"I won't!" He Chan held back her anger. "Why should I give up? Cousin, she's just a flirt. She falls in love with every man she meets. First it was Brother Fu, and now it's His Highness the Prince of Yu. Are we supposed to just take what's left of her? Cousin, I won't give up. I must win the heart of His Highness the Prince of Yu."
A glint flashed in Shi Aohan's eyes. "You don't regret it?"
"I don't regret it."
Shi Aohan let out a long breath and slowly took out a jade flute from her bosom. It was the very one that Sheng Jinyu had played before.
"Just as I was leaving the main courtyard, I saw it left on the table. There were so many servants around. I thought such a delicate thing would be a pity if it got lost, so I picked it up intending to give it to Miss Lu. Later I heard that this jade flute actually belongs to His Highness the Prince of Yu. Well, you go find His Highness and return the jade flute to him."
He Chan took the jade flute and asked, "Really?"
The two of them found Lu Yingshuang's maid and learned after some inquiries that His Highness the Prince of Yu was in the waterside pavilion, playing chess with other gentlemen.
He Chan, filled with excitement, went to the waterside pavilion with Shi Aohan. Just as they reached the pavilion, they saw Lu Wanning smiling sweetly at His Highness the Prince of Yu, and His Highness was speaking to her in a kind tone.
Be the first to arrive? If He Chan had still had a shred of doubt before, thinking that maybe it was because the Heir of the Fu Family was angry about being jilted that he said such things. Now seeing this scene, she thought as expected. Lu Wanning was such a promiscuous woman. It was really too much.
He Chan flew into a rage and was about to step forward to confront her when Shi Aohan tightly grabbed her wrist.
"Chan'er, I've told you many times that you should stay calm when things happen. If you quarrel with Lu Wanning regardless, you won't get any benefit. It will only make His Highness the Prince of Yu think you're just like Lu Wanning."
He Chan, hearing her cousin's words, quickly suppressed her anger and slowly stepped forward with the jade flute in her hand.
Lu Wanning didn't know that He Chan and the others had come. She was still worried about her delicate friend in the warm pavilion. She quickly stood up. "Your Highness, you continue playing. I have something else to do. I have to leave first."
As she stood up, being her usual impetuous self, she happened to bump into He Chan who hadn't recovered yet, and the jade flute fell to the ground and instantly broke into two pieces.
He Chan was so angry that she couldn't catch her breath. Pointing at Lu Wanning, she shouted, "Are you crazy? Can't you see me behind you?"
Lu Wanning rolled her eyes in disbelief. "Do I have eyes in the back of my head to see you behind me?"
He Chan was so angry that she burst into tears. Remembering what her cousin had told her on the way, that when she saw His Highness the Prince of Yu, she should show weakness because men liked gentle and weak women the most. Immediately with teary eyes, she looked at Sheng Jinyu and said, "I picked up your jade flute and wanted to return it to you, but unexpectedly Lu Wanning broke it."
Lu Wanning opened her mouth wide, having a new understanding of He Chan's ability to shift the blame. "No, you should explain clearly. How did I break it? It was clearly you who bumped into me!"
He Chan said, "If you hadn't suddenly turned around, how could you have bumped into me and broken the jade flute?"
Lu Wanning was so angry that she laughed. "Are you crazy? Isn't it normal for me to turn around when I'm leaving? What are your eyes for?"
He Chan was annoyed and ashamed. "I don't care. It was you who broke His Highness the Prince of Yu's jade flute. You have to compensate."
Lu Wanning rolled her eyes again and was about to leave.
He Chan blocked her way. "You want to leave? It's not that easy. You haven't compensated me for the jade flute yet."
"Hehe, is the jade flute yours? You're so affectionate. If you call it, will it answer you?"
"You... Don't even think about escaping!" He Chan's stubbornness flared up, and she didn't care about anything.
Lu Wanning broke free from her. "You're crazy. I still have something to do. Why are you blocking me?"
Just then, He Nanfeng walked over, frowned and called out, "Chan'er, what are you doing?"
Seeing He Nanfeng, Lu Wanning became even more anxious. She quickly ran over. "Hey, what's wrong with you? Didn't I ask you to keep an eye on Sister Jiang? Why did you leave? Is Sister Jiang alone in the warm pavilion?"
He Nanfeng explained, "The two Misses Qin went there, so I left."
Lu Wanning let out a sigh of relief, patting her chest and saying, "That's okay then. Well, I won't talk to you anymore. I'll go check on her. I hope she won't get sick again."
He Chan was extremely anxious. The jade flute of His Highness the Prince of Yu was broken right in front of him, and Lu Wanning acted as if nothing had happened.
"Lu Wanning, you broke the jade flute and you want to leave without even saying sorry?"
Lu Wanning was really impatient. She turned back to Sheng Jinyu and said, "Did you see just now? Did I break this jade flute? Do I have to compensate?"
There seemed to be stars in Sheng Jinyu's eyes. He looked at her half - smiling. "The jade flute is broken. I've only played this jade flute twice."
Lu Wanning spread her hands, thinking it had nothing to do with her. But considering that this was an important person not to be offended, she forced a smile and said, "Alright, how do you want me to compensate?"
But Sheng Jinyu only said to He Nanfeng, "When I got this jade flute back then, I knew its extraordinary features. If it weren't for you asking, Nanfeng, I would never have given it to you."
He Nanfeng laughed heartily. "Your Highness is wrong. It was me who asked you to find this item. This jade flute cost me a full four hundred taels of silver."
He Chan was still confused and didn't understand, but Lu Wanning had already reacted. She stared round - eyed and pointed at the jade flute.
"So, this flute belongs to you, Your Highness the Prince of Yu?"
Sheng Jinyu nodded and smiled. "That's right."
Lu Wanning was furious. She didn't dare to say anything to the Prince of Yu, but she angrily kicked the jade flute. "You're bullying me, bullying me!"
Sheng Jinyu imitated her and spread his hands. "How am I bullying you? It's true that I found this jade flute, but it was indeed given to you by your elder brother, wasn't it?"
Lu Wanning glared angrily at He Nanfeng. "So, you've been lying to me all this time? I even thought you were a good person. It turns out you knew everything. You knew I accidentally gave the gift you gave me to someone else, and you still deliberately mocked me?"
He Nanfeng quickly shook his head. "Ning'er, I..."
"You two are in cahoots!" Lu Wanning turned around and left.
Only then did He Chan belatedly understand that this jade flute was actually given by Lu Wanning to His Highness the Prince of Yu. Brother Fu was really right. Lu Wanning had really fallen in love with someone else. She had taken a fancy to His Highness the Prince of Yu long ago. She didn't even hesitate to give the gift her cousin gave her to the Prince of Yu to please him.
Sheng Jinyu showed no reaction. He just frowned at the jade flute on the ground and coldly said to He Chan, "When I left the courtyard, I was still wondering where the jade flute had gone. It turns out you took it."
He Chan was stunned. After a while, she turned to look at Shi Aohan, asking with her eyes.
Shi Aohan quickly stepped forward and bowed. "Your Highness, it's not like that. My cousin and I accidentally found the jade flute on the table. We were afraid it would be taken by others, so we..."
"Who are you? Do you have the right to speak here?"