The maidservants Yun Jingshu had brought hadn’t expected Ziteng to speak so quickly, saying so much in an instant. They wanted to refute, but before they could open their mouths, Ziteng’s lips parted again: “Miss Yun, my young miss returned to the capital four years ago, and you never paid her any attention. Now suddenly you insist on having Miss’s bracelet. This matter should be judged by everyone!”

Yun Jingshu had never anticipated that Qin Shuying’s maidservant would have such skill at spouting nonsense. With those several madams and young ladies looking at them with surprise, her face flushed red and she immediately retorted, “How dare you speak such lies!”

Ziteng pointed at her arm: “Whether I’m lying or not, everyone can see for themselves.”

Yun Jingshu looked down and indeed found her hand resting on the gold bracelet on Qin Shuying’s arm. At this precise moment, Ziteng continued, “Miss Yun, are you actually going to resort to robbery? It’s just a gold bracelet—you’re a daughter of wealth and status, yet you would commit such theft? Is this how the Yun family raised you?”

Only then did Yun Jingshu come to her senses and immediately released Qin Shuying’s arm. Just as she was about to speak, Qin Shuying pulled the bracelet back into her sleeve, blocking her movement with one hand, and sighed: “Miss Yun, speaking of which, we’ve had no contact these four years, yet today you suddenly behave like this. It truly disappoints me. Forget it, I won’t hold it against you. I hope you’ll conduct yourself better in the future. Let’s go.”

With that, she walked away without looking back.

Lin Zilan and the others followed.

“You, you… I, I didn’t steal her bracelet!” Yun Jingshu explained to those madams and young ladies.

But they weren’t acquainted with her. Having watched the spectacle, those people had no inclination to listen to her explanations and walked away, speaking in low voices.

“I didn’t! I didn’t steal anything!”

Yun Jingshu shouted angrily, but sadly no one came to listen to her words.

When she thought about how she had failed to accomplish what Princess Fu’an had entrusted to her, when she thought about Princess Fu’an’s chilling gaze, she couldn’t help feeling disheartened, cold shivers running down her back.

Yun Jingshu glared hatefully in the direction Qin Shuying had left, taking a deep breath—to have caused her such repeated humiliation, she would absolutely never forgive her!

At lunch time, everyone sat in their same seats as yesterday.

While waiting for the meal, Qin Yue was in brilliant spirits and became much more talkative, completely different from yesterday’s taciturn condition.

The dishes began arriving—exquisite delicacies flowing like water, one plate after another, beautiful and delicious with varied presentations. Though adhering to the ancient teaching of “no speaking during meals or sleep,” Qin Lulu would always find various excuses to chat, and neither Madam Dong nor Madam Lin restrained her.

“Seventh Sister, this fresh bamboo shoot is particularly crisp. Try some.”

Qin Lulu pointed to a dish of cold mixed fresh bamboo shoots.

Qin Shuying smiled and took a chopstick full, eating it and nodding in praise: “Fresh and crisp, truly excellent.”

Just as they were eating contentedly, a maidservant came carrying soup. When she reached Qin Shuying’s side, she suddenly stumbled, and the soup bowl in her hands became unsteady, actually flying toward Qin Shuying.

Qin Shuying had been constantly aware of her surroundings. When she saw that maidservant approaching, she had already prepared herself. Therefore, when that portion of soup came splashing toward her, she reacted quickly, bracing her feet against the ground and swiftly pushing backward. The chair slid away and her body avoided the splash.

Before she could speak, Lin Si began wailing, because Qin Shuying’s dodge had exposed her instead. A small portion of the soup splashed onto her arm just as she was reaching for food. In moments, large blisters appeared on her pale wrist, and the pain made her cry.

“It hurts, it hurts so much!”

If that entire large bowl of soup had poured onto Qin Shuying, given how lightly dressed everyone was this season, she would likely have developed blisters from her chest all the way down to her legs. If not properly cared for, her skin would certainly have been left with large scars.

