This was an outcome Lin Meijuan never expected.
Since her return, this stepdaughter has been well-behaved, but she likes to occasionally entice Du Bingtian to talk about the past.
She felt uneasy as Du Bingtian talked to her more and more.
Knowing that her youngest daughter was harboring resentment, she went along with her daughter's wishes and deliberately made the eldest daughter give up her white dress in front of everyone.
She had already planned it out: if she mentioned that she had chosen a white tulle dress for tomorrow's banquet, she would say that dresses are difficult to alter.
Young girls love to look pretty; once something's in their pocket, how could they possibly take it out again?
I never expected that I would end up shooting myself in the foot.
She didn't even need to guess what Du Bingtian was thinking just by looking at him.
No matter how angry she was inside, Lin Meijuan's smile remained unchanged. After all these years, she still had that much self-control. As long as she found a scapegoat to divert attention, that would be enough.
"Second Madam, since our eldest young lady has already given Xiao Si the dress, why is Xiao Si still begging me to stand up for her and ask for it back?"
The second concubine was also dumbfounded. She hadn't expected the eldest young lady to be so audacious as to lie through her teeth. When did she order Xibao to deliver the dress to her room?
"Madam, you must investigate this thoroughly! I truly have no idea!"
Lin Meijuan stared coldly at her, scrutinizing her expression. She didn't believe the second concubine would dare to lie to her. Unless she didn't care about Xiao Si's life or death.
"I wonder who our young lady gave the dress to. I don't think Second Madam took it. I trust Second Madam; if she had taken it, she wouldn't have kept quiet just now."
The European-style crystal chandelier shimmered, and under its light, the little girl's skin was so fair and tender that it looked like it could be squeezed to release water. Her big, dark eyes were devoid of emotion, making it impossible for Lin Meijuan to tell what Xu Keke was thinking.
Xu Keke is really not in a hurry. In fact, tonight's events were somewhat of a lucky accident.
She heard from Xibao that Du Rui wanted her white gauze dress. She was just waiting for them to ask. After all, the dress was made to her measurements. If she really planned to wear it tomorrow night, she would definitely want to get it delivered to the shop as soon as possible.
But it's been half a day since she came back, and Lin Meijuan hasn't mentioned this matter to her. Based on her observations of Lin Meijuan over the past few days, Xu Keke immediately guessed that she was going to make a fuss about this.
When she entered the restaurant, she deliberately slowed down a couple of steps and told Xibao to take the dress to the second concubine's room.
Du Bingtian was already annoyed. He simply called over the old woman who served in the second concubine's room.
The old woman's eyes darted around, avoiding her gaze, and the second concubine knew something was wrong.
None of the servants in the house were afraid of Du Bingtian, so the old woman dared not lie. "Xibao brought over a white gauze dress, saying that she had arranged it with the second concubine. So I accepted it."
"Hmph!" Du Bingtian flung his chopsticks away, glared fiercely at the second concubine, muttered "troublemaker," and got up to leave.
The second concubine's face turned deathly pale, her mouth agape, unsure how to explain.
Lin Meijuan quickly gave the third concubine a wink. The third concubine reluctantly put down her soup spoon, wiped her mouth with a handkerchief, and followed after her, swaying her hips.
Seeing that the second concubine hadn't recovered for a while, Xu Keke smiled and said to Du Rui, "If you want to wear it tomorrow, quickly find someone to send the dress to a familiar shop, otherwise it will be too late."
Du Rui knew, of course, that she was right. The thought of wearing that dress—one that even Du Shan didn't have—tomorrow night filled her with anticipation. She wanted to laugh, but fearing Du Shan's displeasure, she gripped the tablecloth tightly, looking expectantly at the second concubine.
The second concubine has no time to worry about her now; she has offended the madam and displeased Du Bingtian.
He couldn't get a word in edgewise with Du Bingtian today. Seeing that the First Madam Lin Meijuan got up, he hurriedly followed her.
"If I were Fourth Sister, I would have the steward prepare the carriage right now, and I would take the old woman with me to the shop to have the clothes altered. I'd deal with whatever happens when I get back."
Du Rui stared at Du Shan for a long time. The other woman glared sharply at Xu Keke, showing no intention of paying her any attention.
The others. Two boys. The younger one was still in shock; it was the first time he'd ever seen his father slam his chopsticks down and walk away from the table. He couldn't understand it—it was just a dress, who did it, and what did they do wrong?
The older one indicated his support for Xu Keke's opinion. Although it was still daylight outside, he could accompany Du Rui if they were to go.
Du Yuan, like a hermit, coldly observes those who are anxious.
Xu Keke didn't care what Du Rui decided later and went straight back to her room to rest.
The next day, all the women in the family went to get their hair done, but as if by prior arrangement, no one told Xu Keke.
Xi Bao was just as angry as Du Bingtian was last night. She couldn't understand why the young lady was acting as if nothing had happened.
"Isn't Miss angry?"
"Why be angry? There's nothing to pack up if you go. I don't get perms or haircuts."
Xi Bao pretended she hadn't seen it before, "Just you wait and see, I just went to see it, the second young lady's perm is so beautiful. Wearing a dress, she looks exactly like those foreign women on the street."
Xu Keke was amused by her analogy, as she herself did not want to be a foreigner.
She genuinely didn't care. These banquets were arranged well in advance, and the socialites had been preparing for them for a long time. Competing with a group of peacocks for beauty was pointless unless you were a phoenix; you'd only make yourself a laughingstock.
Because what they compare is not clothing, but family background and social standing.
Xu Keke originally planned to wear two braids and go. She didn't think it would look bad, and even if it was embarrassing, it wouldn't be her who was embarrassed.
Xiuxiu, from the third concubine's room, took the initiative to come over and comb her hair. If it weren't for Lin Meijuan's glance at the third concubine last night, Xu Keke would have thought that it was because she and Xibao had a good relationship.
I just don't know if Lin Meijuan took this roundabout way because she was afraid that she would really embarrass the Du family.
It was because the whole family was going, except for the third concubine. She was deliberately trying to annoy the women in the family.
Xiuxiu was very skillful. She glanced at Xu Keke's dress and then examined her jewelry box again.
Fortunately, the original owner had lived with her grandmother since childhood, and there were quite a few pieces of jewelry in her jewelry box.
After deciding what to use, Xiuxiu didn't say much and immediately started to loosen her hair. She separated two strands from each side and braided them loosely into two pigtails.
She pulled out a string of pearls the size of rice grains from the original owner's jewelry box, wrapped it around her hair, and tied it into a low bun.
The fine white pearls peeked out from between her dark hair, creating a surprisingly beautiful effect.
Xiuxiu stood behind Xu Keke with a mirror in hand, showing her the mirror. A suppressed smugness lingered on her face, but a smile slowly spread across her lips after hearing Xu Keke's praise and Xibao's exclamation.
After helping Xu Keke change into her dress, Xiuxiu took out a pearl brooch from her jewelry box and pinned it to Xu Keke's dress.
Xi Bao was pleased with herself. "I said that day that this flower would look perfect with a dress. What do you think? Even Xiu Xiu thinks so."
Look at Xiuxiu's determined eyes, and then at Xibao's barely suppressed joy.
Xu Keke raised her hand halfway and then stopped.
Anyway, it's the same if I take it off in the car. Xu Keke put her hand down.
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