The cousin is beautiful but ruthless.

Liang Fangrong was speechless for a moment. She didn't know what to do about Zhou Yurong's matter, so she didn't dare to ask. But Pei Du's attitude towards Shen Hanyu was obviously different.

Shen Hanyu had already left.

When they got to the dinner table, it was the same as before. Since it was a family dinner, Xu Ying didn't want Lin Yun to come, but Lin Yun's shamelessness was truly beyond anyone's expectations.

The old lady glanced at Lin Yun, then turned her gaze to Shen Hanyu.

"Containing jade".

The old lady's face was kind, a departure from her usual demeanor.

Shen Hanyu forced a smile, knowing what the old lady wanted to do.

"Come sit over here with me."

She held Shen Hanyu's hand affectionately, "Child, how did you meet the son of the Founding Duke's Mansion?"

Shen Hanyu replied obediently, "I only found out it was Young Master Pei at the flower viewing banquet, and I haven't seen him much since."

After listening to the old lady's words, the old lady understood that Shen Hanyu was just being perfunctory, but she didn't press for details.

The fact that Pei Du managed to obtain an imperial edict shows he is indeed capable.

Xu Ying concealed the expression in her eyes. Now, Shen Hanyu could be considered to have truly secured a place in the Marquis's mansion.

Liang Ruoyan and Liang Ruochu concealed their unhappiness well, but Liang Ruoxue's was more obvious. She couldn't understand how Pei Du could be interested in Shen Hanyu.

The conditions of the Founding Duke's Mansion were already quite good. Originally, Shen Hanyu was going to become a concubine in the Guangning Earl's Mansion, which she was quite happy to see happen. However, she never expected that someone would suddenly appear out of nowhere, which surprised them all.

With no engagement to Li Jun in sight, Liang Ruoxue lowered her head in sullen silence. After all her hard work, it turned out that Shen Hanyu was the first to arrange an engagement.

Shen Hanyu saw everyone's expressions, but she didn't care much and just ate her food and drank her soup.

The old lady now treats her the same way she did when she first came to the Marquis's mansion, with a hint of ingratiation, wanting to wipe the slate clean of what she had done before.

Shen Hanyu wasn't in a hurry to break off relations. She accepted whatever the old lady asked, except that she replaced the white jade bracelet on her wrist with a pair of jade bracelets from the betrothal gifts.

Seeing how sensible Shen Hanyu was, the old lady felt a little relieved.

She was only eighteen years old, and Liang Fangrong was still in the mansion, so Shen Hanyu was probably unwilling to give her up.

Liang Chengxuan ate a few bites and left the table. Ever since Shen Hanyu and Pei Du got engaged, Liang Chengxuan had become noticeably colder.

At a welcoming banquet, the protagonist changed from Liang Siyu to Shen Hanyu. Liang Siyu didn't complain at all; he didn't care about it.

Shen Hanyu went back, washed up, and lay down on the bed.

Miao Cui blew out the candle and then looked out the window.

She sat outside keeping watch, and the night grew deeper.

A faint fragrance wafted over, and Miao Cui's eyelids drooped as she slowly lay down on the ground.

Someone stepped past Miao Cui and pushed open Shen Hanyu's door.

Miao Cui, who was lying on the ground, lowered the sleeve covering her mouth and nose and opened her eyes.

Shen Hanyu had her back to the doorway. A person hidden in the shadows approached her and extended a hand.

"do not move!"

The cold dagger pressed against the man's neck. Miao Cui watched coldly, recognizing him by the dim light.

Shen Hanyu stood up, dressed neatly, and lit a candle.

Ding Wenxi subconsciously lowered her head, realizing that she had been deceived by Shen Hanyu.

He's doomed.

Holding the candlestick, Shen Hanyu got up and went over.

"Young Master Ding, what a coincidence."

Ding Wenxi's knees buckled, and Miao Cui forced him to kneel before Shen Hanyu.

"If word gets out that you were sneaking into my boudoir at night, I, who have just been betrothed, will lose my head. Ding Wenxi, I remember you once said that a gentleman should have a clear conscience, but now you're doing the work of a petty person."

Ding Wenxi felt even more guilty after being told this. "I was wrong to do this. Please punish me as you see fit, Miss Shen."

"Did Xu Ying send you here?"

"……Yes."

Shen Hanyu put down the candlestick, signaling Ding Wenxi to continue.

"Madam Xu asked me to come here tonight, saying she would create an opportunity for me; if it succeeds, then—"

"So we'll let your elders go home and give you some silver so you can continue your scientific research, shall we?"

Ding Wenxi looked up blankly.

Shen Hanyu knew exactly what Xu Ying had Ding Wenxi say.

“I have already had your elders taken away from Xu Ying’s place. If you leave now, I will spare your life.”

Ding Wenxi's eyes widened, and then he immediately kowtowed.

"Yes, thank you, Miss Shen."

He didn't say whether he believed it or not, but showed it through his actions.

Miao Cui quietly saw Ding Wenxi off; all of this had been arranged that afternoon.

When Miao Cui returned, she heard a commotion in the distance, and the lights in the courtyard over there were on. Miao Cui quickly took a shortcut back to Shen Hanyu's side.

"Is it chaotic outside?"

Shen Hanyu had already taken off her outer clothes and was lying on the bed.

Miao Cui hummed in agreement and stood guard outside, restoring everything to its original state.

After the shout of "Catch the thief!" rang out, Xu Ying led her people to Shen Hanyu's courtyard, where they found Shen Hanyu groggily getting up, and the room empty.

She almost lost her smile.

"Aunt, what's wrong?" Shen Hanyu yawned and leaned against the door.

“There was a thief in the house, which disturbed my mother-in-law. Someone saw the thief coming this way, so I quickly brought people to check.”

Shen Hanyu turned to the side. "So it was a thief. Aunt, you'd better investigate carefully. If the thief is hiding here, I'll be in danger."

She feigned fear, her eyes full of mockery. Xu Ying immediately sensed something was wrong; Ding Wenxi was most likely not here.

Since the words had already been spoken, Xu Ying had no choice but to send someone in to investigate.

After looking around, there was indeed no trace of Ding Wenxi.

Fortunately, Xu Ying had left herself a way out and left with her maid.

"Has Ding Wenxi finished dealing with it?"

Miao Cui nodded, determined not to let anyone find any fault with them.

Ding Wenxi's elders were indeed taken away from Xu Ying's place; Pei Du helped with that, and Shen Hanyu wasn't lying to him.

Once Ding Wenxi is sent away, the rest of the people in the mansion will be easier to deal with.

I can finally get a good night's sleep. I have to go to the girls' school tomorrow, so I can't afford to be late.

Xu Ying was called away by the old lady; it was the middle of the night, and few people were getting a good night's sleep.

"Xu Ying, don't worry about Shen Hanyu."

Xu Ying looked up and realized that what she had done tonight had been exposed.

“Mother-in-law, are we really going to let things between Shen Hanyu and Pei Du continue like this? Shen Hanyu is not unaware of what we did before.”

The old lady was also worried about this.

"Aren't you just angering her even more now? The Emperor has already issued a decree, what else can we do?"

Xu Ying paused for a moment, then said, "But the wedding date hasn't been set yet."

The old lady was a little tired. A lot had happened in the past few days, and she needed to sort it all out and also re-evaluate Shen Hanyu.

However, Xu Ying had a different idea. The old lady knew that Xu Ying was doing this for Liang Ruoyan, but Liang Ruoyan could no longer get through to the Third Prince.