After learning that Guan Xuxu had chosen a voluminous black ball gown, Lu Xuexi immediately opted for a white ostrich feather prima donna dress. The style accentuated her already delicate and soft features, making her appear even more pure and elegant.
Jiang Su and his brothers had clearly been stunned by Guan Xuxu's look earlier, but they refused to praise her out of fear that she would become conceited.
Now that Lu Xuexi was before them, their reservations vanished. They crowded around her with enthusiasm, showering her with endless compliments as if the words cost them nothing.
Lu Xuexi carried herself like the true princess of the Jiang family. Her gaze occasionally drifted toward Guan Xuxu with a hint of subtle smugness and vanity.
Guan Xuxu, however, didn't even glance their way. She was busy discussing with the hairstylist, requesting that her hair be kept simple.
Lu Xuexi's smile faltered. Though she maintained a gentle expression, the light in her eyes visibly dimmed.
Seeing this, Jiang Su asked quickly, "Sister Xuexi, what's wrong?"
"It's nothing." Lu Xuexi shook her head, her voice dropping. "You all shouldn't crowd around me and praise me so much. Xuxu is the protagonist today. She'll be unhappy if she sees this."
Jiang Han frowned immediately. "What does it matter if she's happy or not? You're the sister who grew up with us."
Jiang Su nodded in agreement. "Exactly. She's only acting up because she just came back and Grandfather and Eldest Uncle are coddling her."
Despite their words, they didn't dare mock her openly and loudly anymore, settling for low-voiced muttering instead.
Lu Xuexi's eyes flickered as she quietly asked about the details of how they had convinced Guan Xuxu to return. To her, Guan Xuxu didn't seem like the type of person who could be easily coaxed back with a few kind words.
She had been hoping that Guan Xuxu would stubbornly refuse to come home. If the Jiang family lost face today, they would surely blame the girl for the humiliation.
What a pity.
Xuxu had actually come back.
Jiang Su didn't intend to hide anything and recounted Jiang Yucheng's words to her.
Lu Xuexi was stunned into silence. She hadn't expected Eldest Uncle to go to such lengths for Guan Xuxu.
As expected, a biological daughter is truly different.
While she sneered inwardly, her face showed only concern as she whispered, "Remember, you must never let Grandfather know about this. If he finds out that Eldest Uncle was willing to abandon all of us for Xuxu, it would break his heart."
She followed up with a feigned sigh. "The house used to be so peaceful. I don't know how things suddenly turned into such a mess."
Prompted by Lu Xuexi's insinuation, Jiang Su and his brothers felt that the chaos in the house had indeed begun only after Guan Xuxu's return. The fleeting moment of admiration they had felt for her beauty earlier vanished instantly.
Seeing her words take root, Lu Xuexi decided to add more fuel to the fire. "I just hope Xuxu can be more sensible now that she's back."
To her surprise, Jiang Su's expression became complicated. After a long silence, he mumbled, "She didn't seem to have a good life at the Guan family. As long as she doesn't go too far in the future, we should probably just put up with her."
Jiang Su felt a lingering sense of unease whenever he thought of the dilapidated rental unit Guan Xuxu had been living in.
Lu Xuexi was speechless. What?
The banquet was scheduled to begin at 7:30 PM.
The Jiang family's entire garden had been decorated with lights in advance. As the sky darkened, the lights of the entire villa flared to life. The garden was surrounded by ribbons of glowing LEDs, making the entire estate look like a magnificent, shimmering castle from a distance.
Before seven o'clock, a succession of luxury cars began arriving at the gate. One after another, young masters and ladies in tailored suits and designer gowns stepped out.
Old Master Jiang had invited people who were on good terms and frequently associated with the Jiang family each of them a prominent figure in Haishi, if not the entire country.
Most of the younger guests arrived with their parents, while a few came alone, carrying gifts on behalf of their families.
The sheer scale and grandeur of the banquet left many in awe.
Guan Ruirui's eyes widened as she stepped out of the car with her parents. Many of the people here were figures her father couldn't even dream of approaching. As for the elite young masters and ladies of the top circles, they were individuals Ruirui could usually only admire through social media.
"Our Ruirui is truly capable, actually managing to get an invitation to the Jiang family's event. You truly are our family's little lucky star," Guan Baocheng praised his daughter, his eyes full of pride.
Because the Jiang family had suddenly canceled their cooperation, Guan Baocheng's prospects for his company had gone up in smoke. He was unwilling to let such a golden opportunity to climb the social ladder slip away.
Upon hearing that his wife and daughter had secured an invitation to the Jiang family banquet, he had been eager to reclaim the Jiang family's favor tonight.
Bai Shuqin looked at her husband's determined expression with a trace of unease. She pulled her daughter aside and whispered, "Ruirui, shouldn't we give your father a heads-up? Just in case the Jiang family's young lady turns out to be... your father won't be prepared."
Since the Jiang family had canceled their partnership, Ruirui and Bai Shuqin had feared that Guan Baocheng would blame them, so they had kept the possibility of Xuxu being the Jiang family heiress a secret from him.
Guan Baocheng had come tonight solely focused on rebuilding ties with the Jiangs.
The three members of the Guan family stood at the entrance for a moment before someone walked out from within.
The newcomer wore a high-end tailored suit and possessed a handsome appearance. This was Pei Yuancheng, the man who had recently made his relationship with Guan Ruirui official.
The Pei family was a famous clan in Jingshi with significant influence, but Pei Yuancheng was merely a young master from a branch family. He had been sent to Haishi years ago to expand their market and had only recently established a firm foothold.
Originally, a branch of the Pei family wouldn't have carried much weight in Haishi, but everyone was cautious of their ties to the main house in Jingshi. Thus, people treated Pei Yuancheng's family with courtesy, allowing them a marginal spot in the upper social circles.
For this reason, the Pei family had always intended for Pei Yuancheng to enter a political marriage with a local prominent family.
Pei Yuancheng had originally set his sights on Guan Xuxu. After all, she liked him, and he found her quite agreeable.
However, just a few days ago, news broke that Guan Xuxu was merely an adopted daughter of the Guan family, and her biological parents were impoverished villagers living in the mountains.
Pei Yuancheng had immediately dropped all interest in Guan Xuxu and started dating Guan Ruirui instead.
When Guan Ruirui had asked him to secure an invitation for tonight, Pei Yuancheng had initially found it quite difficult.
As luck would have it, his second uncle's family had run into trouble yesterday and couldn't attend, leaving their invitations vacant. That was how the Guans got theirs.
Indeed, Pei Yuancheng's second uncle was from the same Pei family that had been humiliated by the Song family the night before.
If Pei Yuancheng had known exactly why his uncle's family had been attacked and by whom, he likely wouldn't have brought the Guan family to the banquet so brazenly.
As more lights spread from within the villa over the heads of the crowd, the guests began to follow the curtain of light inside.
The banquet to officially welcome the return of the Jiang family's eldest daughter finally began.
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