Gu Qingxu was invited by Shen Tangning. After all, she was her future sister-in-law, so they had to keep in touch from time to time to prevent her from being snatched away by someone with ulterior motives.

If it fails once, who knows if the Third Prince will come back with a vengeance?

Shen Tangning explained, "When I was at the Princess's residence, I hit it off with Sister Gu at first sight and felt that we were very compatible."

Gu Qingxu lowered her eyes and chuckled softly, somewhat embarrassed: "Did I disturb you?"

It was indeed a bit inappropriate for her to meddle when several close friends invited her to go on a trip together.

But she couldn't refuse Shen Tangning's kind invitation, and since she didn't have any close friends in the past, she inexplicably agreed.

Wen Yao quickly waved her hand: "No, that's not true. It's more fun when there are more people!" She was a little embarrassed, her eyes sparkling. "I just used to think that someone as celestial as Miss Gu would be hard to approach, but after seeing her today, I realize I was too shallow."

Gu Qingxu breathed a sigh of relief. Young ladies in their boudoirs often had common topics to discuss. Wen Yao was simple-minded, while Gu Qingxu had extremely high emotional intelligence. The atmosphere quickly became harmonious.

"Why are there so many people by the lake? Is something interesting happening?" Wen Yao always enjoyed watching a spectacle, and seeing so many people by the lake made her somewhat tempted.

Shen Tangning and Gu Qingxu were equally curious, so they followed her to find out.

The lakeside was packed with people, and they couldn't squeeze in at all. The outgoing Wen Yao pulled an older woman next to her into a conversation: "Excuse me, what are you all looking at?"

The old woman was kind-hearted, and after pursing her lips, she started to chatter: "What else could it be? I heard that the girl named Ting from Chunfeng Tower is going to perform a dance on the boat today, and all these people have come to watch her."

Shen Tangning's eyes flickered: "Miss Pingting?"

The old woman suddenly realized: "Ah, right, that's the name!"

Gu Qingxu, who came from a very strict family, looked slightly bewildered upon hearing this: "Is this beautiful young lady very famous?"

Shen Tangning whispered a few words in her ear, and a look of realization flashed in Gu Qingxu's eyes, her cheeks flushing slightly: "I see."

The old woman was quite indignant: "I don't know what kind of bewitching potion this woman gave her, making all these men so obsessed that they can't stay home!"

The vast majority of onlookers on the shore were men.

They don't know whose husband, father, or son they are, yet they are infatuated with a stranger, completely obsessed. It's understandable that the old woman harbors resentment.

Shen Tangning smiled and said, "But these people have legs. If they don't want to come, can that beautiful young lady force them to?"

Ultimately, it's just that men can't resist temptation, but people tend to blame women and downplay the men's role.

In the end, only the woman was judged and condemned; how unjust!

The old woman opened her mouth, but was rendered speechless for a moment by the retort. She could only awkwardly say, "Young lady, why are you taking the side of a prostitute?"

Shen Tangning lowered her brows slightly, her tone still gentle: "People laugh at poverty but not at prostitution. If they weren't driven to desperation, who would willingly choose to fall into such a state?"

The old woman couldn't argue with her, so she glared at her and slunk away.

Gu Qingxu smiled thoughtfully: "Your point is quite interesting."

Shen Tangning lowered her eyes: "It was just a casual remark."

She wasn't speaking up for the graceful girl; they had never met, and she didn't know what kind of person the girl was.

The women's situation is already difficult enough; fighting among their own kind will only worsen their plight and will not change anything.

Exclamations of surprise rose and fell from the shore.

"Miss Pingting's boat has arrived!"