The cousin is beautiful but ruthless.

“Mother, if those young men at the flower-viewing banquet see Shen Hanyu, it’s inevitable that some of them might have designs on her. What if they do?”

This is what Liang Ruoyan is worried about, which is why she doesn't want Shen Hanyu to go.

Xu Ying sighed, realizing that there was no reason to refuse the old lady's words now that she had spoken.

"Don't worry, Shen Hanyu can't compare to you. You are the daughter of the Marquis of Anping." Xu Ying touched Liang Ruoyan's hair. "Now that Shen Hanyu is with us, Liang Fangrong can't make any decisions about her marriage. In the end, it will have to go through me. You should just show your face at the flower viewing banquet. I heard that the young master of the Founding Duke's Mansion and the Third Prince will also be here this time."

Liang Ruoyan was quickly drawn to the two of them.

"Don't the sons of the Founding Duke's Mansion never attend these kinds of banquets? What's the matter with the Third Prince?"

Liang Ruoyan moved closer to Xu Ying and begged her to tell her about the two of them.

In Chang'an, the family background of the founding duke's family is indeed impressive. If Liang Ruoyan had a choice, she would still prefer to become a prince's consort, as that would be truly prestigious.

Xu Ying briefly explained why the two had come, and then instructed Liang Ruoyan not to reveal this to the second branch of the family.

“That Young Master Pei always acts according to his own mood, so he must look down on Shen Hanyu. Even if he did, the Duke would never let her into the family. As for the Third Prince, there’s no need to say more. His Highness has seen countless beauties, so it’s not surprising that Shen Hanyu is like this.”

Xu Ying's words undoubtedly reassured Liang Ruoyan.

"My daughter will definitely do her best at the flower viewing party."

Liang Ruoyan smiled shyly, her eyes sparkling with determination.

Seeing that Liang Ruoyan had regained her confidence, Xu Ying felt relieved. She went through a list of poor families in her mind, intending to make arrangements for Shen Hanyu, but she had no clue what to do for the time being and could only think about it later.

Liang Ruoyan remembered something and whispered, "Mother, I think Second Brother really likes Shen Hanyu."

Xu Ying raised an eyebrow. Liang Sihan, that good-for-nothing?

"Let's not talk about this for now. It's best to let Lin Lihua find out on her own. Otherwise, there will be a lot of trouble."

Lin Lihua cherishes her son the most, and she looks down on Shen Hanyu. If she knew that Shen Hanyu was flirting with Liang Sihan, she definitely wouldn't give Shen Hanyu a kind look.

The flower-viewing banquet came unexpectedly. Liang Fangrong did not go with them; this time, Xu Ying led several young ladies from the Marquis's mansion there.

Shen Hanyu changed into an elegant dress and looked at her face in the bronze mirror. She picked up the box on the table and applied powder to her face and neck.

The delicate powder partially concealed her features, making her skin appear slightly sallow.

Whether it's useful or not, it's always good to make yourself less conspicuous.

When Liang Fangrong came in, she was also somewhat surprised to see Shen Hanyu's expression.

"Miaoyi, what happened to your face?"

Shen Hanyu stood up, "That way I won't stand out too much in the crowd, and my aunt won't grumble about it."

Liang Fangrong felt a lump in her throat, but there was nothing she could do. Shen Hanyu's cautiousness made her realize that the Anping Marquis's mansion was no longer the same as it was before she got married.

Now that all the big and small matters in the mansion are being handled by Xu Ying, they can't possibly steal the limelight from the other young ladies since they're under her roof.

"Good child, you've suffered. Have fun." Liang Fangrong touched Shen Hanyu's face.

Shen Hanyu lowered her eyes and said yes.

As soon as she stepped out the door, Liang Ruochu was waiting for her outside. When she saw her come out, the expression on her face relaxed for a moment.

"Cousin, I'll go with you."

After visiting Shen Hanyu last time, Liang Ruochu's relationship with her became better than with the other two.

Shen Hanyu did not refuse, but she was wary of Liang Ruochu, though she did not show it.

When they arrived at the carriage, Liang Ruoyan was dressed very beautifully today, with the crystal hairpin in her hair being particularly eye-catching, swaying with colorful light in the sunlight.

Judging from Liang Ruoyan's appearance, she must have already learned from Xu Ying that the young master of the Founding Duke's Mansion and the Third Prince were coming.

At the Duke of Kaiguo's mansion, Shen Hanyu recalled the man riding a horse under the setting sun, and the memories of the flower-viewing banquet. This young master Pei hadn't appeared very often.

The women had one carriage, while Liang Siyu and Liang Sihan shared one.

Liang Sihan, holding a folding fan, tried to get closer to Shen Hanyu, but then she heard Liang Siyu's cold voice.

"Where to go?"

Liang Sihan shuddered, shrank her neck, and boarded the carriage, not daring to make a move.

Xu Ying beckoned the girls upstairs, and she also noticed Shen Hanyu's sallow complexion.

It's interesting.

Liang Ruoyan didn't say anything, but Liang Ruoxue couldn't help but laugh and say, "Didn't Chuntao and Chunxi do your makeup properly this morning? You look like this."

Liang Ruochu glanced at Shen Hanyu's expression. Shen Hanyu remained indifferent and showed no reaction to Liang Ruoxue's words.

"Miaoyi looks good like this, but the clothes are too plain. I'll have a servant send them over to you when the fabric is ready."

Xu Ying picked up where Liang Ruoxue left off and brought up the matter of the fabric again.

Liang Ruoxue rolled her eyes. Although Lin Lihua later gave her money to buy clothes from a tailor shop, there was a piece of fabric that she liked the most among the gifts given to Liang Fangrong and her daughter.

Xu Ying's words were like rubbing salt into her wounds, but since Lin Lihua wasn't there today, Liang Ruoxue only said a few words before quieting down, while Shen Hanyu remained as still as a wooden stake from the very beginning.

Liang Ruoyan examined herself in the delicate glass mirror, becoming more and more satisfied with her appearance. Now that Shen Hanyu had disguised herself as ugly, no one would notice her anymore.

The carriage slowly came to a stop. Xu Ying got off first and walked to Liang Siyu's side.

“You’re twenty now, it’s time to seriously consider your marriage. I know you’ve always been a person with your own ideas, so I won’t pressure you. This time, take a good look and get to know each other better; it won’t do you any harm.”

Xu Ying's proudest asset was her son, who held a position in the Hanlin Academy. Countless people in Chang'an envied her, so she carefully selected Liang Siyu's marriage, unwilling to let him suffer any loss.

However, Liang Siyu never showed any interest in what Xu Ying favored, so the matter has been put on hold until now.

Liang Siyu came at Xu Ying's repeated request, and Liang Siyu just gave a perfunctory reply to Xu Ying's words.

Liang Sihan was quite happy to be here. She opened her folding fan and went inside.

Some flowers had already bloomed in early spring. Shen Hanyu looked around and saw many familiar faces.

Liang Ruochu gently grasped Shen Hanyu's sleeve and walked alongside her. Liang Ruochu never liked coming to places like this because she always ran into certain people.

The people of Dayong are open-minded. Everywhere you look, you'll see groups of young women or young men sizing each other up. Some of them will boldly go over and greet each other, while others will shyly exchange glances.

"Madam Xu, you've finally arrived."

A woman walked over and affectionately took Xu Ying's hand. She was Sun Qinghe, the person who hosted the flower viewing party.