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Shen Chuwei was brewing sleep when Chun Xi’s excitement jolted her awake, scattering the sleepiness she had just conjured up.

With a sense of resignation, she opened her eyes and saw Chun Xi gazing at her with utter adoration, as if she was staring at her idol, excitement written all over her face.

"I haven’t done anything earth-shattering. Look at you getting all worked up over nothing," she said.

Chun Xi remained uncontainably excited, "Miss, you did, and you did it extremely well. From now on, you are the one I admire the most, without a doubt."

The corners of Shen Chuwei’s eyes shone with excitement as she grabbed Chun Xi’s hand with a look that said she saw a kindred spirit.

"You’ve also realized that freeloading is the way to go?" she asked.

Chun Xi shook her head, "Not at all, Miss."

"...Fine, then!" Shen Chuwei laid back down, her brief excitement gone.

Chun Xi looked up in admiration, "Miss, only now do I understand that vying for favor doesn’t have to involve blatant flattery or relying on temptation. Winning over Your Highness’s stomach can garner favor just the same."

Shen Chuwei expressed her innocence, "When did I ever set out to ensnare Xiao Jinyan’s stomach? Stomachs are so delicate; how could I dare to meddle with that?"

Chun Xi stood there, somewhat dull, "Miss, can we just have a normal conversation, please?"

"..." Shen Chuwei indicated that she was indeed engaging in a serious conversation.

Chun Xi continued, "Miss, you’ve come up with so many delicious foods, isn’t it all to capture Your Highness’s stomach? Hehe, Your Highness’s stomach is now firmly in Miss’s grasp. Look, he’s coming for dinner again tonight."

Shen Chuwei felt even more distressed after hearing this. Wasn’t she just a food aficionado who easily whipped up delicacies?

Besides, she was satisfying her own stomach, alright!

"Miss, so far, your method is the most unique and not the least bit vulgar."

"Miss, you have no idea. Those women, in order to gain His Highness’s affection, have pretended to be sick or faked tripping to fall right into His Highness’s arms—no skill involved. They even deliberately fell into the lotus pond."

Chun Xi was speaking with great enthusiasm when she looked down and found that Shen Chuwei had fallen asleep again...

*

Today, Lady Shen Mingzhu had her confinement lifted and immediately headed to Xiyun Pavilion.

Because the Crown Prince doted on Shen Chuwei so much, as long as one had a good relationship with Shen Chuwei, favor was guaranteed.

She brought a gold hairpin, which Shen Chuwei had liked before entering the East Palace but could never wear due to her lower status.

When Chun Xi saw Shen Mingzhu arriving, she wasn’t very pleased, because of those pastries. Although Shen Mingzhu and Madam Shen didn’t deliver them personally, without their instigation, would a maid dare to poison them?

"My young mistress is resting. Lady Shen, is there something you need?" she asked.

As the saying goes, when one person gains power, even their pets rise to heaven.

Chun Xi now spoke with quite a bit more confidence.

Shen Mingzhu didn’t regard Chun Xi at all, "It’s nothing. I’ll just wait inside for her."

Saying so, she walked past Chun Xi and into the room flippantly.

Chun Xi pulled a face at Shen Mingzhu’s retreating back. She had never seen anyone with such thick skin.

Upon entering, Shen Mingzhu saw Shen Chuwei sleeping soundly on the soft couch, covered with a sable blanket—and not just one, but two.

She didn’t wake Shen Chuwei, thinking she would be up from her nap soon.

Shen Mingzhu looked around for a stool to sit on, but after a full rotation of the room, she couldn’t find one.

She turned to command, "Cai He, go find a stool and bring it over."

"Yes," Cai He went out in search but returned empty-handed, having not found a stool. Upon spotting Gui Xiang, she approached her, "How come your Xiyun Pavilion doesn’t even have a stool? My young mistress has nowhere to sit."

Gui Xiang paused for a moment, then simply uttered, "Oh."

Cai He frowned at the seemingly dazed Gui Xiang and pressed on.

"What’s with the ’oh’? Just bring over a stool."

Gui Xiang uttered "Oh" again.

Cai He’s face fell into a scowl instantly; where did this idiot come from?

Suddenly, from outside, "Gui Xiang, what are you doing? Come and help this instant!"

"If you really can’t find a stool, you can stand," said Gui Xiang, before she took off towards the outside.

Cai He: "..."

Left with no choice, Cai He continued her search and then came across Chun Xi. Considering Lady Shen’s status, Cai He couldn’t outright pick a fight, but her tone was laced with dissatisfaction as she smiled artificially.

"Chun Xi, why isn’t there a single stool in the room? My young mistress is still standing."

Chun Xi clapped her hands, looking a bit embarrassed, "Oh dear, Lady Shen came at an inopportune time. All the stools from Xiyun Pavilion were moved out back this morning to hold stuff, so we even stood while dining at noon."

Hearing this, Cai He continued with a smile, "Can you please move a stool out for my young mistress? Otherwise, she has nowhere to sit."

Chun Xi looked troubled, "Well, as a mere maid, I don’t have the authority to do that."

"Is it really such a big deal to move a stool? Can it be that important?" Cai He scoffed inwardly, but words failed her. Chun Xi had brought the Crown Prince into the matter.

Frustrated, Cai He left without a word, stifling her anger.

When Cai He returned without a stool, Shen Mingzhu asked with confusion, "Where’s the stool?"

Cai He recounted her encounter, speaking indignantly, "My lady, the maids of Xiyun Pavilion are as good as fools, paying no respect to their superiors."

Shen Mingzhu was displeased but knew better than to offend Chuwei given her current favor, so she held back.

"We’ll endure for now. Once I gain favor, we’ll see how I deal with them," she said.

Cai He understood and that was why she had restrained herself earlier.

Shen Chuwei had only recently gone for her nap and was sleeping peacefully.

Shen Mingzhu stood five meters away, her legs numb from standing, yet Chuwei showed no signs of waking up.

The right window was open and the cold autumn breeze whistled inside.

Trying to appear slim, Shen Mingzhu wore only thin clothing, and since she normally stayed indoors, she didn’t usually feel cold.

Who knew that Shen Chuwei would sleep with the window open?

Looking at Shen Chuwei, covered by two sable fur blankets, she obviously wouldn’t be cold.

After standing for an hour and shivering from the cold, Shen Mingzhu couldn’t wake Chuwei, fearing she’d upset her.

Just then, Rabbit ran into the room, and in her haste, she bumped into Shen Mingzhu.

Shen Mingzhu jumped, dodging swiftly. Uplifting her skirt, she noticed a lump of a greyish-black substance on the front of her shoe, which looked downright disgusting.

The shoe, made of fine Jiangnan Shu brocade, was now marred by some creature’s mess.

Rabbit stared wide-eyed, seemingly realizing her blunder, then turned tail and vanished without a trace a moment later.

"My lady, let me clean it for you," offered Cai He, squatting down with a handkerchief.

The exquisite embroidery of peony flowers on the shoe was smeared with dirt, irreversibly soiled.

Being so close to it, the dirt stench made Cai He nauseated and wanting to vomit.

"My lady, I can’t get the dirt out of the shoe," she admitted.