Yan Qingxue, who was standing to the side, didn't seem to take it seriously. She just nodded perfunctorily and said, "Okay, then I'll wait."
As soon as Yan Qingxue finished speaking, a graceful and elegant figure appeared outside the hall entrance. She winked at Yan Qingxue, who was sitting at the door, and then Zhao Shi entered.
"Mom, you're here! Let me introduce you. This is the friend I told you about." Yan Qingxue got up, walked behind Anle, stood next to Anle, patted Anle's shoulder, and smiled brightly.
Zhao first nodded to the young master of the He family and greeted him, then looked at Anle with a scrutinizing gaze. She stared at him for two seconds, her eyes showing surprise. This was indeed just a child.
It's clearly impossible for a child to have dealings with the Jincheng government.
Zhao had already made up her mind.
It's probably true, as her daughter said, that they were only able to get the invitations because their family used to own a shop on that commercial street.
Perhaps the child's family didn't realize how valuable the invitation was, so they let the child give it to their daughter.
An Yi and An Ning, siblings, immediately stood up along with Qiao Zhishu and Qiao Zhili, appearing somewhat reserved.
Although Anle stood up, her face remained calm and she showed no particular reaction, indicating that she was not at all constrained by the occasion.
"I just came to take a look. I'll be on the table in a bit. Please enjoy your meal!" Zhao said with a smile and a gentle demeanor.
However, his attitude seemed somewhat casual, not very serious, and he didn't treat people with the respect and courtesy one would expect from an honored guest. Instead, he spoke as if he were addressing a group of children, speaking in the tone of an elder.
Hearing Zhao say that, and seeing that she seemed quite easygoing, Anning and the others breathed a sigh of relief.
"Alright, stop standing and sit down." At Zhao's kind invitation, the group sat back down.
Zhao's gaze shifted to Helsin, her eyes flashing with a meaningful look.
If the person were here, that would be fine too. That way, it wouldn't seem so deliberate, and we wouldn't have to ask Linglan to sit at the formal table and keep us company.
The child is easily nervous and awkward in such formal settings, let alone speak; he probably won't be able to utter a single word.
She'll call the child over later and let him join in with the other children, making it lively and fun.
I estimate that I will also have the opportunity to get along with the young master of the He family.
With Xiaoxue making arrangements, there's bound to be a chance to exchange a few words.
This way, it will appear natural and unforced, preventing it from looking like the city lord's mansion is paying extra for her.
"Xiaoxue, all your friends are so lively and easy to get along with. Call Linglan over later and let her play with us too. That girl always keeps herself cooped up in her room all day. She's a bit too quiet. It's rare to have such a lively time in your yard. Let her join in the fun and change her mood."
Zhao's words were full of implications.
Yan Qingxue noticed the meaningful look in her mother's eyes as she looked at Helsin, and how she so clearly told her to call Linglan over. Instantly, she understood what her mother was thinking.
There's no need to overthink it; even a fool would know that she already knew about this.
Linglan had mentioned it to her when she came to her courtyard before, so she naturally knew what her mother was thinking. Wasn't she planning to have her matchmake the young master of the He family with Linglan?
Even without her mother saying so, she was already planning to do the same. Now that everyone was here, she naturally wanted to call Linglan over and let her get to know her better.
Otherwise, wouldn't our intention to invite the He family over as guests be ruined?
After seeing Zhao off, Yan Qingxue instructed Xiaoya to call Yan Linglan over to play together.
Yan Qingxue openly and intentionally tried to get on Qiao Zhishu's good side at the table. Everyone was happy to see the two of them being all lovey-dovey. One of them was eager to get close to Qiao Zhishu while the other avoided him. The atmosphere was originally quite lively and harmonious, and it was getting really lively when Yan Linglong squeezed in and ruined the atmosphere.
When Yan Qingxue saw the petite figure walking in behind Yan Linglan, her face immediately fell, and she looked quite unpleasant.
"Why did you come here?" The question was asked without any politeness, and the disgust in the tone was not concealed at all. Anyone present could see that Yan Linglong was not liked by Yan Qingxue, and her bad attitude clearly showed that she was very disgusted.
Yan Linglong smiled and said, "Father said it was lively here, so he asked me to come and join in the fun. It really is lively here, big sister."
If her father hadn't insisted that she come to oversee the situation, monitor the interaction between Yan Linglan and the young master of the He family, confirm whether there was any chance, or try to control the situation and create opportunities for the two of them, she wouldn't have come.
Did you think she would willingly come closer to you?
She also came with a mission assigned to her by her father.
Yan Linglan lowered her head, twisting her fingers, looking somewhat lost. "Big sister."
Yan Qingxue put her hands on her hips and raised her chin.
"Don't even think about joining in the fun. If you come, it won't just be fun, it'll be noisy. Get out of here, or I'll have to take action. It'll bring bad luck!" Yan Qingxue said with a cold smile, clearly impatient as she began to shoo people away.
In front of everyone present, she didn't give Yan Linglong any face. Xiao Tan, who was following behind Yan Linglong, was a little indignant. This young lady always disapproved of her young lady and always found fault with her and made things difficult for her.
She was clearly incompetent at everything she did, and clearly inferior to others, yet she couldn't stand seeing her mistress being more capable than her. Even she, as a maid, couldn't stand it anymore. Why did she always insult her mistress like this?
"Young Miss, it was the City Lord who sent our young lady here, that's why she came to join in the fun."
Otherwise, do you think our young lady would willingly come here and be met with your cold shoulder, having to put up with your bad attitude?
If you have any complaints, then you should go and speak with the city lord.
"Xiao Tan—" Yan Linglong scolded, and Xiao Tan shrank back, lowered her head, lost her spirit, and dared not utter a sound.
Yan Qingxue tucked her hands into her chest, her voice laced with a cold sneer.
"How dare a lowly maid ride on my head? Insubordination? Servants bullying their masters? Who gave you the audacity? Yan Linglong, you slut? Today I'll teach you a lesson you won't forget, and show you who's the master and who's the servant in this mansion!"
As Yan Qingxue finished speaking, a sharp slap landed on Xiao Tan's face.
Yan Qingxue's eyes flashed with malice, and she slapped him again without slowing down. Her hands didn't stop moving, and in just a few breaths, she had been slapped several times by both hands.
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