Chapter 60 is even cuter...
Jiang Shiyuan noticed the resentment in Shen Chuqing's eyes, a resentment that stemmed more from envy over the difference in their social status.
Perhaps she had been too naive before. For Shen Chuqing, the glory that the Yan family could bring her seemed more important than Huo Lan's affection.
If Huo Lan had been pressured by the various wealthy and influential people at the banquet to get engaged to her, even if he didn't love her, she wouldn't have cared. At least she could have firmly secured her position as the rightful wife of the Huo family.
Although she can now be considered Mrs. Huo, she can only be referred to as the wife of Huo's cousin in public, and is ultimately worlds apart from Jiang Shiyuan.
But it didn't matter anymore; she was content.
After refilling the teacups, Shen Chuqing gracefully returned to her seat, her face still bearing an impeccable smile, but no one came up to exchange pleasantries anymore.
Wealthy wives have always been opportunistic, clinging to whoever is most favored or powerful. She had known this principle since childhood, so she didn't feel much about it until this perception was amplified as she was about to get married.
She will face many more such situations in the future. If she feels resentful every time, she will only be making things harder for herself.
Shen Chuqing was easygoing; after sitting down, she started watching everyone chat, not bothered even though she couldn't join in.
Xu Feixuan has always liked Shen Chuqing, and she still does now.
She knew that Shen Chuqing had been sensible since she was a child. Although she had many things she wanted, she would not fight or snatch them unless someone delivered them to her.
Therefore, she did not blame Shen Chuqing for her initial choice. If Jiang Shiyuan had not tempted and encouraged her, the engagement banquet would not have resulted in the Huo family almost becoming a laughing stock in the world.
Ultimately, it's Jiang Shiyuan's restlessness that's the root of the problem...
Xu Feixuan still didn't really like Jiang Shiyuan. This girl was beautiful, but not in an aggressive way. She was like a beauty who had stepped out of a painting. Her eyes and brows exuded the gentleness of the Jiangnan region and the tranquility of a scholar. In fact, this was the kind of look that Xu Feixuan liked.
But she wasn't as obedient as she appeared. She knew very well that Jiang Shiyuan had been pretending all along, acting warm and gentle, but in reality, she was cold-hearted and calculating.
Just like now, no matter how unwilling she was to be with Huo Lan, how much she didn't want to stay in Huo Garden, or how much she didn't want to have a child, she still accepted it all coldly and peacefully.
Moreover, she has now obediently followed her to the tea party, isn't it all for the glory and status that comes with being Mrs. Huo?
She won. She had her disobedient son firmly under her control. Even if he stopped pretending to be obedient and sensible, she could still secure her position as the mistress of the Huo family.
Xu Feixuan chuckled slightly. Although she was extremely unwilling, she still had to take care of Jiang Shiyuan, after all, she was the person Huo Lan loved to the point of death, and now she was pregnant.
Xu Feixuan wanted to elevate Jiang Shiyuan in front of the many ladies from prominent families, so she left the tasks of adding tea and instructing the servants to serve tea and snacks to Shen Chuqing, leaving Jiang Shiyuan to sit in place and respond to everyone's compliments.
She didn't need Jiang Shiyuan to say or do anything. All she needed to do was appear in front of everyone dressed in this outfit and let everyone know that the Huo family had a wife who was about to give birth. That would have been enough for her to achieve her goal.
Xu Feixuan was very satisfied with Jiang Shiyuan's reaction in front of everyone. She lightly tapped her teacup with her fingertip and changed the subject: "Since Shiyuan got pregnant, Xiaolan has been very nervous every day. She doesn't even let her leave the house. Today she is finally out for some fresh air, so you should talk to her more and make sure she doesn't feel bored."
These words sound like a complaint about Huo Lan's strict control, but in reality, they are telling everyone that Jiang Shiyuan is the apple of Huo Lan's eye, someone he cherishes dearly.
The ladies were all shrewd and immediately understood the implication, responding with smiles.
"Mr. Huo is so considerate."
"Mrs. Huo is so lucky, and Sister Xu is even luckier, she'll be holding her grandson soon."
"The quality of this jade is absolutely superb, and the design is also exquisite. I've seen similar pieces in auction catalogs, but I never expected it to look so elegant on Mrs. Huo."
The fashionable young lady who had been talking to Shen Chuqing earlier lingered on Jiang Shiyuan's blue diamond ring, her tone filled with envy: "Is this blue diamond on Mrs. Huo's hand the same fancy vivid blue diamond that Mr. Huo bought at the auction? Its clarity and fire are truly amazing. No wonder it's a diamond worth hundreds of millions. Mr. Huo really adores his wife."
Before arriving, Xu Feixuan had already briefly informed Jiang Shiyuan of the information about the invited ladies.
The young woman in front of him was a close friend of Shen Chuqing before she got married. Her name was Liang Yuwei. However, after she married the eldest son of Zhongwang Group, a real estate company, she stopped having much contact with Shen Chuqing.
Today, Xu Feixuan held a tea party, and she was able to speak with Shen Chuqing again. However, after Jiang Shiyuan came in, she ignored Shen Chuqing again.
Liang Yuwei was in high spirits, unaware of what Jiang Shiyuan was thinking. Seeing that Jiang Shiyuan's expression was normal, she assumed that her compliments had touched her heart.
"Mr. Fok doesn't usually make the news, but when he does, it's because he casually spent 460 million on a diamond ring, which is quite memorable. It turns out it was all to make his wife smile."
Ignoring Shen Chuqing sitting next to her, Liang Yuwei took it upon herself to walk to Jiang Shiyuan's sofa and said in an intimate tone, "Calling you Mrs. Huo is too formal. We're about the same age, so I'll call you Shiyuan from now on. If you're interested in jewelry, there's a jewelry auction in a few days. Why don't we go together?"
