"What does Lord Pei mean by this?" Shen Yanxi's face was tense, his tone stiff, and he was somewhat puzzled.
He actually sensed a trace of hostility from Pei Qingyan, but strangely enough, he had never interacted with Pei Qingyan before.
"While listening to Young Master Shen speak, I was suddenly reminded of a dog I keep in my household, and I found it extremely amusing." Pei Qingyan lightly tapped the table with his well-defined knuckles, a slight smile playing on his lips, though the smile did not reach his eyes.
Shen Yanxi was stunned for a moment before realizing that Pei Qingyan was scolding him. His handsome face flushed red instantly, and a raging fire ignited in his heart.
Pei Qingyan spoke without using any vulgar language, yet Shen Yanxi felt immensely humiliated and embarrassed.
"It's funny, but the dog in my household is quite grateful. It knows who treats it well, much better than some ingrates." Pei Qingyan said with a smile, his words carrying a hidden meaning, seemingly unaware of Shen Yanxi's extremely ugly expression.
"Who are you calling an ingrate?" Shen Yanxi roared in fury, rushing up to Pei Qingyan with a fierce look in his eyes.
Compared to Shen Yanxi's impulsiveness and irritability, Pei Qingyan was much calmer. He remained seated calmly, even taking a sip of tea with interest, completely unaffected by the outside world. "Why is Fourth Young Master Shen so agitated? I did not name names."
Pei Qingyan put down his teacup and looked directly into Shen Yanxi's reddened eyes. "Could it be that Fourth Young Master Shen is the kind of person I'm talking about, and that's why he's so angry?"
"Bang!"
A loud crash was heard as Shen Yanxi swept the teacup off the table, startling the onlookers.
"Pei Qingyan!" Shen Yanxi's eyes were bloodshot, unable to suppress his anger.
The teacup shattered instantly upon hitting the ground, spilling tea and even dripping a few drops onto Pei Qingyan's clothes.
One was sitting, and the other was standing, but Pei Qingyan's aura was in no way inferior to Shen Yanxi's, and even slightly overshadowed him.
Just as the two were about to clash, a guard who had been ordered to fetch someone broke the deadlock.
"Lord Pei, His Highness the Crown Prince requests your presence."
Pei Qingyan slowly stood up, raised his hand to wipe away the teacup shards that stained his moon-white robe, pushed another intact cup of tea on the table in front of Shen Yanxi, and smiled meaningfully, "Fourth Young Master Shen's temper is a bit too much, he should have a cup of tea to calm down."
After saying that, Pei Qingyan smiled and strode away under Shen Yanxi's resentful gaze, leaving them with only his tall and slender back.
*
Pei Qingyan walked behind the guards leading the way, and as they passed the Lotus Pavilion, he happened to see a familiar figure.
In an instant, the coldness in his eyes melted away, his gaze softened, and a genuine smile bloomed on his face.
His gaze fell on Song Zhiyu, but did not linger there.
Seeing that she was alright and even in a good mood, he left with peace of mind.
His striking good looks and gentle demeanor instantly won the hearts of many noble ladies.
"Isn't that Lord Pei? He really did come to the lakeside banquet."
"Lord Pei was looking this way just now. Do you think he was looking at me?" The woman blushed. This was the first time she had seen Pei Qingyan so closely. He truly was a handsome young man.
The girl in green scoffed, "Nonsense! He should be looking at the pearl."
Mingzhu smiled without saying a word when mentioned, but the blush that crept onto her cheeks revealed her unsettled state of mind.
Only Shen Jinshu had a thoughtful look in her eyes. She looked in the direction Pei Qingyan had been looking and met Song Zhiyu's cold, deep eyes.
Shen Jinshu was startled and instinctively opened her eyes, not daring to meet Song Zhiyu's gaze. She patted her heart, which was suddenly beating faster.
Song Zhiyu's eyes seemed to see right through people's hearts. Every time Shen Jinshu met her gaze, she felt that the malice in her heart had nowhere to hide.
Looking at Shen Jinshu's beautiful profile, Song Zhiyu smiled and her probing gaze fell on the Seventh Princess beside her.
Given Shen Jinshu's cautious nature, she would never deal with someone directly; instead, she would use a proxy to kill them.
The seventh princess is arrogant and domineering, but she's brainless, and this kind of person is perfect for being taken advantage of.
"What's the point of looking at them now that they're all gone?" Brainless? Perfect for being used? The Seventh Princess pouted, her tone sour.
When everyone came to their senses, they saw that the Seventh Princess looked displeased and wondered what was wrong with her.
Shen Jinshu's eyes flickered slightly, and she smiled as she smoothed things over, "I heard that the Seventh Princess recently acquired a piece of blessed blood jade, personally bestowed by the Empress Dowager. The princess cherishes it very much and has always carried it with her. I wonder if we would have the honor of seeing it?"
"If Sister Jinshu wants to see it, this princess will naturally grant her request." The Seventh Princess raised her chin slightly and beckoned to the maidservant beside her who was holding a sandalwood box.
As soon as the box was opened, the blood jade revealed its true form. Its texture was delicate, its color was bright red, and it resembled congealed blood, possessing a breathtaking beauty.
"How beautiful!" The group of noble ladies were mesmerized by the blood jade before them.
Upon seeing this, Song Zhiyu looked up and glanced at her, her expression slightly taken aback.
The Seventh Princess looked proud and smug. "This piece of blood jade was personally blessed by Master Wuchen of Mingyin Temple. It can not only ward off evil and disaster, but also nourish one's complexion."
My grandmother, out of pity for my frail health, bestowed this piece of blood jade upon me, to ensure my lifelong peace.
Suddenly, she changed the subject and steered the conversation toward Song Zhiyu.
"I suppose Miss Song has never seen such a fine thing before. Why don't you come up and take a closer look? This princess is not such a stingy person."
A smile spread across Song Zhiyu's face, and she parted her red lips slightly, "Your Highness is so generous, I am deeply grateful. But Your Highness also knows that I grew up in the countryside and know nothing about these things, so naturally I do not know the preciousness of blood jade."
If I were to accidentally damage or harm such a precious blood jade, it would be my fault.
Seeing that Song Zhiyu wasn't taking the bait and was still talking with great conviction, the Seventh Princess almost couldn't maintain her smile, as if Song Zhiyu had seen through her thoughts.
Upon hearing this, the other noble ladies smiled disdainfully, their eyes filled with undisguised mockery. "Truly from the countryside, they have no sense of propriety whatsoever."
“Such a precious thing as blood jade is not something a vulgar person like her can touch.”
"..."
Mingzhu shook her head, her contempt for Song Zhiyu growing even stronger.
"In that case, I, the princess, will not force you." She gritted her teeth and spat out a few words, her heart filled with resentment.
If one move doesn't work, she'll try another. The Seventh Princess was determined to mess with Song Zhiyu, so she naturally wouldn't let her escape easily.
The Seventh Princess ordered someone to put the blood jade away, and secretly gave a look to the maid beside her.
You can dodge the first day of the month, but you can't dodge the fifteenth. She didn't believe Song Zhiyu could be so lucky every time.
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