Chapter 56: Chapter 56: Su Mengyao: Here I Go

Yun Zijin and Sheng Yang entered the villa together. Once inside, they saw a lively gathering on the lawn, with guests in all kinds of outfits mingling and drinking.

"Second Young Master Sheng! Good evening!"

Sheng Yang and Yun Zijin had just stepped into the villa. Sheng Yang was about to lead her toward the macaron display when someone blocked their path.

Sheng Yang’s brow twitched. ’Can’t this person see we’re in the middle of something?’

"Mm, good evening."

In truth, he had no idea who this person was.

Plenty of people tried to cozy up to him at these parties. He remembered very few of them.

"You might not remember me, but we met at the last race on the South Suburb mountain road."

At the mention of that race, Sheng Yang’s expression soured.

"Oh. It was crowded, so I probably didn’t notice you. Was there something else?"

Sheng Yang didn’t say he didn’t remember, but his every word implied, ’I don’t know you.’

Yun Zijin wasn’t one for schmoozing. Seeing that Sheng Yang was tied up, she discreetly slipped away and headed for the macaron display he’d mentioned.

It didn’t take long for people to notice Yun Zijin after she left Sheng Yang’s side. Several girls converged on her.

Yun Zijin had just popped a pink macaron into her mouth when someone walked up and scanned her from head to toe, as if she were a piece of merchandise.

"So you’re the woman Second Young Master Sheng brought with him?"

Yun Zijin was speechless.

’What century is this? This kind of catfight is so out of style. And could you please not look at me like I stole your boyfriend?’

’Besides, my friendship with Sheng Yang is completely platonic, like a brother and sister. How could anyone possibly look at us and think we’re a couple?’

"We came together. You have a problem with that?"

Yun Zijin wasn’t the type to take bullying lying down.

"Second Young Master Sheng is just temporarily dazzled by your little act. The woman he’ll marry will certainly be a socialite from a family of equal status."

"I’d advise you to back off before it’s too late. Otherwise, you’ll be the only one who gets hurt in the end."

"A socialite from a family of equal status? Are you referring to yourself?"

"Sheng Yang is the second son of the current chairman of the Sheng Family, one of the Four Great Families of Dijing. If we’re talking about equal status, that would have to be one of the other three Great Families. So, dare I ask, which of those families are you the daughter of?"

After speaking, Yun Zijin delicately picked up an orange macaron and took a small bite. ’Mango. I like this one.’

The woman was left speechless.

’If she were the daughter of one of the Four Great Families, why would she set her sights on Sheng Yang? She would have gone after the three main heirs long ago.’

’But she was self-aware enough to know the main heirs were out of her league. She had to settle for the next best thing: Sheng Yang.’

"While I may not be the daughter of one of the Four Great Families, I am Su Mengyao, eldest daughter of the Su Family—one of the Eight Minor Houses, ranked just below them! I’m hardly comparable to some woman who just popped up out of nowhere like you!"

As Su Mengyao spoke, she unconsciously lifted her chin, her nose held high in the air.

Clearly, Su Mengyao hadn’t heard Yun Zijin’s self-introduction at the door earlier.

However, even if she had, it probably wouldn’t have changed her opinion.

After all, when comparing the Xia Family to the Su Family, there really was no contest.

’Su Mengyao was self-aware enough to settle for Sheng Yang, yet Xia Jiajiao dared to aim for Lu Yunque.’

’I really can’t tell if Xia Jiajiao is just that confident or completely delusional about her own standing.’

"Sheng Yang and I are not a couple. You can relax."

’The last thing Yun Zijin wanted was for Su Mengyao to treat her as a rival over Sheng Yang, picking a fight every time they crossed paths.’

’How was she supposed to go out and enjoy spending her money in peace?’

"Hmph! Who knows if you’re lying? I’m not that easy to fool."

Yun Zijin was speechless once again. ’Is there no getting through to this girl?’

’If there was no reasoning with her, Yun Zijin wasn’t going to bother anymore. Why should she have to clean up Sheng Yang’s romantic messes?’

"Instead of trying to prove a point to me, you’d be better off hovering around Sheng Yang."

"See? He’s getting impatient with those people pestering him. If you go over, rescue him, and bring him here for some macarons, you’ll definitely leave a lasting impression."

Yun Zijin gestured vaguely toward Sheng Yang’s position, where he was surrounded by people trying to talk to him.

Yun Zijin could tell at a glance that Sheng Yang was reaching the limit of his patience.

"Really?"

Su Mengyao was skeptical.

"Believe it or not. I’m just offering a suggestion."

"If it goes well, you might leave a good impression on Sheng Yang. If it goes badly... well, it couldn’t get much worse than your current situation, could it?"

Yun Zijin was starting to sweet-talk her.

"Yaoyao, I think... I think what she’s saying makes sense."

One of Su Mengyao’s followers, after hearing Yun Zijin’s words and thinking for a moment, began whispering in her ear to persuade her.

Su Mengyao, who had been suspicious of Yun Zijin, started to feel an urge to act after her own follower backed up the idea.

"Look, if it doesn’t work out, you can come back and find me, and I’ll introduce you two properly. How about that?"

’This Su Mengyao isn’t so bad, after all,’ Yun Zijin thought.

’What she said at the beginning was offensive, but there was no denying that most of it was true.’

’Except for the part about her own status being a mismatch, everything else was true.’

’The idea of marrying within one’s social standing had survived since ancient times for a reason.’

’Even Cinderella’s father was a Duke. A truly common girl wouldn’t even get an invitation to the prince’s ball.’

Hearing Yun Zijin’s offer, Su Mengyao was shamefully tempted.

’The way Sheng Yang had willingly let Yun Zijin take his arm and walk in like a princess proved her status in his eyes was anything but ordinary.’

With Yun Zijin’s assurance, Su Mengyao made up her mind in an instant.

"You can’t go back on your word!"

"You have my word," Yun Zijin guaranteed.

"I’m going!"

Su Mengyao didn’t even spare her follower a glance, heading straight for Sheng Yang.

Yun Zijin, for her part, craned her neck, her eyes glued to Su Mengyao as she approached Sheng Yang step by step.

"Aren’t you afraid Second Young Master Sheng will get angry and settle the score with you when he finds out what you’ve done?"

Su Mengyao’s follower had sat down beside Yun Zijin at some point, her gaze fixed on Su Mengyao with an unreadable expression.

There was a strange edge to her voice as she spoke to Yun Zijin.

Yun Zijin shot the follower a sidelong glance. "I’m not worried. Why are you?"

Yun Zijin watched her, a cryptic smile on her face.

The girl felt as if Yun Zijin could see right through to her soul, and her gaze began to shift uneasily.

Yun Zijin scoffed internally. ’This girl’s intentions are so obvious it’s almost comical, yet she’s afraid I can read her mind?’

’If she had to guess, Su Mengyao had probably been duped by this "friend" more times than she could count.’

"Second Young Master Sheng isn’t the type to be impressed by such a small favor."

It was hard to tell if she was saying it for Yun Zijin’s benefit or to convince herself.

By now, Su Mengyao had plunged into the circle of men surrounding Sheng Yang.