The cousin is beautiful but ruthless.

Chapter 18 is a Heartbeat

Shen Hanyu remained calm and, under the watchful eyes of everyone, threw her first arrow into the hole.

It is also the very center of the pot.

"The first arrow into the pot scores two points."

The maidservants sang along, and Lin Rushuang never expected that Shen Hanyu would hit the target with his first arrow.

She looked at Shen Hanyu's bronze pot, then at Shen Hanyu himself. Shen Hanyu's face was calm and composed; he was already thinking about how to throw the second arrow.

To be on the safe side, both of them chose to throw the arrow into the center of the pot. Lin Rushuang held the arrow in her hand, wondering if Shen Hanyu had just been bluffing.

The second arrow landed steadily. Lin Rushuang stared intently at Shen Hanyu's movements. Shen Hanyu remained calm, feeling as if she had returned to the days when she played this kind of pitch-pot game.

Another arrow appeared in the center of the pot. Lin Rushuang's palms were slightly sweaty. Didn't Liang Ruoxue and Liang Ruoyan say that Shen Hanyu didn't know how to play the arrow-throwing game?

She had been planning to use the promise Shen Hanyu made to humiliate her and get revenge for what happened last time, but now it was her who was going to lose face.

When Liang Ruoxue arrived, the two had already thrown two arrows and scored the same.

When did Shen Hanyu learn to play pitch-pot?

The maid behind him shook her head.

Liang Ruoxue originally thought that Shen Hanyu, who came from Suzhou, was inexperienced and knew nothing, so when Lin Rushuang asked her about it, she said that Shen Hanyu didn't know anything.

She knew Lin Rushuang would definitely challenge Shen Hanyu to a duel, and she came to see the spectacle after hearing the news, but the current situation seemed to be somewhat different from what she had expected.

With her sweaty hands gripping the arrow, Lin Rushuang felt a bit of pressure. She looked at the nine-foot distance, which seemed incredibly far away.

The arrow left her hand, and Lin Rushuang heard a thud as it landed next to the copper pot. Only Lin Rushuang herself knew the tension she felt in that instant.

Those who came with him didn't know what to say, while those watching from behind whispered among themselves.

A handkerchief was handed over, and Lin Rushuang turned her head to see that it was Shen Hanyu.

"Wipe your sweaty hands, or people will say I won unfairly."

Holding the soft handkerchief in her hand, Lin Rushuang straightened her back. "I just made a mistake."

Shen Hanyu didn't reply, and threw out the third arrow, which unsurprisingly landed in the center of the pot again. Shen Hanyu was now one point ahead of Lin Rushuang.

The most important thing is this last arrow; if it hits the target, you get four points.

Liang Ruoxue stood behind, praying that Shen Hanyu's arrow would miss, while muttering under her breath that Lin Rushuang was utterly useless.

Lin Rushuang wiped the sweat from her hands and threw the arrow in her hand.

After adjusting his stance, the arrow hit its mark.

But if Shen Hanyu also wins, she will still be one point behind Shen Hanyu.

Shen Hanyu was unwilling to admit defeat or be punished. She maintained her previous strength and threw the arrow in the right direction.

Lin Rushuang's gaze followed the arrow's movement, finally seeing it fall into the pot.

She took a deep breath, and somehow, all anger and scheming vanished from her heart. She took the wooden box and handed it to Shen Hanyu.

"A bet's a bet, so this hair ornament is yours."

She spoke with great reluctance, for this golden sparrow holding a pearl hairpin was a birthday gift she had received before, and it was one of her most cherished possessions.

Shen Hanyu smiled and accepted it. The golden sparrow was holding a round pearl in its beak. She picked up the hairpin and realized it was indeed a fine item.

A gentle breeze swept by, and Pei Du, standing on the pavilion, watched Shen Hanyu's every move below.

The sunlight made her cheeks rosy, and the pink and blue beaded flowers on her head were faintly visible among her black hair. She wore no makeup, yet she was a stunning beauty in the spring.

