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Lin Yuan smiled slightly, responding with neither humility nor arrogance, "Miss overestimates me. I am not a young lady of privilege; just a simple village girl. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be so brazen as to venture outside and conduct business."

Su Qiuyu had not expected this little village girl to so readily admit her identity, and for a moment, she was somewhat taken aback.

Lin Yuan lowered her gaze with a shallow smile, thinking they were hardly a match for her in a verbal spar — they clearly hadn’t seen who she had grown up arguing with.

After all, it is only polite to reciprocate. Since you asked about my identity, how can I not inquire about yours?

"Then, which family’s young lady might this miss be?"

Before Su Qiuyu could speak, Yaner beside her jumped in first, casting a disdainful glance at her and proudly said, "My Miss is..."

"Status and all that is just an empty title, not worth mentioning," Su Qiuyu interrupted Yaner, nodding lightly and said, "My surname is Su."

Lin Yuan looked at Yaner with an amusing glance. This Su Qiuyu seemed rather clever, having picked up on the jibe she had made.

Actually, Lin Yuan had long recognized that Su Qiuyu was of no low status, which is why she had deliberately said she was a mere village girl who could come and go freely.

But could the other party, a maiden traveling solo from the Capital City to remote Zhuma Town for a man, brazenly reveal her own background?

What a joke, wouldn’t that be self-humiliating?

Su Qiuyu shot Yaner a silent glare, her gaze towards Lin Yuan turning much more complex.

With a slight shift in thought, she adopted a somewhat naive demeanor, "Since Miss Lin has caught the special attention of my Brother Zheng, I surmise the lady must be a woman of many talents.

Could you enlighten me as to what you are best at? "

Upon hearing this, Lin Yuan’s heart immediately bloomed with laughter.

Talented, indeed; she could only cook a few additional dishes at most. As for those arts like music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, which the ladies of ancient times excelled in, she knew none, let alone could claim proficiency.

This Su Qiuyu really knew how to hit her where it hurt, aware of her average background and poor family circumstances, surely lacking the means to study such fine arts. But did she think that would stomp Lin Yuan into the dirt? Dream on.

Lin Yuan remained silent, her eyes dimming slightly. Xia Zheng, who had been watching her closely, instantly felt anxious, finding Su Qiuyu’s words to be distasteful.

However, his woman shouldn’t be like other average women, proficient in every musical and literary art. If he wanted a woman like that, he could easily find a handful in the Capital City. What would make his Lin Yuan stand out then?

Xia Zheng tightly held Lin Yuan’s hand, boasting proudly, "Talented in many arts? It’s just plucking a broken lute and reciting a few worthless poems. Such women cannot catch my eye.

Yuanyuan, on the other hand, is truly gifted – not only is she intelligent, but she also excels in culinary skill.

And among all six inns of the Fuman Building, not a single chef can compare to her! "

Su Qiuyu felt wounded by Xia Zheng’s previous remark; what she considered her pride was utterly trivial in his eyes. Yet this little village girl, whose only skill was cooking a few dishes, had effortlessly captivated him. This, truly irked her!

Yaner looked at Lin Yuan with even more disdain, as if to say after all was said and done, she was just a chef. And to think she might have fancied herself beautiful?

A flicker of amusement passed through Lin Yuan’s downcast gaze. No wonder Su Qiuyu liked to play the delicate flower—sometimes, a woman’s vulnerability can indeed be quite powerful.

Gratefully glancing at Xia Zheng, Lin Yuan smiled faintly, scratching his palm with her little finger, which made his heart blossom with joy and his eyes narrow into slits.