Leng Sha's expression changed slightly: "However, this female teacher has a great reputation and is very arrogant. She also comes from a good family. I'm afraid she won't agree."
Baili Chen raised an eyebrow and said, "When did you become so indecisive? If she doesn't agree, just kidnap her. Who cares who she is?"
Leng Sha's lips twitched slightly. Did his master not even bother to ask about the person's background? He felt that his master was becoming increasingly reckless and arbitrary in his actions, seemingly ever since he met Miss Ouyang. He didn't know if this was a good thing or a bad thing. Baili Chen noticed Leng Sha's expression: "What, you have a problem with that?"
Leng Sha was startled and immediately replied respectfully, "This subordinate dares not."
Baili Chen snorted coldly: "It's best to find four or five people. They need to be selected, and only the best will be kept. I trust you to handle things. Go ahead and do it. I'll take responsibility for anything that happens. You just need to get the job done."
Leng Sha immediately responded, but then heard Baili Chen mutter to himself, "This is the first time my wife has asked me for help, so I must do it well and not allow any mistakes." Leng Sha looked up and saw Baili Chen with an indifferent face, glancing at him sideways. These words were clearly a warning to him. Leng Sha felt bitter. Even if his master hadn't said anything, he would have done it well. He couldn't help but sigh. This Miss Ouyang was indeed hard to win over. If his master didn't win her over soon, who knew how many more tricks his master would pull in the future.
Fu Lin had been feeling uneasy for the past few days. As the richest man in Da Zhou, his connections were naturally excellent, but he didn't want to easily antagonize someone like Li Gang. Li Rushuang's face was disfigured because of Mei'er, and this was when Li Gang was most angry. He had to resolve this matter as soon as possible, otherwise, it would cause trouble later. Since Li Gang was in a bad mood when he saw him, Fu Lin had no choice but to send someone to keep an eye on the Li residence. He was sitting in the main hall when a servant came to report that Li Gang and Cheng Shi had seen Baili Chen and the others off from the residence. Fu Lin's heart skipped a beat.
Why are the Seventh Prince and General Xuanyuan so concerned about this? He couldn't sit still any longer. After all, Fu Meier was in the wrong first, so it seemed he had to go and apologize. Fu Lin immediately sent someone to invite Fu Meier out. Ten days had passed, and the injury Fu Meier had suffered from Ouyang Yue had healed a lot, though it was still slightly swollen. It was barely noticeable unless you looked closely. Fu Lin glared at her and said, "Go, put some rouge on her and make her look like she was swollen a few days ago. Come with me to the Li residence to apologize."
Fu Meier had been staying at home these past few days because of her facial injury. She thought her father would stop making her go to the Li residence to embarrass herself because he was worried about her. But it turned out he hadn't forgotten about it. Fu Meier trembled and said softly, "Father, I feel a little weak and unwell. It seems I can't go today."
"Stop pretending in front of me. Do you think I don't know you're acting? Don't say anything more. You must come with me to apologize today, or you can forget about ever earning another tael of silver in the household." Fu Lin's usually smiling face was unusually serious at this moment. Fu Mei'er trembled upon hearing this, already recalling the embarrassing scene ten days ago when Li Gang blocked them outside. Now, he was actually bringing this humiliation upon them. How could Fu Mei'er agree to this? However, Fu Lin's threat was too severe. In the entire Fu household, Fu Lin's word was law. If he wanted to deduct her silver, even her mother wouldn't dare to say anything. But she was used to spending money lavishly, and how could she manage without silver on her? Fu Mei'er's face turned pale, but she still forced a smile and said, "What are you saying, Father? Mei'er isn't acting at all. I just didn't sleep well last night, and my head hurts a little. Mei'er will get ready and go to the Li residence with you."
"Okay, go ahead." Fu Lin waved his hand. Seeing that he didn't hesitate at all, Fu Meier stamped her foot and left somewhat dissatisfied. Soon after, Fu Meier followed Fu Lin in a carriage to the Li residence. This time, the servants of the Li residence did not stop them. They sent someone to inform them. Soon, the servant came out: "Master Fu, Miss Fu, please come in."
