But it was no wonder. After all, no matter how favored Song Xilan was, she was still just an illegitimate daughter.
Unlike someone like Zhuang Qiaoyue, the legitimate daughter of a minister, who never had to concern herself with what others thought. On the contrary, the children of the concubines in her family had to curry favor with her.
Song Xilan shook her head with a bitter smile. Her gaze was cryptic, her hesitant expression suggesting a hidden pain she couldn't speak of to outsiders. Yet, the look she cast toward Song Lianhe was utterly devoid of warmth.
'Since when had this fool, Song Lianhe, suddenly slipped from her control?'
'Song Lianhe had always been arrogant and domineering. Relying on her status as a County Princess personally titled by the Holy Emperor, the legitimate daughter of the General Mansion, and the granddaughter of Marquis Xuan Chang, she had always acted on a whim. The more foolish and inept she appeared, the more it highlighted Xilan's own grace and kind heart.'
'Naturally, it also made her easier to manipulate.'
'In other words, if Song Xilan wanted Song Lianhe to be embarrassed, she would be humiliated. If she wanted Song Lianhe to be condemned, she would be reviled.'
'It had all depended entirely on Song Xilan's mood.'
'But ever since Song Lianhe tried to drug her, and she had turned the tables on her, everything had started to take a strange turn.'
'Not only did she avoid that sordid affair with the servant boy, but she also caused a huge scene at the birthday banquet Xilan had so looked forward to. It was all for naught, especially since Xilan had planned to force Prince Ling to make their relationship public that day…'
Song Xilan lowered her eyes and said softly, "No matter what wrongs Lianhe has committed, she is still my sister."
Song Lianhe truly couldn't stand it anymore. "Song Xilan, are you kidding me? The truth hasn't even been determined, and you're already in a rush to compensate her. What if Ah Yu really didn't take it? Aren't you just forcing him to admit guilt?"
A few of the more reasonable onlookers thought it over and realized she had a point, nodding frequently.
Chao Junyu clenched his fists at his sides. He hadn't wanted to cry, but aggrieved tears already streamed down his face.
Song Xilan stood frozen in a daze. She had never expected such a sharp retort from Song Lianhe.
But she quickly composed herself and said softly, "It is true that I was being inconsiderate. However, I just don't want this matter to cause a rift between you all."
Zhuang Qiaoyue stepped forward and pulled Song Xilan aside. "Xilan! Why must you help such an ungrateful wretch? You offer her your sincere heart, and she just throws it to the dogs!"
Song Lianhe gave a smile that didn't reach her eyes. "Heh, I certainly can't compare to Miss Zhuang. You use your brain to feed the dogs directly."
"Song Lianhe—"
Zhuang Qiaoyue had reached her limit and was about to call her family servants to teach her a lesson.
Song Lianhe sneered. "If you don't dare to swear an oath, then admit in front of everyone that you framed him. While you're at it, apologize to our Ah Yu. As for whether he's willing to forgive you, that will depend on his mood."
'Zhuang Qiaoyue was filled with extreme hatred. She must have been a complete fool to waste so many words on this bitch!'
"Men! Seize them and tie them up!"
"Qiaoyue..."
Song Xilan merely tugged lightly on her sleeve, putting on a troubled expression.
Shuang Ye grew flustered at the sight of this standoff. "Miss, what do we do?"
A smile played on Song Lianhe's lips, and her gaze toward Zhuang Qiaoyue was strangely cunning. 'I was afraid she wouldn't dare to make a move!'
'If she ties me up, it will only further prove that she's framing an innocent person!'
Before Shuang Ye could ask any more questions, a dramatic scene unfolded.
The round, portly owner of the gold shop came jogging after them. "Miss Zhuang... Miss Zhuang... I finally caught up to you! You didn't take the... gold... gold hairpin you ordered..."
The owner was panting, his head covered in sweat.
This Miss Zhuang was a major client, so to show his sincerity, the owner had personally chased after her.
The person most disappointed to see him was, surprisingly, Song Lianhe.
'What a pity. Just a little more.'
'In the original plot of the book, the shop owner only caught up after Song Xilan had already taken them away. Zhuang Qiaoyue immediately silenced him, telling him not to speak nonsense in the future.'
The crowd wore looks of "So that's what happened." Zhuang Qiaoyue's face flushed and paled in turn; she never could have imagined this outcome!
She frantically tried to signal the owner with her eyes. "Shopkeeper, are you mistaken? I already picked up my gold hairpin."
"Impossible, impossible!" The owner waved his hands dismissively. "This was custom-made for you, Miss. It's one-of-a-kind in the world, how could I be mistaken? If you don't believe me, open it and see. It even has the words you asked to have engraved on it."
Hisses and jeers rose from the crowd. So they really had wrongly accused the little beggar boy!