Chapter Five: Truly Befitting My Lady

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Shen Yi disliked the female lead from the very beginning. What kind of pampering was that? What does “you are my greatest love” even mean? The two of them should just be locked away together, that’s all!

Yet Shen Yi still lifted her head and looked toward Xiao Huaijin.

“Brother Jin, Yi’er is sorry to you and Sister Jiang Nansheng! Yi’er put a dead rat inside the pastries that Sister Nansheng sent to the Jiang residence. At first, it was only meant to scare Nansheng, but now Yi’er feels she was wrong and shouldn’t have harbored such hostility toward Sister Nansheng. I hope Brother Jin and Sister Nansheng can forgive me!”

Xiao Huaijin hadn’t expected that Shen Yi had actually hidden a dead rat in the food box. Fortunately, her nature was not bad, and she confessed on her own.

Indeed, he had watched Shen Yi grow up and knew her character well!

At that moment, Liu’er hurriedly defended Shen Yi.

“Your Highness, this matter has nothing to do with my lady. It was all Liu’er’s own decision. If Your Highness wishes to punish someone, please punish Liu’er. Liu’er will accept it without complaint!”

Xiao Huaijin smiled after hearing this. He helped Shen Yi to her feet and said, “Alright, Yi’er, I am relieved that you have come to your senses. This matter hasn’t caused any real harm to me or Nansheng. Let it be forgotten! Liu’er, you may rise too.”

“But from now on, do not commit such foolish acts again!”

Shen Yi felt deeply moved inside. Xiao Huaijin was truly kind to her beyond words. Most people would have already triggered his wrath by now.

She felt guilty and said, “Yi’er will never do it again!”

Though she said this, as a vicious supporting character, no one could predict what tricks Shen Yi might pull next. She could only take each step as it came.

This incident happened so fast that even Jiang Nansheng was caught off guard when Shen Yi reported herself.

Only after Xiao Huaijin had forgiven Shen Yi did Jiang Nansheng come back to her senses.

Pointing at Shen Yi, Jiang Nansheng said, “Shen Yi, what game are you playing now? Weren’t you trying to make the relationship between me and my grandmother even worse by using a dead rat? Why have you now confessed to it?”

“Oh, I see. Could it be that you’re playing the martyr’s gambit? As expected of you, Shen Yi, this ploy has truly taken me by surprise. I bet even His Highness has been deceived by you!”

Shen Yi felt exhausted. Jiang Nansheng’s paranoia had gone beyond mere persecution complex—she was downright poisonous!

If she sent a dead rat, it was wrong; if she didn’t, it was still wrong.

So what was she supposed to do? Eat it in front of them?

Seeing Jiang Nansheng losing her temper, Xiao Huaijin grew angry.

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“Enough. This matter ends here. I still have official duties to attend to. You may leave on your own.”

With that, Xiao Huaijin swept his sleeve and left.

It was clear he was truly angry.

Jiang Nansheng called after His Highness several times, but seeing Xiao Huaijin ignore her, she fixed a sharp gaze on Shen Yi.

“Shen Yi, aren’t you feeling very pleased with yourself right now?”

Shen Yi pointed to herself, puzzled.

“Me? Pleased?”

Jiang Nansheng snorted coldly. “Now that no one else is here, you still pretend innocence? I am the proud princess of the Zhan royal mansion, the lawful wife of His Highness, who came in a grand sedan chair for the formal betrothal. The fact that His Highness did not accompany me on my return visit will become the laughingstock of the entire capital. Isn’t this exactly what you wanted?”

Silently, Shen Yi took Liu’er’s hand and left.

She couldn’t afford to provoke the crazy female lead—not at all.

Once outside Jiang Nansheng’s small courtyard, Shen Yi stopped and called out to Liu’er.

Liu’er behind her did not respond.

Shen Yi turned around and saw Liu’er nearly bump into her, looking a bit displeased.

“Little girl, what are you thinking about?”

Liu’er seemed to suddenly understand and smiled.

“Miss, I get it now. You’re really brilliant!”

Brilliant?

How so?

Just as Shen Yi was about to ask, Liu’er said, “At first, I didn’t understand why you would reveal that you put the dead rat in the pastries. After Jiang Nansheng’s reminder, I get it now. I’m on the first floor, Jiang Nansheng is on the third, but you are on the fifth! By confessing yourself, His Highness won’t blame you and will think you have truly repented, overlooking past grievances. Meanwhile, he won’t have to accompany Jiang Nansheng on her return visit, which will create a rift between him and Jiang Nansheng.”

“That’s a triple victory—truly worthy of my lady!”

As she spoke excitedly, Liu’er grabbed Shen Yi’s arm, her face flushed.

Shen Yi chuckled softly. “Thank you!”

Truly, this loyal lackey of hers had an extraordinary talent for flattery.

But was she really that outstanding?

Shen Yi didn’t return to her own quarters but took Liu’er straight to the rouge shop.

Her rouge was running low; she needed to buy some.

Also, she wanted to buy some pastries.

Though the household staff could make them, the original person had preferred the pastries from the Ruyi shop in the southern part of the city.

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Not only were there many varieties, but they were also shaped like animals—very cute.

Besides, now that Shen Yi was in this world, she wanted to understand it better and see if there was any chance to return to her own.

She went first to the rouge shop, where the owner was a woman in her forties who still held an air of charm.

From even a distance, the scent she wore was noticeable—a perfume scent, specifically rose.

Well, the path of perfume was completely blocked for her.

The owner warmly greeted Shen Yi as she entered.

“Oh, Miss Shen, it’s been a while since you last came to my rouge shop. Just in time, a new batch arrived today. Would you like to take a look?”

Shen Yi agreed and followed the owner to see the new rouge.

Indeed, it was good, though the prices were a bit steep!

Fortunately, Shen Yi wasn’t short of money; after all, she was in charge of the entire royal mansion.

All the household’s silver flowed through her hands.

From the original person’s memories, she had embezzled about five hundred taels of gold, one hundred thirty thousand taels of silver, plus some miscellaneous jewelry and paintings worth around seven or eight thousand taels of silver.

In other words, her wealth was quite ample compared to most noble young ladies.

Of course, even though she had embezzled a lot, the mansion had always been managed meticulously without any major issues.

Thinking of this, Shen Yi could not help but admire the original person.

No, not original person—she should call her Heshen.

Though greedy, she was thorough and responsible in her work.

Speaking of which, the main reason she had embezzled so much was her lack of security.

She feared that one day, after Xiao Huaijin married, he would cast her out of the mansion.

So she amassed all that silver as a safeguard.

Now, Shen Yi wanted to leave the mansion herself.

She felt that both Xiao Huaijin and Jiang Nansheng were dangerous people, and the best thing she could do was to distance herself from them early.

So as not to be entangled with them!