"Huh? Okay." Fu Lin was taken aback, somewhat puzzled as to why Li Gang was being so agreeable today. Could it be that the Seventh Prince and General Xuanyuan had said something to him? The Seventh Prince had once tried to win him over; perhaps he wanted to take this opportunity to give him face? Fu Lin couldn't help but think this.
The two were led by servants to the reception hall of the Li residence. At this time, Li Gang and Cheng Shi were sitting in the seats of honor. As soon as Fu Lin saw them, he immediately laughed and said, "Lord Li, it's been a long time. How have you been?"
"Master Fu, you're still the same as always." Li Gang also curled the corners of his mouth, appearing much colder than Fu Lin. Fu Lin, however, didn't care and sighed, "I've come here today with my unfilial daughter to apologize to you, Master Li. I hope you'll forgive her this time, considering that Mei'er was also injured."
Cheng couldn't help but snort coldly. Was Fu Meier's injury as serious as her Ru Shuang's? According to this logic, would it be that if she cut two slits on Fu Meier's face, disfigured her, and then had someone beat her up, everything would be settled?
Fu Lin gave an awkward smile, then clapped his hands. Immediately, a servant came in and carried in a box of things. Li Gang looked at it calmly and asked, "What does Lord Li mean by this?"
Fu Lin waved his hand, and the servants immediately opened the boxes. Inside were gold and silver jewelry, antiques and jade artifacts, and some small boxes. Obviously, the items inside were even more valuable. Fu Lin smiled and said, "This matter was indeed Mei'er's fault. I don't know how my niece Ru Shuang is doing now. I specially selected some things in the hope that my niece Ru Shuang will get better."
Li Gang and Cheng Shi glanced at each other and then looked away. Cheng Shi's eyes were filled with mockery. Fu Lin was trying to bribe people. Li Gang had already spoken up: "Oh, I heard that my niece Mei'er was also injured. I didn't notice."
Fu Meier's expression changed slightly. She raised her face slightly, and her face, which was flushed from the rouge, did look swollen if you didn't look closely. Cheng Shi sneered. When she was beaten by Ouyang Yue, her face wouldn't still be swollen after so many days. Unless she was beaten again, she was actually here pretending to apologize. Was this a sincere apology? However, Cheng Shi did not say anything.
Li Gang picked up his teacup, took a sip, and said with some surprise, "Oh, how did Mei'er get injured on her face? It looks pretty bad. Did she make a bet with someone, and then, fearing she would lose, she ran into a tough opponent and got beaten up?"
Fu Meier clenched her fists slightly, biting her lip tightly, secretly resentful. Li Gang was clearly deliberately humiliating her. Did he not know that her face was slapped by Ouyang Yue? What did he mean by being unwilling to accept defeat? Was he mocking the horse racing event? But Fu Lin coughed lightly, and Fu Meier had no choice but to lower her head, reluctantly saying, "Yes, Meier accidentally fell and hit her face. Miss Li was injured on the face that day, and Meier was very worried. So I couldn't help but worry when I walked or slept. That's why I was careless and tripped on a stone."
"Oh?" Li Gang said indifferently, but did not respond to Fu Meier's words. He would not let Fu Meier take advantage of him and then act innocent. Did she even deserve their gratitude?
Seeing this, Fu Lin laughed and said, "It's all a misunderstanding between children, yet it has caused so much trouble. I have already punished Mei'er after hearing about this. I wonder if it would be convenient for Miss Li to come out so we can check on her injuries. Over the years, I have traveled all over the country and have met many famous doctors. Perhaps one of them can heal Miss Li's facial injuries."
Li Gang waved his hand: "Ru Shuang is not in a position to see anyone right now. She appreciates Mr. Fu's kindness."
Fu Meier lowered her head and sneered. Wasn't Li Rushuang inconvenient to see anyone right now? Her face was ruined; would she let anyone laugh at her? This Li Rushuang was truly hateful, forcing her to come here to apologize. Being unable to see anyone was compensation for her. Thinking of this, Fu Meier felt a little better. She had always looked down on people like Ouyang Yue, Li Rushuang, and Mu Cuiwei. For a woman of her stature, one of the three most talented women in the capital, to apologize to a notoriously ugly woman was something she felt she couldn't bear. Did Li Rushuang even deserve it? However, if Li Rushuang was like this, she didn't care. She would just say a few polite words. Making Li Rushuang ashamed to see anyone was worth it.
