"Xu Qingrou, you're talking nonsense," Lu Xiangxiang said through gritted teeth.
"Yes, I am talking nonsense. If you hadn't slandered me just now, why would I be talking nonsense?" Xu Qingrou replied calmly. "So, you brought this upon yourself. Lu Xiangxiang, you know I'm never one to suffer in silence. You've provoked me, and I have no reason not to fight back and let you bully me."
Xu Qingrou laid her cards on the table. This way, if Lu Xiangxiang gossiped about her to others later, they wouldn't take it seriously. Even if she slandered Xu Qingrou behind her back, others wouldn't pay it much mind.
"Alright, alright, no one meant any harm. Let's drop this," Li Ruyi played the peacemaker. With so many people present, if things escalated, others might accuse Xu Qingrou of bullying someone with the backing of the Rui Prince's mansion, and by extension, Rui Ning of being arrogant and overbearing.
"We didn't mean any harm, but whether someone else did is another matter. After all, I've never seen anyone so arrogant when visiting someone's home," Rui Ning said, clearly disliking Lu Xiangxiang and having no intention of letting the matter rest. Honestly, coming to the Rui Prince's mansion and openly slandering her mother was either a sign of a troubled mind or deliberate malice.
Lu Xiangxiang stamped her foot. "Rui Ning, you're going too far."
"Whether I'm bullying you isn't for you to decide. Everyone here has eyes, and they can see for themselves. Would they really wrong you just to please me? All these ladies are kind-hearted and have attended women's academies, so they understand the principles of conduct. How can you think so poorly of them?" Rui Ning said with a half-smile.
This speech successfully pitted Lu Xiangxiang against the others.
"Lu Xiangxiang, you were the one who spoke nonsense first," someone chimed in.
"Exactly. We were all here and saw and heard everything clearly," another agreed.
"Lu Xiangxiang, you owe Princess Rui Ning and Miss Xu an apology," someone else added.
Lu Xiangxiang listened to their barrage of accusations, each word pointing out her wrongdoings. Not a single person spoke in her defense, not even those who were usually friendly with her. Her heart ached. But apologize? That was impossible.
"It's just a lotus viewing banquet, who cares about it?" With that, Lu Xiangxiang flicked her handkerchief and stormed off angrily.
Li Ruyi then turned to the other guests. "I haven't introduced everyone yet. This is the wife of the Duke of Protectorate's heir, and this is Miss Yan."
Some of the ladies had met Qi Zhenzhen a few times before, while others were meeting her for the first time. However, they were all aware that Qi Zhenzhen, as a庶女 (daughter of a concubine), had married Gu Sinian as his primary wife. Gu Sinian was also known for his good looks and his notorious reputation.
Many were curious about whether Gu Sinian was truly as they had heard, but seeing how close Rui Ning and Qi Zhenzhen were, they refrained from making any "teasing" remarks.
Yan Qi was generally aloof, only softening towards those she felt a connection with. Otherwise, she maintained an air of unapproachability.
In contrast, Qi Zhenzhen's group was much livelier. Firstly, there was her status, and secondly, due to the Rui Prince's Consort's instructions, Qi Zhenzhen was conversing with everyone in a particularly amiable manner.
They enjoyed delicate pastries, sipped tea, and engaged in pleasant conversation, creating a wonderfully harmonious atmosphere.
"Bravo!" Cheers echoed from afar.
It came from the other side of the garden, where Rui Ning's elder brother was entertaining the male guests.
The minds of the noble ladies immediately drifted, wishing they could sprout wings and fly over to see what was causing such excitement. Of course, their primary interest was in catching a glimpse of the young gentlemen.
"Shall we go take a look together?" Li Ruyi suggested.
Lotus viewing banquets were originally designed to create opportunities for these unmarried young men and women. Without seeing each other, where would the opportunities arise? Private meetings between men and women were inappropriate, but a group meeting a group was another matter entirely.