Chapter 13 - Hatred Surged When Enemies Met

Shen Ninghua clenched her fists and stared at the man. Baili Jinze! It was really Baili Jinze! She had imagined about meeting him many times, but she didn’t expect this meeting to happen so soon. Gritting her teeth, Shen Ninghua forced herself to look away for fear of revealing the surging hatred in her eyes.

Shen Linghan regained her presence of mind and came hurriedly forward to support Zhao Ruyun. “Cousin, are you OK? The elder sister didn’t say those words purposely…” As Shen Linghan said those words, she showed a distressed expression on her face and looked up to Baili Jinze. As soon as she saw his face, she blushed.

His body was slender and straight, his sideburns were high, his eyebrows were long and narrow, his lips were slightly pursed into a gentle arc, and he looked like a pearl standing among a pile of rubble, capturing people’s attention at first sight.

Baili Jinze retreated two small steps. He saw Shen Linghan’s beautiful face and his pupils shrank slightly. “Forgive my rudeness. I have startled the two of you.”

Zhao Ruyun raised her head, blushing because of shyness. “It was all because I was in a hurry.”

Shen Dong was holding a banquet for the Fifth Prince and Chu Junyi, the adopted son of Xiao family, in the front yard. However, Chu Junyi suddenly proposed to have a walk around the garden. Therefore, Shen Dong accompanied the two of them and showed them around. “Linghan, this is the Fifth Prince, this is young master Chu. Pay your respect to them.”

Shen Linghan raised her head slightly, and her watery eyes showed a little surprise. “Greetings, Fifth Prince and young master Chu. Please forgive my impoliteness.”

“Nothing. I just saw that Miss Shen and Miss Zhao were a little anxious. Is there anything wrong?” said Baili Jinze gently.

Hearing this, Shen Linghan slightly lowered her head. Her long and thick eyelashes trembled, but then she looked up with a smile. “It is OK. It was just that my sister was careless with her words, which made my cousin angry.” As she said those words, her smile seemed somewhat reluctant; people would involuntarily feel their hearts ache for her and frown.

Zhao Ruyun glanced at Shen Ninghua with cold eyes. “Hum, careless? I’m afraid that she has learned a lot from the outside. Otherwise how can she be so articulate? ”

Shen Ninghua smiled, her dark eyes looking directly at Shen Linghan and Zhao Ruyun. “Cousin, are you angry with me just because I gave some advice to you? Then I really need to apologize to you. But still, my cousin, you also need to consider Linghan and aunt’s face. I’m sure father will deal with these issues.”

Hearing this, Shen Linghan’s heart shivered. Zhao Ruyun’s words were not pleasant to hear. If the issue were known by the Fifth Prince and young master Chu, the Shen family would be publicly humiliated. By then, her father would definitely be angry. Thinking of her mother’s previous instructions, Shen Linghan suppressed her anger and smiled. “It’s just a little argument among our sisters. Fifth Prince and young master Chu, please don’t laugh at us.”

Baili Jinze nodded gently without further exploring the topic. Shen Dong also looked much better. Chu Junyi, however, carefully looked at Shen Ninghua up and down, and sighed in his heart. That night, because of the darkness, he didn’t see her face clearly. Now he found that the country’s first beauty Shen Linghan was even less exquisite than her in terms of appearance alone. If her temperament was also considered, then none of the ladies at the site could match her.

Zhao Ruyun secretly cast an angry glare at Shen Ninghua, then she looked up to Baili Jinze’s handsome face. Her eyes were slightly shining.

“I heard that the Fifth Prince was best at painting. Today, we were just about to do some painting. May we have the honor to ask Your Highness to give us some instructions?”

Chu Junyi swayed the folding fan in his hand and suddenly asked, “I am wondering if First Miss Shen has done some paintings?”

Hearing Chu Junyi’s words, the Fifth Prince who was just about to step forward paused. The Xiao family had a special position in Da’an Dynasty. Although Chu Junyi was the adopted son of the Xiao family, he also had an extraordinary position. On the contrary, although the Fifth Prince was the emperor’s son, he was not favored by his father and was almost invisible in the imperial family. In order to build up his power, he secretly tried many times to earn the support of the Xiao family, but to no avail. Therefore, he changed his mind and tried to find a breakthrough with the adopted son of the Xiao family. At this time, therefore, the humbler he was, the better.

“I’m not good at painting. Sorry to disappoint young master Chu.” Shen Ninghua looked up right into Chu Junyi’s smiling eyes. Her face was calm as usual.

“Sister, you have been back not long. I didn’t expect that you know young master Chu.” Shen Linghan said in a seemingly unintentional manner. Shen Dong, however, looked gloomy upon hearing her words. He knew the situation better than the others. Something really strange happened when Shen Ninghua recuperated in the villa for more than half a year. The Shen family couldn’t tolerate a daughter who had lost her innocence.

“On the way back, I did have a chance to meet master Chu. Sister, you also know master Chu. Is there any problem?” Shen Ninghua asked back in a puzzled manner, which instantly made Shen Linghan speechless.

“I’ve long heard that Miss Shen is proficient in zither, chess, calligraphy and painting. Do I have the chance to see some of Miss Shen’s paintings?” Baili Jinze looked at Shen Linghan and gently changed the topic.

Shen Linghan slightly bowed her head and looked at Baili Jinze gratefully. “It would be my pleasure to get instructions from Your Highness.”

Baili Jinze smiled and nodded, but his eyesight unconsciously fell on Shen Ninghua. He had heard about the first daughter of the Shen family who had just come back. Today, he couldn’t help being surprised after seeing her.

It was said that Miss Shen Linghan was the most beautiful woman in the capital and her beauty was incomparable. Now, it seemed that Shen Ninghua was not inferior to her. With those thoughts, Baili Jinze walked towards the pavilion led by Shen Linghan and others.

Shen Ninghua followed and kept a distance of several steps behind them. She slowly curled her lips and thought about the past. Baili Jinze and Shen Linghan had known each other for a long time. The fifth Prince even repeatedly proposed to marry Shen Linghan. Nevertheless, Shen Linghan had big ambitions. Her mother was the empress’s younger sister, her father was the powerful prime minister, and her beauty had no rival. How could she be willing to marry the Fifth Prince?

Therefore, when Baili Jinze proposed, she tried to come up with all kinds of excuses to refuse him. Meanwhile, she also acted to show that what she did was against her will. Her tricks made Baili Jinze more and more obsessed with her. Later, when Shen Ninghua was sick and caught a fever that lasted for a long time, Madam Zhao offered her to Baili Jinze as a gift. Later, after she woke up from the fever, Baili Jinze took good care of her and said that he was over with Shen Linghan. From then on, she gradually relaxed her vigilance and began plotting for him. Unfortunately, her devotion was rewarded with his cold-blooded betrayal in the end.

Now it was clear that Baili Jinze and Shen Linghan had been hooked up long before, but she didn’t find out.

Chu Junyi swayed the folding fan in his hand, and smiled at Shen Ninghua from an angle where other people wouldn’t see. “First Miss, you don’t look very well today.”

Shen Ninghua’s smile remained unchanged, “Master Chu was wrong. I’m very well.”

Shen Ninghua gave Chu Junyi a quick glimpse and then turned her head, without the slightest intention to speak to him. Chu Junyi, however, was not angry at all. He swayed his fan with an unfathomable look on his face.