This New Year at Shen's residence was spent in great revelry.

  Originally, due to the affairs of Ren Yuanyun and Shen Qing, the atmosphere in the General's Manor was gloomy. However, with the arrival of Jing Chuchu and Jing Guansheng, Old Lady Shen surprisingly showed great enthusiasm. She often allowed the two siblings to move about freely within the General's Manor. As Shen Yue was accustomed to interacting with people, it didn't take long for her to address Jing Chuchu as a good sister, but whether this was genuine or not, no one knew.

  Although Shen Yue treated Jing Chu Chu and her brother well, the place they loved to run to was actually the West Wing of the Shen Manor. Especially Jing Chu Chu, who often brought some pastries and snacks for the people practicing sword fighting to eat. After the previous lesson, she would bring enough portions for everyone whenever she came again, but the flavor of the soup was far inferior compared to what Shen Miao used to make. Those little soldiers were straightforward people, and they were still thinking about the soup made by Shen Miao in their hearts, so they didn't show much gratitude towards Jing Chu Chu's kindness.

  Today was no exception. After Jing Chu Chu finished eating and came over, Shen Qiu didn't say much to her before wanting to continue practicing his sword skills. He was stopped by Jing Chu Chu: "Brother..."

  "Your cousin should go back earlier." Shen Qiu smiled brightly: "These people who practice sword fighting are all rough men, their swords have no eyes, if they accidentally hurt you it wouldn't be good. Besides, you come here every day, and as a young lady from a good family, watching us old men practice sword fighting isn't quite proper."

  It was actually a polite way of asking someone to leave.

  Jing Chu's face suddenly turned bright red, looking at Shen Qiu with some incredulity, her eyes rippling like water, as if she would burst into tears the next moment. Any ordinary man who saw her actions would probably have already felt a pang of sympathy for this beauty. But Shen Qiu was never one to appreciate beautiful women, he just stood there blankly, not even thinking of going forward to comfort her.

  Seeing Shen Miao like this, Jing Chu's originally rosy face suddenly turned white. She hastily lowered her head and picked up the basket, saying "Chu Chu knows." Holding up her skirt hem, she quickly ran away. Those who didn't know would have thought that Shen Qiu had done something to her.

  After Jing Chu left, a person appeared behind the pillar. Shen Miao said: "Big brother, you also don't understand how to cherish flowers."

  "Heh," Shen Qiu scratched his head: "I'm not afraid of sister getting angry?"

  "What am I angry about?" Shen Miao asked lightly.

  Shen Qiu suddenly felt a chill run down his spine and said, "Sister doesn't like her cousin, does she?"

  "My cousin and I didn't spend the holiday together, how could I not like it?" Shen Miao retorted.

  "Jiaojiao, didn't that girl bully you in secret?" Shen Xin, who had just finished practicing sword, also walked over and happened to hear Shen Qiu's words to Shen Miao, saying: "If she bullied you, don't say anything, beat her!"

  "What nonsense are you talking about?" Luo Xueyan walked over, seeing that they were in a heated discussion, and glared at Shen Xin: "Jiao Jiao, don't listen to your father's nonsense. How can a young lady from a good family be so quick to use violence? If she bullies you, just come back and tell me, Mother will scold her for you."

  "That's still a fight." Shen Qiu muttered: "I'll go and fight, I'm young and strong."

  "She didn't bully me."

  "Hey, Jiao Jiao, why don't you like her?" asked Luo Xueyan. Shen Miao didn't like Jing Chuchu, and even the most obtuse person could tell. As soon as Jing Chuchu came over, Shen Miao would have Shen Qiu demonstrate spear throwing in the courtyard. Spear throwing was actually quite cruel, and normally, Shen Xin and his family wouldn't do it in the manor, fearing it would scare the maidservants. They would find some lively small animals to use as targets, but the bloody sight wasn't very pleasant. And every time Jing Chuchu came over, Shen Miao would say: "Father, big brother, I want to watch spear throwing."

  Jing Chuchu was often frightened to the point of losing her composure, yet she still stood firm on this side. After watching, she would often feel nauseous, but Shen Miaole seemed tireless, as if making Jing Chuchu feel sick made her feel comfortable in her heart. As time went by, everyone in the courtyard noticed that Shen Miao was intentionally bullying Jing Chuchu.

