Qiuhe pouted and frowned deeply. The young lady was about to leave, and there was no time to make pastries.
The pastry box was opened, and the sweet pastries appeared before her eyes. Aunt Jin praised loudly, "The plum blossom cake looks beautiful and smells wonderful. I like it very much..."
Aunt Jin held two pieces of plum blossom cake in her hand, her smug gaze frequently sweeping over Shen Lixue, as if to say, "Master spoils me a lot now. I can have whatever I want. As long as Master gives the word, whether it's the high and mighty Prime Minister's wife or the eldest daughter of the Prime Minister's family, they all have to give way to me..."
Aunt Jin's provocation didn't anger Shen Lixue; she simply smiled and said, "Auntie is pregnant, which is a joyous occasion, and it's only right that I offer you the pastries. However, these plum blossom cakes were made in the kitchen, and I don't know what ingredients were used or if there are any contraindications for pregnant women. If you get an upset stomach, please don't say I deliberately harmed you..."
Aunt Jin abruptly stopped eating the pastry. With the pastry stuffed in her mouth, she was caught in an awkward situation, unsure whether to eat it or not. Her fiery eyes glared fiercely at Shen Lixue. "You bitch, she must have deliberately made me look bad."
"Master!" Aunt Jin pouted, tears welling up in her eyes.
Shen Minghui patted Aunt Jin's back to comfort her, then glared at Shen Lixue with displeasure: "Why didn't you say so sooner?"
"I wanted to say something, but the people from Jinyuan came up and took the pastries away without giving me a chance!" Shen Lixue said calmly. Seeing Shen Minghui's face darken and he seemed about to get angry, she said softly, "I have other matters to attend to, so I won't disturb your rest any longer. Farewell!"
Shen Lixue turned and left, and behind her came the deliberately raised sobs of Aunt Jin: "Master, I will do everything in my power to protect our child..."
Shen Lixue curled her lips, a mocking smile playing on her lips. She'd taken fake pregnancy pills; the baby in her belly was an imposter. Without the real thing, even if she tried her best to protect it, she couldn't give birth to a son…
The pregnancy of Aunt Jin was orchestrated by Shen Lixue. She gave her a fake pregnancy drug and made her bleed in bed to create the illusion of a miscarriage. Naturally, everyone would associate this with the ginseng soup that Lei Shi had drunk. In this way, Lei Shi could be imprisoned in the mansion, and Lin Yan would be relatively safe.
Originally, Shen Lixue planned to get a genuine item for Aunt Jin in a few days as a way of repaying her for indirectly helping her and Lin Yan. Now it seems that she doesn't need to!
Outside the Prime Minister's residence, a sturdy carriage was parked at the gate. Although the rosewood carriage walls were not luxurious, they were very dignified. A young man stood in front of the carriage, frequently looking into the residence. He had a handsome face, a refined and composed demeanor.
"Cousin Yan, I'm sorry to have kept you waiting!" Shen Lixue walked out of the Prime Minister's residence quickly. Her dark hair fluttered slightly, and her pearl flowers and earrings swayed gently, complementing each other perfectly. Her pink dress fluttered in the wind, and her beautiful face was full of guilt. Her dark eyes were clear as springs, which made Lin Yan's eyes light up.
"It's alright, it's not too late for us to set off now!" Girls love to look beautiful, and Shen Lixue's makeup was exquisite. Lin Yan thought she was busy dressing up at home, which was why she was delayed. He smiled knowingly, gently helped Shen Lixue into the carriage, and then got in himself. The carriage set off for the Grand Commandant's residence.
The Grand Commandant's mansion was hosting a family banquet, but not many people came. There were five or six carriages parked at the entrance. Shen Lixue and Lin Yan entered the Grand Commandant's mansion under the guidance of a servant. Looking at the empty road, Shen Lixue asked indirectly, "Young man, are the guests all admiring the flowers in the garden?"
The servant respectfully replied, "Miss Shen, the sun is already high in the sky and it's very hot, so all the guests have returned to the living room!"
Shen Lixue nodded slightly. They were all in the living room, so it seemed there weren't many people who had come.
"Cousin Yan, do you have any expectations for your future sister-in-law?" Shen Lixue asked softly, a hint of teasing in her eyes.
"It's alright, I can't really say whether I'm looking forward to it or not!" Lin Yan replied softly, his voice calm and indifferent, clearly not taking this matter very seriously.
From afar, a burst of cheerful laughter came from the living room. Shen Lixue smiled playfully and quickened her pace, pulling Lin Yan along. Her soft, boneless little hand tightly gripped his large hand, and the wonderful touch made Lin Yan unable to resist squeezing, squeezing, and squeezing again!
Shen Lixue was preoccupied with the appearance and identity of her future cousin-in-law in the hall and did not notice Lin Yan's subtle actions.
The hall was just a stone's throw away when a maid went in to announce, "Young Master Lin Yan, Miss Shen Lixue has arrived!"
The bustling hall fell silent instantly. Shen Lixue released Lin Yan's hand and walked into the living room with him. As soon as they entered, they saw Grand Commandant Lei sitting in the center of the main seat, with several officials sitting beside him, smiling at the two of them. There were many female guests sitting in the flower hall, but Shen Lixue could not see them through the screen.
