You're the one who wants to marry a mistress, and I'm marrying someone else, yet you still

“Aunt Caiyun, please rise. Your presence would truly enhance the banquet.”

Madam Shen quickly helped the woman up. She had long wanted to get to know this aunt, and fortunately, she had some impression of her in front of the Empress, so she could help Shen Nian'an get a minor official position.

"Madam Shen, you're too kind. And who is this young lady?"

Aunt Caiyun looked at the people around Madam Shen, and the eyes of everyone else at the banquet also turned to her.

Everyone knows that Aunt Caiyun is someone close to the Empress, so naturally, she receives a lot of attention.

The Yong'an Marquis's family has two sons and one daughter, and everyone knows Shen Nianqing.

“Aunt, this is a friend of my second master. His family has encountered some misfortune, so he was brought back to the Shen residence for temporary accommodation.”

Xie Wanru repeated Shen Nian'an's explanation.

Aunt Caiyun clearly didn't believe it after hearing this, but she didn't ask any more questions. After all, she was an outsider to the Shen family affairs and it wasn't appropriate for her to pursue the matter further.

"Oh, that's right."

Then everyone started chatting again, without paying much attention to the gentle woman.

At the height of the banquet, Xie Wanru suddenly suggested, "As you all know, the beauty of plum blossoms lies not only in their form, but also in their noble character. Today, why don't we use plum blossoms as our theme and each showcase our talents?"

Upon hearing this, the guests responded enthusiastically, some reciting poems and painting, others playing music on the zither. In an instant, the plum garden was filled with poetic charm and melodious music, as if even the air was permeated with the faint fragrance of plum blossoms.

This scene made Fu Rou feel somewhat out of place. She had been separated from her parents since she was young and had lived a poor life. She couldn't appreciate these elegant things and felt a little sleepy.

Shen Yu'er almost fell asleep leaning against her.

All the girls who came were older than her. She was so young, and her family didn't allow her to go out often. Without playmates, she was naturally bored.

Someone quietly approached Xie Wanru and then disappeared, but her expression turned cheerful.

"Dongzhu, Miss Fu seems a little tired, and Yu'er looks sleepy too. Why don't you take them to my room to rest for a while?"

This is exactly the moment she's been waiting for.

Dongzhu was a little unhappy. How could these people sleep in her young lady's room? But since her young lady had made this arrangement, she would do as she was told.

Madam Shen and Aunt Caiyun were having a very pleasant conversation. Madam Shen was looking for Aunt Caiyun to help Shen Nianqing find a good place to stay, so she naturally had no time to care about Fu Rou.

“Miss Fu, my mistress saw that Miss Yu’er was sleepy, so she asked me to take you both to rest. A child cannot be separated from its mother. Once Miss Yu’er is sound asleep, I will send someone to relieve you.”

Dongzhu's words were perfectly plausible; she wasn't trying to deceive the child, nor was she trying to deceive Fu Rou alone. Fu Rou didn't think much of it, because Yu'er was indeed sleepy and was swaying unsteadily.

She either had to go to Xie Wanru's place to rest for a while, or she would have to go back. She didn't want to go back like that; she hadn't had the chance to make friends with those young ladies from prominent families yet.

So, led by Dongzhu, Fu Rou and Shen Yu'er passed through the winding corridors and arrived at Xie Wanru's boudoir.

The room was elegantly and warmly decorated. Outside the window was a carefully pruned plum tree. A cold wind blew by, bringing with it a refreshing plum fragrance, which contrasted sharply with the warmth inside.

"Miss Fu, Miss Shen, please rest here for a while. If you need anything, just call us. There will always be someone to serve you outside the door."

After Dongzhu finished speaking politely, she gently closed the door and left, leaving the two of them in the quiet space.

Fu Rou looked around and couldn't help but feel a little envious.

She had never seen such an exquisite residence; every piece of furniture exuded exceptional taste.

Shen Yu'er curiously touched this and looked at that, full of curiosity about everything, and her sleepiness was greatly reduced.

"Mom, this room is so beautiful. I want a room like this when I grow up."

Shen Yu'er's innocent words broke the silence. Fu Rou smiled gently and patted Shen Yu'er's head: "Yes, our Yu'er is so cute, she will definitely have one in the future. Come on, let Mommy lull you to sleep, but don't sleep too long, you silly pig."

Fu Rou picked up her daughter and coaxed her to sleep. Children Shen Yu'er's age need to take a nap every day; it's a routine.

After being coaxed and soothed, Fu Rou also became sleepy, and both mother and daughter fell asleep.

Xu Jing suddenly appeared, carrying a sleeping man on his back.

"Senior sister, this time, you owe me a huge favor."

Xu Jing placed the person on the bed.

There was another person following behind him, Shen Cong'an.

Shen Cong'an took out a porcelain bottle, poured out a few pills, and fed them into the mouth of the unconscious man, Shen Nian'an.

"Grandpa, what... what are you feeding him?"

Xu Jing asked curiously.

"Don't ask, little kid. Let's go."

After feeding Shen Nian'an, Shen Cong'an fed Fu Rou a few more pills.

He got up and saw Shen Yu'er's small body lying next to the two of them. He seemed to feel that it was inappropriate, so he picked up the child and put her in the recliner next to him before he and Xu Jing quietly left.

With everything prepared and the doors and windows closed, Xu Jing blew in the sleeping powder to help him regain consciousness before leaving.

The flower viewing party was attended by young ladies and wives, and since it was inconvenient for Xu Jing, a man, to get close, he gestured to Xie Wanru from a distance.

Get it done.

Xie Wanru understood and nodded in satisfaction.

She orchestrated all this precisely to humiliate Fu Rou and Shen Nian'an, that despicable couple, so that everyone in Xuancheng would know about it.

“Aunt Caiyun, you don’t know, there’s a plum tree outside my window that’s blooming beautifully. It’s just that the place is small, so I can only invite a few ladies to come along. I’ll take you and my mother to see it, and then you ladies can come over when you have time. How about that?”

When Xie Wanru made the suggestion, Aunt Caiyun naturally agreed, not wanting to spoil her fun.

Madam Shen also thought Xie Wan's idea was a good one, as it could showcase the scenery of the mansion and allow guests to enjoy a unique plum blossom viewing experience, so she readily agreed.

Led by Xie Wanru, the group walked toward the plum tree outside the window of her courtyard.

Plum Garden is neither large nor small.

On the way, Xie Wanru chatted and laughed with Aunt Caiyun, occasionally mentioning that Shen Nian'an had brought Fu Rou back to the mansion. Her words seemed unintentional, but in fact, every sentence was a prelude to the "surprise" that was about to happen.

Although Aunt Caiyun didn't say much, Shen Nian'an was already somewhat dissatisfied.

Upon arriving at their destination, everyone saw a plum blossom standing proudly in the snow, its petals covered with a thin layer of snow, making it appear even more elegant and refined.

Madam Shen and Aunt Caiyun, along with other ladies, all expressed their admiration.

"It is indeed a unique plum blossom."

Aunt Caiyun praised and nodded in satisfaction.

Madam Shen also felt proud and joined them in appreciating the plum blossoms.

Just as everyone was whispering about the plum blossoms, afraid that their voices would be too loud and knock off the snowflakes, they heard a blush-inducing sound coming from Xie Wanru's boudoir.