A deep disgust flashed in Shen Yingxue's beautiful eyes. His appearance was lewd and his behavior was shameless and vulgar. She hated him just by looking at him. If it weren't for the fact that she was plotting against Shen Lixue, she would never have paid any attention to this philandering bastard.
Lei Cong patted his chest hard, but the pastry was still stuck in his throat. He hurriedly grabbed the teapot, poured himself a cup of tea, and quickly gulped it down. The tea was scalding hot, making him yell in pain.
Shen Yingxue then realized something was wrong and frowned at Lei Cong: "What's wrong with you?"
"It's okay!" The pastry in his throat was washed down by the water, and Lei Cong was able to breathe smoothly and speak again, but his mouth was numb from the heat and he could hardly feel it anymore.
"What do you think of my proposal?" Shen Yingxue's gaze was cold and mysterious.
“Shen Lixue is Prince An’s fiancée!” Lei Cong raised an eyebrow. Previously, he thought Shen Yingxue would marry Prince An, which is why he dared to flirt with Shen Lixue without any scruples. Now that Prince An has publicly stated that he will marry Shen Lixue as his princess, if he flirts with her again, it would be a blatant provocation against Prince An.
He was lustful, but even more afraid of death!
Shen Yingxue snorted, her eyes full of mockery: "You really aren't smart. We can set up a trap and say that Shen Lixue seduced you. You won't offend Prince An, and you can still win the beauty's heart. It's a win-win situation!"
“This…” Lei Cong hesitated. Shen Lixue’s appearance was truly remarkable, no less than his cousin, the most beautiful woman in Qingyan. Her temperament and figure were simply exquisite. He had always coveted her, but she was the woman Dongfang Heng specifically wanted to marry.
Who is Dongfang Heng? He is the renowned Azure Flame War God. With a single stroke of his sword, he severely injured the Crown Prince of Southern Xinjiang. His martial arts are unfathomable. In Subei, he defeated 100,000 elite troops from the Northern Desert with only 30,000 soldiers. His meticulous planning and superb military strategy amazed everyone. How could he dare to offend such a sharp and cold-blooded person?
Time passed slowly, and Lei Cong remained silent, lost in thought.
Shen Yingxue frowned again. He was not only a womanizer, but also a coward who feared death. He was truly useless: "The banquet has already started. Have you made up your mind yet?"
Lei Cong didn't want to miss out on Shen Lixue, but he didn't dare offend Dongfang Heng. After thinking for a long time, he asked, "Can you guarantee that Prince An won't find out the truth?"
Shen Lixue's brows relaxed, and she smiled mysteriously: "If you don't tell, and I don't tell, how will Dongfang Heng know the truth!"
"This... let me think about it some more!" With his life and fortune at stake, Lei Cong dared not agree rashly.
Shen Yingxue glared at Lei Cong unhappily: "You need to think about it quickly. You have to let me know whether you agree or not before the banquet ends!"
"If I don't agree, you can cancel the plan!" Lei Cong said smugly. No matter how smart or capable his cousin was, there would be times when she needed his help.
"No, if you don't agree, I'll give Shen Lixue to another man." Shen Yingxue smiled coldly and said arrogantly, "Cousin, don't say I didn't take care of you when Shen Lixue is married to someone else!"
Lei Cong's lewd expression instantly darkened. He thought Shen Yingxue had only approached him for cooperation, but he hadn't expected her to have prepared another candidate. He was very displeased: "Aren't you afraid I'll expose your entire plan?"
“At worst, I’ll let my cousin taste Shen Lixue’s flavor afterward. For my cousin, this hush money is more practical than gold and silver, right?” Shen Yingxue covered her lips with a fan and smiled brightly. “But by then she will no longer be a virgin. Even if he enjoys her, there will still be some regrets. The woman that Prince An has taken a liking to must be extraordinary. The first night of the future Princess An will be very rare.”
Lei Cong raised an eyebrow at Shen Lixue. This cousin was indeed clever, and her reasoning was very logical. Should he agree or not? Two completely opposite thoughts struggled fiercely in his mind.
"Cousin, take your time thinking about it. I'm going to the banquet now. Remember to let me know when you've come up with a result!" Lei Cong remained silent again, not giving a definite answer. Shen Yingxue cursed him as a coward in her heart, but smiled and gently waved her fan as she walked gracefully past Lei Cong. Her clothes fluttered lightly as she passed by Lei Cong, creating a fragrant breeze.
Lei Cong squinted his eyes, taking a deep sniff, lost in a daze.
A moment later, the fragrant breeze disappeared, and Lei Cong came back to his senses. Shen Yingxue had already gone far away, and the whole room was empty, leaving only him. Conflicting thoughts struggled fiercely once again: should he cooperate with Shen Yingxue?
