The pregnant woman pressed down on the wife, and the cousin collapsed into the prince's arms.

As soon as she entered, she knelt down and bowed deeply to Shen Yunshuang: "I will never forget your great kindness, Miss. I have come here today to express my gratitude." Her voice choked with emotion, and her thin and frail appearance was heartbreaking to see.

Shen Yunshuang quickly bent down to help her up. When her fingertips touched her arm, she noticed how thin she had become. Her voice softened even more: "Aunt Lan, why make such a big gesture? I only did some small things. You don't need to take it to heart."

As she spoke, she gestured for Linglan to sit down and asked Xuezhi and Lvrui to serve tea and pastries.

With Xiao Li's help, Ling Lan sat down in a round-backed chair. She wiped away her tears with a handkerchief, her face still pale and her voice weak: "If it weren't for Miss Xiao Li's help, Ling Lan would probably be dead by now. I can still speak to you properly and thank you. This is all thanks to your kindness. I have no way to repay such a debt of gratitude."

"I am a humble woman and have nothing of value to offer." With that, she took a white porcelain jar from Xiao Li's hand. "I only have this jar of osmanthus glutinous rice wine, which I brewed a few years ago with golden osmanthus and the finest glutinous rice. It is sweet and refreshing, without any harshness, and a small sip can warm the spleen and stomach for a woman. Please do not find it offensive and accept this small gift."

In Shen Yunshuang's memory, Linglan did indeed brew wine, and in fact, Pei Jingnian initially noticed her because of the wine she brewed.

She accepted it with a smile: "What's with the talk of vulgarity? Thank you for Aunt Lan's kind gesture."

Although Linglan was filled with gratitude, their relationship was still quite distant, and Linglan seemed to be feeling a bit weak. She drank some tea, ate some fruit, and then left.

Before leaving, she earnestly said, "Miss, if there is anything I can do to help you in the future, please don't hesitate to ask."

Shen Yunshuang squeezed her hand and said, "Aunt Lan, please don't worry. Getting well is the most important thing right now."

_

After she left, Xuezhi put away the jar of wine and said to Shen Yunshuang, "Everyone in the manor says that Aunt Lan has a strong and fiery temperament, but I don't think so today."

Shen Yunshuang paused in her hand holding the embroidery needle, thinking to herself, it's true that she has a strong temper, otherwise she wouldn't have exposed the contraceptive soup incident, and she wouldn't have almost died.

After this ordeal, even the most fiercely independent person would likely be worn down.

Recalling Linglan's last words before leaving, Shen Yunshuang smiled slightly. Linglan's tragic end was all the work of that vicious woman, Su Wanrou. In this light, they seemed to have a common enemy.

_

News of Linglan's visit to Shen Yunshuang quickly reached Jinlan Courtyard.

Su Wanrou hated Linglan so much that she wished she would die sooner, but unexpectedly, she was saved by Shen Yunshuang. Her mother-in-law was also coaxed by Shen Yunshuang and acquiesced to the matter.

It seems that Lily of the Valley won't die.

"Mom, I knew Shen Yunshuang wasn't a peaceful person. Look at her, so young, yet so good at winning people over!" Su Wanrou felt uneasy. Whenever she thought of Shen Yunshuang, she felt uncomfortable all over and wished she could just get rid of her as soon as possible.

Zhou's mother handed her a cup of tea and advised, "She's just a cousin. No matter how much she tries to win people over, how long can she keep this up? She'll eventually get married and leave the mansion. You don't need to take her seriously."

Su Wanrou took a sip of tea and hummed softly, "My mother-in-law was inquiring about her marriage the other day, but she's been quiet these past few days." Thinking of this, she became uneasy again, "Mother, do you think my mother-in-law wants her to come into the household?"

Madam Zhou's expression hardened, and she shook her head again: "It shouldn't be." She then whispered: "I heard that recently, the young master has been going to Fuxi Hall to pay his respects very early, and he hasn't seen her for a long time. He might have had some feelings for her before, but now I'm afraid they've faded away."

It would have been better if she hadn't mentioned it, because the moment Su Wanrou thought of Pei Jingnian getting angry at her because of Shen Yunshuang, her heart felt like it was being soaked in acid.

She truly loathed Shen Yunshuang. Although Shen Yunshuang treated her with respect, she felt extremely uncomfortable whenever she saw her.

Su Wanrou thought to herself, "I should go to the temple to pray sometime. Could it be that Shen Yunshuang is really bringing me bad luck?"

Having raised Su Wanrou from childhood, Madam Zhou knew her best. Seeing her so restless, she couldn't help but offer an idea: "I think our young master has some feelings for Miss Biao. Why don't you put in some effort, Madam, to make this happen?"

Su Wanrou frowned upon hearing this. Shen Yunshuang was so alluring that her younger brother was instantly captivated by her. If she were to become his concubine, who knew what kind of bewitching effect she would have on him? Her brother was currently on the path of studying for the imperial examinations; how could she leave such a troublesome person at home?

"No way! My brother is already dissatisfied with his wife. If she enters the household, she'll probably cause even more chaos. Will the Su family ever have a peaceful life again?"

Madam Zhou patiently advised, "Getting rid of this thorn in your side is the most important thing right now. I think Miss Cousin will get married sooner or later, so it's better for her to go with the young master and enter the Su family. Then you can do whatever you want with her. Even if the young master is infatuated for a while, do you think he won't listen to his own sister?"

"Handling it up..." Su Wanrou's heart stirred; Zhou Mama's words made sense. Instead of worrying every day about whether Shen Yunshuang would seduce the young master, it would be better to let her leave the manor as soon as possible.

Marrying someone else is not as good as becoming a concubine for my younger brother. Once I enter the Su family, I'll be in their grasp.

Su Wanrou thought about it more and more and felt it was really good. She glanced at Zhou Mama and whispered, "My mother-in-law's birthday is coming soon, and my younger brother will also be joining the household. Do you still have any of the bone-softening powder? When that day comes..."