Cheng Shi stared coldly at Fu Meier, her brows slightly furrowed. Li Gang had already turned to look at Fu Meier, his face cold as he said, "But Mr. Fu, it's not that I'm criticizing you, but this Miss Fu is a well-known young lady in the capital. How could she act so impulsively and with such vicious methods? If this hadn't happened to Ru Shuang, I wouldn't have believed that such a beautiful young lady could have such cruel methods."
Fu Meier retorted coldly, "Lord Li, Meier absolutely never thought that way. It was an accident caused by the cavalryman..."
"It's only because Ru Shuang is kind and doesn't like to argue that she's like this. If it were someone else, would they have let Miss Fu off so easily? They would have probably caused a huge uproar. I hope you, Master Fu, will go back and properly teach Miss Fu some manners. Regardless of whether she gave the order or not, Ru Shuang has been humiliated, and she can't escape responsibility. Our Li family isn't the kind of family that makes trouble unreasonably. We're just stating the facts. Don't you agree, Master Fu?"
Fu Lin's expression changed as well. Li Gang was accusing him of not knowing how to raise his daughter, and if Li Gang were to spread the word about Fu Meier's behavior, all of Fu Meier's previous efforts would be in vain. Even if Fu Lin was dissatisfied, he dared not refute him and could only smile obsequiously and say, "What Lord Li says is true. When I get back, I will definitely educate this unfilial daughter properly and make sure this doesn't happen a second time. I wonder if Miss Li..."
"Well, it's good that Master Fu is so understanding. But my Ru Shuang's face has been ruined by you. I've heard that the best South China Sea pearls have beautifying effects, but as you know, I'm a military officer and don't usually care about these things. Who knew Ru Shuang would be harmed like this? I want to find some South China Sea pearls to try and cure Ru Shuang's face, but I can't find any. I wonder if Master Fu has any in stock?" Li Gang sighed.
Fu Lin was taken aback. These South China Sea pearls were indeed very precious. He couldn't help but ask, "I just wonder how many Lord Li needs?"
Li Gang thought for a moment and said, "Well, she needs at least five a day. I plan to let Ru Shuang try it for six months. That should be at least a thousand pills."
"A thousand pearls." Fu Lin was stunned, his forehead twitching. Although South China Sea pearls weren't the most top-grade jewels, they were definitely not cheap. A thousand pearls would cost at least ten thousand taels of silver. Of course, ten thousand taels of silver wasn't much to Fu Lin, but losing that money for no reason still bothered him. Ten thousand taels of silver was enough to support the entire household for almost a year. Did he earn it easily? At this moment, he felt as if his heart was bleeding.
Li Gang said coldly, "What, is Lord Fu having some difficulties?"
Fu Lin immediately smiled and said, "Don't worry, Lord Li, I will definitely find these thousand South China Sea pearls and send them to your residence. Although there are indeed some problems with the source of these pearls, I still have a way to get them."
Li Gang nodded: "I just don't know how this money will be calculated."
Fu Lin immediately said, "Mei'er did not mean to hurt Miss Li. I will naturally take full responsibility for helping Miss Li restore her appearance. How could I dare to mention money to Lord Li?"
Li Gang couldn't help but decline, saying, "How could I possibly accept this?"
Fu Lin quickly replied, "Of course, of course."
Li Gang then smiled and said, "That makes sense. This was Miss Fu's fault, and she deserves to be taught a lesson. I won't refuse. Just have Master Fu send the things over in the next few days." Then he said to Fu Meier earnestly, "Miss Fu, you should also take care of yourself. Not everyone is as easy to talk to as the Li family."
Fu Meier's face was cold. Li Gang was still easy to talk to; every word he uttered since he came in had been sarcastic, and she had tolerated it all. Now, he was asking her father for a thousand pearls as if it were only natural. If this had happened to someone else, the Fu family wouldn't have had to go through all this trouble, and she probably wouldn't have even needed to come and apologize. She was truly feeling incredibly aggrieved. But since things had come to this point, and she was unwilling, she couldn't just give up now. She had already apologized, and she couldn't let the Li family gossip about her. So, she said softly, "Meier has remembered this. Thank you for your advice, Lord Li."