  They didn't quite understand, but seeing Shen Miao get angry, they thought it was probably just a small disagreement between young girls. The old men didn't want to directly interfere with the girls' affairs, so they let Shen Miao have her way. Today, she's extremely curious, which is why she couldn't help but ask.

  "I don't dislike her," Shen Miao said. As soon as the words fell, Jing Zhen on the side suddenly spoke up: "Miss likes quietness, but Tabi Miss and Tabi Young Master often come to find Miss to talk, especially Tabi Young Master, who must chat with Miss, Miss originally doesn't like talking to strangers, it seems that she is a bit annoyed."

  Jing Zhen said with a serious expression, Shen Miao couldn't help but turn her head to look at her. Shen Xin and Luo Xueyan's faces changed suddenly, Jing Zhen's words seemed to be just that Shen Miao was annoyed by the two siblings of the Kong family on the surface, but in fact, there were many more meanings behind them. A young master often came to talk to his cousin, and it was a bit annoying. Luo Xueyan angrily asked: "What does your nephew mean?"

  "Madam, please calm down." Shen Xin hastily comforted her and immediately turned to Shen Qiu: "You little scoundrel, you arranged so many guards in the courtyard, but didn't you notice that your sister is being harassed by those rascals every day?"

  Shen Qiu said with a hint of embarrassment: "I really didn't notice..."

  Shen Qiu was naturally unable to discover anything, because the places where Jing Guan and Shen Miao coincidentally met were not in the courtyard, but either at the gate of the mansion, or in the garden, or even in the corridor. In short, every moment, they could "coincidentally meet" anywhere.

  "Go and guard the entrance of the courtyard for me. If you see those two siblings again, tell them that the courtyard is closed for sword practice and no one is allowed to let them in!" Shen Xin shouted.

  Shen Qiu immediately went to pick people up.

  Lu Xueyan patted Shen Miao's head: "Jiao Jiao, if that person comes to bother you again in the future, don't be polite to them, beat him up."

  Shen Xin: "......"

  After Luo Xueyan and Shen Xin returned to the sword practice field, Shen Miao swept a glance at Jing Zhong with a light tone: "You talk too much."

  "I know I was wrong, but Miss," said the maid, lowering her head: "Young Master obviously had ill intentions towards you, and you saw it early on, why didn't you tell Master and Madam?"

  "Jing Guansheng is indeed a clever person," Shen Miao smiled slightly: "It's a pity that such a clever person has been wasted, but since he can be used to borrow strength and strike back, I'll keep him for now. However," she changed the subject: "Since you've said this today, it seems that some things will speed up, let's wait and see."

  Since Shen Qiu had a group of guards stationed at the west courtyard gate, strictly forbidding anyone from entering or leaving, the west courtyard has become much quieter. Without the disturbance of the two siblings, Jing Chu and Chu Jing, Shen Miao also felt more at ease. However, while they were enjoying the peace, someone else was getting anxious.

  In the Rong Jing Hall, Old Lady Shen stared at Jing Chu with piercing eyes, as if her previous kindness was just an illusion. She said, "Chu Chu, what have you done? How can't you even enter the old master's courtyard now?"

  Jing Chu Chu lowered her head slightly, looking somewhat annoyed, and said in a low voice: "I don't know why, but Fifth Sister seems to be keeping me at arm's length. Eldest Brother is actually quite good to me, but Fifth Sister always manages to make him keep his distance from me. The guards at the entrance of that courtyard were also put there by Fifth Sister."

  "It's that Wu Yaotou again!" Old Lady Shen's face turned iron-green with rage, and Zhang Mama, who was standing beside her, hastily patted her chest and comforted her, saying "Calm down, milady."

