Unknowingly, half an hour passed.
Just as Ye Li was about to lose her patience, Shen Jing finally finished drawing again.
Ye Li eagerly walked to the easel, stretching her stiff and sore body while admiring her portrait, her eyes full of surprise.
It's like her!
It's too much like her!
Looking at the painting, she even had the illusion of looking in a mirror.
The only regret was that the portrait had no color.
If color could be added, it would definitely be even more lifelike!
"Is Princess satisfied now?"
Shen Jing asked, rubbing his sore wrist.
"Satisfied, very satisfied!"
Ye Li nodded gently, an unusual glint in her eyes.
"Then, shouldn't Princess reward me with something?"
Shen Jing asked jokingly.
"Reward, absolutely must reward!"
Ye Li nodded emphatically, carefully taking down the portrait and rolling it up.
Su Yourong smiled, "Princess, he's just joking with you."
"No, I must reward him!"
Ye Li placed the scroll in her hand aside and moved behind Shen Jing.
The next moment, Ye Li suddenly lifted her foot and, without warning, kicked Shen Jing in the backside.
Without any defense, Shen Jing almost fell face-first.
"Princess, you can't do that!"
Shen Jing steadied himself and looked at Ye Li with a frustrated expression, "If you don't want to reward me, that's fine, but you also..."
"Do you think I don't know you're using me?"
Ye Li gritted her silver teeth, staring intently at Shen Jing.
Damn it?!
This violent little girl isn't stupid!
Shen Jing's heart skipped a beat, and he feigned ignorance, "What does Princess mean by that?"
"Keep pretending, keep pretending!"
Ye Li's breathing was heavy, "Do you dare say that the previous painting wasn't intentionally ruined by you? Didn't you just want to use me to teach those two a lesson?"
At first, she was angry and didn't think much of it.
When she reset her pose for Shen Jing to draw her portrait again, her emotions gradually calmed, and as she thought about the whole process, she suddenly realized something was wrong!
Both Shen Jing's actions and words were guiding her anger towards Zhao Jianzhi and them.
This scoundrel!
Not only shameless, but also very insidious!
Now that she had seen through him, he still dared to play dumb in front of her?
"Nothing of the sort, Princess is overthinking it."
Shen Jing stubbornly denied it, muttering softly, "If you don't want to give a reward, just say so, don't accuse a good person..."
"What did you say?"
Ye Li's expression was displeased.
"Nothing, nothing."
Shen Jing chuckled dryly, "I mean, Princess has wronged me."
"You don't even blush saying the word 'wronged'!"
Ye Li bit her thin lip lightly, "If it weren't for this painting and You Rong's sake, I would have made you slap yourself twenty times today!"
Damn it!
Shen Jing was annoyed!
His mother, this girl is a typical example of turning hostile and denying everything.
This jinx, just eat lunch and leave quickly!
If I can't provoke her, can't I at least avoid her?
"Alright, alright!"
Su Yourong quickly stepped in to mediate, holding Ye Li's hand and chuckling, "Princess, he's just a bit eccentric, don't mind him! I didn't even get a good look at that painting before you put it away, let me see it again!"
Saying that, Su Yourong glared sideways at Shen Jing.
She had actually also realized later that Shen Jing was using Ye Li to teach Zhao Jianzhi and Song Lianxin a lesson.
However, she couldn't say it out loud.
She never expected Ye Li to figure it out anyway.
With Su Yourong mediating, Ye Li's expression finally softened a bit, and she immediately took out the painting to look at it with Su Yourong.
Looking at the lifelike portrait, Su Yourong felt a strange annoyance in her heart and stepped on Shen Jing's foot.
"No..."
Shen Jing was speechless, "Why are you stepping on me again? Who did I offend?"
"She's jealous!"
Ye Li looked up, "This portrait you drew for me is more detailed and more like me than the one you drew for her! How could she not be jealous?"
"Not at all!"
Su Yourong's pretty face flushed slightly, and she flatly denied it.
"You're also wronging me."
Shen Jing was very innocent, "Is drawing from a person the same as drawing from memory?"
