut cake in his hand fell to the ground. "What a pity, one piece fell. But it's okay, Uncle Fu who makes water chestnut cake is still here, I can ask him to continue making it for you, to make it taste like before."
Song Zhiyu had no idea what was wrong with Shen Yuzhou, and was too lazy to play guessing games with him anymore.
She no longer cares about things she has already lost.
"Young Master Shen is so intelligent, don't you know that spilled water cannot be recovered? Besides, I don't like water chestnut cake."
Because Shen Yuzhou liked it, she learned to like it too, wanting to gradually integrate into their world.
But later she discovered that she didn't like water chestnut cake at all. No matter how hard she tried, she still didn't like it.
Just as she could never enter Shen Yuzhou's heart or gain his recognition, no matter what she did.
Shen Yuzhou stared at her intently, murmuring, "What's done is done, but it's not impossible to get it back. It just depends on whether you're willing to."
“I’m not willing.” Song Zhiyu refused outright, leaving no room for negotiation.
"Do you have to be so stubborn? Shu'er has never done anything to hurt you, so why can't you tolerate her?" Shen Yuzhou's face finally turned cold, and the gentle expression on his face could no longer be maintained.
Shen Yuzhou couldn't understand where Song Zhiyu's hostility towards Shen Jinshu came from.
Song Zhiyu was secretly taken away by Chen, the wet nurse, and left the Marquis's mansion for many years.
Fearing that her mother would be heartbroken, the father took in his benefactor's daughter to raise, concealing her true identity. But this was neither Shu'er's intention nor her fault.
Song Zhiyu had no reason to vent her anger on Shu'er; it was unfair to her.
"I know you resent Shu'er for taking away our affection, which is why you target and hurt her in every way. But how can we just let go of the feelings we've shared with her for over a decade?"
"Shu'er will never leave the Marquis's mansion; she will always be my sister, Chen Yuzhou's sister. If you are unwilling to accept her, then we will not accept you either."
Seemingly realizing that his words had been a bit too harsh, Shen Yuzhou softened his tone, "In terms of talent, you are not even half as good as Shu'er. In terms of character, you are unruly and outrageous, and will only bring shame to the Marquis's mansion."
Shu'er, on the other hand, is the most talented woman in the capital, bringing honor to the Marquis's family. Even the Empress Dowager has praised her talent. What makes you think you can compare to her?
If you're willing to get along well with Shu'er and stop making mistakes, we can forgive you and give you plenty of love, considering our blood relation.
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