  "That girl is really annoying, your brother is already gone, and now you're also being so stubborn that it's killing me!" Mrs. Shen originally wanted Jing Guansheng and Jing Chuchu to take care of Shen Miao and Shen Qiu respectively. However, Shen Miao was a woman after all, and in matters between men and women, once something happened, the woman would always be at a disadvantage. With Shen Xin and Luo Xueyan's violent tempers, who knows what they might do? If it were Shen Qiu instead, Jing Chuchu would be the one to suffer, and reason would be on their side. In the past, people from the West Wing were very carefree, all of them being warriors who had fought on battlefields, and they never bothered with such trivial matters. People who were used to wielding knives and guns wouldn't possibly pay attention to such minor details. Who knew that this time, the West Wing's style of handling things would change so drastically, and they directly locked the gate of the courtyard.

  "Old lady," Zhang's mother said with a sigh, "the fifth young lady has already shown her attitude, and I'm afraid she has already become suspicious of Miss Biao. At present, it's difficult to make further progress in an orderly manner."

  Jing Chu heard this and felt even more ashamed and annoyed. She thought that her beauty and intelligence would make her the center of attention in Suzhou, where she was born, and that even princes and young masters would be captivated by her gentle and weak nature. But who knew that here in Shenqiu, she would encounter a setback, and didn't know how stifled she felt inside.

  "You mean..." Old Lady Shen frowned.

  "Taking strong medicine for a serious illness," Mother Zhang reminded, "If it continues to drag on like this, by the time Master assigns a high-ranking young lady's marriage to Young Master, it will be too late."

  Mrs. Shen suddenly said, "You're right, by that time it will be too late." She looked at Jing Chu Chu with a loving smile on her face, but the smile seemed completely fake to others. She asked, "Chu Chu, do you really want to marry Qiu Er?"

  Jing Chu Chu hung her head and said, "I was thinking."

  "What would you be willing to do in order to marry Qiu Er?"

  Jing Chu was taken aback, and vaguely guessed something. Her heart began to beat wildly. She had always been skilled at navigating the world of men, and her pitiful appearance allowed her to easily capture the hearts of wealthy young masters in Suzhou. But the Shen family was a powerful military general's household, and Shen Qiu was the general's eldest son - their wealth and status were unmatched, and she couldn't help but be moved. Although she had never done this before, upon hearing Old Lady Shen's words, visions of glittering gold and silver appeared before her eyes. She clenched her fists and whispered: "Chu Chu... is willing."

  The old lady smiled with satisfaction.

  For several days, the Shen Mansion had been quiet, and Jing Chu Chu and her brother Jing Guan Sheng stayed in the courtyard behind Rongjing Hall, also unknown what they were doing inside, not going out.

  On this day, Shen Miao was walking in the corridor when she happened to meet Jing Chu Chu. Jing Chu Chu wore a moon-white jacket with a jade-green skirt, and was indeed a petite and delicate beauty. In the capital city of Dingjing, such girls from Suzhou were rare and had a unique charm that could stop passersby in their tracks.

  "Little sister." Jing Chu Chu bowed to her.

  Shen Miao smiled slightly: "Eldest sister, where are you going?"

  Shen Miao rarely spoke to Jing Chu, and Jing Chu was taken aback before saying, "Go back to the house and do some embroidery." She lowered her head shyly: "Anyway, there's nothing else to do."

  "Since there's nothing to do, why not come out with me?" Shen Miao said: "I was just going to the jewelry store to pick some accessories, if you don't mind, you can also go and take a look."

  Jing Chuchu was really stunned this time. Shen Miao had always been lukewarm towards her, no matter how hard she tried to get close or show affection, but today he surprisingly agreed to take her out with him. Jing Chuchu had seen many open and secret struggles among the concubines in her own backyard, so her first reaction was to be on guard. But when she heard Shen Miao say that they were going to a jewelry store, her eyes lit up immediately.

  She carefully sized up Shen Miao, who was wearing a snow-green cloud-patterned brocade skirt with a Xiang-colored single-layer armor jacket on top. She always wore deep colors, but somehow didn't look old-fashioned at all, and instead had a jade-like complexion that exuded an air of nobility. Jing Chu Chu felt a pang of jealousy in her heart, thinking to herself that she wasn't much inferior to Shen Miao in terms of looks, but standing next to her, she couldn't help but feel a sense of shame. Shen Miao's noble bearing was innate, while Jing Chu Chu could tell at a glance that she came from a humble background.

