Du Yiyi sensed something was off about her mood and followed her gaze.
The person wore a goose-yellow, cross-collared long dress made of brocade, adorned with floral patterns on the chest that made it appear plump.
The hem of the skirt was embroidered with peonies, large and vibrant, making her figure look exceptionally good.
If it weren't for their animosity, Su Xiaoqi would have praised her, admitting that Su Yuru was truly striking, especially her figure, curvaceous and shapely.
She was the kind of person who could lock onto anyone's eyes, regardless of gender, at a single glance.
"Who is she?" Du Yiyi asked after a long moment of observation, unable to recognize her.
She only felt that the person's features seemed somewhat familiar, as if they had met before, but she couldn't recall her name.
"The eldest daughter of the Su family," Su Xiaoqi replied calmly.
"Oh, so that's Su Yuru, the one who disliked Brother Shen and refused to marry him, pulling you in to impersonate her."
Du Yiyi's memory was jogged, recalling what Su Xiaoqi had told her earlier when they were at the Gu family's residence.
Su Xiaoqi nodded and gave her a thumbs-up, complimenting her good memory.
Du Yiyi smiled sheepishly, saying that her only talent was her excellent memory; she could remember anyone she wanted to, whether good or bad.
By this time, Su Yuru, accompanied by her maid Xiaoqi, had approached.
However, neither of the two women speaking paid her any mind.
A flicker of displeasure crossed Su Yuru's mind, but she quickly suppressed it and stepped forward to greet them, "Miss Gu, hello. We met at the Huang family's."
Some wealthy families in Mianzhou City often hosted tea parties and flower gatherings. When Du Yiyi first arrived, she didn't know anyone, so she went with Madam Yu to a couple of these events.
But later, she found them to be utterly boring and stopped attending.
It was at such an occasion that she had met Su Yuru, and possibly even spoken to her. However, she didn't like Su Yuru's type, so she hadn't paid much attention at the time, hence only finding her features familiar without being able to recall her name.
"Oh," Du Yiyi responded with marked indifference at this point.
On her cold face, Su Yuru thought she detected a hint of disdain.
Su Yuru's heart skipped a beat, and she instinctively glanced at Su Xiaoqi.
It must be her. She remembered clearly that when Du Yiyi saw her at the Huang family's, she had smiled at her.
But now, she clearly harbored some displeasure towards her, and Su Yuru was certain it was due to jealousy over her badmouthing Du Yiyi behind her back.
Frowning slightly, she stepped forward and abruptly pulled Su Xiaoqi's sleeve, whispering, "I have something to say to you."
Su Xiaoqi unhesitatingly shook off her hand and said coldly, "We have nothing to say to each other."
"You, you, fine, very well. Since you're not trying to avoid it at all, then I don't need to mind revealing your true colors in front of your friend."
Su Yuru was furious.
She accused Su Xiaoqi of being a street beggar who, by using her family's name, married the talented Shen Yun. This was bad enough, but she had also stolen her family's heirloom.
Su Xiaoqi smiled faintly.
She showed no sign of anger at Su Yuru's words.
In Su Yuru's eyes, however, she interpreted this as Su Xiaoqi being guilty because she dared not retort.
She pressed on, claiming that Su Xiaoqi had used her beauty to collude with Huang Yuanxiang and get the eldest son of her family's steward sent to prison.
In short, in Su Yuru's words, Su Xiaoqi was an utterly wicked woman, capable of all sorts of evil.
She spoke with great indignation.
Several times, her maid Xiaoqi had to pat her back to help her regain her composure.
But after speaking for a long time, believing she had exposed all of Su Xiaoqi's wrongdoings, even distorting her image with embellishments, she was surprised to see the Prefect's daughter still standing beside her with an innocent demeanor.
"Miss Yiyi, you, you..."
"I'm sorry, we're not close. You can call me Miss Du."
Du Yiyi directly drew a line between them.
Did she really think her name could be casually called by anyone?
Su Yuru choked, looking at Du Yiyi with disbelief. After a moment of silence, she managed to find her voice, "Miss Du, aren't you afraid of her?"
Du Yiyi hugged her shoulders, trembling slightly, feigning great fear.
"Oh my, I am truly scared. I, I'm terrified. Some people brag so much they blacken the sky."
"You, Miss Du, what I said earlier was not bragging in the slightest," Su Yuru declared, pointing to the sky with a solemn and earnest expression.
Du Yiyi glanced at her dismissively and said lightly, "Is that so?"
Then she turned to Su Xiaoqi, her expression earnest as she requested, "Sister Xiaoqi, although I know you don't want to bother with her, when someone bullies us like this, there's no need for us to be afraid.
Let's have a good talk with her so she doesn't ruin your reputation in front of others anymore."
"Alright, I'll listen to Yiyi. It's pointless to talk here, why don't we go to the yamen?"
Su Xiaoqi said, stepping closer to Su Yuru and announcing loudly, "Let's meet at the Prefect's yamen. I've heard the Prefect is a living Bao Qingtian, skilled at overturning unjust cases and discerning right from wrong."
"What do you mean?" Su Yuru suddenly couldn't understand Su Xiaoqi.
"I want to sue you for defamation, for smearing my name, and for breaking our engagement through improper means.
I accuse your Su family of restricting my freedom, and I accuse you of inciting your servants to violence," Su Xiaoqi continued, the smile on her lips deepening with each word.
Su Yuru's face grew darker with every accusation. She retorted angrily, "You're talking nonsense, I didn't!"
Su Xiaoqi shrugged, "Since both sides have their own arguments, it seems we can't come to an agreement.
Why don't we go find Magistrate Du, who is renowned for his decisive judgments? I believe he will not let any bad person off the hook, nor will he wrongly accuse any good person."
Su Yuru's heart and body trembled.
She looked at Su Xiaoqi with disbelief. It had only been a short time. She remembered Su Xiaoqi arriving at their home like a mouse.
Her seemingly sharp yet ultimately clumsy eyes darted around, observing everything.
When she saw valuable items in their house, she would stare intently, her eyes gleaming with greed.
But when caught by servants, she would immediately act meek and ingratiating.
Just like the poodle she kept.
In just over half a year, how had she transformed into a completely different person?
Not only had her skin become fairer and her appearance more refined, but even her speech and actions had undergone a qualitative leap.
She was no longer the little beggar Su Xiaoqi, who could be exploited and manipulated by their Su family.
The height she had reached was beyond her grasp.
At least Su Xiaoqi dared to openly declare she was going to the yamen. Did Su Yuru dare?
She did not.
The way they had broken off the engagement was something that absolutely could not be exposed.
Although she regretted it to her very core, she still dared not speak of it openly.
Therefore, even though the latter accusations Su Xiaoqi made were mostly fabricated, she dared not refute them.
Su Xiaoqi could afford to lose, but she could not.
This was the difference between the barefoot and the shod.
She, a fine piece of jade, had no need to clash with Su Xiaoqi's broken pottery shard.