Among the group of people brought by Hong Yicheng, only Hong Yicheng was more talented in literature. The rest were young ladies from noble families, and no one could match him. Hong Yicheng, Fu Meier, Rui Yuhuan and others changed their expressions slightly, clearly unconvinced. However, after about half an incense stick's time, no one could continue the poem.
Baili Chen immediately waved his hand: "Young Master Leng, Miss Ouyang, and Miss Li, this group wins!"
Li Rushuang was stunned for a moment, then immediately grabbed Ouyang Yue's hand with joy: "Yue'er, we won! We actually won!" Li Rushuang had been extremely nervous ever since she was eliminated. She was so afraid that this group would lose because of her, but who knew that they would win in the end, winning in such an unbelievable way.
Yes, it's incredible. Leng Caiwen is indeed talented, but she never imagined Ouyang Yue possessed such literary talent. Just now, Li Rushuang had been paying close attention to Ouyang Yue, and was utterly impressed by her impromptu poem-writing exercise. It wasn't fabricated, nor was there any chance of faking it; it was truly genuine talent. She discovered that since getting to know Yue'er, Yue'er's strengths had multiplied, making her seem completely different from the legendary Ouyang Yue, which filled her with immense admiration.
See? Those arrogant young masters and ladies who used to be so pedantic are speechless now. They looked down on others, but they've only learned a few tricks and have a meager knowledge. They actually think they're unparalleled in the world. Especially seeing Hong Yicheng's livid face, Li Rushuang felt inexplicably happy.
Serves him right for losing face in front of so many people. He even suggested it himself, and he lost. Haha, how satisfying! Thinking this, Li Rushuang laughed without any regard for her image, which made Hong Yicheng and the others' expressions even uglier. They glared at her hatefully, but Li Rushuang laughed even more wildly.
Li Rushuang, who so admired Ouyang Yue, was naturally unaware that the original owner of this body was indeed illiterate. Ouyang Yue's fluent and skillful recitation of poetry stemmed entirely from her mastery of classic poems; she simply had a limited memory, having memorized them all. Of course, given Li Rushuang's personality, even if she knew this, she would probably just say something like, "Ouyang Yue has an amazing memory!" Ouyang Yue, seeing Li Rushuang's excited face, couldn't help but smile.
He bowed to Baili Chen and said, "Your Highness, now that our group has won, may we make a request to the losing group?"
Bai Lichen's dark eyes clearly held ill intent. Ouyang Yue's face flickered, a hint of a smile in her eyes, and she nodded earnestly: "Since Miss Ouyang is the winner, it's not unreasonable for her to make a request. Say it."
Ouyang Yue smiled and turned her hand, slowly pointing at Hong Yicheng and Rui Yuhuan. In any case, she had pointed at everyone in the last round. As the latter's expressions changed slightly, she looked at Leng Caiwen and said, "How should we deal with these losers? Young Master Leng is knowledgeable and should have some interesting ways to punish them."
Leng Caiwen glared at Ouyang Yue. It was clearly her who brought this up, yet now she was pinning it all on him. She'd achieved her goal, but left him with a mess. How unlucky he was! However, he, a grown man, wouldn't hold a grudge against a young woman, so he reluctantly offered her a suggestion. It was clearly autumn, and Leng Caiwen, seemingly out of nowhere, pulled out a fan and snapped it open, fanning himself and lifting a strand of hair. He did indeed exude a certain dashing charm.
With another "snap," Leng Caiwen closed his fan and clapped it on his palm before respectfully asking Baili Chen, "Seventh Prince, you've been up the mountain for a while now. You must be a little tired. Shouldn't you have some tea and snacks?"
Baili Chen squinted at Leng Caiwen and said, "Now that you mention it, I do feel tired. Give the order to hold a banquet on the mountain."
