Reborn Young Lady's Peerless Grace

On the other side, Du Zhijie played a tune on the flute and put it down, but his heart was still restless for a long time.

At first, he was just worried that Shen Wanqing was at a disadvantage, so he wanted to help her. However, he didn't expect that her piano skills were so superb. The melodious flute sound seemed to still echo in the air, and he couldn't calm down for a long time.

Originally, he'd thought of helping Shen Wanqing out; after all, in his mind, she was always so fragile, needing protection. But unexpectedly, when his flute began to play, Shen Wanqing's zither melodies harmonized so naturally with it, not only matching the beat but even taking control, propelling the melody to its climax. In that moment, he felt as if he'd found a soulmate, and his curiosity about Shen Wanqing intensified.

Xiao Chenyang, standing by, couldn't help but exclaim in admiration, "This Fourth Miss Shen's zither skills are truly superb. I never expected that." A hint of thought flashed through his eyes as he continued, "However, I'm afraid the Crown Prince has other motives for attending this Hundred Flowers Banquet this time."

"Don't speculate on the prince's thoughts at will, and don't speak nonsense." Du Zhijie's eyes turned slightly cold, and he put away the jade flute in his hand.

When he turned his head, there was a sharp look in his eyes and a cold smile appeared at the corner of his lips.

"In my opinion, the prince might be looking for a girl for the Eastern Palace. There are many talented women at today's Hundred Flowers Banquet. Maybe his target is today's winner." Xiao Chenyang didn't care and continued to analyze his thoughts.

When Du Zhijie heard this, his expression suddenly changed. Without saying anything, he walked out, saying only, "Let's go watch the fight."

Xiao Chenyang looked at his hurried back and couldn't help muttering, "You're not just watching the battle, you're more like going into the arena to kill the enemy." As he said that, he hurriedly chased after him.

At this moment, the girls were engaged in an intense chess competition. The prince had not yet arrived, and the entire venue was silent. Everyone was completely focused on the chess game before them, and the crisp sound of the pieces dropping could be heard.

Xiao Chenyang and Du Zhijie approached quietly, trying not to make any noise so as not to disturb the girls who were concentrating.

In order to make his purpose less obvious, Xiao Chenyang first went to take a look at Shen Wanxiu's chess game. Seeing that her situation was stable, he felt relieved. Then the two of them came to the chess game between the two sisters of the Shen family.

Shen Wanqing was concentrating on thinking about the chess game when she suddenly noticed someone behind her. Her body tensed up involuntarily and her mind became a little distracted.

Here, Shen Wanru was already impatient and urged, "Shen Wanqing, can you do it? Don't delay."

Shen Wanqing had been deliberately backing down, hoping to finally slap Shen Wanru in the face, leading her to believe she had no chess skills. Consequently, Shen Wanru's moves became increasingly reckless and haphazard, leaving numerous flaws in her game. However, with Du Zhijie and the others watching, Shen Xunqi, fearing her tactics would be seen through, decided to fight swiftly without further delay. With a single move, she focused her gaze and instantly destroyed Shen Wanru's position, capturing a significant portion of her opponent's pieces.

Shen Wanru was so angry that her eyes turned red, but she could only suppress it, thinking to herself: "This damn Shen Wanqing must have had some shit luck today."

Shen Wanqing feigned an innocent air, her face playing the part of an accidental success. Shen Wanru, thrown off balance by this sudden change, lost her pace, her mindset instantly shattered, and her subsequent moves were completely haphazard. Shen Wanqing, however, handled the situation with ease, and soon won the game. Shen Wanru's black pieces were surrounded by the white pieces, leaving her powerless to fight back.

After the game ended, Xiao Chenyang stepped forward and announced loudly, "Shen Wanqing won!"

Many people who had already decided the winner gathered together to watch the fun after hearing this announcement.

Shen Wanru was so angry that she gripped the chess pieces so tightly that her nails almost dug into her flesh. When she stood up, her foot was tripped by the hem of her skirt and her body fell sideways onto the chessboard, messing up the pieces.

Shen Wanqing quickly reached out to support her, and said sincerely, "Sister, it was all my luck that I won five moves from you. I'm so grateful for that."

Everyone then realized that Shen Wanqing won so beautifully, while Shen Wanru lost so miserably.

"This Fourth Miss Shen is truly a hidden talent."

"Ms. Shen's chess skills are far inferior to those of Fourth Miss Shen."

After one round of games, a group of winners have been identified, and a second round of games will begin.

However, Shen Wanru was eliminated early and could no longer participate in the next competition. She could only watch unwillingly from the side.

The girls finished their previous round of chess competition and started drawing lots again, preparing to start a new game. Xiao Chenyang and Du Zhijie were invited to serve as referees to ensure fairness and justice in the competition.

At this time, a lively young lady suggested: "It's so boring to just play chess. Why don't we play some prizes, so it will be more exciting." Her suggestion was immediately responded to by the other girls, and the atmosphere on the scene instantly became more lively.

The young lady's eyes fell on the smooth and transparent jade pendant on Du Zhijie's waist. A look of admiration flashed in her eyes. She said, "Mr. Du, how about using the jade pendant on your waist as a prize?"

Everyone's eyes turned to Du Zhijie's jade pendant, and Shen Wanqing also looked at it. In that moment, as if time had flown back, she recalled her past life. Back then, this jade pendant had been a token of their love, a symbol of their past life. However, in her past life, she had failed to cherish it and ultimately missed out on this fate. Thinking of this, Shen Wanqing felt a surge of regret and sadness.

Just as Shen Wanqing was lost in her memories, Du Zhijie suddenly turned and looked at her. His deep eyes seemed to hold a different emotion. Shen Wanqing was drawn to his gaze, as if everything around her had vanished, leaving only the two of them staring at each other. In Du Zhijie's eyes, she seemed to see anticipation, concern, and a subtle hint of nervousness.

Shen Wanqing's heart skipped a beat. She was determined to win the competition in this life and get the jade pendant, as if that would make up for the regrets of her past life. She was about to respond when she was interrupted by a loud male voice.

"Haha, this is a good idea, Brother Du, just agree to it!" Xiao Chenyang couldn't help but joked.

This sudden interruption brought Shen Wanqing back to her senses instantly. She looked at Xiao Chenyang, who had interrupted her, with some annoyance.

By this time, the atmosphere at the scene was already extremely lively. The girls were excitedly discussing the rules and prizes of the competition, with laughter and discussions intertwined.

"It would be great if I could win Master Du's jade pendant!"

"I wonder who has this luck and ability!"

“This game is going to be exciting!”

Shen Wanqing stood aside silently, secretly encouraging herself in her heart. She told herself that this time, she couldn't miss it no matter what.