Chapter 193 The Welcome-Away Banquet 3
Everyone's eyes instinctively turned to the protagonist who had been publicly insulted.
Xie Sang stood quietly in place, her face still expressionless.
It was as if Wei Yan's extremely vicious words were nothing more than the buzzing of flies brushing past one's ear.
She didn't even glance at Wei Yan, but lowered her eyes slightly, looking at her brother Xie Sangyu's still slightly red nose. She gently handed the herbal sachet in her hand to him again, her voice soft and calm, as if the storm just now had nothing to do with her: "Brother, smell it again, is it better?"
Xie Sangyu did not accept the sachet.
It was the calm before the storm.
He looked at Wei Yan, whose peach blossom eyes, which always seemed to exude a hint of cynicism, were now like two bottomless pools of icy water, frozen with millennia-old ice.
There was no anger, no rebuke, not even a trace of emotional fluctuation.
There was only indifference, like that of a dead object.
That look terrified Wei Yan more than any angry shout!
She instinctively took a step back, her arrogant demeanor deflated like a punctured balloon, leaving only guilt and timidity.
In the midst of this deathly silence, Xie Sangyu moved.
He didn't fly into a rage, nor did he speak harshly.
"Oh…"
"Miss Wei, your insightful remarks are truly...astounding."
He slowly took a step forward, his gaze like tangible icicles, scraping inch by inch across Wei Yan's pale face.
“You say my sister relies on her father and brothers? Unfortunately, my sister has never relied on us. She has made her own way all this way. Everything she wears and uses, including what I wear, is all from her own money.”
"Miss Wei Yan of the Yongning Marquis's Mansion, who earned the Shu brocade you are wearing, the pearls and jade in your hair, and the... well, the cheap face powder you're applying? Did you embroider it yourself in some secluded mansion? Or did you conjure it up out of thin air with your words?"
"Pfft—"
Someone in the crowd finally couldn't help but chuckle, then quickly covered their mouth.
Wei Yan's face instantly turned from white to red, then from red to purple, as if a dye shop had been opened.
"You're saying my sister will eventually get married? Is she like water spilled from a cup?" His voice suddenly rose, booming like thunder, each word carrying a resolute declaration:
"I, Xie Sangyu, hereby declare before all these guests: Xie Sangning is my only younger sister! She is the apple of my eye! No matter who she marries or where she is in the future, she will always be a member of the Xie family! Every brick, every tile, every blade of grass in this General's Mansion, whatever she wants, whatever I have, she will always have a share! Who dares to treat her as an outsider? Who dares to say that she has nothing to do with the General's Mansion?!"
At this moment, everyone clearly realized that this seemingly carefree and unrestrained eldest son of the Xie family was extremely protective of his own!
Xie Sangyu's gaze refocused on the swaying Wei Yan, her eyes filled with undisguised coldness and disgust:
"As for you, Miss Wei Yan? Relying on your father and brothers? That's right, we'd rather she rely on us. I, Xie Sangyu, am willing to let my sister depend on me! This is a family matter of the Xie family. What? Are you jealous?"
"You envy my sister for having a father and brothers who love and protect her? You envy her for getting all the best things in life?"
"Then go home and ask your father if he's capable of earning you a Grand General to govern the country? Is he capable of making you as powerful as my sister, able to walk around the capital with your head held high? Go ahead! Why are you afraid to ask?"
Xie Sangyu scoffed, her smile disdainful: "You, Wei Yan, besides being born into a good family and having the empty air of a young lady from the Yongning Marquis's mansion, what else do you have? In terms of talent? Which of the four arts can you be good at? In terms of morality? Speaking ill of others in public, being jealous by nature, and being mean and ungrateful—is this the upbringing of your Yongning Marquis's mansion?"
"As for looks?" Xie Sangyu looked her up and down. "Three parts natural beauty, seven parts makeup. You think you can imitate others by just applying makeup? You smell like cheap perfume, enough to kill someone from eight feet away! With your appearance and venomous heart, do you even deserve to be compared to my sister?"
"You...you..."
Wei Yan was so dizzy from his scolding that she felt the world spinning around her, her vision going black, and all her pride and self-esteem were crushed to pieces!
She pointed at Xie Sangyu, her lips trembling, a mixture of shame, indignation, despair, and fear overwhelming her. Finally, she couldn't bear it any longer and burst into tears, collapsing to the ground, completely losing her composure.
"Enough!"
Wei Zikai could no longer bear this humiliation!
His face was ashen. He rushed forward and roughly pulled Wei Yan, who was slumped on the ground and crying incessantly, up with such force that he almost dislocated her arm! Wei Yan let out a cry of pain.
"Shut up! Aren't you embarrassed enough already?!"
Wei Zikai sternly reprimanded his sister, not even glancing at Xie Sangyu, and instead bowed deeply to Xie Zhenting, whose face was ashen, facing the main seat.
"General Xie! Today, my younger sister suffered a mental breakdown and uttered wild words, offending your daughter and eldest son. It is my Yongning Marquis's mansion's fault for failing to discipline her properly! On her behalf, Zikai apologizes to the General, Miss Xie, and Young Master Xie! My father will personally visit to apologize another day! Farewell!"
After saying that, he dragged her out like a dead dog, ignoring Wei Yan's struggles and cries, his steps unsteady and disheveled.
Lady Yongning was already terrified and completely lost her composure. Crying and sobbing, the whole family fled the General's Mansion in a panic, like stray dogs, under the watchful eyes of all the guests.
They came in as smug and triumphant as they came out in disgrace!
Xie Sangyu looked in the direction where the Wei siblings had disappeared, the coldness and ferocity on her face slowly subsided, but the frost deep in her eyes did not dissipate.
He turned around and looked at Xie Sangning. His arrogant and defiant attitude from before vanished instantly, replaced by a hint of tension and concern in his eyes. His voice softened as he said, "Ningning, are you alright? Don't take those crazy women's words to heart."
Xie Sangning felt a warmth in her heart when she saw the genuine concern and anxiety in his eyes.
She gently shook her head and placed the herbal sachet in his hand. "I'm fine. But brother, you got angry just now, I'm afraid you'll break out in a rash again. Smell it more."
My own brother is the most spoiled one.
Then, she turned around, bowed to everyone, and said, "It was a small matter that disturbed everyone's enjoyment; it was Sang Ning's fault. Today's banquet was meant to welcome my father and brothers back and celebrate in a lively and joyous atmosphere. This little incident is nothing to worry about. Please continue, everyone; it would be a shame if the food and wine got cold."
Her voice was clear and gentle, and the guests, as if waking from a dream, quickly raised their glasses, forced smiles, and responded in unison:
"Yes, yes, yes! Miss Xie is right! Let's continue!"
"It was just a small misunderstanding, it's alright, it's alright!"
"The brother-sister relationship between Young Master Xie and his sister is truly touching!"
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