Su Juan closely followed Song Qianfan into the garden. Many people were already gathered there, all of them heirs and young ladies from noble families in the Capital City. They all greeted Song Qianfan warmly. Many observed Su Juan, wondering how she was so fortunate to receive the Emperor's arranged marriage.
Song Qianfan nodded slightly, his gaze sweeping through the crowd until it landed on a group of people not far away in a pavilion. He immediately strode towards them.
On the stone table in the pavilion was a painting with two lines of poetry written on it. A man and a woman were discussing it, while another person lay nearby, sleeping with a fan covering their face.
When he saw Liu Miaoying again, she was still wearing her usual blue attire, her beauty as radiant as jade, like a fairy untouched by the mundane world, pure and stunning.
In the pavilion, upon seeing Song Qianfan, the two people took a step back, "Princely Heir."
Song Qianfan slightly nodded, walked to the stone table, and his gaze fell on the painting there. In just a few strokes, the essence of the bamboo was vividly captured, showcasing the painter's skill, comparable to his own.
He noticed the two lines of poetry underneath, signed: Miaoying.
Liu Miaoying was extremely skilled at painting, known by everyone in the Capital City.
He fanned himself, a proud smile on his face, his gaze affectionate, "Miaoying, your bamboo painting is excellent, I like it very much. I wonder if you could give this painting to me?"
As soon as he spoke, several people exchanged glances, their eyes finally settling on the painting on the stone table, but no one spoke.
[Laughing profusely, he likes Miss Liu but can't tell it's not her painting. How does Song Qianfan dare to pursue her like this?]
Song Qianfan's smile instantly froze on his face.
The painting was clearly signed with Miaoying's name. If it wasn't painted by Liu Miaoying, who else could it be?
At this moment, Song Qianfan regretted being soft-hearted enough to bring Su Juan into the garden, disturbing his plans.
Su Juan looked at the painting on the table, it was clearly painted by Liu Xuan. The style was entirely different from Liu Miaoying's, only the two lines of poetry were in Liu Miaoying's handwriting. With Song Qianfan's reputation for talent, he shouldn't have failed to recognize the difference between this painting and Liu Miaoying's usual style.
It seemed he claimed to like her, but didn't pay the slightest attention to her usual matters.
Liu Miaoying's red lips slightly parted, "Princely Heir, there's a misunderstanding. This painting was created by Mr. Liu, with Miaoying only assisting by writing two lines of poetry. If the Princely Heir likes it, why not ask Mr. Liu?"
[Hahahahahahaha, laughing profusely!]
Nearby, dressed in all white, Liu Xuan responded, his voice clear and bright, "Though I painted it, Miss Liu helped with the poetry. If the Princely Heir doesn't mind, it's Liu Xuan's good fortune, and today I will gift this painting to the Princely Heir."
As they exchanged words, Song Qianfan's complexion turned particularly unpleasant.
[Liu Xuan truly believes Song Qianfan appreciates the painting for its own sake. How straightforward and sincere this child is!]
[What a pity, I can't see Song Qianfan's sour face now. He must be furious for complimenting the wrong person and misplacing his intentions. This would be unbelievable even in a play!]
Able to hear Su Juan's inner voice, Liu Miaoying looked at Song Qianfan with a complex gaze, half-obscured by his presence. She couldn't believe Miss Su was so... candid.
Song Qianfan kept his face composed, though seething underneath, forcing an insincere smile as he said, "Thank you, Brother Liu, for the gift."
[Listen to that voice, he's probably gritting his teeth.]
Unaware of Su Juan's thoughts, Liu Xuan only assumed Song Qianfan genuinely desired the painting, "The Princely Heir is too kind."
His posture was upright, and as he spoke, there was a gentle and harmonious smile on his face.
Looking at the painting on the table, Liu Miaoying felt it was a pity it ended up in the hands of someone who couldn't appreciate it.
Su Juan couldn't help but think back to past events, recalling how Liu Xuan's father was wronged due to the manipulations of treacherous officials, leading to the downfall of the Liu Family. Although the injustice was eventually rectified, only Liu Xuan remained, and despite such an ordeal, he managed to maintain his integrity. During Da Jin's perilous times, he joined the army and died heroically in battle for his country.
