Chapter 190: Whatever Makes You Happy

Jun Yiyi was nearly driven mad with anxiety. Seeing everyone else bowing, she gritted her teeth, steeled herself, and simply pretended to trip.

With a loud "bang," she fell sideways onto the floor, chair and all. She feigned an exaggerated expression of pain, yet gripped the chair tightly to prevent the maids from coming to help her.

Enduring the embarrassment, she managed to bow while still slumped on the floor.

But the chair seemed to have grown roots; it remained firmly stuck to her backside. After struggling for a long while, Jun Yiyi used both hands to steady the chair and managed to pull herself and the seat back up into a sitting position.

What on earth is going on! Jun Yiyi roared in her heart, but she dared not cry out loud.

She could only sweep her gaze around with eyes that seemed ready to spit fire, as if trying to ferret out the culprit.

Her peripheral vision caught Jun Zijin’s faint, elusive smile, and she became certain in an instant that this bitch was behind it.

Jun Zhengming did not know what kind of scene Jun Yiyi was making, and since he could not reprimand her in front of the ancestors, he simply closed his eyes and pretended not to see.

The four Jun sisters nearly burst from holding back their laughter.

"Big Sister, what has happened to you?"

Jun Shuyan feigned ignorance, blinked her eyes, and asked.

"Pfft." Quan Qingle could no longer hold it in and burst out laughing.

Jun Yiyi’s face flushed a deep red from shame; she wished she could tear these people before her to shreds.

Quan Aoyu cast his gaze toward Jun Zijin, his eyes filled with a touch of doting, the corners of his mouth twitching slightly. It went without saying that this must be the prank of this mischievous girl.

Prince Chen’s lips curled slightly, and he shook his head helplessly. This girl who refused to suffer a loss was quite interesting; she was the only one who could be a match for Aoyu.

Quan Tianyi’s face was as black as the bottom of a pot, even though he had only taken Jun Yiyi in for ulterior motives.

But as the saying goes, one must consider the master before beating a dog; making a fool of Jun Yiyi in front of him was an insult to him.

He let out a heavy, cold snort and turned his head away, his hands clenched into tight fists, the veins on the back of his hands bulging, yet he said nothing. In front of Quan Aoyu, he never came out on top.

Jun Chengcai, however, looked indifferent, as if everything before him had nothing to do with him, and he sipped his tea with ease.

His eyes were as calm as water, though he occasionally lifted them to glance at He Linger, only to lower his lids again quickly to continue enjoying his leisure time.

The servants present all kept their heads bowed, yet their shoulders could not help but tremble slightly; the suppressed laughter hung faintly in the air.

They could not figure out what was wrong with the eldest young lady today, and their eyes were filled with curiosity, stealing glances at Jun Yiyi from time to time, unable to hide their schadenfreude.

Just as the atmosphere reached an awkward peak and Jun Zhengming felt his head was about to explode, the Emperor and Empress’s rewards for Jun Zijin arrived.

Jun Zhengming breathed a sigh of relief; the rewards had come just in time, finally resolving this awkward situation.

The eunuch’s shrill voice rang out:

"The Emperor and Empress bestow upon Princess Qingping two pairs of jade ruyi, fifty bolts of silk and satin, top-grade Eastern pearls..."

The rewards were extremely generous; not to mention the gold, silver, and jewels, there were also many rare medicinal herbs.

Box after box of items was moved into Jun Zijin’s courtyard.

This time, Jun Yiyi was too preoccupied to be jealous; a flash of complexity crossed her otherwise livid face, and she secretly rejoiced that everyone’s attention had finally shifted away from her.

The farce at the Jun residence finally subsided.

However, apart from He Linger, the others were still left completely bewildered by today’s performance.

Quan Qingle could not help but ask Jun Zijin:

"Zijin, why was that chair stuck so tightly to Jun Yiyi’s backside?"

Jun Zijin giggled:

"If I said she might have felt the chair was more comfortable to sit on and didn't want to get up, would you believe me?"

"Pfft! Who would believe that!"

Quan Qingle rolled her eyes.

The reason the chair was stuck to Jun Yiyi was simply that she had applied a layer of superglue to it, which she had taken from her dormitory in the Phoenix Ring space.

Jun Yiyi had been pulling Quan Tianyi along, feeling smug, and had sat down without even looking.

He Linger burst into laughter:

"That’s superglue. Actually, to get the chair off, if she doesn't want to take off her skirt and trousers, she could cut away the fabric on her backside. But then, her butt would still be chilly~~"

Quan Qingle and Jun Shuyan laughed until they were nearly breathless, and several maids followed suit, rocking back and forth.

Quan Qingle laughed until tears were almost streaming down her face, patting Jun Zijin’s shoulder while gasping for air:

"This... this superglue, Zijin, I can't believe you thought of that!"

Jun Shuyan finally stopped laughing, wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes with a handkerchief, and nodded in agreement:

"If Jun Yiyi knew this superglue was the culprit, she’d be furious enough to die. Taking off her pants in public and cutting the fabric to expose her butt—Jun Yiyi really wouldn't be able to go on living!"

Just as they were laughing heartily, Quan Aoyu’s voice came from the doorway:

"You lot, laughing like this—is there some grand joyous occasion?"

Jun Zijin laughingly told Quan Aoyu the whole story, concluding with one sentence: playing slowly is where the fun lies.

Quan Aoyu shook his head helplessly, but the corners of his mouth could not help but lift slightly as he said something both domineering and incredibly doting:

"As long as you’re happy playing, that’s all that matters."

It sounded as if he would unconditionally support whatever she wanted to do.

The night was like ink, thickly splashed across every inch of the Jun residence.

The Jun residence, which had been bustling during the day due to the imperial rewards, was still brightly lit, with servants coming and going, busy sorting the treasures bestowed by the Emperor and Empress into various storehouses.

Laughter and joy filled the Jun residence, and everyone remained immersed in the delight brought by this honor.

Yet the neighboring Jun house appeared exceptionally cold and dim. Jun Zhidie and Jun Zhihao, who had been locked in the woodshed for several days, were sitting in the main hall, the flickering candlelight reflecting their faces filled with resentment and jealousy.

"Brother, look at how smug they are over at the Jun residence. They just got some rewards from the Emperor and Empress—what’s so great about that!"

Jun Zhidie’s willow-leaf eyebrows stood on end; she gripped her silk handkerchief tightly in her palm, her tone full of spite.

Jun Zhihao let out a muffled snort, the muscles in his face twitching slightly:

"Hmph, I can't believe that fire didn't burn her to death."

Jun Zhidie’s eyes darted around, a look of malice appearing on her face:

"Brother, why don't you climb over the wall tonight and take a look..."

Jun Zhihao glared:

"That bitch must be on guard now. Besides, with so many guards surrounding the Jun residence like an iron barrel, wouldn't I just be going to my death?"

Jun Zhidie would not have it; she grabbed Jun Zhihao’s arm and began to act coquettishly.

A scene from a few days ago flashed through Jun Zhihao’s mind, and his heart stirred; he reluctantly agreed.

Their conversation was overheard by the Flying Eagle, who immediately reported it to Jun Zijin.

A flash of murderous intent crossed Jun Zijin’s eyes. She hadn't even found the time to deal with them yet, and here they were, rushing to throw themselves into her path.