Three days passed quickly.
Just as they were about to leave, the eldest branch of the family sent over the dress made by Jinxiu Workshop. Bai Xing’s face fell when she saw the dull green, old-fashioned garment.
“How can this be worn out in public?”
Their young lady wasn’t some elderly woman in her fifties or sixties—wearing this would make her look ten years older.
Mama Wang could hardly contain the smugness at the corner of her mouth. “Second Young Lady and Third Young Lady are already waiting outside. Fourth Young Lady, please change quickly.”
Even Bai Xing, as simple as she was, could see the malice from the eldest branch. Her eyes reddened with anger, feeling wronged on behalf of her young lady. She wanted nothing more than to throw the dress right in Mama Wang’s face.
Jiang Fu held her back, her expression showing no trace of anger at being mistreated.
“I understand. Thank you, Mama Wang. Please wait outside for a moment.”
Mama Wang was pleased with her compliant attitude. “Then Fourth Young Lady must hurry. If you delay the banquet, you won’t be able to bear the consequences.”
She strode out with her nose in the air. Bai Xing spat fiercely at her retreating back. “Pah! What a piece of work!”
“Alright, let’s change quickly.”
Jiang Fu also disliked Mama Wang’s arrogant, bullying manner, but time was running short. Any further delay might truly cause them to be late.
Bai Xing looked troubled. “Young Lady, are you really going to wear this?”
She was already regretting letting her young lady agree to attend the banquet.
Summer clothing was light and thin. This outfit consisted of two pieces. Jiang Fu decisively discarded the upper garment and instructed Bai Xing, “Bring me my plain-colored outer jacket with frog buttons.”
As soon as Jiang Fu spoke, Bai Xing understood her intention.
Though the dull green was old-fashioned, paired with a plain color, it struck just the right balance, making her complexion appear even fairer.
Sure enough, after Jiang Fu changed, Bai Xing’s eyes were filled with admiration.
“Hmph! Young Lady is naturally beautiful. The eldest madam wanted to embarrass you, but you’ll outshine everyone at the banquet!”
She wanted to apply a bright, radiant makeup for Jiang Fu but was stopped.
“This is fine.”
She had just been rejected in marriage. Being too ostentatious would only invite more gossip.
Bai Xing understood her concerns, though she felt a bit regretful. Still, looking at Jiang Fu’s stunning face even without makeup, her frustration eased.
With her young lady looking like this, there was simply no way to stay low-key.
Sure enough, when Jiang Fu boarded the eldest branch’s carriage, the envy in Jiang Yao and Jiang Lin’s eyes was impossible to conceal.
Especially Jiang Yao, who wished she could peel Jiang Fu’s face right off and stick it onto her own.
“Why aren’t you wearing the clothes from Jinxiu Workshop?”
Facing Jiang Yao’s accusatory question, Jiang Fu looked innocent and tugged at her skirt. “I am wearing them.”
“Where’s the upper garment?”
Jiang Fu blinked. “It’s too ugly.”
“You!”
Jiang Yao nearly choked on her anger. Of course, she knew the upper garment was ugly—she had “carefully” selected the pattern and style herself. She never expected Jiang Fu wouldn’t wear it at all.
How dare she!
“Do you think playing these little tricks will make Young Master Xiao take a liking to you? I advise you to stop dreaming. Since the Xiao family has called off the engagement, there’s absolutely no turning back!”
“Oh.”
Jiang Fu didn’t understand why Jiang Yao was so furious. She hadn’t worn the upper garment simply because she thought it was ugly. Whether Young Master Xiao liked her or not had nothing to do with her.
After all, she would never like Xiao Yuzhang.
The Jiang family’s carriage stopped outside the Xie residence. Jiang Yao pulled Jiang Lin down first, leaving Jiang Fu behind.
Originally, she had wanted to embarrass Jiang Fu today, but Jiang Fu hadn’t taken the bait. Dressed in a plain jacket and green skirt, she looked as fresh and tender as a young lotus sprouting in a pond, making Jiang Yao and Jiang Lin seem like unsophisticated, ugly country bumpkins in comparison.
Jiang Yao was inwardly fuming, already regretting bringing Jiang Fu along.
“Which family’s young lady is this? How come we’ve never seen her before?”
Today, the Xie family was hosting a banquet, and all the notable families in the capital had come. The moment Jiang Fu stepped out of the carriage, she drew countless gazes.