"Alright, since that's the case, I won't keep you any longer. After all, Master Fu still needs to make preparations." Having achieved his goal, Li Gang dismissed them.
Fu Lin's face stiffened, but he smiled and said, "Then I won't bother you any longer. I'll go back and prepare my things. I'll take my leave now."
Li Gang immediately said, "Butler, see the guest out."
Then, Fu Lin and Fu Meier left stiffly under the butler's guidance. As they left, they glanced at the box in the hall. Was there still a box of jewelry in there? According to Li Gang, they should have just given a thousand pearls as payment. But how could Fu Lin have the nerve to give something away and then take it back?
"Hmph, she really is not presentable." As soon as Fu Lin drove away, Cheng snorted coldly, "I don't think Fu Meier has any intention of apologizing at all. If Fu Lin hadn't dragged her here, she probably wouldn't have come."
Li Gang sneered: "This girl is really vicious. She might even be secretly gloating over her disfigurement."
Cheng said with a sneer, "She'll regret it someday. If she knew what these thousand pearls were for, she'd be furious."
Li Gang scoffed, "They deserve it."
“Yes, serves her right.” Cheng said in the same way, but looking at the jewelry box in the hall, she couldn’t help but sigh: “But that Miss Ouyang is really a clever woman. If she hadn’t mentioned it in the prescription for Ru Shuang’s face mask and come up with this idea, we would have had to make these thousand pearls ourselves.”
Li Gang, a military general, wouldn't play such tricks. If it weren't for Ouyang Yue's suggestion, they wouldn't have met Fu Lin yet, nor would they have received those thousand pearls for nothing. Li Gang nodded slightly: "So you can't judge a book by its cover. How can you be sure based on what others say? Ouyang Yue is worth befriending. Tell Ru Shuang that you must not sever this friendship. Even the Seventh Prince, General Xuanyuan, and Dai Yu Leng Caiwen came to plead for her. This kind of person is not ordinary."
Cheng nodded in agreement.
Ouyang Yue and Dong Xue had already returned to the General's Mansion by carriage. Meanwhile, inside the mansion, Madam Ning was receiving a middle-aged woman dressed in a red floral jacket. This woman was truly adorned with gold and silver, with a pair of gold hairpins, two pairs of gold hairpins, and two pairs of gemstone hairpins in her hair. She also wore auspicious gold ornaments on her ears and neck. She had a very plump figure, but her laughter was extremely shrill. However, Madam Ning, who was usually arrogant, was surprisingly kind and gentle to this obviously nouveau riche woman, which was quite astonishing.
"Madam Huang is so busy. I had to make an appointment with you twice before I finally had the chance to meet you. Seeing is believing. I have admired your reputation for a long time." When had Madam Ning ever flattered someone so insincerely? Madam Huang, on the other hand, looked smug. "To tell you the truth, Madam Ouyang, I met several ladies and got to know quite a few young ladies at the Five Elements Temple. It took me a while."
A hint of coldness flashed in Ning's eyes, but she smiled and said, "No wonder, it turns out that Madam Huang has such an important matter to attend to at the Five Offices. That's only right, and it's only right that I wait a few more days. I just don't know if Madam Huang can find someone she likes."
Madam Huang sighed, "Alas, to be honest, the young ladies of the capital are all show and no substance. To me, they're either not good-looking, lack talent, or come from unsuitable families. Madam Ouyang, you know my son; he's handsome and talented. It's easy for ordinary families to take a liking to him, but it's difficult for him to take a liking to any of them." As she spoke, Madam Huang gave Ning a meaningful look. Madam Huang understood why Ning had invited her to the mansion. In such matters, whoever was asking for a favor naturally had to be polite, so she had to maintain her composure.