"Lin Yan greets Grand Commandant Lei, Minister Zhuang..." Lin Yan greeted Grand Commandant Lei and the others. Shen Lixue echoed her words, her gaze secretly drifting to the other side of the screen, wondering who her cousin Yan's blind date was.
Commander Lei and the others looked Lin Yan up and down, nodding in satisfaction: "Young Master Lin is truly a handsome man!"
"You flatter me, Grand Commandant!" Lin Yan smiled politely, neither humble nor arrogant, his every move elegant and noble.
Commander Lei and the others were even more satisfied: "The ladies are all in the flower hall. Young Master Lin, please take Miss Shen to pay her respects!"
Shen Lixue smiled. Finally, it was time to go to the women's side. In ancient times, matchmaking involved the elders of both the man and woman gathering together to drink tea and chat. Then, the man would greet the elders, and the man and woman would take the opportunity to get to know each other.
Lin Yan had no relatives or friends in the capital, so bringing his only cousin, Shen Lixue, was in accordance with proper etiquette.
"Yes!" Lin Yan replied with a smile, walking side by side with Shen Lixue to the other side of the screen, naturally and calmly.
Shen Lixue raised an eyebrow. Even if a man isn't coy, he'd still feel a little awkward on a blind date, right? But is Cousin Yan used to being calm under pressure, or is he simply not taking this blind date seriously?
In the flower hall, all the female guests' eyes were focused on Lin Yan and Shen Lixue. Watching the young couple slowly walk towards them, their gazes were filled with surprise, and they couldn't help but secretly admire them: Eighteen years ago, Lin Qingfeng and Lin Qingzhu of the Duke of Wu's mansion were famous throughout the capital. Now, Lin Yan and Shen Lixue walking together are just like that outstanding brother and sister pair from back then, which is amazing and enviable...
As Shen Lixue walked down the aisle, her cool gaze swept over the shy young women sitting on either side. They were all beautiful and had a noble air about them, worthy of Cousin Yan…
"Madam Lei, Madam Zhuang..." Lin Yan stopped and bowed to the ladies. Shen Lixue echoed her, secretly wondering which woman was her cousin Yan's blind date.
"Good, good, good!" Madam Lei smiled and said "good" three times, genuinely satisfied with Lin Yan: "Kexin, this is Young Master Lin Yan. Young Master Lin, this is Zhuang Kexin, the legitimate daughter of Minister Zhuang!"
Shen Lixue was startled and looked up abruptly. Zhuang Kexin was sitting on a mahogany chair, dressed in a scarlet ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress), looking dignified and elegant. A ruby hairpin adorned her delicate shaggy bun, perfectly matching her round gemstone earrings. Her face was beautiful, and her makeup was exquisite, clearly showing that she had dressed up with great care!
"Miss Zhuang!"
"Young Master Lin!"
Zhuang Kexin greeted Lin Yan with a smile, but Shen Lixue frowned deeply: Cousin Yan's blind date was Zhuang Kexin! Zhuang Kexin was petite and sitting below the ladies of high society, so Shen Lixue didn't see her when she looked at the young ladies.
Zhuang Kexin also saw Shen Lixue next to Lin Yan. Her shock was no less than Shen Lixue's. Lin Yan was handsome and outstanding, with a tall and slender figure, which matched the image of her ideal man. However, he was actually Shen Lixue's cousin!
"Li Xue, Ke Xin, what's wrong with you two?" The ladies in the flower hall were all shrewd, and Zhuang Ke Xin, Lin Yan, and Shen Li Xue were the people they were observing closely. They quickly noticed that something was wrong with the two of them.
"It's nothing. I've known Miss Zhuang for a long time. I was a little surprised that Cousin Yan came to see her!" Shen Lixue smiled and brushed it off. No matter how fiercely she fought with Zhuang Kexin or how deep their enmity was, it was a private matter and there was no need to bring it out into the open. Besides, she was accompanying Lin Yan to the blind date banquet. If things went wrong, it would be Lin Yan who would suffer.
"Is that so?" The ladies turned their questioning gazes to Zhuang Kexin.
Zhuang Kexin smiled gently. Shen Lixue was a smart person, and she wasn't stupid either; she wouldn't ruin her blind date: "Miss Shen and I are old friends. I was a little surprised that the person I'm meeting is her cousin!"
Everyone smiled knowingly, their ambiguous gazes shifting back and forth between Zhuang Kexin and Lin Yan. They were a perfect match, a handsome man and a beautiful woman. With their cousin's help in playing matchmaker, the chances of them getting married were very high.
Lin Yan, being a man, should not linger with the female guests. After greeting the ladies and meeting Zhuang Kexin, he politely returned to the living room, and Shen Lixue followed him with a random excuse.
Standing at the intersection of the living room and the flower hall, and looking around to make sure no one was watching, Lin Yan quietly asked Shen Lixue, "Lixue, what do you think of Zhuang Kexin?"
"Does your cousin know that she has a crippled leg?" Shen Lixue blinked and looked at Lin Yan.
"I know!" Lin Yan nodded. "I heard that she accidentally fell down the stairs when she went up to the attic and broke her leg. She'll recover in three to five months..."