"'Painting'?" Feng An Ning stretched her neck and when she saw the paper in Shen Miao's hand, she was also slightly stunned for a moment before saying, "Do you know how?"
This was actually sincere words as Shen Miao did not have any knowledge on the four scholarly arts. There should be an implicit charm in painting which was needless to say if one cannot even paint.
Seeing Shen Miao keeping her silence, Feng An Ning also quietened down. It was most likely humans were strange, in the beginning, she found Shen Miao unpleasing to her eyes but now when Shen Miao behaved indifferently to her, Feng An Ning, on the other hand, felt more willing to talk to Shen Miao. She felt that the current Shen Miao had a special temperament and could unconsciously attract others.
As both of them were being silent, Shen Yue and Shen Qing walked over confidently before Shen Yao smiled, "What did the lot that Wǔ mèimèi picked says? Let me take a look, maybe Dà jiějiě and I could come out with some ideas."
Shen Qing nodded her head, "Yes. I and Èr mèimèi have drawn poetry and painting respectively. What is yours?"
Shen Miao kept quiet so Shen Yue smiled as she went forward to take the paper from her hands and said as though she had no bad intentions, "Wǔ mèimèi must not be afraid since there is still us, two Jiěmèi here. We would always look after you."
Feng An Ning snorted. Even though she previously also did not like Shen Miao but she did not find Shen Yue and Shen Qing pleasing to her eyes. Her mother was a formidable person and there were numerous mèimèis at home. Who had harboured any bad intentions or was calculative, she could all see it with one glance. What was the difference between Shen Yue and Shen Qing and the Shu-sisters in her residence who want to contend for favour? They wanted nothing more than to use Shen Miao's stupidity to only elevate themselves.
Sure enough, when Shen Yue spoke those words, on the other side when Yi Pei Lan heard it, she started to laugh, "Shen Yue, why are you saying these things to her? Even if you came out with the best ideas, I fear that she would not be able to cope with it."
"Exactly. It is better to let Shen Miao, herself, prepare." Jiang Xiao Xuan also laughed.
Even though the surrounding Fūréns and Gūniángs had heard such blatant sarcasm, they pretended not to hear. On the surface, they look serious but the corners of their lips hooked up.
There were no other reasons other than Shen Miao making a fool of herself in the yearly academy examinations. Since ridiculing had become a habit, there was no difference at all even though such ridiculing behaviour should not appear in a noble young lady.
"Don't say that about Wǔ mèimèi." Shen Yue said disapprovingly, "Wǔ mèimèi is very hardworking." She opened up the paper and made an "aiyah" sound before looking at Shen Miao in a joyous cry, "It's painting. Wǔ mèimèi, you have chosen the same task as me."
Feng An Ning looked at Shen Yue apprehensively, it was just the same task, what was there to be joyous about? Shen Miao, however, was well aware. It was most likely that Shen Yue felt that with the comparison of her own stupidity, she would be able to make herself more outstanding and moreover Fu Xiu Yi was present today. Thinking of Fu Xiu Yi, her eyes darken.
"What does Wǔ mèimèi plan to paint?" Shen Qing asked curiously, "Why not let Èr mèimèi give one or two pointers?" The words were filled with good intentions like an older sister protecting her mèimèi. If one were to see such a vivid scene, they would only say that Shen Qing treated her younger cousins with utmost care.
"Have trouble with both of you to worry." Shen Miao said coldly, "However, this is the academy examinations and it would be better to follow the rules and regulations. Isn't it considered cheating if Èrjiě were to help me? The two people who are involved in cheating would have to be eliminated from the academy examinations. Èrjiě would end up in such a position for me?"
When her lukewarm words were spoken, Shen Yue's face changed. Yes, such acts would be considered as cheating but previously everyone would only say that she was warm and kind and thus nothing more would come to mind. Now after Shen Miao pointed it out 'specially', everyone's vision towards Shen Yue had changed.
In the academy examinations, an additional person meant an additional opponent and everyone wants to be the only one receiving the entire audience praise. Shen Yue had good relations with everyone in Guang Wen Tang but that did not mean that there was no one jealous of her. At present, these young ladies were all her opponents and as Shen Yue would always win the first position during the academy examinations at the female side, there would definitely be grievances. If they have anything to use against her to get her eliminated from the academy examinations, wouldn't there be one less competitor? All of the sudden those female students who were standing together with Shen Yue looked over covetously like a tiger watching its prey, and that includes Shen Yue's best friend Yi Pei Lan.
Shen Yue shivered, she naturally knew the seriousness of it. Turning around, she, however, saw Shen Miao look at her with a smile but not really a smile and with eyes full of ridicule.
If she were to cower like that, it would only make the good intentions she just showed to appear false but if she were to seize the opportunity, there was no guarantee that these students would not take the opportunity to ensure she was unable to participate in the examinations. Either way was also wrong. Shen Yue strongly tempered the resentment in her heart and glared at Shen Miao before smiling reluctantly, "Since Wǔ mèimèi had said so, then I would not take initiative to say more. Let the matter drop then."
Feng An Ning could not help but laugh before she deliberately spoke loudly, "And here I thought how much love can she have for her mèimèi. It was nothing more than that. Just a scare like that is considered as helping sincerely."
In a short time, those young ladies' vision of Shen Yue became profound and thought-provoking.
When Chen Rou Xiu heard the sound of activities at this side, she was somewhat nervous. Shen Yue was after all still young and would not know how to cope with the situation on hand. At the same time, her heart was somewhat chilled. Shen Miao could use a few sentences and words to provoke others' emotions and made the rest go along with her words. What a formidable mouth! But she cannot intervene in it as these were the kids' issues and if she as a mother intervened, then it would be detrimental.
Ren Wan Yun and Shen Qing were somewhat rejoicing in her misfortune as they knew that if Shen Yue was too outstanding, it would only eclipse Shen Qing's glory. If Shen Yue did not do well, the Shen family only had Shen Qing to prop them up.
Shen Yue looked at Shen Miao. She thought, if this mèimèi became smarter now, she would now speak to rescue her from the situation. After all, they were all sisters in the Shen residence and what advantages would there be if it was spread that the few households in the Shen residence were not in harmony? Moreover, Shen Miao had always been curry favouring Shen Yue and if she offends Shen Yue, Shen Miao would not have any more friends.
But she waited for a long while and did not hear Shen Miao's answer. Shen Yue could not help but say, "Wǔ mèimèi…"
"Èrjiě do not need to think about what to draw next?" Shen Miao's voice was flat as though there were no waves, "As for my side, it is not needed."
Seeing that Shen Miao had no intention to give her a way out of this and looking around at the slight ridicule looks from the surrounding young ladies, for the first time, Shen Yue could almost not control herself and wanted to slap Shen Miao. She reluctantly suppressed her emotions and said with her teeth clenched, "It seems that Wǔ mèimèi had already thought it out well. In that case, we will be able to see how Wǔ mèimèi will be able to perform outstandingly. It must be fantastic!"
Shen Yue said the words 'outstandingly' as she clenched her teeth. After finishing her words, she brushed her sleeves away and turned around to leave angrily. Shen Qing quickly followed along.
Feng An Ning looked at Shen Miao and asked, "Although it felt very refreshing, why do you not give yourself a route to retreat? When the time comes for you to go up, she would definitely seize the opportunity to severely ridicule you."
"I don't like enduring." Shen Miao looked at the chess game in front. Don't endure. Don't look back. Don't be soft-hearted.
"Don't endure. Must kill." She picked up a chess piece and placed it on the chessboard.