Madam Ning smiled and said, "Madam Huang is right. With your son's talent and looks, he should indeed be seriously considered, as this is a matter of great importance to your son's life. Madam Huang is indeed thoughtful and cautious in her actions. However, since we're on the topic, I have something to mention to you, Madam Huang. I have a daughter who is fourteen years old this year, and she is of marriageable age. Some time ago, I happened to see your son on the street and was captivated by his talent and looks. So, I shamelessly asked you, Madam Huang, about the important matter of a young man's life. I wonder what your opinion is?"
"Oh, Madam Ouyang seems to only have one daughter, but she is the most famous daughter in the capital, the third young lady of the Ouyang family, Ouyang Yue." Madam Huang said with a surprised look and some dissatisfaction.
Ning sneered inwardly. This Madam Huang's maiden name was He, and her current husband, Huang Qi, was a fourth-rank official in the Imperial Arsenal. Ning had never met her son, though a matchmaker had sent him a portrait; he was fairly good-looking, but she had never heard of his talent. Even among the famous scholars of the capital, He's son, Huang Yu, didn't rank highly. Previously, Ning had considered finding a husband for Ouyang Yue and had carefully selected over ten families from private matchmakers, ultimately choosing Huang Yu.
It wasn't for any other reason than the woman before him, He Shi, adorned in gold and silver, exuding an air of wealth and wanting everyone to know how rich she was. He Shi had once been just a village woman. When Huang Qi, then a common soldier, was injured, He Shi rescued him, and the two fell in love. Later, He Shi disregarded her family's objections and followed Huang Qi to the capital. Huang Qi, however, had some luck in his career, managing to rise to the rank of Fourth-Rank Military Equipment Supervisor—a position that, while not high or low, was still important and prestigious. At that time, Huang Qi considered taking a concubine and even thought about divorcing He Shi, this unsavory village woman. But He Shi was quite cunning; she used every trick in the book—crying, making a scene, and so on—to ruin the reputation of anyone Huang Qi might take in. Moreover, Huang Qi, remembering He Shi's past kindness in saving him (otherwise he wouldn't be where he is today), eventually gave in to her and his desire for a concubine faded.
However, these were all rather private matters, and not many people knew about them. She learned about He Shi's affairs from her sister-in-law, and immediately became interested in her. You couldn't reason with this kind of ignorant village woman, and she was incredibly audacious. She had risen from a lowly village woman to become the wife of a fourth-rank official, always showing off to others. Her behavior was looked down upon by many, but for Ning Shi, it was the best choice. Huang Qi, though a fourth-rank official, wasn't exactly low-ranking, but with a shrew like He Shi at home, and her son Huang Yu not being a truly talented pretty boy, he was the most suitable person for Ouyang Yue to marry into the Huang family.
With just He Shi as the only one, Ouyang Yue will suffer in the future.
Originally, someone of Ouyang Yue's background would have disdained marrying into a family like Huang Qi's, especially since Ouyang Zhide was a second-rank official. However, thanks to Ouyang Yue's infamous past, no young master in the capital was willing to marry her, so this marriage was unavoidable. Adding to this, she had such an unreasonable and stingy mother-in-law, whom He Shi would likely enjoy controlling. Ouyang Yue's stubborn nature had finally met its match. He Shi could already imagine the chaos that would ensue after Ouyang Yue married into the Huang family.
Ouyang Yue already had a bad reputation. Although He Shi wasn't much better, if word got out that Ouyang Yue had a dispute with He Shi, her reputation for being unfilial would spread. This would only make Ouyang Yue's reputation worse and worse, both inside and outside the Huang family. In the end, if He Shi could get tired of Ouyang Yue and divorce her, making her an abandoned woman, that would be even more interesting.
For the sake of her plan, even though Ning Shi now favored He Shi, she still smiled and said, "Yes, my daughter is Ouyang Yue."
Madam He's face darkened: "Madam Ouyang, it's not that I don't want to agree, but you know your daughter's reputation, which puts me in a difficult position."
Madam Ning sighed and said, "I know Madam Huang, but Yue'er is just being herself. She has no bad intentions and is very filial. She's just burdened by her reputation. I can guarantee that if your son marries Yue'er, they will be very much in love and have a very happy marriage."