This is on the back mountain of Wuxing Temple. Holding a banquet here would be laughable if word got out, but it wasn't a joke when Baili Chen said it. Hong Yicheng and his group came to Wuhua Temple claiming to participate in the Grand Dharma Ceremony to purify their minds, but in reality, they were just there for good luck and had no sincerity whatsoever. They treated it as a sightseeing trip with their servants. With a single order from Baili Chen, tables and chairs were set up, and tea and snacks were prepared. Everything was ready in less than the time it takes for two incense sticks to burn.
Just as everyone was about to take their seats, Baili Chen suddenly said, "Young Master Leng, Miss Ouyang and Miss Li are the winners of this poetry relay. I, the prince, have made an unprecedented move to act as a judge. The winners can sit next to me and watch the performance."
Everyone was shocked. The young ladies, including Fu Meier and Rui Yuhuan, who had already taken their seats, all changed their expressions. They looked at Ouyang Yue as if they wanted to bite her into pieces. How could just anyone sit next to the Seventh Prince? If they had known, they would have memorized more poems beforehand, and they might be the ones sitting there now.
Rui Yuhuan clutched the handkerchief in both hands, twisting it into a large braid with smaller braids inside, making it unrecognizable as a handkerchief. Rui Yuhuan felt intense hatred. That damned Ouyang Yue dared to sit next to the Seventh Prince. That place should have been hers. Compared to her feelings for the Seventh Prince, who could compare?
Facing numerous resentful gazes, Ouyang Yue's eyes shifted to Baili Chen's face. Seeing a strange glint in his eyes, she quickly lowered herself and sat down. Since those who disliked her would never like her anyway, and everyone here was hostile towards her, she didn't need to pretend in front of them. Besides, Leng Caiwen and Baili Chen clearly understood her intentions, so she was happy to sit here, as this was the perfect spot to watch the show.
As soon as everyone was seated, Baili Chen spoke again: "Young Master Hong suggested playing a poem relay game earlier, but since it's a game, there has to be a prize for winning or losing, otherwise it wouldn't be meaningful for me to be the referee. How about this, the performers from the last round can show us their best talents, what do you say?"
Hong Yicheng's face darkened. While he had indeed made the suggestion, it was out of a desire to humiliate Ouyang Yue and Leng Caiwen. Now, having lost, they were being forced to perform. At this banquet, regardless of its size, those who performed were usually lowly geishas, hardly worthy of being on stage. Were they really just lowly performers, meant to win a few laughs? Those who had made it to the final round all looked embarrassed, clearly unwilling.
Hong Yicheng pursed his lips slightly and said, "Seventh Prince, I have heard that dancers from a famous dance hall in the capital are also here today to participate in the Grand Ceremony. If Your Highness is in the mood, why not invite them to perform for us?"
Baili Chen frowned slightly: "Young Master Hong, I've had enough of being a referee. I'd like to see you losers perform some talents to liven things up. Are you unwilling? It seems my status isn't noble enough. If it were my elder brother, the Crown Prince, I'm afraid Young Master Hong would have already rushed to the front to perform." Baili Chen wasn't much more magnanimous than Ouyang Yue. He still remembered how Hong Yicheng had intentionally humiliated Ouyang Yue before. This was just tit-for-tat, to make Ouyang Yue happy. How could he let Hong Yicheng get away with it? He smiled sarcastically again, "Moreover, Young Master Hong is quite familiar with the schedules of these dance halls in the capital. He even knows about the dancers participating in the Five Elements Ceremony and the Dharma Ceremony. Your information network is truly impressive. In this respect, I am inferior to you."
Hong Yicheng's expression immediately changed. He knelt on the ground with a thud and quickly explained, "The Seventh Prince is the pride of heaven, how can we, his subjects, compare to him? I only felt that our talents were inadequate and that we might offend the Seventh Prince's ears, so I dared not make a fool of myself. If the Seventh Prince has such refined tastes, I am naturally very willing to perform for His Highness. As for the matter of the dance hall, I know nothing about it. I just happened to come here and overheard them talking as they walked by. I have absolutely no connection with these lowly courtesans." Hong Yicheng wiped away a little sweat. His troubles had just subsided a bit. If word got out that he often associated with lowly courtesans, he would be finished. He dared not say anything more and immediately called his attendant to bring him his flute, and began to play.
