"Danfeng, did you forgive her that easily?"

"Exactly, exactly, that’s letting her off too lightly."

"Danfeng, don’t be such a pushover, she’s not giving you any respect."

...

There was chattering around her, but Zhu Danfeng felt empty. Across from her, Yuan Xiangyu turned and sat down to talk with Yi Roujing and a few others. The way they looked at Yuan Xiangyu made her quite envious.

"Ah, finally it’s over." Watching Zhu Danfeng and her group walk away, Yuan Xiangyu let out a sigh of relief. "Later tonight, I’ll have to ask my dad to give me something nice. I solved the problem just like that."

"I’m going to use the restroom, you guys chat first." Yi Roujing had drunk a lot of water, and after speaking, she got up.

"Hey, let’s go together, I want to go too." Yuan Xiangyu hurriedly stood up and said, and then it became three people going together.

Meeting Song Yiluo might just be fate tied to the restroom. When Yi Roujing encountered Song Yiluo once again in such a place, she really wanted to shout "fateful encounter!"

With Song Yiluo was also Song Cenran, whom she had met once before.

"Yuan Xiangyu." Song Cenran didn’t know Hu Heping and had only seen Yi Roujing once before, but she recognized Yuan Xiangyu, as they were from the same circle.

"Song Cenran." Yuan Xiangyu wasn’t familiar with Song Cenran either; their relationship extended only to exchanging greetings. When she realized she had called out Song Cenran’s full name in surprise, she quickly corrected herself, "Cenran, you’re here."

"Did the Yuan Family bring outsiders with them today?" Song Cenran looked at Yi Roujing, her brows furrowed slightly.

Yuan Xiangyu was a bit puzzled, and her first thought was that Song Cenran must be talking about Hu Heping. "Cenran, don’t you recognize Heping?"

Song Cenran was taken aback and looked at the slightly older woman standing behind Yuan Xiangyu, next to Yi Roujing. After a careful look, she recognized her—it was Hu Heping.

"The Yuan Family and the Hu Family are relatives, not outsiders." Yuan Xiangyu replied.

Although the Hu Family wasn’t in politics, they couldn’t be underestimated. They were a true scholarly family, and the Hu Family’s in-laws, the Zhu Family, were also scholarly. Many prominent families’ children had been students of the Hu Family and the Zhu Family.

"Heping, I’m sorry. We haven’t seen each other in so many years, I didn’t recognize you at first," Song Cenran looked apologetically at Hu Heping.

"But Xiangyu, I was talking about this young lady, not Heping." Song Cenran pointed at Yi Roujing and said.

Hu Heping and Yuan Xiangyu exchanged a look, feeling a bit perplexed. The Song Family came to the Xu Family’s banquet and didn’t even recognize the key figure. What were they here for, not to offer congratulations but to offend people?

"Yi Roujing, what are you doing here?" Song Yiluo frowned, "Did you all come to dine at the Jing City restaurant?"

"Don’t be so nosy, and don’t spoil anyone’s fun," Yi Roujing sneered, "Just mind your own business."

Yi Roujing didn’t say much to Song Yiluo, she was in a hurry to use the restroom.

"Cenran, is the Song Family here today to annoy people?" Yuan Xiangyu spoke bluntly, watching a hint of interest flash in Song Cenran’s eyes.

Hu Heping helplessly tugged at Yuan Xiangyu.

"Song, what happens with the Song Family shouldn’t concern the Hu and Yuan families. Even if you can’t figure things out today, you shouldn’t speak indiscriminately about the young lady standing with us," Hu Heping said seriously.

"The Song Family may be doing well recently, but our Hu Family and Yuan Family are also not families to be underestimated. In the future, I kindly ask Song to be mindful of her words," Hu Heping said with authority.

Though Song Cenran was upset, she didn’t dare to retort. She admitted she had been reckless today. "Heping, I apologize. The main reason is that my cousin knows this young lady, someone from the team where she initially went to become a zhiqing. I was worried you might be deceived, so I brought someone in."

"The young lady had a bad reputation in the team. My cousin is not the type to gossip. What she said, I believed, that’s why I spoke up." Song Cenran explained, "I’ve given my warning. We’ll be leaving now."

Once outside the restroom, Song Cenran glared fiercely at Song Yiluo, "Why are you acting dumb? Aren’t you usually chatty? Why didn’t you speak up today? Weren’t you the one who told me about that person before, now you seem to be playing the good person."

"Cousin, I was just wondering how they all know each other." Song Yiluo felt inexplicably uneasy, with a bad premonition.

"Cousin, have you seen what the Xu Family’s reclaimed son looks like?" Song Yiluo asked.

"No, but what’s there to see about someone raised in a village?" Song Cenran replied indifferently, "Also, the Xu Family currently has no youngsters. If Minister Xu remarries and has children, who knows if this one will even be acknowledged."

"It’s quite touching. I heard he even moved his wife’s grave here. That child is fortunate, having been found and now the only child of the Xu Family, he’s really fallen into a nest of blessings," Song Cenran said.

Song Cenran and Song Yiluo encountered the Song Family members on their way into the banquet hall. Following behind the three people, they wore smiles, with a trace of flattery. Song Yiluo felt like she saw herself, wondering if she appeared the same in front of the main Song Family members.

"Hey, hey, Minister Xu, what a coincidence. These are two girls from our Song Family," Song Jinfeng introduced eagerly upon seeing Song Cenran and Song Yiluo a little distance away.

"Cenran, Yiluo, come, come, meet Minister Xu, and Minister Xu’s son Xu Ancheng, and godson Ding Anguo." Song Jinfeng waved at the two, smiling.

The head of the Song Family was now Song Jinfeng. His father, Song Enping, had stepped back due to health reasons, but since his son wasn’t quite able to stand on his own yet, although Song Jinfeng represented the Song Family on the surface, things were still managed by Song Enping behind the scenes.

Song Yiluo was suddenly stiff all over, watching the approaching group where Ding Ancheng’s figure stood tall and imposing, hard to overlook.

Xu Ancheng? Ding Ancheng? So the Xu Family’s reclaimed son is... Song Yiluo began to tremble all over.

"Who gave you the confidence?" "Was it Song Enping?" "Song knows little about me, but I’ll be honest with you, I don’t regard the Song Family at all." ...

Song Yiluo couldn’t help but recall her visit to Huaixi County before returning to Jing City to find Ding Ancheng. Back then, she was puzzled by Ding Ancheng’s tone and confidence, attributing it to a young person’s competitiveness, mainly being intimidated by his demeanor.

So, did Ding Ancheng already know his identity then, that he was a Xu Family child? Is that why he didn’t regard the Song Family at all?

Thinking of Yi Roujing in the restroom earlier, Song Yiluo felt she’d messed up. It was very likely that all her efforts at the Song Family’s main house could come crashing down if the Xu Family disapproved of the Song Family. What would happen to her then, what kind of outcome would she face?