Madam He didn't believe it, but her thoughts shifted slightly. Actually, she had been mentally prepared when she received Madam Ning's invitation. She and Madam Ning weren't close enough to regularly visit each other's homes. Madam Ning had been busy finding a suitable match for Huang Yu recently, so she understood Madam Ning's intentions. Originally, she had her eye on one of the three young ladies of the Ouyang family: Ouyang Hua, formerly one of the three most beautiful women in the capital. She had met Ouyang Hua and found her to be a woman of both beauty and talent, but sadly, she had died after that incident. She didn't think much of the other two daughters of the Ouyang family. Ouyang Rou was not only a concubine's daughter but had also committed such shameless acts. Although Ouyang Yue was the legitimate daughter and had a more noble status, her reputation was too bad, and she had never considered Ouyang Yue.
However, Ouyang Zhide is the General of Guide, currently highly regarded by the Emperor. Huang Qi had instructed her to have a serious talk with him before she left, as he was also interested in the General's Mansion behind Ouyang Yue. Furthermore, the Ning family is one of the five great clans, the Ning family, with a powerful background. Marrying Ouyang Yue would be like gaining two powerful backers for the Huang family, so it was worth considering. Although Ouyang Yue wasn't particularly remarkable, her methods of tormenting people were first-rate. Otherwise, she wouldn't have been able to keep those shameless women from becoming concubines in the Huang household. There were plenty of ways to deal with someone like Ouyang Yue, who had a bad reputation but no brains. Besides, she had recently looked at many girls. Although none of them matched Ouyang Yue's status, there were a few she thought were good. If she married Ouyang Yue and her son felt it was a loss, she could easily elevate him to a secondary wife or two concubines. With the support of the General's Mansion and the Ning family, her son wouldn't be unhappy. Wouldn't that be killing two birds with one stone?
Madam He sighed, "I still need to go back and discuss this matter with my husband."
Ning nodded immediately and said, "That's only right, then I'll wait here for Madam Huang's good news."
He nodded and got up to leave. Ning immediately got up to see her off, but as they walked, she couldn't help but lower her voice and say to He, "But before this matter succeeds, I hope that Madam Huang can keep it a secret. If this matter really fails, it will not be good for our two households. If it succeeds, we can hold the wedding and nothing will be delayed."
He nodded: "Of course, of course."
With a strange smile on her face, Ning Shi escorted He Shi back to her residence with great courtesy. At this moment, Ouyang Yue's sedan chair stopped at the gate. Ouyang Yue lifted the curtain and glanced at He Shi's carriage, which was already far away. She frowned slightly. Why was Ning Shi in such a good mood today, still receiving guests in the residence? But she didn't pay much attention to it.
Three days later, Fu Lin personally led a group to deliver a box containing a thousand precious pearls to the Li residence. Li Gang warmly received him, and only then did Fu Lin leave with peace of mind.
Time flies, and five months have passed in the blink of an eye.
This was the day the Empress Dowager was hosting a banquet in the palace, inviting all the daughters of officials in the capital. The streets were bustling with activity, especially the Imperial City streets, where the sound of horses' hooves echoed constantly. The Empress Dowager didn't often attend these banquets, so her decision to host one herself today was certainly justified.
In just one month, the grand beauty pageant of Langya Continent will take place. For six consecutive years, the Great Zhou Dynasty has failed to produce a single woman to win the crown. The Great Zhou is a powerful nation on Langya Continent, yet for six consecutive thirty-year reigns without a single winner has led to widespread ridicule, with many deeming the Great Zhou lacking in talent and its women ugly and unattractive. Who could endure such a situation indefinitely? The Empress Dowager clearly intends to mobilize support before the pageant. Furthermore, today's banquet is not restricted to daughters of officials of the third or fifth rank or higher; regardless of rank or family background, any woman from the capital is welcome. One can imagine how many young ladies from the capital will be attending this imperial banquet.
At this moment, two carriages stopped outside the city gate. A woman in green in the lead carriage was helped down by her maid, while a woman in pink and wearing a veil was also helped down from the carriage behind her. The woman in green smiled slightly and asked, "Are you ready?"
