Mrs. Liu and Nanny Tian exchanged a look, their smiles widening with anticipation.
Just then, Song Lianhe strolled in at a leisurely pace, followed by Shuang Ye carrying a tray.
The moment she saw her, Mrs. Liu froze and shot a look at Nanny Tian, who seemed just as bewildered.
Song Lianhe wore a pale lilac, wide-sleeved damask robe, cinched at the waist with a moon-white silk sash.
Her jet-black hair was tied up, secured on top of her head with an ivory-white Bone Hairpin. The style revealed her slender, swan-like neck. From her earlobes dangled a pair of red tourmaline earrings, swaying rhythmically with her steps.
There was no denying Song Lianhe's beauty. But people were accustomed to seeing her decked out in gold and silver, glittering with jewels—a look that, while pretty, was undeniably gaudy. No one had expected that such a simple and elegant outfit would so perfectly accentuate her natural grace and poise.
"It is your sister's birthday, yet you arrive so late? What is this behavior!"
The first to rebuke her was the National Guardian General, Song Xingfeng.
He too thought his younger daughter's attire was far more pleasing to the eye today, but men didn't dwell on such subtleties as women did. Especially in front of so many distinguished guests, decorum had to be upheld.
Mrs. Liu snapped back to reality, fully expecting Song Lianhe to smash dishes and start screaming. She never imagined Lianhe would instead just nod. "The old man is right to scold me… er, no, I mean, Father is right."
'Song Xingfeng was the original owner's father, and calling him 'Dad' still felt a bit unnatural.'
Seeing Song Lianhe act so obediently left Mrs. Liu so stunned she couldn't look away!
The guests were all astounded. Song Lianhe's reputation as an "Evil Woman" was widespread; she had always held Mrs. Liu and her daughter in utter contempt. It was a miracle she hadn't come to smash up the banquet hall. And now she was actually admitting her mistake to her father like a proper daughter?
Zhou Junlin raised his gaze slightly. His indifferent eyes swept over her, lingered for a moment, and then looked away as if nothing had caught his interest.
Song Xilan was also dumbstruck, her suspicious eyes raking over her younger sister.
'She would never forget that Song Lianhe had tried to drug her three days ago. Thankfully, she had been quick-witted enough to swap their cups of tea. Whatever happened after that was just Song Lianhe suffering the consequences of her own actions!'
That incident had thoroughly provoked Song Xilan. That very night, she had ordered people to secretly watch Xubai Small Building, ready to lead her father there to catch Song Lianhe in the act once she and the servant boy had done the deed.
Unexpectedly, the night at Xubai Small Building passed with utter tranquility.
Unwilling to give up, Song Xilan questioned the guards, only to learn that Song Lianhe had returned from outside the General Mansion early in the morning.
'You have to catch the pair together. It's useless even if I'm certain Song Lianhe found a man outside the mansion. Still, as long as I can confirm she's lost her chastity, it will give me an enormous advantage over her!'
Therefore, no matter what tricks Song Lianhe tried to pull now, Song Xilan remained as she always had: poised, composed, and as steady as a rock.
This, everyone thought, was the true bearing of a general's noble daughter.
Mrs. Liu stepped forward, her expression cautious and timid, as if terrified of saying the wrong thing and offending her husband. "Second Miss is here now," she said carefully to him. "Why must you continue to scold her?"
'Song Lianhe knew Mrs. Liu was just maintaining her public image. Despite being a second wife, she had a considerable reputation for being a virtuous woman in Ling'an City.'
'For a concubine's daughter from a minor family to now be seated in the main hall as the mistress managing the household—that alone was a testament to her capabilities.'
'For such a supposedly virtuous wife to pull a stunt like this in front of all the wives and daughters of high court officials… To not even use my name, but to call her own stepdaughter 'Second Miss'… Wasn't she just trying to cement my reputation as the Evil Woman who bullies her and her daughter?'
'Tsk, tsk. Destroying someone's reputation is a fate worse than death.'
As expected, Lady Zhuang, the wife of the Minister of Ministry of Industry and a good friend of Mrs. Liu, immediately sneered, "My, my! The Second Miss certainly puts on airs! Don't tell me the entire General Mansion has to bow to your command?"
She then turned to Mrs. Liu, her tone half-reproachful, half-pitying. "To think that you, the dignified wife of the General, are so useless!"
Mrs. Liu could only offer a bitter smile, her unspoken suffering clear for all to see.
Lady Zhuang's daughter, Zhuang Qiaoyue, was a close friend of Song Xilan's and despised Song Lianhe more than anyone. She immediately chimed in, "How is the General's wife useless? It's obviously a certain someone who is far too arrogant! Throwing her weight around just because she's the legitimate daughter. Even though Xilan is the older sister, who knows how much she has to endure from her on a daily basis!"