"The Second Miss truly resembles the Lady of the Prime Minister's Mansion. In a few years, she will surely grow into a beauty as stunning as the Lady."
Just as Mei Qingxue was feeling drowsy and on the verge of falling asleep, her perked - up ears seemed to catch someone mentioning her! Well, she had to sit up straight quickly. They were in the Prime Minister's Mansion, and apart from her, who else could the Second Miss be?
"Although beauty is appealing, it fades with time. It's more reliable to have a special skill." Before the words faded, everyone at the banquet turned to look at the lady who had spoken. One look and most people understood. It was the wife of the Assistant Minister of War.
All the officials in the court knew that the Minister of War and the Prime Minister were at odds. And since the Assistant Minister of War was a protégé of the Minister of War, the implication was clear.
Everyone knew that the Prime Minister's Second Miss was mute. Her family doted on her like a precious gem. How could they possibly let outsiders teach her? Weren't they afraid of gossiping? So, what special skill could the Second Miss possibly have?
If Mei Qingxue couldn't perform a decent show, it would prove the previous statement right. Beauty alone was useless because it faded. Once the bloom was over, she would fall out of favor, especially since she was a mute!
This woman was cursing the Second Miss even before she was married. It was really...
The Prime Minister's faint smile gradually turned cold, and his face returned to the stern expression that people feared. His wife's eyes also showed a flash of annoyance. Mei Haoxuan frowned his sword - like eyebrows and looked at his beloved younger sister with worry. He decided in his heart that he would never let anyone harm her!
Mei Qingxue, who had just returned from the land of dreams, pouted slightly. Didn't they just want to see her make a fool of herself and disgrace her parents? Humph, did they think she was that easy to bully! Just now, she was thinking that so many young ladies were vying to perform for her brother and show off. She didn't want to join in the fun. But now it seemed that the birthday gift she had prepared would have to be presented earlier!
Under the worried gazes of the Prime Minister, his wife, and Mei Haoxuan, and the open curiosity and hidden disdain of the crowd, Mei Qingxue stood up.
"Xue'er, you don't have to go. Your brother and parents won't let them hurt you." As Mei Qingxue passed by Mei Haoxuan, he gently grabbed her slender arm. Perhaps he was really angry, for he didn't control his strength well, and it hurt a bit. But she still gave them a reassuring smile.
Mei Qingxue's smile seemed to have a kind of magic that made people feel at ease inexplicably. Mei Haoxuan unconsciously let go of her arm.
Everyone was surprised to see Mei Qingxue walking towards the center of the banquet hall. The wife of the Assistant Minister of War never expected her to stand up. She thought the Prime Minister's family would never let her come out. If she really managed to perform something... Humph, a girl who had been mute since the age of five could have what special skill! She was just waiting to see her disgrace the Prime Minister's Mansion!
Actually, the most nervous person at this moment was Yue Ru. Mei Qingxue had asked her to prepare a zither today, but she never knew that her young lady could play the zither! If something went wrong later, her young lady would become the laughingstock of the capital!
When Yue Ru saw Mei Qingxue's look, she was so anxious that tears welled up in her eyes. But she didn't dare to disobey her young lady's order, so she had to bravely carry the zither up.
Mei Qingxue encouraged herself secretly. She would secretly speak in a low voice at night when it was quiet. Otherwise, if she suddenly spoke after so long of silence, her voice would be hoarse and unpleasant, like it had been smoked. But after some practice, she was quite confident in her current voice.
She sat upright in front of the zither table. Her small hands gently plucked the strings. The prelude was lively and jumping. The musical notes danced nimbly under her fingertips, making people's moods unconsciously improve.
"Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you..." Her bright red lips parted and closed gently. Her voice, as clear as a warbler's song, flowed out from her lips and fingertips, stunning everyone present!
The Prime Minister and his wife couldn't believe their ears! Their daughter, who had been mute for seven years, could finally speak! And her voice was clear and sweet, every note sung perfectly! This was just... Even though Mei Zhenguo was a serious man, his stiff expression instantly crumbled. The shock in his eyes fully showed his current state of mind.
Lady Mei was so excited that tears gradually filled her eyes...
"This song is for my dear brother, Mei Haoxuan, who has always loved and taken care of me. I hope he will be happy every day." After the song ended, Mei Qingxue stood up, bowed gracefully to everyone, and then said to Mei Haoxuan, whose eyes were full of excitement.
"Xue'er, you can talk! That's great, it's really great!" Mei Haoxuan took a quick step forward and excitedly hugged her into his arms. His voice was a bit trembling. What had just happened seemed like a dream to him, so unreal that he couldn't accept it for a moment.
Seeing Mei Haoxuan happy, Mei Qingxue was also very happy. "Yes, brother, Xue'er can talk."
"Congratulations to the Prime Minister."
"Congratulations to the Prime Minister. It's really a happy event that the Second Miss has recovered her voice!" Seeing a chance to flatter, the guests quickly stood up one by one to offer their congratulations. The Prime Minister and his wife were happy and wanted to talk more with their daughter, but due to the need to deal with the guests, they had to suppress their excitement. However, the joy on their faces couldn't be hidden.
Mei Qingxue rolled her eyes secretly at the constantly congratulating people. They were really a bunch of sycophants! Tired of dealing with these people, she exchanged a few polite words with them and then left first. She didn't like such occasions very much. It was better to leave this kind of thing to her parents and brother.
"Miss, you can finally talk! That's really great!" As soon as they left the banquet hall, Yue Ru stepped forward excitedly. At first, she had been worried that something would go wrong with her young lady. Now it seemed that not only was there no problem, but she had also given everyone a big surprise!
"Yeah, I was really shocked when I first found out I could talk. But I thought I could give my brother a surprise at his birthday banquet." Sure enough, she could tell lies without batting an eyelid.
After returning to her courtyard and washing up, Mei Qingxue went to bed. Although she hadn't done much today, she suddenly felt a bit tired. She silently blamed herself for over - thinking. Now that she could speak, it was a good start. She hoped that she could gradually be herself in the future. She didn't want to live in anyone else's shadow. Since she had traveled through time, from now on, she was Mei Qingxue, no one else!