  The more jealous she was, the more she yearned for it. Jing Chuchu's gaze fell on Shen Miao's hairpin with a large and round pearl that shone softly, almost dazzling her eyes. She quickly lowered her head to avoid being seen by the other party, and said: "Since Fifth Sister has no one to accompany her, then I'll go together."

  Bai Lu and Shuang Jiang followed behind, a hint of disdain flashing in their eyes. After all, she was from a humble background, extremely shallow, and could be led by the nose with just a little jewelry, no wonder Shen Miao said that Jing Chu Chu was not worth worrying about.

  Two people left the official residence and took a horse-drawn carriage to Dingjing City. Shen Qiu naturally let the guards follow, which was quite impressive. When they arrived at Zhenbao Pavilion, Shen Miao personally chose several pieces of jewelry, but it was Jing Chuchu who picked up one thing after another, fondling them lovingly, making the shop assistants cast sideways glances. To be fair, Jing Chuchu's appearance was not bad, especially since Suzhou women were born with a soft and delicate complexion that differed from those in Beijing. However, her rustic demeanor greatly discounted her beauty, after all, it wasn't possible to get by in Dingjing City just on the basis of one's face alone.

  Jing Chuchu was delighted, and Shen Miao didn't hesitate to pay for the items she had chosen. Feeling closer to Shen Miao, Jing Chuchu suggested as it approached noon: "Let's eat out today, we've been shopping all morning and I'm getting a bit hungry. You probably haven't been to the Happy Building in Dingjing City before, ordinary families don't have such good fortune."

  Jing Chu Chu gazed at the grand wine house in front of her, and a hint of longing appeared in her eyes. Shen Miao was buying jewelry and fabrics today, and Jing Chu Chu had never seen such extravagance before. For a moment, she felt dizzy. It was precisely this that made her feel even more convinced that the Shen family was wealthy and noble, and she became even more determined to become the mistress of the Shen household.

  After they were seated at the wine house, Shen Miao chose a spot on the second floor by the window. The waiter reported some dish names and Shen Miao picked a few. The dishes she ordered were all signature dishes of Kuai Huo Lou, leaving Jing Chu Chu stunned. After the waiter left, Shen Miao said to Jing Chu Chu: "The people who come here to eat are either wealthy or noble, many are high-ranking officials in the capital, don't underestimate them."

  Jing Chu nodded repeatedly.

  Shen Miao smiled slightly, picked up the tea to drink, but accidentally shook her hand, and the teacup overturned on her body. More than half of the tea spilled onto her skirt. Jing Chu was startled: "Fifth sister?"

  "It's nothing." Shen Miao waved her hand and stood up: "There should be a place to change clothes here, and there are some clothes in the carriage. I'll go change now, you wait for me here." After speaking, she beckoned Bai Lianhua to follow her: "Let's go."

  She walked away, and those Shenfu guards also wanted to follow her. Jing Chuchu hurriedly shouted: "Fifth sister, these guards..." She was a little afraid after all.

  "Don't worry. In broad daylight, no one dares to make things difficult for you." Shen Miao said: "Besides, the guests here are all people with status, they won't do anything." Her expression was gentle, but her tone was not to be questioned, and Jing Chuchu subconsciously didn't refute, and by the time she came back to herself, Shen Miao had already walked far away with a group of guards.

  Jing Chuchu's face darkened, and Shen Miao always had a superior attitude in front of her. This attitude made Jing Chuchu clearly aware of the gap between herself and Shen Miao, which made her feel even more resentful. Moreover, she heard from people in the Shen household that Shen Miao used to be an ignorant and foolish person, so why did someone who was not proficient in anything occupy the position of the eldest daughter of the Shen family? Shen Xin and his wife were also extremely doting on her, and whenever the emperor bestowed something, they would let Shen Miao choose first without any hesitation. People are often more jealous because of comparisons, and now Jing Chuchu's jealousy towards Shen Miao had reached a crazy level.

  She picked up the teacup in front of her, but imitated Shen Miao's mannerisms, sipping slowly and delicately, as if this would allow her to absorb a bit of Shen Miao's noble aura.

  At this moment, a group of people walked by her side and sat down at the table next to her. The leader was a young man who was born with a refined and elegant demeanor, wearing luxurious clothes, and even the servants behind him were dressed in exquisite fabrics.