"Pfft." Ouyang Yue couldn't help but laugh when she saw this, which made everyone present pause for a moment, looking at her in confusion. It has to be said that Hong Yicheng was one of the three talents in the capital, so he did have some skills. At least the sound of his flute was deep and beautiful, and he was playing a popular tune in the capital. Even if he hadn't reached the level of a true master, it was still quite good. They really didn't know what Ouyang Yue found so funny.
Bai Lichen and the others also cast questioning glances. After Ouyang Yue laughed, her expression immediately turned serious. She pretended to be deep in thought, picked up her tea and took a sip, but her mouth couldn't help but smirk as she drank. She couldn't very well say that seeing Hong Yicheng playing the flute reminded her of another kind of flute playing in modern times, could she? They dared to ask, and even if she did, probably no one would dare to listen.
However, Ouyang Yue's unconscious chuckle only enraged Hong Yicheng, whose face turned purple. He believed Ouyang Yue was intentionally humiliating him, deliberately trying to make a fool of him—what a hateful bitch! Enraged, Hong Yicheng's originally flowing melody became stilted and unremarkable, barely even passable. After finishing, Hong Yicheng, his face grim, bowed to Baili Chenyi, flicked his sleeve, and sat back down. His dark eyes, however, remained fixed on Ouyang Yue, as if he wanted nothing more than to rush over and stab her.
The moment Hong Yicheng sat down, Rui Yuhuan immediately stood up, gracefully curtsied to Baili Chen, and said, "This humble woman, Rui Yuhuan, will also make a fool of herself. My skills are crude, so please don't laugh at me, Seventh Prince." Rui Yuhuan's voice was soft, with a hint of shyness, truly possessing a unique charm.
Baili Chen was also captivated by her words, gazing intently at Rui Yuhuan, his eyes slightly narrowed. Rui Yuhuan felt those haunting eyes searching for her, and her body went limp, her heart pounding as if it would leap out of her chest. Even the other young ladies from prominent families present couldn't help but hold their breath, especially Fu Meier, who had come specifically for Baili Chen at the Five Elements Temple. Her gaze towards Rui Yuhuan was unusually cold. As the saying goes, rivals in love are always eyeing each other with intense hatred, and a rival's gaze is always spot on. She could clearly sense that Rui Yuhuan was infatuated with the Seventh Prince.
Hmph! This worthless little bitch dares to compete with her; she really doesn't know her own limitations.
Even Ouyang Yue looked at Baili Chen with some surprise. Did all men fall for this? She thought to herself, there really was a saying: girlfriends should be independent, wives should be gentle. It seems all men in the world eventually want to marry a virtuous and loving wife. Regardless of whether he has a stable home life while having affairs outside, this vanity seems unchanged throughout history.
Bai Lichen's lips twitched slightly before he spoke: "You said your name is Rui Yuhuan?"
Seeing that Baili Chen was actually willing to talk to her, Rui Yuhuan's cheeks flushed, and she nodded softly: "Yes, Your subject Rui Yuhuan."
Baili Chen frowned slightly and looked at Leng Caiwen on the other side: "Do you know this Miss Rui? How come I never knew that this talented Miss Rui had appeared in the capital?"
Leng Caiwen already knew Rui Yuhuan's background, but he shook his head and said, "Seventh Prince, I find this strange too. I don't seem to have seen this Miss Rui before. May I ask who your father is and where you live?"
Rui Yuhuan's expression changed slightly, and she stammered, "This humble woman has come to the capital to seek refuge, and is temporarily staying at the General's Mansion."
“Oh, Miss Ouyang, when did your General’s Mansion gain a cousin? Miss Rui looks completely different from you; she’s much gentler and more virtuous.” Leng Caiwen exclaimed in surprise to Ouyang Yue.
