Chapter 337: Chapter 345: As if Perceiving Something
With so many eyes on her, Miss Yin of the Yin Family was certainly not one to skimp on face-saving measures. Given her reputation for beauty, virtue, and outstanding talent had spread so far, she definitely cared about her fame. Besides, it had been Ye Xinxin, the young mistress of the Shangguan Family, who brought up the topic. Although she felt somewhat stifled inside, her smile became inevitably stiff.

“Miss Yin’s words are too kind. It’s just that I usually keep a lower profile, no wonder Miss Yin didn’t notice me, which is normal. There’s no need for such courtesy, making me feel quite embarrassed. It was nothing serious to begin with, so there’s certainly no need for apologies. While it’s true that no one blames overly courteous behavior, such a trivial matter really shouldn’t weigh on Miss Yin’s mind,” Su Wenyue said with a smile that didn’t reach her eyes, implying that Yin Lihua was making a mountain out of a molehill by being petty and narrow-minded over a trivial issue.

With those words, Su Wenyue truly was not afraid of offending anyone. Although Miss Yin of the Yin Family later became an Empress of considerable note, Su Wenyue genuinely harbored no intention of flattering her. In her previous life, Miss Yin’s elder brother stood in opposition to Han Yu; otherwise, Su Wenyue might have been a bit more polite. Moreover, Liu Xiu was considered a quite sagacious emperor and wouldn’t mix up affairs of the previous dynasty with those of the harem. Yin Shi and Han Yu competed for the position of Prime Minister, but in the end, Yin Shi couldn’t outmaneuver Han Yu. The emperor likely harbored his own reservations about the increasingly powerful Yin Family.

Miss Yin’s smile grew even more strained. The woman from the countryside clearly lacked proper upbringing and etiquette. Fortunately for her, Miss Yin was magnanimous and couldn’t be bothered to squabble with such a vulgar rural woman.

“Madam Han is so broad-minded, not holding it against Lihua. Lihua is grateful in her heart,” Yin Lihua said, swallowing down her hurt.

“Miss Yin really lives up to her name of virtue. Such high awareness and such a good attitude in admitting fault. Daughters raised by aristocratic families truly stand out. Not like me, from the countryside, who speaks so directly and doesn’t win anyone’s favor,” Su Wenyue said jokingly. The candid nature of her remarks was seen as amusing and straightforward by many, which made her quite popular. However, Miss Yin detected the sarcasm and chose not to respond anymore, feeling that conversing with such a person would only bring down her own standing.

Yin Lihua would never admit that her prior disregard for Su Wenyue stemmed from jealousy over Su Wenyue’s excessively beautiful face, which had made her feel a tad uncomfortable, thus leading to her oversight and giving Ye Xinxin the opportunity to intervene.

When they all went inside, it was unclear whose face was being considered, but it was Liu Yuan, the wife of Deng Chen, who came to greet them personally. Su Wenyue carefully observed Liu Yuan’s expression, feeling that despite her smiles, Liu Yuan appeared somewhat forced and distracted.

Su Wenyue’s thoughts turned to Liu Xiu. It wasn’t just Liu Xiu who was having a difficult time under Wang Mang’s relentless pursuit; his entire family was likely struggling. Liu Yuan, being a married daughter who also had the protection of the Deng Family, hadn’t been affected. Nevertheless, given her birth family’s circumstances, life at her husband’s family was likely not easy. Su Wenyue had attended several banquets and hadn’t seen Liu Yuan appear; she wondered if it was intentional on the Deng Family’s part. She also pondered whether Liu Yuan knew about Liu Xiu being severely wounded from being hunted down.

Apparently Liu Yuan was good at masking her feelings; after watching her closely for a while without discerning anything, Su Wenyue gave up searching for clues. She then saw her eldest aunt with two cousins sitting inside the pavilion and went over to greet them.

“Eldest aunt, Lan Fang, Lan Xin, you’re all here.”

Su Wenyue looked at Lan Fang and Lan Xin, who were beautifully dressed today. They were wearing the Clothes that she had requested the embroiderer to make, and the jewelry on their heads had also been delivered by her a couple of days ago, finished by Master Cao’s hard work.

Once again, Su Wenyue thought to herself that she had indeed found a treasure. Master Cao’s craftsmanship was unparalleled; those few sets of jewelry, once processed by him, couldn’t simply be described as exquisite—they added a touch of vitality and greatly enhanced the charm of those who wore them. Therefore, Su Wenyue felt her cousins looked exceptionally beautiful today, so much so that she just then realized that Pei Yuhan had not come.

Lan Fang and Lan Xin, understanding her glance and the tacit understanding developed over time, knew exactly what Su Wenyue meant. They blinked their eyes and pulled Su Wenyue aside to whisper.

Mrs. Pei watched with a smile, not preventing them from talking. These two daughters of concubines had been living with their niece for a while and had become much more confident and less timorous than before. They had also grown closer to her, something she was happy about. Even though they were concubines’ daughters, as per the family’s rules, most of their upbringing was under her supervision, so there was a certain affection.

“Lan Fang, did our cousin from the Pei family not come today?” Su Wenyue asked, even though she already had a good idea about the situation.

Sure enough, Lan Fang replied, “Cousin, speaking of which is quite satisfying. After returning from the Governor’s Wife’s mansion that day, Pei Yuhan was confined to her home by her mother. Her attempts to frame you angered Mother, who, despite refraining from an outburst during the event, was furious afterward and grounded Pei Yuhan, even threatening to send her back to the Pei family if she caused any more trouble.”

Su Wenyue nodded without asking more, as she wasn’t really bothered about anything beyond not liking how Pei Yuhan kept provoking her repeatedly.

At this moment, Lan Xin touched her jewelry and said, “Cousin, thank you. The two sets of jewelry you sent us are really beautiful. We absolutely love them.”

“Yes, Cousin, I’ve never worn such beautiful jewelry before,” said Lan Fang.

The two sisters now sincerely regarded Su Wenyue as their older sister, not hesitating to accept the gifts openly and expressing their joy without any pretense of politeness.

“As long as you like them. An Eldest Miss should dress up nicely. Later, I’ll draw a couple more patterns and have the master make them for you,” said Su Wenyue, now speaking confidently with a private craftsman at her disposal. Besides, gold and silver weren’t of much value anymore. It was only a matter of expending some thought and effort. Which girl didn’t want to look pretty? Seeing how happy they were with just two sets of jewelry, then thinking about Yin Lihua earlier, the methods and ability just weren’t on the same level.

At this point, Su Wenyue inwardly jeered, pondering how her little cousin managed to survive under Queen Yin’s thumb, and even raised her son to adulthood. She was truly adept.

Yin Lihua, as if sensing something, glanced over and saw Su Wenyue, frowning slightly but quickly recovering to her usual demeanor. Her gaze then lingered on Lan Xin and Lan Fang, pausing on their Clothes and jewelry for a few seconds. Even Yin Lihua had to admit that the Clothes and jewelry the two sisters wore were indeed beautiful. She wondered where they had been custom-made.