"Yes." The maidservant beside her immediately brought Xie Xinxiu's guqin.
"Women in our demon realm are either outstanding in demonic power or in talent; they must have something to be proud of. It's better than some people who just eat and drink all day long, foolishly enjoying their lives." Xie Xinxiu glanced disdainfully at Liu Lanyan, who was sitting at the end of the table.
Among the elders and some prominent families in the demon realm, Miss Liu Lanyan is the most troublesome.
Back when her father was still the Grand Elder, she simply lacked demonic power and was considered a well-bred young lady who knew how to behave appropriately.
Ever since her father's accident, she has been so traumatized that she's become like a madwoman, her mind is worse than that of a three-year-old child, and she's just disgusting to look at.
It is a disgrace to the upper class of the demon realm.
Everyone in the pavilion naturally understood who Xie Xinxiu was referring to. The woman covered her mouth and chuckled softly, while the man glanced at her, neither confirming nor denying, but his eyes also held a mocking smile.
Liu Xinrong glanced at Liu Lanyan, sighed softly, seemingly helpless with her younger sister, her lowered eyes concealing her smugness.
Laugh all you want, laugh as much as you want.
The more people know about Liu Lanyan's despicable behavior, the less the prince will like her, and the marriage contract will definitely be changed.
Xie Xinxiu's slender fingers touched the strings, and a beautiful melody flowed through the garden, making everyone feel relaxed and happy.
It must be said that Xie Xinxiu's piano skills are indeed superb. When the last note fell, everyone cheered.
"Miss Xie, what excellent musical skills!" One of the young masters from prominent families clapped and laughed. "Miss Xie's musical skills are so superb, no wonder she is the prince's cousin."
Hearing the sycophantic words of this young master from a prominent family, Yu Xinyi almost spat out the wine in his mouth. What was the causal relationship between these two sentences?
"Miss Xie, I acquired a crystal a few days ago, which I would like to present to you." The young master of the noble family presented a brocade box with both hands, opened it, and a cool and refreshing aura suddenly wafted out.
A cool breeze wafted through the pavilion, instantly dispelling the summer heat.
Everyone present was from a prominent family; none of them were of low status. Naturally, they all possessed knowledge and understood that the crystals here were definitely not ordinary objects.
"This is... Xuanhan Ice Crystal?" Xie Xinxiu asked in surprise. Although it was a question, she was quite certain. If it wasn't Xuanhan Ice Crystal, how could it have such a cold aura?
"The Xuanhan Ice Crystal, which only yields three pieces every thousand years?"
"Really?"
"This... isn't quite right." Xie Xinxiu looked at the Xuanhan Ice Crystal inside the brocade box with delight in her eyes, but she was still declining.
"I found this item to present to Miss. Your music is so beautiful that I am completely captivated. The Xuanhan Ice Crystal is a fitting gift for you, so as not to disgrace your status." The young master from the noble family showered Xie Xinxiu with flattery, eager to establish a closer relationship with her.
If you get along well with Xie Xinxiu, you'll naturally be able to speak with the prince. Being able to speak with the prince means you'll have a very powerful backer in the demon realm.
"Thank you very much then." Xie Xinxiu accepted the Xuanhan Ice Crystal with a smile. Even she would find such a precious item extremely rare.
"I'm glad Miss Xie likes it." The young master from the noble family smiled to himself with secret delight.
Xie Xinxiu toyed with the Xuanhan Ice Crystal in her hand, then turned her gaze to Liu Lanyan, who was sitting leisurely to the side, and smiled maliciously: "Liu Lanyan, what did you give me?"
"Huh?" Liu Lanyan looked up in surprise, clearly not expecting Xie Xinxiu to speak to her. For a moment, she looked at Xie Xinxiu helplessly, not knowing how to answer.
"Miss Xie, what is the name of that piece? I have never heard such beautiful music before," Su Hanhao asked Xie Xinxiu humbly.
Su Hanhao's words surprised Yu Xinyi; he was actually trying to help Liu Lanyan out of a difficult situation.
"It was just something I did haphazardly, it doesn't have a name." Xie Xinxiu smiled slightly, and seeing that it was the son of one of the four elders speaking, she naturally wouldn't refuse to give him face.
After saying that, he turned to Liu Lanyan and asked, "Didn't you understand what I just said?"
