Who Was the Shameless One?

Madam Shen looked perfectly composed, without the slightest hint of panic. "If I went along, I would only slow Xi'er down when she drew her blade."

Supporting Madam Shen, Shen Tinglan nodded calmly.

Madam Wen could not help giving them a thumbs-up.

As expected of Lord Little Shen's mother and elder sister. Just look at that composure-steady as a rock.

The Shen family had this to say: they were used to it. It all came with practice.

But just because the Shen family was used to it did not mean everyone else was not curious.

Who did not enjoy a good spectacle?

And so, some could no longer suppress their eager hearts and began sneaking off in the direction Shen Yuxi had gone.

Once there was a first, there was a second.

In less than the time it took to drink a cup of tea, nearly half the guests had left the banquet hall.

At a glance, the place looked deserted, with only a group of men left exchanging bewildered looks.

Make no mistake, it was not that they did not want to follow along and watch the fun. But they were men from outside the household and could not enter someone else's inner courtyard as their wives and daughters could.

The maid led Shen Yuxi to the side hall.

"Go lure Shangguan Niao here."

"Yes."

Shen Yuxi stood outside the side hall, but did not push open the door.

"You saw Shen Yuxi enter the side hall with your own eyes?"

"Yes, so this servant came to tell you at once, miss."

Shangguan Niao sat upright on a cushioned couch, a cold smile curling her lips. Even her voice carried a vicious edge.

She sneered. "You did very well. Next, go to the banquet and spread the word. I want everyone to witness it with their own eyes and know that Shen Yuxi is a shameless slut."

She had not originally intended to make an enemy of Shen Yuxi.

The trouble was that Shen Yuxi knew she had ruined Shangguan Qing's face.

Although many years had passed and there was no longer any way to verify what had happened, she still could not rest easy.

If her father found out, whether it was true or false, once the seed of suspicion was planted, her situation at Duke Dingguo's Residence would be like plunging into an abyss.

Seeing that it was about time, Shangguan Niao set off for the side hall.

Standing outside the door, she tilted her head to listen, but none of the sounds she had imagined came from inside.

A trace of doubt crossed Shangguan Niao's mind.

That shouldn't be!

"Miss Shangguan, are you looking for me?" A familiar voice came from behind her.

Shangguan Niao spun around. Seeing Shen Yuxi completely unharmed, her eyes widened in disbelief.

"You..."

"Why am I here? According to the plan, I should be fooling around with a man?"

Shen Yuxi approached her with an icy expression.

"Shen Yuxi, what are you going to do?" A flicker of panic crossed Shangguan Niao's face.

"What am I going to do? Give you a taste of your own medicine, of course. Don't worry. Everything you prepared for me will be returned to you, without a single thing missing."

Dispensing with further talk, Shen Yuxi aimed the perfume at Shangguan Niao and sprayed her several times.

"Cough, cough, cough..."

Shangguan Niao choked and coughed violently several times. "You..."

Before she could finish, she immediately seemed to become a different person, her manner turning respectful.

"Go inside and enjoy the fruits of your labor."

She had sprayed the man inside with perfume as well.

Shen Yuxi watched coldly as Shangguan Niao entered the side hall and the door slowly closed.

Before long, sounds that made cheeks flush and hearts race drifted from inside.

[Host, I've discovered you really do have the makings of a villain.]

Shen Yuxi's lips curved slightly, a faint chill passing through her eyes, but there was not the slightest trace of guilt.

She had never been some kind, fragile soul, but neither was she someone who started trouble unprovoked.

Shangguan Niao had brought all of this upon herself and had no one else to blame.

[The people she summoned should be arriving soon.]

The noble ladies and young misses arrived sooner than expected.

A whole crowd came flocking over, only daring to follow at a distance for fear of arousing Lord Little Shen's suspicions.

When Duke Dingguo received the news, his vision went black and he swayed, nearly fainting.

"Shangguan Niao planned to frame Lord Little Shen?"

"That unfilial daughter!"

Duke Dingguo trembled with rage, his fists clenched tight.

"My lord, I'll watch over Qing'er here. Hurry and find Lord Little Shen."

Duke Dingguo dared not linger another moment and hurried out the door, all but breaking into a run.

If anything happened to Lord Little Shen in his residence, how could the emperor and the Fourth Prince possibly spare him?

At the thought of the consequences, Duke Dingguo was anxious and afraid, and wished all the more that he could beat Shangguan Niao to death with a club.

When a servant led Duke Dingguo to the side hall and he caught sight of the dense crowd outside the door, his heart lurched.

An ominous premonition rose within him.

"Lord Little Shen!"

Seeing Shen Yuxi standing safe and sound among the crowd, the stone weighing on Duke Dingguo's heart dropped heavily to the ground, and he swallowed the words, "Are you all right?"

"What happened? Why is everyone gathered here?" Duke Dingguo changed tack and asked sternly.

Only when he approached the room and heard the obscene sounds coming from inside did Duke Dingguo's face turn livid.

Yet someone watching the spectacle was not afraid of making matters worse.

"Please don't take offense, Duke Dingguo," she said sarcastically. "We learned from this maid that a noble young lady was taking advantage of your birthday celebration to fool around with a man in the side hall. Such immoral conduct must be punished severely."

Shen Yuxi feigned puzzlement. "The voice inside sounds so familiar!"

How could Duke Dingguo fail to see what Shen Yuxi meant? Clearly, she was unwilling to let the matter rest so easily.

Even a fool could have guessed by now, as Duke Dingguo did, that the person inside had to be Shangguan Niao.

Shangguan Niao had tried to frame Lord Little Shen, only for Lord Little Shen to turn the tables on her. She had failed to steal the chicken and lost her handful of rice to boot.

Duke Dingguo felt utterly weary.

Of all the birthday banquets he had held over the decades, today's had been the most distressing.

After learning from Lord Little Shen that his younger daughter had deliberately slashed his elder daughter's face, and that his younger daughter harbored nothing but malice toward his elder daughter, he had already resolved to drive Shangguan Niao out of the family and sever their father-daughter relationship.

Now Shangguan Niao had set her sights on Lord Little Shen as well. She was simply courting death.

Duke Dingguo felt no pity for Shangguan Niao.

It was just that... if this door opened today, he would lose every last shred of face.

Would Duke Dingguo's Residence not become the entire capital's topic of conversation over tea?

Then he reconsidered. If he did not let Lord Little Shen vent her anger, and she came to harbor hostility toward him...

Duke Dingguo hesitated for a moment, but ultimately decided to go along with Shen Yuxi.

Dignity? Face? They could all stand aside!

What mattered most was putting Lord Little Shen at ease.

Duke Dingguo collected himself and stepped forward.

With a soft creak, the door opened.

Duke Dingguo entered first, and everyone else surged into the hall right behind him, afraid of missing even a single moment of the spectacle.

The next instant, everyone drew a sharp breath at the sight before them!

Two figures showed through the bed curtains, their clothing disheveled, tangled together and nestled against each other in an unbearably intimate pose.

"Ah!"

At the sight of the arrivals, Shangguan Niao screamed.

She cursed wildly, "Get out! All of you, get out!"

"That voice-is that Duke Dingguo's second daughter?" Xue Min chimed in to help.

Words could no longer describe Duke Dingguo's expression. His blood pressure soared as he stared fixedly at the bed.

"You disgraceful wretch! Get out here!"