Jiaojiao is getting married, and the male leads fall for her and fight over her.

Chapter 133 Her cousin, the heir apparent, invited her to drink.
Shen Shuyi thought to herself that even if all the men in the world died, she would never marry Pei Si.

However, wanting to avoid offending this madman, she tried to phrase it more tactfully: "It's me who's not worthy of Fourth Cousin. He's a rising star in the officialdom with a limitless future. How could a little orphan like me dare to aspire to be his cousin?"

And you know what? Pei Si really did become a powerful minister in the book, and given how vicious he was, it's best not to offend someone like that.

Pei Beizhou couldn't understand what this woman was being picky about, seeing that Shen Shuyi kept rejecting his marriage proposal.

After all, he's better than Ling Zong. He's willing to marry her, shouldn't she be happy to agree?

Shen Shuyi ignored Pei Si and left the North Garden.

Since this whole thing started because of her, should she go and visit Ling Zong?
If Pei Beizhou comes to cause trouble again next time, should she bring a matchmaker and take the initiative to ask the Ling family for a marriage proposal?

But there was no precedent for this in the Great Qi. It didn't matter if she herself was shameless, but she lived in the Pingyang Marquis's residence and had to consider the reputation of the Marquis's family. If she went to the man's family to propose marriage, wouldn't the Pingyang Marquis's residence become the laughing stock of the whole city?
It's so annoying! Why is it so hard for her to get engaged?

As expected, the system had its reasons for arranging her engagement; if this wasn't handled properly, she really wouldn't be able to complete her mission.

She returned to Fusang Institute with a sigh, channeling her grief and anger into her work, drawing more than a dozen design drafts, and having A-Jian deliver them to Sun Wang.

After several busy days, when she finally had some free time, she wondered if she should secretly go to the Ling family to check on Ling Zong's injuries. If that didn't work, she would secretly get engaged to Ling Zong, bypassing the traditional engagement process. But how would she explain this to the old lady?
She lay there until evening, when she felt hungry and got up to find something to eat.

Just then, Qingsong arrived and said that Prince Pei had invited him.

"What does my cousin, the Crown Prince, want to see me about?" Shen Shuyi asked curiously.

She hadn't seen Prince Pei recently, but he was a very busy man, so it was normal that she hadn't seen him and didn't think much of it.

There must be a reason why he suddenly came to see her today.

"The young master didn't say, so this servant doesn't know either," Qingsong replied without looking to the side.

Looking at Qingsong's serious expression, Shen Shuyi felt a bit sentimental. Everyone has a different face. Qingsong looked too serious. It's not like she's being asked to go through fire and water. Why does she have to have such a stern face?

"Qingsong, your cousin, the Crown Prince, hasn't mistreated you, has he? You seem very unhappy..."

Seeing Qingsong looking over, she chuckled awkwardly and said, "I was just saying it offhand."

Qingsong stared at her intently, opened his mouth, and finally just sighed softly, "Miss, please don't keep the young master waiting too long."

"Alright!" Shen Shuyi quickened her pace, but soon realized that this was not the way to the East Garden. "Where are we going?"

"Chengyuanzhai." Qingsong cherishes words like gold.

Shen Shuyi certainly knew Chengyuanzhai. It was a place by the water, a popular spot for young people. The young ladies of the Marquis's mansion would sometimes listen to music there, and if any of the Pei brothers' friends came to the mansion, they would gather at Chengyuanzhai to compose poems and paint.

After transmigrating into the book, she never went there once. After all, she was not good at composing poems or painting, and she did not know how to be cultured. That place was really not suitable for someone like her.

She had originally wanted to ask Qingsong if she knew why Prince Pei had summoned her to Chengyuanzhai, but seeing Qingsong's preoccupied appearance, she ultimately decided not to ask any further questions.

Before long, she arrived at Chengyuanzhai and saw Prince Pei standing by the window admiring the waterside scenery. As dusk fell, she felt that Prince Pei looked somewhat gloomy, unlike his usual gentle demeanor.

As if sensing her gaze, Prince Pei looked over and smiled gently. The moment he smiled, his gloomy aura vanished, replaced by a warm and gentle demeanor that was like a spring breeze.

Such a man is really easy to like, and she's a sucker for good looks. She secretly applauded Pei Shizi's good looks in her heart, then quickly stepped forward and stood beside him. Following his gaze, she saw the Jade Pond in front of her. It was winter, and there wasn't much to see in the pond. She wondered what Pei Shizi had been so focused on just now.

"What are you looking at, cousin?" Pei Shizi's voice startled Shen Shuyi from her thoughts.

“Of course, I’m looking at the same scenery that my cousin, the Crown Prince, has seen,” Shen Shuyi blurted out.

Pei Dongzhou chuckled, and Shen Shuyi realized that her words had been a bit frivolous. She coughed lightly and changed the subject, saying, "What did you want to see me about, Cousin Prince?"

"I just happened to think of my cousin, so I asked Qingsong to bring her over. The meal is ready, let's eat together."

Only after Pei Dongzhou reminded her did Shen Shuyi realize that a table full of delicious food had been prepared inside.

Seeing the table full of delicious food, Shen Shuyi thought to herself, "The prince is really something else; the two of them actually ate so much."
She didn't stand on ceremony and sat down happily.

At this moment, Prince Pei suddenly poured her a glass of wine, and she was a little flattered: "It is my turn to pour wine for my cousin Prince Pei."

The next moment, Prince Pei handed her the wine jar and actually made her pour the wine.

She remained silent for a moment, but still readily poured a cup of wine for Prince Pei, and then poured one for herself.

It is said that she has not drunk any alcohol since she transmigrated, and she doesn't know if this body has a good alcohol tolerance.

In modern times, she has a low alcohol tolerance and drinks infrequently. If changing her body could improve her alcohol tolerance, that would be a good thing.

She clinked glasses with Prince Pei, took a small sip, and discovered it was fruit wine, which was quite delicious.

With a table full of delicious food, she finished one cup and wanted to drink more, but Prince Pei stopped her: "Cousin, don't continue, lest you get drunk."

Shen Shuyi thought about it and agreed. If she said something she shouldn't have while drunk, it would be troublesome.

After she had eaten and drunk her fill, she asked curiously, "Did my cousin, the Crown Prince, invite me here just to treat me to a big meal?"

She thought that Prince Pei must have something important to discuss with her.

Pei Dongzhou smiled and said, "I'll play a piece for my cousin."

Shen Shuyi's eyes lit up: "Cousin Crown Prince can also play the zither?"

“I’m not good at this,” Pei Dongzhou said, walking to a nearby pavilion.

Shen Shuyi followed and found a guzheng (a traditional Chinese zither) placed in the pavilion. Judging from its condition, it was clearly a rare item.

When Pei Dongzhou began to play, Shen Shuyi was somewhat surprised. Was this what the young master Pei meant by not being good at this? He clearly played very well.

Someone like Prince Pei is probably the kind of son people always talk about—he can do everything and is proficient in everything. If she were to have such an outstanding son in the future, she would probably be just as proud as Madam Zhang, right?

After Pei Dongzhou finished playing the piece, Shen Shuyi applauded enthusiastically, saying, "Bravo!"

Pei Dongzhou smiled and made way for her: "Cousin, please play a tune. I've never heard you play music before."

(End of this chapter)