Ouyang Yue looked coldly at Leng Caiwen: "I'm really sorry, I'm neither gentle nor virtuous, which may have made you, Second Young Master Leng, unhappy. But this is not something I can control. I was born unable to be gentle and virtuous like a lady from a noble family. If you find me an eyesore, you can just turn away or close your eyes when you see me in the future. Out of sight, out of mind."
Leng Caiwen waved her hand: "Let's forget about that. It's rare to find someone as interesting as you. I don't want you to be exactly like those cookie-cutter ladies. That would be too boring, wouldn't it, Miss Li?"
When asked the question, Li Rushuang blinked in surprise, but then snorted coldly: "Young Master Leng, if you can't see how good Yue'er is, don't talk nonsense. None of you stinky men are good. You only know how to judge people by their appearance, hmph!"
"Ah!" Leng Caiwen was stunned. He nudged Dai Yu, who had been quietly drinking tea beside him, and said, "Hey, I don't think I said anything bad about Ouyang Yue. Why am I being blamed?"
Dai Yu glanced at him indifferently: "Who told you to have no chastity to speak of? Isn't it normal to be misunderstood? What's so strange about that?"
Leng Caiwen immediately looked embarrassed: "What are you saying? There are so many people here. How can you openly embarrass me like this? You and I must have been mortal enemies in our past lives, otherwise I wouldn't be so angry every time I meet you."
Dai Yu nodded thoughtfully, then said expressionlessly, "Very likely, I don't like you either."
"You!" Leng Caiwen's eyebrows shot up in anger. Just as she was about to speak again, Rui Yuhuan's soft voice came from below, "This subject..." Her voice was so sweet it seemed like it could be squeezed for water. Rui Yuhuan bit her lip slightly, looking somewhat aggrieved. This wasn't entirely an act. She was actually performing a proper bow, not kneeling, nor a casual curtsy, but a proper half-squatting. Baili Chen hadn't told her to stand up, and she didn't dare to. She had originally thought that he would just ask her a few questions, which would help her get closer to the Seventh Prince. Who knew that Leng Caiwen would start chatting with Ouyang Yue and the others, completely ignoring her? She wasn't one of those martial arts practitioners who regularly practiced horse stances, and her legs started to ache after only a short while, now they were quite sore.
But in order to maintain a perfect image in front of Baili Chen, she gritted her teeth and endured the discomfort, so only she knew the true extent of her pain.
"Ah, you're still here." Leng Caiwen was stunned. Rui Yuhuan's face darkened uncontrollably, but she quickly forced a smile, though it couldn't maintain its initial perfection, and the smile became somewhat strange.
"Yes, Your Highness, I haven't finished answering your question yet, so I dare not get up." As she spoke, her bright, clear eyes looked at Baili Chen, only to see him peeling a banana, propping his chin up with one hand, and watching Leng Caiwen and Ouyang Yue chat. He didn't even look at her. Rui Yuhuan felt frustrated, but she still maintained what she thought was a weak and pitiful expression, constantly looking at Baili Chen, hoping that he would at least glance at her with pity.
Fu Meier frowned in disgust at Rui Yuhuan's behavior and said, "I have heard some things about Miss Rui."
Leng Caiwen immediately became interested and asked, "Miss Fu, do you know? Tell me quickly."
Fu Meier smiled at Ouyang Rou: "Isn't the second young lady of the General's Mansion here? Let her tell me. I only know that Miss Rui is the daughter of one of General Ouyang's subordinates."
Ouyang Rou was stunned, looking at all the gazes directed at her. This was the first time she had received such attention today, and she should have been happy. But was it really appropriate to slap Rui Yuhuan in the face like this? Wouldn't that bitch tell her grandmother when they got back? Ouyang Rou hesitated. Baili Chen said in a deep voice, "What, none of you want to talk? Fine, this prince doesn't want to hear it either. All of you, leave."
Upon seeing that Baili Chen seemed angry, Ouyang Rou immediately said, "Miss Rui is the daughter of one of my father's deceased subordinates. Because she has lost both her parents and has no relatives, it is not easy for an unmarried woman like her to live on the border. Therefore, my father took pity on her and brought her to the capital to be fostered in the General's Mansion. He will find her a place to live later and will take good care of her."
