Chapter 66 Just Give a Hint

Li Rou looked up at Pan Yueqing gratefully, reached out and touched Pan Yueqing's hand. A smile on her face, but before she could say "thank you", Luo Shui's announcement came from the door: "Miss, the Fourth Miss is here."

Pan Yueqing and Li Rou had just sat on the warm kang. The curtain was lifted a little, and there was Pan Lianshan, wearing a festive and lovely peach-colored cheongsam with a bright red auspicious square-patterned robe over it. The pure gold necklace made her face look even more charming. She entered the room a bit shyly, raised her eyes to meet Pan Yueqing's, smiled slightly, then lowered her head and greeted them softly: "Second Sister, Auntie Li."

Pan Yueqing raised her eyebrows slightly, stood up and reached out to help Pan Lianshan up. She took her hand and led her to sit on the warm kang, smiling to show her welcome. Then she ordered Luo Shui: "Hurry up and serve tea for the Fourth Miss?"

"Second Sister... No, no... There's no rush," Pan Lianshan was a bit overwhelmed by the favor. She quickly reached out to stop Luo Shui beside Pan Yueqing. But Pan Yueqing pressed her back to the original seat before she could. "Since you're here with your Second Sister, don't be too polite. Luo Shui! Bring the water jelly fruits bought from Changxian Pavilion this morning and serve them to the Fourth Miss as well."

Hearing Luo Shui's response from afar, Pan Yueqing touched Pan Lianshan's slightly chubby hand. Li Rou looked at Pan Yueqing and Pan Lianshan with a kind gaze, and her smile was sincere. "You sisters haven't sat together and chatted like this for so many years. It's really a rare opportunity today. Fourth Miss, you must have a good chat with your Second Sister." After saying that, she got up on her own, nodded slightly to Pan Yueqing and Pan Lianshan, and said, "There are honored guests in the mansion tonight. I'll go and prepare the dinner and other matters first."

"Auntie, be careful..." Pan Lianshan, sitting beside Pan Yueqing, looked up at Li Rou with a worried expression and gave her a reminder after hearing Li Rou's words. Li Rou smiled, curtsied halfway, and then turned and left.

"Fourth Sister, you don't usually come here without a reason. I'm sure you have something to say today?" Pan Yueqing smiled and watched Li Rou leave. The two of them were silent for a while. Until Luo Shui lifted the curtain and brought in a long plate with four crystal-clear water jelly fruits on it. There were also some cooked soybean powder and brown sugar sauce drizzled beside them. Pan Yueqing picked up the small silver spoon beside it and handed it to Pan Lianshan, motioning for her to try it. And she continued the previous topic: "You can just say it."

Pan Lianshan raised her eyes, as if she had mustered up the courage: "That day in the Princess of Anbei's mansion, did Second Sister already know that Xia Yang was the person beside Third Sister? I've been thinking these days that if the person Third Sister was dealing with that day was me instead of Second Sister, I would have been at a loss and could only swallow the slander... Lian'er really admires you so much!"

Pan Yueqing raised her eyebrows. Hearing Pan Lianshan's flattering words, she had a smile on her face, but it was hard to tell whether she was happy or angry. "Auntie said that there will be honored guests coming to the mansion today?"

"Yes. I heard it's Imperial Censor Shen and the Second Young Master and Third Young Master of the Shen family." Pan Lianshan blinked her eyes, looking completely innocent as she slightly rested her chin in her hand. She frowned and looked at Pan Yueqing with a puzzled expression. "Why are you asking this, Second Sister?"

"Fourth Sister, what do you think Third Sister will think if she knows this news?" Pan Yueqing used her slender fingers to hold the silver spoon that was wiped clean and could reflect people's shadows. She rolled the water jelly fruit in the soybean powder several times, and said casually: "The Shen family is the empress's maternal family..."

Pan Lianshan's almond-shaped eyes widened in shock, and she swallowed hard. She looked at Pan Yueqing rather ignorantly and said: "But Father will definitely not let her go! Auntie said that for a woman, going without permission is considered lacking in manners..."

"Yes, Father won't let her go," Pan Yueqing rested her chin in her hand and smiled playfully. "But if a person really wants something, she will definitely try every means to get it." After saying that, she picked up the kumquat tea on the small table, blew on the steam, and her eyes involuntarily turned to Pan Lianshan. "Fourth Sister, have some snacks?"

In the meantime, in the Imperial Censor Shen's residence, ever since Shen Ping'an left the Princess of Anbei's residence, the mocking and unyielding look in Pan Yueqing's eyes and the back view of her walking with Qi Liulang had been lingering in his mind. All these things stirred up his emotions. As soon as he left the Princess of Anbei's residence, he went straight to a tavern and drank four or five jars of wine. Now, reeking of alcohol, he bumped into Imperial Censor Shen Xinchang, who had just finished tidying his clothes and was about to get into the carriage.

"Where have you been again?" Shen Xinchang looked up at Shen Ping'an, whose steps were still a bit unsteady. His eyes unconsciously furrowed, and he couldn't help but look at Shen Pingji behind him in annoyance. "Didn't you say he has a bit of a cold today?"

Shen Pingji quickly bowed, and then, using his long sleeves to cover his eyes, he kept winking at Shen Ping'an.

Shen Ping'an didn't have a high alcohol tolerance originally. Now he was already quite drunk and couldn't pay attention to Shen Pingji's winks at all. He stepped forward and laughed heartily at Shen Xinchang. He even reached out and hooked Shen Xinchang's neck as if chatting casually: "Where are you going, Sir? Can you take me with you?"

"Ping'an! You're drunk!" Seeing that the situation was not good, Shen Pingji quickly stepped forward to grab Shen Ping'an's hand, put his arm around Shen Ping'an's waist, and pulled him towards himself. It seemed that he was pulling Shen Ping'an, but actually, he was protecting Shen Ping'an behind him. He quickly bowed to Shen Xinchang and said: "Sir, please go ahead. I'll come after I settle Ping'an down."

Shen Xinchang's eyes were a bit dangerous as they swept back and forth between Shen Pingji and Shen Ping'an behind him. He snorted and left with a wave of his sleeve.

"Second Brother, why is he angry?" Shen Ping'an untied the wine pouch around his waist and took several gulps. In his understanding of education, a person would be used because they were useful, and only useful people had the value of being used... Why was she angry?

He originally had a lot to say, but the cold wine made his stomach turn. He instinctively grabbed Shen Pingji's hand, bent over, and vomited out the wine he had just drunk.

Shen Pingji didn't really hear what Shen Ping'an was saying clearly. Looking at the carriage that was getting farther away, he bent down helplessly, reached out and patted Shen Ping'an on the back to help him calm down. After a long while, he poked Shen Ping'an with a look of hating iron for not turning into steel. "Sir has had a great deal of dissatisfaction with you these days. You're just asking for trouble!"

"Second Brother, I'm sleepy." Shen Ping'an didn't listen to what Shen Pingji was saying at all. In his blurred vision, he saw Shen Pingji's mouth opening and closing. He didn't care about the smell of alcohol and vomit on his body anymore. He stretched out his arms and directly wrapped them around Shen Pingji's neck. "I want to sleep..."

Shen Pingji held his breath. Looking at Shen Ping'an, who didn't realize how bad he smelled, he still had no choice. He pulled Shen Ping'an's hands away and said to the servant behind him: "I'll go first. You take good care of the Third Young Master." He pinched Shen Ping'an's cheek and said: "You rascal. We're going to Prime Minister Pan's residence today. Maybe we'll get to see that so-called charming young lady. Humph, you don't have a chance. It's your own fault for getting drunk today!"