The Incident

During their dispute, Wei Dansheng had stood up and calmly drank half the cup. After drinking, he used a handkerchief to wipe the rim of the cup clean and handed the remaining half to Xi Cui.

Xi Cui looked down at the emerald-green liquid in the crystal cup.

Wei Dansheng did not urge her either.

Xi Cui raised her head, took the cup, and a bold thought suddenly flashed in her mind.

Even if wiped clean, sharing a cup of wine still carried a somewhat indescribable, ambiguous feeling.

Knowing that Wei Dansheng was watching, Xi Cui deliberately drank very slowly.

The rim of the cup touched her pale lips, seemingly carrying a faint scent of sandalwood.

The remaining half-cup of green liquid reflected the color in the monk's eyes.

As the liquid entered her mouth, it left a trace of clear moisture on her lips. Xi Cui lightly licked it, then curled her tongue to sweep the moisture into her mouth.

She could clearly feel the gaze of the monk in front of her narrowing.

Although she wore an open smile on her face, deep down in her heart, she seemed to hear the sound of her own integrity gradually crumbling.

This small gesture, Xi Cui was certain, could only be seen by her and Wei Dansheng.

Drinking the remaining half, Xi Cui returned the cup to him, taking the opportunity to observe his reaction.

The monk reached out, his Buddhist beads swaying slightly.

He looked at her, the corners of his lips curving slightly, seemingly highly satisfied.

No... it couldn't have actually worked, could it?

Xi Cui thought in a daze.

Just now, she had only wanted to test him a little.

In this way, the matter was finally put to rest. Afterward, Xi Cui did not draw any more troublesome lots and quietly passed the rest of the event.

At this banquet, the eyes of others were not actually on her; most of them were drawn to Wu Huaifei.

She possessed a beautiful appearance, refined manners, and quick wit, and she was treated with special favor by the Marquise. Outsiders even thought she was born into some hermit family. Whether someone conversed with her or sought medical advice, Wu Huaifei answered everything fluently.

A single banquet had won her a great deal of goodwill and praise.

Wu Huaifei seemed to have become the most prominent figure at this gathering.

Chu Luoxin remembered what happened during the banquet. After it dispersed, he did not leave immediately but stood by Xi Cui's side to offer her a word or two of comfort.

After all, with the incident involving Xia Miao, quite a few people had developed dissatisfaction toward her, feeling that this San Niang was truly foolish and did not understand the ways of the world.

However, although many sided with Xia Miao, there were also some who had long disliked Xia Miao. Now that such a fuss had been made, they actually felt a bit of friendliness toward Xi Cui.

It could only be said that blessings and misfortunes come together; there are gains and losses.

Xi Cui did not care much.

She wasn't money; she couldn't please everyone. Her goal from beginning to end was only Wei Dansheng.

Perhaps because she had drunk some wine, upon returning to her tent, Xi Cui felt a bit tired and fell asleep for a while.

She was awakened by Gao Ying. As soon as she opened her eyes, she saw Gao Ying's flower-like, beautiful face.

"Get up quickly!" Her face was filled with disdain.

Gao Ying looked at her scornfully. "What are you sleeping for? Hurry up and come with me to the racecourse!"

"What are we going to the racecourse for?"

"To play polo," Gao Ying said. "What else?"

Having just woken up, Xi Cui didn't really want to move.

Gao Diyu liked riding horses, but in her past life, she had only touched a horse once at the zoo and had absolutely no idea how to ride.

"I'm not going," Xi Cui said sleepily.

"What did you say? Hiding in your tent?" Gao Ying raised her eyebrows. "If you don't go, people will laugh at you. Outsiders might think you have a guilty conscience and are afraid of Xia Miao, which is why you don't dare to show your face."

The racecourse was not far from here, and playing polo was also an activity scheduled for today.

Dragged out of the tent by Gao Ying, as soon as they arrived at the racecourse, Xi Cui saw Chu Luoxin leading a horse, smiling at her with great enthusiasm. "San Niang! Liu Niang! You've both come?"

Gao Qian was not there, so Gao Ying insisted on riding the tall white horse that Gao Qian usually rode.

Xi Cui asked Ma Guan for a gentle red horse.

Riding a horse for the first time, Xi Cui was originally a bit anxious, but her body seemed to be familiar with it.

Swinging herself onto the horse, her movements were swift and decisive.

This sense of familiarity put Xi Cui's mind at ease.

She didn't know how to play polo, so she didn't participate, only riding her horse to watch from the sidelines.

Chu Luoxin was in high spirits, galloping across the field with Gao Ying.

It was a clear spring day, and dust billowed on the field as everyone chased each other, their sleeves fluttering.

Because the racecourse was vast, Xi Cui did not see Wei Dansheng or Wu Huaifei.

Wu Huaifei probably wouldn't participate, and since Wei Dansheng had a crippled leg, it was impossible for him to take the field. Both of them were likely watching from the sidelines.

Xi Cui rode a lap around the racecourse and indeed spotted Wei Dansheng outside.

Wei Dansheng was not with Wu Huaifei; he stood alone.

Xi Cui was in no hurry to go over.

From what she could see, getting Wei Dansheng to fall for her would still be very difficult.

Thinking of this, Xi Cui felt a bit troubled. She had no experience. Even that time on Mount Biaor was because Wei Dansheng was still a child back then, so she had no psychological pressure.

These past few days at Kongshan Temple, there had been no progress in their relationship.

Did she really have to try and seduce him like she did at the banquet?

After all, he was a monk. Seducing a monk did not seem so easy.

While she was lost in thought, a sudden commotion erupted on the field, mingled with the neighing of horses and the terrified screams of the crowd.

Vaguely, someone could be heard shouting in panic, "The horse is spooked!"

"The horse is spooked!"

Xi Cui suddenly snapped out of her thoughts, only to see dust billowing on the field as a tall white stallion thrashed wildly among the crowd.

The remaining people on the field fled in terror. For a moment, the chaotic sound of hooves turned the field into a scene of utter confusion.

This... this was Gao Qian's horse!

Then what about Gao Ying?

Thinking of this, Xi Cui panicked and hurriedly scanned the area.

Finally, she saw that small figure in a corner. She was standing with Chu Luoxin, her face pale, looking terrified.

Before Xi Cui could breathe a sigh of relief, the panicked white horse suddenly bolted and charged frantically toward Wei Dansheng.

It all happened too suddenly. With his crippled leg, Wei Dansheng could hardly dodge in time.