Shen Caiyun was a concubine's daughter, and as a concubine of the Crown Prince of Southern Xinjiang, she had nothing to boast about. The banquet was lively yet low-key, with several close officials and Shen Minghui sitting together and chatting about court affairs.
Several noblewomen, young ladies, Lei Shi, and Shen Yingxue gathered together, chatting about the most fashionable hairpins, earrings, and fabrics in the capital, with bursts of laughter occasionally escaping their lips.
Shen Lixue didn't have much in common with them. She sat alone at the small table, having finished her dinner and sipping tea intermittently. As the evening grew late and the banquet was about to end, Shen Lixue stood up, about to leave, when a sweet female voice sounded beside her: "Sister Lixue, Sister Caiyun is getting married tomorrow and will rarely return to the Prime Minister's residence. Let's sisters toast her together!"
Shen Lixue stopped and looked to the side. Shen Yingxue, holding a round fan, smiled and gently supported her maid's hand as she walked over gracefully.
Shen Caixuan followed closely behind her, sighing softly, "Fourth Sister is the youngest among us sisters, yet she's the first to get married. It's truly a pity!"
Shen Caiyun lowered her head, smiling softly, her expression shy and timid.
Shen Lixue looked at Shen Yingxue with her cool gaze and smiled sweetly: "Fourth sister is getting married tomorrow. We sisters should indeed see her off and wish her well."
"Yes, now that Fourth Sister is married, it's Eldest Sister's turn. Eldest Sister must drink a few more cups!" Shen Caixuan said coquettishly, taking the wine cup from Granny Mi's hand and handing it to Shen Lixue, Shen Yingxue, and Shen Caiyun in turn: "To Fourth Sister, cheers!"
Four white porcelain wine glasses clinked together and then quickly separated. Shen Yingxue gently covered her mouth with a fan and elegantly drank the wine in her glass. Shen Caixuan made no attempt to hide her mouth and poured the wine directly into her mouth. Shen Caiyun gently covered her mouth with her sleeve and sipped the wine gracefully.
"Big sister, why aren't you drinking?" Shen Yingxue put down her wine glass, her eyes glancing at the wine in Shen Lixue's hand.
"Big sister, the wine is very fragrant and mellow but not spicy. You should try it!" Shen Caixuan also put down her wine glass and described the many benefits of the wine.
Shen Caiyun's eyes flickered, but she didn't speak. She held her wine glass and sipped her wine.
Shen Lixue looked down at the wine in her glass, a slight twitch at the corner of her mouth, but remained silent.
Shen Yingxue raised an eyebrow and lowered her voice to remind her, "Eldest sister, all the ladies and young women are watching. It wouldn't be appropriate for you not to drink the wine that's a blessing for fourth sister!"
Shen Lixue raised her eyelids, her eyes filled with doubt: "I drank too much hot tea just now and I'm quite full. I only rested for a while. I didn't say I wouldn't drink alcohol!"
Shen Yingxue's smile instantly froze, and she forced a smile, saying, "I misunderstood you, sister!"
Shen Lixue smiled faintly, her cool demeanor tinged with sarcasm: "It's alright. My sister and Caiyun are very close. I won't mind her urging earlier!"
It was just a glass of wine; the person didn't say they wouldn't drink it, yet she dared to question it with such harsh words. That's truly a matter of character.
Shen Yingxue's smile became even more stiff. Seeing the slightly mocking gazes of the crowd, she felt a surge of anger. Shen Lixue had actually dared to mock her in public! What a slut! Before long, she would make Shen Lixue wish she were dead.
"I can drink this wine now!" Ignoring Shen Yingxue's gloomy face, Shen Lixue flicked her wrist, poured the wine into her mouth, swallowed it gently, and took out a silk handkerchief to wipe the corner of her mouth.
"It's late, I'm going back to rest. Please make yourselves at home!" After putting down her wine glass, Shen Lixue turned and walked towards the door.
"Take care, sister!" Watching Shen Lixue's figure gradually disappear into the distance, Shen Yingxue's smile instantly turned into an infinitely ferocious expression. She casually made an excuse to greet Lei Shi, and then walked gracefully forward. The moment she stepped out of the room, she turned her head and secretly gave Lei Cong at the banquet a wink.
Lei Cong understood, nodded, picked up the wine glass on the table, poured himself a drink, and drank it.
The night was cool and still. As Shen Lixue stepped out of the banquet hall, a slightly chilly night breeze blew in her face. Suddenly, she felt dizzy and staggered a few steps before quickly grabbing a stone pillar for support.
"Miss, what's wrong?" Qiuhe noticed that something was wrong with Shen Lixue and hurried over to support her arm.
"It's nothing!" Shen Lixue shook her head. The dizziness in her head not only did not disappear, but became even worse, and her eyes became blurry.