The woman in pink chuckled, "Yue'er, what you're saying makes me a little nervous." Li Rushuang was indeed a little nervous. With her restless nature, she had been imprisoned for five months by Li Gang and Cheng Shi, all for today's palace banquet. She was extremely nervous, but Ouyang Yue's question eased her tension considerably.
At this moment, another person stepped down from the carriage. Dressed in gorgeous clothes and elegant attire, it was Cheng Shi who had accompanied them: "Ru Shuang, you must perform well today. I want to make those who used to look down on you glare at me until their eyes pop out."
Li Rushuang smiled, her mother had been even more nervous than her for the past five months. Ouyang Yue took Li Rushuang's hand and said, "Let's go. The banquet hasn't started yet. Most people are in the back garden. Besides, today the Empress Dowager is hosting a banquet for young ladies from the capital, while the Emperor is hosting a banquet for young gentlemen and officials from the capital. There are definitely quite a few people in the back garden right now."
"Hmm." Li Rushuang responded, and the group headed straight for the back garden. When they arrived at the garden entrance, Ouyang Yue ripped off Li Rushuang's veil. Then they entered the garden. People who had been chatting in small groups all turned to look at them, and many muttered, "Hey, who is that woman in pink? I've never seen her before."
"I've never seen it before either..."
At this moment, Fu Meier, who was talking to Mu Cuiwei, also sensed that something was wrong in the atmosphere of the back garden. She turned her head and looked over, her eyes immediately landing on the woman in pink. Her brows furrowed tightly, and she walked towards Ouyang Yue: "Didn't Miss Ouyang have no intention of participating in the beauty pageant? I didn't expect you to come too. But who is this lady beside you? I've never seen her before." Ouyang Yue had no intention of participating in the beauty pageant. In Fu Meier's opinion, Ouyang Yue would only be a laughing stock if she participated. However, the appearance of this woman in pink made her feel a sense of crisis.
Ouyang Yue said with a half-smile, "Miss Fu really has a bad memory. You don't even recognize her. This is Miss Li Rushuang, the daughter of the Minister of War."
...
The expressions of the people in the back garden changed visibly. Fu Meier was stunned for a long time before she exclaimed in a shrill voice, "What? She's Li Rushuang? How is that possible!"
☆、133, I'm famous now! (Seeking monthly votes)
Fu Meier stared at Li Rushuang in disbelief. Li Rushuang was wearing a long pink dress, adorned with elegant and pure lotus blossoms. Li Rushuang had a slender and graceful figure. She used to prefer wearing fitted outfits, but this dress made her appear tall and her chest stand out. Anyone who saw her from afar would be captivated by her graceful figure. What Fu Meier found most unexpected was that in just six months, Li Rushuang had become even whiter. Of course, Li Rushuang's whiteness was different from Ouyang Yue's naturally fair complexion; it still showed a healthy skin tone, just slightly darker. However, it was more than ten times whiter than the original Li Rushuang, which also meant that Li Rushuang had become more than ten times more beautiful.
Moreover, the pink lotus on Li Rushuang's forehead, both pretty and serene, bloomed gracefully, making her like a beautiful and captivating flower. Although the young ladies from various families in this garden were vying for attention, none could steal her radiance. Could this really be Li Rushuang? Is Li Rushuang really that beautiful? How could that be!
Not only Fu Meier, but all the men and women who had met Li Rushuang before showed surprised expressions.
Not far away, Baili Chen was standing with Leng Caiwen and Dai Yu. Leng Caiwen chuckled and said, "Hehehe, as expected, Miss Ouyang is so mischievous. She wanted to see so many people staring wide-eyed. Look, everyone's eyes are as wide as she expected. They look bigger than a cow's eyes to me. Hahaha, so interesting, so interesting!"
A hint of a smile flickered across Dai Yu's usually expressionless face. Her eyes swept over Ouyang Yue and Li Rushuang, and a slight upturn appeared at the corners of her lips. Baili Chen, on the other hand, smiled with pride as he looked at Ouyang Yue. Yes, his wife was indeed mischievous, yet incredibly adorable. Although he never wanted others to see how good his wife was, he was even angrier when people dared to mock her behind her back. The way things were now was just as good.
Now that all these people have gathered together, they're all pretty much the same.