These words sounded nice, but they really hit Li Shuangsi where it hurt—the reason was simple: her husband's official career was all thanks to her good younger sister.
Li Shuangsi disliked it most when others mentioned her in-laws. She was about to make a sarcastic remark when she heard this, but Shang Shaoyan didn't give her the chance. Instead, he turned to Li Shuangyan and asked with concern, "I haven't seen you for a few days, Third Sister. You've lost weight. Has something happened at home? Or did you have a fight with the Second Prince? I'm not trying to be mean, but it's normal for a man as good as the Second Prince to have many women around him. Don't take it to heart."
Li Shuangyan: "..."
Her face was contorted with anger because a few days ago, she had heard from her aunt, the Empress, that the Second Prince had taken a concubine from Yangzhou into his household. She had been furious and wanted to confront the Second Prince, but the Empress had slapped her.
Many people know about this incident because Consort Zhao happened to be passing by, and then, through some unknown means, she was publicly reprimanded by her uncle, the emperor, who had always doted on her.
Seeing her sister wronged, Li Shuangsi felt a surge of pleasure, but she quickly regained her composure and said cryptically, "Second Mother, I am saddened that you broke off your engagement with A-Ye. Fortunately, our relationship has not been affected. In the future, when A-Ye marries the Third Princess, please don't hold it against her. Let's part ways peacefully and each find our own happiness."
Li Shuangyan echoed, "That makes sense."
Then the two of them stared intently at Shang Shaoyan, waiting for her to reveal her distressed emotions.
Unexpectedly, upon hearing this, Shang Shaoyan immediately smiled radiantly, dazzling all who beheld him: "Of course I won't mind... I was worried that the Li sisters would become estranged from me! That's wonderful! Young Master Lu, come here quickly—I didn't dare let you see the sisters earlier, fearing they would be angry, but now I've said that we'll part ways amicably and each find our own happiness!"
Li Shuangsi and Li Shuangyan: "...?"
Then, as if they had seen a ghost, they saw a handsome young man in white, with an exceptional appearance and refined demeanor, slowly walking towards them, holding a hot water bottle in his hand, and giving them a faint nod.
Then, the extremely handsome young man stopped looking at the two of them and turned to look at Shang Shaoyan. He smiled and gently placed the hot water bottle in Shang Shaoyan's hand, scolding, "How many times have I told you? The weather is cold, you should keep warm."
Li Shuangsi was the first to realize—that little bastard Shang Shaoyan had found a new job so quickly?
She immediately frowned and angrily rebuked, "Shang Shaoyan! You...you don't uphold female virtues!"
Shang Shaoyan was puzzled by this. She blinked, somewhat surprised, "Good sister, don't say such things. Female virtue is something from the previous dynasty. What are you doing?"
Li Shuangsi was speechless. Indeed, the concept of female virtue was only popular in the previous dynasty. The Southern Chen dynasty had long abolished such things, but aristocratic families still used this method to raise their daughters, and emperors of all dynasties turned a blind eye to it.
Before she could speak, Shang Shaoyan continued with dissatisfaction, "Sister Li, if you have any complaints, take them out on me, don't point them at my Mr. Lu."
Li Shuangsi then realized that her finger had been trembling as she pointed at the handsome young man. She immediately lowered it in embarrassment and anger, and said to Qiao Xiuyu, "Do you know whose unwanted girl you picked up? Shang Shaoyan is the former fiancée of the heir of the Duke of Cheng'en's mansion!"
Qiao Xiuyu glanced at Li Shuangsi, then smiled and took Shang Shaoyan's hand: "I never knew your name was so beautiful."
Shang Shaoyan raised an eyebrow and smiled: "You always have a sweet tongue."
Seeing the two of them flirting and joking around as if no one else was around, Li Shuangsi and Li Shuangyan were furious—this Shang Shaoyan has really gone too far!
"You wait, I'm going to tell my aunt!" Li Shuangyan stomped her feet angrily. "You're such a fickle woman!"
Shang Shaoyan's face fell, and before he could speak, Qiao Xiuyu interrupted him, saying, "Your stomping is so delicate. How old are you now?"
Li Shuangyan: "..."
She almost burst into tears from anger.
Shang Shaoyan laughed without any mercy, then glanced at Qiao Xiuyu and said, "Did you hear that? I'm a promiscuous woman who has offended the Cheng'en Duke's Mansion. How dare you speak up for me?"
Qiao Xiuyu smiled gently and tucked Shang Shaoyan's stray hair behind her ear: "I don't listen to them. I only know that you are the most adorable girl in the world."
Shang Shaoyan was much happier then, but when he looked at Li Shuangyan, his eyes turned cold: "Li Sanniang, let's not even mention that my engagement with your Chengen Duke's Mansion has been broken off, so you have no right to interfere. Just because I am a county princess, you have to bow to me; my brother is a duke, on the same level as your father. Furthermore, my brother said that if I want to marry, I can marry; if I don't want him to support me for the rest of my life, I can find as many men as I want to make me happy."
Li Shuangyan trembled with anger, glaring fiercely at Shang Shaoyan. A hint of jealousy arose in her anger—why was Shang Shaoyan so lucky?
Why can she do whatever she wants?
Seeing that her younger sister was losing her temper, Li Shuangsi immediately stepped forward, pointing at Shang Shaoyan and wanting to say a few words of abuse, but found that Shang Shaoyan had already said everything he wanted to say: "You've gone too far! This matter isn't over yet. I'll go to the palace tomorrow to see my aunt!"
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