Chapter 266 Missing (2)
Shen Miao withdrew her gaze, but heard Shen Qiu beside her exclaiming: "Sister, you are really getting more and more beautiful now!"
“You stinky boy,” Shen Xin kicked Shen Qiu upon hearing this: “When did your sister become ugly?”
Luo Xueyan also smiled and walked to Shen Miao, holding her hand and said: "Our Jiaojiao is also a grown-up girl."
Everyone in the hall turned their gazes on Shen Miao, all with ambiguous meanings. A year ago, Shen Miao was still a silly girl, adorned in gold and silver, her makeup thicker than the white walls. Now, she wore a purple-blue cotton-padded skirt with gold embroidery, and a peony-colored cape embroidered with delicate lace. Her hair was styled in a single, spiral bun, with a jade hairpin slanted into it. Even without the tinkling of jewelry, she possessed an air of opulence and nobility. Her features were delicate and distinct, and her eyes were as clear as those of a small animal. If this look were a little gentle and graceful, she would have seemed quite girlish. Yet, for some reason, she stood with dignity and authority, like the bright moon in the sky, making one feel as if one could not look directly at her.
She outshined all the women in the room, and it seemed like the whole room was full of vulgar women.
A flicker of jealousy flashed in Chen Yue's eyes. She had once thought that Shen Miao, the most incomparable person in the mansion, had unknowingly managed to steal her limelight. Shen Yue was most confident in her own scholarly elegance and beauty, but upon seeing Shen Miao today, she felt a sense of inferiority. She raised her head and looked at Chen Ruoqiu, hoping to detect a hint of disdain for Shen Miao in her mother's eyes. However, she also saw a hint of solemnity in Chen Ruoqiu's eyes, which made her heart even colder.
Aunt Wan sighed in her heart and unconsciously tightened her grip on Shen Dongling's hand. She didn't have any other thoughts, she just felt that Shen Miao was worthy of being a legitimate daughter, and legitimate daughters had a different demeanor. No matter how smart her daughter was, she had been secluded in the courtyard for so many years, and in terms of nobility, she could not be compared with Shen Miao.
The men in the room didn't react much. Apart from Shen Xin and Shen Qiu, Shen Gui and Shen Wan just frowned at best. As for Shen Yuan, he stared at Shen Miao with a deep look, not knowing what he was thinking.
Chen Ruoqiu changed the subject without leaving any trace: "Now that everyone is here, let's get going now."
Madam Shen was old and naturally couldn't witness such a scene. So, Madam Shen, Shen Yuanbo, Ren Wanyun, and the concubines from the second house stayed in the Shen Mansion. The others went out to the streets to watch the excitement of the Jade Rabbit Festival. In previous years, they would have been chatting and laughing all the way, but this year, due to the fire that Shen Miao had started in the ancestral hall, Shen Xin and Shen Qiu almost deliberately kept their distance from the other two, speaking only to Luo Xueyan.
The guards of the Shen Mansion followed behind. In fact, in order to maintain the safety of the people and prevent bandits from taking advantage of the crowded crowds to cause trouble, the city garrison would also send more people to patrol both sides of the street every year, so it was relatively safe to stroll around.
Since Shen Xin didn't speak to Shen Gui and Shen Wan, they didn't bother to bother with each other, and the two brothers chatted on their own. Shen Yue used to walk with Shen Qing and Shen Miao, who served as a foil to her intellectual sophistication. But now Shen Miao was unwilling to pay attention to her, and Shen Yue, unwilling to be upstaged by her, went to talk to Shen Dongling. Aunt Wan was naturally delighted to see Shen Yue willing to get close, but Shen Dongling, perhaps out of shyness, didn't seem particularly enthusiastic towards her, instead seeming rather timid. After a while, Shen Yue lost interest.
As the group walked along the street, the atmosphere became strangely awkward. It was a bit awkward, as everyone from the entire mansion was walking together. It was a bit joyful, as everyone was clearly on their own.
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