Rui Yuhuan's face paled, and the young masters and ladies present all gasped in surprise. Those who had initially shown some interest in Rui Yuhuan noticeably lost their composure. They had assumed that Rui Yuhuan, judging from her demeanor and talent, was from a wealthy family. And what was most abundant in the capital? High-ranking officials and nobles. If you threw a brick and injured five people, three or four of them would likely have connections to prestigious families. Moreover, there were frequent transfers of officials in the capital, with new talents from various prefectures often emerging and gaining the emperor's favor. Therefore, they were not surprised when unfamiliar young masters and ladies suddenly appeared in the capital. They had all assumed that Rui Yuhuan was a newly transferred daughter of an official, but it turned out that while she could be considered a daughter of an official, she was an orphan girl whose parents had passed away, leaving her with no one to rely on.
A woman with no background like this could not possibly be of any help to them. They could play around with her if they wanted, but at most they would just bring her into the household. Such a person could never become their legal wife. Therefore, Dun Ye no longer had any special feelings for Rui Yuhuan. However, several people were looking her over, especially lingering on her delicate back, slender waist and pert buttocks, and had already entertained some whimsical thoughts in their minds.
Rui Yuhuan remained in a half-squatting position, but her body was swaying slightly. She could hold on just now, but now that Ouyang Rou had revealed her embarrassing situation, she felt like she was being pricked by needles. She was extremely ashamed, her body was swaying precariously, and her face was filled with sorrow and grief, which made her even more pitiful.
Baili Chen said calmly, "So you are the orphaned girl who has passed away. Get up and answer her. This has brought up your sad memories again. Go back and sit down."
Rui Yuhuan looked at Baili Chen with gratitude, thinking that the Seventh Prince was indeed a kind man who cherished women. She softly replied, "Thank you for your kindness, Seventh Prince. Although I often miss my parents, the Great Zhou Dynasty is prosperous and stable, and everyone in the General's Mansion treats me very well. I am already very satisfied."
"Okay, you may leave." Baili Chen waved his hand, and Rui Yuhuan, though she still had a lot to say, gently agreed and returned to her seat. However, she did not notice the expressions on the faces of the people present, which all had a special meaning. She assumed that these people were jealous because the Seventh Prince treated her so well, and she felt quite pleased with herself.
Fu Meier couldn't help but sneer, and said to Sen Cuiwei beside her, "As expected of a woman from the border region, she doesn't even have a brain."
Mu Cuiwei also mocked, "Yes, how many of the children of military generals are truly talented and not impulsive and reckless? Look at her smug face, hasn't she realized that the Seventh Prince has absolutely no interest in an orphan like her, and even thought she wasn't qualified to perform, so he kicked her out? She's still foolishly daydreaming, I really don't know if she's really stupid or just pretending."
"I don't know if she's really stupid or not, but she's definitely crossed me. How dare she have such improper thoughts about the Seventh Prince? Doesn't she know what kind of person she is?" Fu Meier muttered through gritted teeth. The reason she took the initiative to approach Mu Cuiwei was because, as the daughter of a merchant, it was difficult for her to get close to members of the royal family. So, she could only try to please Mu Cuiwei first and have her introduce her to the Second Princess. Then, she could please the Second Princess to get information about Baili Chen, and then approach Baili Chen in a roundabout way.
From the moment Fu Meier first saw Baili Chen, she was captivated by his charm, and her eyes were drawn to no other man. She strived to become one of the three most beautiful women in the capital—a difficult feat for a merchant's daughter. Since the capital began its tradition of selecting the "Three Talents and Three Beauties," only two merchant daughters had ever qualified. Fu Meier was already an exception, an exceptionally outstanding woman. She was determined to have Baili Chen, but she never expected someone as overconfident as Rui Yuhuan to harbor such ambitions. Now, she felt only disdain and mockery towards Rui Yuhuan.
This stupid woman, despite being publicly humiliated, still had an excited expression on her face. She's so dumb, she doesn't even deserve to be compared to her.