Seeing that Xie Xinxiu had no intention of letting Liu Lanyan go, Su Hanhao sighed inwardly. Xie Xinxiu was also a spoiled and willful person who took advantage of her status to make things difficult for others.
What should we do?
Su Hanhao wanted to find another reason to change the subject, but before he could speak, he heard Liu Lanyan's timid voice: "I want to give you something?"
"Yes." Xie Xinxiu nodded affirmatively, her tone full of deliberate challenge.
Everyone knows Liu Lanyan's current status in the Liu family. What does she have to offer?
Even if Xie Xinxiu were to give Liu Lanyan her most valuable possession, Xie Xinxiu would likely still make things difficult for her, claiming that Liu Lanyan's belongings were cheap and beneath her dignity.
There are dead ends to be found on either side.
"Why would I give you something?" Liu Lanyan blinked, puzzled.
"After listening to my beautiful music, shouldn't you give me something as a token of your appreciation?" Xie Xinxiu proudly raised her head, glancing sideways at Liu Lanyan, not only because Liu Lanyan was mentally challenged, but also because her father had previously opposed her cousin.
How could she not find an opportunity to get back at someone who went against her cousin?
Yu Xinyi continued drinking as if she hadn't heard anything, but in fact she had been secretly listening to what was happening.
How can she resolve this blatantly difficult situation?
It wasn't easy.
He glanced at Liu Lanyan furtively, but saw no trace of panic on her face. She seemed to think for a moment with a puzzled look before looking up and asking innocently, "Sister Xie, do you want a reward?"
Upon hearing this, the pavilion fell silent, except for the cicadas chirping louder and louder in the garden, their calls sounding almost mocking.
!
Chapter Nine: Skillfully Using a Thousand Pounds
To tip/reward?
Surprise is an understatement to describe the feelings of the people in the pavilion at that moment.
The cousin of a prince has actually been reduced to begging for tips... This... this...
No one spoke, watching as Xie Xinxiu's face changed from deathly pale with anger to blushing with rage. She gritted her teeth and clenched her fists, looking as if she wanted to go over and bite Liu Lanyan a few times before she would stop.
Su Hanhao stared at Liu Lanyan in astonishment, unable to understand why she would say such a thing. Could it be that she had really become so mentally impaired?
Is Hsieh Hsin-hsiu someone you can easily offend?
Even though Liu Lanyan's current situation is different from that of ordinary people, Su Hanhao glanced worriedly at Liu Xinrong beside him. The elders are now eyeing her covetously and are eager to find an excuse to deal with her. Why is she jumping into the trap herself?
Yu Xinyi put down his wine cup, propped his chin on his hand, and looked at Liu Lanyan with great interest. Things had turned out to be completely unexpected.
With a loud bang, the exquisite guqin under Xie Xinxiu's hand shattered into pieces, along with the small table beneath it, turning into broken pieces of trash that piled on the ground in a terrifying manner.
Liu Xinrong glanced at it, a hint of a smile flashing subtly in her eyes. That pile of fragments was more likely Liu Lanyan's corpse.
"Liu Lanyan, what did you just say?" Xie Xinxiu pointed at Liu Lanyan, trembling with anger.
She actually said she wanted to give her a tip!
Are you crazy?
Is it possible that if someone becomes mentally impaired to a certain degree, their brain will go insane?
Liu Lanyan blinked innocently at Xie Xinxiu: "You just played a piece, and now you're asking me for something. Aren't you just asking for a reward?"
“We saw the people playing music at the teahouse last time, and they did the same thing.” Liu Lanyan said to herself, completely ignoring Xie Xinxiu’s increasingly dark expression. After thinking for a moment, she shook her head. “No, no… it’s not quite the same.”
Liu Lanyan pursed her lips, seemingly trying hard to recall the situation at the time: "At the time, that girl was holding a bowl or something... she put all her money in it, ah, that's it!"
As if she had solved a very important problem, Liu Lanyan excitedly took out a few coins from her pocket and threw them directly into the teacup on the small table next to her.
The coins clattered against the porcelain bowl, making a jarring clanging sound. Xie Xinxiu's eyes flashed with a fierce light, the kind of ruthless gaze only a bloodthirsty beast would have, ready to tear her prey to shreds at any moment.
Stared at by Xie Xinxiu, Liu Lanyan shrank back in fear, murmuring, "I... I only have this much money left, I really don't have any more... If... if it's not enough, you can ask someone else..."