  Jing Chu Chu suddenly had a thought when she recalled Shen Miao's words "Everyone who comes here is either rich or noble".

  That young man seemed to have also noticed her, his gaze turned this way, and when he saw Jing Chu's appearance, he couldn't help but be taken aback for a moment.

  Jing Chu's white jacket and emerald green skirt, her snowy skin and flower-like face, but most importantly, that gentle and timid demeanor. She glanced at the young man, then quickly lowered her head as if startled. In the capital city, most women are straightforward and dignified due to their royal surroundings, but a Jiangnan girl as delicate and timid as this is rarely seen. The young man's eyes were wide with wonder, and the more ardent his gaze, the lower Jing Chu's head bowed.

  Time slowly passed, and all the dishes were served, but Shen Miao still hadn't arrived. The whole table was empty except for Jing Chu Chu sitting alone. She couldn't eat with no one else there, so she just held her tea cup and took small sips, looking rather bewildered and at a loss.

  Finally, the young master from the neighboring table, dressed in luxurious attire, couldn't help but approach Jing Chu Chu and sit down across from her. In a soft voice, he asked: "Miss, you've been waiting here alone for quite some time, are you waiting for someone?"

  Jing Chu was startled and raised her head to see the other person, instantly blushing, and said in a low voice: "I... I'm waiting for my cousin."

  The young master then asked anxiously: "Why hasn't your cousin come yet? How can you leave your sister alone?"

  Jing Chu's face turned red as she shook her head, seemingly wanting to say something but not daring to. This attitude made others think she was being bullied. The young master thought for a moment and said, "In that case, I have nothing better to do either. Why don't I just stay here and wait with you?"

  "No, don't bother." Jing Chu Chu hastily said: "Young master, why must..."

  "It doesn't matter," the man said with a smile. "If you sit here alone, there might be some trouble if someone with ill intentions comes over. It's better that I stay with you."

  His words were gentle, and his face wore a refined and courteous smile, making it easy for people to have a good impression of him. Jing Chu Chu lowered her head and said, "Then thank you, young master."

  "You don't look like you're from Beijing." he asked.

  "I, I am a Suzhou native." Jing Chu said. The two of them started talking like this, and the young man was very good at speaking, just a few words made Jing Chu's face flush with a smile, although he looked a bit shy, his attitude towards the person gradually became more intimate. The young man talked about some interesting things that had happened to him, and it seemed that he had been to many places, and his family was quite wealthy, so Jing Chu smiled even deeper.

  The other elegant room of the Happy Building, through the carved flower window, can just barely see that table clearly. Bai Lu said: "Miss Biao and an unfamiliar stranger can talk for so long." But in her words, she looked down on them.

  "That's no ordinary man." Shen Miao said calmly, propping her chin with one hand.

  "Does the young lady know that gentleman?" Xue Jiang Qi asked, and the guards who were guarding the house also looked surprised. Shen Miao left Jing Chu Chu alone there and changed to another place to sit by herself, as if it was just to let Jing Chu Chu talk to that man, now hearing Shen Miao's words, did she know that man too?

  Shen Miao smiled slightly, but didn't say anything.

  "I said," in another room of the Happy Building, Ji Yu Shu's eyes were about to pop out: "She won't know Sun Cai Nan, will she?"

  "Sun Cai Nan, although the only legitimate son of Sun Tian Zheng, has never been in office since birth. He was raised in the mansion and only knew how to eat, drink and have fun, a prodigal son who had never even set foot in Guangwen Hall. How did Shen Miao know him?" Gao Yang glanced over.

  "Are you kidding me? You think this is a coincidence?" Ji Yushu exclaimed, "This is no coincidence! Even an idiot can see that Miss Shen deliberately let Sun Cai Nan meet her so-called cousin who came out of nowhere."

  "When did I say it was a coincidence?" Gao Yang snapped open his fan with a "pa" sound, and shook it in an affected manner: "But I think she's not just familiar with Sun Cai Nan, but also knows the position that Sun Cai Nan likes. Don't you find it strange?" Gao Yang stroked his chin: "Shen Miao is just a young lady from a respectable family, how come she seems to know more than Bai Xiao Sheng? She knows everything, and I suspect she might even know something we don't."

