Xing Xiaoya was very nervous. Jiang Jinyu, who was sitting close by, tried her best to chat with her, subtly urging her to become her god-sister.
"Tsk, Jinyu, why are you trying to steal my girlfriend too? I've already said that Xiaoya can only call me sister, so don't cause trouble." Princess Zhaoyang noticed this and spoke up again to stop her, this time in a very serious tone.
Jiang Jinyu blinked and smiled nonchalantly.
“Princess, you’re too nervous. Xiaoya looks quite like someone from our Jiang family. When I see her, it’s like seeing a twin sister. I feel a sense of closeness to her. Even if we can’t become godparents, it’s not too much for me to call her sister, is it?”
Compared to the tension in Princess Zhaoyang's tone, Jiang Jinyu sounded very relaxed, as if it were just a few jokes.
Princess Zhaoyang pursed her lips and muttered softly, "I know you too well. You test me half-heartedly, hoping it works out, but if you fail, you just say it was a joke. Ha—"
She sneered. Having accompanied the eldest princess in and out of the palace since childhood, she had witnessed far too many scheming and intrigue.
Of course, Jiang Jinyu's words did not constitute any conspiracy; they were merely verbal sparring.
Jiang Jinyu ignored her complaints and didn't bother arguing with the princess.
After all this commotion, it seems like Xing Xiaoya has become a hot commodity, with everyone vying to become her godparent.
In reality, if it weren't for the prophecy of the divine artifact and the fact that her father and brothers were all influenced by Xing Xiaoya, Jiang Jinyu would have had no intention of becoming her sister. Not just anyone can be her sister.
At the banquet that followed, Princess Zhaoyang acted like a mother hen, protecting Xing Xiaoya as if she were her chick.
Even when noble ladies came to chat with her, Princess Zhaoyang was multitasking, keeping a close eye on Xing Xiaoya at all times, as if afraid that she would be tricked by the Jiang family.
As Xu Wanying ate her tea and snacks, she looked around and observed the myriad aspects of life.
Anyway, at times like this, everyone is busy making connections with the powerful and influential, and almost no one cares about a nobody like her.
[Host, stop staring at Xiaoya. She's already noticed something's wrong.] The system couldn't help but remind her.
Xu Wanying frowned slightly: [How ridiculous. It was clearly because she was staring at me that I looked back.]
【Then you don't need to keep staring at her! Anyone who didn't know better would think you two hit it off immediately!】
The system is constantly constrained by energy levels, so its monitoring of the plot's development is not real-time and often contains errors and omissions.
But being on the scene right now, one can naturally discover it.
The two women made eye contact several times, but each time they met, Xu Wanying refused to look away first and kept staring at the other woman.
After a few times, Xing Xiaoya also noticed that her temper seemed to be rising. She stared at her with wide eyes, unwilling to look away, and didn't even blink.
The two seemed to be playing a game, calling it "whoever blinks first loses," and towards the end, their eyes were both a little sore and swollen.
Xing Xiaoya's eyes even reddened and welled up with tears, as if she was about to cry.
"What's wrong?"
Princess Zhaoyang had been watching her closely and quickly noticed something was wrong with her, so she immediately asked in a low voice.
Xing Xiaoya waved her hand, clearly unwilling to talk, but after repeated questioning, she finally said a few words.
Princess Zhaoyang said a few words to the maid beside her, and soon the maid walked over and stopped next to Xu Wanying, saying softly, "Third Madam Jiang, the princess invites you to come over for a talk."
Cen Ying looked over with some worry and wanted to follow, but Xu Wanying stopped her.
"Mother, my little sister is over there. I'll be right back." She was very calm and composed, without the slightest panic.
Cen Ying turned her head and saw Jiang Jinyu waving at their table from a distance, her smile unchanged, clearly indicating that nothing serious had happened.
"Go ahead, and if there's anything wrong, just ask me."
Cen Ying watched her leave, her gaze following her the whole time, clearly very worried.
Princess Zhaoyang's table witnessed the interaction between the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law.
"Madam Hou seems to care a lot about the Third Madam. Does she think I'd bully you?"
When Xu Wanying walked up to her, Princess Zhaoyang's first words sounded like she was looking for trouble.
“Your Highness is too kind. I rarely go out, and my mother-in-law is worried that I might say something wrong and offend you. Besides, I have been recuperating at home due to my poor health, and my mother-in-law often comes to visit me and brings me food every few days. She is as close as a mother and daughter, so naturally she is concerned about me.”
Xu Wanying did not take Princess Zhaoyang's difficult behavior to heart, and instead gave a very appropriate answer.
"Madam Jiang certainly knows how to talk."
Zhao Yang remained silent for a moment, looked her up and down, and then said in a nonchalant tone.
"Thank you for the compliment, Princess." Xu Wanying accepted it readily, completely oblivious to the implied meaning.
“I’m not praising you, I’m just curious. There were some rumors that your marriage to Jiang Laosan was illegitimate and that you’ve been laughed at for a long time.” Princess Zhaoyang gritted her teeth, unwilling to give up easily.
“Rumors shouldn’t be believed entirely. Third Sister-in-law is beautiful, kind-hearted, and filial. Everyone in our household praises her. Princess, you mustn’t believe those lies,” Jiang Jinyu said immediately.
Her praise was truly heartfelt; she showered the princess with compliments as if they were free, making Princess Zhaoyang's teeth ache.
As a noblewoman, Jiang Jinyu is not good at socializing. Girls from ordinary families don't dare to speak in front of her, for fear of causing trouble.
Jiang Jinyu always gave off a very aloof impression when she was out and about, and it was unheard of for her to praise anyone like this. She always maintained her composure. Hearing it now gave me goosebumps.
Princess Zhaoyang's probing was actually an attempt to gauge Xu Wanying's situation within the Jiang family.
Previously, Xu Wanying had to resort to extreme measures to marry into the Marquis of Zhongyi's mansion. On their wedding day, her husband left the capital on official business without even consummating the marriage, and she was beaten by Pan Ge'er until her head was covered in blood.
Even though the Marquis's household tried to keep it a secret, nothing stays hidden forever. After much effort, Princess Zhaoyang finally found out that he was on his deathbed.
She thought Xu Wanying must be living a terrible life, and that she was even preparing for her death at any time. But seeing how the Jiang family women protected her today, Princess Zhaoyang realized that she was completely wrong.
This Third Madam Jiang was not only not disliked, but was actually very popular. Even Jiang Jinyu, a difficult and aloof woman, was afraid that she would be bullied and spoke very kindly to protect her.
For Xing Xiaoya to infiltrate the inner circle of the Marquis's household women was virtually impossible.
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