Chapter 337 - Chapter 337: Chapter 345: As if Perceiving Something (1/2)
Chapter 337: Chapter 345: As if Perceiving Something
With so many eyes on her, Miss Yin of the Yin Family was certainly not one to skimp on face-saving measures. Given her reputation for beauty, virtue, and outstanding talent had spread so far, she definitely cared about her fame. Besides, it had been Ye Xinxin, the young mistress of the Shangguan Family, who brought up the topic. Although she felt somewhat stifled inside, her smile became inevitably stiff.
“Miss Yin’s words are too kind. It’s just that I usually keep a lower profile, no wonder Miss Yin didn’t notice me, which is normal. There’s no need for such courtesy, making me feel quite embarrassed. It was nothing serious to begin with, so there’s certainly no need for apologies. While it’s true that no one blames overly courteous behavior, such a trivial matter really shouldn’t weigh on Miss Yin’s mind,” Su Wenyue said with a smile that didn’t reach her eyes, implying that Yin Lihua was making a mountain out of a molehill by being petty and narrow-minded over a trivial issue.
With those words, Su Wenyue truly was not afraid of offending anyone. Although Miss Yin of the Yin Family later became an Empress of considerable note, Su Wenyue genuinely harbored no intention of flattering her. In her previous life, Miss Yin’s elder brother stood in opposition to Han Yu; otherwise, Su Wenyue might have been a bit more polite. Moreover, Liu Xiu was considered a quite sagacious emperor and wouldn’t mix up affairs of the previous dynasty with those of the harem. Yin Shi and Han Yu competed for the position of Prime Minister, but in the end, Yin Shi couldn’t outmaneuver Han Yu. The emperor likely harbored his own reservations about the increasingly powerful Yin Family.
Miss Yin’s smile grew even more strained. The woman from the countryside clearly lacked proper upbringing and etiquette. Fortunately for her, Miss Yin was magnanimous and couldn’t be bothered to squabble with such a vulgar rural woman.
“Madam Han is so broad-minded, not holding it against Lihua. Lihua is grateful in her heart,” Yin Lihua said, swallowing down her hurt.
“Miss Yin really lives up to her name of virtue. Such high awareness and such a good attitude in admitting fault. Daughters raised by aristocratic families truly stand out. Not like me, from the countryside, who speaks so directly and doesn’t win anyone’s favor,” Su Wenyue said jokingly. The candid nature of her remarks was seen as amusing and straightforward by many, which made her quite popular. However, Miss Yin detected the sarcasm and chose not to respond anymore, feeling that conversing with such a person would only bring down her own standing.
Yin Lihua would never admit that her prior disregard for Su Wenyue stemmed from jealousy over Su Wenyue’s excessively beautiful face, which had made her feel a tad uncomfortable, thus leading to her oversight and giving Ye Xinxin the opportunity to intervene.
When they all went inside, it was unclear whose face was being considered, but it was Liu Yuan, the wife of Deng Chen, who came to greet them personally. Su Wenyue carefully observed Liu Yuan’s expression, feeling that despite her smiles, Liu Yuan appeared somewhat forced and distracted.
Su Wenyue’s thoughts turned to Liu Xiu. It wasn’t just Liu Xiu who was having a difficult time under Wang Mang’s relentless pursuit; his entire family was likely struggling. Liu Yuan, being a married daughter who also had the protection of the Deng Family, hadn’t been affected. Nevertheless, given her birth family’s circumstances, life at her husband’s family was likely not easy. Su Wenyue had attended several banquets and hadn’t seen Liu Yuan appear; she wondered if it was intentional on the Deng Family’s part. She also pondered whether Liu Yuan knew about Liu Xiu being severely wounded from being hunted down.
Apparently Liu Yuan was good at masking her feelings; after watching her closely for a while without discerning anything, Su Wenyue gave up searching for clues. She then saw her eldest aunt with two cousins sitting inside the pavilion and went over to greet them.
“Eldest aunt, Lan Fang, Lan Xin, you’re all here.”
Su Wenyue looked at Lan Fang and Lan Xin, who were beautifully dressed today. They were wearing the Clothes that she had requested the embroiderer to make, and the jewelry on their heads had also been delivered by her a couple of days ago, finished by Master Cao’s hard work.