  "You'd better not slander Bai Xiaosheng." Ji Yu Shu retorted, "Miss Shen was never an ordinary person to begin with. You and I have been monitoring Miss Shen's movements all day, if Xie San Ge finds out, he'll definitely scold us for being idle."

  "It's more interesting to watch her than others." Gaoyang looked at Jing Chuchu, who was chatting with Sun Cai Nan outside, and asked: "Why don't you guess what her purpose is in doing this?"

  Ji Yu thought for a moment: "She wants to be a matchmaker for Sun Cai Nan and her cousin?"

  "When have you ever seen Shen Miao being so kind?" Gao Yang poured cold water on him without hesitation.

  "What's going on?" Ji Yushu asked, exasperated.

  "Has there been any contact between the Minister of the Board of War and the Shen family recently?" Gao Yang leaned on his fan, deep in thought.

  Upstairs at the Happy Pavilion, Jing Chuchu and Sun Cainan chatted for a long time, their conversation becoming more and more harmonious. To those who didn't know them, they seemed like a pair of heavenly matches made in heaven. After a while, several Shenfu guards walked up to Jing Chuchu and said: "Miss, your clothes are not fitting well, it's spoiling the fun, we've already paid the bill with the shopkeeper, and left first. Please let us follow orders to protect Miss, after Miss finishes eating, we'll send Miss back to the mansion."

  Jing Chu Chu was slightly surprised: "Did Fifth Sister leave first?"

  The guard nodded.

  "Miss Shen Wu, how can you just leave him alone like this?" Sun Cai Nan said with a sense of injustice. He had already learned from Jing Chu Chu that the cousin they were waiting for was Shen Wu's fifth daughter, Shen Miao. As for Shen Miao, Sun Cai Nan didn't know much about her, only that she was a silly and foolish girl who chased after Ding Wang. Now it seemed that this Shen Miao was not only foolish but also liked to bully others with her power.

  He wanted to be the master of tender love, how could Jing Chu waste his good intentions, so he immediately lowered his head and said: "Then I'll go back now."

  "Hey, how can this be?" Sun Cai Nan immediately said: "Now going back, isn't it a waste of all the good dishes on this table? The food and wine in Kaifeng Tower have never been thrown away like this before." He looked at Jing Chuchu who was at a loss, smiled and said: "How about this, if Miss doesn't mind, I'm willing to accompany Miss for dinner." With a gentlemanly demeanor: "All your guards are here, after finishing the meal, they can send you back, how's that?"

  "This......" Jing Chu Chu felt somewhat dazed.

  "Since we've met, you and I are destined to be together. Since we're destined to be together, let's not waste this opportunity given by heaven." Sun Cai Nan spoke eloquently: "From the moment I saw you today, Miss, I felt as if I had seen an old friend. That's why I'm talking to you now. I don't know if you'll accept my proposal, but I hope you'll grant me this favor."

  After hesitating for a moment, Jing Chu Chu finally nodded hesitantly: "Then... let's do as you say, young master."

  The two of them began to truly dine and converse together. In a distant private room, Shen Miao gazed at the pair, a cold smile slowly rising to her lips.

  Sun Cai Nan was a familiar figure, and in his previous life, he had given Shen Qiu a huge green hat. Shen Qiu was young and vigorous, and with one leg dragging behind him, he killed Sun Cai Nan in one breath. Only later did he realize that Sun Cai Nan was the only son of the Minister of Justice. This was because Sun Cai Nan was unlearned and untalented, and relied on his good looks and smooth talk to seduce women everywhere, whether they were young girls or married women. Sun Tian Zheng was afraid of being impeached by the censor, so he never allowed Sun Cai Nan to go out, which is why very few people knew him.

  But in this life, Sun Cai Nan would recognize her even if she turned into ashes.

  Sun Cai Nan liked soft and weak Jiangnan women, otherwise he wouldn't have dared to sleep with Shen Qiu's woman in his previous life.

  "Sun Cai Nan, Jing Chu Chu, this predestined relationship that I have personally brought about for the two of you, don't disappoint me."