Rui Yuhuan sat down next to Ouyang Rou. She sat back down, a slight smile playing on her lips, which made Ouyang Rou glare at her with displeasure: "What are you so happy about? Can't you even see what the Seventh Prince is thinking? You're so embarrassing."
Rui Yuhuan was brought here by Ouyang Rou. Now that she's being ridiculed, how can Ouyang Rou save face? The moment she saw the infatuated smile on Rui Yuhuan's face, she was furious: "Are you stupid? The Seventh Prince clearly looks down on you and thinks you're not qualified to talk to him. He sent you back, and you're still grinning like an idiot. You're so stupid. It's so embarrassing to be with you."
"What!" Upon hearing this, Rui Yuhuan's expression changed drastically, and her voice rose involuntarily. Ouyang Rou immediately glared at her: "Keep your voice down! Aren't you embarrassed enough? With your behavior, does Grandmother still want me to learn from you, to learn how to be embarrassed, how to be publicly humiliated and still laugh like an idiot? Grandmother is really senile."
Ouyang Rou was initially wary of Rui Yuhuan, but she never expected her to be so humiliating, making her feel ashamed. Naturally, she couldn't help but say those words.
Rui Yuhuan's mind went blank. How could this be? The Seventh Prince seemed so gentle and understanding. He only let her return to her seat because he saw that she was sad. How could this be?
Although Rui Yuhuan was somewhat clever, the border region was not like the capital. People instinctively played mind games with each other. She never expected that a seemingly friendly gesture was actually a sign of contempt and mockery. Rui Yuhuan could not accept this at all. She suddenly raised her head, her eyes even colder.
"I've vented your anger, are you satisfied?" At the head of the table, Baili Chen said in a low voice to Ouyang Yue beside him. Ouyang Yue raised her eyebrows and looked back at Baili Chen. Before she could speak, she felt a weight on her hand. Then, a pair of hands larger than hers covered her hands under the table and slowly clenched them.
Ouyang Yue's face darkened. He actually took advantage of her!
☆、087、Nighttime intrusion into a boudoir!
Although Baili Chen didn't do anything too outrageous to arouse suspicion, the expression he gave Ouyang Yue was clearly gentle yet tinged with a smile. Ouyang Yue looked at him coldly. Whether Baili Chen was simply standing up for her was still unknown, but his behavior of immediately trying to gain some benefits after finishing the task was truly despicable to Ouyang Yue.
Ouyang Yue's lips curled slightly. With a quick movement and a twist of her hand, she pinched Baili Chen's delicate palm. Baili Chen's eyes widened slightly, and he hissed softly as he withdrew his hand. He looked at Ouyang Yue with a somewhat aggrieved and unwilling expression, but the latter gave a barely perceptible hum and turned her head to drink tea and eat fruit, refusing to look at him.
Baili Chen pursed his lips slightly: "Ungrateful..."
His whispered conversation with Ouyang Yue also caught Leng Caiwen's attention, who turned to look at him: "Did the Seventh Prince say something to me? I didn't hear it..."
Baili Chen squinted at him, his face grim, and said, "He didn't say anything. He almost fell asleep just now. In his dream, a cat scratched him, and his chest hurt. I said that cat was heartless."
Leng Caiwen blinked her peach blossom eyes, her gaze sweeping over Baili Chen and Ouyang Yue, and said with a smile, "Oh, so it was just a dream. This dream is quite vivid. As long as it's not real, that's fine. Otherwise, if people knew that the Seventh Prince doted on a cat so much, that cat would be in trouble."
Baili Chen's eyes darkened, while Leng Caiwen smiled and challenged Dai Yu to a tea contest. Dai Yu gave him a disdainful look: "Strange people do strange things, just messing around."
"So, are you going to compete or not? I know you're probably afraid of losing to me, so you don't dare, right?" Leng Caiwen didn't care and provoked with a smile.
