"I thought Miss Chen was very capable, daring to compete and possibly win. But who would’ve thought, she doesn’t last. Just a while ago, I was thinking maybe Miss Chen would seize this opportunity to make a name for herself."
A mocking voice echoed throughout the room. It was loud enough for everyone in the hall to hear clearly.
"Right, if you don’t have the ability, why puff yourself up? Fame and reputation aren’t easy to achieve. If you can’t acquire it, you risk losing your dignity instead. That’s not a good deal."
"Well, some people are keen to take a gamble, for bravery’s sake. If it were me, I wouldn’t dare risk losing face."
A few young ladies from the boudoir emerged from behind the beaded curtain, their laughter was particularly mocking. They giggled and strolled directly towards the second-floor private rooms. The poetry gathering was over, so there was no point in lingering in the hall.
The entire hall gradually emptied out.
Chen Yining, still sitting rigidly in the center of the hall, showed a disconcerted face that alternated between pale and green. If you looked closely, you could see her whole body slightly trembling, not out of fear, but out of annoyance.
Ji Xinhe heard these girls’ chatter and couldn’t help but look surprised. She lifted her gaze to the woman in the center of the hall and asked in astonishment, "Who is that? Why is she being targeted?"
"The daughter of Old Man Chen, Chen Yining. She has always been envied, perhaps due to her exceptional talent and beauty. Recently, Old Man Chen was dismissed and idle at home. The Chen Family has lost its power in the Imperial Court, and those who were jealous now dare to humiliate her outright."
The name Chen Yining echoed in Ji Xinhe’s mind, and her face turned slightly pale.
Is that her?
"What’s wrong?" Duan Lan seemed to notice her unordinary mood.
Ji Xinhe raised her head and forced a smile, "It’s okay." Why should she dwell on the past?
She casually picked up a cup of tea, hoping to settle the slight ripple in her heart.
But as she lifted her head, she seemed to feel a sharp gaze on her. Ji Xinhe turned her head in confusion, only to meet a face that was more familiar than any other.
It had been more than a month since their last meeting, yet it seemed like years had passed. He was still as cool and handsome. She had guessed that they might meet again, given they were both in the capital; it was not an impossible thought. Yet, she hadn’t expected to "bump into" him so soon.
The smile on Ji Xinhe’s face froze instantly, her face turned as pale as paper, drained of all color. She trembled, and the tea cup in her hand overturned on the table, spilling tea onto her sleeve.
Duan Lan was startled and quickly cleaned up her tea cup, "Why are you so careless? Did you get scalded?"
Ji Xinhe didn’t know if she was still unsettled due to lingering feelings, or due to the sharp gaze of Mu Houchu, she felt panicked, unsure of what to do. Even when Duan Lan asked her questions, she wouldn’t catch a single word.
Duan Lan, however, didn’t notice Mu Houchu from across the hall. The Duan family didn’t have any dealings with him, naturally, he didn’t care about him. Duan Lan frowned at Ji Xinhe’s wet sleeve and instructed the serving boy, "Take her upstairs to a private room to change into a clean set of clothes. It’s not good if she catches a cold."
The serving boy responded, "Yes, this way, Miss."
In high-grade restaurants like Ruifu Building, they usually prepare clean clothes for guests.
"Xin He, Xin He?" Duan Lan wasn’t sure if she heard him, as she often spaced out.
Ji Xinhe finally woke up from her daze, "Huh? Oh, I’ll go now."
She then followed the boy out hurriedly and headed straight to the upstairs private room.
Ji Xinhe couldn’t resist turning around as she climbed the stairs and saw Mu Houchu striding towards her. His penetrating gaze caught her, making her shudder uncontrollably.
Immediately after, she saw Chen Yining’s figure rushing towards Mu Houchu.
Only when this woman came into view, Ji Xinhe managed to pull a mocking smile on her pale face. How pathetic was she to panic every time she saw him, completely unaware he already had a new love interest.
Since stepping into Ruifu Building, Mu Houchu’s gaze had never strayed from Ji Xinhe. As if everyone else in the hall didn’t exist. He watched her accept the flower lantern from that clueless man, watched her laughing radiantly, watched her making small talk with him.
Such an eyesore.
He strode towards her, without any attempt to conceal his actions. He had come here from afar, and now he was only a few meters away from her, how could he give up now?
But at that moment, Chen Yining blocked his path.
"Houchu, when did you return to the capital? Why didn’t anyone say a word?" As soon as Chen Yining spotted Mu Houchu, she rushed towards him, her eyes full of surprise and joy.
"Hm." Mu Houchu simply walked past her, not in the mood to entertain her, especially not now.
But unexpectedly, Rui Xue, the little maid accompanying Chen Yining, fell to her knees before him, sobbing, "Prime Minister, please save my mistress. Now that the Chen family has fallen from power in the Imperial Court, those people all despise my mistress, one by one they humiliate her. Prime Minister..."
Mu Houchu’s cold gaze fell on the maid kneeling before him, blocking his path, which caused her to tremble.
Chen Yining immediately scolded, "You silly girl, what nonsense are you speaking?"
But there was no trace of reproach in her tone, it was clear that she had purposely let the maid speak.
With a dark expression, Mu Houchu looked at Chen Yining and said, "If you fear being humiliated, you could choose to stay home."
Chen Yining stood frozen, unable to move a muscle in the face of the harshness.
Without a second thought, Mu Houchu walked around them and strode straight up to the upstairs private room.
Standing there pale, Chen Yining felt humiliated. Even the sour words from earlier did not tarnish her pride as much as this moment had.
Ling Feng, who was standing by, silently shook his head. Miss Chen didn’t seem to understand body language, but she should at least know that her father’s, Old Man Chen, dismissal was instigated by Prime Minister Mu. Yet now, she was complaining to him? What a strange thought.
—-
"Miss, please come in. We have prepared some clothes for you to choose from. Young Master Duan instructed us especially, and we dare not slack off. Please take a look and see if they’re suitable, and pick one."
When Ji Xinhe was led to the upstairs private room by the waiting boy, she saw that three or five maids were already waiting respectfully with trays. Duan Lan’s instructions were taken very seriously by the staff at Ruifu Building. It seemed the Duan Family had significant influence in the capital.
Ji Xinhe wasn’t in the mood to choose clothes, she randomly pointed at one and said, "This one will do."
The second the words left her mouth, the room door swung open with a bang. Mu Houchu stepped in with a cold expression. Ji Xinhe’s heart skipped a beat, and she froze on the spot.
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