Previously, she merely regarded him as foolish and stubborn, thinking in times of chaos, it was wise to be pragmatic.
But now, seeing the person in front of her, Su Juan couldn't help but admire him, [Truly sincere, cultured, and upright, Liu Xuan is a real gentleman.]
She blinked, Liu Miaoying indeed had good taste.
[With a character like this, even ten Song Qianfans with more talents wouldn't compare to one Liu Xuan.]
Hearing this, Song Qianfan's expression turned even sourer, veins pulsing at his temples, his chest heavy with frustration. This woman, Su Juan, was truly shallow and wanton, staring at every man and comparing him to Liu Xuan.
The woman must be blind!
Liu Miaoying's gaze held curiosity and exploration, wanting to understand what kind of person Miss Su really was.
Earlier, just hearing her inner thoughts, it seemed she was a straightforward and lovable girl. Now, realizing Su Juan's praise for Liu Xuan, she presumed Su Juan must be a simple-minded and particularly upright girl.
Finally, when Song Qianfan stepped forward to take the painting, Su Juan and Liu Miaoying's eyes met, Su Juan's smile slightly narrowed, her gaze openly admiring Liu Miaoying's appearance.
This overt stare made Liu Miaoying a bit embarrassed, though she smiled slightly and looked away, feeling a bit regretful about her first proper meeting with Su Juan.
[Wow! Did Liu Miaoying just smile at me?]
[God, her smile is so beautiful, my heart's racing uncontrollably, help...]
Song Qianfan's face darkened, turning to look at Su Juan, who was trying to appear impassive. This woman indeed was shallow, losing herself staring at another woman like this.
Having never been complimented so directly, Liu Miaoying didn't know how to react.
[No wonder Song Qianfan keeps thinking about her day and night... Initially, I thought he was just interested in the Liu Family, wanting to leverage the Chief Secretary to build his own influence for... hmm.]
[It seems there is some genuine affection there.]
Song Qianfan's face turned instantly cold, gripping the painting tightly, veins bulging. His carefully laid plans had just been exposed by Su Juan. A murderous intent towards her rose again, filled with unease.
Scanning around, he saw no one was looking their way, evidently, no one else had heard what was said, except Liu Miaoying, who, as a woman, would not understand even if she heard.
Song Qianfan finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Liu Miaoying pretended not to understand, her expression unchanged.
Someone chuckled softly, drawing everyone's attention, Su Juan included.
The man who had been lying in the pavilion with a fan covering his face was now awake, letting out a low chuckle, a noticeable tear mole at the corner of his slightly lowered eyes. His gaze went past the others, landing on Su Juan, who tried to minimize her presence.
[Didn't expect this little ancestor to refrain from visiting a brothel this time.]
Xie Xun stood up, his eyes smiling slightly, openly examining the young girl who had internally criticized everyone present. She surprisingly knew who he was.
Song Qianfan hadn't anticipated Xie Xun to be there, his brows furrowed, and he watched him cautiously. Given his reaction, Xie Xun must have heard everything Su Juan had just said.
The Xie Family from Duke Ping Mansion had produced three empresses, including the current Empress, who was Xie Xun's aunt. His father, Duke Ping, held military power, making the Xie Family the most powerful in the Capital. Unfortunately, Xie Xun, the only son of the Xie Family, was a carefree playboy, uninterested in advancing himself.
His clothes were always bright and flashy, drawing attention wherever he went, which is why Su Juan instantly recognized the person lying with a fan over his face in the pavilion was Xie Xun.
But since Song Qianfan didn't even pay attention to his beloved Liu Miaoying, he certainly wouldn't have noticed a playboy's usual attire, whom he looked down upon.
Su Juan blinked once: [Why is Song Qianfan staring so intently at Xie Xun, could it be that he...]
Everyone's gaze once again focused intently on Su Juan.
Song Qianfan involuntarily tensed up, worried she might know his inner calculations…
[Could it be that he likes Xie Xun!?]