Staring at the smile on Shen Hanyu's face, and recalling her earnestness and liveliness when she played the pitch-pot game, Pei Du found it hard to look away.

For a moment, my heart was in turmoil, and Shen Hanyu's smiling face lingered in my mind.

Pei Du didn't know what was wrong with him. He had seen women play pitch-pot before, but today he was watching for so long as if he were bewitched.

A hand appeared in his line of sight, and Pei Du immediately felt annoyed and waved it away.

"Oh my goodness!" Xu Zhun's face loomed closer, his hand resting on Pei Du's chest. "Springtime is so wonderful, even we on Yuanzhou are starting to feel the stirrings of first love."

Xu Zhun spoke with an air of seriousness, his face full of curiosity.

Pei Du felt a chill and moved away from Xu Zhun.

"What nonsense are you talking about."

Xu Zhun stretched out his index finger and shook it. "As the saying goes, those involved are often confused, while bystanders see clearly. You were practically staring at her just now. It must be that Miss Shen again, right?"

He spoke with certainty; Pei Du had changed drastically since meeting that Miss Shen.

Xu Zhun glanced down.

"You didn't fall for someone just because you're attracted to them, did you?"

Pei Du's face turned a mixture of red and blue.

"You think I'm you?"

Xu Zhun choked. He was just saying whatever came to mind. Was it really necessary to make such a personal attack?

"If you really like her, you might as well propose marriage as soon as possible. In any case, she's not living well in the Marquis's mansion."

After making inquiries from various sources, Xu Zhun finally learned what had happened between the two. It turned out that Shen Hanyu had saved Pei Du's life in Suzhou, which was truly a matter of fate.

Judging from Pei Du's current behavior, he seems to care about her quite a bit.

Pei Du blushed at what he was said, turned away in a huff, and Xu Zhun quickly chased after him.

Shen Hanyu then put away the hairpin and handed it to Miaocui. Princess Yongning, who had been watching for some time, came over and gently praised, "Miss Shen is quite good at pitch-pot, but I wonder if she can play polo?"

Shen Hanyu nodded: "I know a little polo."

Princess Yongning smiled and said, "Then if I hold a polo match next time, Miss Shen must come."

Shen Hanyu was flattered and quickly thanked him.

Princess Yongning looked at the group and said, "You've all been playing for so long, let's have something to eat first. The princess's residence recently hired a new chef who has prepared some dishes using flowers from the garden. Everyone should try them."

As everyone followed Princess Yongning to their seats, Shen Hanyu knew that this was the perfect opportunity if Liang Ruoyan wanted to make a move.

She glanced at Liang Ruoyan, whose eyes revealed a hint of resentment. After all, she was still young and couldn't hide her feelings.

Comparing Princess Yongning's attitude towards her with her attitude towards Liang Ruoyan, Liang Ruoyan became even more determined to ruin Shen Hanyu.

Seeing that Shen Hanyu could win the favor of Princess Yongning, Liang Ruoxue immediately felt more confident.

Just then, a bowl of peach blossom cheese was placed in front of her, and Liang Ruoxue took a bite.

"This cheese has the aroma of peach blossoms, and it tastes really good."

Liang Ruoxue carefully observed Princess Yongning's expression, to which Princess Yongning simply smiled and said, "If you like it, I'll have someone bring you a few more bowls."

"Thank you princess."

Liang Ruoxue smiled, it seemed she had done a good job, and she couldn't help but look at Liang Ruoyan with a smug expression.

Liang Ruoyan gripped the spoon tightly; these two were determined to make things difficult for her.

Li Jun led a few people over and sat at the head of the table, separating themselves from the women.

"Sister Royal."

Princess Yongning nodded coldly, still somewhat angry with her good-for-nothing younger brother.

Just as Li Jun was about to say something, the gatekeeper of the princess's residence announced the arrival of the princess.

"Princess, the Crown Prince is here."