The next moment, Su Yuanyuan said to Jiang Lanyi, "Sister Jiang, this is our first meeting. It's only natural that you misunderstand me since you don't know me well. I won't take to heart what you said to me just now."
"I just think that today we're all guests invited to the Prince Xuan's Mansion to enjoy music and discuss elegance. Since we're all guests here, there's no reason for the guests to quarrel before the host shows up. Am I right?"
Jiang Lanyi felt a bit better seeing that Su Yuanyuan didn't make things difficult for her as she expected. She gave a soft snort and said, "Of course."
Su Yuanyuan smiled, showing two cute dimples. "As long as you apologize to me, we can let today's matter go. How about it?"
"What did you say? You actually want me, a young lady, to apologize to a little girl like you?" Jiang Lanyi looked utterly incredulous.
After the conversation just now, the attitudes and manners of the two were clearly distinguishable.
The little girl from the northern desert, whom Jiang Lanyi and most of the noble ladies looked down upon, was not only well - educated but also magnanimous.
In contrast, Jiang Lanyi was not only picky but also reluctant to apologize to a woman of higher rank. She was really ill - mannered.
Under this strong contrast, voices of condemnation rose one after another around them:
"Miss Jiang, you were really rude just now. You should apologize."
"This Jiang Lanyi doesn't even know her own status. She really thinks she's someone great. How dare she look down on the young lady from the Duke Yong's Mansion?"
"Yeah, we're all guests in the Prince Xuan's Mansion. She's just a young lady from a viscount's mansion. Does she really think she's a princess?"
Seeing more and more people casting strange looks at her, Jiang Lanyi, in order to save face before the princes arrived, had no choice but to curtsy to Su Yuanyuan and whispered, "Sorry."
Su Yuanyuan blinked and asked Zhang Yingxue beside her, "Sister Yingxue, did you hear that just now?"
Zhang Yingxue held back her laughter and said, "Sister Yuanbao, I didn't hear anything."
Jiang Lanyi blushed with shame and anger. She stamped her foot and shouted, "Miss Su, I'm sorry!" After shouting, she wiped her tears and ran away.
The little sisters who had been standing with her just now glanced at Su Yuanyuan and Zhang Yingxue, then chased after Jiang Lanyi and left.
After Jiang Lanyi and the others left, the other young ladies in the garden who had been cold just now became enthusiastic. They swarmed towards Su Yuanyuan, Wei Linlang and Zhang Yingxue, and started to get familiar with Su Yuanyuan and Wei Linlang one after another.
"I've long heard of Miss Su, the fourth daughter of the Duke Yong's Mansion. I see today that she's really as intelligent and charming as the rumors say."
"Is this Lady Wei, the wife of the heir of the Duke Yong? I was lucky enough to see your heroic posture when you were competing in horse - riding before. You were so valiant!"
"Lady Wei, the jewelry in your hair is so elegant and delicate. I've never seen any jewelry store that can make such beautiful jewelry. May I ask which store it's from?"
Wei Linlang was beaming with pride at the compliments. Hearing someone mention the hairpin in her hair, she knew that this was a good opportunity to promote "Tianbao Zhai". She lifted her hand to tidy the hair on her temple, exchanged a look with Su Yuanyuan, and replied with a smile,
"This hairpin was specially customized for me by 'Tianbao Zhai'. It's the only one in the world."
The noble ladies in Shengjing City all looked blank.
One of the noble ladies said, "When did 'Tianbao Zhai' appear? Why have I never heard of it before?"
At this time, another noble lady noticed that the hairpin in Zhang Yingxue's hair was also extremely delicate and gorgeous, so she also asked,
"Yingxue, the jewelry in your hair is so beautiful. Which store is it from?"
Zhang Yingxue said, "My hairpin is also from 'Tianbao Zhai'. It's one of the upcoming new products of 'Tianbao Zhai', the 'Heavy Snow' in the Twenty - Four Solar Terms series."
"Then is the hairpin on Sister Yuanbao's head also..."
Su Yuanyuan smiled and said, "Yes. The hairpin on my head is also from 'Tianbao Zhai'. This hair accessory is called 'Plucking the Laurel in the Moon Palace'. It's one of the 'Happy Reunion' series."
Unexpectedly, the hair accessories worn by the three ladies were all from "Tianbao Zhai"! And each had its own characteristics! Without exception, they were all breathtakingly beautiful.
For a moment, the curiosity of these noble ladies about "Tianbao Zhai" reached its peak. They all asked the three ladies for information about "Tianbao Zhai", hoping to go to "Tianbao Zhai" to choose a batch of satisfactory jewelry after the music - appreciation banquet.
Su Yuanyuan was extremely happy to see that "Tianbao Zhai" had successfully made a preliminary name for itself. However, because of the conflict with Jiang Lanyi just now, she suddenly changed her mind and didn't plan to tell everyone that "Tianbao Zhai" was her store.
She said, "Tianbao Zhai hasn't opened yet. I was just lucky enough to become one of their first customers with my sister - in - law and Sister Yingxue. I heard that when they open, they will put the hairpins of the Twenty - Four Solar Terms and 'Happy Reunion' series on the shelves. If any of you sisters want to go to Tianbao Zhai to choose jewelry, you can pay more attention to the news in Shengjing City. When it opens, just tell the shopkeeper my name. The shopkeeper will surely give you a discount for my sake."
"That's great. Thank you, Sister Yuanbao!"
The chattering voices of the girls gathered in the garden made it extremely lively.
On the attic not far away, Xiao Zisheng, sitting in a wooden wheelchair, looked at the beautiful figure surrounded by the crowd through the rockery and bamboo branches. He couldn't help but tightly grip the armrests of his wheelchair.
Beside him, Prince Xuan took a sip of tea and sighed, "I didn't expect Miss Su, the fourth daughter, to have such a sharp tongue. She really didn't let herself be at a disadvantage at all."
Prince Xuan held this banquet in his mansion today at the request of Prince Jin. The purpose was to invite Su Yuanyuan here.
Thinking that it was Prince Huai who had interfered last time in Zhenman Tower and scared the girl away, Prince Huai was not on the guest list today, and Xiao Zisheng wouldn't show up either.
"Second brother, now that Miss Su, the fourth daughter, is here, when do you want to meet her?" Prince Xuan asked.
Xiao Zisheng said in a deep voice, "I have my own arrangements for this matter."
Since Mr. Shanyin hadn't arrived yet and Prince Xuan hadn't shown up, the male and female guests invited to the banquet in the Prince Xuan's Mansion garden, divided by the stream, were still playing and having fun on their own.
As the youngest daughter of the Minister of Justice's Mansion, Zhang Yingxue had her own connections among the noble ladies. She pulled Su Yuanyuan and introduced her former playmates one by one. Although Su Yuanyuan had known these playmates of Zhang Yingxue in her previous life, she had rarely interacted with them. Now, getting to know them again through Zhang Yingxue was a different experience.
Just as they were chatting about girlish topics, they heard an exclamation from around them, "Why is she here?"
She? Who?
Su Yuanyuan was stunned for a moment. Following others' gestures, she looked towards the entrance of the garden and saw a pale - faced woman who looked as if a gust of wind could blow her away, walking in supported by a maid.