Shen Zhen had absolutely no resistance to the enticing future Shen Miao described. After just a few words from Shen Miao, she completely forgot the warnings from Concubine Su.
Seeing that Shen Zhen had taken in what she said, Shen Miao heaved a sigh of relief. She turned to the shopkeeper and said, "Do you have any new styles in your shop?"
Hearing this, the shopkeeper immediately replied cheerfully, "Yes, yes, yes! We've just got a lot of new styles recently. This way, please, ladies!"
Shen Miao picked out two new styles of clothes for Shen Zhen and ordered the shop to make them with Yunyan silk and send them to the Shen Mansion. Then she dragged Shen Zhen to look at jewelry.
"Sister, I often come to this shop. Take a look and see if there's any jewelry you like. If you do, just tell me. I'll buy it for you!" Shen Miao dragged Shen Zhen into Linglong Pavilion and said generously.
Looking at the dazzling array of jewelry, Shen Zhen felt her eyes were not enough. Every piece was exquisite and beautiful! These were not things she could come into contact with during the past ten years in the village. Nor could they be compared with the allowances given by the mansion after she came to the Shen Mansion.
"Second Miss, do you think this hairpin is nice?" Shen Zhen spotted a jade and gold peacock hairpin at a glance among all the jewelry. She picked it up and asked for Shen Miao's opinion.
"If you like it, that's good!" Shen Miao was sitting on a chair in the shop. Without even looking at what Shen Zhen was holding, she waved her hand and told the shop assistant to wrap it up.
"Thank you, Sister!"
Seeing Shen Zhen's smiling face, Shen Miao returned a smile. Anyway, no matter how many things Shen Zhen bought today, it would be Lord Ji who paid in the end.
Shen Miao put down the teacup in her hand and winked at the shopkeeper. The shopkeeper immediately understood, stepped back, and then brought a new cup of tea for Shen Zhen.
"Have the Second Miss and the Third Miss not come back yet?" Concubine Su was standing in the Shen Mansion, asking the two gatekeepers.
"Not yet!" The gatekeeper was leaning against the doorframe, looking a bit impatient. "Concubine Su, you've asked this question so many times. Please go back first! When the two ladies come back, someone will inform you. Don't keep waiting with us here."
Concubine Su didn't take the gatekeeper's words to heart at all. Her eyes still stared at the door without blinking.
The gatekeeper glanced at her but had no choice but to hide aside.
"Auntie, it's not a good way to keep waiting here. Should we ask someone in the mansion to go out and look for them? Then we can find the ladies sooner!" the maid beside Concubine Su advised.
"No! Absolutely not!" Concubine Su grabbed the maid's hand that was about to leave, looking disapproving. "We can't make a big deal out of this. It's not good for Zhen'er's reputation!"
After saying that, Concubine Su turned around and left. She whispered to the maid, "I've already sent Shen Zhang with two trusted personal servants to look for them. Maybe we'll get news of them soon!"
As she said this, Concubine Su looked up at the sun and silently calculated the time. It had already been two hours since Shen Zhen and Shen Miao went out.
"We can't wait any longer! Let's go!"
The maid looked puzzled, not understanding where Concubine Su was going. "Auntie, where are we going now?"
Concubine Su walked quickly towards the back door of the Shen Mansion without stopping. "To find the Eldest Miss!"
Actually, Concubine Su was very reluctant to ask Shen Li for help. After all, it was Shen Li who saved Shen Zhang last time and helped him get rid of the charge. Now, not long after, she had to ask Shen Li again because of Shen Zhen.
Originally, she thought she could come up with a way to cancel the so - called engagement on Shen Zhen. But unexpectedly, after she went to Shen Junming and explained the whole thing to him, Shen Junming only asked Shen Miao about Lord Ji's status.
Then he agreed to the engagement without hesitation and even praised Shen Miao for being smart, saying that she had found him a good partner in the officialdom who would be helpful to his career in the future.
Shen Junming's reaction disappointed Concubine Su. Although she had guessed his thoughts at the beginning, there was nothing she could do. In the Shen Mansion, she had no power or influence, and there was no one else who could make decisions.
So these days, she had asked Shen Zhen to decline Shen Miao's invitations with various excuses. But somehow, Shen Miao still managed to drag Shen Zhen out today.
Concubine Su knew her daughter well. She knew that with Shen Zhen's personality, she would only be deceived by Shen Miao. That's why she rushed to the front gate to wait.
The longer the time dragged on, the more uneasy Concubine Su felt. So she had no choice but to ask Shen Li for help.
...
Shen Zhen felt a headache, and her consciousness was a bit unclear. She subconsciously wanted to call her maid, but as soon as she moved, she felt something was wrong.
She couldn't move her hands and feet. It seemed that she was tied up by something. Shen Zhen was not willing to give up. She wriggled a few more times and found that she not only had little strength but also felt sore all over her limbs. She was tied up with ropes.
Moreover, there was a cloth covering her eyes, so she couldn't see the outside situation. Even her mouth was gagged, and she couldn't open it to speak. At this moment, her mouth was so sore that tears were streaming down her face.
At this time, Shen Zhen heard a man's voice coming from outside the door. "I really have to thank Second Miss Shen for today's matter!"
The voice talking to the man was a female voice. It sounded like a gentle and lovely girl. "Lord Ji, my younger sister is timid. Don't scare her later!"
"Second Miss, don't worry. I'm not a reckless person. A delicate girl like Third Miss is someone I only cherish. How could I dare to be rude to a beauty?"
Hearing his words, Shen Miao outside the door suddenly showed a look of uneasiness on her face, but it disappeared in a flash. She quickly covered it up well, and Lord Ji didn't notice.
"If that's the case, I'm relieved. It's just..."
Before Shen Miao could finish her words, Lord Ji raised his hand to interrupt her. "Second Miss, I know what you want to say. Second Miss Shen, you can rest assured. I will surely keep my promise to you."
"When I achieve my wish, it will also be the day when Second Miss Shen's wish comes true."
A smile appeared on Shen Miao's face. "Since Lord Ji has said so, I'll trust you."
"Let's wish our cooperation a happy one!"