"Are you troubled by the extreme bitterness in your mouth right now?" Looking at Shen Lixue's slightly furrowed brows, a hint of a smile flashed in Lin Yan's sharp eyes.
"How did you know?" Shen Lixue was slightly taken aback. Aside from Dongfang Heng and the doctors at the clinic, no one knew about her fear of bitterness. Could it be...?
“When I was little, I was often sick. Every time I drank bitter medicine, I looked like this…” Lin Yan’s smile deepened.
Shen Lixue secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Dongfang Heng, that arrogant, aloof, and taciturn fellow, would certainly not talk about such trivial matters with others. She was just overthinking it...
Lin Yan stopped and pointed to a restaurant that had just opened more than ten meters away, saying, "Li Xue, Zui Xian Lou has some special fruits that can relieve bitterness without counteracting the effects of medicine. Would you like some?"
"Really?" Shen Lixue's cold was quite severe, and she needed to take medicine for three consecutive days. Although the pills were not as bitter as the decoction, they were still bitter. Buying some fruits and vegetables to take home and relieve the bitterness after taking the medicine would be a good idea.
Just as Shen Lixue was about to speak, a melodious male voice rang out before her: "General Lin!"
Shen Lixue looked toward the person who had come from the sound...
035 Challenging the Young Lady
Nangong Xiao, dressed in an amber brocade robe with large auspicious clouds embroidered on the collar and cuffs, gently waved a folding fan in his hand. His handsome, devilish face wore a captivating smile: "Chen Lixue, General Lin, where are you going so early in the morning?"
Shen Lixue's gaze was cold. Like Dongfang Heng, Nangong Xiao always liked to appear and disappear without a trace, vanishing one second and suddenly appearing the next: "I heard that Zuiqing Tower has special fruits that taste delicious. I'm going to buy some to take back!" Her catching a cold was a minor matter, and there was no need to make it public knowledge.
"What a coincidence, I was just about to dine at Zuixianlou too." Nangong Xiao's eyes sparkled as he caught up, flanking Shen Lixue with Lin Yan on either side. He gently fanned himself with a folding fan and began to tell her about the unique features of Zuixianlou:
"During my years in the capital, I often dined at Zuixianlou. The food and fruits here are indeed very delicious, but what it is most famous for is its fine wines. They are smooth on the palate and go down smoothly, truly a unique delicacy in the capital..."
"I don't like drinking!" Shen Lixue walked quickly forward and answered lightly. She liked the slightly sweet and sour red wine of modern times and couldn't stand the spicy white wine of ancient times.
"Yuting, look! Prince Nangong is here!" Zhuang Kexin, dressed in a pink dress, exclaimed from the window of a private room on the second floor of Zuixianlou: "Ah, the prince brought a beauty with him, it seems to be Shen Lixue, the young lady from the Prime Minister's mansion who came from the countryside..."
Sitting opposite Zhuang Kexin was a beautiful woman in a white silk dress. Her lowered eyelids lifted slightly, her long eyelashes curled upwards, and her gentle gaze followed Zhuang Kexin's direction.
The handsome, almost demonic Nangong Xiao was talking animatedly to someone. The woman walking beside him had exquisite features and a stunningly beautiful face. Her blue Xiang dress fluttered in the wind, and the beautiful crabapple blossoms on the hem seemed to come alive, gently drifting, making her skin appear as white as snow. Her fresh and natural temperament made her seem even more ethereal and otherworldly, unlike any ordinary person.
Su Yuting's gaze deepened. Was this Shen Lixue, the fiancée of Prince An? She was indeed extremely beautiful. However, everyone in the capital knew that Nangong Xiao was a womanizer. As Prince An's fiancée, she actually dared to openly appear with Nangong Xiao, truly disgracing Prince An and the Prime Minister's Mansion!
A deep anger lingered in Su Yuting's beautiful eyes as she coldly commanded, "Kexin, do something for me."
The Drunken Immortal Pavilion has three floors, its pale gold color shining brightly. On the black plaque, the three large characters "Drunken Immortal Pavilion" are written in a vigorous and elegant style, each stroke powerful and graceful, revealing the demeanor of a master. It truly deserves the title of the number one restaurant in Qingyan.
As Shen Lixue stepped into the restaurant, her cool and indifferent dark eyes darted around, exuding a noble and dignified air. The clean and tidy hall was not empty, but rather filled with people standing in twos and threes, gathered in small groups, and talking quietly.
Just as Shen Lixue was about to order the waiter to prepare some fruits, someone called out, "Isn't this Miss Shen Lixue from the Prime Minister's residence? You've come at just the right time! Today is the last day of the couplet and poetry competition!"
Shen Lixue looked up indifferently and saw a young woman walking down the stairs. She was beautiful and charming, with plum blossoms embroidered on her pink skirt. She held a round fan to half-cover her mouth and smiled at her.
Zhuang Kexin!