This time, Shen Jing was truly innocent.
When he drew Su Yourong's portrait, Su Yourong wasn't sitting there as a model!
Alas!
Women!
They have to compare everything!
Why don't they compare who is gentler, or who is more passionate and uninhibited?
"I didn't mean that!"
Su Yourong denied it again, "I stepped on you because you're reckless with your words and don't act properly even in front of Princess!"
"Just keep pretending, you!"
Ye Li ruthlessly exposed Su Yourong, "Your husband truly has some skill! Even the court painters can't draw portraits as accurately as he does! From this perspective, he can be called a master! However, he is still an insidious, cunning, and shameless scoundrel!"
Well, well!
''Insidious and cunning'' was added before ''shameless''!
You really know how to compliment people!
Shen Jing secretly grumbled.
Seeing Shen Jing remain silent, Ye Li glanced at him sideways, "Are you secretly cursing me?"
"No!"
Shen Jing shook his head like a rattle-drum, "Princess is so beautiful and generous, I don't have enough time to praise Princess, how could I curse Princess?"
"Do you think you're a good person?"
Ye Li pouted, raising an eyebrow, "It doesn't matter if you curse me, but don't let me hear it!"
Heh heh!
You're a Princess, you get to be arrogant!
...
At noon, Madam Su personally cooked a table full of dishes.
It was during dinner that they finally understood how Ye Li knew Shen Jing was that scoundrel.
Understanding the reason, the mother and daughter were both speechless.
Shen Jing was even regarded as a lucky star?
And people bought his portraits to hang in their homes?
According to those people's thinking, shouldn't the Su Family lift Shen Jing onto a shrine and worship him?
Who would have thought that the matter they had painstakingly hidden would be exposed in such a way.
Shen Jing was also depressed, secretly vowing in his heart that he would definitely go find that Sunzi later!
"Madam, you must discipline your son-in-law well in the future!"
"It's a good thing he provoked me this time; I won't hold it against him for your and You Rong's sake!"
"But if he provokes those nobles in the capital in the future, he might not even know how he died..."
Before leaving, Ye Li very solemnly reminded Madam Su.
Shen Jing secretly pouted, feeling a surge of displeasure in his heart.
She only talked about him being shameless, as if she herself had any shame.
She clearly accepted his benefits, yet here she was, shamelessly praising herself.
Anyone who didn't know would think she was very magnanimous!
"Princess, rest assured, I will definitely discipline him well!"
Madam Su glanced at Shen Jing, "When Princess returns to the capital, please convey my regards to His Majesty and the Empress."
"Alright!"
Ye Li agreed, then waved to them, "You don't need to see me off either, I hope we meet again soon in the capital!"
With that, Ye Li boarded the carriage.
Before entering the carriage, Ye Li glared fiercely at Shen Jing again.
After lifting the carriage curtain once more to bid farewell to Su Yourong and the others, Ye Li's carriage slowly drove away from the Su Manor.
Watching the distant carriage, Shen Jing couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief, "This time she's really gone, right?"
"You just keep it up and cause more trouble for me in the future!"
Madam Su glared at Shen Jing and turned to walk into the manor.
"This can't be blamed on me! I'm also a victim."
Shen Jing shrugged innocently, earning a roll of the eyes from Su Yourong.
If he was the victim, what were the people from the Song and Zhao families?
Inside the carriage, Ye Li opened her portrait again.
As she looked at it, a smile involuntarily appeared on Ye Li's face.
They say good people don't live long, but troublemakers last a thousand years.
So many days had passed, and Shen Jing was still alive and kicking.
He should be able to break the curse on Su Yourong, right?
Shen Jing!
I'll remember you!
You better stay alive!
Do you think that just because you bullied me, it's over?
I hold a grudge!
When you all arrive in the capital, let's see how I deal with you!
Thinking of Shen Jing's expression, where he couldn't stand her but couldn't do anything about her, the smile on Ye Li's face grew wider.
A moment later, Ye Li lifted the carriage curtain and instructed Lin Qi: "Send someone to buy a few portraits of Shen Jing..."