At this moment, a group of Jiang family members led by Jiang Zhixu and Madam Qin hurriedly arrived at the entrance of Xiangfu. Upon seeing Jiang Wantang, they all froze momentarily.
The most visibly affected was Chancellor Jiang Zhixu.
The chancellor, who had always been as steady as a mountain, stumbled forward a few steps, then retreated a few steps, nearly losing his balance.
In his sharp eyes, there was first shock, followed instantly by a hint of malice. His hands beneath his wide sleeves clenched tightly into fists.
Jiang Wantang observed all his emotional changes. In her previous life, when she returned to the mansion, he had reacted similarly.
At that time, she hadn’t paid much attention to it.
Now, it seemed his gaze toward her was quite abnormal…
In that complex look, she saw cruelty and hatred.
Yes, hatred.
Jiang Zhixu stared darkly at this daughter before him.
Ten years apart, her appearance had changed exactly as he had predicted years ago, identical to that familiar face in his memory, even surpassing it.
It was a face that had appeared countless times in his midnight dreams.
Especially those watery, captivating peach blossom eyes. When they looked at him, the reflection within seemed like a vengeful ghost coming to claim his life.
Perhaps, back then, he shouldn’t have been soft-hearted and spared her…
Father and daughter stood facing each other, neither speaking.
Madam Qin stepped forward, somewhat puzzled, and asked, “Are you… Wantang?”
“Yes.”
Jiang Wantang withdrew her gaze and calmly looked at Madam Qin, who stood before her dressed in luxurious purple robes, elegant and dignified.
Madam Qin’s appearance wasn’t particularly outstanding, but she had a delicate, refined charm typical of a modest beauty. Coupled with good maintenance, time hadn’t left too many marks on her face.
Madam Qin warmly stepped forward to hold Jiang Wantang’s hand, but the latter subtly retreated, avoiding her touch.
Jiang Wantang bowed slightly and spoke coldly, “Wantang greets Father and Mother.”
As if unaware, Madam Qin still warmly reached out to help her rise, her eyes full of maternal affection, “Wantang, rise quickly. It’s good that you’ve returned. We’re all family, no need for such formalities.”
“Let Mother look at you,” she said, carefully examining Jiang Wantang up and down. Tears shimmered in her eyes, her voice slightly choked, “Good child, Mother has finally waited for your return.”
“Indeed, Second Miss, over these years, Madam has never forgotten you for a single day. She often couldn’t sleep well and would shed tears whenever mentioning you. The chancellor was the same,” Nanny Li loudly declared from behind.
As soon as Nanny Li spoke, Madam Qin took a handkerchief and dabbed at the seemingly unnoticeable tears at the corners of her eyes, presenting a deeply maternal image that moved those who saw it.
Jiang Wantang inwardly sneered. Her eyes pure and clear like water, she spoke innocently, “Is that so? If you were reluctant, why did Father and Mother send Wantang to that rural place in the beginning?”
“Ten years without seeing me, I thought Father and Mother had long forgotten Wantang.”
The beauty’s eyes reddened, appearing fragile yet resilient, pitiable to behold.
It made people involuntarily feel sympathy.
Heaven! Could there really be parents who abandoned their own daughter on a mountain wilderness estate, not seeing her for ten years?!
The onlookers were in an uproar.
“How cruel! After all, it’s their own flesh and blood. Sending her to a mountain wilderness estate is already harsh, but not inquiring about her for ten years!”
“Who would have thought? Chancellor Jiang and his wife usually treat people so kindly and charitably, yet their hearts are so cold and hard!”
“Indeed, look at everyone from the Chancellor’s Estate—each dressed in fine silks and brocades. Even the maids wear more luxurious attire than this second young lady…”
“It’s long been said that Chancellor Jiang dotes on the eldest daughter born to his first wife, but now we see it’s not just favoritism—it’s outright bias! Both are his own flesh and blood, yet he throws a grand banquet to celebrate the eldest daughter’s birthday while neglecting the other daughter abandoned in the wilderness. Truly an eye-opener!”