The maidservant stood stunned for a moment, then immediately knelt down: “It’s all this servant’s fault, all this servant’s fault…”

The corner of Qin Shuying’s lips curled up as she looked at the trembling maidservant with the gaze one gives the dead. Of course it was your fault.

When the task your master assigned you turns out like this, if it’s not your fault, whose fault would it be?

Qin Shuying stood to one side, coldly watching as maidservants of higher rank came to apologize, some came to clean up, and some took Lin Si to see a physician and apply medicine.

After the maidservants had cleaned the table, Qin Shuying followed Madam Dong and the others to sit down again, acting as if nothing had happened, handling it with composure.

When Ziyuan reported these events to Princess Yongjia, Princess Yongjia smiled playfully at the corners of her lips and said, “Truly a clever and quick-witted little thing…”

Ziyuan looked at Princess Yongjia.

There was a transaction between Princess Yongjia and Imperial Concubine Kang. What Imperial Concubine Kang wanted was simple—to teach Qin Shuying a lesson, life or death unimportant. Unfortunately, Her Highness had struck three times and hadn’t succeeded even once.

But surprisingly, Her Highness wasn’t angry. On the contrary, she had developed a deep interest in Qin Shuying.

“To pass through this princess’s three tests…”

Princess Yongjia spoke slowly. Ziyuan’s heart leaped—did this mean Her Highness would take Qin Shuying under her control? She pricked up her ears, waiting for Princess Yongjia’s next words.

Princess Yongjia’s lips maintained a constant smile, meaningful and brilliantly radiant.

She gently swirled the glass cup in her hand, her beautiful eyes watching the shifting luster of the glass, her manner languid and leisurely.

After a long while, she parted her vermillion lips and uttered a sentence: “Apart from the County Princess, she’s the second person to interest me this much.”

Ziyuan looked at Princess Yongjia’s face, still beautiful as jade though she was past forty. This outcome was within Ziyuan’s expectations.

“Ziyuan, this princess wants Seventh Miss Qin to remain constantly by my side. What do you think?”

Ziyuan immediately knelt down and said with bowed head, “Your Highness, Ziyuan will naturally do everything in her power.”

“Mm, you’re truly an understanding good child. Tonight…” Princess Yongjia spoke as her hands, flawless as white jade, reached out to gently lift Ziyuan’s chin, smiling charmingly, “I’ll have someone come serve you!”

Ziyuan’s eyes showed both shy and excited expression: “Thank you, Your Highness!”

Princess Yongjia giggled charmingly several times, had Ziyuan call in a nanny, then gave that nanny a few instructions. The nanny withdrew with a calm expression, and Ziyuan also withdrew following the nanny.

The nanny led Ziyuan out and gave her a token, then said with cold indifference, “Miss, what kind of person do you want this time?”

Ziyuan stated her specific requirements without hesitation.

The nanny’s expression remained unchanged, as if the words coming from Ziyuan’s mouth weren’t anything unspeakable, but the most normal everyday conversation.

After Ziyuan finished speaking, the nanny walked away expressionlessly.

Ziyuan stood in place, elated for quite a while. Just thinking about tonight’s events made her heart surge with excitement.

The princess favored women, while she favored men. Though she served beside the princess, she wasn’t the princess’s preferred type, so the princess had never set her sights on her.

Instead, she would often bestow different men upon her. Especially when she handled the princess’s assignments well, the princess was even more generous. Of course, today’s matter hadn’t been handled well, but since the princess was in good spirits, she would still receive rewards.

It was just that both of these matters were unknown to outsiders.

But today, looking at Qin Shuying’s expression, she seemed to know something.

How was this possible?

What was really going on?

However, the princess was certainly going to make her move now. As for Qin Shuying knowing about these things, what did it matter?

Once she was in the princess’s hands, she was just an orphaned girl—would she really be allowed to resist?