Seeing her grandson walk toward the door and suddenly stop, Grandma Xiao became somewhat anxious. She had people clear a path for him to reach her.
However, Xiao Yebai merely turned around, as if he was waiting for someone to join him.
At this point, everyone in the hall refocused their attention on the world behind him.
The woman who ascended the steps wore an embroidered dress reminiscent of the Republic of China style, with a cheongsam cut that revealed her slender and shapely legs. A pair of pristine high heels matched Xiao Yebai’s white leather shoes, making them look like a perfectly matched golden couple.
Her ink-black hair cascaded over her shoulders, adorned with a solid gold rose that added a luxurious allure to her otherwise pristine white ensemble, giving her an elegant and refined appearance.
The crowd inside the hall buzzed with discussions, all pointing to the same question: Who is this woman? What is her background?
Su Yixia and Lin Yishan found it most terrifying that those unaware of Gu Nuan’s origins thought at first glance that she was a noble lady from some prominent family, due to her stunning demeanor and beauty.
"Such a beautiful lady, I’ve never seen her before."
"She really matches up well with the young master of the Xiao family. She reminds me of Bai Liusu from the TV dramas."
A woman from Zhang Ailing’s writings during the Republic era might not have been the most beautiful, but her charming and unique personality captivated the male lead completely.
The scene seemed perfectly appropriate for this moment.
Su Yixia was intensely focused, her gaze continually drifting back to Gu Nuan’s luxurious white and gold dress.
Clothes make the man just as gold makes the Buddha.
Gu Nuan shamelessly wore a dress gifted by a suitor to show off here, even attempting to outshine Su Yixia.
Logically, it was Su Yixia who was more beautiful, with a face that fit the standard definition of a beauty. Yet, Gu Nuan’s demeanor, as pure as bamboo, merely needed the right outfit to seem ethereal and otherworldly. This was something no mere beauty could match.
Lin Yishan only knew that Wa Zicong, who stood by her side, had his eyes fixed unwaveringly on his ex from the moment Gu Nuan appeared.
"Zicong—," she called out anxiously.
Wa Zicong turned back to look at her with a bewildering gaze, as if he were lost in a dream.
A chill ran down Lin Yishan’s spine.
As everyone expressed their surprise, the crowd automatically parted, creating a pathway.
The couple that appeared was the young master Xiao escorting his companion by the hand, walking along the central path among the crowd. People watched them as if they were stars walking on a red carpet.
Grandma Xiao sat composed in her ceremonial chair, her serene expression contrasting sharply with the vivid expressions on the faces of Xiao Shulan, Xiao Shuju, and Xiao Shuzhu standing behind her. She appeared much more composed.
"She—", Xiao Shuju began shouting when she caught a sharp glance from the elder, prompting her to forcefully swallow her words.
When they reached the elder, Xiao Yebai smiled warmly.
Grandma Xiao likewise smiled affectionately at her grandson as she teasingly said, "Why are you so late? You didn’t even answer my calls?"
"Grandma," Xiao Yebai said, "Nuannuan and I were thinking of preparing a congratulatory gift for you, and that’s what delayed us."
"Nuannuan?" Spotting the affectionate nickname her grandson used, the elderly woman’s sharp gaze fell on Gu Nuan’s face.
With minimal makeup, just a light touch of powder—was her grandson really attracted to a woman plain as vegetables?
Possibly making a significant decision internally, the elderly woman said, "Alright, today is my birthday, and if you want to be happy, be happy. It’s fine if you want to bring her here to have fun this once."
The elderly woman was remarkably tolerant, indulging her grandson to the extent of allowing him to bring a ’vixen’ to her birthday celebration. In the eyes of Xiao Shulan and Xiao Shuju, this was indulging to an unbelievable extent.
Xiao Shuju first exclaimed, "Grandma, she is the one I told you about—"
"Did you not hear what I just said?" Grandma Xiao suddenly shouted fiercely.
Xiao Shuju was taken aback. She had never seen the elderly woman lose her temper so publicly.
The entire hall and all the guests had already fallen utterly silent.