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However, when she looked at Lin Yuan, her gaze still held a hint of scrutiny. She did not hide her affection for Xia Zheng, but she understood him even more clearly than anyone else. Xia Zheng did not like her, and given their current hostile stance, it was impossible for them to come together.

That’s why she was even more curious about the kind of woman who could capture Xia Zheng’s heart, someone who could even surpass a childhood friend like Su Qiuyu.

Indeed, she was not disappointed; at least in terms of appearance, she felt that the Lin Yuan before her was indeed superior to Su Qiuyu.

Compliments from a rival in love were the most genuine kind, and Lin Yuan today truly shone radiantly.

Upon seeing Lin Yuan, everyone finally started to return to normal. However, their murmurs of gossip grew louder and louder.

"Is she really a little village girl? Doesn’t seem like it, look at how all of her sisters don’t look like country folk at all!"

"Are you stupid? Do you think country folk have mud all over and look exhausted? Jeez, those are just country folk who’ve just come back from the fields. Ordinary girls are not like that."

"Wow, you speak as if you’ve seen them yourself."

"Ah, you’re both wrong. I’ve seen country women, and they’re all robust and dark-complexioned. Don’t be fooled by how fair and tender these young girls look; they certainly haven’t done any work at home. I bet their mother must be a big fat old woman with a thick waist and legs!"

"A big fat old woman? Are you talking about Bear Blind Man? Haha."

As for everyone’s whispers and guesses, Lin Yuan turned a deaf ear, nor did she let her younger sisters respond. Whether they were right or not, wouldn’t everything be clear once they saw Lady Liu?

To those shallow-minded and shortsighted frogs at the bottom of a well, no amount of explanation would convince them; they wouldn’t believe it anyway. As the saying goes, seeing is believing; it’s better to see with one’s own eyes. Just like Lin Yuan today.

"Miss Lin, please take a seat."

Yao Hanai waved her hand and pointed to the seat right below Yan Ruchun.

In fact, Yao Hanai had deliberately arranged for them to sit there; Yan Ruchun was notoriously difficult to get along with in the capital city, and sitting opposite them was the romantic rival Su Qiuyu.

It would be strange if these women sitting together didn’t end up fighting.

A malicious voice whispered in Yao Hanai’s heart: Fight, fight, let them start fighting already!

Seeing Lin Yuan and her sisters take their seats, everyone finally understood why those seats had been empty; they had been reserved for the four Lin sisters.

The fact that the Third Prince had given his mansion to Lin Yuan’s family to reside in had already spread all over the capital city. As the Third Prince’s sworn sister and a woman Xia Zheng held dear, her sitting there was certainly without reproach.

However, not a few people were green with envy towards someone who had risen so quickly.

Like Cheng Yuexiu sitting opposite her at the moment.

After being dazzled for a moment by the pale golden dress on Lin Yuan, Cheng Yuexiu finally was able to see the real face of the woman she had just been thinking of ingratiating herself with.

A pointed chin, cherry lips, a rather delicate nose...

Huh?

The higher Cheng Yuexiu’s gaze climbed, the more familiar she found the person before her.

When she had taken in all of Lin Yuan’s features, her body almost went limp, nearly sliding off the chair and onto the floor.

This... isn’t this the little village girl I encountered at the Drunken Immortal Tower?!

Cheng Yuexiu couldn’t believe her own eyes, she quickly closed her eyes and shook her head vigorously, then slowly opened a slit and couldn’t help but close them again.

No, no, it must be a coincidence.

Cheng Yuexiu turned her head to look at the three sisters accompanying Lin Yuan, but the more she looked, the heavier her heart felt. If it was a coincidence, surely all four of them wouldn’t look exactly alike?

How could this be? How could this be? How could this be?

Asking herself over and over again in her mind three times, Cheng Yuexiu finally had to admit that the four sisters from the Lin family were indeed the people she had encountered at the Drunken Immortal Tower.

Now, thinking back, those four girls in plain clothes had miraculously transformed into the dazzling Young Ladies before her, and she really wanted to slap herself hard in the face!

What had she said at that time? She had angrily scolded the little village girls and even declared that she wouldn’t let them off. Now that she had seriously offended them, how was she to ingratiate herself with them now!

Cheng Yuexiu couldn’t help but clutch at her chest, feeling as if something was tearing at it fiercely. She hadn’t offended just anyone—their brother was the Third Prince, the very person Xie Zheng had taken as his beloved in recent days, and a young woman whom even Princess Anle was very fond of!

Cheng Yuexiu mentally exclaimed "I’m finished" three times in a row, not even caring that Su Qiuyu was being mocked by Yan Ruchun again by her side.

After Lin Yuan sat down, before anyone else could speak, Tian Xuan had already come over enthusiastically to introduce her.

"Sister Yuan, you don’t need me to introduce Sister Yao, do you? You live across from each other; you must have met long ago."

Yao Hanai composed herself, smiled and nodded, quietly hiding the jealousy in her heart: "Indeed, we live across from each other. Miss Lin, you must come to visit us often when you’re free."

Lin Yuan cooperated nicely by nodding in response to the lukewarm invitation.

Just like Tian Hui, Tian Xuan was a kind and guileless woman, and she quickly believed Yao Hanai’s words.

"This is..."

Pointing at Yan Ruchun, Tian Xuan had not yet finished her sentence when Yan Ruchun interrupted her, offering an introduction herself: "No need for Miss Tian to introduce me, I’ll do it myself—I am Yan Ruchun, and to be honest, I also like Xia Zheng."

Although she had already learned about Yan Ruchun’s character from Tian Hui, Lin Yuan was still quite shaken when Yan Ruchun so straightforwardly professed her liking for Xia Zheng in front of her.

However, finding the forthright yet defiant look in the other’s eyes amusing, Lin Yuan shook her head good-humoredly and said, "Miss Yan is so forthright, I like you too."

Yan Ruchun didn’t seem to appreciate the compliment and raised an eyebrow: "Forthright? You mean because I was honest about liking Xia Zheng? Hmph, it’s not really being forthright; I just say what I think.

I don’t hide whom I like. Unlike some people who clearly like someone but pretend to be indifferent. "

Her eyes swept around the room in a seemingly inadvertent scan, and although she didn’t say whom she was referring to, there were indeed quite a few people who guiltily lowered their heads.

Seeing this scene, Yan Ruchun’s voice rose again: "Why are you lowering your heads? Is liking someone so shameful? Except for Tian Xuan who delights in embroidery, which one of you dares say they don’t like Xia Zheng? Is there anyone? Is there?"

Everyone looked at each other, and it seemed like nobody really wanted to stand up and admit it.

But just as Yan Ruchun wanted to say more, a chubby little hand suddenly went up, and then someone concealed by the young ladies in the front stirred, as if trying to stand up.