Dai Yu snorted, poured the tea, picked it up and toasted Leng Caiwen. Leng Caiwen naturally raised his cup and drank it down. The two of them were really having a 'tea contest', and they were in quite good spirits.
The area above quieted down, but Rui Yuhuan's expression grew even uglier. Although she hadn't seen the movements of Bai Shichen and Ouyang Yue's hands under the table, she clearly saw their interaction. Even that smile wasn't directed at her. This fueled her jealousy, making her want to call Ouyang Yue a vixen, a shameless woman who only knew how to seduce men. Of course, if she had seen Bai Shichen's flirtatious actions just now, she would probably be shouting and yelling in anger by now. She sat in her chair, her face ashen, her whole being radiating rage.
Ouyang Rou couldn't help but feel a pang of worry. She hoped this wretched woman wouldn't hold a grudge against her earlier words. But then she thought, this was Rui Yuhuan's own doing, a humiliation she had brought upon herself. In the manor, her grandmother could protect and pamper her, but her grandmother was no match for the high and mighty Seventh Prince. Even if the Seventh Prince had killed Rui Yuhuan today because of a clash, what could her grandmother do? Ouyang Rou also felt a surge of jealousy and resentment. With Rui Yuhuan's foolish appearance, her grandmother still said she was sensible and doted on her so much. Her grandmother was truly senile and courting death; how hateful! Compared to Rui Yuhuan, she was so much better off. Yet, no one in the manor loved her. Now she lived a low-key life, unable to stir up any trouble. She had truly had enough.
During this time, Ouyang Rou, having made a mistake, had deliberately behaved very obediently to avoid punishment from Ouyang Zhide, and had stopped competing for anything. However, Ouyang Zhide indeed had no intention of punishing her, completely ignoring her. Meanwhile, Old Madam Ning suddenly began to favor Rui Yuhuan more than anyone else. Madam Ning had long since grown tired of Consort Hong and Ouyang Rou because of their past actions, and could never return to her former ways. She and Consort Hong had previously been influential figures in the household, and this change was unacceptable to them. The more this happened, the more jealous she became; Ouyang Yue and Rui Yuhuan had someone protecting them. Her initial worries had turned into pure schadenfreude. Rui Yuhuan, that wretched woman, deserved it. Even if she went back to complain, what could she do? It was the Seventh Prince who did this. If her grandmother wanted to complain, she'd have to be suicidal; it had nothing to do with anyone else.
The performances of the next few young masters and ladies ended uneventfully, and Baili Chen lost interest in watching any longer. With a wave of his hand, he led his men and left the back mountain first. Everyone on the mountain naturally dispersed. As he left, Hong Yicheng gave Ouyang Yue a cold look.
Li Rushuang spat at his back, "He's still unhappy? He was the one with ill intentions to begin with, and now he's the one who lost face. Who can he blame but himself? Hong Yicheng is truly clueless. Yue'er, you were right to break off the engagement with him." She immediately realized her mistake; this was a major humiliation for Ouyang Yue. Who would be happy to hear this? Li Rushuang quickly apologized, "Yue'er, I didn't mean anything by it. I didn't mean to bring up your painful memories, I..."
Ouyang Yue took her hand: "I know you're doing this for my own good, and you're not wrong. It was the right thing for me to break off the engagement with him. I'm so glad I made the right choice back then. I wish I could just stay away from that scumbag."
Li Rushuang nodded hurriedly: "That's right, that's right, it's best to stay away from him. With someone like him, how many young ladies in the capital would be willing to marry him? That incident may seem to have no impact, but I'm afraid not many people would consider him their ideal husband."
"Hmm..." The two talked and went down the mountain together. Rui Yuhuan watched coldly, and said to Ouyang Rou beside her who had an unfriendly look, "Third Miss, it is really inappropriate for you to say such things."
Ouyang Rou looked at her with a puzzled expression but didn't speak. Rui Yuhuan sighed, "I know the Third Miss is angry with Young Master Hong, but she should know that the Second Miss and Young Master Hong were once deeply in love. How can she belittle Young Master Hong like this without considering the feelings of her own sister, the Second Miss? Oh, Third Miss..."
