Qi Zhenzhen was stunned for a moment. Even though she had weathered many storms, she was shocked by Ruining’s illogical reasoning. How could not giving her good food be related to Gu Sinian? And as for her… Qi Zhenzhen subconsciously glanced down. Well, she hadn't developed much. But what did that have to do with her? The original owner had lived a hard life and missed the best time for development; she hadn't wanted that either!
Qi Zhenzhen stared at Ruining angrily, while Ruining looked smug.
“Ruining, has anyone ever told you that you’re not very cute when you act like this?” Qi Zhenzhen said, dejected.
“Yan Qi taught me that surprise is the key to victory. How can cuteness be more important than food?” Ruining said cheerfully.
Qi Zhenzhen looked at Ruining with a mournful expression. “You’ve been corrupted by her.”
The girls in the room were in a playful uproar, their laughter echoing.
“Alright, alright, I won’t tease you anymore,” Ruining said, admitting defeat first due to lack of stamina.
“You were quite energetic just now,” Qi Zhenzhen seized the opportunity for revenge.
Ruining giggled, gasping for breath. “There’s something I’m sure you’ll want to hear. If you tickle me again, I won’t tell you.”
Qi Zhenzhen stopped, leaning back against a bolster pillow, tidying her slightly messy hair. “Go ahead, and if it’s not what I want to hear, I don’t mind continuing.”
Ruining picked up her milk tea and took a sip, moistening her throat. “Shen Zhixin is being proposed to.”
Qi Zhenzhen blinked before realizing who Ruining was talking about.
She narrowed her eyes, a picture of that spirited girl appearing in her mind. If it weren’t for that girl named Yingying, they might have become friends.
“What’s wrong with being proposed to? It’s normal at her age, isn’t it?” Qi Zhenzhen said calmly.
Ruining nodded. “Yes, it’s normal, but the twists and turns involved…”
Ruining smiled slyly. “Anyway, I think if this got out, it would definitely be considered a strange tale of the capital in recent years.”
If it got out, it meant the twists and turns were currently unknown.
Ruining had brought it up specifically, so something interesting must have happened.
Qi Zhenzhen gestured for her to continue with her eyes.
Ruining cleared her throat. “Madam Shen is looking at the grandson of Grand Scholar Yang, Yang Feiran, for Shen Zhixin. He is famous in the capital for his talent, truly a paragon of literary brilliance. Rumor has it that if he were to take the imperial examinations, the position of third-place scholar would be his for the taking.”
This meant that Yang Feiran was not only knowledgeable but also good-looking. Historically, the third-place scholar was not only chosen for their academic achievements but also for their handsome appearance and younger age.
The Shen family was a military household, and it was unexpected that they would choose a scholar when marrying off their daughter. Scholars often found military men to be crude, and military men found scholars to be frail. It was truly unexpected that the Shen family would consider the Yang family.
“Go on.”
Ruining nodded. “Yang Feiran is very handsome. Don’t worry, not as handsome as Brother Anian. Among the noble scions of the capital, Brother Anian is the most handsome. Even my brother can’t compare to Brother Anian!”
Qi Zhenzhen rolled her eyes. Ruining was truly Gu Sinian’s number one fan girl, constantly reminding people of Gu Sinian’s presence.
“Get to the point,” Qi Zhenzhen had to remind her.
“Brother Anian’s handsomeness is the point,” Ruining emphasized deliberately.
Qi Zhenzhen’s face darkened, and she looked at Ruining mournfully. “Weren’t you talking about the Shen family looking for a match for Shen Zhixin?”
“Oh, right, let’s continue. We’ll talk about Brother Anian later,” Ruining smiled and went on. “The elders of the Shen and Yang families were very enthusiastic about the marriage. The two families had met several times privately. You understand, this contact involved both sets of elders bringing Yang Feiran and Shen Zhixin. From these frequent interactions, it could be seen that Shen Zhixin and Yang Feiran likely had mutual affection. If nothing went wrong, they would be betrothed and then married.”
The phrase “if nothing went wrong” indicated that something had indeed gone wrong.
Qi Zhenzhen remained silent, listening quietly as Ruining continued.
“Well, speaking of which, it’s time for Miss Yingying to make her appearance.” Ruining’s tone shifted. “That Miss Yingying, it’s said she followed along the entire time, claiming Shen Zhixin was her good sister and she wanted to help vet the suitor. Madam Shen thought Yingying was meticulous, so she always brought her along. But somehow, one day Yingying and Shen Zhixin ended up in the same bed, and when they were discovered, their clothes were disheveled, and the bed was in a mess.”
Although Qi Zhenzhen knew Yingying had designs on Shen Zhixin, she hadn’t expected her to be so bold. After all, this was ancient times, and tolerance for such matters was low. Was she making a desperate gamble because Shen Zhixin was about to get married?
Li Nuan, standing nearby, gasped in surprise and then covered her mouth, looking incredulous. This was simply too shocking to believe!
Ruining was quite pleased with Li Nuan’s reaction and continued, “Somehow, this matter was leaked to the Yang family. The Yang family found it unacceptable and did not wish to proceed with the engagement. The Shen family adopted a very humble posture, and Madam Yang’s wet nurse examined Shen Zhixin’s virginity mark and personally verified it. Only then did the Yang family not insist on breaking off the engagement, but they required the Shen family to handle the matter properly and ensure it did not leak out.”
The Yang family was, after all, a prominent noble clan with a good reputation. If scandals about the granddaughter-in-law were to spread, it would not only shame the Shen family but also the Yang family.
“Did this matter leak out? Or did Yingying deliberately spread the news?” Qi Zhenzhen asked curiously.
“No, no, no,” Ruining shook her head like a rattle drum. “After such an incident, the Shen family naturally took Yingying into custody. She was an orphan, with only one or two maids, and her food and clothing were all provided by the Shen family. When the Shen family was angry, they dared not help Yingying. Yingying was completely alone. According to Madam Shen’s wishes, such a person could not be kept; as long as she was kept, there would be a risk of leakage in the future. But General Shen and Shen Zhixin disagreed. Yingying’s father had saved General Shen’s life on the battlefield. Now that both parents were deceased, and only Yingying remained, he had to help take care of her no matter what happened. Shen Zhixin was simply kind-hearted. She was angry at first, but she had taken care of Yingying since childhood, and this care had become a habit. So when Yingying cried to her, she softened. Neither father nor daughter allowed Madam Shen to punish Yingying, so the matter could only end with her being kept under watch.”
“Did the Yang family refuse to continue the engagement because the Shen family did not punish Yingying?” This time it was Li Nuan who asked curiously. She had never been very interested in such rumors, but she couldn’t resist the urge to know the details because the story Ruining was telling was too bizarre.
“No, although the Yang family was somewhat unwilling. But because Yang Feiran was very fond of Shen Zhixin, they endured it. They thought that if the engagement was settled quickly, and Shen Zhixin married into the Yang family, she would be far away from Yingying, and perhaps nothing would happen. The Shen family also thought so, believing that as long as the two were not together, nothing would happen.” Ruining continued, “Unfortunately, these were all their assumptions. Yingying was truly resourceful and did something even more outrageous.”