Chapter 33 Rushing out at this moment will not help him, but harm him!
Although the other scions of prominent families present felt that Zhou Bowen's words were a bit excessive, an invisible sense of 'circle' made them subconsciously stick together.
The group exchanged knowing glances, and no one defended Shen Moyan.
An outsider, or even an "intruder" who might break down the barriers of their social class, is naturally ostracized. Some even whispered in agreement with Zhou Bowen, letting out ambiguous sneers.
Shen Moyan stood alone in the center of the field, enduring the open and covert ridicule from all sides.
At this moment, he appeared exceptionally vulnerable and pitiful.
Su Xiaoyu kept a close eye on Xiao Lingxi's expression. She saw Xiao Lingxi staring at Shen Moyan, who was isolated and helpless in the waterside pavilion, her eyes gradually reddening, and her fingers clenching tightly at her sides.
Su Xiaoyu's heart skipped a beat.
[Oh no! Shen Moyan's vulnerable and pitiful appearance has hit the Second Miss's weak spot! She can't stand seeing others suffer, especially those she likes. If this continues, she'll definitely rush in!]
As expected, Xiao Lingxi took a deep breath and started walking towards the waterside pavilion.
Su Xiaoyu reacted quickly, grabbing her arm. "Second Miss! Don't be impulsive! Think about it, if you go there now, do you think they'll listen to anything you say? Zhou Bowen is just looking for trouble. If you go, he might say you're biased towards Young Master Shen and deliberately causing him trouble. Then even the young master won't be able to handle the situation!"
"But am I just going to stand by and watch Young Master Shen be bullied?"
Seeing that Xiao Lingxi was about to leave, in this critical moment, Su Xiaoyu had no choice but to blurt out:
"But if you rush out at this moment, you won't help him, you'll harm him! And you'll harm yourself too!"
Xiao Lingxi was stunned!
"Think about it, Young Master Zhou and the others were already mocking him for trying to climb the social ladder. If you, the daughter of the Marquis of Yongning, stand up for him, wouldn't that just confirm those words? You'll be drowned in spittle! What about his reputation as a scholar? And what about you? What about your honor? What about the reputation of the Marquis's family?"
The last sentence was like a bucket of cold water, poured down on Xiao Lingxi's head with a "thud".
yes!
She might not care about her own reputation, but she couldn't disregard the reputation of the Marquis's mansion.
Seeing her wavering expression, Su Xiaoyu quickly added fuel to the fire: "Besides, the young master is not far away. If he finds out that you acted impulsively, what will he think?"
Mentioning her imposing older brother, Xiao Lingxi instantly shivered.
The courage I had just mustered to rush out, without a second thought, deflated like a balloon that had been punctured.
In the short time that was wasted, the situation on the field had already changed. Shen Moyan seemed unwilling to get entangled any longer. He gave Zhou Bowen and the others a deep look, then turned and left without saying a word.
His lonely and desolate figure quickly disappeared into the crowd.
Xiao Lingxi looked in the direction he disappeared, her heart feeling heavy.
In the end, she just glared at Zhou Bowen, then said to Xiaoyu and Zisu, "This is boring, I'm not watching anymore, I'm leaving!"
Su Xiaoyu immediately breathed a huge sigh of relief!
That was close!
However, Su Xiaoyu ultimately underestimated the persistence of a love-struck young lady!
...
Soon after, the group changed course and arrived at a high platform erected in front of the square.
The area was packed with people, and the atmosphere was lively.
Colorful tassels hung on both sides of the high platform, and rows of rosewood chairs were set up below the platform. Many young men from prominent families in the capital were sitting there, including Xiao Jingheng. However, his mind was not on the performance on the stage at all, but was chatting with several close friends.
At that moment, a young lady was playing the pipa on the high platform, and her rendition of "Yangchun Baixue" captivated the audience. Cheers frequently erupted from below the stage.
As soon as the performance ended, two young men stood up, each holding a beautiful bouquet of crabapple blossoms, and stepped forward to present them to the young lady.
This is a custom at banquets in the capital; when a man presents flowers to a woman, it signifies his intention to "get to know her better."
The young lady blushed slightly as she accepted the flowers from one of the young men, eliciting a burst of good-natured laughter from the audience.
Wow, it's so lively!
Zisu couldn't help but sigh softly, "Look at that Miss Zhang, she just finished dancing and three gentlemen are already giving her flowers!"
Su Xiaoyu followed the gaze and saw that the noble lady who received the crabapple blossoms would be led by a maid to a booth next to the young master, where they would drink tea and chat for a while.
This was clearly an elegant and efficient large-scale matchmaking event.
Su Xiaoyu was dazzled by the sight and marveled inwardly.
[Isn't this just an ancient version of "If You Are the One" with a VIP private chat segment?! The Princess is truly ahead of the curve!]
[Receiving flowers, providing directions, and sending private messages—all done in one go! More efficient than modern dating shows. If the princess had this brain, she could probably open a matchmaking company in modern times, and it would be a guaranteed hit!]
Just in the front row of the audience, a friend next to Xiao Jingheng nudged him with his elbow and teased:
"Jingheng, this place is full of beautiful women, each with their own unique charm. Don't you find a single one pleasing to the eye? Isn't this banquet hosted by the Princess specifically for someone like you?"
Xiao Jingheng's expression remained unchanged, and he didn't even glance at her, only responding with a curt reply:
"So noisy!"
Another good friend chimed in with a laugh: "That's right, Brother Jingheng has high standards. Perhaps he thinks these girls are still a bit lacking, not 'interesting' enough?"
Upon hearing this, a faint ripple crossed Xiao Jingheng's eyes.
interesting?
He couldn't help but picture the way a little girl's eyes lit up when she saw delicious food, and her cowardly, silly way of trying to get away with something after she got into trouble.
And then there are those random, yet often insightful, inner monologues.
Looking at those 'noble ladies' on the stage, all seemingly cut from the same mold, striving for perfection in every movement, sitting, and lying down, one senses that certain person's unpretentious vitality and agility are indeed... far more precious.
Xiao Jingheng did not answer, but only picked up his tea and took a sip, which was taken as tacit agreement.
Just then, he glanced over and saw his younger sister leading Zisu and Su Xiaoyu toward him.
Xiao Lingxi still had a lingering grudge from her encounter with Zhou Bowen. She gave a perfunctory greeting to her older brother and his two friends before sitting down in an empty seat.
"Brother, what are you doing here? I was just looking for you."
"Come sit with Brother Li." Xiao Jingheng looked at her, then glanced at Su Xiaoyu standing behind Lingxi.
The little girl was staring intently at the stage with her round eyes, clearly mesmerized.
Wow! This girl dances so beautifully, like a fairy! The way her sleeves flutter is ethereal!
Wow, this young lady's ink bamboo painting is so powerful! I can almost hear the rustling of the wind through the bamboo leaves! Amazing!
[This piece was played so beautifully! Even though I couldn't understand the lyrics, it was truly amazing! These ladies from ancient times were incredibly talented!]
[...]
She watched with great interest, her face full of pure appreciation and admiration.
Listening to her generous and varied praise, Xiao Jingheng felt that the dull banquet had become a little more lively.
Just then, the emcee on the stage announced loudly: "Next, please welcome Miss Lin Wan'er from the Grand Tutor's Mansion..."
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