???

Yu Qingwu stared in the direction Xie Jin Yan was pointing, and was immediately stunned.

At the head table, a young noblewoman in a dark blue brocade robe was chatting and laughing with her maternal grandmother, Old Madam Shen. From time to time, she greeted guests, her words and actions making her seem more like the mistress of the Rongguo Duke's mansion than Xu Shi.

If Yu Qingwu hadn't seen her in South Alley a month ago, wearing a translucent gauze dress and pinned against the wall by Shen Ke in a dissolute manner, it would have been difficult for her to associate such a noblewoman with such dirty deeds.

"Who... is she?" After a long while, Yu Qingwu squeezed out three words from between her teeth.

Xie Jin Yan chuckled softly, not answering, his phoenix eyes looking at the noblewoman in a very ambiguous way.

Perhaps sensing someone watching her, Qin Yiliu suddenly turned her head. Seeing the Crown Prince staring at her, a hint of smugness arose in her heart. She smiled and walked over, holding a wine glass.

"This humble woman, Qin Shi, greets Your Highness the Crown Prince." Her manners were gentle, but her eyes were full of flirtatiousness, not forgetting to seduce men even on such an occasion.

No wonder Shen Ke was so infatuated with her that he disregarded brotherly affection and engaged in such scandalous behavior with her by the roadside.

Xie Jin Yan leisurely sized up Qin Shi's slender waist, his voice dark as he said, "You are Shen Lin's wife?"

The one who was having an affair with Shen Ke was his eldest brother's wife?

Yu Qingwu was shocked. While secretly sizing up Qin Yiliu, her gaze involuntarily froze on the pair of jade pendants on her ears.

Her eyes turned slightly cold, and the hand hidden under the table slowly clenched...

Lost in thought, Qin Yiliu raised her wine glass again and handed it to Xie Jin Yan, saying charmingly, "This humble woman toasts Your Highness."

"The wine is fragrant." Xie Jin Yan smiled and took a small sip, his eyes entangled with Qin Yiliu's fiery gaze, but his breath lingered near Yu Qingwu's ear.

Perhaps influenced by him, Yu Qingwu subconsciously glanced at the wine cup. It was stained with peach-colored lipstick, which Qin Yiliu must have deliberately left.

For Xie Jin Yan to use that cup was equivalent to kissing Qin Yiliu, and Qin Yiliu had been with Shen Ke, Shen Lin...

"Ugh..." A wave of nausea surged in her stomach.

Yu Qingwu got up and went to the outhouse, leaning against a pillar and vomiting violently.

She didn't know how long passed before she slowly stepped out of the outhouse, feeling a sharp pain in her stomach.

"Yu Qingwu!"

*Pa!* As soon as she walked into the courtyard, Shen Rou, Shen Ke's third younger sister, suddenly rushed up and slapped her across the face.

"You slut! You dare to seduce Crown Prince-gege and frame my second brother!"

Shen Rou was dressed in delicate pink robes, her apricot eyes blazing with anger.

Yu Qingwu regained her senses, a hint of anger rising in her eyes. She raised her hand and slapped Shen Rou's pretty face just as hard.

Unlike Shen Rou, who was pampered and spoiled, this slap caused Shen Rou's mouth to bleed directly.

"You... you dare to hit me!" Shen Rou instantly exploded.

Yu Qingwu sneered, "What if I hit you! Don't you deserve it?"

"Slut! Go to hell!" Shen Rou roared and lunged forward, trying to pull Yu Qingwu's hair.

Yu Qingwu grabbed her hair first and slammed her head against a withered tree.

Shen Rou was no match for Yu Qingwu at all. In no time, she was disheveled and battered.

Yu Qingwu clapped her hands and prepared to return to the front hall.

As she turned around, she froze.

Not even ten feet away, Shen Ke, Shen Lin, Xie Jin Yan, and Qin Yiliu stood there, watching her coldly.

"What's going on here? A-Wu meimei, why are you bullying Third Sister?" Qin Yiliu spoke first, lowering her eyes to scan Yu Qingwu, a hint of resentment flashing in her eyes.

As a woman, Yu Qingwu keenly noticed the expression on Qin Yiliu's face.

Why would Shen Rou suddenly run over and hit her for no reason? And Xie Jin Yan and the others just happened to appear here. It was likely that this woman was involved.

She didn't know why Qin Yiliu was targeting her, but Yu Qingwu had always been one to repay an eye for an eye.

Yu Qingwu didn't answer. Her eyes were filled with tears as she slowly walked towards Shen Lin, pushing Qin Yiliu aside with force. She gently shook Shen Lin's arm and called out to him in a delicate voice, "Da Biao-ge (older male cousin), you used to love A-Wu the most. You will protect A-Wu, right?"

In an instant, Qin Yiliu's face turned green, and Shen Ke's face darkened.

Yu Qingwu seemed to see a hint of anger in Xie Jin Yan's eyes.

"Alright, today is Grandmother's birthday banquet, no fighting allowed!" Shen Lin shook off her hand and looked at Shen Rou on the ground, saying in a deep voice, "Rou'er, go wash up."

"And you, A-Wu, what do you look like?" Shen Lin was the eldest brother of the family, and he had some prestige. Hearing him say this, Shen Rou didn't dare to act rashly again.

Yu Qingwu bumped into Qin Yiliu hard, deliberately stepping on her moon-white embroidered shoes, and turned around to return to Xiaozhu Courtyard.

She hadn't suffered any losses in the fight with Shen Rou, but she was covered in dirt, and the smell on her body wasn't pleasant after vomiting.

As soon as she entered the door, Yu Qingwu fetched a basin of clean water and carefully washed herself. Then, she took out a change of clothes.

"Shijie (senior martial sister) has become capable? Seducing other men in front of me?" A low, hoarse male voice filled with danger entered her ears. Yu Qingwu's body trembled violently, and she wanted to push the person away.

The man seemed to sense her intention, and his large hand pinched her smooth, slender waist hard, mumbling, "Am I not satisfying you enough?"

*Hiss...* The sharp, burning pain in her shoulder made Yu Qingwu frown. She sucked in a breath and whispered, "Xie Jin Yan, it hurts."

"Call me what?" Xie Jin Yan chuckled softly, his hands becoming even more ruthless as he gritted his teeth and said, "Call me properly!"