Does this crazy girl really think she's a beggar?
Xie Xinxiu was so angry that her eyes were blazing with fury, and she was grinding her teeth so hard they were making a grinding sound.
"Miss Xie, Lanyan is talking nonsense. Please be magnanimous and don't take it to heart," Liu Xinrong said quickly when she saw the situation was getting out of hand.
How could she possibly miss such a great opportunity to shine?
Liu Xinrong stood up, getting close to Liu Lanyan, and slapped her across the face.
"Ah!" Liu Lanyan seemed to be used to Liu Xinrong's sudden outbursts of violence. As soon as she saw Liu Xinrong raise her hand, she screamed and rushed out, falling into Yu Xinyi's arms. She tripped and stepped on the wood chips from before.
Wood chips flew everywhere, heading straight for Liu Xinrong's face. Startled, Liu Xinrong forgot about hitting Liu Lanyan and quickly dodged.
"You little brat, get up! What kind of behavior is it to throw yourself into a man's arms like that?" Liu Xinrong was so angry that she jumped up and down. But Liu Lanyan had thrown herself into Yu Xinyi's arms. No matter what, he was still the current prince. Even if he was not valued by the demon lord, he was still a prince. She naturally could not afford to offend him.
"You mean, I ruined Miss Liu Lanyan's reputation?" Yu Xinyi raised an eyebrow, asking Liu Xinrong with a half-smile. His lazy smile made Liu Xinrong tremble with fear.
“Your Highness, this matter…” Even though Liu Xinrong knew that Yu Xinyi was still His Highness no matter how unfavored he was, she could not offend him. Just as she was about to explain, Xie Xinxiu interrupted her.
"Liu Lanyan, what makes you think I'm a prostitute who sings and sells her smiles?" Xie Xinxiu spoke slowly and deliberately, but there was a chilling intent in her words that no one could mistake for her.
“But he gave you money after you finished playing the piece, and now you’re asking me for something. Isn’t that asking for a reward?” Liu Lanyan sat up in Yu Xinyi’s arms, frowning in confusion as she asked Xie Xinxiu.
While others didn't think much of it, the young master from the noble family who had just given Xie Xinxiu the Xuanhan Ice Crystal was so frightened that he hurriedly cried out, "Don't talk nonsense! I was offering it to Miss Xie, not giving her a reward!"
"Isn't that right?" Liu Lanyan seemed unable to think about such a complicated question, scratching her hair. "Then why did you ask me for something just now?"
One sentence left Xie Xinxiu speechless, unsure whether to be angry or not.
Originally, the intention was to embarrass Liu Lanyan, but in the end, she found herself caught in the middle and had no way to deal with it.
"Miss Xie, why bother arguing with my foolish sister?" Liu Xinrong quickly said, giving Xie Xinxiu a way out.
"Well, it was my fault." Xie Xinxiu snorted softly and had no choice but to give up.
Upon hearing this, the people around her quickly praised Xie Xinxiu's superb piano skills, giving her plenty of face.
Su Hanhao breathed a sigh of relief; thankfully, nothing had happened.
Looking at Liu Lanyan's innocent face filled with timidity, a pang of pain rose in his heart. Thinking of the dignified woman she used to be, although she was now somewhat foolish, her innocence was all the more heartbreaking.
Seeing that Xie Xinxiu had shifted her attention, Liu Lanyan stood up from Yu Xinyi's embrace.
As he felt the person in his arms leave, and that gentle warmth depart from his embrace, Yu Xinyi inexplicably felt as if something inside him was empty. That feeling lasted only a moment, and before he could ponder it further, he heard another young lady from a prominent family say with a charming laugh, "I wonder what kind of musical skills Sister Liu Lanyan possesses, so that we can broaden our horizons."
"Playing the zither?" Liu Lanyan blinked in confusion, looking around and muttering softly, "Why is everyone talking to me today?"
Her words naturally drew sneers from some people with ulterior motives. Why are they all talking to her? Do they think they're so special?
If it weren't for trying to please Xie Xinxiu and avenge her, would someone like her even deserve to talk to them?
"Sister Lanyan, what exactly are you good at? I'm sure there are plenty of musical instruments in the Prince's mansion that you can play." The obviously sarcastic remark made everyone burst into laughter, clearly wanting to see Liu Lanyan make a fool of herself.