With that, Shen Lixue turned around and walked quickly back to the bamboo garden without any hesitation. It was better not to go to the palace to celebrate the birthday; it would save her the cost of her luminous pearl.
A hint of surprise flashed in Shen Minghui's deep eyes. Li Xue hadn't made a fuss and had given in so easily? He thought it would take some effort to stop her from entering the palace. This was good, saving him a lot of time.
Watching Shen Lixue's receding figure, Lei Shi narrowed her eyes slightly. Why did she always feel that it wasn't that they had played a trick on Shen Lixue, but that Shen Lixue simply didn't want to enter the palace!
Even after walking a long way, Shen Lixue could still feel Shen Minghui and Lei Shi's gazes as they looked at her. A cold smile appeared on their lips. She had actually encountered such a rare and exceptional father. She was truly 'lucky'.
As the sun rose higher, Shen Lixue, having nothing to do in the bamboo garden, guessed that Shen Minghui and Lady Lei had already gone to the palace by carriage. She changed her clothes, took a few silver notes, and left the Prime Minister's residence, heading towards the bustling street. She wondered how the silver needles she had ordered from the shop a few days ago were coming along...
Two maids and a nanny stood at the entrance of the Prime Minister's residence. Watching Shen Lixue's figure gradually disappear into the distance, the maid Dongju said anxiously, "Nanny Ding, before Madam left, she specifically instructed us to keep a close eye on Shen Lixue. Why didn't you let us stop her just now?" If she ran into the palace and ruined Madam's important plans, Madam would definitely not let them off easily.
Granny Ding glared fiercely at the maid. Li Xue was exceptionally intelligent and shrewd, and as the legitimate daughter of the Prime Minister's family, with the Prime Minister and his wife absent, she was the highest-ranking mistress. To block her way was simply courting death; perhaps before the Madam returned to the mansion, her old bones would fall apart.
"What's the rush? Shen Lixue just returned to the capital. None of the palace guards recognize her. She can only wander around the streets at most; she can't possibly enter the palace!" Knowing that she can't enter the palace and won't cause any trouble, we should just let her leave the mansion. Why bother offending her?
Ancient shops were very efficient. In just a few days, all 72 silver needles that Shen Lixue had ordered, which were different in style, size, and thickness, were completed. Shen Lixue paid the silver and left the shop, admiring the slender silver needles. The workmanship and technique were truly excellent, even more exquisite than those made by modern machines...
"Madam!" A sudden exclamation rang in her ears. An unidentified object crashed heavily onto Shen Lixue. Shen Lixue staggered a few steps, barely managing not to fall. Looking to the side, she saw an old lady lying on top of her with her eyes closed.
Shen Lixue was taken aback. What was going on?
"Young lady, how could you be so careless? You actually knocked my old lady unconscious!" An old nanny quickly helped the old lady up, glaring at Shen Lixue with wary eyes.
Shen Lixue frowned. She had gone to the street to get silver needles and she still encountered this kind of thing: "Auntie, I was walking very slowly and steadily just now. I didn't bump into anyone at all. It was your old lady who bumped into me."
"With so many people on the street, why did my old lady not smash this or that, but instead smash it on you?" The old nanny didn't believe Shen Lixue's words at all, staring at her coldly, aggressive and unyielding.
"Ask your grandmother, she should be able to give you the answer!" Shen Lixue frowned slightly. She never expected that there would be elderly people faking injuries to make money in ancient times. What's worse, she encountered such a thing.
The old nanny glared fiercely at Chen Lixue: "Stop arguing! You've injured my old lady, you can forget about it..."
"What happened?" A gentle voice asked, startling Shen Lixue, whose dark eyes narrowed instantly...
042 Outwitting Su Yuting
A magnificent carriage stopped in front of Shen Lixue. The curtain was opened, and Su Yuting's stunning face appeared in the sunlight. Her hair was exquisitely styled, her eyebrows and eyes were like a painting, and her white clothes fluttered in the wind. She was as beautiful as a fairy who had stepped out of a painting.
Shen Lixue frowned. At this time, Su Yuting should have gone to the palace to attend the banquet. Why was she here?
"So it's Sister Chen. What happened?" Su Yuting, supported by her maid, got off the carriage and walked over gracefully, her smile as gentle as the wind.