Jiang Shiyuan had no interest in responding to the pleasantries; he simply curled his lips and continued drinking his tea, which made the atmosphere a little awkward.
Xu Feixuan wasn't annoyed by her reaction; she just felt that the Huo family's wife should be arrogant and fawned over by everyone.
Jiang Shiyuan was Huo Lan's chosen mistress, so even if she had a cold face, they should still smile and flatter her.
Being knowledgeable and reasonable is good, but power is the real currency. The Huo family has never needed to depend on others.
The invited ladies all needed the Huo family's resources and assistance in their business dealings to some extent, so they didn't pay attention to Jiang Shiyuan's indifference and continued to chat about the latest jewelry auctions, which horse farm had acquired a new fine horse, European custom fashion weeks, and so on.
Jiang Shiyuan mostly listened quietly and nodded, only saying a few words when asked occasionally, but she was always at the center of the conversation.
The tea party was originally just a way for Jiang Shiyuan to meet people, so it didn't last long. After chatting for more than an hour, Xu Feixuan forced the party to end on the grounds that she wanted to rest.
With just over ten minutes to go before the agreed time with Huo Lan, Jiang Shiyuan went to the restroom in the flower hall to quickly wash up.
After coming out, he overheard several ladies chatting in front of the flower hall corridor, their tone full of complaints about Jiang Shiyuan.
The first to speak was Liang Yuwei, who had been trying to build a relationship with Jiang Shiyuan.
"I've looked up this Jiang Shiyuan, but there's nothing about her online. She also avoids talking about her school and background when we chat. Could she be from some humble background?"
“I have a friend in the media who said he photographed them. This Ms. Jiang seems to have been with Mr. Huo for many years. It’s said that she is…” Mrs. Xu looked around to make sure no one was there before saying, “It seems like she has become his official wife after being his mistress.”
Mrs. Xu continued, "After he took the photos, someone threatened him with money, preventing him from revealing any information. If it wasn't his lover, why would he be keeping it so secret? The Huo family values their reputation the most, so they definitely wouldn't let this kind of news get out."
Liang Yuwei was already resentful because Jiang Shiyuan had been cold to her, but she perked up immediately upon hearing this news.
"That makes sense. Isn't she already pregnant?" Liang Yuwei became more and more excited as she thought about it. "No wonder he's been following her for so many years, and now he's finally willing to let her see people. He wants to use the child to climb the social ladder!"
Liang Yuwei said, "Huo Lan said at Shen Chuqing's engagement party that he would not get married! And judging from how he usually keeps a great distance from women, you can tell that he is not actually interested in women."
As if she already knew some incredible information, Liang Yuwei laughed so hard it was almost distorted, "It must have been Jiang Shiyuan who shamelessly pestered him, or used some underhanded means, to make Mr. Huo fall into a trap and get pregnant!"
Liang Yuwei continued to fantasize: "What 460 million fancy blue diamond, what heirloom imperial green jade, is it really meant for her? It's just that the Huo family doesn't want this undignified daughter-in-law to embarrass them!"
Although Mrs. Xu felt that Jiang Shiyuan didn't seem like that kind of person, she also felt that Liang Yuwei's words made sense, and replied, "That's possible, otherwise Sister Xu wouldn't have admitted so easily that this woman is Mrs. Huo. She has always been arrogant and has her own set of standards for her daughter-in-law, and family background is a must."
Mrs. Xu continued, "Before this, I had never heard of Huo Lan having a girlfriend. The media even said that Huo Lan was not interested in women and only loved to burn incense and pray to Buddha. Now that a woman is finally pregnant, Xu Feixuan is definitely happy and doesn't care about family background or social standing."
......
The conversation between the two continued. In public, he flattered Jiang Shiyuan to the extreme, but in private, he maliciously speculated about her and said all sorts of unpleasant things. He switched between the two faces naturally.
Jiang Shiyuan listened quietly, her heart unmoved. She calmly and composedly walked out of the restroom, stopping to stare at the two women's shocked expressions. "Ms. Liang, I heard that your husband is planning to expand your group's products to the national market, but it seems he lacks some financial support and has encountered some obstacles in the approval process..."
Jiang Shiyuan paused deliberately, smiling serenely, but it sent chills down Liang Yuwei's spine. She stood there stunned, forgetting even to explain herself.
Before attending the tea party, Xu Feixuan briefly introduced everyone's identity to her, but Jiang Shiyuan was afraid that something might go wrong, so she made sure to investigate the background of each participant and what they were facing recently.
She knew exactly how to manipulate the wives—their relationships, personalities, and power dynamics—even though she had never met them.
Seeing Liang Yuwei's tense appearance, Jiang Shiyuan smiled faintly, "It seems that the progress may not be going smoothly."
Jiang Shiyuan then looked at Mrs. Xu on the other side, only to see that she immediately lowered her head, looking like she had done something wrong.
She didn't continue to focus on the problems in Mrs. Xu's family, but simply apologized to the two of them again, maintaining a distant attitude while keeping a high and mighty stance.
“My husband arranged to pick me up at four o’clock. He was worried that I would get tired if I stayed here too long, and the maternity nurse would be giving me a massage later, so I’ll leave first and won’t see you off.”
After Jiang Shiyuan finished speaking, she stepped out of the warm flower hall.
Turning around, she bumped into a warm and familiar embrace.
A strong arm wrapped around her waist, pulling her into his embrace. He chuckled deeply, "I thought my little white rabbit couldn't bite anyone, and I was just about to step in, only to find that my little white rabbit can be quite fierce when she gets anxious."
"But more than biting people, I care more about my desire to flaunt my affection in front of others..."
"It's even cuter now."
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