At Lei's birthday banquet, Zhuang Kexin was helping Shen Yingxue deal with her, so Shen Lixue remembered her appearance and name. As Shen Yingxue's friend, she had no interest in her and turned to instruct the waiter to prepare fruits.
Zhuang Kexin's smug face instantly turned ugly. Shen Lixue actually ignored her. She was just a country bumpkin, what was she pretending to be so high and mighty for? "Shen Lixue, Yuting's time is very precious. If you want to challenge her, go to the private room on the second floor immediately!"
“Miss Zhuang, when did I say I wanted to challenge others?” Shen Lixue coldly stared at Zhuang Kexin. She came to Zuixianlou to buy fruits and vegetables; she had no interest in challenging others to compose couplets or poems.
"Miss Shen, stop pretending! What are you doing at Zuixianlou so early in the morning if not challenging Yuting? Most of the daughters of prominent families in the capital have been defeated by Yuting. No one will laugh at you if you lose!" Zhuang Kexin's exclamation successfully stopped the crowd's discussion, and all eyes turned to her, softly praising her.
"Who is that woman in blue? I've never seen her before."
"Yes, she is truly beautiful, no less so than the number one beauty, Shen Yingxue..."
"Just now Zhuang Kexin called her Shen Lixue, could she be the legitimate daughter of the Prime Minister's family who returned from Qingzhou...?"
"Shen Lixue, hurry up to the second floor, Yuting is waiting!" Everyone stared at Shen Lixue, and Zhuang Kexin was secretly pleased. Yuting was right. Shen Lixue came from the countryside and was just an ordinary person. She didn't understand elegant poetry and was not worthy of the prestigious Prince An.
Under everyone's watchful eyes, if Shen Lixue goes upstairs, she will definitely be defeated by Yu Ting. At that time, Yu Ting will spread her embarrassing situation widely, making her infamous. Let's see how she can still pester Prince An then. If she refuses to go upstairs, it will be a retreat without a fight, and her reputation will be ruined instantly. Prince An will be even less likely to marry her...
Shen Lixue looked up at the second floor, her cold gaze peering through the half-open door. She couldn't see who was inside, but she could sense someone watching her from the private room. In other words, that person had been observing her in secret ever since she entered Zuixianlou.
Shen Lixue slightly raised her lips, forming a cold smile. The idea of having her compete in poetry must have come from the people in the private room. Since they wanted to embarrass her so much, how could she let them down? "I have urgent business to attend to and cannot go upstairs. I wonder if Miss Yuting would be willing to come downstairs for the competition?"
The competition took place in a private room, and only the two of them knew the details. No one else could see the excitement of the battle or the effort they put into thinking about the questions. If they were going to compete, they wanted it to be spectacular so that more people could see and know about it. That would make the competition more interesting.
A hint of worry surfaced in Lin Yan's eyes. Su Yuting was exceptionally talented; all the prominent young ladies of the capital had fallen to her. Li Xue had grown up in Qingzhou and was now ill; how could she possibly be a match for Su Yuting? "Li Xue..."
Shen Lixue waved her hand gently: "Cousin Yan, don't worry, I might not lose!"
Zhuang Kexin chuckled inwardly, her eyes flashing with deep disdain and mockery. Shen Lixue actually wanted to beat Yuting? What a pipe dream! She was utterly ignorant of her own limitations...
"Who will win, Shen Lixue or Su Yuting?"
"It should be Su Yuting. The title of Qingyan's number one talented woman is well-deserved..."
"Yes, although Shen Lixue is the daughter of the Prime Minister, she grew up in Qingzhou, so her talent is naturally inferior to Su Yuting's..."
Amidst the whispers of the crowd, the door to the private room slowly opened, and a young woman stepped out. Her beautiful face and refined, scholarly air, combined with a pale white dress that accentuated her slender figure and pink lilies embroidered on the cuffs—exquisite and ethereal—made her instantly captivating. Her haughty gaze swept over the throng, landing on Chen Lixue…
---Aside---
~（>_
036 A Bizarre Problem
Shen Lixue slightly raised her head to look at Su Yuting. She was beautiful and had an outstanding temperament. She was indeed the number one talented woman in Qingyan.
"I wonder what Miss Shen would like to compete in? Music, chess, calligraphy, painting, or poetry?" Su Yuting asked with a smile, her voice clear, beautiful, and melodious, her lovely eyes like pools of autumn water, kind and gentle.
Shen Lixue smiled faintly, and clear characters quickly floated out: "The sound of wind, the sound of rain, the sound of reading, all sounds enter the ear; family affairs, national affairs, world affairs, all are of concern." Su Yuting appears gentle on the surface and is good at hiding her true emotions; she is definitely not simple.
Su Yuting's beautiful eyes gradually brightened with a smile. Shen Lixue actually dared to compete with her in couplets; she was truly overestimating herself: "The sound of pines, the sound of bamboo, the sound of bells and chimes, each sound is free and at ease; the colors of mountains, the colors of water, the colors of mist and clouds, each color is empty."