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

Chapter 155 Humiliating Her at Her Doorstep!
Shen Shuyi's mind went blank for a moment.

You have to be extremely careful when talking to someone like Prince Pei, because you might accidentally reveal your secrets.

Under Pei Shizi's gaze, Shen Shuyi blinked and quickly added, "Yes, I've always thought I'm a bit clever and maybe even have a talent for business, but unfortunately I haven't had the chance to put it into practice."

Thank goodness, she avoided Pei Shizi's focused gaze and took a sip of water to calm her nerves.

Prince Pei is a truly strange person; saying the wrong thing could lead to utter ruin.

"It's getting late, Cousin Prince, why don't you go back and rest?" Shen Shuyi tried to urge the guest to leave.

Pei Dongzhou got up as instructed: "I'll head back first. Cousin, you should get some rest too."

Shen Shuyi quickly agreed.

After taking a few steps, Prince Pei turned back to look at her and asked, "Cousin, aren't you going to see me out?"

Shen Shuyi thought to herself, "How come I never realized before that Prince Pei was the kind of person who expects something in return?" But since he had helped her, she should indeed be more enthusiastic towards him.

"It's my good fortune to be able to give this to my cousin."

After she escorted Prince Pei to the door, he stood still, and for a moment she didn't know what he was going to do.

"Does Cousin Prince have anything else to say?" Shen Shuyi asked, puzzled.

Pei Dongzhou looked at his clueless cousin for a while before saying, "The news of our supposed marriage has probably already reached His Majesty's ears. For now, please don't tell anyone about this."

Shen Shuyi looked puzzled. What did that mean?
"I mean, let's assume that we have to keep this secret from everyone for the time being, including the mother and grandmother."

Pei Dongzhou pinched Shen Shuyi's cheek as he spoke, then walked away with elegant steps.

Shen Shuyi watched Pei Shizi leave, then stood there stunned for a moment before returning to her courtyard.

Why did she feel that Prince Pei seemed to have something to say to her?
As soon as Prince Pei left, A-Jian immediately approached Shen Shuyi and asked, "Miss, don't you find it strange?"

"What's strange?" Shen Shuyi asked absentmindedly.

"Of course it's today's engagement. I don't think there's any need to invite all the dignitaries in the capital to the engagement banquet if there's no engagement. Even on the big day of the wedding, not many people can invite so many distinguished guests to the wedding banquet."

What A-Jian didn't say was that she felt the young master was treating the engagement banquet like a wedding banquet.

But the young master himself said it was a presumptive engagement, and she always felt that the engagement banquet was a mix of truth and falsehood, and she couldn't see it clearly.

Shen Shuyi was momentarily dazed: "Anyway, if my cousin said it's a presumptive marriage, then it must be fake. There's no need to overthink it!"

At least today we've gotten rid of that纨绔 (playboy) Li Yi, and he'll never have another reason to ask His Majesty for permission again. That's enough.

Seeing that her master was able to think things through, A-Jian stopped worrying about it.

She couldn't help but say, "If only you could really marry the young master, Miss. He treats you so well. Whenever you're in trouble, he's always the first to stand up for you. Everyone else looks down on you, but he thinks you're the best..."

Shen Shuyi nodded in agreement: "My cousin, the Crown Prince, is indeed very good to me. Most importantly, he doesn't look down on me like other people do... Wait, what did you say again? Marry my cousin, the Crown Prince? I can't have such a terrible thought!"

Her goal has always been to survive, not to have any romantic entanglements with the male lead. She has to stop having such dangerous thoughts!
Ah Jian still made a last-ditch effort: "But this servant really thinks the young master is quite good, Miss and—"

"Ah Jian, I'm going to take a shower. You can continue daydreaming."

Shen Shuyi was too lazy to say anything and left. That night, lying in bed, she thought about the chaotic and busy day and felt like she was dreaming.

She stared at the top of the tent for a while before remembering to summon the system: "System, what stage of my strategy is I at?"

She's been logging into the system so infrequently lately that she has no idea how far she's going. Plus, there haven't been any completion notifications for the recent strategy quests, leaving her completely uncertain.

The system didn't respond. She called out for another fifteen minutes, but the system remained as silent as if it were dead.

Finally, even as she drifted off to sleep, the system didn't respond to her.

The next morning, Shen Shuyi was woken up by A-Jian, who kept giving her meaningful glances.

Seeing that her eyes were almost twitching, Shen Shuyi kindly said, "Just tell me directly."

Seeing that the girl was oblivious, A-Jian could only whisper, "The lady has arrived; she'll wait outside."

Shen Shuyi's last bit of sleepiness vanished.

How could she forget about Zhang, that troublesome woman?

Zhang's choice to come at this time clearly indicates that she knows Pei Shizi is working at the yamen and wants to put pressure on her.

What could have been clarified with a single sentence was instead left unsaid by Prince Pei last night, who instructed her to conceal the pretense of marriage.

She quickly dressed herself before going out to meet Zhang.

Zhang's attire today was carefully chosen; she wore a brocade jacket, looking elegant and noble, a typical noblewoman's outfit, and exuding a powerful aura.

Shen Shuyi pretended not to know that Zhang was there to put pressure on her, and she stepped forward and bowed to Zhang respectfully.

Zhang made no attempt to hide her dislike for her, immediately belittling her: "No proper noble lady would sleep until this hour like you, and no noble lady would behave as crudely as you."

Upon hearing this, Shen Shuyi said to Ajian, "Ajian, pour tea for your aunt so she can quench her thirst."

Seeing that Shen Shuyi was not angry, Zhang said again, "I've never seen anyone as shameless as you..."

"My aunt, despite being a Marquis's wife, doesn't seem to have much manners. You know, it was my cousin, the Crown Prince, who decided to be engaged to me. Yet, he chose someone as uncouth as me. Doesn't that mean there's something wrong with him?" Shen Shuyi said calmly.

She could understand Zhang's feelings as a mother, but she didn't need to sit here and be humiliated like this by Zhang.

No matter how vulgar she is, she doesn't use Zhang's money for food, clothing, or daily necessities.

"How dare you talk back to your elders?!" Zhang slammed her hand on the table.

Shen Shuyi stood up at this sight, a faint smile playing on her lips: "Aunt, please go back. Don't come again in the future, because for every word you say, I'll argue back ten times!"

Zhang was surprised that Shen Shuyi dared to order her to leave: "Don't forget, you are just an orphan girl living under someone else's roof. If it weren't for the Marquis's mansion giving you..."

“My aunt keeps saying I’m an orphan. Is it my fault that I’m an orphan? I don’t steal or rob. I’m upright and honest. Even if my aunt is a Marquis’s wife, she’s just a lonely woman in her boudoir, competing with many other women for a husband. What makes her more worthy of praise than me, an orphan?!” Shen Shuyi interrupted Zhang’s long speech with a sarcastic smile.

Zhang's expression changed repeatedly; she never expected Shen Shuyi to dare to touch on her sore spot like that.

The most unbearable thing in her life was marrying the philandering and amorous Marquis of Pingyang, yet Shen Shuyi insisted on tearing off her mask.

(End of this chapter)