Xing Xiaoya sat in the carriage, feeling very uneasy. She had never been to the Jiang family before, and she didn't know what kind of reception they would give her.

Furthermore, in that situation just now, she was kicked out of the princess's residence, and since Princess Zhaoyang wasn't there, she had no backing and was completely at the mercy of others.

She felt there was a high probability that the Jiang family's so-called family reunion was a trap, an invitation for her to make things difficult for them.

After all, when they met at the princess's residence that day, although the Lady of the Marquis seemed to like her very much, Xing Xiaoya didn't feel much of it was genuine.

If she truly liked her, she would have acted like Princess Zhaoyang, making plans for her without thinking. But the Lady of the Marquis did not do that. Her immediate announcement that she would recognize her as her goddaughter not only did not show how much she liked her, but on the contrary, such a hasty decision revealed that the Lady of the Marquis did not want her to have any romantic entanglement with Third Master Jiang.

Just as Xing Xiaoya was feeling uneasy, the carriage finally stopped.

The carriage curtain was lifted, and maids were already waiting outside. Jin'er was also arranged to come along.

She helped Jin'er out of the carriage. Jin'er noticed that her palms were cold and she looked very nervous. She couldn't help but whisper to comfort her, "Don't be afraid, Miss. His Highness sent me along because he was afraid that the Jiang family would disobey him. If they do anything bad to you, I will go back and report immediately."

"But Her Highness the Princess doesn't seem to like me," Xing Xiaoya said after a moment's hesitation, lowering her voice.

Jin'er was slightly taken aback. She hadn't expected Xing Xiaoya to speak so bluntly. Although what she said was true, it was useless to say it to a servant like her. Besides, she was a servant of the princess's residence. In comparison, the princess was her master.

This Miss Xing really doesn't know her place. After staying at the Princess's residence for a few days and being pampered by Princess Zhaoyang, she thinks she's on top of the world and dares to gossip about the Eldest Princess here.

"No, His Highness is just worried about delaying your good time. This is a young lady from the Marquis's family, a life of immense wealth and honor. Don't overthink it." Jin'er didn't agree with her, but explained softly. She quickly helped her walk forward, clearly not wanting to say another word, lest she say something wrong.

"Miss Xing, please." Lu Ling walked over with a smile.

As the group stepped over the threshold, they saw Li Chunlan and Xu Wanying standing there, clearly there to greet her.

“Miss Xing is here. Mother is in the backyard greeting the ladies. She asked us sisters-in-law to come and greet you. It’s not that we’re neglecting you.” Li Chunlan walked straight up and took her arm.

Her gesture looked very enthusiastic, and she had a smile on her face, which made people feel close to her.

However, Xing Xiaoya was at her most vigilant at this moment. The more enthusiastic Li Chunlan was, the more she resisted, and she couldn't help but struggle a few times, trying to get rid of her.

However, Li Chunlan couldn't read anyone's expressions. When she noticed Xing Xiaoya struggling, she clung to her even tighter, as if afraid that Xing Xiaoya would run away.

"Today is a big day. Mother specially instructed us to dress you up beautifully. Come on, let's go change your clothes first."

Xing Xiaoya became alert the moment she heard that she had to change clothes.

From the very beginning, she felt this was a trap, and now she had a sense that trouble was finally brewing. She was sure there was something fishy about the clothes she was made to change into.

Given the noble status of the Marquis of Zhongyi's family, they wouldn't dare dress her in clothes of poor quality. They would probably sabotage her in other ways, either by using unpleasant color schemes or by choosing clothes that don't suit her figure and accentuate her flaws.

She was mentally planning how to refuse to change clothes, but once she was actually pushed into the room, she realized she had been overthinking it.

Two rows of maids stood in the room, holding various clothes and jewelry, all in sets.

"These have all been picked out by your third sister-in-law and suit your style very well, but since we don't know what color you like, the final decision is up to you." Jiang Jinyu was waiting for her in the room and personally introduced them to her.

"Who picked it?" Xing Xiaoya asked, somewhat surprised.

“Third Sister-in-law, she has excellent taste. Whenever we go out to meet guests, we always ask for her advice. She always manages to make everyone look beautiful,” Jiang Jinyu explained.

As soon as she finished speaking, Xing Xiaoya showed a hint of hesitation on her face, and immediately added, "You can take a look first. If you don't like any of them, then we can have the maids get other clothes. Today's family reunion is a big event, and the whole household is taking it very seriously. From now on, you will be my sister, so you absolutely cannot wear the wrong clothes!"

Seeing that she had already said so much, Xing Xiaoya had no room to refuse, but she was still really uncomfortable.

These outfits were chosen by Xu Wanying. Didn't Madam Jiang know about her relationship with Brother Dazhuang? Even if they called each other brother and sister, they had been living on Wutong Street since they came to the capital. Anyone would have thought something was amiss.

But Madam Jiang has never been angry with her, and has even picked out clothes for her? Something seems off. Unsolicited kindness is always suspicious.

She picked out a purple silk dress, but stopped when she was about to put it on, and asked, half-jokingly, "Miss Jiang, my skin is delicate. Will I get a rash after wearing this dress?"

Jiang Jinyu's eyes flickered slightly. It was clear that Xing Xiaoya was afraid that they would put drugs on her clothes, causing her to develop red bumps and embarrass herself in public.

"Sister Xing, don't worry, the Jiang family wouldn't do such a low thing. You'll know when you get to the backyard. Today's event is so grand, if it's not handled properly, no matter what happens to you, the Jiang family will be the first to lose face." Jiang Jinyu's tone was relaxed, but her voice was very firm.

Xing Xiaoya thought about it carefully and realized that it was indeed true.

After all, this family reunion was arranged by the Lady of the Marquis and strongly advocated by the Princess. If anything goes wrong, not only will the Marquis's family lose face, but the Princess will also not let the Jiang family off the hook.

After she changed her clothes and came out, the group walked towards the backyard. As soon as they stepped over the threshold, they could hear laughter and chatter coming from inside, indicating that there were quite a few people there.

When we actually stepped into the backyard, we saw people coming and going, and they were all distinguished guests.

"My dear daughter has arrived, everyone." Cen Ying's face lit up with joy when she saw Xing Xiaoya enter. She immediately stepped forward, took Xing Xiaoya's hand, and introduced her to everyone.

"This is Xiaoya. She saved my third son's life before. The moment I saw her, I felt a sense of familiarity with her and was very happy. I wanted to adopt her as my goddaughter back then, and today my wish has finally come true..."

"Oh my, this young lady is so beautiful, she doesn't look like she comes from a humble family at all. No wonder she looks so kind to you. Standing next to Jinyu, they do look like sisters!"

The women who came to the banquet today were all on good terms with the Marquis's family, so they naturally went along with Cen Ying's words, and for a moment the atmosphere was extremely harmonious and lively.

Ever since she got into the carriage, Xing Xiaoya had been in a state of extreme anxiety, feeling that she was going to be unlucky, and her nerves were constantly on edge.

Everything went smoothly until the banquet ended successfully and the family reunion drinks were finished, without any problems whatsoever.

There was no ridicule, mockery, or underhanded sabotage; on the contrary, it was handled with great fanfare.

From this moment on, she was a girl of the Jiang family. Even if she did not change her surname, she could only address Jiang Laosan and his sister as such.