Ouyang Rou hadn't considered this point, and when Rui Yuhuan brought it up, her face turned extremely cold. Ouyang Yue had always been straightforward, and she hadn't paid much attention, simply viewing her as a joke. But now it was different. Thinking back carefully, she felt that Ouyang Yue might have been faking it all, clearly enjoying her misfortune. Ouyang Rou bit her lip. The way she acted with the men at the Ning family's birthday banquet—every time she thought about it, she wished she could disappear into the ground. If it weren't for that incident, she would already be in the Hong family, living a blissful life. Now, everything was gone, all because of Ouyang Yue's sabotage.
Ouyang Rou smiled coldly. Since that's the case, her matter is even more imperative. Ouyang Yue will be doomed when that happens!
Seeing that her words had worked, Rui Yuhuan looked at Ouyang Rou with sympathy and said, "If it were me, I would also feel sorry for the Second Miss's situation. The Second Miss could have had a perfect marriage. Today, I saw that the Seventh Prince, that Young Master Leng, and the Acting Lord all took better care of and cherished the Third Miss. I'm not criticizing the Third Miss for anything bad, but in fact, the Third Miss's conduct is probably far inferior to the Second Miss's. If it were me, I would also be jealous of the injustices in the world."
Ouyang Rou's face was ashen as she coldly stared at Rui Yuhuan: "Stop trying to sow discord here. You're no better than me, always indulging in wishful thinking. Don't you even know your own background? You still want to lay your hands on the Seventh Prince? Stop daydreaming. Even if the Seventh Prince wanted to take a concubine to warm his bed, it would have to be a noblewoman, either a legitimate or illegitimate daughter. With your status, tsk tsk tsk, you'd probably only be fit to be a maidservant. With Miss Rui's strong sense of self-respect, I'm afraid she wouldn't be content with that." Ouyang Rou wasn't stupid. Rui Yuhuan had been humiliated before, and now they wanted to use her as a pawn. How could she not see that? These words struck a nerve with Rui Yuhuan.
Rui Yuhuan had initially been very confident in herself, but she never expected to be met with such a cold shoulder from Baili Chen—a rebuff that was sharp yet subtle, causing her even greater pain. Yes, Rui Yuhuan had believed that with her abilities, becoming Baili Chen's woman would be easy. Even though her status as an orphan prevented her from being his principal wife, she was confident that even as a concubine, Baili Chen would be captivated by her. However, she hadn't expected that Baili Chen would completely disregard her, treating her as someone unworthy to speak to him. This deeply wounded Rui Yuhuan's pride, causing her a sharp, stabbing pain in her heart.
But this was the man she had longed for. She wouldn't be angry with him. All she could think about now was Baili Chen looking at Ouyang Yue's gentle face, so different from her own. She felt insanely jealous; she wished Ouyang Yue would die immediately. She might not have the chance, but others did. Even though Ouyang Rou's words were accusatory, she could see Ouyang Rou's murderous intent. Moreover, Ouyang Rou seemed to have a plan. Rui Yuhuan gritted her teeth, enduring Ouyang Rou's disrespect, and said softly, "Second Miss, you've misunderstood my intentions. I didn't mean to sow discord between you and Third Miss. I just felt Third Miss's words were rather inconsiderate. If Second Miss misunderstands me, there's nothing I can do. Please don't blame me for being nosy; I meant no harm. Actually, I've always wanted to befriend you. In the manor, we can always look out for each other. Next time, if you need anything, just let me know if I can help."
Ouyang Rou looked at Rui Yuhuan, thought for a moment, and then smiled: "Miss Rui, what are you saying? Third Sister really doesn't take me, her second sister, seriously. I was already angry, and when Miss Rui said that, I took it out on you. I hope Miss Rui won't hold it against me. I don't blame her at all. Let's go back. It's almost time for our vegetarian meal."
Rui Yuhuan was immediately flattered and said, "Okay, let's go back." The two of them, each with their own thoughts, smiled mischievously and left together.