Song Zhiyu lowered her eyes in thought. She understood Lu Bai's concerns. Xia Zhu's heart was no longer in Songxi Courtyard, so there was no point in keeping her there any longer.
As for Qin Xu, he is a wicked man who is good at pretending, but he has deceived many girls because of his literary talent. Xia Zhu is not the first, nor will she be the last.
He would target her, simply because she possessed something that he coveted.
The only thing Song Zhiyu could think of was the countless treasures and jewelry in her storeroom, or perhaps it was the power of the Princess's Mansion and the Duke of Ling's Mansion behind her.
But regardless of their motives, Song Zhiyu is not one to be easily manipulated.
Shen Feng was eager to marry her into the Qin family, which was probably for this very reason.
He knew she would never leave those treasures and jewelry in the Marquis's mansion, so he planned to take a roundabout approach and cooperate with the Qin family to plot against her.
If she really falls for it and brings these treasures into the Qin family as part of her dowry, it will be like throwing a meat bun to a dog—gone forever.
Just then, Lu Bai walked in with a puzzled look on her face, glancing outside out of the corner of her eye. "Miss, Granny Lin is here. She says the Old Madam requests your presence."
Old lady?
Song Zhiyu raised an eyebrow. Shen Jinshu had just had an accident, and the old lady came to invite him right afterward. The two events were too coincidental.
"Miss, shall we go?" Lu Bai had also thought of this. She felt that the old lady had ill intentions and was probably planning to make things difficult for her young lady again.
Before Song Zhiyu could speak, Lin Mama, who was standing outside, couldn't wait any longer. She peeked into the room and raised her voice, as if afraid that Song Zhiyu wouldn't hear her, "Second Miss, the Old Madam requests your presence. Please come with me."
The old lady insisted that the second young lady be invited over, otherwise she wouldn't be able to explain herself.
But the second young lady is notoriously difficult to deal with, which is giving her a lot of trouble.
“Miss, judging from how anxious Lin Mama is to get you to come over, I feel something is wrong. Maybe we shouldn’t go?” Lu Bai looked wary. She didn’t trust anyone in the Marquis’s mansion.
The old lady appeared fair and kind, never making things difficult for her daughter, but whenever something happened, she was never seen standing up for her daughter.
But as soon as the young lady got into trouble, she reappeared and hurriedly sent someone to invite her over.
Lu Bai finally understood that Madam Shen was a hypocrite with a Buddha's face but a snake's heart.
This kind of person can easily be tricked if you're not careful.
"No, of course I have to go. How can this show continue if I don't go?" Song Zhiyu shook her head, wanting to see what the old lady was really up to.
Contrary to Lu Bai's opinion, Song Zhiyu did not think that the old lady had come because of Shen Jinshu.
The enemy is in the shadows, while she is in the open. Guarding against thieves for a thousand days is not a long-term solution; only by taking the initiative can we catch them off guard.
Since the old lady has sent someone to invite her, she naturally has to go.
Song Zhiyu stood up gracefully, patted the dust off her clothes, and walked straight out of the room. She said to Lin Mama, who was still in a daze, "Let's go, don't keep the old lady waiting."
Upon hearing this, Granny Lin finally came to her senses. She hadn't expected the Second Miss to be so easy to invite this time, and hurriedly followed her.
*
The main courtyard of the Marquis's residence.
As soon as Song Zhiyu stepped into the courtyard, she saw Old Madam Shen smiling kindly and speaking in a gentle tone, "Zhiyu, your grandmother has been looking forward to your arrival."
After saying that, she turned her head and gave a look to the maid beside her, "Someone, bring tea for the second young lady. Remember to use the best Biluochun tea, the same kind that the Marquis sent a few days ago."
Song Zhiyu paused, his steps faltering. Such unsolicited kindness was either a sign of malice or thievery.
"Grandmother, why doesn't Hua'er receive the same treatment? You're too good to Second Sister." Shen Jinhua pouted and tugged at Old Madam Shen's sleeve in a coquettish manner, seemingly disapproving of Old Madam Shen's excessive attention to Song Zhiyu.
Seeing this, Old Madam Shen reached out and tapped Shen Jinhua's forehead. Her words were kind, and the heartache in her eyes seemed genuine. "Your second sister didn't grow up in the Marquis's mansion and suffered a lot. Naturally, your grandmother will love her more."
Your uncle and several cousins also didn't understand things in a moment, which is why they hurt Zhiyu's feelings.
But whether she truly felt sorry for him or not, only Madam Shen herself knew the truth.
Watching the grandmother and granddaughter's back-and-forth banter, Song Zhiyu was too lazy to expose them. She simply picked a chair and sat down without saying a word.
No matter how nice the old lady's words were, and how seemingly every word seemed to be for her benefit, Song Zhiyu knew that a leopard can't change its spots.
Seeing that Song Zhiyu didn't respond and instead looked at them as if they were a joke, the smile on Old Madam Shen's face faded considerably.
"Zhiyu, the main reason I called you here today is that your grandmother wants to have a chat with you. To be honest, we've never sat down for a proper conversation before." Old Madam Shen looked at her kindly, but a cold glint flashed quickly in her cloudy eyes.
She gave Song Zhiyu a way out, but she didn't take it. She really doesn't know what's good for her.
Song Zhiyu remained unmoved, saying, "Madam, please speak frankly what you wish to say."
If you want to appeal to her emotions, at least put in some effort, instead of just saying a few nice words and expecting her to open her heart to them like before.
Madam Shen choked, and almost lost her smile.
No wonder she couldn't like Song Zhiyu; her unpleasant personality was truly repulsive.
But remembering her purpose, Old Madam Shen suppressed her displeasure and said with a forced smile, "My sixtieth birthday is in a few days. Your father intends to hold a grand celebration and has invited prominent families from the capital. The Marquis's residence has also sent an invitation to the Princess's residence..."
Madam Shen didn't say what she was going to say, but judging from her expression, Song Zhiyu could guess what she meant.
"Does Grandmother mean that I should invite the Eldest Princess?" Song Zhiyu continued, following up on what Old Madam Shen had said.
Madam Shen was overjoyed, not expecting Song Zhiyu to be so understanding. "You have a close relationship with the Princess and are her savior. The Princess will not refuse to give you face."
Upon hearing this, Song Zhiyu couldn't help but sneer inwardly. She was about to refuse, but then she changed her mind and swallowed the words that were on the tip of her tongue.
“Okay,” Song Zhiyu readily agreed.
This clean and decisive agreement left the old lady, who had prepared a whole host of persuasive words, momentarily stunned.
You just agreed like that?
She was somewhat incredulous, thinking that it would take a lot of effort to persuade Song Zhiyu to invite the Princess to the banquet.
“Since the old lady wishes the eldest princess to come, then as a junior, I will naturally fulfill your wish.” Song Zhiyu said in a serious tone, and if one ignored the coldness deep in her eyes, she might have some credibility.
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