“Such cold-blooded and heartless behavior from Chancellor Jiang—I will surely impeach him in court! A beast in human guise! I refuse to partake in this feast today, hmph!” A white-bearded elder official declared, flicking his sleeve as he departed.
“Yes, yes, how utterly cruel!”
“…”
The surrounding crowd pointed fingers at the chancellor and his wife, even at the entire Chancellor’s Estate.
Jiang Zhixu’s clenched fists creaked, yet he could only endure without lashing out.
Jiang Wantang’s seemingly casual words had undoubtedly slapped him in the face before everyone, shaming the Chancellor’s Estate.
Madam Qin repeatedly explained to the crowd, claiming that Jiang Wantang had been frail and sickly as a child, difficult to raise, and that a master had decreed she must be sent to the wilderness to be raised until sixteen before returning home, and so on.
But those present were no fools, and Jiang Wantang’s pitiful appearance had already predisposed them to doubt.
Thus, no matter how she explained, few were convinced by her story.
“Enough!”
“Since you’ve returned, enter the estate first. What kind of spectacle is this, making a scene outside?” Jiang Zhixu barked sternly at Madam Qin, his face dark with anger.
Jiang Wantang smiled. This was a veiled rebuke, blaming her for being unreasonable!
Afterward, Jiang Zhixu had no choice but to suppress his rage and invite the guests back to the banquet for drinks.
Jiang Wantang’s sudden appearance had caught them completely off guard.
Madam Qin knew Jiang Zhixu was already deeply displeased. In her panic, she glared angrily at Nanny Li nearby, blaming her for incompetence.
Nanny Li trembled in fear.
“Wantang, you must be exhausted from the long journey. Let’s go inside first,” Madam Qin turned and said to Jiang Wantang with a forced smile.
The latter nodded obediently. “Alright.”
Though Madam Qin still wore a smile when dealing with Jiang Wantang, it had grown noticeably stiff and strained.
After the banquet began, Jiang Wanfu arrived late, dressed in full splendor.
She had planned all along to make her entrance when the atmosphere was at its peak, stunning everyone present.
“The eldest young lady has arrived!”
At the servant’s announcement, Jiang Wanfu walked gracefully into the banquet hall.
She wore a flaming crimson-gold light gauze dress, her makeup vibrant, her hair adorned with glittering jewels and pearls, looking extravagantly luxurious—like a priceless, haughty golden peacock.
This stood in stark contrast to Jiang Wantang, who was dressed in plain white, wore no makeup, and had no hairpins or accessories whatsoever.
Yet when the two were compared, the difference became glaringly obvious.
The former’s dazzling beauty became mere foil, turning gaudy and vulgar.
The latter, however, was highlighted to be increasingly pure and sacred and unattainably lofty, resembling an untainted, peerless cloud-dwelling fairy who stood alone above worldly concerns.
With her appearance, the beauty that Jiang Wanfu, the eldest daughter of the Jiang family, had prided herself on for over a decade instantly became mere foil, losing utterly.
Jiang Wanfu walked forward with her usual haughty demeanor at banquets, her smile widening as she surveyed the seated guests.
She carried herself with a radiant grace and breathtaking beauty.
She thought to herself: Indeed, many young masters from noble families have come. Once I display my charm, they will all surely fall at the feet of the Capital’s First Beauty.
Too bad, this young lady is the bright moon among the clouds—unattainable for all of you!
Jiang Wanfu had always reveled in the feeling of being watched and admired like the moon surrounded by stars.
However, as she approached the main seat in the hall, the surroundings remained eerily quiet.
There were none of the cheers and praises she was accustomed to…
When she lowered her gaze, she realized that the usual looks of envy, jealousy, admiration, and infatuation were nowhere to be seen.
As she followed the direction of those gazes, Jiang Wanfu’s pupils contracted sharply.
With just one glance, fury surged in her eyes. Beneath her wide sleeves, her hands clenched tightly, her long nails digging deep into her palms until they drew blood.
It was Jiang Wantang!
That wretched Jiang Wantang had returned!