"I ran into a little trouble!" Shen Lixue smiled, her dark eyes as deep as a pool. Su Yuting was exceptionally talented and cunning, and her appearance at this time was probably ill-intentioned.
"You knocked my old lady unconscious, and you still say it's a small matter?" The old woman glared at Shen Lixue, her eyes burning with anger. "If anything happens to my old lady, your little life won't be enough to pay for it..."
"Sister Chen knocked the old lady unconscious?" Looking at the unconscious old lady, Su Yuting exclaimed in surprise. Her gentle voice suddenly became sharp, successfully attracting the attention of many pedestrians on the street.
"What happened?"
"A young lady from a wealthy family knocked an old lady unconscious..."
"Still refusing to admit their mistakes..."
"They have absolutely no morals. Just because they're of high status doesn't mean they're so great..."
"Exactly, they lack manners..."
Pedestrians stared at Chen Lixue, pointing and whispering, their eyes filled with contempt and disdain.
Shen Lixue sneered. Su Yuting was indeed here to cause trouble for her. Did she want to make up for the loss that Zuixianlou had suffered?
Su Yuting smiled warmly, her eyes filled with concern: "Granny, the old lady is unconscious and cannot be moved easily. I have some medical knowledge and would like to examine her. What do you think, Granny?"
"Really!" The anxiety in the old woman's eyes instantly turned into deep joy and excitement, and she said urgently, "Thank you so much, Miss!"
"That girl is so kind."
"That's right, she's beautiful inside and out..."
"That spoiled young lady who hit someone is worlds apart from her. Doesn't she feel ashamed at all...?"
Amidst the praise of the crowd, Su Yuting placed her slender fingers on the old lady's wrist, her smiling gaze slightly hardening.
Shen Lixue raised an eyebrow. Su Yuting knew medicine, but she had never heard of her. She wondered what kind of diagnosis Su Yuting would make.
"Young lady, is my mistress's condition very serious?" Looking at Su Yuting's furrowed brows, the old nanny's heart, which had just been at ease, became anxious again.
"The old lady was knocked unconscious and is very weak." Su Yuting's gaze was solemn, and her tone was low, as if the old lady was extremely ill.
"Miss Su, are you sure the old lady was knocked unconscious?" Shen Lixue asked with a half-smile, her cold eyes gleaming. Su Yuting's words had confirmed her guilt of knocking someone unconscious; her methods were truly brilliant.
"Of course it's true. I'm a doctor now, why would I lie about a patient's condition!" Su Yuting said in a low voice, her beautiful eyes flashing with a hint of helplessness and grievance.
The old woman glared at Shen Lixue, her eyes blazing with anger: "This young lady saved my old lady, she was helping you atone for your sins. You not only don't thank her, but you even mock her." She had known for a long time that the woman who hit her was of bad character, but she never expected her to be this bad.
"Granny, please don't blame Sister Lixue. She bumped into someone and panicked, which is why she spoke without thinking..." Su Yuting gently comforted her, her fair fingers pressing tightly on the old lady's philtrum. "Granny, I can help the old lady regain her senses quickly, but if you want her to recover her health, you will need to take good care of her. It would be best if she could go back to the manor to rest as soon as possible!"
"Thank you so much, Miss. You are truly a living Bodhisattva..." The old woman wiped away the tears that had welled up in her eyes and kept thanking her. Her gaze swept over Shen Lixue, and she sneered disdainfully. They were both young ladies from wealthy families, so how come she was so much worse than Shen Lixue?
"No need for such formalities, Granny!" Su Yuting smiled slightly, her haughty gaze sweeping over Shen Lixue, whether as a provocation or a boast was unclear.
"She has no skills, but a big temper. When people help her, she makes things difficult for them..."
"Exactly, so narrow-minded. How can she compare to that gentle and kind girl in white..."
Ignoring the accusations and gossip of the crowd, Shen Lixue raised her eyebrows slightly and said casually, "Miss Su, you've already finished half a cup of tea, why hasn't the old lady woken up yet?"
Su Yuting's small hand trembled suddenly, her gaze darting away: "The old lady is frail, I didn't dare to press too hard, I probably didn't press enough, it didn't work..."