Disguised as a man, she became the biggest villain in the book.

Lin Wanwan's descent into darkness and her various self-destructive actions made people like Lin Zongzheng feel ashamed before the Emperor and disgraced, further solidifying the imperial faction. This was something Zheng Luoqi did not want to see, as the imperial faction gained more power, posing another threat to the Prime Minister's Mansion.

Zheng Luoqi really doesn't understand. In the original novel, when Lin Changsheng saw his daughter die tragically, he didn't think about revenge, but felt ashamed. What kind of behavior is that?

Anyway, Zheng Luoqi looks down on this kind of person.

After an incense stick had burned, the shopkeeper tallied the votes and found that Wen Nanwan lost to Lin Qianning by a margin of more than ten votes.

Wen Nanwan's face turned deathly pale as she looked at the results before her. Her eyes widened as she stared at the vote count in disbelief, as if trying to see right through it.

"Impossible... How could I lose?" Wen Nanwan murmured to herself, her voice trembling. She couldn't accept this fact and felt as if she had suffered an unprecedented blow.

Lin Wanwan laughed smugly, "Haha! Didn't expect that, did you? My sister is so amazing!"

She turned to look at Lin Qianning, her eyes filled with pride and joy. Lin Qianning, on the other hand, seemed a little embarrassed, but couldn't help but smile.

Lin Wanwan then looked provocatively in the direction of Wen Nanwan and Chen Xianlin, her lips curling up slightly as she said sarcastically, "Miss Lin, Miss Wen, many people witnessed what happened today. Don't go back on your word. Remember our bet."

Wen Nanwan never imagined she would lose! Losing to Lin Wanwan was bad enough, but the worst part was having to be her maid for a month! And she was the one who made the bet, wasn't this a slap in her own face? Thinking about this, Wen Nanwan wanted to slap herself for being so foul-mouthed.

Wen Yixuan stood aside watching everything unfold. He had thought it was just a simple competition, but who knew it would escalate like this? He wanted to step in and try to stop it; after all, they were all girls, and there was no need to go so far. However, just as he was about to speak, Pei Wenyu stopped him.

Pei Wenyu said coldly, "They should accept the consequences of their bet. There's no need to dissuade them. They made the bet themselves, and going back on their word would be a loss of class."

Upon hearing this, Wen Yixuan frowned, feeling somewhat displeased, but he remained silent.

Seeing this, Lin Zifeng stepped forward to persuade Lin Wanwan: "Sister, aren't you going too far? Anyway, you've already won, so let this matter pass. Wen Taiwei's daughter is of noble status, it's really inappropriate to have her as your maid."

Upon hearing this, Lin Wanwan immediately became furious. She glared at Lin Zifeng and said angrily, "Brother, she made the bet, she set the stakes, and she insisted that we couldn't go back on our word. Now you're telling me to let her go? Besides, she was the one who bumped into me this morning and didn't even apologize. Am I wrong for winning against her?"

"Sister, you know that's not what I meant," Lin Zifeng said quickly, realizing that Lin Wanwan had misunderstood him. "I just felt that it was inappropriate for Miss Wen and Miss Chen to be maids in our household, since they are both prominent figures in the capital."

Chen Xianlin hadn't expected to lose three out of four games. She blamed herself for being too arrogant, thinking that just because she had beaten Lin Wanwan last time, the noble ladies of the capital were nothing special. She had underestimated these noble ladies who had been pampered and spoiled in their boudoirs for many years.

At this moment, Chen Xianlin was also filled with regret. Although she had lost and felt very uncomfortable, she did not show it. On the surface, she remained very calm and said she accepted the fact with equanimity.

Lin Zifeng, who was standing next to her, noticed Chen Xianlin's calm and composed expression and was somewhat surprised. He thought that Chen Xianlin would be angry and furious like Wen Nanwan, but he did not expect her to be so calm. He appreciated her more. After all, it was a shame for a young lady from a good family to become someone else's maid, especially since she was the daughter of two important officials of the court.

Lin Zifeng thought to himself: It seems that this Miss Chen is not as spoiled as other noble ladies. Her calm and composed nature is quite rare.

Wen Yixuan was comforting Wen Nanwan and didn't notice Zheng Luoqi who was standing next to him.

Pei Wenyu noticed Zheng Luoqi. He was very curious about why this Lord Zheng had suddenly come here and why he had suddenly participated in the competition and voting. Was it really just a coincidence that he came here?

He Jinyu had no intention of getting involved; he was just there to watch the excitement and leisurely sipped his tea.

In a private room upstairs, Xue Huaiyu smiled and said, "Lord Ye, it seems you guessed wrong. Miss Chen didn't win this time."

"It was my mistake," Ye Churan replied.

"Lord Ye, can you guess Zheng Luoqi's purpose in coming here?" Xue Huaiyu asked calmly.

"In my humble opinion, Lord Zheng must have been involved in this matter. As for why he wanted Miss Lin to win, I do not know."

"I think he doesn't want Miss Lin to win; he just wants Miss Chen to lose. This competition has only just started today, and he's already received the news and made arrangements so quickly. The Prime Minister's Mansion really has some tricks up its sleeve," Xue Huaiyu said coldly.

downstairs

Lin Zifeng, observing Chen Xianlin's composed demeanor, secretly admired her; this Miss Chen was indeed extraordinary. Suddenly, he felt a gaze upon him, looked up, and saw Zheng Luoqi watching them.

Lin Zifeng was taken aback. He had no interaction with Zheng Luoqi, so why was Zheng Luoqi looking at them?

Just then, the shopkeeper walked over with a big smile and asked warmly, "Gentlemen, you must be tired after sitting here for so long, right? Would you like to stay and have something to eat before you leave? We have all kinds of delicious dishes to satisfy your appetite!"

Chen Xianlin smiled and replied, "Thank you for your kindness, but we have other things to take care of, so we won't trouble you."

Wen Nanwan was extremely depressed after losing the competition and had no appetite. She stood up without a word, turned, and left. Before leaving, Lin Wanwan smugly reminded Wen Nanwan, "Don't forget our bet! I'm really looking forward to seeing you at the Lin residence tomorrow!"

Hearing this, Wen Nanwan turned ashen with anger and left without looking back. Wen Yixuan, worried about his sister, quickly chased after her. Chen Xianlin hesitated for a moment, but ultimately decided to follow.

Lin Wanwan was in a great mood and immediately offered to treat Chen Ruoyao and Lin Qianning to a delicious feast. The two were overjoyed.

However, Lin Qianning was preoccupied with Zheng Luoqi's vote. She tried to find him, but was surprised to discover he had already quietly left. Lin Qianning was very curious and wanted to know who Zheng Luoqi had voted for. But too embarrassed to ask directly, she could only speculate and try to get information from the shop owner. Unfortunately, the shop owner remained tight-lipped, insisting that he knew nothing no matter how much she pressed.

Lin Qianning had no choice but to refrain from asking any further questions.