Xie Qingran’s rare good mood completely vanished the moment she saw this person. She still hadn’t gotten her revenge for him pushing her down last time!
“Lu Gongzi.”
Xie Qingran’s face was expressionless. She merely curtsied properly, as if she were a complete stranger to him.
Sure enough, seeing Xie Qingran act this way, a hint of annoyance appeared in Lu Jinzhi’s eyes.
“Do you think I will compromise just because you act this way?”
“I will absolutely never agree to the engagement with you!”
Lu Jinzhi took a step forward, grinding his back teeth as he stared fixedly at Xie Qingran as if she were something filthy. The disdain in his eyes was impossible to dissolve.
Looking at Lu Jinzhi, Xie Qingran felt the same way.
The hatred in her eyes was almost impossible to suppress!
Xie Qingran’s hands, hidden beneath her sleeves, clenched into fists. It took every ounce of her strength not to slap him viciously across the face.
“Lu Gongzi, please conduct yourself with dignity.”
Xie Qingran took a step back, putting distance between them, her brows knitted tightly together in displeasure as she looked at Lu Jinzhi.
Seeing Xie Qingran’s action, Lu Jinzhi was stunned for a moment. He had never imagined that Xie Qingran would now be avoiding him like the plague.
In truth, Xie Qingran had never genuinely liked Lu Jinzhi. In her past life, she had no choice but to marry him due to the family’s arrangement. Coupled with his good looks and seemingly pleasant personality, Xie Qingran had paid him a little more attention.
Her so-called pestering was merely the bond between an engaged couple, but she never would have thought it would lead to such an end.
In her past life, if Lu Jinzhi had disliked the marriage, there were actually many ways out. He could have even just said so directly. Yet, he showed no resistance on the surface while doing such things behind her back!
The mere thought of this man’s depravity made Xie Qingran feel utterly disgusted, especially now, when he still wore the facade of a refined gentleman.
“Jinzhi Gege!”
Xie Hanyue’s sweet voice rang out as she called Lu Jinzhi’s name affectionately, her eyes curving into crescents as she looked at him.
“Elder Sister, you’re here too?”
Only after getting closer did Xie Hanyue greet Xie Qingran, as if she had just noticed her.
Her eyes curved into a smile as she said, “Elder Sister, has your injury from last time healed?”
“It has.”
Xie Qingran showed little emotion, though a hint of impatience was hidden in her eyes.
Across two lifetimes, Xie Qingran had already mastered the skill of not letting her emotions show on her face.
Even if she wanted to slap them to death right now, she could still remain as still as the wind.
“Elder Sister… it’s the family banquet today. Could you smile a little? Otherwise, people will think you don’t welcome everyone!”
Xie Hanyue walked over and affectionately took Xie Qingran’s arm, smiling gently.
Immediately after, Xie Qingran caught a whiff of a hard-to-describe scent. It was a scent she was all too familiar with.
In her past life, before she was thrown into the beggars’ den, they had used this on her, causing her to writhe and beg for pleasure under those beggars!
At these thoughts, Xie Qingran’s body trembled slightly, and she even felt a wave of nausea.
Almost subconsciously, she snatched her arm back and shoved Xie Hanyue away.
“Don’t touch me!”
“Yue’er!”
Xie Zhaoye suddenly walked over, catching Xie Hanyue from behind and looking at Xie Qingran with displeasure.
“Xie Qingran, you’ve gone too far! What are you doing!”
“How could you treat Yue’er like this? She’s your younger sister!”
Xie Zhaoye’s voice was not quiet, and the surrounding people all gathered around to watch the commotion.
Now, Xie Qingran was even more certain that Xie Zhaoye was a good-for-nothing! A brainless good-for-nothing at that.
To cause such a scene so recklessly under these circumstances, on this occasion, was simply the height of stupidity.
“I didn’t push her.”
Xie Qingran gave him a cold glance and explained.
After speaking, Xie Qingran didn’t spare Xie Zhaoye another look and turned to leave. The main reason was that she didn’t want to cause a scene with him at this moment; it was simply too humiliating.
But what Xie Zhaoye disliked most was Xie Qingran’s habit of leaving whenever she pleased. He grabbed her wrist, forcefully yanking her back, his face dark. “You pushed someone and you’re still acting so self-righteous? Apologize! Apologize to Yue’er!”
“Xie Zhaoye, is your brain not working or are your ears deaf?”
“I said, I did not!”
Xie Qingran’s face darkened as she flung Xie Zhaoye’s hand away.
“Brother, have you forgotten which one of us standing before you is your biological sister?”
Xie Zhaoye was momentarily speechless, his expression turning even more sullen and ugly. Immediately after, Xie Hanyue burst into tears.
“Elder Sister, I know I’m not the Xie Family’s biological child, but all these years you weren’t home, I was the one who accompanied Father and Mother. Now that you’re back, can you not tolerate my presence?” The more Xie Hanyue spoke, the more aggrieved she sounded, and her tears flowed more freely.
The surrounding crowd began to whisper amongst themselves as they watched the situation unfold.
“I’ve long heard that this Miss Xie is unruly. Seeing her today, it’s indeed true.”
“Otherwise, the Noble Consort wouldn’t have sent her to the manor to learn her manners back then.”
“The second young miss has a gentle temperament; she’s naturally no match for her.”
In her past life, Xie Qingran would have been hurt and saddened by these words. But now, she no longer cared about the gossip of these people, because they didn’t care what the truth was. They just wanted to watch the drama.
Xie Qingran listened expressionlessly to the surrounding people pointing fingers at her.
Her icy gaze swept over each person, carrying an indescribable suppressive feeling that quickly made them all shut their mouths.
Finally, Xie Qingran’s gaze returned to Xie Hanyue. “The Xie Family has plenty of room for you. The one who truly can’t stay is me.”
With those words, Xie Qingran turned and returned to her designated seat.
As soon as she said this, the crowd’s strange looks all fell upon Xie Hanyue. The matter of the two young ladies of the Xie Family was a hot topic in Jing City.
Now, with Xie Qingran’s words, everyone could roughly guess that she was likely not favored in this family and was in a difficult position.
Thinking about it, she was rather pitiful.
“Miss Xie is very good at swaying people’s hearts.”
Shen Wen Yuan, who had appeared from who knows where, sat down beside Xie Qingran, smiling at her.
This man was born with a smiling face, especially his pair of sparkling, soul-stirring peach blossom eyes.
Even the most indifferent person would break into a smile upon seeing this face, but Xie Qingran was the exception.
When Xie Qingran saw this face, she only felt annoyed!
She retracted her gaze and said faintly, “I was merely telling the truth.”