“She came with Jiang Yao. Could she be a daughter of the Jiang family?”
“Aren’t Jiang Yao and Jiang Lin the only daughters of the Jiang family? Who else could there be?”
“You’ve forgotten the second branch. The eldest son of the Xiao family just broke off his engagement.”
“You mean she’s Jiang Fourth? Ha!”
The whispers among the crowd weren’t loud, but their glances were far too obvious, all harboring a desire to watch the drama unfold.
Bai Xing had been confined with Jiang Fu in the inner quarters of the Jiang family for over a decade and had never seen such a scene before. Her steps felt unsteady, and she instinctively looked toward Jiang Fu.
She had assumed her young lady, with her gentle and soft nature, would be terrified by now. Yet, to her surprise, Jiang Fu remained calm and composed, completely unfazed by the stares of the crowd, merely gazing curiously at her surroundings.
Indeed, her young lady had finally managed to leave the house for once. The sights of the capital were more than enough to captivate her—why would she care about the opinions of others?
Bai Xing immediately straightened her back. If her young lady wasn’t afraid, what was there for her to fear?
At the entrance of the Xie residence, there were maidservants guiding the guests. Jiang Fu and her maid entered alongside the others. Her identity was no longer a secret, and along the way, she naturally received no shortage of curious glances.
“Wasn’t it said that Jiang Fourth is ugly and timid as a mouse? Why doesn’t she match the rumors?”
“I remember those rumors originally came from Song San. As an unrelated man, how could he know what Jiang Fourth looks like without ever having seen her?” someone questioned.
“Song San? Isn’t he the cousin of the Lin family’s eldest daughter, Lin Xueyan?”
“That’s him.”
“Then it makes sense. It’s no secret that Lin Xueyan likes Xiao Yuzhang, but Xiao Yuzhang was engaged to Jiang Fourth. Everyone in the capital knows that Young Master Xiao is obsessed with appearances. By spreading rumors about Jiang Fourth’s ugliness, Lin Xueyan ensured Xiao Yuzhang would break off the engagement.”
The speaker was Xu Yun, the daughter of the Vice Minister of Works. She had never gotten along with Lin Xueyan and looked down on her actions.
“But Jiang Fourth is so beautiful. If Xiao Yuzhang saw her, he’d surely regret it. Wouldn’t Lin Xueyan’s plan backfire?”
Upon hearing her companion’s words, Xu Yun sneered coldly, “What use is Xiao Yuzhang’s regret? The Heir’s Wife wouldn’t regret it. The Xiao family would never do something so humiliating.”
Her companion sighed sympathetically, “What a pity for this Jiang Fourth.”
Already an orphan with no one to rely on, if she had married into the Xiao family, she could have lived comfortably for the rest of her life. Now that the engagement was broken off, no noble family would consider her, and in the future, she could only become someone’s concubine.
But pity aside, many more felt a sense of schadenfreude.
No matter how stunning Jiang Fu’s beauty was, without a respectable family background, she was like a lamb among wolves—anyone could take a bite.
The Xie family’s garden was vast. Grand Elder Xie was a court physician who had been granted a “pardon token” by the late emperor for saving his life. Although he had retired, the Emperor still sent for him during palace banquets.
Moreover, the Xie family’s eldest daughter, Xie Chan, was skilled in acupuncture and had alleviated the Empress Dowager’s chronic headaches. The Empress Dowager couldn’t do without her and frequently summoned her to the palace.
If not for the Emperor’s advanced age and the Crown Prince’s youth, Xie Chan would have long entered the palace.
As the foremost noble lady in the capital, many privately paired her with Xiao Jing. After all, their family backgrounds were well-matched, and they were a perfect couple—talented and beautiful, seemingly made for each other.
However, Xiao Jing had always maintained a cool demeanor and showed no particular interest in Xie Chan, causing many who had initially favored the pair to abandon their hopes.
As soon as Jiang Fu entered the garden, the cheerful chatter among the noble ladies fell silent for a moment.
Jiang Yao and Jiang Lin were gathered around a few noble ladies, discussing something. Among them, a strikingly beautiful young woman turned her head and glared fiercely at Jiang Fu, her tone dripping with disdain.
“Elder Sister Xie is truly kind-hearted, inviting anyone and everyone. But she doesn’t realize that some people are full of schemes, single-mindedly trying to climb the social ladder, without even considering whether they are worthy!”